106* Sill RAMA. 



" It may be seeu peeping out from amoug the clouds, but 

 is lost to view wheu the wind blows ; from the summit of 

 Iuggil-ber-inggil it looks no larger than a clove's nest." 



'•'What uneasiness of mind, " asked the Princess, "has 

 brought you to my house at such an hour of the night ? w 

 He answered in the following stanza : — 

 Ber-apa tinggi pucltuk plsang 

 Tingyi lagl asap api 

 Ber-apa tinggi gunong melentang 

 Tinggi lagi liarap kami* 

 To which the Princess replied :— 



Kalau hagiiu rembang jala-nia 

 Ikan scsak ka berombong 

 Bagitu letak rembang kata-nia 

 Choba ber-serah ber-adu untong.-f 

 He retaliated with the following verse : — 

 Meranti cJtabang-nia dua 

 Ber-tarah buat kcrantong 

 Sakian mati lagi di clioba 

 lni-kan ber-serah ber-adu untong.% 

 r J lie Princess then invited him to chew betel, prefacing the 

 invitation with Malay politeness by depreciating the quality 

 of what she had to offer (sirih layu, pinang-nia busuh, gambir 

 Jiungus, kapor mantah, tembaku tambah kabun^). This cere- 

 mony over, Maharaja Duwana had no difficulty in persuading 



# How high soever the shoot of the plantain, • 



Higher yet is the smoke of a lire ; 



High though may be the mountain ranges, 



Higher still are the hopes I indulge. 

 t If the casting-net he skilfully thrown, 



f J he fish are found together at the upper end of it ; 



If these words are said iu earnest, 



Let us yield to fate and see what comes of it. 

 J The Meranti tree with a forked limb ; 



Shape the wood and make a drum of it. 



'J he path that leads to death is often ventured on ; 



Here 1 yield to fate, let what will come of it. 

 § "Ihe betel-leaves are withered, the betel-nut decayed, the 

 (jcuubir smoked, the lime badly prepared, and the tobacco only lit 

 or ufce in tLe garden " (to kill insects). 



