The Abhijñānaśākuntalam of Kālidāsa

"Kalidasa, or Calidas, wrote in the fourth or fifth century AD. The play tells of a King who, hunting in the forest, finds the beautiful, consecrated maiden Sakontala, weds her, and returns to his palace. There he forgets her, even when she appears in person, visibly enceinte. A ring that he has given her proves her identity, but not until after a lengthy penance can husband and wife be reunited. Serene, contemplative, Sakontala is a sort of Hindu Winter's Tale, in which humans, semi-divinities and the gods themselves sport in an enchanted landscape."--BOOK JACKET.