the glory and fame of Moabad that in his harem1 he had one like thee! As grace from God, this joy will suffice me as long as I live. I am glorified in union with a sun like thee; and since with these eyes I have seen thy face, and with these ears I have heard thy speech, henceforth, except this glory, I shall hearken to nothing good; henceforth I shall see nothing save my desire and joy." Then Ramin swore with a binding2 oath, by the power and glory of the all-creating God, by the brightness of the sun and moon, by all that is above the sky, by the heaven and the earth, by the law3 of God, and by all oaths—that as long as he lived, as long as the wind should blow upon the mountains, and water and fish should be found in the seas, 117 as long as dark night | had blackness, or a star was found in the heavens, and man's soul in his body should loveRamin would not repent of his love for Vis, nor break his oath, nor take delight in any other face save hers, nor desire any save her, nor look on any with eyes of love, nor do anything against Vis's will. 2 When Ramin had thus sworn and assured her, then Vis, too, swore equally strongly that in her life she would not be false to Ramin, and she would not be lacking in love. She gave a bunch of violets into Ramin's hands and spoke thus: "Receive this from me as a token: wherever thou seest a fresh violet, think on this day and oath. Thou wilt be thus blue, and wilt thus hang thy head if thou breakest thine oath to me. I will take a rose as a token. Whenever in the garden I shall see a rose, I shall remember this day and oath. May I be short-lived as a rose when I break this mine oath and deny God." When they had thus sworn each to the other, they appointed the Creator as their witness. Then they lay down together, they spoke to each other of grief past and of joy. In the pleasures of love Vis lay on her side like the chief among all sovereigns, and Ramin, 1 Sadedo, 58, 132, 216. 2 Mtcitzi, 161. R., 757, 1148. 3 Sdjuliť'ha, R., 1148. THE UNION OF RAMIN AND VIS 105 like the sun and moon, embraced her neck. If angels had seen, surely they would not have perceived which was fairer, nor whether one or two lay there! Their couch was filled with roses and jewels. In the lists1 of pleasure the ball2 was thrown down, and so tightly grasped were they intertwined that if even a heavy rain had fallen on them | it 118 would not have bedewed their breasts, and mouth was set upon mouth. Ramin's heart had long been wounded; much hurt had Ramin seen from love; he benefited greatly in the joy of Vis, for every arrow of love which had struck Ramin he kissed her more than a thousand times for each. When they had entered the lists of joy, and fulfilled their desire, and freely had bored the precious jewel, and honour had forsaken the honourable-he knew that just as she had been born of her mother, he had had her with that same seal. Then he loved her all the more because she had not been possessed by her husband. When both had fulfilled their heart's desire, they became still more mad for each other, and love increased. Thus were they together for two months. Every day they were together; at night forsooth they made merry together. Then Shah Moabad heard that his brother Ramin had regained his health. He rejoiced, and forthwith wrote a letter to Ramin, saying: "Without thee I cannot be merry, nor pleasant in heart, nor do tourneys and drinking please me. Now come soon, we will hunt and rejoice a long time together. The earth is verdant, flowers of many a thousand hues have arisen from the earth, the mountains have sewn themselves coats of Greek cloth of gold and have doffed the ermine caps from their heads; so many streams have sprung forth by reason of the water that a greyhound' cannot catch a goat without a boat. When thou readest this letter come quickly, and bring also 1 Moedani. 2 Bur'thi, 198, 200. R., 20, 63. 3 Madjnad, 60. ? gratis; ? had by boring rendered the jewel of no account. * Caba, 70, 187. • Qarqumi, 171. R., 123. 5 Oksino, 12. R., 320, 1359. 7 Avaza, 75, 120. R., 459, 1137. 5 quickly Vis the flower of spring, for she greatly desires to see her mother." When Moabad's letter came to Ramin, he immediately began to prepare and set out. He took Vis also with him. All the road was very bad and difficult, yet to the two lovers 119 journeying together it seemed like Paradise. | When they came to that land, Moabad and his armies met them. Immediately they led Vis to her mother. Vis was very much ashamed at the face of her brother. All rejoiced so greatly at her coming as befitted Vis. But for her, joy was turned to heaviness, because she was parted from Ramin, and scarcely saw him once a week; either she saw him in Shah Moabad's presence or on the road, and such seeing seemed nothing to her, and gave her no comfort. Much seeking to see him cast her into grief, and love so seduced her that she could not wait even a moment for Ramin, and preferred him even to her soul. CHAPTER XXIII MOABAD LEARNS OF THE LOVE OF RAMIN AND VIS RAMIN tarried a month with Moabad, and they made merry together in drinking and hunting. Then they proposed to go to Mughan,1 on the seashore, to hunt. On the night of that day when Shah Moabad removed, he lay at Vis's side. Moabad so loved her that he could not sleep2 with her at his side. This grieved him that she, fair as the sun, lay at his side, and he could not | rejoice even once in her, 120 because he was bewitched. The nurse came secretly; she thought Moabad slept, and said to Vis: "How canst thou sleep at such a time when thou thinkest on the departure of thy lover Ramin? He proposes to go to-morrow towards Armenia to hunt; there it may happen that there will be war with the enemy and fighting, and it may deprive thee of thy heart and joy. Now the drum3 has assembled all his army, his tent stands outside, and early to-morrow he will remove (his camp). Now even they beat (the drum) for departure, and the soldiers begin to stream out. If thou desirest to see his face, fairer than the sun, go early up the tower and look forth. Sleep cannot be if thou think on his absence. He is going away to hunt, but with hawks and greyhounds5 thy heart holds him captive. When he goes away early, and takes with him thy heart and my patience, look on him." 4 1 The steppe of Mughan, on the Caspian. R., 502. 5 Avaza, 118, 134. As their ill-luck would have it, Moabad was awake; he heard all this their discourse, and listened to the words of the nurse. Moabad leaped up infuriated, his face became like ashes; he could no longer, from excess of wrath, understand what to do. He sat like an intoxicated warelephant. He began to abuse the nurse and curse her; he said: "Oh filthy, disgusting, denier of God, source of all whoring and devilry, more shameful and dirty even than a dog!" 121 He commanded his servants : "Take away this hateful one, that I may slay her like a miserable hound, and that I may thus repay1 her for her wenching. On Khuzistan, whence came forth such a whore and pander, 2 stones should shower instead of rain! They deceive their betters and behave treacherously to their sovereigns. From Khuzistan no pure one comes forth, all are (ill) examples and heathens. Woe to him who trusts one of that land, or who gives his child to be reared there! For that Shahro brought a nurse from there, she thereby filled her court with shame. A nurse from Khuzistan and a blind (man as) sentinel3 are equal. He who takes a raven as his guide, his lodging will be the graveyard."4 Thus he vented his wrath on the nurse, and then spoke to Vis as follows: "Vis, thou denier of God and partner of the devil! Thou hast neither conscience nor modesty nor righteousness nor desire for honour. Thy kindred are disgraced by thy shame; thou hast forsaken modesty and become weary of it; thou hast despised the faith. Thou art degraded in the eyes of all thy folk and before me. What thou hast done will not please Shahro, nor Viro, nor any of thy kindred. All of them have been shamed by thee. So long as thy nurse has served thee, of a truth the devil was thy 2 Madchacali, 95. 1 Mukap'ha, 111, 153. 3 Gushagi, 142. R., 1367. |