Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
Vessantara-Jataka in Pali and English - MyWebSpace
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Translation 500 <strong>Vessantara</strong>-Jåtaka<br />
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 500]<br />
Bright yellow robes, G<strong>and</strong>hāra make, once round about him shone,<br />
Or glow<strong>in</strong>g scarlet, as he went: to-day he goes alone.<br />
With chariot, litter, elephant he went <strong>in</strong> former days:<br />
To-day the K<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Vessantara</strong> afoot must tramp the ways.<br />
He once by s<strong>and</strong>al-scent perfumed, awaked by dance <strong>and</strong> song,<br />
How wear rough sk<strong>in</strong>s, how axe <strong>and</strong> pot <strong>and</strong> p<strong>in</strong>go bear along?<br />
Why will they not br<strong>in</strong>g yellow robes, why not the garb of sk<strong>in</strong>,<br />
And dress of bark, the mighty woods that he may enter <strong>in</strong>?<br />
How can a banisht k<strong>in</strong>g put on the robe of bark to wear,<br />
To dress <strong>in</strong> bark <strong>and</strong> grass how will the pr<strong>in</strong>cess Maddī bear?<br />
Maddī, who once Benares cloth <strong>and</strong> l<strong>in</strong>en used to wear,<br />
And f<strong>in</strong>e kodumbara, how bark <strong>and</strong> grasses will she bear?<br />
She who <strong>in</strong> litter or <strong>in</strong> car was carried to <strong>and</strong> fro,<br />
The lovely pr<strong>in</strong>cess, now to-day on foot how can she go?<br />
With tender h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> tender feet <strong>in</strong> happ<strong>in</strong>ess she stood:<br />
How can the lovely pr<strong>in</strong>cess go trembl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the wood?<br />
With tender h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> tender feet she lived <strong>in</strong> happy state:<br />
The f<strong>in</strong>est slippers she could wear would hurt her feet of late;<br />
To-day how can the lovely one afoot now go her gait?<br />
Once she would go begarl<strong>and</strong>ed amidst a thous<strong>and</strong> maids:<br />
How can the beauteous one alone now walk the forest glades?<br />
Once if she heard the jackal howl she would be all dismayed:<br />
How can the timid beauteous one now walk the forest glade?<br />
She who of Indra's royal race would ever shr<strong>in</strong>k afraid,<br />
Trembl<strong>in</strong>g like one possest, to hear the hoot some owl had made,<br />
How can the timid beauteous one now walk the forest glade?<br />
Like as a bird beholds the nest empty, the brood all sla<strong>in</strong>,<br />
So when I see the empty place long shall I burn <strong>in</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>.