Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/190

 what way canst thou understand the loveliness of that land!

1040. With three ropes they moored the ship to the shore of those gardens. Avt'handil clad his form in a cloak and sat on a bench. They brought out men that were porters, provided with drachmas. That knight bargains, acts as chief (of the caravan), and thereby conceals himself.

1041. Thither came the gardener of him at whose garden they had landed; with ecstasy he gazes at the knight's face flashing like lightning. Avt'handil hailed him, he spoke to the man with faultless words: "Whose men are ye, who are ye? how call they the king reigning here?

1042. "Tell me all in detail," quoth the knight to that man; "what stuff is dearer, or what is bought up cheap?" He said: "I see, thy face seems to me like the face of the sun. Whatever I know I will tell thee truly; I will by no means inform thee crookedly.

1043. "The Sea Realm is this, ten months' (travel) in extent, this is the qity of Gulansharo, full of much loveliness. Hither everything fair cometh by ships sailing from sea to sea. Melik Surkhavi rules, perfect in good fortune and wealth.

1044. "Even if he be old, a man is rejuvenated by coming hither; drinking, rejoicing, tilting and songs are unceasing; summer and winter alike we have many-hued flowers; whoever knoweth us envieth us, even they who are our foes.

1045. "Great merchants can find nought more profitable than this: They buy, they sell, they gain, they lose; a poor man will be enriched in a month; from all quarters they gather merchandise; the penniless by the end of the year have money laid by.

1046. "I am gardener to Usen, chief of the merchants. I shall tell thee somewhat of the manner of his ordinance: