Shot'ha Rust'havelli

“ Calm thy heart, believe me, I cannot take thee! I cannot! I cannot!
765. "Since I am a lover I must run mad alone in the fields. [9] Should not one with blood-stained tears roam alone! Errantry is the business of lovers; how can one wait till he is grown old? This world is such, be thou assured thereof and submit.
766. "When I am far from thee, think of me, love me. [10] I fear not my foes; I shall take care of myself. [11] A brave man [12] must be of good cheer, he must not mope in grief; I hate when a man hesitates at no shameful deed. ”

“ I cannot now tell the words then spoken by that knight, or what he discoursed and lamented with such elegance. Sometimes his eyes reddened (with their tears) the rose (of his cheeks) scratched by his nail. When he saw the caves he was glad; he went up to the door of the cave.
823. When Asmat'h perceived him, she went to meet him, her tears fell fast; she rejoiced so greatly that she will never have such joy again. The knight dismounted, embraced her, kissed her, and conversed with her. When a man has waited for a man, the coming pleases him wondrously. ”

“ P'hridon laments: "How can we tell forth thy (i.e., Tariel's) praise, thou who canst not be praised, thou inexpressible one! O sun of the earth, who transferrest the sun of the firmament from its course, [31] joy, life, quickener of them that are near thee; light of the planets of heaven, consumer and swallower up! [32]
987. "Since I was removed from thee life has been hateful to me. Though thou hast no leisure for me I long for thee; to thee lack of me seems joy, it oppresses me greatly. Life without thee is empty; [33] the world is become hateful to me." ”

“ What is better than for a man to approach the jet to the crystal and ruby, [45] or to plant in the garden the aloe near the cypress, to water it and make a tree of it, to cause joy to the gazer and sorrow to him who cannot look thereon? Woe to the parted lover! He will be groaning, moaning, groaning. [46]
694. They found all their joy in gazing at each other. The knight went away, sundered from her he went dazed in heart; the sun wept tears of blood more abundant than the sea, and said: "Fate is insatiable, alas! ”

“ Now he says to his heart: "As the tear still flows, and is not dried, what avails it to slay thyself! It is clear thou hast fraternized with the devil as a brother. I myself know that she who maddened me has for hair the tail of a raven; but if thou bearest not grief what is the enduring of joy? [19]
946. "If I remain, this is better for me"—he speaks of the uncertainty of life—"perchance it will be my lot to see the sun (T'hinat'hin) , I shall not forever cry Alas!" ”

“ The knight went and sat in his chamber; sometimes he weeps, sometimes he swoons, but in spirit he is near his beloved, he is not cut off from her. Like verdure in hoar-frost the hue of his face fades; see how soon lack of sun is apparent on the rose!
700. Accursed [50] is the heart of man, greedy, insatiable; sometimes the heart desiring joys endures all griefs; blind is the heart, perverse in seeing, not at all able to measure itself; no king, nor even death itself, can master it. ”

“ He said: "O mine own! let him who is far from thee and yet silent be accursed; [4] since my mind remains with thee, let my heart also return to thee; the weeping eyes, too, wish and long to see thee. It is better that the lover should be subjected [5] as much as may be to love!
815. "What shall I do till I am united to thee, or in what thinkest thou I shall find joy! I would slay myself but that I doubt it would displease thee, but it would grieve thee to hear I was no longer living. [6] Come (then) and let us living give our eyes to the shedding of tears." ”

“ I speak to thee as a sage and not as a madman; a hundred times must thou give heed, once sufficeth not. A man so furious of heart can do nought well. Now I desire to see her for whose sake hot fire consumes me.
646. "I shall see her, I shall confirm her love for me, I shall tell her what I have learned; nought else have I to do. I beseech thee to assure me, for God and Heaven's sake, [33] let us not abandon one another, make me swear and make thou an oath to me. ”

“ Who save thee has for me a face like a sun, a form like a tree? so how can I remain alive if a lance strike my heart!
517. "'The sovereigns summoned me to court, they held a solemn council, beforehand they had appointed that youth as thy husband; (even if) I had opposed it I could not prevent it, I should have been a fool for my pains; I said to myself: "Agree with them for the nonce; it is better for thee to fortify thy heart."
518. "'How could I dare to forbid it, since he (P'harsadan) understands not, knows not that India shall not remain masterless! ”

