1869. J Translations from Chand. 167 



ing her face every day, was very happy. ' Surely this charming Paclinini 

 is the perfection of the Creator's work ; her wavy hair so trim, her 

 lips and teeth red with betel juice, her form just budding into woman- 

 hood as the lotus, stately as the swan, with all the graces of Love 

 himself, adorned by the sixteen arts of the toilette, and with strings of 

 pearls ; the eyes of all beholders are charmed, and they deem her a 

 Venus embodied. May Siva and Uma, whom I worship, beholding 

 my devotion, grant the union of Prithiraj (thus sings the Bard Chand) 

 with this branch of the tree of Paradise.' 



I hope scholars will do me the favour of comparing the above 

 translation first with the Hindi text and then with Mr. Beames's 

 transformation of it. I conclude this article with a short extract 

 from the Benares MS., being the third of my original series. 



In my former papers I have described the opening of the poem and 

 shewn how the Mahoba war was provoked by Parmal's massacre of 

 the fifty wounded Chauhans who had wandered off from the main body 

 of Prithiraj's army after an engagement with the Muhammadans. 

 From that point I continue the narrative. 



When the news reached Prithiraj at Dilli, his indignation was extreme. 

 He at once summoned a Council of State, and finding all the chiefs 

 unanimous for war, commenced immediate preparations for the cam- 

 paign. An auspicious date was fixed by the priests, after performing 

 a s'dkal horn, and the army had marched into encampments outside the 

 city, when — 



Translation of the latter part of Canto IV. 



An envoy from king Mahil meets Prithiraj on the road before 

 Dilli* and tenders a letter, saying : " Alha and Udal, the king's 

 servants, are in the battle as the angel of death to the enemy ; ad- 

 vance no further till you have slain Mallakhan and his puny force. "f 

 This is the letter sent by the king to Prithiraj : " First put Mallakhan 

 to death, then reconnoitre the city of Mahoba ; having well recon- 

 noitred, urge on your march thither by night and day. There is but 

 a small force at Sarsa ; you are a man of valour, ravage their land ; 

 gird on the sword for the fray, if there be any courage in you, king 

 of Sambhar. This is the advice I give, writing the letter with my own 



* ' On the road before Dilli'— BUM sapathai. 

 t ' Puny force' — Chha/ri-bhir Mallalclum ho. 



