Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/269

 her face rested on the faces of the new-comers. The King of the Indians entered, that hero-like sun.

1517. Tariel and his wife humbly saluted the maid, they met, kissed and held pleasant converse, they illumined that house (hall), they made not the light to fade; they turned crystal and ruby into cheeks, jet into eyelashes.

1518. T'hinat'hin invited them up to the lofty royal throne. Tariel said: "Sit thou; it is desired by the Supreme Judge; this day more than all days thy throne befits thee, I seat the lion of lions beside thee the sun of suns."

1519. Both (? Tariel and Rostevan) took him by the hand and set him on her throne; they placed Avt'handil by the side of her for desire of whom he was slain; she is better than the seen and the unseen, (better) than all sights. Think not any were like them in love, not even Ramin and Vis.

1520. The maiden was bashful and astonished to have Avt'handil seated by her side; her colour paled and her heart shot forth a tremor from within. The king said: "Child, why art thou so bashful before me? the sages say that love in its end will not fail.

1521. "Now, children, God grant you a thousand years' length of life, happiness, prosperity, glory, and, moreover, freedom from ills; may heaven not make you fickle, may it fall to your lot to be steadfast like it, may my fate be to have the earth heaped over me by your hands."

1522. Then the king commanded the armies to do homage to Avt'handil: "This is your king," quoth he, "such was God's will. This day he hath my throne, I