The Knight in the Tiger's Skin, 1938
1094. When P’hatman saw, she was afraid, she shook and fell a-trembling. (The stranger) gazed with wonder at them lying caressing; he said: "I will not hinder, O woman . . . but when day breaks I shall cause thee to repent that thou hast had this youth.
1095. "Thou hast shamed me, O wicked woman, and made me to be despised, but to-morrow thou shalt know the answer to be paid for this deed; I shall make thee to devour thy children with thy teeth; if I fail to do this, spit upon my beard 1, let me run mad in the fields!"
1096. Thus he spake, and the man touched his beard 1 and went out of the door. P’hatman began to beat her head, her cheeks were scratched, the gurgling of her tears flowing like a fountain was heard. She said: "Come, stone me with stone, let the throwers approach!"
1097. She laments: I have, alas! slain my husband, I have killed off my little children, I have given away as loot our possessions, the peerless cut gems! I am separated from my dear ones! Alas! the upbringer! Alas! the upbrought! I have made an end of myself; shameful are my words!"
1098. Avt’handil hearkened to all this in perplexity. He said: "What troubles thee, what say’st thou, why dost thou thus lament, why did that youth threaten thee, what fault found he in thee? Be calm; tell me who he was and on what errand he roved!"
1099. The woman replied: "O lion! I am mad with the flow of tears; ask me no more tidings, nought can I tell thee with my tongue. I have slain my children with mine own hand, therefore can I no more be gay; impatient for thy love I have slain myself.
1100. "This kind of thing certainly should happen to the utterer of idle words, the chatterer who cannot hide a secret, the witless, mad, raving. Help me with your lamentations!" This will I say to all who see me. A physician cannot cure one who drinks his own blood!
1101. "Do one thing of two: desire nothing more than this: If thou canst kill that man, go, slay him secretly by night; thus shalt thou save me and all my house from slaughter; return, I will tell thee all, the reason why I shed tears.
1102. "If not, take away thy loads on asses this very night, escape from my neighbourhood, gather everything for flight. I doubt my sins will fill thee too with woe. If that knight go to court he will mare me eat my children with my mouth."
1103. When Avt’handil, the proud, gifted with bold resolve, heard this, he arose and took a mace–how fair, how bold is he! "To ignore this matter would be remissness on my part!" said he. Think not any living is his like; there is none other like unto him!
1104. To P’hatman he said: "Give me a man as instructor, as guide, let him show me the road truly, else I want no helper; I cannot look on that man as a warrior and mine equal. What I do I shall tell thee; wait for me, be calm!"
1105. The woman gave him a slave as guide and leader. Again she cried out: "Inasmuch as the hot fire is to be cooled, if thou slay that knight to assuage the irritation of my heart, he has my ring, I entreat thee to bring it hither."
1106. Avt’handil of the peerless form passed the city. On the seashore stood a building of red-green stone; in the lower part fair palaces, then above terrace upon terrace, vast, beautiful, numerous, hanging one over the other.
1107. Thither is the sun-faced Avt’handil led by his guide, who says to him in a low voice: "This is the palace of him thou seekest." He shows it to him, and says: "Seest thou him standing on yonder terrace? There he lies to sleep; know this, or thou shalt find him sitting."
1108. Before the door of that luckless youth lay two guards. The knight (Avt’handil) passed, he stole in without making a sound; he put a hand on each of their throats, forthwith he slew them, he struck head upon head, brain and hair were mingled.
HERE IS THE SLAYING OF THE CHACHNAGIR AND HIS TWO GUARDS BY AVT’HANDIL
1109. That youth lay alone in his chamber with angry heart. Bloody-handed Avt’handil, strong in stature, entered, he gave him no time to rise, privily he slew him, we could not have perceived it; he laid hold of him, struck him on the ground, slew him with a knife.
1110. He is a sun to them that gaze on him, a wild beast and a terror to those that oppose him. He cut off the finger with the ring, he hurled him down to the ground; he threw him from the window towards the sea, he was mingled with the sands of the sea; for him nowhere is there a tomb, nor spade to dig his grave.
1111. Not a sound of their slaughter was heard. The sweet rose came forth; whereby could he have been so embittered? This is a marvel to me, how he could thus steal his blood! As he had lately come, by the same road went he away.
1112. When the lion, the sun, the sweetly-speaking knight, came into P’hatman's (house), he announced: "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.
