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Tales of Ind - And Other Poems by T. Ramakrishna
page 56 of 79 (70%)
Our holy ancient writings say it is
No sin deceit to conquer by deceit;
And hence fail not to send immediate word
That Bukka should to-morrow eve expect
Thee as befits a woman of thy rank,
And with a hundred maidens in his tent.
Take twenty litters, and let one appear
More gorgeous than the rest, for thee to sit,
Take but a hundred of thy faithful men,
All armed to fight for their dear king and queen.
Thou art a kshatriya girl, thou knowest well
To fight, and therefore take thy fav'rite bow
And arrows and conceal thy person with
A maiden's veil, armed fully as thou art,
And likewise let thy men be covered too,
To look like thine own maids of honour, let
Each litter, with a man inside, be borne
By four, go forth equipped likewise, surprise
The foe, bring him a prisoner, or upon
The field of battle die a noble death.
And death need have no horrors unto thee,
But unto those to whom this world is bright,
Its prospects hopeful and its pleasures keen,
And to the healthy and the young death's pangs
Are most severe when life is plucked, and from
Sere age, when all is ready for the end,
Life unperceived goes as from one that sleeps.
The gentlest wind brings down the serest leaf.
To sever from the parent stem by force
The freshest must be plucked, and so with man.
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