158
983. "He told me tidings of thee, how he had made brotherhood with thee. Now have I found thee, peerless, worthy to be praised by the tongue; counsel me where it is better to seek that heavenly sun, the joy of those who gaze on her, the disturber of those that cannot see her."
984. Now P'hridon speaks, utters the words spoken by that knight (Tariel); both in unison lamented in a threnody worthy of praise; sobbing, they wept with impatient hearts, there the roses were sprinkled by the water of tears dammed up in the jungle.[1]
985. Among the soldiers there arose the sound of great weeping, the scratching of the face by some, from others comes a torrent (of tears).[2] P'hridon weeps, laments aloud the seven years' separation. Alas! the inconstancy and falsity of this vain world!
986. P'hridon laments: "How can we tell forth thy (i.e., Tariel's) praise, thou who canst not be praised, thou inexpressible one! O sun of the earth, who transferrest the sun of the firmament from its course,[3] joy, life, quickener of them that are near thee; light of the planets of heaven, consumer and swallower up![4]
987. "Since I was removed from thee life has been hateful to me. Though thou hast no leisure for me I long for thee; to thee lack of me seems joy, it oppresses me greatly. Life without thee is empty;[5] the world is become hateful to me."
988. P'hridon uttered these words in a beautiful lament.[6] They grew calm, they were silent; they rode with no sign
- ↑ Tevri, fig., eyelashes, 222.
- ↑ Sreva midisa; Ch., sreva, shooting of arrows—fig., torrential rain; Car., throwing away of the veil.
- ↑ ? by being a sun on earth; or, ? "who surpassest the planets of the sun."
- ↑ Damamt'hkmelo, Car. reading and rendering; Ch. reading damnt'hkmelo does not seem to be in his dictionary.
- ↑ Okheri, empty house; okhrad, 1191.
- ↑ Mot'hkma (219), recitative; such passages and the various kebani, 5, 46, 68, 144, 438, 450, 595, 608, 711, 754, 881, 983, 1027, 1073, 1430, 1435, 1512, 1524, and khotbani, 3, 1009, 1025, are interesting, in conjunction with the popular ballads on the subject of the poem, as data for the solution of the question of the possible formation of the epic from pre-existing native material.
