Select Poetry.

Otago Witness, Issue 1161, 28 February 1874, Page 22

Select Poetry.

THE LAW OF DEATH,

The song of Kilvuny. Fairest she J ii all the land of Savattlri had oue olnld, ut. s\< uct and pay And duai- to her its thi> light of day. She waa so young, and he so fair, , The name bright e\es mid the bame dark hair ; To see them liv the blossomy wny, They seemed two children at their play. There came a denth-clnrt from the sky, Kih'Aiiy kiiw her (inrliiiu die. The K-iimiucriiif> shade his eye invades, Out oi'hib cheek the red blnom fsidus ; Hit, warm heart feels the icy chill, The round limbs shudder, and aie still. And jet Kilvany held lum faut Lone after life b asl pulse was past, As if her kisses could restore The bmile gone out for evermore. But when she saw her child was dead, She scattered ashes on her head, And seizing the small corpse, pale and sweet, And mulling wildly tlnongh the street, blic sobbina fell at Buddha's feet. " Mnster, all-belpfnl, help me now ! Here at thy feet I humbl\ how ; Have mercy, Jiuddha, help me now!" She grovelled on the mat We floor. And kissed tho dead child o\r and o er. And suddenly upon ihe air There fell the answer to ncr prayer ; " Britipr me 10-nijjht a lotus tied With thread from a houbc where none has died. She rose, and laughed with thankful joy, Sure t"tit the u,od would save the boy. rihe found a lottm by the stream ; She plucked it from its nocn-dny dream. And then from door to door she fared, To ask what house by Death was spared. Her heart grew cold to see the eyes Of ail dilate with blow surprise ; " Kilvany, thou hast, lost thy head ; Nothing can he p a child that's dead. There stands not by the Ganyes' side A house where none hath ever died " T hut., through the long and weary day, From every door she bore away ■Within her heart, and on her arm, A hea\ lor load, a de> per harm. By "-ates of yold and ivory, Hy wattled lints of poverty, The name rt train heard poor Kilvany, The living arc few, the dead arc many. The cveninar came so still and fleet, And overtook her hurrying 1 feet, And, heart-sick, by the siiered fane She fell, and prayed the cod again. She sobbed and beat her Imrsiintr breast : " Ah, thou ha&t mocked me, Mightiest ! Lo ! I have wandered far and wide ; There stands no house where none hath died." And Budciha'answeretl, in a tone Soft as a flute at twilight, blown. But errand an heaven and btronjr as death To him who hears with ears of faith : " Child, thou art answered. Murmur not ! Bow, and accept the common lot." KUvnny heard with reverence meet, Aufl laid her child at Buddha's feet.