The Light of Asia or the Great Renunciation (Mahabhinishkramana) Being the Life and Teaching of Gautama. Prince of India and Founder of Buddhism

In th%mango-sprop The sun-blots faslit-d ; alone at his green forge Toiled the loud coppersmith ; bee-eaters hawked Chasing the purple butterflies ; beneath Striped squirrels raced the mynas perked and picked The seven brown sisters chattered in the thorn The pied fistiger hung above the pool The egitts stalked among the buffaloes The kites sailed circles in the golden air; About the pai [...] Red gam being Lord of heaven— The marriage feast wasiept as SakyasOlse The golden gadi set the carpet spread The wedding garlands hung the are-threads tied The sweet sake brdlce the rice and attar thrown The two straws floated on the reddened milk Which coming close betokened " love till death ; The seven steps taken thrice around the fire The gifts bestowed on holy men the alms And t [...] The mighty drum whereon the Pince did Mat Till the ground filltd all lands doth signify The thunder of the preaching of the Word Which he shall preach ; the tower that grew to heaven The growing of the Gospej of this Buddh Sets.forth ; and those rare jewels scattered thence The ufkold treasures are of that good Law To gods and men dear and desirable. [...] Forth fared they by the common way afoot Mingling with all the Sakya citizens Seeing the glad and sad things of the town: The painted streets alive with hum of noon The traders cross-legged 'mid their spice and grain The buyers with their muney in the cloth The war of words to cheapen this or that The shout to clear the road the huge stone wheels he strong slow oxen and their rustling load [...] There in the sylvan solitudes once more Lord Buddha lived musing the woes of men sz"92 THE LIGHT OF ASIA The ways of fate the doctrines of the books The lessons of the creatures of the brake The secrets of the silence whence all come The secrets of the gloom whereto all go The life which lies between like that arch flung From cloud to cloud across the sky whith bath.