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me now! Such a madman as thou art is unworthy to be vizier or aught else.
740. "Should not a man spare his lord what is irksome, when[1] he stupidly chatters stupid speech? Why were mine ears not deafened before hearing such a thing! If I kill thee, my neck[2] must bear the responsibility for thy blood!"
741. Again he spake: "If thou hadst not now been sent hither by him, by my head! I had cut off thy head, let there be no doubt of this! Go, withdraw! Look at the mad, stupid, desperate, improper (fellow)! Brave[3] word, brave man, brave the deed done by him!"
742. He bent down, he threw chairs, he hit the wall and shattered them; he missed his aim, but for his (the vizier's) sake he made them (the chairs) like adamant, not willow-like. "How couldst thou tell me of the going of him who plaited the aloe-tree branches!" (?). Hot tears hollowed out channels in the vizier’s white cheeks (?).
743. The wretched vizier hurried away; he dared say no more. He crept off crestfallen like a fox;[4] his wounded heart pains him. He comes in a courtier,[5] he goes out gloomy,[6] so (much) does the tongue dishonour him. A foe cannot hurt a foe as a man harms himself.
744. He said: "What more will God show me like unto my woes?[7] Why was I deceived? Why was I darkened? Would that someone might enlighten me! Whoever announces anything so boldly to a sovereign, my (evil) days stand upon him too; how can he ever enjoy peace!"
745. The disgraced vizier went away in black luck. Gloomily, sad-faced, he said to Avt'handil: "What thanks can I give thee! Thanks to thee, what a courtier am I become! Alas! I have lost my peerless self by mine own fault!"
746. He begs the bribe and behaves sportively, albeit his
- ↑ ? instead of which.
- ↑ Kedi, 197, 424, 605, 1347.
- ↑ Shabash, P., 879; cf. shaba-shaba, 355; shabash, bravo! (here ironical).
- ↑ Gamomelda, from meli, fox; 1184.
- ↑ Khasi, A., 44, 163, 174, 326, 456, 1183, 1414.
- ↑ Kushi, 10.
- ↑ Or, "How can God show me more such misfortunes?" Tzodva means both sin and woe.
