CHAPTER CXVI. Narration of the Speech of Crow and Cuckoo.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
40. Behold the black bees sporting and swinging in their cradles of the flowery creepers of the forest; and to the Pulinda forester singing to his beloved, with his eyes fixed upon her face; and mark also the sportive Kiráta, forgetting to kill the deer roving beside his lonely cavern.
41. Here the weary traveller is regaled, by the sweet scent of various full blown flowers, and is cooled in his body by the odorous dust, wafted by the breeze from the flowering creepers; while the winds bearing the watery particles of the waves, which lave the vale on all sides, render the spot more delightful than the spotted disc of the moon (i.e. the people have more of coolness here, than the gods have in the moist sphere of the moon).
42. Here the unceasing gliding of waters, and the continued waving of the palm trees; together with the dancing of the blossoming branches, and the undulation of the spreading creepers in the air; the forest of lofty sála trees in the borders, and the hanging clouds over the bordering hills, all combine to add a charm to this village of the vale, not unlike to that of the gardens in the orb of the moon.
43. The flashing of lightnings, and the deep roaring of clouds; the merry dance of peacocks and their loud shrieks and screams, and their trailing trains displayed in the air, decorate the valley with a variety of variegated gems.
44. The bright orb of the moon appearing on one side, and the dark clouds rising as huge elephants on the other; serve to embellish the village in the valley, and the hills in the skirts, with a beauty unknown in the heavenly kingdom of Brahmá: (which is the empyrean or city of fire only).
45. O! how I long to lodge myself in the mountain grotto, amidst the fragrant arbours of the beauteous Mandána forest, and in the delightsome groves of blooming santánaha blossoms, and where the busy bees are continually fluttering, over the mandára and paribhadra arborets.
46. O, how much are our hearts attracted, by the cries of the tender deer, browzing the verdant and delightsome verdure; and by the blooming blossoms on hills and in dales, as by sight of the cities of mankind.
47. Look on yonder village in the valley, where the waterfall appears as a column of clear chrysolite; and the peacocks are in their merry dance, all about the precipitate cascade.
48. See how the joyous peacocks, and the gaysome creepers, bending down under the burden of their blossoms; are dancing delightfully, beside the purling water of the cataract.
49. I believe the lusty god of desire (Káma or Cupid), sports here at his pleasure, in this village of the valley protected by the hills all around. He is sporting with the handsome harita birds (the green partridges and parrots) in the verdant groves, and beside the crystal lakes, resounding with the sweet warblings of water-fowls.
50. O most prosperous and magnanimous lord, that art the centre of all virtues, and the highest and gravest of men; thou art like the towering mountain, the refuge of mankind from heat, and the cause of their plenty (i.e. the rainy clouds on mountain tops, are the causes of plenteous produce).
51. Thou cloud that bathest in holy waters (i.e. that resist from the waters of seas and rivers); that art exalted above all earthly beings, and choosest to abide in hills and wildernesses like holy hermits, and art taciturn like them, from the pure holiness of thy nature; thou appearest also as fair in the form when thou art emptied (of thy waters) in autumn; all this is good in thee; but say why dost thou rise in thy fulness with flashing lightnings in thy face, and roaring thunders in thy breast, like lucky upstarts of low origin?
52. All good things being misplaced (or out of their proper place), turn to badness; as the water ascending to the clouds, turns to hoar frost and cold ice.
53. O, wonder! that the drops distilled by the clouds, fill the earth with water; and wonder it is that this water supports all beings, and makes the poor grow with plenty (of harvest).
54. Ignorant people are as dogs, in their unsteadiness, impudence, in their impurity and wayfaringness; hence I know not whether the ignorant have derived their nature from dogs or these from them.
55. There are some persons, who notwithstanding all their faults, are yet esteemed for certain qualities in them; as the dogs are taken into favour, on account of their valour, contentedness and faithfulness to their masters. (So are men serviceable to their masters for these virtues in them).
56. We see all worldly people pursuing the course of their worldliness as madmen, and pushing on in the paths of business at the sacrifice of their honor, and likely to tumble down with fatigue. I find them flying to and fro as trifling straws, and know not whether it is of their will or madness or stupidity, that they have made choice of this foolish course.
57. Among brute creatures, the brave lion hears the tremendous thunder claps without shuddering: while the cowardly dog trembles and shuts his eyes with fear at the sound.
58. I believe, O vile dog, that thou hast been taught to bark at thy fellows, and to ramble about in the streets, by some surly and strolling porter or peon (among men).
59. The divine creator, that has ordained varieties in all his works, has made the nasty breed of his daughter Saromá all equal in their filthiness. These are the dogs, that make their kennels or dog holes in dirt, that feed upon filth and carrion and copulate in public places, and carry about an impure body every where. (This is a slur against the progeny of one’s daughters, who generally turn to be vicious).
