NO. 45.-1894.] ANCIENT TAMIL POETS. 



201 



kinds were set before us, and after making us sit and eat 

 again, he caused Viraliyars * to sing and dance to us. 

 Several days having thus passed, " You must now eat of rice " 

 he said, and a great feast of rice and curries and divers 

 dishes cooked in milk were spread before us, and we ate 

 until we were full unto the throat. Thus did we pass our 

 days drinking and eating meat, when, like the ploughshare 

 which hath often furrowed hard soil, our teeth became 

 blunt, and food and wine were no more welcome. 



Then one day said I gently, " king, who hath no more 

 enemies to conquer, give me leave to go back to my village." 

 Looking at me reproachfully, " Art thou then departing from 

 us so soon ? Receive these," he said, and gave me elephants 

 male and female and their calves shambling in gait, and 

 chariots numerous, and garments and jewellery in abundance. 

 With these I departed, bidding farewell to poverty for ever. 

 Askest thou, " Who then was thus generous ?" 



Son of Ilanchetchenni, theChola of the ever victorious spear 

 and war chariots innumerable ; he, the great king, resembling 

 Muruga, the angry god of war, was born entitled to kingship 

 even from his mother's womb ; wrester of countries from 

 those princes who refused to acknowledge his sovereignty. 

 As the sun rising from the ocean becomes brighter and more 

 splendid when he advances to noon, so from his youth, ever 

 increasing in power and fame, he, now mighty as Yama, god 

 of death, bears on his shoulders the weight of a matchless 

 empire. He is the great king on whose head the garland of 

 atti\ flowers is ever beauteous ; he it was that in one battle 

 in the now famous field of Vennil% dealt defeat to the 

 Chera and Pdndiyan kings. 



If nearing the merciful presence of the great Kari- 

 kdtchola,§ thou dost worship his feet, his gentle eyes will 

 drive poverty before thee for ever, and thou wilt be even 

 like unto the calf which reeketh with satisfaction after full 

 drink of her mother's abundant and sweet milk. He will 

 clothe thee with silk and give thee to drink of wine in cups 

 * of gold. He will place on thy head golden lotus flowers, and 

 to thy wife he will present gold and pearl necklaces and 

 ornaments galore, and feast you all the days of your stay. 

 When it is thy desire to depart, he will give thee a chariot in- 

 laid with ivory, drawn by four milk-white steeds, many 



* Viraliyar, women who sing and dance, 

 f Atti (Ficus racemos). 



% Vennil, a famous battle, where Karikatchola defeated the Chera 

 king* Serdlatan, is referred to by many contemporary poets. 



§ The reason why this great king received this name— meaning 

 black or burnt-foot Chola — is explained in the stanza. See the last page of 

 this Paper. 



