Vis and Ramin

228 VISRAMIANI
"Renowned monarch, our land is illumined by thee, as the
heavens by the sun. Now night has fallen, be pleased to
dismount at our house, rest here ;
be our guest this night.
Let us entertain thee. We shall set before thee dainty dishes.
I will offer thee in abundance birds and game, I will give
thee pure wine, I will cast violets and roses before thee, I
will dress a banquet befitting thee, I will entertain thee as
thy soul loveth. Our custom is hospitality."
Ramin fell so much in love with her that he forgot Vis's
heart and love. The gaze of his eyes was treacherous as
Fate. Vis's fear and alarm, alas ! were justified. Woe to
that heart which trusts to such a fickle lover, and woe to
that man who is so fickle and perjured, unstable in love,
and a breaker of oaths. Ramin answered Gul thus :
"
moon, tell me but this : What is thy name, or of what
race art thou? Hast thou as yet disposed of thy fair self
or not? Wilt thou have me for thy husband or not?
What price 1 do thy parents demand from him who would
259 take thee to wife ? |
How
much dost thou ask for a kiss ? If
thou askest even a thousand souls, I grudge not even that."
The eloquent 2 sun and fleshly image (idol) 3 thus replied :
"As the sun is not hidden, so I and my name cannot be
hidden. Neither do I wish to say this, that I am a certain
Vhamani. 4 My mother is Gohar, and my father, Rap'hed,
is prince of this kingdom. My brother also is lord of
Adrabadagan. I have many brothers, all Goliath- braves. 5
In race and in virtue we are all alike, famous and renowned.
On the mother's side and the father's I am unblemished. 6
The one is of Gorab, and the other of Amian. My name is
Gul. 7 Like my name, I am a rose in colour, like a rose I
am beloved, and I am scented like a rose. I was born fair
from my mother, and brought up pure by my nurse. In
1 Mehari.
4 ? Bahman
2 3 Enovani endowed with speech. But'hi, 240.
nobody in particular ; Spanish, fulano. Vcf.Vaaman,
25. E., 1222, Vadaman.
5 GoliaVhni, 31, dchdbucni. 6 Uzado, 88. E., 1468.
7 Eose in Persian. The reader should remember that the Persian
rose is pink.