At work but strengthened thy true love for him. 
  And why endanger such a husband’s life? 
  One wedded so to thee, and not by chance,
  But by the preordained law of God;
  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,
  And fate’s severities good deeds alone
  Can soften, and our holy writings say
  ’Tis sin to let another man behold
  Thy face, admire the beauties that enchant,
  And thou becomest then impure; but those
  Same holy books say, ’tis no sin to see
  The shadow for the true reality. 
  Now, therefore, let a silken veil be drawn,
  And underneath a bowl of oil be placed,
  And the reflection of thy face therein
  Let Bukka see and Timmaraj be saved.” 
  To this the queen consent unwilling gave,
  And Bukka to the palace gladly came,
  Resolved to freedom give to Timmaraj,
  If Chandra were like other maidens fair,
  But sure possess her, if she shone among
  The daughters of the earth surpassing fair,
  And like the moon among the stars of heav’n. 
  The veil was drawn, the bowl of oil was placed,
  And lo! was seen therein a face, whose like
  The royal Bukka ne’er had seen before
  In all his life; like lightning it appeared,
  Bright’ning the surface for an instant, and
  Like lightning vanished, planting in his breast
  Impassioned love for Chandra, and a love
  Too deeply rooted to be rooted out. 
  Then Chandra through the screen impatient said: 
  “Now that this deed is done, delay no more
  My long lost husband to restore to me.” 
  And Bukka made reply—­“O maiden fair,
  O Chandra!  I am smitten by thy charms,
  Thy wondrous face is ever in my mind,
  And nought can now induce me to restore
  Thy Timmaraj to thee, to gaze upon
  Thy wondrous beauty and enjoy those charms. 
  My kingdom broad is at thy feet, and there
  Enthroned as queen my riches and my all
  Shall be at thy command, and therefore hear,—­
  If, by to-morrow eve, thou dost not reach
  My tent pitched yonder, Timmaraj shall die,
  And to the pyre, if thou dost follow him,
  Sure I will myself die with thee, and thus
  A double sin will rest upon thy head.” 
  As the fond mother of an only child,
  When sick, clings closely to it, and for days
  And nights incessant watches it with care,
  When he, well versed in all the healing lore,
  Gives but to please her hopes of cure complete,
  But suddenly the dang’rous malady