To thy queen bereft of reason--to thy weeping wife beloved, Why repliest thou not--her only thou desir'st--she only thee. Meagre, miserable, pallid--tainted with the dust and mire, Scantly clad in half a garment--lone, with no protector near; Like a large-eyed hind that wanders--separate from the wonted herd, Thou regard'st me not, thus weeping--oh thou tamer of thy foes. Mighty king, a lonely wanderer--in this vast and trackless wood, Damayanti, I address thee--wherefore answerest not my voice? Nobly born, and nobly minded--beautiful in every limb, Do I not e'en now behold thee--in this mountain, first of men, In this lion-haunted forest--in this tiger-howling wood, Lying down or seated, standing--or in majesty and might Moving, do I not behold thee--the enhancer of my woe? Who shall I address, afflicted--wasted by my grief away; 'Hast thou haply seen my Nala--in the solitary wood?' Who this day will show the monarch--wandering in the forest depth, Beautiful and royal-minded--conqueror of an host of foes! 'Him thou seek'st with eyes of lotus--Nala, sovereign of men-- Lo, he's here!' whose voice of music--may I hear thus sweetly speak? Lo, with fourfold tusks before me--and with wide and gaping jaws, Stands the forest king, the tiger--I approach him without fear. Of the beasts art thou the monarch--all this forest thy domain, For the daughter of Vidarbha--Damayanti, know thou me, Consort of Nishadha's sovereign--Nala, slayer of his foes-- Seeking here my exile husband--lonely, wretched, sorrow-driven, Thou, O king of beasts, console me--if my Nala thou hast seen; Or, O lord of all the forest--Nala if thou canst not show, Best of savage beasts, devour me--from my misery set me free. Hearing thus my lamentation-now does that fell king of beasts Go towards the crystal river--flowing downward to the sea.'-- To this mountain then the holy--crowned with many a lofty peak, In its soul-exalting splendour--rising, many-hued, to heaven; Full within of precious metal--rich with many a glowing gem, Rising o'er the spreading forest--like a banner broad and high, Ranged by elephants and lions--tigers, bears, and boars, and stags; And of many birds the voices--sweetly sound o'er all its cliffs; All the trees of richest foliage[76]--all the trees of stateliest height, All the flowers and golden fruitage--on its crested summits wave, Down its peaks in many a streamlet--dip the water-birds their wings: This, the monarch of all mountains--ask I of the king of men; 'O, all-honoured Prince of Mountains, with thy heaven-ward soaring peaks, Refuge of the lost, most noble--thee, O Mountain, I salute; I salute thee, lowly bowing--I, the daughter of a king; Of a king the royal consort--of a king's son I the bride. Of Vidarbha the great sovereign--mighty hero is my sire.