Scene 4 - Page 2

... It seizes on me like a
yearning, like a mantling intoxication. Here, who is here?

[Enter a SERVANT]

SERVANT. What is your pleasure, your Majesty?

SUDARSHANA. Do you see those festive boys singing and moving
through the alleys and avenues of the mango trees? Call them
hither, bring them to me: I want to hear them sing. [SERVANT
goes out and enters with the boys.] Come, living emblems of
youthful spring, begin your festive song! All my mind and body
is song and music to-night--but the ineffable melody escapes my
tongue: do you then sing for my sake!

SONG.

My sorrow is sweet to me in this spring night.
My pain smites at the chords of my love and softly sings.
Visions take birth from my yearning eyes and flit in the
moonlit sky.
The smells from the depths of the woodlands have lost their way
in my dreams.
Words come in whispers to my ears, I know not from where,
And bells in my anklets tremble and jingle in time with my
heart thrills.

SUDARSHANA. Enough, enough--I cannot bear it any more! Your
song has filled my eyes with tears.... A fancy comes to me--that
desire can never attain its object--it need never attain it.
What sweet hermit of the woods has taught you this song? Oh that
my eyes could see him whose song my ears have heard! Oh, how I
wish--I wish I could wander rapt and lovely in the thick woodland
arbours of the heart! Dear boys of the hermitage! how shall I
reward you? This necklace is but made of jewels, hard stones--
its hardness will give you pain--I have got nothing like the
garlands of flowers you have on. [The boys bow and go out.]

[Enter ROHINI]

SUDARSHANA. I have not done well--I have not done well, Rohini.
I feel ashamed to ask you what happened. I have just realised
that no hand can really give the greatest of gifts. Still, let
me hear all.

ROHINI. When I gave the King those flowers, he did not appear to
understand anything.

SUDARSHANA. You don't say so? He did not understand

ROHINI. No; he sat there like a doll, without uttering a single
word. I think he did not want to show that he understood
nothing, so he just held his tongue.

SUDARSHANA. Fie on me! My shamelessness has been justly
punished. Why did you not bring back my flowers?

ROHINI. How could I? The King of Kanchi, a very clever man, who
was sitting by him, took in everything at a glance, and he just
smiled a bit and said, "Emperor, the Queen Sudarshana sends your
Majesty her greetings with these blossoms--the blossoms that
belong to the God of Love, the friend of Spring." The King
seemed to awake with a start, and said, "This is the crown of all
my regal glory to-night." I was coming