Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/171

 929. At dawn they rose to part, they embraced each other. The things said by them then would have melted anyone who heard. They shed on the fields tears from the eyes like waters from a spring. Long they stand in a close embrace; breast was welded to breast.

930. With tears and face-scratching and tearing of hair they parted; one goes up, the other goes down; roadless they ride by bridle-paths through the rushes; as long as they saw each other, with drawn faces they shouted; looking upon their frowns the sun would frown too.



931. Alas! O world (Fate), what ails thee? Why dost thou whirl us round? What (? ill) habit afflicts thee? All who trust in thee weep ceaselessly like me. Whence and whither carriest thou? Where and whence uprootest thou? But God abandons not the man forsaken by thee.

932. Avt'handil, parted from (Tariel), weeps; his voice reaches to the heavens. Quoth he: "The stream of blood which flowed anew flows once again. Now is parting as hard as union will be till (we meet) in heaven. Men are not all equal; there is a great (difference) between man and man."

933. Then the beasts of the field drank their fill of the tears he shed there; he could not quench the furnace, he burned with frequent fire. Again the thought of T'hinat'hin