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Book V. Canto Liv. The Burning Of Lank'a

Canto Liv.: The Burning Of Lank.

'What further deed remains to do

To vex the Rkshas king anew?

The beauty of his grove is marred,

Killed are the bravest of his guard.

The captains of his host are slain;

But forts and palaces remain.

Swift is the work and light the toil

Each fortress of the foe to spoil.'

Reflecting thus, his tale ablaze

As through the cloud red lightning plays,

He scaled the palaces and spread

The conflagration where he sped.

From house to house he hurried on,

And the wild flames behind him shone.

Each mansion of the foe he scaled,

And furious fire its roof assailed

Till all the common ruin shared:

Vibhshan's house alone was spared.

From blazing pile to pile he sprang,

And loud his shout of triumph rang,

As roars the doomsday cloud when all

The worlds in dissolution fall.

The friendly wind conspired to fan

The hungry flames that leapt and ran,

And spreading in their fury caught

The gilded walls with pearls inwrought,

Till each proud palace reeled and fell

As falls a heavenly citadel.

Loud was the roar the demons raised

Mid walls that split and beams that blazed,

As each with vain endeavour strove

To stay the flames in house or grove.

The women, with dishevelled hair,

Flocked to the roofs in wild despair,

Shrieked out for succour, wept aloud,

And fell, like lightning from a cloud.

He saw the flames ascend and curl

Round turkis, diamond, and pearl,

While silver floods and molten gold

From ruined wall and latice rolled.

As fire grows fiercer as he feeds

On wood and grass and crackling reeds,

So Hanumn the ruin eyed

With fury still unsatisfied.

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