Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/67

 of me; tell me clearly. How can I create a man for my service without God? God needs me to be unhappy; what can I do? Of a truth I am become as a wild beast, to this pass have I brought myself."

272. The maid again spoke: "I have harassed thee with overmuch advice, but if I could find a man who would come to thee of his own freewill, who would stay near thee, who would rejoice thee by his acquaintance, wilt thou swear not to kill him nor do him any hurt?"

273. He answered: "If thou wilt show him to me, greatly shall I rejoice at sight of him. (I swear) by the love of her for whose sake I wander mad in the fields, I shall do nought unpleasing, I shall never cause any bitterness to him; I shall be pleasant and love him, and do all I can to be amiable."

274. The maid rose and went to bring that knight. "He is not angry," quoth she, to encourage him. She took him by the hand and led him forth, like the full moon. When Tariel saw him he thought him like the sun.

275. Tariel met him. They were both fit to be ranked as suns, or as the moon in heaven, cloudless, spreading her rays on the plain beneath. Compared with them the aloetree was of no worth; they were like the seven planets; to what else shall I liken them?

276. They kissed each other, they were not bashful at being strangers; they opened the rose, from their lips their white teeth shone transparent. They embraced each other's neck, together they wept; their jacinth, which was worth rubies, they turned into amber.

277. The knight turned, he grasped Avt'handil's hand in his hand; they sat down together, and wept long with hot tears. Asmat'h calmed them with wonderful words: "Slay not yourselves; darken not the sun with your eclipse."

278. Tariel's rose was only covered with a light frost, not frozen. He said to (Avt'handil): "Haste, tell me thy secret. Who art thou? Whence art thou come? Where is thy