1810.] 



Life a7id Wirings of Father Beschi. 



279 



THE HUSBANDMEN ARRESTING THE STREAMS. 



The people arresting the fall stream and turning it to advantagCf 

 conducted it to the broad field, abounding in fragrant fiowers ; as, 

 restraining the five organs of sense from their own ways, the wise con- 

 fine them to path of virtue. 



Ploughing. 



The extensive earth girt hy the deep and salt ocean, supplies with alt" 

 ment even these ungrateful children who tear and rend her bosom and 

 thus performs an act of charity which is rare even among the penitents 

 who do good to those that hurt them. 



Solving. 



The doctriiie inculcated hy a merciful priest is pr omidg at ed after the 

 fashion of the song sung by soioers accompanied with the dancing of the 

 pretty village girls resembling the car drawn festival, viz. — maij a gram 

 of paddy nourished by water produce hundred millions of grains. 



Weeding. 



As the lotust lily and other water fiowers, though beautiful to behold 

 are plucked out as weeds, so sages eschew matters, though productive of 

 benefit, if not virtuous. 



Heaping. 



The green corn erects its new born stem lili c the mea7i suddenly possess- 

 ed ofivealth, but bends its fall and ripened head like men of real merit. 

 The husbandmen having cut the sheaves of paddy resembling pearls t col- 

 lects them into heaps. 



Sorting. 



Lilce those who embrace truth avoiding the lies tvhich are mingled with 

 it, husbandmen separate the paddy from the straw by buffaloes, aiid store 

 up the pure grains, partly for their own livelihood, and partly for the poor 

 who wait for charity. 



This is the translation of a choriambic stanza by Vira-mamuni, which, 

 though professedly describing Ittily, is entirely in the manner of the 

 Tamil poets and in every respect appropriate to their climate ; it forms 

 the example for the construction of the species of verse called calippa, 

 in the fourth part of the Tonnul, on Prosody. 



^ O Qj e^r S (sSl ill u fT . ) 



