सहेली सुनु सोहिलो रे! सोहिलो, सोहिलो, सोहिलो, सोहिलो सब जग आज। पूत सपूत कौसिला जायो, अचल भयो कुल-राज॥ १ ॥ चैत चारु नौमी तिथि सितपख, मध्य-गगन-गत भानु। नखत जोग ग्रह लगन भले दिन मंगल-मोद-निधान॥ २ ॥ ब्योम, पवन, पावक, जल, थल, दिसि दसहु सुमंगल-मूल। सुर दुंदुभी बजावहिं, गावहिं, हरषहिं, बरषहिं फूल॥ ३ ॥ भूपति-सदन सोहिलो सुनि बाजें गहगहे निसान। जहँ-तहँ सजहिं कलस धुज चामर तोरन केतु बितान॥ ४ ॥ सींचि सुगंध रचैं चौकें गृह-आँगन गली-बजार। दल फल फूल दूब दधि रोचन, घर-घर मंगलचार॥ ५ ॥ सुनि सानंद उठे दसस्यंदन सकल समाज समेत। लिये बोलि गुर-सचिव-भूमिसुर, प्रमुदित चले निकेत॥ ६ ॥ जातकरम करि, पूजि पितर-सुर, दिये महिदेवन दान। तेहि औसर सुत तीनि प्रगट भए मंगल, मुद, कल्यान॥ ७ ॥ आनँद महँ आनंद अवध, आनंद बधावन होइ। उपमा कहाँ चारि फलकी, मोहिं भलो न कहै कबि कोइ॥ ८ ॥ सजि आरती बिचित्र थार कर जूथ-जूथ बरनारि। गावत चलीं बधावन लै लै निज-निज कुल अनुहारि॥ ९ ॥ असही दुसही मरहु मनहि मन, बैरिन बढ़हु बिषाद। नृपसुत चारि चारु चिरजीवहु संकर-गौरि-प्रसाद॥ १० ॥ लै लै ढोव प्रजा प्रमुदित चले भाँति-भाँति भरि भार। करहिं गान करि आन रायकी, नाचहिं राजदुवार॥ ११ ॥ गज, रथ, बाजि, बाहिनी, बाहन सबनि सँवारे साज। जनु रतिपति ऋतुपति कोसलपुर बिहरत सहित समाज॥ १२ ॥ घंटा-घंटि, पखाउज-आउज, झाँझ, बेनु डफ-तार। नूपुर धुनि, मंजीर मनोहर, कर कंकन-झनकार॥ १३ ॥ नृत्य करहिं नट-नटी, नारि-नर अपने-अपने रंग। मनहुँ मदन-रति बिबिध बेष धरि नटत सुदेस सुढंग॥ १४ ॥ उघटहिं छंद-प्रबंध, गीत-पद, राग-तान-बंधान। सुनि किंनर गंधरब सराहत, बिथके हैं बिबुध-बिमान॥ १५ ॥ कुंकुम-अगर-अरगजा छिरकहिं, भरहिं गुलाल-अबीर। नभ प्रसून झरि, पुरी कोलाहल, भइ मन भावति भीर॥ १६ ॥ बड़ी बयस बिधि भयो दाहिनो सुर-गुर-आसिरबाद। दसरथ-सुकृत-सुधासागर सब उमगे हैं तजि मरजाद॥ १७ ॥ ब्राह्मण बेद, बंदि बिरदावलि, जय-धुनि, मंगल-गान। निकसत पैठत लोग परसपर बोलत लगि लगि कान॥ १८ ॥ बारहिं मुकुता-रतन राजमहिषी पुर-सुमुखि समान। बगरे नगर निछावरि मनिगन जनु जुवारि-जव-धान॥ १९ ॥ कीन्हि बेदबिधि लोकरीति नृप, मंदिर परम हुलास। कौसल्या, कैकयी, सुमित्रा, रहस-बिबस रनिवास॥ २० ॥ रानिन दिए बसन-मनि-भूषन, राजा सहन-भँडार। मागध-सूत-भाट-नट-जाचक जहँ तहँ करहिं कबार॥ २१ ॥ बिप्रबधू सनमानि सुआसिनि, जन-पुरजन पहिराइ। सनमाने अवनीस, असीसत ईस-रमेस मनाइ॥ २२ ॥ अष्टसिद्धि, नवनिद्धि, भूति सब भूपति भवन कमाहिं। समउ-समाज राज दसरथको लोकप सकल सिहाहिं॥ २३ ॥ को कहि सके अवधबासिनको प्रेम-प्रमोद-उछाह। सारद सेस-गनेस-गिरीसहिं अगम, निगम न अवगाह॥ २४ ॥ सिव-बिरंचि-मुनि-सिद्ध प्रसंसत, बड़े भूप के भाग। तुलसिदास प्रभु सोहिलो गावत उमगि-उमगि अनुराग॥ २५ ॥
Friend, listen to the birth-song! Birth-song, birth-song—today the whole world sings the birth-song. Kausalyā has borne a worthy son; her dynasty and kingdom stand secure. (1) It is the lovely bright ninth of Caitra, with the sun at mid-heaven. Star, conjunction, planet, and ascendant are favorable; the day is a treasury of auspicious joy. (2) Sky, wind, fire, water, earth, and all ten directions have become sources of blessing. The gods beat drums, sing, rejoice, and shower flowers. (3) Hearing the birth-song at the king's house, deep kettledrums resound. Everywhere they arrange vessels, flags, fly-whisks, arches, banners, and canopies. (4) They sprinkle scented water and draw sacred designs through homes, courtyards, lanes, and markets. Leaves, fruits, flowers, sacred grass, curd, and red pigment fill every home's auspicious rites. (5) Hearing the news, Daśaratha