Vis and Ramin

84 VISRAMIANI
necklets ; her crystal breast was bared, and she was so
disturbed and enraged that she felt no shame before the
messenger, and with her lips, sweet as sugar, she returned
a reply bitter as gall, 1 and instead of love she cast the lance
of enmity, and thus addressed the envoy :
" Now I have listened to this evil message which in taste
is like the horror of a serpent. 2
Get thee gone ! and say
thus from me to the brainless, decrepit Moabad : In hope
of me, drive not the ball on ill-luck in the field. Take not
on thee useless grief and cast not thy treasure 3
away on a
vain deed. I know thy manliness from thy behaviour, and
thy liberality is degrading to me, and surely thou dost not
think that thou shalt lead away Vis from this castle alive or
seize her! In thy days, how canst thou find joy in me?
If thou art master of all sorcerers, Viro is my lord and
husband in form a cedar 4 and in face a moon. In this
fleeting world thou canst find no joy in me, and I shall never
see one like him. Whom else should I choose better than
him ? In thy days thou shalt find no joy in me if thou stay
here everlastingly, because I am wedded to my brother Viro,
I have become weary of the love of all men.5 As long as I
have a straight cedar 4 I shall seek no bent willow, 6 and even
if Viro were not my husband and I were unwed, even then
wifedom and love with thee would not be for me, because
thou hast mercilessly 7 slain my father Qaran, and hast not
his rank and age. Thou hast slain my lord, my
father, and to seek me as thy wife now is madness. How
can I wish to wed thee, since as long as I have life the sight
37 spared |
of thee annoys me ? I have none like Viro in this fleeting
world, and because of thy deeds and my mourning I have
not even given myself to him. Now, how shall I give myself
1 " "
Ch. omits sweet and "
gall."
2 "
Ch., Now what distasteful message have I heard ? It is like the
horror of a serpent."
3 "
Ch., Do not cast the ball in the moedan of mischance. Do not
see profitless grief in hoping for me, and cast not thy treasure. ..."
4 Nadzvi. ? pine, 53.
6 Ch. omits from " If thou art master " to " love of all men."
fl
Tiriplri, 201.
7 Ch. omits " mercilessly."