The Man in the Panther's Skin/Chapter 46

by Shot'ha Rust'havelli

XLVI

TARIEL GOES AGAIN TO THE CAVE AND SEES THE TREASURE

1468. This hidden thing Divnos^[1] the sage reveals: "God sends good, He creates no evil, He shortens the bad to a moment, He renews (? repeats) the good continuously (? for a long time), His perfect self He makes more perfect, He degrades not Himself."^[2]

1469. Those lions, those suns, set out from P'hridon's (country). They lead with them the sun-faced, the maiden, the amazing^[3] to beholders; the raven's tail (of her hair), ordered, hangs coiled by the crystal (of her brow or cheek); beauty,^[4] tenderness, there adorned the (fine) ruby.^[5]

1470. That sun sat in a palanquin, and thus they made her fare. They followed the chase; there caused they blood to flow. Wherever they came upon a land they were the joy of beholders, they went forth to meet them, gave gifts, eulogized, reviled them not.

1471. It was as if the sun sat in the firmament^[6] amid moons. Many days they journeyed, merry,^[7] sagely discoursing, within those great plains on all sides unattained^[8] of men. They reached the neighbourhood of that rock where Tariel had been.

1472. Tariel said: "It is seemly that I should be your host this day. Thither will I go where I was while madness afflicted me. There will Asmat'h entertain us; she hath (store of) smoked meat.^[9] When I give you fair gifts you shall praise the variety of the treasure."^[10]

1473. They went in; they dismounted in that cave of the great rocks. Asmat'h had venison; she carves it for the guests. They were merry, they joked at the passing of those deeds;^[11] they thanked God that He had turned their days of woe to joy.

1474. They explored the hollow hill,^[12] merry they played; they found those treasures sealed up by Taria, uncounted by any, apprehended by none; they say not with dissatisfied hearts: "We lack!"

1475. He gave many fair gifts, to each what was fitting; then he enriched P'hridon's people, army and generals alike; every man was enriched, (all) those who came with them,^[13] but there lay so much treasure it seemed still untouched by man.

1476. He said to P'hridon: "Hard will it be for me to pay the debt I owe thee; but it is said: 'A man who is a doer of good loseth not in the end.'^[14] Now the treasure, as much as lieth here or is to be found, let it all be thine, take it away, as it belongs to thee."^[15]

1477. P'hridon humbly did homage, he expressed exceeding gratitude: "O king, why thinkest thou me stupid and thus mazed? Every enemy seems to thee as straw, however much he may be like a thick cudgel.^[16] My joy lasts but so long as I shall be a gazer on thee."

1478. P'hridon made men go back to bring camels to take away all this treasure to his home. Now they set out thence on the road leading to Arabia. Avt'handil is a minished^[17] moon (by longing) to be united with the sun (T'hinat'hin).

1479. When many days^[18] were passed they reached the boundaries of Arabia; they saw villages, castles, frequent, uninterrupted; those dwelling therein had clothed their forms in blue and green,^[19] all are bathed in tears for Avt'handil.

1480. Tariel sent a man to the presence of King Rosten to say: "I venture, O king, to approach thee full of desire; I, King of the Indians, come to your royal court; I will show thee the rosebud, unfaded, unplucked.

1481. "Formerly my sight of thy ground made you angry; thou didst ill in attempting to capture me, to urge thy horse against me; I showed thine armies some sign of anger, I massacred many slaves, servants of your palace.

1482. "Now therefore I come before you, I have gone out of my way; you will pardon me that in which I sinned against thee, let thy wrath be sufficient. We have no offerings, as P'hridon and his knights can testify; the only gift I have brought you is your Avt'handil."

1483. Tongue cannot shortly tell how they rejoiced when the messenger of these good tidings came to the king; the brilliancy of three rays^[20] was added to T'hinat'hin's cheeks, the shadow of eyebrows and lashes makes fairer the crystal and ruby.

