Vis and Ramin

230 VISKAMIANI
thee, I shall seek no other to illumine my palace, and none
shall be the balm of my soul save thee. I shall never
return to that past which would annoy me against thee and
thee against me. But if thou wilt be my wife, I swear to
261 thee that I am | weary
never mention Vis's name."
Gul thus : replied
of all love save thine, and I will
"Spread not for me, Kamin, a web 1 of enchantment.
I am not one who can be bound in thy net 2 so easily. I
desire neither royalty nor greatness from thee, neither a
field full of soldiers, nor a treasure-house full of wealth. I
have one wish, and if I find its fulfilment in thee, I shall
not transgress thy command. When it appears that thou
wilt carry on my love to the end and not abandon me, thou
shalt not find one thine own like me ; and if thou art not a
fickle lover, thou must never desire to go to Khuarasan, nor
to be near Vis, nor to mention her, because one person's
property is not another's. Why should Moabad's wife be
attached 3 to thee as thy queen ? Thou shalt never write to
her, never send a man to her, nor let love for her be in thy
heart. If thou wilt swear to me to this effect, 4 then on my
body shall be two heads and one soul."
Ramin rejoiced at this. He made no reply. He stretched
out his hand, and they went into Rap'hed's house. Ramin
held Gul by the hand. She poured a hundred vessels full
of jewels and pearls at
6
Ramin's feet, she seated him on a
golden throne. Whoever of their kinsfolk were magnates
and nobles, they called them all and made merry. In con-
firmation of the deed, Ramin swore solemnly by their (local)
oaths, by God and fire, that : "As long as the earth endures,
6
262 and Djeon
7
flows a stream ;
| as long as fish are found in
the sea, or the sun and moon have brilliance ; as long as
night is dark, as the wind blows on the mountains, and
i Bade, 286.
2 MaJche, 264, 294.
3 ? should the reading be mogepherebia (suit thee) for mogecerebis ?
4 Am pirsa zeda on that subject.
6 Var., Eamin poured at Bap'hed's feet.
6 Djeon, 148, 267, 288, 431, 449. E., 731.
7 Didjila, 259,