The Tigress at home

The mastiff, as fierce as a leopard or tiger,

Have I easily calmed by a piece of meat;

Yet the tigress do I have at home however,

Becomes more fierce the more we live together.

– Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama

Mastiff: In Tibet one finds a watchdog, usually a mastiff, in front of the door of every house as protection against thieves. Therefore the young man in this song coaxes the mastiff with a piece of meat to keep it quiet when he comes to visit a young girl.

“Tigress” here means “wife”.

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