LITMIR.BIZ

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pondering, to his beauteous Court returned

      Wistful Siddartha, sad of mien and mood;

      Nor tasted he the white cakes nor the fruits

      Spread for the evening feast, nor once looked up

      While the best palace-dancers strove to charm

      Nor spake—save one sad thing—when wofully

      Yasodhara sank to his feet and wept,

      Sighing, "Hath not my Lord comfort in me?"

      "Ah, Sweet!" he said, "such comfort that my soul

      Aches, thinking it must end, for it will end,

      And we shall both grow old, Yasodhara!

      Loveless, unlovely, weak, and old, and bowed.

      Nay, though we locked up love and life with lips

      So close that night and day our breaths grew one

      Time would thrust in between to filch away

      My passion and thy grace, as black Night steals

      The rose-gleams from you peak, which fade to grey

      And are not seen to fade. This have I found,

      And all my heart is darkened with its dread,

      And all my heart is fixed to think how Love

      Might save its sweetness from the slayer, Time,

      Who makes men old." So through that night he sate

      Sleepless, uncomforted.

      And all that night

      The King Suddhodana dreamed troublous dreams.

      The first fear of his vision was a flag

      Broad, glorious, glistening with a golden sun,

      The mark of Indra; but a strong wind blew,

      Rending its folds divine, and dashing it

      Into the dust; whereat a concourse came

      Of shadowy Ones, who took the spoiled silk up

      And bore it eastward from the city gates.

      The second fear was ten huge elephants,

      With silver tusks and feet that shook the earth,

      Trampling the southern road in mighty march;

      And he who sate upon the foremost beast

      Was the King's son—the others followed him.

      The third fear of the vision was a car,

      Shining with blinding light, which four steeds drew,

      Snorting white smoke and champing fiery foam;

      And in the car the Prince Siddhartha sate.

      The fourth fear was a wheel which turned and turned,

      With nave of burning gold and jewelled spokes,

      And strange things written on the binding tire,

      Which seemed both fire and music as it whirled.

      The fifth fear was a mighty drum, set down

      Midway between the city and the hills,

      On which the Prince beat with an iron mace,

      So that the sound pealed like a thunderstorm,

      Rolling around the sky and far away.

      The sixth fear was a tower, which rose and rose

      High o'er the city till its stately head

      Shone crowned with clouds, and on the top the Prince

      Stood, scattering from both hands, this way and that,

      Gems of most lovely light, as if it rained

      Jacynths and rubies; and the whole world came,

      Striving to seize those treasures as they fell

      Towards the four quarters. But the seventh fear was

      A noise of wailing, and behold six men

      Who wept and gnashed their teeth, and laid their palms

      Upon their mouths, walking disconsolate.

      These seven fears made the vision of his sleep,

      But none of all his wisest dream-readers

      Could tell their meaning. Then the King was wroth,

      Saying, "There cometh evil to my house,

      And none of ye have wit to help me know

      What the great gods portend sending me this."

      So in the city men went sorrowful

      Because the King had dreamed seven signs of fear

      Which none could read; but to the gate there came

      An aged man, in robe of deer-skin clad,

      By guise a hermit, known to none; he cried,

      "Bring me before the King, for I can read

      The vision of his sleep"; who, when he heard

      The sevenfold mysteries of the midnight dream,

      Bowed reverent and said: "O Maharaj!

      I hail this favoured House, whence shall arise

      A wider-reaching splendour than the sun's!

      Lo! all these seven fears are seven joys,

      Whereof the first, where thou didst see a flag—

      Broad, glorious, gilt with Indra's badge—cast down

      And carried out, did signify the end

      Of old faiths and beginning of the new,

      For there is change with gods not less than men,

      And as the days pass kalpas pass at length.

      The ten great elephants that shook the earth

      The ten great gifts of wisdom signify,

      In strength whereof the Prince shall quit his state

      And shake the world with passage of the Truth.

      The four flame-breathing horses of the car

      Are those four fearless virtues which shall bring

      Thy son from doubt and gloom to gladsome light;

      The wheel that turned with nave of burning gold

      Was that most precious Wheel of perfect Law

      Which he shall turn in sight of all the world.

      The mighty drum whereon the Prince did beat,

      Till the sound filled all lands, doth signify

      The thunder of the preaching of the Word

      Which he shall preach; the tower that grew to heaven

      The growing of the Gospel of this Buddh

      Sets forth; and those rare jewels scattered thence

      The untold treasures are of that good Law

      To gods and men dear and desirable.

      Such is the interpretation of the tower;

      But for those six men weeping with shut mouths,

      They are the six chief teachers whom thy son

      Shall, with bright truth and speech unanswerable,

      Convince of foolishness. O King! rejoice;

      The fortune of my Lord the Prince is more

      Than

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