Vis and Ramin

VIS SEES RAMIN AT COURT 95
thee to love
"
together ?
one so peerless, and that you should rejoice
The more Vis gazed on Ramin the more her love increased.
A hen she had well examined Ramin, she completely forgot
her love for Viro. She spoke thus in her heart: "Aha!
Happy is she to whom falls such a husband ! By what
mischance is it that it has befallen me to see him, since he
has thus made me wholly forget Viro? Now, since I am
cut off from brother and mother, why should I always burn ?
what avails it ? Why have I so long sat alone ? How long
shall I suffer grief ? I am not iron. I cannot find a better
lover than this. It is better that I should fulfil his desire.'*
She thought somewhat thus in her heart, and regretted
those days which had passed in vain. She did not show
her love, although she was maddened with love, and fire
consumed her. Thus she spoke :
" So that is Ramin ; as thou saidst, he is certainly fair
and gracious. His noble birth is evident, and he does
resemble my brother Viro. But what he seeks, as thou
knowest, he cannot find. Although my face may be a sun,
it does not shine on him. Neither shall I become like him
and bring trouble to myself, nor fill myself with shame nor
fall 1 into woe. God will give him somebody else instead
| of me, and he will forget my name and love." 107
When Vis came down from the window 2 and went into
her palace, her eyes no longer saw on account of her love
for Ramin, and she had no wits left in her ; her colour
paled, and she could not keep her heart in one place. A
mighty demon was come to do battle with her, he fixed his
claw in her heart, and with the same claw took away colour
from her face, power from her body, and patience from her
heart. Vis was indeed a coward, 3 and when such an event
happened, her heart failed her, no colour remained. Sometimes
she used reason, she chose endurance and honour.
When she had thought well, she put the fear of Qod in her
heart ;
when her humour had chosen honour, she warded
, 96, 115, 19i>
& / i:., 1019.