THEY ENCIRCLE LANKA
(A Song of Sankardev : 15th
Century)
Rendered from Assamese by
Prof. P. Goswami, M.A.
Refrain: Listen, O people,
listen, the destroyer of demon enemies,
the cause
of destruction of the rakshasas,
He, whose
name is Rama, marches out to the fierce battle
accompanied
by his hosts.
Song: Spreading over streets and market-places they encircle Lanka.
Every now
and then is heard noise like that of claps thunder and the clash of clouds,
so that
it strikes one with fear.
Steady;
chief among heroes, is Raghava–
Ravana!
on you He does leap!
Gods,
men, kinnaras, serpents–all shake–
the
mountains quake in terror.
O you
blind and fatuous ten-headed one, you of misguided intelligence,
take
Janaki on your head and take her back,
O you
night-prowler, take to the shelter of Raghupati–
this is
the means (of saving yourself) given you by Sankar.*
* This is a song of the Bargit
class, sung to classical ragas.