The Golden Deer
Merged with nature’s beauty was a beautiful cottage,
Seetha, Rama, and Lakshmana’s peaceful hermitage.
Beautiful butterflies and birds upon the foliage,
Herds of deer, and on the green grass they grazed.
Seetha felt the bliss of this tranquil ambiance,
With the little rivulets adding to nature’s exuberance.
Grazing animals still and the still trees swaying,
Clouds up in the sky dressed with a silver lining.
There were those peacocks, watchful of the hens,
The young tuskers gracefully were protecting the elephants.
All living creatures in the tireless game of joy mounting,
Seetha was thrilled to see the magic of the making.
There came before her, a spectacular deer,
Nibbling the grass in the groove here and there.
Seetha in a flash saw the deer jumping around,
Such a charming fawn held her heart bound.
Seetha said:
‘ Did you see that Rama?
Did you see the deer?
Did you see it here?
Oh, now you should see it there.
I’ve never ever seen,
Such a beautiful fawn,
With bright golden spots,
And those striking horns.
Its frisks and skips and bounces,
And hides behind the trees,
Its innocent lovely looks,
And its shining eyes, so pretty.
It leaves you to gaze upon,
As it grazes the tender leaves,
When it turns and looks around,
It’s a delightful sight to see.
While I get closer,
It leaps and jumps afar,
With a joyful gambol and a hop,
It comes back to the spot.
I would ask the gods for nothing more in life,
What else would I ask for after being your loving wife?
Today I want to ask you to bring to me this deer,
I want it, dear Rama, not far away but near’.
From Sri Ramayana by Srirangam Ramesh