Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace

Translation 500 Vessantara-Jåtaka
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 500]
Bright yellow robes, Gandhāra make, once round about him shone,
Or glowing scarlet, as he went: to-day he goes alone.
With chariot, litter, elephant he went in former days:
To-day the King Vessantara afoot must tramp the ways.
He once by sandal-scent perfumed, awaked by dance and song,
How wear rough skins, how axe and pot and pingo bear along?
Why will they not bring yellow robes, why not the garb of skin,
And dress of bark, the mighty woods that he may enter in?
How can a banisht king put on the robe of bark to wear,
To dress in bark and grass how will the princess Maddī bear?
Maddī, who once Benares cloth and linen used to wear,
And fine kodumbara, how bark and grasses will she bear?
She who in litter or in car was carried to and fro,
The lovely princess, now to-day on foot how can she go?
With tender hands and tender feet in happiness she stood:
How can the lovely princess go trembling into the wood?
With tender hands and tender feet she lived in happy state:
The finest slippers she could wear would hurt her feet of late;
To-day how can the lovely one afoot now go her gait?
Once she would go begarlanded amidst a thousand maids:
How can the beauteous one alone now walk the forest glades?
Once if she heard the jackal howl she would be all dismayed:
How can the timid beauteous one now walk the forest glade?
She who of Indra's royal race would ever shrink afraid,
Trembling like one possest, to hear the hoot some owl had made,
How can the timid beauteous one now walk the forest glade?
Like as a bird beholds the nest empty, the brood all slain,
So when I see the empty place long shall I burn in pain.