Vis and Ramin

859 I
CHAPTER
LXV
RAMIN'S REPLY
EAMIN, the melancholy, made the following reply :
"Raise not thyself to heaven with such discourse,
moon ! Thou canst not make an end of such words, thou
canst not dig up the clay 1 with the spade 2 of patience. Thy
tongue and heart do not witness together ; thy heart is
annoyed by that which thou sayest. There is no thief like
love, for it despoils the heart of patience and the cheeks of
colour, as easily as stupor robs a drunk man of his gold.
a new tune
Though I may be old, my love has not aged ;
may be struck from an old string. 3 To me thy love seems
the joy of all the world why speak of old age? Do not
scold and blame me so much ; a healthy person never desires
sickness. Now, though thou art healthy, I am sick by Fate,
and I have not asked for this plague. Hast thou felt that I
love thee and art thou grown proud ? Though thou art the
chief of beauties, thou thyself knowest that this conduct
towards me does not befit thee. Where would you find fame
for mercy unless slaves should sin ? According to thy wealth
360 so shouldst thou think of the poor. However greatly | I
have sinned against thee, yet such a base punishment is
not due to me. Adam 4 in Paradise sinned against God,
and I am of his race. If I have sinned, I crave forgiveness.
God's decree has been written on man's head 5 ;
it is his
nature to sin. Neither prudence turns God's decree, nor can
heroism, 6 nor reason, nor madness overcome 7 mischance.
Man does not choose misfortune for himself.
1 T'hiJehha. * Sari.
3 Dzali of a musical instrument ; ordzali, 121.
4
Adam, 7.
5
Cf. 35.
6 Dchabucoba.
318
7 Moerevis.