“ The sun-like one said: "All my heart's desire is fulfilled: first thou art come in safety having found that which was lost, then the love implanted by me in thee has grown, I have found balm for my heart hitherto burned.
687. "Fate treats every man like the weather, sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes the sky thunders forth in wrath; hitherto grief has been upon me, now this gladness is my lot; since the world has joy in it why should any be sad! ”

“ Luckless Fate hath ever been a doer of ill upon me; if some good had befallen me thou mightest have wondered, what marvel is evil? All kinds of woe are not new to me, old are they.'
1154. "Her eyes poured forth frequent tears like pearls. She rose as fearless as if she were a panther or a hero; [64] joy no longer seemed joy nor did woe seem woe to her. She begged me to cover her form and face with a veil. [65]
1155. "I went into the treasure-house; I took out gems and pearls on which no price was set, as much as I could, every single separate one was worth a city. ”

“ Learning avails thee not if thou do not what the wise have said; of what advantage to thee is a hidden treasure if thou wilt not use it? [71]
883. "Grieving is of no use to thee; if thou art sorrowful what good will it do thee? Know'st thou not that no man dies undesignedly? Awaiting the sunbeams the rose fades not in three days. Luck, endeavour [72] and victory, if God will, shall be thy lot."
884. The knight (Tariel) replied: "This teaching is worth all the world to me. The intelligent loves the instructor; he pierces the heart of the senseless. ”

“ I had pondered, I knew he would be wroth with me, therefore is my grief increased. None can avoid vengeance for a deed done with forethought. [45] Still, for thy sake death seems joy to me; my woes are not in vain."
749. The knight replied: "It is wholly impossible for me not to depart. When the rose withers the nightingale then dies; he must seek a dewdrop of water, for the sake of this he must rove everywhere, and if he cannot find it what will he do or wherewith shall he soothe his heart? ”

“ Quoth he: "The stream of blood which flowed anew flows once again. Now is parting as hard as union will be till (we meet) in heaven. Men are not all equal; there is a great (difference) between man and man."
933. Then the beasts of the field drank their fill of the tears he shed there; he could not quench the furnace, he burned with frequent fire. Again the thought of T'hinat'hin fills him all the more with grief; the coral-rooted crystal shines on the rose of the lips. ”

“ Let us bring to reason the sweet with words, the warlike with swords. If thou be not united to thy wife I will be no husband to mine.'"
1449. When P'hridon told Avt'handil Taria's message, he laughed, he smiled, mirth beautified him. He said: "Why want I a helper? I am not hurt by a wound from any. The Kadjis possess not my sun, nor doth lack of joy afflict her.
1450. "My sun sits upon a throne, powerful by the will of God, respected and honoured, proud, harmed by none, she is by no means oppressed by Kadjis, nor by the sorcery of wizards. Why should I want help with regard to her? ”

“ When the moon is far from the sun, distance makes her [1] bright; when she is near, his ray consumes her—she is repelled, she cannot approach. But sunlessness dries up the rose and lessens its colour. Not seeing [2] the beloved renews in us our old grief.
812. Now will I begin the story of that knight's departure. He goes away and weeps with boiling heart; it cannot be said that his tears diminished. Every moment he turned back; he prayed that he might find his sun-like one in sun-like beauty. [3] He gazed, he could not detach his eyes; if he tore them away he lost consciousness. ”

“ Davar said: "Who would not stone me for doing this? Who? [12] Before he (P'harsadan) slay me, I shall die. Life is wearisome to me!" She struck herself with a knife, died, fell in a stream of blood.
566. "Why marvel'st thou not to see me alive, unpierced by a lance! Now do to me what befits a bringer of such tidings; by the Most High, deliver from this unbearable life me who have not yet ceased to breathe." ”

“ I have appointed Shermadin to be lord in my stead; until he learn of my life or death he will shine upon you all like the sun; he will make the rose to be frosted and not fade, he will cause all misdoers to melt away like wax. ”

