His lips with water first bedewed,51

He sate, in reverent attitude

On holy grass,52 the points all bent

Together toward the orient;53

And thus in meditation he

Entered the path of poesy.

Then clearly, through his virtue's might,

All lay discovered to his sight,

Whate'er befell, through all their life,

RÁma, his brother, and his wife:

And Da?aratha and each queen

At every time, in every scene:

His people too, of every sort;

The nobles of his princely court:

Whate'er was said, whate'er decreed,

Each time they sate each plan and deed:

For holy thought and fervent rite

Had so refined his keener sight

That by his sanctity his view

The present, past, and future knew,

And he with mental eye could grasp,

Like fruit within his fingers clasp,

The life of RÁma, great and good,

Roaming with SÍtÁ in the wood.

He told, with secret-piercing eyes,

The tale of RÁma's high emprise,

Each listening ear that shall entice,

A sea of pearls of highest price.

Thus good VÁlmÍki, sage divine,

Rehearsed the tale of Raghu's line,

As NÁrad, heavenly saint, before

Had traced the story's outline o'er.

He sang of RÁma's princely birth,

His kindness and heroic worth;

His love for all, his patient youth,

His gentleness and constant truth,

And many a tale and legend old

By holy Vi?vÁmitra told.

How Janak's child he wooed and won,

And broke the bow that bent to none.

How he with every virtue fraught

His namesake RÁma54 met and fought.

The choice of RÁma for the throne;

The malice by KaikeyÍ shown,

Whose evil counsel marred the plan

And drove him forth a banisht man.

How the king grieved and groaned, and cried,

And swooned away and pining died.

The subjects' woe when thus bereft;

And how the following crowds he left:

With Guha talked, and firmly stern

Ordered his driver to return.

How GangÁ's farther shore he gained;

By BharadvÁja entertained,

By whose advice he journeyed still

And came to ChitrakÚ?a's hill.

How there he dwelt and built a cot;

How Bharat journeyed to the spot;

His earnest supplication made;

Drink-offerings to their father paid;

The sandals given by RÁma's hand,

As emblems of his right, to stand:

How from his presence Bharat went

And years in NandigrÁma spent.

How RÁma entered Da??ak wood

And in SutÍkh?a's presence stood.

The favour AnasÚyÁ showed,

The wondrous balsam she bestowed.

How ?arabhanga's dwelling-place

They sought; saw Indra face to face;

The meeting with Agastya gained;

The heavenly bow from him obtained.

How RÁma with VirÁdha met;

Their home in Panchava?a set.

How ?Úrpa?akhÁ underwent

The mockery and disfigurement.

Of Tri?irÁ's and Khara's fall,

Of RÁva? roused at vengeance call,

MÁrÍcha doomed, without escape;

The fair Videhan55 lady's rape.

How RÁma wept and raved in vain,

And how the Vulture-king was slain.