Living

Epigram XLVII

by Bhartrihari traditionally 5th–7th century AD

Translated by Paul Elmer More (1898) · From A Century of Indian Epigrams (1898)

Living

A captive snake half dead with fright
Starved in a basket; till one night
A silly mouse, who roamed abroad,
A hole straight through the wicker gnawed,
And in his very gullet jumped.
The serpent felt his thin sides plumped,
Took cheer, and wriggled out in turn. —
Who knows all lucky falls in Fortune's urn?

MLA

Bhartrihari. “Epigram XLVII.” Translated by Paul Elmer More. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bhartrihari/45/.

Chicago

Bhartrihari. “Epigram XLVII.” Translated by Paul Elmer More. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bhartrihari/45/.

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