Vis and Ramin

CHAPTER XXX
MOABAD COMES TO MABAV AND LEARNS TIDINGS OF VIS
WHEN Shah Moabad forsook 1 his royal residence, his land
and kingdom, and set out for the plains, then Ramin wrote
a letter from the city of Re to his mother, and rejoiced her
with news that he was alive.
Moabad and Ramin were of one mother, and the mother
of Zard was another, and it was said that Zard's mother
was from India. 2
Ramin' s messenger came secretly to Marav, more swiftly
than the wind. But when Moabad and Ramin had gone
away, from that time their mother's tears had not dried,
because of her grief at their absence. From such a mother
two sons like Moabad and Ramin had disappeared without
159 cause, and |
for one wench had cast down mother and kingdom
and army, and had preferred
For her, grief
to wander in the fields.
was justifiable.
They gave Ramin' s letter to his mother. He wrote :
" Fate has cut me off from knowledge and my brother
for this reason, that my brother desired my death ;
towards
me he is merciless as a keen sword ; he wished to slay me
and Vis. Since it is thus, I choose one hair of Vis rather
than a thousand brothers like him. I can see nothing save
pleasure from Vis, and I have nothing save insult and
scolding from him. When I am away from him then
indeed am I joyful. Why desires he my death? He is
my brother, we are begotten by one father and born of one
mother. I am better in everything in the moedan fifty
such as he cannot equal me. Since I left Marav I have
* Kue, 145, 175.
140
2 Indoethi, 155, 212.