:B'6 On the Musical M o d e ^s 



J ayade'v a liimfelf to the moil beautiful of his odes, and becaufe the num- 

 ber of notes in So'm a compared with that of the fyllables in the Sanfcrit 

 ftanza, may lead us to guefs, that the ftrain itfelf was applied by the mull- 

 .cian to tjie very words of the poet. The words are : 



'Lalita lavanga lata perisilana comala malaya famire, 

 Madhuc'ara nicara carambita cocila cujita cunja cutirej, 

 Viharati heririha farafa vafante, 

 Nntyati yuv.ati janena faman fac'hi virahi janafya durante. 



et While the foft gale of Malaya wafts perfume from the 'beautiful 

 -" clove-plant, and the recefs of each flowery arbour fweetly refounds' 

 '" with the ftrains of the Cocila mingled with the murmurs of the honey 

 " making fwarms, Heri dances, O lovely friend, with a company of 

 ■" damfels in this vernal feafon j a i^dSoxi full of delights, but painful to 

 ■■** feparated lovers." 



I have noted So'ma's air in the major mode of A, Qtfa, which, from its 

 gaiety and brilliancy, well exprelTes the general hilarity of the fong ; but 

 the fentiment of tender pain, even in a feafon of delights, from the remem~ 

 brance of pleafures no longer attainable, would require in our mufick a 

 change to the minor mode; and the air might be difpofed in the form of & 

 rondeau ending with the fecond line, or even with the third, where the fenfe 

 is equally full, if it mould be thought proper to exprefs by another modula- 

 tion that imitative melody, which the poet has manifeftly attempted : the 

 meafure is very rapid, and the air mould be gay, or even guick, in £xa£fe 

 proportion to it. 



The annexed plate contains alfo a ftrain in the mode of Hindo'l a, be- 

 ginning and ending with the fifth note fa, but wanting ^0, and r,i, or the 



