The Kural

knew Death before: I know it now: it weareth the form of a woman and hath large and battling eyes.

She is simple and gracious, but yet her eyes are versed in the ways of waging war: for they drink the lives of those that look on her.

Is it Death that I behold or simply eyes? or is it the look of the gazelle? for all three are to be found in the glance of this artless one.

It is only when her eyebrows will cease to bend and will veil her looks that her eyes will cease to cause me the pangs that make me tremble.

The vestment that covereth the beauteous breasts of this fair one are even as the eye-cover on the eyes of the infuriate elephant.45

Is it by her fair forehead that my manhood is overcome, the manhood that causeth to tremble even those that have not faced me on the battlefield?

To what end are these trinkets that merely mar her beauty, when she hath the guileless look of the fawn and modesty as her especial ornaments?

Wine giveth joy, but only to him that tasteth it: it can never delight at the mere seeing as doth love.

CX

Reading of the Heart by Signs

He

1091. Two are the looks of her eye: one of them tortureth the heart, but the other is the balm that healeth it.

1092. The furtive lightning glance that is turned on the lover the moment that his eyes are turned aside, is not merely the half of love: it is more than a moiety.46

1093. She looked, and then she bowed: that was the watering of the young plant of love that was springing between us.

1094. When I look at her, she looketh at the ground: but when I look away, she looketh on me and solely smileth.

1095. She doth not seem to see me, it is true: but she smileth to me the while she affecteth but to wink an eye.

1096. Though they feign to speak as strangers, the words of the loving will be seen through in an instant.

1097. The halfhearted reproach and the offended look are the marks of those who pretend to spurn but who really love us in their hearts.

1098. The slender-shaped maid melteth to see my imploring look and softly smileth: and the gentle smile giveth her an added grace.

1099. It is only in lovers’ eyes that one can see the look of absolute unconcern, as if they were perfect strangers.

1100. When eyes speak their consent to eyes, the words of the mouth are quite superfluous.

CXI

In Praise of the Union

He

1101. All the delights of sight and sound and smell and taste and touch are to be found in their entirety only in this damsel of the shining bangles.

1102. The cure of all disease lieth in some other thing than that which causeth it: but the pang that this damsel causeth, she alone can heal.

1103. Is the world of the lotus-eyed God sweeter than the tender arms of her that one loveth?

1104. When she is at a distance she burneth, but when she is near she is refreshingly cool: ah! whence did she obtain this strange fire?

1105. Behold the witchery of my love whose tresses are adorned with flowers! whatever thing my heart desireth, that very thing her form seemeth to me to be!

1106. Of ambrosia are the arms of my artless damsel formed: for their every touch reviveth my dying limbs.

1107. The embrace of this lovely fair is supremely joyous, even as the family life of the householder who eateth his portion only after distributing charity.

1108. Joyous to the loving pair is the embrace that alloweth not even the air to come between.

1109. The pettish frown, the softening of the heart, and the new embrace, these are the sweets that lovers enjoy.

1110. Even as a man feeleth his ignorance the more keenly the more wise he groweth, even so do I love her the more ardently, the more I enjoy her company.

CXII

In Praise of Her Beauty

He

1111. Soft art thou, O blest anitcha flower! but tenderer than thyself is she on whom my heart is set.

1112. Thou becomest distracted whenever thou seest a flower, O my Heart! Thou thinkest that the flowers that look on all men can resemble her eye!

1113. Her arm is as the bamboo; her body is as the tender leaf; her smile is a very pearl; the sweetest of odours is in her breath; and her eye is piercing as the lance.

1114. The sky-blue flower despaireth of ever equalling her eye in beauty, and droopeth down its head whenever it looketh on her.

1115. She hath adorned herself with anitcha flowers but hath not removed the stems from among them: alack! her waist will be crushed beneath the weight and will presently break!

1116. The stars of the heavens wander from their spheres for that they cannot tell which is the moon and which her face.

1117. But is there a spot in the face of this fair one even as in the moon which hath rounded up only today its deformities of yesterday?

1118. Bless thee, O Moon! If thou canst shine like the face of this lovely one, I shall love thee in very truth.

1119. If thou want, O Moon, to emulate the face of her whose eyes are like flowers, show not thyself unto all but shine alone for me.

1120. Even the anitcha flower and swan’s down are as nettle to the feet of this fair one.

CXIII

The Glorification of Love

He

1121. Even as honey and milk mingled together is the dew on the lips of this fair one with the subdued speech.

1122. How great is the love between the body and the soul? Even so great is my love for this artless one.

1123. O thou Image in the pupil of mine eye! Leave and give room to the fair one that I love, for there is no other abode that is worthy of her.

1124. It is as life when she is near: but it is as very death when she