1484. They beat the kettledrums and peals of joyous laughter were heard, the soldiers ran hither and thither, they desired to run to meet them, they began to lead out the horses and to bring out saddles, a multitude of knights, swift-armed, stout-hearted, mounted.

1485. The king mounted, the princes and the armies entire go to meet them; whoever hears, others from divers parts come to his presence; all give thanks to God, they raise their voices, they say: "Evil hath no existence;^[21] good things (or, the good) are ever ready for thee!"

1486. When they met and the meeters perceived each other, Avt'handil said with tender words to Tariel: "Behold, seest thou the dust-dyed plains? Therefore a furnace consumes me, my heart is fevered and sad.

1487. "There is my foster-father; he is come to meet you. I cannot go thither, I am ashamed, a furnace consumes my heart; living man hath never been shamed as I am.^[22] What you intend to do for me you know, also P'hridon who is beside you."

1488. Tariel said: "Thou dost well to show respect to thy lord. Now stay, come not thither, stay alone^[23] without me. I will go; I will tell the king of thy hiding. With God's help I think I shall soon unite thee to that sun with the figure of an aloe."

1489. The lion Avt'handil tarried there; a little tent was put up. Nestan-Daredjan also stayed there, the amazer of beholders; the zephyr of her eyelashes is wafted like a north-east wind.^[24] The King of the Indians departed, straight, not secretly.^[25]

1490. P'hridon went with him; of a truth they were a long time crossing the field. The king knew (of their coming). Tariel went forward alone, his figure swayed; he dismounted and did homage to the bold one strong as a lion; he does honour to the King of the Indians as a father.

1491. Tariel also did homage; he goes to kiss, to greet. The king kissed his neck to give pleasure to his lips; in wonder he speaks, in order to embolden him:^[26] "Thou art the sun; separation from thee turns day into night."

1492. The king marvelled at his beauty and good looks, he gazes with wonder on his face, he praises the hardihood^[27] of his arms. Then P'hridon also greeted him; he did homage to the king, to the king eager for the sight of Avt'handil.

1493. The king shrinks from praising Taria, and is discouraged. Tariel says: "O king, hereby is my heart subjected to thee; I marvel how you can think thus of my worth; since Avt'handil is thine, how can any other please thee!

1494. "Dost thou not wonder at not seeing him, and at his tarrying! Come and let us sit down, O king, pleasant is this meadow^[28] of verdure; I will venture to tell you the reason why I could not bring him before you; I have a favour to ask of you, now I must beg leave^[29] of you."

1495. The kings sat down; the multitude of the host stood round. A smile brighter than a lamp^[30] flits^[31] over Tariel's face; the sight maddens the beholders of his bearing and gestures.^[32] He began to relate to the king a speech wisely chosen:^[33]

1496. "O king, I hold myself unworthy to mention this,^[34] but I am come before you to entreat, to beg; he himself beseeches who seems a sun-like shedder of rays, he who is my light and enlightener.

1497. "Now we both venture to approach thee with prayer and entreaty. Avt'handil gave me balm befitting him;^[35] he forgot that woes quite equal to ours afflicted him. I will not weary thee; a long story is beyond our powers.^[36]

1498. "Your (children) love each other, the maid loves him and he the maid; therefore I think on him pitiful, tearful and wan, on bended knee I entreat thee, let them no longer be consumed by flame, but give your daughter to the strong-armed, stout^[37]-hearted one.

1499. "No more than this will I ask of thee, neither short nor long." He drew forth his handkerchief,^[38] tied it round his neck, rose up, bent his knee, besought him like a (pupil) before a teacher.^[39] It astonished all men who heard this story.

1500. When he saw Tariel on his bended knees, the king was dismayed; he went back a long way, he did homage, he fell down to the earth. He said: "O monarch, all my joy is blown away from me; this abasement of you thus has saddened for me the sight of you.

