Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/116

 my blood will not be unavenged. May I have the power to bring my boast to fulfilment! I will make their existence a lamentation evening and morning. I will call the crows and ravens and make a banquet of them!"

592. "That youth won me to like him; my heart went out toward him. I said to him: 'There is no need at all for thee to hasten; I too will go with thee, there will they be slain; we two warriors shall surely not be afraid of them!

593. "This also I said: 'Thou hast not heard my tale; I shall tell it to thee more fully when we have time.' He said to me: 'What joy can weigh against this to me! To the day of my death my life will be devoted to thy service!'

594. "We went to his fair, though small, city. The troops met him; they poured forth lamentations for him, they scratched their faces and threw away the fragments like splinters ; they embraced him, they kissed his sword, its hilt and ring.

595. "Again I pleased; I his new friend seemed fair to him. They spoke my praises : 'O sun, thou art a bringer of fine weather to us!' We went and saw his fair, rich city. Every form was clad in broad brocade. 



596. "He was healed, and able to fight and use horse and armour. We prepared galleys and the number of a host of troops ; it needed a man to pray (to God) for some aid