The Knight in the Tiger's Skin, 1938

1440. "Be our father, parent and hope! But this indeed we beseech of thee: grant us a ship!" The king said: "I grudge not to give myself as earth for you (to tread on); since thou art in haste, what can I say to thee! Go! Thine arm be thy guide!"

1441. The king fitted out a ship on the shore.Tariel set out; those who were parted shed tears, they beat their heads, they tore their hair and beards (and) cast them away. P’hatman's tears in their flow even augmented the sea.

1442. The three sworn brothers crossed the seas together, again they confirmed by their word what they formerly affirmed; singing and laughter were beseeming to them, who were not ignorant thereof; the ray from their lips shone upon the planks of crystal (their teeth).

1443. Thence they sent a man to Asmat’h as a messenger of good tidings; also to the households of P’hridon's chiefs who had been in the fight, to announce to them: "He comes hither, as the sun he rises high, reinforcing (?) the planets; we erstwhile frozen shall be frozen now no more."

1444. They seated that sun (Nestan) in a palanquin; they wended their way along the coast. They sported like children; the passing away of woe gladdened them. They came where was the land of the hero Nuradin, they were met, they heard the sound of frequent song.

1445. There all P’hridon's magnates met them. Asmat’h, full of joy, whose wounds no longer appeared, was riveted to Nestan-Daredjan so that axes could not unloose them. Now she had ended all her faithful services.

1446. Nestan-Daredjan embraces her, kisses her face with her mouth. She said: "Mine own, woe is me, I have filled thee too with grief. Now God hath granted us grace, I acknowledge His (boundless) bounty. I know not with what I can repay so great a heart as thine!

1447. Asmat’h said: "Thanks be to God, I have seen the roses unfrozen. At length understanding hath thus revealed things hidden. Death itself seems to me life when I see you happy. Better than all friends are suzerain and vassals that love one another!"

1448. The magnates did homage, they rendered great praise: "Since God hath caused us to rejoice, blessed is His divinity; He hath shown us your face, no longer doth the burning of fires consume us; even He that gave the wound, He hath the power to heal it."

1449. They came and put their mouths on their hands; thus they kissed them. The king (Tariel) said: "For our sake have your brethren sacrificed themselves. They have found joy in eternity a reality and no dream. They have attained communions with the One; their glories are increased an hundred and twenty fold.''

1450. "Though their death is sore to me and grievous, yet the great immortal gift hath there fallen to their lot." This he spake, gently he wept, and the rain (of tears) was mingled with the snow (of his cheeks). Boreas blows from (? shakes) the narcissi; January freezes the rose.

1451. There all wept when they saw him in tears; whoever had lost any (kinsman) moaned, weeping and sobbing. All were hushed. 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!

1452. "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!"

1453. Avt’handil also sympathized; he speaks with great sorrow. They rendered praise, and said: "Let us now yield ourselves to smiling; since the lost lion has found the vanished sun, no more will we weep what is deplorable, no longer will we set canals in our eyes."

1454. Thither they went where is the great city Mulghazanzar. They played trumpet and kettledrum, there was trampling and uproar; the sound of drums and copper drum blended fairly; the burgesses crowded round, they left the bazaar.

1455. The merchants came from their rows, on all sides there is a host of onlookers; the officers kept a wide space round them, they had arms in their hands; families came crowding in, causing trouble to the officers; their entreaty is to be allowed there to look upon them.

1456. At P’hridon's they alighted, they saw a pleasing palace, many slaves with golden girdles met them, they have nought but gold brocades as a carpet for their feet; they threw up gold above their heads, the crowd marching there picked it up in heaps.

THE WEDDING OF TARIEL AND NESTAN BY P’HRIDON

1457. He placed for the maid and the youth a throne white and coral-hued, prettily sprinkled with red and yellow gems; for Avt’handil one of mingled yellow and black; they came, they sat down. The spectators, I ween, were impatient for them.

1458. The minstrels came forth; the sound of sweet singing was heard. They made the wedding; the presentation of soft silk stuffs was multiplied by P’hridon, the good entertainer, not an abashed host. A smile, a tooth-glimpse, beautifies Nestan-Daredjan.