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 508 <strong>Vessantara</strong>-Jåtaka<br />
[Fausbøll, Jåtaka, vol. VI, p. 508]<br />
Through all the hill <strong>and</strong> forest grass, through clumps of bulrush reed,<br />
With my own breast I'll push my way, nor will compla<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>deed.<br />
She that would keep a husb<strong>and</strong> well must all her duties do;<br />
Ready to roll up balls of dung, 1 ready for fast<strong>in</strong>g too,<br />
She carefully must tend the fire, must mop up water still,<br />
But terrible is widowhood: great monarch, go I will.<br />
The meanest harries her about; she eats of leav<strong>in</strong>gs still:<br />
For terrible is widowhood—great monarch, go I will.<br />
Knocked down <strong>and</strong> smothered <strong>in</strong> the dust, haled roughly by the hair—<br />
A man may do them any hurt, all simply st<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> stare.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
Men pull about the widow's sons with cruel blows <strong>and</strong> foul,<br />
Though fair <strong>and</strong> proud of w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g charm, as crows would peck an owl.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
Even <strong>in</strong> a prosperous household, bright with silver without end,<br />
Unk<strong>in</strong>dly speeches never cease from brother or from friend.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
Naked are rivers waterless, a k<strong>in</strong>gdom without k<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
A widow may have brothers ten, yet is a naked th<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
A banner is the chariot's mark, a fire by smoke is known,<br />
K<strong>in</strong>gdoms by k<strong>in</strong>gs, a wedded wife by husb<strong>and</strong> of her own.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
The wife who shares her husb<strong>and</strong>'s lot, be it rich or be it poor,<br />
Her fame the very gods do praise, <strong>in</strong> trouble she is sure.<br />
My husb<strong>and</strong> I will follow still, the yellow robe to wear,<br />
To be the queen 2 of all the earth without, I would not care.<br />
O terrible is widowhood! great monarch, go I will.<br />
Those women have no heart at all, they're hard <strong>and</strong> cannot feel,<br />
Who when their husb<strong>and</strong>s are <strong>in</strong> woe, desire to be <strong>in</strong> weal.<br />
When the great lord of Sivi l<strong>and</strong> goes forth to banishment,<br />
I will go with him; for he gives all joy <strong>and</strong> all content."<br />
1<br />
gohanubbeṭhanena: gohanaṁ is cowdung (see Cowell, vol. V, p. 246). I take this to refer<br />
to the patties of cowdung used as fuel.<br />
2<br />
icche occurs for the first time here; it comes from Skt. ¥ß, "to rule" (scholiast: "issarā<br />
hoti").