MANICHAEAN LITERATURE^621
Song 9 The Lion and the
Beautiful Daughter
The lion took my beautiful daughter. He seized her,
dragged her into his lair with his great dragon.
When she was in the pit, the lion screamed.
His companions gathered. The dragon whistled
and hissed. All the beasts gathered near him
and roared. They hid from my daughter,
roaring elsewhere, lest their powers diminish.
So my cry calls up to the mighty one,
who excels among the powers. I the son ask
my father. My garment hangs
on the universe, saying, If I have wronged
the great lion, let him eat me now in his lair.
If I've wronged the great dragon, let him swallow
me here. But if I haven't wronged the lion
here in his midst, let me escape his lair and take
my daughter from him. Father of us all...
place the garment over us all. I pounded. Ranks
even their nets I cracked open their lair.
I cast stones on it. I seized the great dragon and his
consort I enmeshed in a trap. I took my daughter
- This song is very fragmentary.
