186 | CHAPTER XXXIII VIS'S LAMENT FOR RAMIN'S ABSENCE SHE struck her face so mercilessly with both hands that it became violet. She put on blue1 raiment as if she were in mourning for the absence of her lover. The scratching of her face reddened her bosom with blood, her face became blue as her raiment, her raiment red as her face. She screamed and wept, and said to the nurse: : "What shall I do now, nurse? My youth and joy, my repose in the world and delight in all love have completely forsaken me, so that I shall live no longer. I would sacrifice for Ramin's love my heart and the sight of mine eyes, for now I desire all my past woes. I never thought this in my heart that we should ever separate or should not be able to rejoice always as we wished. But the decree of God has first torn the curtain of shame as it were from our love, now He has brought upon us this unintelligible separation. O beloved Ramin, never to be removed (from my heart), as long as thou wert near thou thyself knowest what my joy was. In thine absence my existence does not 187 seem life to me. What is pleasantness itself or repose? | In season and out of season I cannot get rid of this thought: that thou art suffering in fight with the foe. A coat of mail2 instead of a caftan3 weighs upon thy form, a helmet1 instead of a fur cap,5 a sword tires thy hands instead of a 1 Mourning colour, blue, 11; black, 206. R., violet, 1181; blue and green, 1479. 2 Djadchvi, 183. R., 426, 1346. 4 Muzaradi, 144, 200. R., 430, 1375, 1389. 3 Caba, 118. 1 VIS'S LAMENT FOR RAMIN'S ABSENCE 165 glass, the heat of the sun burns thee, and this discomfort annoys thy tenderness.2 Thou makest thy foes' blood to flow like thy lover's. Why should I become a foe to myself by thine absence, so that I hearken not to desire and counsel and follow thee? O that the dust of thy horse might strike me! But though my body is here, my heart is not cut off from thee; drowned in blood, it suffers the toils of travel at thy side. Toil not too much, for it is grievous to thee. It is impossible to endure without thee. It is not pleasant for the lover to lack the lover. Do not that to me which is not like thyself. Remember me and think of my state. But when did the rich ever think of the poor? Thou hast only seen the fire of my love, now the smoke also appears. The present pain of long separation has made me forget my former woes. My head is like the cloud of Noah's3 deluge, for the tears flow from mine eyes richly as the Djeon. My heart is full of woe, I have no means to contain it, and it appears outwardly, and I toss in a sea of blood." 4 Vis lamented, and by reason of the pain at her heart could not stay still in one place. The nurse for her sake was burning as fiercely as she, and taught her all patience. Shegoneba: Thus she spoke: "Be patient; a man 188 should not give up courage even if God never give him his heart's desire. Every grief is drunk to the dregs by man; the tree of patience always bears the fruit of joy, although to the downhearted the eating (of the fruit of joy) more alleviates (suffering) than talk about patience. "Now hearken to what I say and be patient; it is not likely thou shalt suddenly attain thy heart's desire. Save God, none can help thee, none other can deliver thee from this thraldom. Be calm and submit, pray to God and comfort thy companions. Surely God will weary of this great grief of thine and will extinguish the fire of your heart! I cannot bequeath thee more than this, that I counsel thee to be always patient." Vis replied thus: 1 Dchika, 175. 3 Noah, 171. 2 Nazukoba-niceness, softness. 4 Gihon, 143, 213. R., 731; Euphrates, 213. "How can a heart which is burnt up with smokeless fire have patience? Thou hast heard that saying how a certain man advised somebody, who said thus: 'Ho, friend, worry me no longer, this strikes my heart with no more force than a walnut falling on a dome.' Ramin went away without seeing me, and how can I bear to be without him? Thy advice and a bridge on the other side of a great river are the same to me.2 Thy heart and mine are not one. It is the hem of thy skirt that burns, and my heart. What does it matter to thee if I am in trouble? Thou tellest me that I have no resource but patience. It is easy for onlookers to watch warriors. I have no pity for thee. Thou art a horseman, and knowest not the pain of travelling; thou art rich, and knowest not the pain of poverty; to the well-fed the hungry man seems drunk. Thou, nurse, 189 counsellest for