Tales of Ind, and Other Poems

by T. Ramakrishna Pillai

For know thou livest only for thy lord.

Thy husband is thy lord, and, if perchance

It is his will thou shouldst be Bukka's queen,

Thou shouldst, so knowing it, obey his will,

Else, sure thou shalt be deemed nor pure nor chaste,

But counted worse than e'en a faithless wife;

'Tis not in man to alter written laws;

'Tis hard, nay useless too to fight 'gainst fate,

And if 'tis writ that Bukka should now see

Thy matchless face, thou canst not alter it,