Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/170

 part from heart! Absence and parting from a friend are the slayers of a man. Who, indeed, knows not, understands not, how hard is that day!

928. Morning dawned; they mounted and said farewell to the maiden. From the eyes of Tariel, Asmat'h and Avt'handil tears flowed. The cheeks of all three hung out flags of crimson. Those lions ever made wild (by grief) went out to the beasts.

924. They descended (from) the caves and went away crying aloud with flowing tears. Asmat'h weeps and laments: "O lions! whose tongues can chant lamentations for you! The sun has burned and consumed you heavenly stars. Alas for my woes so great! Alas the sufferings of life!"

925. Those knights, departed thence, travelled that day together. They came to the seashore, there they tarried, they travelled not through dry land (?) That night they parted not; again they shared their fire. They wept for the absence from each other; they bewailed it.

926. Avt'handil said to Tariel: "The channel of the flow of tears is dried! Why didst thou separate from P'hridon, the giver of this steed? Thence are tidings and means to be learnt regarding that beautiful sun. Now I go thither; teach me the way to thy sworn brother."

927. Tariel teaches him by word the direction of the road to P'hridon's. He made him understand as well as he could by his power of speech: "Go towards the east; fare even unto the seashore. If thou seest him tell him of me; he will ask news of his brother."

928. They killed a goat and dragged it after them, they made a fire on the seashore, they sat down and ate such a meal as was fitting to their grief. That night they were together; they lay together at the root of a tree. I curse treacherous Fate, sometimes generous, sometimes niggardly.