GREAT BATTLE BETWEEN MOABAD AND VIRO 29

implanted the soul.1 The sword entered by one path and the spirit came forth by the same path. The swords were like a blue cloud of steel, but it rained, and the stream which came forth from it was red. In the battle the arrow was like a sempstress, for it sewed the bodies to the saddle. Until evening the two armies prolonged the battle. In the thick of that fight some were like coursing leopards2 and some like wild goats. The well-beloved Vis's father,3 Qaran, was slain by his foes, and round about him were slaughtered a hundred and thirty nobles, braves of Viro. You might say it rained drops of a rain that was death. So many men were slain that heap1 upon heap of corpses lay piled, and round about them flowed streams of blood.

When Viro saw his father, Qaran, slain, and so many nobles lying devoted beside him, he called to his magnates: "Brothers in a battle sloth is monstrous and a shame to brave men. Are you not ashamed5 that so many of your race | are massacred for the enemy to rejoice over? Are you 31 not ashamed for Qaran that his white beard has been crimsoned by blood? And that such a monarch miserably lies slain? Is there no avenger of blood among so many of his warriors? The sun of heroism and of glory-seeking is set, for no one of you seeks any longer fame or heroism. I have not yet avenged his blood, and have not rejoiced myself over the foe. Now night is falling and it grows dark. The soldiers retreat. From morning you have shown great bravery and waged battle, now I will attack, and let your prowess help me and aid me to avenge my father's blood. And be ye all like dragons in the search for blood and in boldness, so that I may not bring shame on my race. Now are the days of death from my sword. Fate and the world I despise. I will be delivered from shame and from the

1 Ch., "The merry one knew where God had placed man's soul in his body."

2 Avaza, 56. R., 1137. 4 Gori, R.

6 Ch., "blood-seeking."

3 Ch. omits "In the . . . Vis's father."

5 Ch., "You are shamed."

7 Goliathoba, 179. R., 1511.

8

Veshapi, 131.

rotten Moabad, and rejoice the soul of my father by slaying him."1

When he had spoken thus, he fell upon them, together with his nobles, men-at-arms2 and household troops3; like fire he burned, and there was no help for him-(? was not master of himself). Moabad's soldiers were like a flood rushing down a mountain slope, for they could no longer conceal themselves. Their caress was lance, sword, and arrow. In slaying one another, friend was worse than foe; father became heedless of his son, son of his father, and friend of his friend. Whoever met another spared not to slay. It became so dark that nothing could be seen before the eyes. Brother slew brother, and father son. The lances were like spits, 32 instead of roast meat there were men; and the earth, | from the flow of blood, was like a wine-press. Death was, as 'twere, a mighty wind which blew down men's heads like leaves from a tree; the heads of the warriors were like balls in the playground, and their bodies like felled trees in a thick wood. When the sun set, it seemed as if Moabad's fate set with the sun, and fate had cut off hope of the monarchy of Moabad.

Moabad fled even unto Ispaan and Khuarasan. And when his soldiers saw him flee, all fled. The leader of his soldiers was slain, and if night had not fallen Moabad himself could not have escaped. But Viro and his magnates no longer pursued. They thought that Moabad was fled, and would not fight them any more again as long as he lived."

His opinion was one thing, and God's decree was otherwise.

When Viro saw that Moabad had fled, he rejoiced, and lo! he had not alighted from his horse before the Delamis and

1 Ch., "I will deliver the soul of my father from shame and from the rotten Moabad," and omits "and I will rejoice . . . slaying him." 2 Mona, 89, slave. 3 Khasagianit' ha.

+ Ch., "men instead of "men's heads."

5 Ch., "their bodies in the dust," instead of "in a thick wood.” 6 Ch., “They thought: Moabad is fled, and while Viro is living he (Moabad) will fight no more against him (Viro)."