rises joyfully with his entire court. Summoning his guru, ministers, and Brahmins, he proceeds delightedly to the residence. (6) He performs the birth rite, worships ancestors and gods, and gives gifts to the Brahmins. At that moment three more sons appear—auspiciousness, delight, and welfare embodied. (7) Joy within joy fills Ayodhyā; congratulations resound in joy. How could I compare the four with life's four fruits? No poet would call me discerning. (8) Groups of noble women prepare wondrous trays for the lamp offering. Each bearing her lineage's customary congratulations, they go singing. (9) May ill-wishers and enemies die inwardly; may the grief of foes increase. May the four lovely princes live long by Śaṅkara and Gaurī's grace. (10) Delighted citizens advance with burden after burden of varied gifts. They sing in the king's honor and dance at the royal gate. (11) Elephants, chariots, horses, troops, and every conveyance are splendidly arrayed. It is as though Love and Spring roam Kosalapura with their whole retinue. (12) Bells and gongs, drums and instruments, cymbals, flute, tambour, and strings resound; anklets ring, hand-cymbals charm, and bracelets chime. (13) Actors and actresses, women and men, dance each in their own delight. It seems Love and Rati have assumed many forms and dance beautifully in a lovely land. (14) Meters, compositions, songs, verses, modes, and patterns of melody unfold. Hearing them, Kinnaras and Gandharvas praise, while the gods' aerial cars stand arrested. (15) They scatter saffron, aloe, and fragrant powder and fill the air with red and colored dust. Flowers stream from the sky; the city rings, crowded with a heart-delighting throng. (16) In the king's old age, destiny has turned favorable through the blessings of gods and guru. All the nectar-oceans of Daśaratha's merit have overflowed their bounds. (17) Brahmins sound the Veda; bards recite lineages, victory cries, and auspicious songs. People entering and leaving press ear to ear in order to speak. (18) Royal queens and the city's fair women alike cast pearls and gems in offering. Jewels lie scattered through the city like millet, barley, and rice. (19) The king performs both Vedic ordinance and customary rite; the palace overflows with delight. Kausalyā, Kaikeyī, Sumitrā, and the whole women's palace are helpless with joy. (20) The queens give garments, gems, and ornaments; the king opens the outer treasury. Māgadhas, Sūtas, bards, performers, and petitioners bustle everywhere. (21) He honors Brahmin women and married daughters, and clothes his dependents and townspeople. Honored by the king, they invoke Śiva and Viṣṇu and give their blessings. (22) The eight powers, nine treasures, and every magnificence labor in the king's palace. All the guardians of the worlds envy Daśaratha's hour and assembly. (23) Who could describe the love, delight, and exhilaration of Ayodhyā's people? It is beyond Śāradā, Śeṣa, Gaṇeśa, and Girīśa; the Veda cannot sound its depth. (24) Śiva, Brahmā, sages, and perfected beings praise the king's vast good fortune. Tulsīdāsa, surging again and again with love, sings the Lord's birth-song. (25)