Malayan Literature | Page 6

their faces all suffused,
But they seemed timid, modest,
full of fear.

Then Bidasari's women said to them:
"Come, O young
women, all are loyal here.
Enter, our sisters and our friends."
Now when
The Queen's dyangs had looked about them there
They
all were dazzled, Bidasari's face
So beautiful appeared. How beat
their hearts!
As they upon her lovely features gazed,
Each
murmured to herself, "She is more fair
Than our great Queen."

Then Bidasari wished
To buy the fan, and sent a maid to ask
Her
parents for the gold. The merchant said,
"Go see what thing it is, and
weigh the gold
For her." The mother feared a trap or trick.
"Oh, do
not buy the fan, my child," she said;
"I'll buy a finer one for thee.
Send this
Away." But when her father saw her tears
Of
disappointment, "It is thine," he said.
"What is the price? I'd buy it
though it cost
Thy weight in gold, my darling. Tell me now,

Dyangs." Tjendra Melinee answered him,
"Are two timbangs too
much?" "I'm very poor,"
He said; "but I will buy it for the child."

The gold was weighed. The four dyangs straightway
Departed,
hurried to the Queen and said:
"At last we have discovered, O our
Queen,
What thou hast sought. 'Tis in a near campong
Of
merchants very rich and great. Oh, there
We found a princess fairer
than the day;
More like an angel than a mortal maid.
No woman in
this land compares with her.
Her name is Bidasari. And the King

Would surely marry her if once they met,
For soon she will be ready
for a spouse;
Her innocence is charming. Like a cloud
The
merchant and his wife keep watchful guard.
Her hair is curly, like a
flower full blown.
Her brow is like the moon but one day old.
She's
like a ring in Peylou made. She would
Outshine thy beauty, shouldst
thou bring her here."
The princess heard and quickly said: "I feel

My hatred rise. Oh, may I never see
Her face! To hear ye speak of her
inflames
My heart with anger. Say, why do ye think
That she's
more fair than I?" Then made reply
The women: "Bidasari's eyes are
soft.
Her smile is sweet, her skin is tinted like
The green
tjempakka,
and her graceful form
Resembles some famed statue nobly made.

Her cheeks are like the bill of flying bird.
We loved to look upon her
neck. Her nose
Is like a jasmine bud. Her pretty face
Is like the
yellow of an egg. Her thoughts
Are pure as crystal. And she wears
her hair
In such a charming way. Her lips are like
A little polished
box. The flowers she wears
But make her look the prettier. Her teeth

Are like a bright pomegranate. Ah, the heart
Doth open when one
looketh on her face.
She's like a princess of the Mount Lidang.
Her

features are like those of Nilagendi,
Her heels are like the eggs of
hens, and make
Her seem a princess of Siam. Her fingers
More
tapering are than quills of porcupine.
And solid is the nail of her left
hand.
No noble's girl is Bidasari's peer."
Now when the princess
heard them sing her praise
Her soul was wounded as if by a thorn.

Her dark eyes flashed. "Ah, speak no more of her,"
She said, "nor
speak abroad what ye have seen.
But bring me Bidasari. I would see

If what ye say be true."
"Then we must take
Her presents first, and strive to gain by them

Her friendship, and attain our end at last."
They went to see her every
day, and bore
Rich gifts.
The merchant and his wife remarked
The visits of the Queen's dyangs,
and how
They loved their daughter. That is why they gave
Them all
that they desired. But the dyangs
Among themselves kept saying:
"How can we
Take her away? We love her so, and deep
Within our
hearts we pity her. And now
Her parents have such trust in us, and
load
Us down with gifts. But when, alas, at home
The princess
questions us, what shall we say?
For she's a powerful Queen. Yet if
we make
Unhappy this dear girl of these good folk,
Shall we not sin?
And still the princess is
So violent and harsh! Her jealousy
Would
know no limit should the King but hear
Of this affair."
Dang Djoudah answering spoke:
"We all can go to her and quiet her.

A word suffices oft. She is our Queen,
But to the King belongeth
power supreme.
If Bidasari should disdain the throne
We shall
renounce our functions at the court,
For what the Queen desires is
most unjust.
And if we prove unfaithful we shall be
O'erwhelmed
with maledictions." Thus they spoke
And went back to the busy-lived
campong
Of merchants. Here they thought to go and find
Djouhara,
and obtain what they desired.
A messenger went after them and said:

"To Dang Bidouri: Come at once; my friend
The princess

summons you." Then the dyangs
Went to the Queen and found her
with the King
At dinner. With malicious wink of eye
She made
them understand they must not talk
Before the prince. When he had
dined he took
Some siri from the betel-box, himself
Anointed with
a perfume sweet, and went
To teach the young folk how to ride and
shoot
The arrow straight, and