Vis and Ramin

2 VISRAMIANI
to arrange a matrimonial alliance, and he brought count-
less gifts. And at the same time there came an ambas-
sador from the king of the Greeks, and presented gifts of
beautiful raiment, and among those gifts was a jewel, a
red jacinth, weighing six and twenty dramas. 1 At Aspaan
he donned the raiment sent by the king of the Greeks, and
all Moslems did him homage, both foreign monarchs and
his own magnates ; and he was extolled by all, because of
the respect, gifts, and embassies he had from all monarchs.
And this Sultan had such servants and slaves that on the
face of the whole earth there was none like unto them.
Among them was a renowned, generous, wise-minded man,
complete in manhood, fearless, prudent, cheerful, faultless
in speech, brave, and a seeker after wisdom, perfect in all
virtues, exquisite ;
2
3 lover of all men, a |
he was right cunning in leechcraft ; a
man of God, and he was lord of a great
land. Besides all these virtues, he was a seeker after
strange stories and poetry.
When the Sultan had taken the city of Aspaan, he left
his army and departed, leaving Ibdal-Melik vizier in
Aspaan. While the latter was on a journey, he saw a
Jorjaneli (man of Jorjan), and the man pleased him, and
began to tell stories of what he had seen. One night he
was by his side, and in drinking (Ibdal) inquired : "Know'st
thou not the story of Vis and Ramin ? I greatly wish to
hear their story, and for a long time I have it. sought I
have heard of their virtues."
P'hakhp'hur 3
replied :
"
I know it all, and I have heard of
their virtues and their royal character, for thou hast mentioned
a good, pleasant story, told by wise men, and com-
posed in the P'halauri (Pehlevi) tongue ; but since nobody
knows P'halauri 4 very well, no one can translate it. Now, if
thou commandest me, I will reveal their story and translate
it into Persian."
1
2
Drama, 58.
Natip'hi, E., 1104, 1312.
3 Fakhr (cf. Graf, "Wis o Ramin"). Facfur in Persian = son of
heaven, and is used as synonym for Emperor of China.
*
Pehlevi, 128.