Canto 4
Foray into Fort
Lankin as thus gave visa
Set then Hanuman on his course.
Having Lanka’s bird’s eye view
Through its back door he entered.
So to bring it bad tidings
Put forth he then his left foot.
In time he went to King’s Way
Had that flowering trees on sides.
Dwellings in all either side
Saw he mirth ’n merry then.
Glow of Lanka seemed to him
As cloud of silver in the skies.
Light as creaked out from houses
Swastiks in their scores rays made.
Roamed as he then Ravan’s town
Well-pleased Hanuman with himself.
Houses he passed one by one
Each was shaped a different one.
Sang as dames in those dwellings
The sound of music pleased Hanuman.
Wore as women waist-bands all
Trinkets theirs made music scores.
Breathed in roars who exercised
Rhapsodic too were Vedic chants.
Saw he demons all there gathered
Sang they hymns in Ravan’s praise.
For men in arms and spies on rolls
In Lanka’s heart lay large barracks.
Tonsured men in penance he saw
Magical powers all seemed to have.
Weird men he found single-eyed
With lone ear some left him dumb.
Hideous many such fiends he found
Well armed with their arms varied,
Maces some had furrows-long
Discs rest held that covered acres.
Medium built they by and large
Frames theirs neither long nor short.
Fair were some and others darkish
Lookers were there in both groups.
Turns took sentries to hold high
Ravan’s standards of conquests.
Flowers men garlands wore pastel
Frames their glowed with sandal paste.
Men all dressed in ways varied
Myriad all they arms carried.
To guard Ravan’s gynoecium
In midst garrison was that laid.
Archways wide of solid gold
Adorned Ravan’s famed palace.
Moats it had of lotus white
Wide-eyed Hanuman witnessed them.
Chamber music rent then air
Neighed white horses in courtyards.
Lined as chariots in deep files
Lay in hangers airplanes large,
Languid while in move elephants
Scores were horses with long manes.
Strolled all over deer in heat
So the sentries on their beat.
In spite of the vigil they kept
Threw Hanuman wool in their eyes.
Canto 5
Life in Lanka
Moon in time came overhead
Raged he bull like in cow-pen.
Kept he darkness all at bay
Seemed to dispel sins of men.
Rays his splendid in columns
Sparkled lotus-like in prime.
In those high skies full of clouds
Seemed he like one swan encaged.
Spot his that was well visible
Appeared like a well-horned bull.
Light the king of stars as shed
Fell that on his cousin blooming
Brought that latter’s spots luster.
Like the king on diamond throne
Shone as well the moon that night.
Ambience moonlight enticed all
Mates estranged to warm embrace.
Went as wanton to walk streets
Women married were ever eager
To mate their men they loved to core.
Men there were no less in scores
Gulped who by then pint or more.
Some of them as tried to boast
Rest in fistcuffs took to brawls.
Tried to shake their stupor as some
Others took amorous routes to mates.
Full of smiles were women fulfilled
Heaved though heavy then unfulfilled.
Roared as skies then like trumpets
Swore soldiers like hissing snakes.
Saw he many there sober souls
Took place debates informed then.
Found he many an ugly folk
Were they none the less decent.
Women wondrous had virtuous mates
Matched they stars of cloudless skies.
Birds as hidden by flowering buds
Women charming lay in male arms.
Went to their men women in want
Fondlers they turned to rouse them.
Women lovelorn who rivalled moon
Lacked as they mates turned all pale.
Men all who had women to mate
Love they made to them all night.
Eye lashes of dove-eyed dames
Hid their eyes in thick black veils,
Jewels that those wore in scores
Cast a charming light on them.
None of them though made him feel
Seetha could be one of them.
Forlorn Seetha he knew well
Would be lost in Rama’s thought.
Saw he none of that anguish
In them Seetha would have felt.
In her agonized mood Seetha
Won’t she look like that crescent
Screened by thick dark clouds in skies?
Failed as he to find Seetha
Nonplussed was then Vayu’s son.