“ Why art thou such a madman?' Life is better than loot; this I even now learn.
727. "Even if the king permit thee to depart, why should the hosts also be deceived? Why should they let thee go, why should they be hoodwinked, or why should they be removed far from their sun? If thou depart, our foes will become bold, will even themselves with us; [20] but this must not be, as sparrows cannot change to hawks."
728. The knight wept; with tears he spoke: "Must I strike a knife into my heart! ”

“ He passed the rocks, crossed the water, went through the reeds and came to the plain. The wind blowing over the fields froze the rose to a ruby hue. [28] "Why givest thou me this plague?" He reproached Fate for this.
841. He said: "O God, wherein have I sinned against thee, the Lord, the All-seeing? Why hast Thou separated me from my friends? why didst Thou lure me on to such a fate? One thinking of two, [29] I am in a parlous plight; if I die I shall not pity myself, my blood be on my head! ”

“ Thou hast rooted up joys from my heart; Thou hast given griefs a nest there. All my days my tears will never cease."
189. Then he said, "Patience is better," and communed thus with himself: "Let me not die a day too soon, cast not down my heart; without God I can do nothing, my tears flow in vain. No one can change that which is decreed; that which is not to be will not be." [20]
189a. He said to himself: "Die, for thee it is better than shameful life. ”

“ The knight went melancholy away, he beats his breast and so bruises it, for love makes a man weep and melts his heart. When a cloud hides the sun the earth is shadowed, so parting from his beloved makes twilight again, not morning. ”

“ I have slain him; no more will that youth see sunny day; thy slave himself I have as witness; make him swear an oath in God's name (that I did the deed) ; behold the finger and the ring, and I have my knife bloodied. ”

“ Then they said respectfully (to Tariel) : "Since sages liken thee to the sun, it befits them that look upon you to be merry; wherefore should they lament!
1434. "Who is worthy of your so great weeping and sorrow? Death for your sake is far better than walking upon the earth!" Then P'hridon said to the king: "Make not bitterness to thyself from aught. May God in return render to thee a thousand joys!" ”

“ When he heard this, the hot tear flowed from Shermadin's eyes. Quoth he: "Wherefore should I be affrighted by sorrow in loneliness! But what shall I do without thee—twilight will fall on my heart! Take me with thee to serve thee; I will help thee however thou wishest.
763. "Who has heard of so great wandering by one alone! Who has heard of a knight holding back from his lord in trouble! [7] Thinking thee lost, what shall I, useless, do here?" The knight answered: "I cannot take thee, however many tears thou sheddest. ”

“ I stand before thee as a slave to obey thee slavishly.
620. "'This city is the highway for ships coming from all parts, an emporium of much foreign news of all kinds. Here shall we hear of the balm to assuage the fire which burns thee. God grant that these woes and pains pass away!
621. "'We will send out sailors who have fared on the sea before [16] ; let them find for us that moon for whose sake grief is not lacking to us; until then be patient, so that thy mind torture thee not; grief will not last for aye, shall not joy overcome it!'
622. ”

“ P'hatman, Usen and the slaves weep with hot tears. They said: "O sun, what hast thou done to us? Thou didst burn us with hot fires, why darkenest thou us with the gloom of thine absence? Bury us with thy hands which have (already) buried us! ”

“ I will make thee kill me at mine own wish; like a despised letter, easily shalt thou tear me.
238. "Think not that death would be suffering to me, for it would free me from weeping; it is the drier-up of the ford [60] of tears; the whole world seems to me as straw, even so do I weigh it; [61] I know not who thou art, that I should tell thee trusty words?"
239. The knight said (to himself) : "Thus shall I not make her speak, I must think of some other way; it is better to ponder the matter." He let her go, and sat down apart; he wept, he began to shed tears. ”

“ Avt'handil fares on alone to the seashore with the four slaves, with all his might he seeks balm for Tariel; weeping by day and night he pours forth pools of tears; all the world seems to him as straw, even as straw in weight. ”

“ When he had said this the youth sighed, and weeping said: "She bare a daughter." He was like to faint; Asmat'h sprinkled water on his breast. He said: "She for whom these flames now burn me was like the sun even then. ”