Vis and Ramin

THE STORY OF RAMIN'S LOVE 69
fragrance from thy hair ; from thy form is my pure 1
and from thy conversation is the
crystal,
beauty of my Paradise,
and therein is my dwelling when I shall see thy face which
gives me life. Might 2 and success 3 will indeed be then
mine when it falls to my lot to gaze upon thy face ; I pray
to God for this day and night, that He may consider me
worthy of one sight of thee. If I show pity
to so hard a
heart and it meets with my compassion, let her not begin
to coquet and be haughty. If it (? my heart) make a foe of
me, seek separation and forsake me, certainly my blood will
be shed. But it is not fitting ; by thy sun, it is not fitting
to shed the blood of such a young man and slay him who
all his days never did thee harm. So love him with a true
heart |
for he prefers thee a thousand times to life; he 77
sacrifices his soul for thy sake, and sells his eyes for the
dust of thy feet, because thou so shrivellest up my heart
that I have no part of it left to me. Be merciful to me ; I
sacrifice my body to thee and thou art master of it ; if '
I shall sacrifice both my body and soul.'
not,
Araci : When the old nurse heard this discourse, it was as
if a poisoned arrow had struck her heart. She pitied Eamin
greatly in her heart, but she showed it not, and spoke thus :
" Ramin. . . .
4 Thou surely canst not in thy heart have
hope
of her ! That sun will never shine on thee. This
thy seductiveness and bravery 6 are of no avail with her,
for she is like a wild creature, 6 and looks on no man.
Think not even that by force or artifice 7 thou canst unite
thyself to Shahro's daughter. Know this, 8 that it is better
for thee to drive out this thing from thy heart, for but
vain will be thy desire. At such a time as this a man
should use all his powers, his knowledge, and his lordship
of shame ; he will choose out the ugly from the pretty, the
bad from the good, and in his heart he will choose the
thing that is fitting. If thou fold up the sky and dry tho
3 Tiafhmarti (future), 184
1 Utalo^uxado. *
Davla, R.,777.
4 The text is evidently corrupt here, and a phrase has been omitted
Bidchoba, 85. .r/i-ioJWU, 87, *.
i Ghonitha. 79. 7/torfr, 64.