Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
General
Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
Malay literature -- Translations into English
After reigning some time her spirit of justice and her perfect equity
in the government of her subjects rendered her name celebrated in all
the foreign countries. Radja Chah Djouhou said to her minister:
"O minister, have built for me a _baley_ outside the fort." And the
ministers and the officers commanded them in haste to construct the
_baley_. As soon as it was built they came to announce it to the King.
The latter said:
"O my vezir, is there in my kingdom a man who knows how to paint?"
"Yes, my lord, king of the world, there is a very skilful painter
here."
"Let him come to me."
"Immediately, my lord," said the vezir, and he ordered a slave to go
and summon the painter. The painter came in all haste and entered the
presence of Radja Chah Djouhou, bowing his head to the floor. The
prince said to him:
"O painter, have you a daughter who knows how to paint?"
The painter answered: "Yes, my lord, king of the world, I have a
daughter very skilful in the art of painting."
"Tell your child to come here."
The painter bowed again and went to find his daughter. "O my child," he
said, "the fruit of my heart, come, the King calls you."
Then the painter's daughter quickly set out, accompanied by her father.
They together entered the presence of the King, who was still
surrounded by his ministers and his officers. The painter and his
daughter bowed their heads to the floor. The prince said:
"Painter, is this your daughter?"
"O my lord, king of the world, yes, this is my daughter."
"Come with me into the interior of the palace." And at the same time
the prince started and entered his apartments, followed by the daughter
of the painter. He led the way to a retired place, and said: "My
daughter, make my portrait, I pray you, and try to have the resemblance
good." Then the princess Djouher-Manikam clothed herself in woman's
raiment, and in this costume she was ravishingly beautiful. That done,
she commanded the artist to paint her thus. She succeeded perfectly and
the portrait was a remarkable likeness, for the daughter of the painter
was very skilful. When her work was finished she received a large sum
in gold. The prince said to her:
"Come, sister, let this remain a secret. Reveal it not to anyone in the
world. If you tell it I will slay you, with your father and your
mother."
The daughter of the painter said: "O my lord, king of the world, how
could your servant disobey your Majesty's commands?"
She bowed low, and asked permission to go home.
Radja Chah Djouhou, in the presence of his ministers and his subjects,
said to the vizier: "O vizier, place this portrait in the _baley_
outside the fort, and have it guarded by forty men. If anyone coming to
this portrait begins to weep or kiss it, seize him and bring him before
me." The portrait hung in the _baley_, and the vezir ordered an officer
to guard it with forty soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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