Ja 32 The Story about the Dance
(Naccajātaka)
In the present a rich man ordains in the Saṅgha, and makes sure he has all provisions for his life. When taken to the Buddha because of his indulgence he flings off his clothes in protest, and later disrobes. The Buddha tells a story of how the king of the birds allowed his daughter to choose a suitor. She chose a peacock, but when he danced for her, he exposed himself, and the king reprimanded him, and gave her to another (full story).
1. Rudaṁ manuññaṁ, rucirā ca piṭṭhi,
Veḷuriyavaṇṇūpanibhā ca gīvā.
Byāmamattāni ca pekhuṇāni:
Naccena te dhītaraṁ no dadāmī ti.
A pleasing voice and a brilliant back, a neck coloured like lapis lazuli. Tail-feathers a fathom in length: because of the dance, I don’t give you our daughter.
In this connection, a pleasing voice, endowed with a sweet sound, this is the meaning.
And a brilliant back means also his back is beautiful and radiant.
Coloured like lapis lazuli means coloured like the lapis lazuli gem.
A fathom in length means a measure of one fathom.
Because of the dance, I don’t give you our daughter, after destroying conscience and concern, because of such a shameless dance I do not give you our daughter.