60. “Who is there viler than thee”; says a man to his dog; to which he answered, “the silly man as thee is the vilest of all”. There are the best qualities of valour, fidelity and unshaken patience, combined in the canine tribe; and these are hard to be had in human kind, who grovel in the darkness of their ignorance amidst greater impurities and calamities. (The instinctive sagacity of beasts, is a surer safe guard to them, than the boasted reason of man).
61. The dog eats impure things and lives in impurity; he is content with what it gets, feeds upon dead bodies and never hurts the living, and yet men are fond of pelting stones on him every where; thus the dog is made a plaything by men, contrary to the will of God.
62. Looking at the crow flying there upon the offerings, left on the lingam or phallus of Siva on yonder bank; and there appearing to sight to tell its tale to people, saying; “Behold me on high, with all my degrading sin” (of stealing from the altars of deities).
63. Thou croaking crow, that crowest so harshly, and treadst the marshy lake; it is no wonder that thou wouldst vex us with thy cries, that hast put down the sweet buzz of humming bees.
64. We see the greedy rook, devouring ravenously the dirty filth, in preference to the sweet lotus stalk. It is no wonder that some would prefer sour to sweet, from their long and habitual taste of it.
65. A white crow sitting in a bush, of white lotus flowers and their snowy filaments, was taken at first for a hansa or heron, but as it began to pick up worms, it came to be known as a crow.
66. It is difficult to distinguish a crow, sitting in company with a cuckoo, both being of the like sable plumes and feathers; unless the one makes itself known as distinct from the other, by giving out its own vocal sound.
67. The crow sitting on a forest tree, or on a mould of clay or high built building, looks on all sides for its prey; as a nightly thief mounts on a chaitta tree; and sits watching there from the ways of people.
68. It is impossible for a crow, to abide with cranes and storks by the side of a lake, which abounds in lotus flowers, that diffuse their sombre farina all about.
69. For shame that the noisy crow, should have a seat on the soft lotus bed in company with silent swans, and play his disgraceful part and tricks among them. (i.e. It is impudence on the part of the ignorant, to open their mouths, where the learned hold their silence).
70. Thou crow that criest as the hardest saw, say where hast thou left or lost thy former reservedness to-day. Why dost thou brood over the young cuckoo, the sweetness of whose voice thou canst never attain, and whom thou canst not retain as thy young.
71. One seeing a dark crow sitting as a black steg, in a bed of white lotuses, and crowing aloud with delight at that place, said unto him saying:—It is better for thee O clamorous crow to rend ears of those with thy cracking voice, that are not tired with splitting the head of others with their wily verbiage.
72. It is well when the cunning consort with the cunning, as the crow and the crab meeting at a pool; or the rook and the owl joining in an arbour; for the two rogues though seemingly familiar, will not fail to foil one another by their natural enmity (ká ko lu kiká).
73. The cuckoo associating with the crow, and resembling him in figure and colour; is distinguished by his sweet notes from the other; as the learned man makes himself known by his speech in the society of the ignorant.
74. The blossoming branch is well able to bear, the spoliation of its flowers by the cuckoo; and will not yet suffer the association of crows and cranes, and cocks and vultures upon its twigs. (i.e. It is possible to bear with an injury from the good, but not to tolerate the society of bad people).
75. How delightfully do people listen to the sweet notes of the cuckoo, which unites the separated lovers together; but who can brook to hearken unto the jarring cries of the crow or hooting of the owl, without disgust.
76. When the sweet notes of the young kokila, serve to ravish the ears of hearers, with the gladsome tidings of the vernal season; there is the grating cry of the crow, immediately obtruding upon their ears, and demanding the melodious cuckoo as its foster child. (It is well known to all here, that young cuckoos are fostered in the nests of crows).
77. Why and what hast thou been cooing so long, O thou tender cuckoo, with so much joy and glee in yonder grove; lo! thy pleasant vernal season is too soon over with its fading flowers, and behold the stern winter approaching fast, to blast the blossoming trees with its icy breath, and bidding thee to hide thy head in thy nest.
78. A separated mistress seeing a sweet kokila, pour forth his notes to the tender blossoms of the vernal season thus address to him saying: “say, O sweet cuckoo! who taught thee to tell, that vernal season is tava tava tua tua, i.e. “for thee and thy enjoyment,” this is verily a woeful lie thou tellest me, instead of saying “it is mine and mine” that art enjoying thy companion.” (It would better rendering in English to reverse the application of the words mine and thine).
79. The cuckoo sitting silent in an assemblage of crows, appears as one of them in its form and colour of its feathers; and the graceful gait of the cuckoo, makes it known from the rest, as the wise man is marked in the company of fools. It is hence that every body is respected by his inward talents and outward deportment, more than by outer form and feathers.