Malayan Literature | Page 8

and said,
"Thou seest
Bidasari, O our Queen,
Lila Djouhari's daughter." At these words

The Queen was stupefied, and thought: "In truth
'Tis as they said. She
is more lovely than
The fairest work of art." Bidouri told
All that
the merchant and his wife had said.
The Queen inclined her head and
silence kept,
But wicked thoughts were surging in her brain.

A
combat raged within her heart. She feared
The King might see the
maiden. "Send away,"
She said, "the nurses and the women all."

Fair Bidasari wept when they retired.
The princess called her to her
side and said:
"Thou must not weep so, Bidasari. They
Will all return. When thou
dost wish to go,
They will go with thee. Now depart, dyangs.
Ye
need not care for Bidasari more.
I will procure her dames of company

And servants. You may come from time to time."
So they arose,

and, with prostrations, went.
The Queen conducted Bidasari then

Into a room and left her all alone,
And all afraid.
When evening shadows fell,
The great King bade the Queen to sup
with him.
He sat beside her, smiled and gayly talked,
As he had
been young Bedouwandas, on
His horse, with sword at belt. "My
royal spouse,
How thou dost love me! for thou wouldst not sup

Without me, though thou needest food and drink."
Now when the
King had eaten, he retired
Unto his sleeping-chamber.
Still alone
And weeping much, fair Bidasari stayed,
In darkness
with no one to speak to her.
She thought on her dear parents. "O my
God!
Why dost Thou leave me here?" The solitude
Filled her with
terror, and she wept until
The middle of the night, and thought of
home.
Out spake the King: "Now what is that I hear?
What voice is
that so sorrowful and sweet?"
"It is an infant crying," said the Queen.

"In all the darkness it has lost its way."
Her heart was burning, and
she sent a word
To Bidasari that she must not weep,
And held her
peace and waited till the dawn.
But Bidasari wept the whole night
long
And cried for home. When the dyangs all ran
To comfort her,
they found the door was locked,
And none could enter. Bidasari
thought,
"What wrong have I committed, that the Queen
Should be
so vexed with me?" When day appeared,
To the pavilion went the
King. The Queen
Threw wide the door of Bidasari's room
And
entered all alone.
Then Bidasari
The Queen's hand kissed, and begged that she would
let
Her homeward fare. "O gracious Queen," she said,
"Take pity on
me; let me go away.
I'll come to thee again."
The wicked Queen

Struck her, and said, "Thou ne'er shalt see again

Thy home." The gentle Bidasari drooped
Her head and wept afresh,
shaking with fear.
"Forgive the evil I have done, my Queen,
For I
am but a child, and do not know
How I have sinned against thee,"

falling at
Her feet she said. The Queen in anger struck
Her once
again. "I know full well," she said,
"All thy designs and projects.
What! Am I
To rest in peace and see thy beauty grow,
And thee
become my rival with the King?"
Then Bidasari knew 'twas jealousy

That caused the fury of the Queen. Her fear
Increased, she
trembled and bewailed her fate.
The livelong day she was insulted,
struck,
And of her food deprived.
Before the King
Returned, the Queen departed from the room
Of
Bidasari. The poor child had lost
Her former color. Black her face
had grown
From blows, as if she had been burnt. Her eyes
She
could not open. Such her sufferings were
She could not walk. Then
unto God she cried:
"O Lord, creator of the land and sea,
I do not
know my fault, and yet the Queen
Treats me as guilty of a heinous
crime.
I suffer hell on earth. Why must I live?
Oh, let me die now,
in the faith, dear Lord.
My soul is troubled and my face is black

With sorrow. Let me die before the dawn.
My parents do not help me.
They have left
Me here alone to suffer. In the false
Dyangs I trusted,
as to sisters dear.
Their lips are smiling, but their hearts are base.

Their mouths are sweet as honey, but their hearts
Are full of evil. Oh,
what can I say?
It is the will of God."
Such was the grief
Of Bidasari, and her tears fell fast.
Now when
the King went forth again, the Queen
Began anew her persecutions
harsh.
With many blows and angry words, she said:
"Why dost thou
groan so loudly? Dost thou seek
By crying to attract the King, to see

Thy beauty? 'Tis thy hope, I know full well,
His younger wife to be.
And thou art proud

Of all thy beauty." Bidasari was
Astounded, and
replied with many tears:
"May I accursed be if ever I
Such plottings
knew. Thou art a mighty Queen.
If I have sinned against thee, let me
die
At once. For life is useless to the hearts
That suffer. Hast thou
brought me here to beat?
How thou hast made me weep! O Queen, art
thou
Without compassion?"

All possessed with rage
The Queen replied: "I do not pity thee.
I
hate thee, when I see thee. Open not
Thy mouth again." The wicked
Queen then seized
The lovely tresses of