GREAT BATTLE BETWEEN MOABAD AND VIRO 31

3

Gelanis and the Kiamanis,1 countless as sand, the hair of beasts, rain, and the leaves of the trees, fell upon2 Viro. Viro's soldiers and the outlanders, whoever was foreign, all fled without engaging the Gelanis and the Delamis, because they were marvellously many, and their leaders were renowned for valour. When Viro knew of their coming and of the flight of his soldiers, he was astonished at the deed of Fate, which is inconstant; its sorrow and joy are a pair, 33 like the light of day and the darkness of night. In this fleeting world there is more grief than joy, and the heart of the wise and prudent is timorous in Fate's hands. When Fate had rejoiced over Moabad, the same Fate frowned on his foes. With a sweaty and dusty face he (Viro) stood, his bloody sword he sheathed not; with a few soldiers he directed himself against the king of the Delamis in battle with naked sword.

When Moabad heard this news, how the Delamis and the Gelanis had gone against Viro, at the same moment he turned back, and since he felt no fatigue, he returned so swiftly that the wind could not overtake his dust. He came with his army to Gorab, where was the house and abode of Vis.5

1 Var., "Kirmanis," or, "the Gelanels and Iamanels," 130.

66

2 Daeskhnes, ? were let loose on," 41.

4 Ch.,

"Viro's face was sweaty and dusty."

5 Ch., "Viro," instead of "Vis."

3 Ch., "leader."

THE INVESTMENT OF VIRO'S CASTLE BY MOABAD, AND THE

DISCOURSE OF VIS

WHEN Vis, the mistress of all beauties, beheld herself caught in a net, her father slain, her brother1 gone away to battle, she was left sick2 and sore in heart. She scratched her face with her nails; she began to weep and cry aloud, and in tears she thus addressed her nurse:

"This day there is beneath the azure sky and upon the black earth no one more wretched and heartsore than I, and I know not to whom to tell my grief, nor in whom to seek my strength; at such a time, of whom can I seek justice, and to whom can I complain of the unjust deeds of Fate? How can I come to Viro,3 and how can I be delivered from the old, decrepit Moabad? On what day and under what planet did my mother bear me, since from the day of my birth I have been in grief? Why did I not die before my father, for I have seen him slain by the hand of an enemy ! They have killed my father, my brother has gone away from me, and I am left, such a powerless creature, sick and sore at heart. If I weep and sigh, none hearkens to my sighing and weeping, none appears to help and support me. Since I was born much woe and ill-chance have I seen, and as for the future, I know not what I shall see. Worse than

MOABAD'S MESSAGE TO VIS

33

this could not happen,1 that unwillingly I should fall into 35 the hands of my enemy and the seeker of blood. If I fall into Moabad's power, I shall be removed from every desire of the heart, I shall fall among foes, and shall be far from them that love me."

In this manner discoursed Vis, queen of beauties, to her nurse, and down her crimson cheeks her pearly tears flowed like a torrent.

There came to her an envoy from Shah Moabad with the following message:

3

God's

"Let thy heart be calm, O sun of suns, brightest of all the lights of heaven! Thou canst not evade God's decree, and what thy planet has fated for thee that thou canst not undo. Surely thou thinkest not to overcome the decree of God! If God and my fate have given thee to me, it avails thee not to enter into2 a conflict with God's decree. providence hath brought this about, and thus is it written on thy head. Now there is no resource left to thee but submission. I am come hither after thee, for I can no longer endure my love for thee. If thou wilt be obedient and not unwillingly mine, I shall fulfil many a desire of thy heart, also I shall load thee with precious stones and ornaments of infinite price, so that the sun and the moon shall be jealous of thy beauty. Be thou the medicine of my soul and heart, the absolute queen of my palace and realm. I shall have my desires fulfilled in thee, and thou shalt find in me fame and greatness for thyself. As long as my soul stays within my body, thee and my soul I shall consider as equal."

When Vis, deprived of heart, heard this message from Moabad, she listened to it as it were all insult and outrage. She sprinkled earth and ashes on her head, with both fists" 36 she made her face and breast lilac-coloured, tore off her

1 Ch., “What worse than this could happen ?”

2 Mogecerdzebis.

3 Ch., " opposing God, to fight providence is not well." The Georgians believe all a child's fate is written on its forehead at birth. 89

Agavso-lit., "fill."

6 .. orisave djighviťha (mdjighvi).

5 Nebieri, 67.

7 Ch., "ruby-coloured."