The Man in the Panther's Skin, 1912

876. He entreated him, "Mount!" He begged and prayed him, and said not Alas! He knew that riding would chase away his sadness, that he would bend the reedy stems (of his form), and make a tent of the jet (eyelashes). He (Avt’handil) made him (Tariel) obedient; it pleased (Avt’handil); (Tariel) sighed not nor moaned.

877. He said plainly: "I will mount; bring forward my horse." (Avt’handil) brought (the horse) and gently l helped him to mount; he did not make him pant with haste; he took him towards the plain, he made his graceful form to sway. Some time they rode; going made him seem better.

878. He (Avt’handil) entertains him, and speaks fair words to him; for (Tariel's) sake he moved his coral-coloured lips in speech. To hear him would make young the aged ears of a listener. He put away melancholy; he took unto himself patience.

879. When the elixir of grief (Avt’handil) perceived the improvement, joy not to be depicted lightened his rose-like face–(joy which is) the physician of the reasonable, the sigh and moan of the foolish. He who had formerly spoken senselessly now spoke reasonably.

880. They began to converse; he spoke a frank word: "One thing will I say to thee: Open to me what is secret. This armlet of her by whom thou art wounded–how much dost thou love it? How dost thou prize it? Tell me, then let me die!"

881. He said: "How can I tell thee the likeness of that incomparable picture! It is my life, the giver of my groans, better to me than all the world–water, earth and tree. To hearken to that to which one should not listen is more bitter than vinegar!"

882. Avt’handil said: "I truly expected thee to say this. Now, since thou hast said it, I will answer thee, and think not I shall flatter thee; to lose Asmat’h were worse than the loss of that armlet. I commend not thy behaviour in choosing the worsen.

883. "This armlet thou wearest is golden, molten by the goldsmith, inanimate,' lifeless, speechless, unreasoning; thou no longer wantest Asmat’h! Behold a true judgment! First, she, luckless, was with her (Nestan); then she is thine own adopted sister.

884. "Between you (and Nestan) she formed a bond, by thee she has beencalled sister; she was the servant who contrived your meeting, (while)she herself was worthy of being summoned by thee; she, upbringer ofher and brought up by her, she is mad for (Nestan), (and) thouforsakest her, wretched (woman), (and) wilt not see her? Bravo! a justjudgment (indeed)!"

885. He said: "What thou sayest is only too true. Pitiable is Asmat’h, who thinks of (Nestan) and sees me. I thought not to live; thou are come in time to quench the fires. Since I still survive, come, let us see, albeit I am still dazed."

886. He obeyed. Avt’handil and the Amirbar set out. I cannot achieve the praise of their worth: teeth like pearls, lips cleft roses. The sweetly discoursing tongue lures forth the serpent from its lair.

887. Thereupon (Avt’handil) says: "For thy sake will I sacrifice mind, soul, heart; but be not thus, open not thy wounds afresh. 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?

888. "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 and victory, if God will, shall be thy lot."

889. 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. But what shall I do, how can I endure when I am in excessive trouble? My griefs have hold of thee too. If, then, thou justify me not shall I not wonder?

890. "Wax hath an affinity with the heat of fire, and therefore is lighted; but water hath no such affinity, if (wax) fall into (water) it is quenched. Whatever thing afflicts someone himself, in that will he be bold for the sake of others too. Why know’st thou not once for all in what way my heart melts?

891. "With my tongue will I relate to thee in detail all that hath befallen me; then indeed with wise heart judge the truth. I expected thee, awaiting thee was irksome to me, I could no longer endure the cave, I wished to ride in the plain.

892. "I came up that hill, I had traversed these reeds; a lion and a panther met, they came together; they seemed to me to be enamoured, it rejoiced me to see them; but what they did to each other surprised me, horrified me.

893. "I came up the hill, the lion and panther came walking together; they were to me like a picture of lovers, my burning fires were quenched. They came together and began to fight, embittered they struggled; the lion pursues, the panther flees. They were not commended by me.

894. "First they sported gaily, then they quarrelled fiercely; each struck the other with its paw, they had no fear of death; the panther lost heart, even as women do; the lion fiercely pursued, none could have calmed him.

895. "The behaviour of the lion displeased me. I said: Thou art out of thy wits. Why annoy’st thou thy beloved? Fie on such bravery!' I rushed on him with my bared sword, I gave him to be pierced by the spear, I struck his head, I killed him, I freed him from this world's woe.