Vis and Ramin

154 VISRAMIANI
a devi as my wife ? What devil made thee lie down at side?"
my
Many times he asked: "Who art thou?"
thou, and what art
The nurse gave no answer. He demanded a candle from
the servants, he cried and called out much ; but he waked
nobody, nor did he get a light, and, save Eamin, none was
awake. He feared the dawn, he softly lamented Vis's
departure, and pearly tears besprinkled his rosy face. Vis
had sat with the drinkers that day, and that night, too,
175 she had |
been
sleepless. Then she slept. 1 Kamin in grief
began to sing :
" How pleasant wert thou, night, night to all, but to
me alone ! bright day When thou breakest into day for all,
then thou wilt become dark to me. Prepare, heart, now
it is the hour of dawn, now the arrow of parting strikes
thee ! How if at last there were no
pleasant were meeting
parting. Fate, thou knowest nothing save evil deeds for
Thou gavest me joy, and in a moment thou dost rob
me !
me of it if ; thou gavest me to drink of immortality, straightway
thou wouldst doubtless 2
give me a goblet of gall. An
ill day was the first day of my falling in love, then I
irrecoverably lost my heart. When I look (on her) I fear
separation, and separation is indeed unbearable. I know
no pitiful captive like me, and no healer like the Creator,
for from Him I await salvation."
Kamin spoke thus secretly, he thought in his heart and
sighed. He was distressed at his plight, he feared the dawn,
1
his heart shrank from parting with Vis. Vis lay asleep,
and suddenly Kamin heard Shah Moabad calling to his
servant, shouting and crying loudly for a light. Ramin was
afraid, and woke Vis, saying :
" Kise quickly ; that which we feared has come upon us.
While thou sleepest 1
fearlessly, I watch in sadness at parting
from thee and fear of dawn. I avoided one evil, and
another worse has come upon us. I heard the voice and
1
Rue, 145, 155, 158, 182. 2 Dchika, 153, 165, 187.