Gul was annoyed at this speech of Ramin's, she became angry and said: 4 "O traitor,1 denier of God! Is such language justifiable from a sovereign? May God make mine enemy like her. How do I indeed resemble her? She is a witch,2 an evildoer, an evil-speaker, shameless, a libertine! God grant there be no more sorceresses 3 like the nurse, chief among witches, harlot and pander! Through them thou art become so clownish 5 in thy behaviour that thou canst never rejoice thyself, nor let those near thee rejoice. Didst thou not swear to me that as long as thou shouldst live thou wouldst never mention Vis's name again? Now, if it had not been that thou hadst been afflicted by her love thou wouldst not have forgotten this oath." 1 Upiruli―? breaker of agreement. Cf. piri, 246. 2 Djado (Persian). 4 Madchacali-go-between. 3 Mkhiblavi. 5 Uvitzad | CHAPTER XLIV RAMIN'S LETTER ABANDONING VIS WHEN Ramin saw that his mention of Vis afflicted Gul so much, in order to demand pardon and forgiveness, at that very moment, sitting down before her, he caused inkhorn1 and paper to be brought. Although the ink' was mixed with musk, he girded on the sharp sword of enmity, by which he cut the branch of the tree of joy. Whoever knows this story let her guard her heart from a lover and not fall into love, lest, like Vis, she remain hopelessly heartbroken. The impious Ramin wrote a letter to his own constant lover, to Vis, who had not forsaken him. Thus he wrote: 266 "Vis, thou thyself knowest how much shame, dishonour, and harm have come upon me through love for thee, which I have not hitherto realized on account of the arts of you (and your nurse). I have displeased God, and am fallen into such reproach among men that I am set up as a remembrance in the land, and I see no man by whom my deed is praised. Many have advised me, many have reproached me, and many have even derided me because of thee. As if my love for thee were enmity against them, every woman and man curses what I have done. Even those who knew me not had thus heard my name. All defamed me. I was become of no account in the eyes of 267 the army. This was my repose: sometimes I saw a sword over my head to slay me, sometimes a hungry lion on my 1 Satserili, 284-writing materials, sometimes "pen." Cf. Isaiah viii. 1. 2 Melani. 3 Chavidcher, 75, 96, 230. R., 1188. 4 path. Since I saw thee1 I have not had rest a single moment, nor has consolation entered my heart. When I was near thee I was worse. I ceaselessly shed tears of blood, and the fear of death possessed me. I never separated from thee without shedding Gihon2 from my eyes. And I never saw thy face but I heard a thousand painful, reproachful words, and, besides all this, the fear of God and expectation of His wrath possessed me. Thou knewest me also before my love, how merry and renowned I was. My foes feared me, and showed themselves friendly, and wild beasts were exterminated by me. When I was angry, even lions feared me; and when I was fierce, I was more keen than a sword. When I flew the falcon 3 of my youth, the moon of heaven was in dread, and the courser of my will sped so far that thought could not follow. My soul was full of joy and gladness, my pearl-shell was full of precious jewels. I was a cypress in the garden of joy, and on the field of battle a hill of steel.5 The rock of my hill was gold, and the bed of my Mtcvari was pearl. When I saw thee and learned to know thee, thou thyself knowest what I became henceforth. That Fate which was subject to me has now subdued me." My form became like meadow-sweet, and love made a star of my two weeks' moon. Fate darkened the light of my sky, and made it bitter as hell to me. When the fire of love touched me, gladness fled from me a hundred days by stages.9 Knowledge went forth from my heart, and I remained powerless. 268 | Every man drew his bow and shot arrows of reproach at me. I was wounded by love, and they poured the salt of reproach on me. I was drunk from lack of heart, and I fell down. Now I write to say farewell to thee, for I am weary of thy love, and also to inform thee of my state. 8 1 ? an intentional zma (play upon words): "Ramin akh.” 3 4 Nishati, 197, 450. R., 323, 666, 707. 5 Basri, 420. 6 56, 77, 171, Mtcvari, the modern name of the Kura, on which Tiflis stands, seems to mean simply "river" in Visramiani, 8 7 Dzabuni, 241-coward, subdued. Graci (Spirea crenata Pall. • Edji, 263. RAMIN'S LETTER ABANDONING VIS 237 My state, by the power of God, is very pleasant, and lacking in nothing, nor do I lack consolation. Know this, Vis, that God has had mercy on me, and has delivered me from thee. I have found all my heart's desire in thine absence. I have washed my life with coral water.1 I have wedded a peerless wife, such as I desired. I have sown in my heart a rose-coloured love, and have chased away the rust of grief. I am in a state like Paradise. I am always near my Gul. I have always an unfaded rose. My couch and pillow2 are full of the rose, whom I prefer to mine eyes and life. As long as I have her I shall not seek a lily;8 as long as the moon illumines me, I shall not seek nor esteem a star. As woes and bitterness have come upon me from thee, I have seen from her a thousand gratifications and fulfilments of desire. If I had for one moment seen such gratification from thee, with joy I could have flown to the sky. When I remember the days of the past, I pity mine own self. How could I endure in following thee so many woes and bitterness? Like a strayed dog, I knew not mine own road. Hitherto I have been asleep, and now I am awake. I have been drunk, and am sober. Now I have broken the chains of misfortune, | now I have come 269 forth from the dungeon of misery. Now, in my right mind, I have sworn to Gul by God the Creator, by the sun, moon, by the faith, fire, wisdom and hope, that as long as I live I shall not part from the Rose (Vardi), and shall not leave her for a moment. Know this henceforth. Be calm, for Marav is thine, and Mah is mine; Moabad is thine, and Gul is mine. Thou belongest to him. I prefer one moment here, merry in the company of Gul, to a thousand years in thy presence, for my youth seemed to me a dungeon. Count no longer the months and days till my coming. Wait not for me, nor gaze along the road for me, for it will be long ere thou see me. When such a thing befalls one, patience is better than a load of gold." 1 Reading dzotsisa for modzisa, which is unintelligible. 2 Sasthauli, 82, 280. R., sasthunali, 514, 1126. 4 Sapalne, 328. 3 Sosani. 270 When Ramin had finished this letter, he sealed it with a golden seal, gave it to a swift messenger,1 and said: "Go so quickly as not to lose a moment, and deliver this letter to Vis." The messenger took the letter and travelled more swiftly than the wind, so that in three weeks he entered Marav. At that moment they told Shahinshah of his coming. They led him before him. He drew out the letter and read it. He marvelled much at such words being addressed to Vis, and rejoiced. When he had read it all, he threw the letter to Vis, and in derision asked something in return for his good tidings, saying: "Now God will open your eyes, for Ramin and | Gul are husband and wife, lovingly together in Gorab, and thou art left wounded." 1 P'haici. |