Vis and Ramin

80 VISEAMIANI
Whatever comes upon man's head comes by
the decree of
1
God; therefore is man's name called mono, (slave).
(Shegoneba) :
" Thou seemest to think that one can by
force or heroism cause the lion to abandon its lion-like
nature, or by greatness and sovereignty give to a partridge
a hawk's nature. By God is a decree written on the heads
of all of us, and in life we cannot take off the decree of God,
nor can the writing be changed by us, whether we weep
or laugh. Now, that also will happen to thee which God
has foreordained,
ished to thee."
Thus spake Vis :
it will neither be increased nor dimin-
"Everything comes to man by Fate, but evil will befall
him who does evil ! There are many who do one evil deed
and see a hundred worse (in consequence). First of all,
Shahro did an evil deed, for she gave Moabad's wife to
Viro. She did evil, we did not, and see what grief we too
have seen. I am disgraced and my husband also, I am
hopeless and my lover also. Why should I also do evil
and then blame Fate ? I may be despicable through un-
happy Fate, why should I be partner in an evil deed?"
Again the nurse spoke thus :
"
my light, the peerless Eamin is not my son, that I
should help him because of his sonship and free him from
90 his trouble. |
If God and Fate help him, nothing evil will
befall him, from the planets or from the world.
"
Can it be that thou hast not heard from
(Shegoneba) :
the sayings of the wise that to God all His desires are possible,
by His Word the world and fate were created, and He
has conceived everything moving in them, and their needs,
as is fitting ? He has made fields and plains for vineyards
and for tillage, and has made great smooth places for
palaces, He has made many great things little, and little
things great. If thou hast grief and bitterness from love,
thou canst not be delivered by thine adroitness. 2
If it be
1
Mona, 31, 215. ? a play upon words in the original ; lost in the
Georgian.
2 ChauJcobit'ha. R., 57, agility.