Michael Madhusudan Dutt's Tribute to Porus

Michael Madhusudan Dutt is one of the greatest poets in Bengali literature. A polyglot, he picked and mastered many languages like English, Greek, Latin, Persian, Sanskrit as well as Bengali.

I came across his poem on King Porus; written in 1843. This poem describes the historical incident when Alexandar attacked king Porus, the scenes of battle field and patriotism of King Porus. The poem glorifies King Porus as a hero of Indian past and implores all to uphold this glorious tradition of patriotism.

Here is the poem in full:

Loudly the midnight tempest sang,

Ah! it was thy dirge, fair Liberty!

And clouds in thundering accents roar'd

Unheeded warning from on high;

The rain in darksome torrents fell,

Hydaspes' waves did onward sweep,

Like fiery passio's heandlong flow,

To meet th' awaken'd calling deep;

The lighting flashed bright- dazzling,like

Fair women's glance from 'neath her veil;'

And on the heaving, troubled air,

There was a moaning sound of wail

But, Ind! thy unsuspecting sons

Did heedless slumber,- while the foe

Came in stealthy step of death,-

Came as the tiger, noiseless, slow,

To close at once its victim's breath!

Alas! they knew not ‘midst this gloom’

This war of elements was burst,-

Like to an earthquake in the womb

Of a volcano,- deep and lowAdeadlier

storm-on them to burst!

‘I was morn’the Lord of Day

From gold Sumero's palace bright,

Look'd his own sweet clime,

But lo! the glorious flag,

To which the world in awe once bow'd,

There in defiance waved

On India's gales- triumphant-proud!-

Then, rose the dreadful yell,-

Then lion-king, each warrior brave

Rushed on the coming foe,

To strike for freedom-or the grave!

Oh Death! upon thy gory altar

What blood-libations freely flow'd!

Oh Earth! on that bright morn, what , thousands

Rendered to thee the dust they ow'd!

But ‘fore the Macedonians driven’

Fell India's hardy sons,-

Proud mountain oaks by thunders riven,-

That for their country's freedom bledAnd

made on gore their glorious bed!

But dauntlessly there stood

King Porus, towering ‘midst the foe’

Like a Himala-peak

With its eternal crown of snow:

And on his brow did shine

The jewell'd regal diadem.

His milk-white elephant

Was deck'd with many a brilliant gem.

He reck'd not of the phalanx

That ‘round him closed-but nobly fought’

And like the angry winds that blow

And lofty mountain pines lay low,

Amidst them dreadful havoc wrought,

And thinn'd his crown and country's foe!

The hardiest warriors, at his deeds,

Awe-struck quail'd like wind-shaken reeds:

They dared not look upon his face,

They shrank before his burning gaze,

For in his eye the hero shone

That feared not death;-but high-alone

Abeing as if of lightning made,

That scorch'd all that is gazed uponTrampling

the living with the dead

Th' immortal Thund'rer's son,

Astonish'd eyed the heroic king;

He saw him bravely charge

Like his dread father,- fulmining:-

Tho' thousands' round him closed,

He stood-as stand the ocean rock

Amdist the lashing billows

Unmoved at their fierce thoundering shock.

But when th' Emathian conqueror

Saw that with gaping wounds he bled,

‘Desist-desist!’-he cried-

‘Such nobel blood should not be shed!’

Then a herald was sent

Where bleeding and faint,

Stood, ‘midst the dying’and the dead,

King Porus,- boldly, undismayed:

‘Hail, brave and warlike prince!’

Thy generous rival bids thee ceaseBehold!

there flies the flag,

That lulls dread war, and wakens peace!'

Like to a lion chain'd,

That tho' faint-bleeding-stands in prideWith

eyes, where unsubdued

Yet flash'd the fire-looks that defied;

King Porus boldly went

Where ‘midst the gay and flittering crowd’

Sat god-likeAlexander;

While ‘round’Earth's mightiest monarchs bow'd.

King Porus was no slave;

he stooped not-bent not there his knee,-

But stood, as stands an oak,

In Himalayan majesty.

‘The mighty king of Macedon:’

‘Ev’n as a King,’replied

In royal pride, Ind's haughty son.

The conqu’ror pleas’d,

Him forth releas’d:

Thus India's crown was lost and won.