Vis and Ramin

206 VISRAMIANI
The minstrel sang this song: "I saw a great tree, its
head reaching to heaven ; under its shade lay a land which
shone like the sun. Beneath flowed a fair stream, and
around 1 bloomed violets and roses, hyacinths 2 and lilies. 3
Near it was a fat bullock, 4 sometimes it browsed on the
grass. 6 May that spring ever be an inexhaustible stream,
the grass ever be green, the bullock be fat and browsing,
the tree fruitful!" She called Shahinshah a tree, Vis a
spring, and the bold 6 bullock was Kamin. When Moabad
thoroughly understood the interpretation of this song, he
leaped up from his throne and seized Kamin by the hair,
unsheathed his knife, 7 and said :
" Swear to me at once that thou wilt no longer possess
Vis's love and wilt never touch 8 her again, otherwise I shall
at once strike off thy head from thy body, since my body
because of thy shame wanders headless."
9 Ramin thus swore solemnly by their oaths, first by
God, then by fire, sun, and
"
moon, that : As long as I live
I will neither cease nor repose from seeking her. All my
days I will succour her, I will not abandon her thus. To
thee the sun of heaven seems an object of adoration, 10 to me
Vis's face. She is my soul, and it cannot be that a man of
235 his own will should sacrifice his life. |
If thou desirest, slay
me, 11 and if thou desirest, leave me (alive). I cannot forsake
her love."
When Shahinshah heard this, he was exceedingly angry,
and began to insult him. He put him down, prepared to cut
off his head, and in that part where such sore love afflicts
him to cut him with a knife. When Eamin saw he had
resolved to slay him, he seized Moabad with both hands,
snatched the knife from his hand, and went away.
Moabad was drunk, and after this went away from the
1 Midamo. 2 Sumbuli.
4 Mozveri.
6 SaVhibi.
3 Sosani, 197, 354.
6 Laghi, 241.
7 Dana. 8 Daecaro (dacrva) bind, stick.
9 Mtcitzed.
11 Momcal, B., 247, etc.
10 Salotzavad.