Accursed was the day, alas! that I
O Sutasoma dear, espoused thee,
For thou wouldst leave me in my throes to die,
Determined as thou art a monk to be.

The hour of my delivery is nigh,
And I would fain my lord should stay with me
Until my child is born, before that I
See the sad day that I am reft of thee.

Then the Great Being repeated a stanza:

The hour of thy delivery is nigh,
Until the babe is born, I'll stay with thee,
[182] Then will I leave the royal imp and fly
Far from the world a holy monk to be.

On hearing his words she was no longer able to control her grief, and holding her heart with both her hands, said, "Henceforth, my lord, our glory is no more." Then wiping away her tears she loudly lamented. The Great Being to console her repeated a stanza:

My queen, with eye like ebon flower,
Dear Canda, weep not thou for me,
But climb once more thy palace tower:
I go without one care for thee.

Being unable to bear his words she mounted the palace tower and sat there weeping. Then the Bodhisatta's elder son seeing it said, "Why does my mother sit here weeping?" and he repeated this stanza in the form of a question:

Who has annoyed thee, mother dear,
Why dost thou weep and stare at me?
Whom of my kin that I see here
Must I, all impious, slay for thee?

Then the queen uttered this stanza:

No harm, dear son, may touch his head,
Who lives to work such woe for me:
[183] For know it was thy sire who said,
"I go without one care for thee."

Hearing her words he said, "Dear mother, what is this that you say? If this be so, we shall be helpless," and making lamentation he spoke this stanza:

I who once ranged the park to see
Wild elephants engage in fight,
If my dear sire a monk should be,
What should I do, poor luckless wight?

Then his younger brother who was seven years old, when he saw them both weeping, drew nigh to his mother and said, "My dear ones, why do ye weep?" and hearing the cause he said, "Well, cease to weep;

[paragraph continues] I will not allow him to become an ascetic," and he comforted them both, and with his nurse, coming down from the palace tower, he went to his father and said, "Dear father, they tell me you are leaving us against our will and say you will be an ascetic; I will not allow you to become an ascetic," and clasping his father firmly by the neck he uttered this stanza:

My mother, lo! is weeping and
My brother fain would keep thee still,
I too will hold thee by the hand
Nor let thee go against our will.