RAMIN BECOMES ENAMOURED OF VIS 49

Why dost thou hope vainly for her from whom thou hast no chance of joy ?"

"Araci: Thou art thirsty and seekest water, but what avails it since thou art in the dry plain? May thy Creator have mercy upon thee, for very hard is thy lot."

Since Ramin was very firmly caught in the net of love, and was hopelessly heart-broken and heart-wounded, he was not able to seek his desire, nor knew he any resource save patience. Willy-nilly, his heart was not pacified, and he continued to journey with her unwillingly, and from being there no other boon was vouchsafed to him, save that from time to time the odour was wafted from the litter of Vis. Though Vis's face was his soul and heart, it was enough for him to gaze on her litter. There is no fate worse than love, no one is more to be pitied than the lover.

| Shegoneba: If a man has caught a fever, they come to 53 see him, and fear that he may die of the fever; but the lover's heart from year to year burns in the fire, yet nobody goes to ask for him, nor does anyone say: "Ho, comrade!" 1

What is more unjust than what happens to a lover from love! It is better that the lover should be pitied of all men, for an inextinguishable fire rages in his heart.

Araci: This is sufficient grief for the lover, that he is always in sorrow, and must keep the longing for his beloved a continual secret in his heart, of no one can he receive consolation for his heart's woe.

2

As Ramin's love increased, he seemed like a partridge wounded in the back by the claws of a falcon-he was neither alive nor dead. His image as it were fared lifeless, of his mountain-like form only a sign (or target) was left, and of the symmetry of the pine,3 a bow. In such joylessness and grief, as I have said, he travelled, and the whole road seemed a dungeon to him.

1 Tanobilo-acquaintance.

3 Nadzvi-cedar, pine, 36, 67.

2 R., 13, 14.

HERE IS THE WEDDING OF MOABAD AND VIS

WHEN Moabad went in to Marav, there was with him the queen, the sunlike Vis. The city of Marav was adorned throughout, and like the planets of heaven the onlookers were raised upon the roofs; their magnates had strewn themselves with gold, jewels, and pearls, and the lesser folk with silver; the world was full of joy, and all walked on gold in place of earth. On that day Marav city was Paradise, and in it jewels and pearls were poured forth as rain. From every roof the faces of so many pretty ones flashed, that one could not tell whether they were stars flashing down from heaven; the sight of many kinds of singing women in their multitude and beauty made man merry and dazzled the eyes. When in the host there was such a sign, thou mayst know how it was in Shahinshah's palace in size the palace was like a field, in height its tower was like heaven, and on the roof the stars sat to gaze; the door and the walls were all painted with gold. In pleasure, like the happiness of the fortunate, and in beauty like Vis's countenance, Shahinshah sat joyful on his throne, his heart purified from gloom like silver refined. His magnates, nobles, and bodyguard, by his will caused 55 gold and pearls to rain from a cloud. So much gold and pearls he scattered that the heap of pearls formed mountains. Moabad was merry, he drank and gave gifts. Shegoneba: Be merry, drink and eat, be generous, that thy name may remain.

1

Queen Vis sat in the queen's place, and the palace was

1 Acumi, Arabic.

51

In

THE WEDDING OF MOABAD AND VIS made like a garden by her countenance. Though Shahinshah made merry, queen Vis sat full sullen, she grieved day and night, she wept like a cloud, so that whoever saw her wept with her. Sometimes she wept because of separation from her mother, and sometimes on account of Viro's love, and she cast lots; 1 sometimes quietly tears of blood flowed from her eyes; sometimes she began to cry out like a madman. She spoke not even one word, nor did she reply, whoever said anything to her. So to speak, every moment the caravan of grief came into her heart. spareness she was become as thin as a needle, and by grief she became yellow as saffron. The wives of the monarchs and magnates all came to see her, and sat at her side; they sympathized and spoke pleasantly, saying: "By Heaven,2 be calm, rest a little, and weep not!" By no means did she calm her soul, neither made she answer; and when she saw Moabad from afar she tore her necklace instead of scratching her face. She hearkened not to his conversation, nor did she show him her face; she continually bent her face towards the wall, and dammed the lake of her bloody tears. Thus was Vis on the road and at Marav also, so that even for one day Shahinshah could not rejoice 56 in her. Vis's mouth was like a vineyard, but the gate of the vineyard was firmly closed.

