Vis and Ramin

THE NURSE'S THIRD VISIT TO RAMIN 93
suddenly die, and God will exact of me punishment for his
faults. Thy pitilessness towards him is not profitable.
Do not so, my light ; take pity on his powerless plight : soil
not thy
skirt with his blood. What harm will it do thee
not to suffer his days to be consumed by these griefs?
What does it matter to thee 1 whether thou fleest from him
or not, since he is for thee. God neither will create, nor
has He created, another like him. He has made him in
every way faultlessly fair, for | he is thy peer, else peer- 104
less. God has guarded thee a virgin under His protection,
that He might give thy person to Ramin ; be he and thou
our sovereigns, and let him remove thy seal. It can only be
done by him, for he will be thy lord, 2 and thou shalt taste
for him a wife's love, and you shall rejoice in each other."
As the nurse spoke and sware thus, Vis was convinced 3
in her heart, and loved Ramin in her heart. She began to
pity him and abandoned enmity. Love appeared, and
smoke was added to her fire. The time of Ramin's joy was
come, and the sharp tongue was blunted for replying. Her
silence was a sign of her belief in the nurse's discourse, and
she sought means not to have it perceived. She looked
round about for shame, her complexion 4 turned many
colours, 5 sometimes yellow, sometimes red; as from a
spring, tears and sweat flowed. She was seized with fear
of blame.
PARABLE (Araci)
: The heart of the lover draws the
heart from the body, as the loadstone draws iron. A one-
sided love can no more be cherished than an ass can be
loaded with a one-sided burden.
The sorceress nurse perceived that the arrow had hit the
mark, she had caught the fleet wild ass in a net, by witch-
craft and incantation she had fettered the wind.
Ogava, 100, 188.
2 3
Ukhutteri, 94 senior, seigneur.
I>l