Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/105

 thousand times I was ready to fly to the fields. To whom can I give thee? Why shouldst thou not take me?'

520. "I sold soul for heart's sake; thus the tower became for me a market. That rain which at first had frozen the rose became milder; I saw pearl in the coral, round about (the pearl) (the coral) was tenderly enfolded ; she said: 'Why do I, too, judge this to be right?

521. I do not believe thee to be treacherous and faithless, a denier of God, not thankful to him; entreat of him myself and lordship in gladness over India; I and thou shall be sovereigns—that is the best of all matches!'

522. "The wrathful, enraged one became tender to me; either the sun was on earth or the full-faced moon; she set me near her, she caressed me, hitherto unworthy of this, she conversed with me; thus she extinguished the fire kindled in me.

523. "She said to me: 'The prudent should never hasten. he will contrive whatever is best, he will be calm under Fate. If thou suffer not the suitor to come in (to India), woe if the king be wroth with thee, thou and he will quarrel, India will be laid waste.

524. On the other hand, if thou allow the bridegroom to come in, (if) he wed me, (if) it so fall out, we shall be sundered each from other, our gay garb will be tuned to mourning, they will be happy and glorious, our sufferings will be magnified an hundredfold. This shall not be said, that the Persians hold sway in our court.'

525. "I said: 'May God avert the wedding of thee by that youth! When they come into India (and) I discover their quality, I shall show forth to them my strong-heartedness and prowess; I shall so slay them that they become of no account!'

526. "She spoke to me saying: 'A woman should act in