Vis and Ramin

394 VISEAMIANI
members x could no longer obey her orders through weak-
ness. She begged God that she might not outlive Bamin,
that Ramin might remain untroubled. After this the
waned moon died. Ramin's heart became the abode of
and unceasingly his eyes shed
454 grief through her death, |
455 |
tears. He wept and chanted :
"0 beloved friend, more to be desired than life! Thou
art gone, thou hast forsaken me completely, and hast left
me heart-branded, consumed, weary of the world. . . .
None ever had a friend like thee ! Now, why art thou
become weary of me ? Hast thou not oft sworn fidelity to
me ? Now, because of what sin art thou become merciless ?
Why hast thou broken thine oath to me ? For so long we
have been united in soul, affectionate, why hast thou made
me to lament? But as I know thy heart, certainly thou
didst not deceive me. It is evidently Fate that has betrayed
me, and from it this is no marvel. To whom has it fulfilled
good from then till now ? The earth is emptied of joy by
thy departure, thou hast taken everything good with thee.
2 How can I endure the plague of old age and feebleness, as
well as the sadness of being bereft of thee ? Or how can I
live and endure the thought of this? Grief is added to
on a throne and thou in the earth I cannot
grief ! I lying
think of it !
"
Verily, didst thou not : say
*
I will lay down my life for
thee ?' Certainly thou hast fulfilled thy word, but without
thee my life seems to me worthless. Would that it had
been that thou wert weeping at my tomb and grieving for
me !
I, unhappy one, how can I imagine thy pure body
under the earth ? How can I place my foot upon the earth
that earth which covers the light of thy face and the
beauty of thy body ? Sovereignty pleased me for thy sake,
through thee I was merry ;
for thee I desired myself great,
it was not for the multitude of treasure and hosts.
"Now,
without thee I desire not glory, nor rule, nor
treasures, nor hosts. Far from me 3 be joy ! Now, as long
1 Aso.
2 E., 36, 1522.
3 Haram forbidden.