6
because by non-fruition he loses his wits. Some have nearness to God,[1] but they weary in the flight; then again, to others it is natural to pursue beauty.[2]
30. I wonder why men show that they love the beloved. Why shame they her whom they love, her who slays herself for them, who is covered with wounds? If they love her not, why do they not manifest to her feelings of hatred? Why do they disgrace what they hate? But an evil man loves an evil word more than his soul or heart.[3]
31. If the lover weep for his beloved, tears are her (? his) due. Wandering and solitude befit him, and must be esteemed as roaming. He will have time for nothing but to think of her. If he be among men, it is better that he manifest not his love.[4]
I
STORY OF ROSTEVAN, KING OF THE ARABIANS
32. There was in Arabia[5] Rostevan, a king by the grace of God, happy, exalted, generous, modest,[6] lord of many hosts and knights, just and gracious, powerful,[7] far-seeing, himself a peerless warrior, moreover fluent in speech.
33. No other child had the king save one only daughter, the shining light of the world, to be ranked with nought but the sunny group; whoever looked on her, she bereft
- ↑ Ch. Dict., "zeal for the divine."
- ↑ M., "He goes mad from grief, not having attained (his object). Some feel nearness to God" (lit., divine nearness); "they exhaust themselves in effort at elevation; others have a base nature: they cringe before the fair" (reading p'henit'ha for p'hrenitha).
- ↑ For this difficult quatrain Professor Marr's rendering has been adopted.
- ↑ M., "Of nothing else should he think when separated from her, and when he is among men it is better that they should not perceive that he is madly in love."
- ↑ Arabia stands here for Georgia. Cf. Æschylus, Prom. Vinct., 436–440. For the accession of T'hamara, cf. Kart'hlis Tzkhovreba (Histoire de la Géorgie), translated by M. Brosset.
- ↑ M., "easy of access" ("abordable").
- ↑ M. suggests "gay, joyous," for mordchmuli, but Abuladze says "majestic" or "blessed."
