193
would have cleared away my house at one swoop, he would, O God! have made me eat my children, then he would have stoned me with stone.
1188. "God reward thee in return[1]—what thanks can I render thee! thee who hast delivered me safe from that serpent's gaze! Now henceforth I can be happy in my star[2] and fate![3] No longer do I fear death. Ha! ha! …"[4]
1189. Avt'handil said: "Fear not! even in the book[5] is it thus written: 'Of all foes the most hateful is the friend-foe; if a man be wise, he will not heartily confide.' Fear no more from him, now is he corpse-like.[6]
1190. "Tell me the same story—since thou spedst the maiden, all the tidings thou hast learned or heard of her." Again P'hatman spoke weeping; again the tear flowed from her eyes. Quoth she: "The ray which sun-like illumined the fields was brought to nought."
XXXVI
THE STORY OF THE CAPTURE OF NESTAN-DAREDJAN BY THE KADJIS, TOLD BY P'HATMAN TO AVT'HANDIL
1191. Woe, O Fate, in falsehood thou art like Satan, none can know aught of thine, where thy treachery is. That face apparent as a sun—where hast thou it hidden? Whither hast thou taken it? Therefore I see that in the end all seems vain (desolate),[7] wherever anything may be.[8]
1192. P'hatman said: "The sun was departed from me, the light of all the world, life and existence, the gain of my hands; from that time unceasingly the burning of hot fires
- ↑ Mukap'ha, A., 1167, 1178.
- ↑ Etli, 1072, 1304.
- ↑ Tsera, what is written.
- ↑ ? chavidcher me rasa; chadchera, to thrust.
- ↑ ? Koran, Ecclus. xxxvii. 2, or Matt. x. 36.
- ↑ P'heri, colour, form, equal.
- ↑ Okhrad, 874; okhra, okhrva, sigh, groan, noise of the sea; okheri, empty house, 987.
- ↑ Cf. Car., note.