me and advisest me to be patient. | Does this irremediable madness afflict thee also like me? Ramin was more impatient. The downhearted know not patience. If the fighting lion have no power in its heart, the fox with its cowardice overcomes it. Think not that this woe and crying is easy for me or gives me pleasure, and that the flow of bloody tears from mine eyes seems not irksome to me. No sensible person desires his own distress and unhappiness. Thou by thy meddling5 hast dug this well of misery for me; thou hast cast me in, and now forsooth thou art seated pleasantly and carelessly at the top, and sayest to me: Be patient, pray to God, thou hast no resource save this, and there is none to deliver thee from this place.' It is easy to cast a felt cloak into the water, but it is difficult to draw it forth again." Gunbet'hi, 243. 4 Sidjabne; djabani, 107. 2 Cf. 203. 3 Gagva, 103, 109, 207. 5 Sakmianoba, 91. 7 Nabadi. | CHAPTER XXXIV RAMIN GOES FROM MARAV TO ASHKAP'HUT'HIDEVAN TO BE UNITED TO VIS 190 WHEN Ramin went to Marav from Gurgan he found Vis no longer there. He saw the vineyard of his joy dried up, and his garden flowerless. No more he saw the sun of the world in the court, he no longer perceived the seat full of the perfume of her hair, nor did he see the town joyful as of yore. So to speak, the court and its surroundings wept, like Ramin's heart, the absence of Vis. That pleasant court, made joyous by her, seemed to him a prison, and through grief, like a pomegranate in its rind, he burst, wept all openly; on his saffroned face pearls rained. He laid his face on her seat, and, like a nightingale1 upon a rose, he spoke, sighed, and piteously lamented. Thus he spoke: "O court, it is thou that wert adorned by the presence of the celestial sun, in thinking of whom my wits have fled! The earth was adorned by her face, and the air was as full of her perfume as now the heart is always full of gall. Singing-girls with wondrous kinds of strains sang joyously to the listeners. O court, thou art no longer that court, for thou wert perfect in all points! Upon thy gate, too, the beasts of the field had come to gambol, and the gate was of desired men. | Inside thee I no longer see the star, moon, 191 and sun, by whose absence all around3 is darkened! Fate has treacherously been fickle to thee as to me; t has deprived thee of the day of joy, and me of my heart's desire and patience. Where, indeed, is that time for me when I 2 Mutribni, 164. 3 Sakhedavni-things visible. 1 Iadoni, 185, 225. rejoiced here, or when will it be for me that I shall again enter thee merry? To be here thus a single day, by God, seems to me more desirable than a thousand years.' He lamented and wept. Hopeless he wandered thus through the gates of the town, and turned his face towards the castle where Vis sat. He went so hastily that he travelled day and night. Very dark was the night when he came to the foot of the castle, although for him and Vis that night became lighter than day. The sentinels1 even could not see on account of the darkness. Ramin knew the room in which she was. He came underneath, used his skill, for in all the world there was not an archer like him. He shot with straight thumb an arrow to that spot, and said: "Mayst thou be fortunate for us, soulless messenger! Everywhere thou art a messenger of death, but now rejoice my soul by uniting it to a soul." The arrow went straight, and fell on the roof of Vis's bedroom.3 Immediately the nurse took it, recognized it, and was filled with joy. She gave it to Vis, and said: 4 "Behold the happy messenger arrow, sent by Ramin as a bringer of good tidings, for it bears a mark. Henceforth be no longer in distress; thank God, and rejoice in thy lover." 5 Vis looked at the arrow and read Ramin's name upon it. 192 From excess of joy how her heart beat! she could not grasp so much joy, she kissed it, she bloomed, and said: "O happy arrow of Ramin, and chosen one of my soul! All men are wounded by thee, and thou art as a plaster® on the sore of my wound. Thou art a messenger from his arms-may they ever be powerful! I shall tip thee with jacinth, and I shall make thee a pure gold quiver9 of my heart, so that thy master may rejoice. Though I have been wounded with ten thousand arrows like thee in his absence, 1 Gushagi, 142, 201. 3 ? canopy of her bed. 2 Chaidchra, 79, 204, 219. 4 Makharoblad, 158. 5 ? for sarche read sarcha-arrow, shaft. 6 Malama, 173. 8 Khalasi, R., 1414. 7 Iagundi, 47, 196. Karkashi, R., 72. |