1832.] On the Poetry of Madagascar. 93 



2 The barren destitute of wealthy store, 

 Extends her wandering eyes the wide world o'er. 

 No loving friend to visit her is found, 



No children, prattling all their wants, surround. 



If hungry, none a scanty dole shall mete ; 

 If satiate, none the falling crumbs shall eat ; 

 By none thy sufferings are allayed ; 

 If weary none shall give thee aid ; 

 And, hapless, even when thou'rt dead, 

 No tears shall weep o'er thy last bed. 



3 Thy shroud not half a dollar buys, 

 Nor sixpence sheep for sacrifice, 

 A penny pays for grease to light 



Instead of taper thy sad ghost ; 



No friends shall watch the dreary night 



To shallow grave shalt thou be hurried, 



And with regardless haste be buried, 

 A farthing all thy funeral cost. 



" Ah ! mother, life is misery." 



Yea barren, such thy fate must be. 

 Thou'lt fain the locust* catch, for whom ? — 

 For children of a luckier womb, 

 Yea such, ill-fated barren, is thy doom. 



4 Now barren, view thy husband dead, 

 And thou from parent's distant bed ; 



From head to foot sorrow's own image thou, 

 Unheard by all, thy sad bewailings now. 

 Ah ! barren, thou in former days, 

 A father living, 

 A mother giving, 

 Couldst bathe in water fetch'd by slaves, 

 Caressed and blest in all thy ways. 

 Ah barren, now how chang'd thy state, 

 Thy father's life-dream o'er, 

 Thy mother now no more, 

 To bathe in tears thy wretched fate, 

 All clotli'din rags, thou once mightst hate. 



3 Vitan' damban' doso, 4 Rakala momba, momba ka maty vadr • 



Vitan' ondryn' tsikiajy ; Ka lavi* dray aman' dreny ; ' 



Vitan' tsabora mila voamena, Sady an-doha no an-tongotra. 



Atao ny lavenan' tandrevaka. Miantso ka tsy fanta' ny, 



Tsy mi.sy mpiaritory, Ray bado, ray b,.do ; 



Ialany ny olo kajia ; Faliavelon' dro ray ney, 



Maty re alio raneny ; Fahavelon' dro reny ; 



Izany Rakala momba Mandro rano autsakaina ; 



Misambo' balala Raha mivoaka, tambatambazana •' 



Ho an' janak' olona j 



Eny Ramomba 



• The poor among the people eat the locusts, and feed their children with them. 



