The knight in the panther's skin, 1979
1196. “You came and shed over me the radiant rays of your brightness. When he arrived he saw you; I trembled in fear for your life, For I was sure you would fight over me and slaughter each other. Not In mere words but in deed he wished in his heart to slay me.
1197. lf you had left him alive he would surely have gone to the sovereign. And with his heart ablaze in his rage betray and denounce me. The king in his wrath would have razed my house and possessions together. He would have made me devour my children, then stoned me to death
1198. God will reward and bless you in return for the good you have donel You have delivered me safely from the gaze of that serpent! I will mourn my lot no more but accept it with joy, my Avtandil. Now I fear nothing. Even death has no terror for me anylongerll
1199. Avtandil said to Patman: “Fear not, remember the saying: 'A candid and flattering friend is worse than the vilest of foes'. Therefore a man who is wise will not easily open his heart. Fear not, for now the corpse-like youth can harm you no longer
1200. “Tell me more of the maid who you helped to fly from the sovereign. Since she has gone have you heard any word or rumour about her? Patman answered as tears filled her eyes and flowed over her bosom: “Woe, the bright ays that illumined the world are forever extinguished
STORY OF THE CAPTURE OF NESTAN-DAREJAN BY THE KAJIS
1201. Alas, heartless fate, you are like Satan in falsehood. There are no bounds to your lie;”no smiles more deluding than yours. Where, cruelfate. have you taken and hidden the sun-faced maiden' Life is a heavy burden, our labours fruitless and hopeless.
1202. Patman said: cThe sun, the light of the world has departed, Depriving life of its warmth and the zeal and joy of existence. Ever since then I have burnt in fires consuming my being; Nor can I dry the springs of tears that unceasingly flow,.
1203. House and child became hateful to me. My heart was cheerless, dejected. Waking, my thoughts were of her, and sleeping, she haunted my dreams. Usen that breaker of pledges, my wretched, besotted husband Dared not approach or show me his cursed, detestable face.
1204. “Once when the sun was setting and the dusk of the twilight falling, I passed the gates of the guard house, deep in silent reflection. I Slowly I walked and the weight of my thoughts weighed heavy upon me. "He is foolish', I said, 'who believes and trusts in man's pledges!'
1205. “From somewhere there came a wandering slave with three of his comrades. The man was attired in the dress of a slave and his comrades as travellers. Seating themselves on the ground they spread their supper before them. They often stopped to talk as they ate and drank together.
1206. Concealed in the dark I watched how they ate and talked to each other. 'Though we are strangers', they said, 'we have pleasantly eaten together. Here we are joined as comrades yet none of us know the others, Let us relate our adventures and tell the cause of our coming',
1207. “Each of the travellers narrated the tale of his life and adventures. The slave said to them: 'O brothers. Providence. Indeed. Works wonders What you have sown is millet, but for you I shall harvest rare pearls. What are the stories you tell compared to the one I will tell you
1208. I am the s-Iave of the mighty and exalted king of the Kajis. It chanced he was struck by a mortal disease and died, much to our sorrow. The helper of widows died. the hope and comfort of orphans. Now his sister Dulardukht rears and cares for his children.
1209. “'Dulardukht is a woman, but a rock, like a huge mountain stone. She sits on the throne as sovereign and is called by all 'the mighty'. None dare approach or face the invincible might of her armies. Rosan and Rodia, the sons of the king, were as yet very little.
1210. “'Once came news of the death of her sister in a far-distant 'Country. All the viziers were troubled and, suspending affairs, now assembled. How can we dare. they thought. to tell her the death of her sister' Roshak, the !read of thousands of warriors, said to the viziers:
1211. “'Though I be killed for my absence I will not go to the mourning. First I shall go and divert myself in plundering the highways. I shall be back ing®d time filled .and enriched with booty. But I will go wifh the queen to mourn and bewail her sister'.
1212. “'He said to us, his underlings: Come with me now, I am going! I was one of the:hundred privileged slaves he selected. When it was day we marauded, but at night looked out for victims. Thus did we plunder many a caravan loaded with treasures.
1213. “'Once on a very. Dark night as we wandered searching for victims, We saw aradiant light, in the middle of a meadow. 'It is the sun', we said, 'strayed down to earth from the heavens" We were perplexed and amazed to see this unlooked for wonder.
1214. It is the dawnl' said some, 'No, the moon!' said others. Wishing to know what it was, we approached it in battle formation. Then we surrounded it quickly by making a circuit around it, But toour utter surprise a voice spoke from that radiance.