1 ? Tsilni qarnis, 69. Ch., Dict. Cf. Acts i. 26.

2 Zenaar, 79. R., 384, "We adjure thee."

CHAPTER XIV

THE LAMENTATION AND WEEPING OF THE NURSE FOR THE

CARRYING AWAY OF VIS

3

WHEN the nurse learnt the news of Vis and how Moabad had come and thus taken her away against her will, the earth was darkened, and, so to say, her soul became like smoke within her body. She did nothing but weep and lament. By her tears the plain became the Mtcuari,1 and by her lamentation the mountains were levelled. Thus she spoke: "O dazzling full moon, desire of the fairest monarchs, why has Fate become thy foe, so that thou art become a byword 2 in the world? While the spirit of milk and of the teat still proceeds from thee, why dost thou fill the mouth of every man with thy fame? And thou art not yet ripe, thou art like a pomegranate bud, and why is thy love ripened (noised abroad) from east to west? Thou art small, but thy name is great; thou art a wild goat, thy lover is a greyhound (leopard)* and, like it, undesired. Thou art 57 blameless towards all, and Fate | has punished thee. God created the sight of thee for the sake of my soul, and how can I live without my soul? Let no sign of me remain on earth if I desire even for an instant life without thee."

Forthwith she caparisoned thirty swift she-camels, and loaded them with many kinds of royal treasure and gifts. She took with her whatever was necessary for Vis, she journeyed day and night, and in one week went to Marav, and as one who was soulless she found her soul. When the nurse saw the heart-wounded Vis, she was filled with glad

1 The River Kura, on which Tiflis lies, 77.
3 Suli. ? odour.

2 Saaracod.

4 Avaza, 30, 75.

5 Djama.

THE NURSE'S LAMENT

53

ness at the sight, albeit she saw Vis thus seated on cinders, her face scratched, her hair torn, ceaselessly weeping, in an evil case, unable to find joy in her house and her youth; sometimes she poured ashes on her head; sometimes her tears of blood wet her lap. Her face, wounded by scratching, had become like a rusted looking-glass, her heart like her face had become contracted, and her form like her hair had become thin.

When the nurse saw her thus exhausted, her heart was burnt up with the fire of grief, and she spoke thus:

"Ah, thou desired of all men! Why slayest thou thyself, why art thou become thus pitiless to thyself by thy joylessness?

66

Shegoneba: Why dost thou empty thyself of blood ?1 Why dost thou pour it forth to the harm of thy life? Thou art the sight of my eyes, and thou art the cause and hope of my happiness! Do not this, whatever be the plight. Struggle not so hard with Fate, | since from great grieving 58 no profit nor joy can come. Thou art become thin and ill, and yellow. It was thy mother that gave thee to Moabad. Now thou art the wife of a great monarch, love him as thy soul. Be pleasant to him, do not sin and grieve; for nobody who is wise and prudent sins against sovereigns. Inasmuch as thou art of royal birth and descent, Viro is not to be compared with this one in power, sovereignty, and wealth.

"Araci: If thou hast lost a drachma,2 God has given thee a precious jewel instead. And if thou art cut off from Viro, thou art united with so great a monarch as this one. If thy nurse cannot help thee, God sufficeth thee as a helper, and Fortune as a brother. If Fate has deprived thee of a silver apple, it has given thee a golden orange3 instead. God has closed a little gate against thee, but has opened a big one; and if He has taken away an oil-lamp, he has given thee a wax candle. What has Fate done to thee that thou shouldst wish to weep so many tears? Is not gratitude to God fitting for thee? for he who thanks not God will regret

1 Var., "soul," or "breath." 2 Drama, 2. 3 T'hurindji.