Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 491 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 491]
Hearing this, the king suspected that they wished to slay Vessantara; and he said:
"Yea, let my country be no more, my kingdom no more be,
Banish I will not from his realm a prince from fault quite free,
Nor will obey the people's voice: my true-born son is he.
Yea, let my country be no more, my kingdom no more be,
Banish I will not from his realm a prince from fault quite free,
Nor will obey the people's voice: my very son is he.
No, I will work no harm on him; all noble is he still;
And it would be a shame for me, and it would cause much ill.
Vessantara, my very son, with sword how could I kill?"
The people of Sivi replied:
"Not chastisement doth he deserve, nor sword, nor prison cell,
But from the kingdom banish him, on Vaṁka's mount to dwell."
The king said:
"Behold the people's will! and I that will do not gainsay.
But let him bide one happy night before he go away.
After the space of this one night, when dawns the coming day,
Together let the people come and banish him away."
They agreed to the king's proposal for just the one night. Then he let them go away, and
thinking to send a message to his son, he commissioned an agent, who accordingly went
to Vessantara's house and told him what had befallen.