Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/64

 250. The knight replied: "This only resembles one thing (This is like a certain story): Two men were journeying somewhere along some road; the one who was behind saw the one in front fall into a well. He came up, called down, weeps and cries 'Woe!'

251. "Thus he spoke: 'Comrade, stay there, wait for me, I go to bring ropes, I want to pull thee out.' The man who was beneath laughed, he marvelled greatly, he shouted up: 'Unless I wait, whither can I flee from thee, whither can I go?'

252. "Now, sister, thou holdest the rope about my neck; without thee I can undertake nothing; whatever thou doest to me rests with thee, thou art balm to the mad. Otherwise who would bind his sound head with hay-ropes? (? like a madman)."

253. The maid replied: "Thy discourse, O knight, pleases me. Doubtless thou art some good knight, worthy of the praise of the wise. Since thou hast heretofore suffered such griefs, hearken to what I tell thee, and thou shalt find what thou seekest.

253a. "Nowhere can news of that knight be found. If he himself tell thee not it will not be told; none other shouldst thou believe. If thou canst wait so long, wait until he come. Be calm; freeze not the rose, let it not be snowed up in tears.

254. "I will tell thee our names if thou wishest to know them: Tariel is the name of that distracted knight ; I am called Asmat'h, whom the hot fire burns, sigh upon sigh, not once alone, but many times.

255. "More words about him than these I cannot tell thee. The elegant, slender-formed roams the plain. I eat, alas! alone of the meat brought by him from the chase. He may come anon, I know not, or he may tarry a long time.

256. "I entreat thee to wait; go not elsewhere. When he comes I shall plead with him; it may be I shall be able to do something. I shall make you known to each other;