Vis and Ramin

RAMIN'S MEN COME INTO THE CITADEL 381
she let Ramin know, and Ramin came secretly. They
cleared the place (? of people). In gladness they rejoiced
with each other, they took counsel about Ramin's entry.
However difficult and trying an affair may be, when God
and Fate help a man everything becomes easy. Whatever
wives of grandees were there, they all went away one by
one. 1
All the outsiders went away. And they (Vis and
Ramin) kept their trusty, good slaves. Ramin and Vis
dressed the forty men with veils, and Ramin adorned him-
self in like manner. In front also servants went with
candles and torches, 2 khodjas, 3 and officers. 4
By this
means they entered the city so that none noticed them.
They beat the men on the road, and kept the servants to
take care of Vis. 5 By this strange 6 method no one dis-
covered their secret, and they |
entered
the castle with 439
forty good, armed, heroic slaves.
The castellans 7 locked the castle gate, set sentinels on the
walls as usual, and knew not that Moabad's castle was full
of his foes. The sentinels began to guard the castle and to
shout. 8 The night became quite dark, like a sad heart.
The air was dyed with beads 9 10 and pitch. The sky was full
of pearls like the bottom 11 of the sea. This armed host
began to pour
forth from the darkness like Alexander's 12
army. Their battle burned the castle like fire. They
began to cut up the guards completely. Ramin went
against his sleeping brother Zard. Zard was brave and
fierce ; he leaped up and flew like a panther 13 at Ramin,
as death flew at his (Zard's) fate and ruin 14
upon Moabad.
? each to her own home.
Sinffilosan-maahkhloaanni ; mathMutli.
Khodjani (?), 12, 47.
An obscure passage.
4
*
Chauthni? footmen.
Ututro unthought of, unimagined.
Tzikhovani.
Mdzivi, 299, 889? jet bead,
s
Qwilir- ? to challenge.
w " Fhtceri.
P'Awa, 95, BM 609.
** Alehandre Alexanderof Maoedon
Vep'hkhi, 150-
u TtaUqmeda.