Malayan Literature_ Comprising Romantic Ta - Unknown

    The game    took    flight. The King    then    drew    his bow

    And many    animals were    killed. A   deer

    Came    running by. His arrow   struck  him full

    Upon    the shoulder,   and the huntsmen    seized

    And quickly killed  him.    In  the pathless    woods

    Of  Nousa   Antara  there   was much    game.

    A   tiger   roared, the King    and prince  pursued.

    The tiger   swiftly fled.   The prince  sat down

    Within  the forest  deep.   To  overtake

    The beast   he  was unable. To  return

    He  sought, but could   not find    the way.    Alone

    He  was,    and in  perplexity, because

    His huntsmen    he  no  longer  could   descry.

    Then,   wandering   to  and fro,    he  found   at  last

    A   pleasure    garden  of  the days    gone    by,

    Belonging   to  King    Lila,   beautiful

    And without flaw.   He  was astonished  quite

    When    he  perceived   a   palace. All alone

    He  found   himself,    when    he  had entered there.

    He  walked  about,  but found   no  living  soul.

    Unto    himself he  said:   "Can    this    domain

    A   habitation  be  of  demons  dread

    And spirits?    Can this    be  the cause   of  all

    The solitude    which   reigns?"    On  all sides   then

    He  looked. All suddenly    a   voice   he  heard,

    But still   no  one could   see.    Amazed  he  stood.

    The mystic  voice   exclaimed,  "Have   pity,   lord,

    And free    me  from    this    room."  As  in  a   dream

    The prince  these   accents heard.  He  answered    then:

    "Who    art thou?   Whose   strange voice   is  this    I   hear,

    The while   I   no  one see?    Dost    thou    belong

    Unto    the race    of  demons  and of  spectres?

    Where   is  the key,    that    I   may ope the door?"

    Then    the dyang   of  Mendoudari  said

    Unto    the prince: "Look   toward  the left,   for there

    The key thou'lt find    that    opes    the palace  tower."

    He  took    the key and opened  wide    the door.

    All those   who were    within, when    they    beheld

    The prince's    face,   fell    prostrate   at  his feet.