Vis and Ramin

THE NURSE'S SECOND VISIT TO RAMIN 83
should be so hateful to thee, that thou wouldst be shamed
even at hearing my name. Leave me alone.' Thus she
spake
to me :
'
Arise, nurse, all thy days presume not to
speak thus falsely ; and if I again hear such words from
thee, thou shalt never see my face again as Hvest.' When I
long as thou
heard this from her, I ceased to speak, I
dared no more, I was afraid that perhaps she would become
weary of me, and I should be consumed."
When Ramin heard this from the nurse he trembled
from love, like a willow in the wind. His heart beat hard,
and from excess of grief he answered haltingly. Thus
he to the nurse :
"
Have pity on me once more, and yet again say from me :
spake
'
shining moon and light like the sun ! All men are not
alike. 1 Be not unmerciful to me. If thou askest an oath
from me, I will swear to thee with a thousand promises
that as long as I live I shall be thine earth, more 2 than
thine earth even. I shall never forget to love thee,
I shall
love thee more than my life, and from my body love for
thee and my life shall come forth together. Never shall
I renounce slavery to thee, either in joy or sorrow.' "
Thus he spake, and shed tears of blood in a stream. His
eyes were like the clouds in May, in that their rain was
inexhaustible.
nurse pitied the disheartened Ramin, for from 93
| The
melancholy he was very pitiable. Thus she spoke to
Ramin :
"0 light of mine eyes ! in love thou must clad thy form
in the corslet 3 of patience. Weeping betrays the lover, and
ill will it befall him ; great misfortune pursues the manifest
lover. Instead of Vis, if thou wishest, I will give thee my
soul. I will go and again attack Vis; I will clothe my
form in the armour 4 of shamelessness. As long as I live I
shall not forsake thee. I devote my soul and life to thee.
I know no heart more true in this than ours. When a man
has a true heart he will achieve his desire."
1
i;.,982. Var.," lower."
3 // *
Djadchvi, H, 426, 1846.