Vis and Ramin

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64 YISRAMIANI
necessary as his soul, desirable as his eyes, his blood boiled
with joy, and his cheek, so to say, clothed itself in a shirt
1
of poppy. The nurse sweated from confusion. Although
the garden is charming in spring, Ramin's face was a
thousandfold more lovely. The roots of his ears resembled
2
the hyacinths had not yet clothed themselves
pure silver ;
in black, and the musky vine-tendrils 3 were become like
polo-sticks. 4 His chin was still a little camphor-coloured,
his lips were like ruby, and his teeth like pearl ; in form
and stature he was like a swaying cedar, but the fruit of that
cedar was a red rose, in face a full moon on earth, pleasant
to look upon. His coat 5 and hat 6 became him rarely. In
race he was famous and royal from Adam, in face he was
like a living sun upon the earth, perfect in all knightly
graces. 7
Whoever had to bear the test of 8
looking upon Ramin,
in that moment he sacrificed his heart exclusively to him.
In two ways he was (famous) for birth and distinction 7
upon the earth. He was a king's
son and brother of
Moabad, and was lord 9 of his own land. When the sorceress
saw his eye, she was confident, and bore witness :
" This
man is more of an enchanter than I am, and when a Kadj 10
sees his face thus would he speak: In royalty thou art
fairer than all fair ones."
Ramin, with such a fair face, by
reason of Vis's face
deprived of soul and heart and stupefied, was roaming.
Outdoing n all philosophers, he had lost his way, and when
he saw the nurse alone in the garden, it was as if he had
met all the joy of the world, so glad was he. He saluted
her, and uttered a eulogy on her. 12 The nurse, of course,
reciprocated his civilities, they greeted each other, and
1
Qaqaclw, 209. 2 SumbuU, 197. ? his beard.
3 ? his hair.
*
Quandji, 63 (?).
5
Caba, 118. R., 85.
6 Kudi.
7
Dchabucoba, 22, 85. 8 GantzdiVh moundis.
9 1
Patroni, 126, 163. Kadji, 73, 97. K., 190 ('tj)a^siw.
't
Tsadjobinebuli. He was even more befogged than any meta-
physician.
IJ Keba sheaskha, 83. E., 5, etc.