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the uncertainty of life—"perchance it will be my lot to see the sun (T'hinat'hin), I shall not forever cry Alas!" He sang with sweet voice; he checked not the channel of tears. Compared to his voice even the voice of the nightingale was like an owl's.
947. When the knight's song was heard, the beasts came to listen; by reason of the sweetness of his voice even the stones came forth from the water, they hearkened, they marvelled, when he wept they wept; he sings sad songs, tears flow like a fount.
947a. [1]All living creatures on earth came to applaud: game from the forest, fishes in the water, crocodiles[2] in the sea, birds from the sky, from India, Arabia, Greece, Orientals and Occidentals,[3] Russians, Persians, Franks and Egyptians from Misret'hi.[4]
XXVII
OF AVT'HANDIL'S GOING TO P'HRIDON'S WHEN HE PARTED FROM TARIEL[5]
948. Weeping the knight went seventy days along the road to the seashore. Afar off he saw in the sea sailors approaching; he waited and asked: "Who are you, I beg you to tell me this: Whose realm is this or whose voice doth it obey?"
949. They dutifully answered: "O fair of face and form, strange and pleasing to us thou seemest, therefore with praise we address thee; hereunto is the boundary of the Turks,[6] marching with the border of P'hridon, whose (men) we are; of him shall we tell thee, if we faint not from gazing on thee.
- ↑ This quatrain is not in the editions of Karthv. and Car.; it is evidently spurious.
- ↑ Niangi; ? sea for Nile.
- ↑ Mashriqni da maghribelni, A.
- ↑ Egypt.
- ↑ A prose translation of this chapter into Russian, by Abashidze, is printed by Professor Khakhanov (Ocherki, ii. 270–274), from Kavhaz, No. 22 of 1849.
- ↑ T'hurkt'ha.
