Vis and Ramin

THE NURSE'S LAMENT 53
ness at the sight, albeit she saw Vis thus seated on cinders,
her face scratched, her hair torn, ceaselessly weeping, in an
evil case, unable to find joy in her house and her youth ;
sometimes she poured ashes on her head; sometimes her
tears of blood wet her lap. Her face, wounded by scratch-
ing, had become like a rusted looking-glass, her heart like
her face had become contracted, and her form like her hair
had become thin.
When the nurse saw her thus exhausted, her heart was
burnt up with the fire of grief, and she spoke thus :
"
Ah, thou desired of all men ! Why
slayest thou thyself,
why art thou become thus pitiless to thyself by thy joylessness?
"
: Shegoneba Why dost thou empty thyself of
1
blood?
Why dost thou pour it forth to the harm of thy life ? Thou
art the sight of my eyes, and thou art the cause and hope
of ! my happiness Do not this, whatever be the plight.
since from great grieving 58
iggle not so hard with Fate, |
no profit nor joy can come. Thou art become thin and ill,
and yellow. It was thy mother that gave thee to Moabad.
Now thou art the wife of a great monarch, love him as thy
soul. Be pleasant to him, do not sin and grieve ; for no-
body who is wise and prudent sins against sovereigns.
Inasmuch as thou art of royal birth and descent, Viro is not
to be compared with this one in power, sovereignty, and
wealth.
ici : If thou hast lost a drachma, 2 God has given thee
a precious jewel instead. And if thou art cut off from Viro,
thou art united with so great a monarch as this ona If
thy nurse cannot help thee, God sufficeth thee as a helper,
i Fortune as a brother. If Fate has deprived thee of a
silver apple, it has given thee a golden orange 9 instead.
God has closed a little gate against thee, but has opened a
big one ; and if He has taken away an oil-lamp, he has given
thee a wax candle. What has Fate done to thee that thou
1st wish to weep so many tears? IB not gratitude to
God fitting for thee? for he who thanks not God will regret
1
Var., oul," or breath." Drama. 2.