Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
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Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
Malay literature -- Translations into English
Then King Tchoulin raised himself upon the beast he rode and brandished
a javelin. He hurled it against King Souran; the javelin struck the
elephant on his flank and pierced deep. At the same time King Souran
shot an arrow which smote King Tchoulin in the breast and came out at
his back. That prince fell to the earth and expired. The soldiers
seeing their king dead, broke ranks and took flight in utter disorder,
pursued by the Hindoos, who put to the sword all they overtook.
Penetrating the ramparts of Ganggayon the Hindoo soldiers pillaged the
town; the booty was immense.
King Tchoulin had a daughter, extremely beautiful. Her name was the
princess Ouangkion; she was presented to King Souran, who took her for
his wife.
The King then resumed his march and arrived at Temasik. The rumor of
his approach soon reached China. People said, "Lo! King Souran comes
with a countless army to conquer China. He has already reached
Temasik." This news was heard with dire alarm by the King of China. He
said to his ministers and to his officers:
"What must be done to repel this invading multitude? If the King of
Kling arrives here, he will doubtless ruin our country."
The prime minister said: "O King of the world; I have a device for
repelling him."
"Very good," said the King; "do not fail to try it."
The prime minister therefore caused a _pilo_, or ship, to be fitted out
with rusty needles. They took also two kinds of trees, kamses and
jujube trees, laden with fruit; these were placed on board ship with
the soil in which they grew. Old men who had lost their teeth were
chosen for passengers and crew. To these the minister gave his
instructions and they started for Temasik.
When they had reached this place King Souran was informed that a ship
had arrived from China. "Go and ask these strangers," he said to his
attendants, "at what distance does this country lie from us." The
attendant put this question to the crew of the _pilo_ and received the
following reply:
"When we left China we were all still young, being scarcely twelve
years old; and these trees were seeds which we had sown. But you see
how old we are now, and how our teeth are fallen out; the grains of
seed have become trees in fruit, and all this has happened during the
time it has taken us to reach here."
At the same time they took the needles of which they had a large
quantity and said as they showed them to the Hindoos:
"When we started from China, these were as thick as a man's arm, and
now see how they are worn out by the rust. This will give you an idea
of the length of the voyage: we could not keep count of the years and
the months."
On hearing this answer of the Chinese, the Hindoos ran to report it to
King Souran, to whom they repeated all they had heard.
"If the thing is as they say," replied the prince, "the land of China
is still a very long way off. When shall we arrive there? We had better
return home."
"His Majesty is undoubtedly right," said the officers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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