1501. "How could it be that man should not grant thee whatever thou desirest, or that I should grudge my daughter if thou didst wish (to devote her) to death or slavery^[40] even! If you had even ordered it from your home,^[41] not even then would my tears flow; none other can she find like him if she fly up even to heaven!

1502. "I could not find a better son-in-law than Avt'handil. Myself I have given the realm to my daughter, she has it and it befits her; the rose blooms anew, my flower is blown. What objection can I make? Only let him be satisfied!

1503. "If thou wert to marry her to some slave, even then I would not grudge her to thee. Who could refuse thee, how could any save a madman quarrel with thee! If I loved not Avt'handil, why did I thus yearn for him? Verily, O God, I am in Thy presence, this is confirmed by me."

1504. When Tariel heard this speech from the king, he bowed himself, humbly did homage, fell on his face. Then the king did homage to him, he came forward, he stood before him. They thanked each other, nor were they at all annoyed.

1505. P'hridon mounted, he galloped as herald of good tidings to Avt'handil—indeed, he also rejoiced at this great joy—he went and took him, led him and accompanied him; but he is abashed before the king, darkly he shed (his) beam.^[42]

1506. The king arose, met him; the knight dismounted when (the king) came; in his hands he had a handkerchief, therewith he hid his face. The sun was concealed by a cloud, it grew gloomy, the rose was chilled; but how could anything hide his beauty!

1507. The king would have kissed him, tears no longer flow, Avt'handil embraced his feet, the ray streams down; (the king) said: "Arise, be not ashamed, thou has revealed thy prowess; since thou art loyal to me, be not ashamed; why shouldst thou be ashamed before me?"

1508. He embraced him, he kissed him all over his face; he said: "Thou hast quenched my hot fire, though tardily hast thou appeared to me as water;^[43] to her who has herded in the jet and the vicinity (? realm) of the eyelashes^[44] to-morrow I shall unite thee, O lion, with the sun, come quickly to her."^[45]

1509. The king embraced the neck of that lion and hero-like one,^[46] he seats him close, he speaks to him, kisses him, gazes on his face. That sun so met royalty, as he was worthy of it. Then is joy pleasant, when a man hath passed through grief.

1510. The knight says to the king: "I marvel that thou speakest of something else, why thou desirest not to see the sun, or why thou delayest! Meet her gaily, conduct her to your house; be clothed in her rays, set them around^[47] as a light."

1511. He told Tariel also; they mounted and went to meet the lady. The cheeks of those three Goliaths were dyed to sun colour (i.e., shone like the sun); they met what they desired, they found what they sought; they had handled their swords, not girded them idly on their loins.

1512. Dismounting afar off, the king greeted the lady, the lightning flashing from her cheeks blinded his eyes; she met him, sitting in the palanquin she kissed him. The king began a eulogy; he was wholly bereft of his wits.

1513. He said: "O sun, how shall I praise thee, O light, and maker of good weather! For thy sake understandings are mad, and not for nought. O sun-like and moon-like, to what planet do they liken thee!^[48] No longer do I wish to look on you, O ye roses and violets!"

1514. All they that saw her marvelled at the shedding of her rays. Like a sun she blinded the eyes of the onlookers by the sight of her light; burned by her they found the comfort of their hearts in gazing; wheresoever she appeared crowds came running towards her.

1515. They mounted, they all went homewards,^[49] they have the seven planets^[50] to compare with^[51] that sun; her beauty is incomprehensible, it is beyond their understanding. Soon they came to the place^[52] of the king's dwelling-house.

1516. They came in, they saw T'hinat'hin, the bestower of woe on them that look on her; the wearing of the purple^[53] beautified the sceptre^[54] and crown^[55] bearer; the radiance of her face rested on the faces of the new-comers. The King of the Indians entered, that hero-like sun.

1517. Tariel and his wife humbly saluted the maid, they met, kissed and held pleasant converse, they illumined that house (hall), they made not the light to fade; they turned crystal and ruby into cheeks, jet into eyelashes.

1518. T'hinat'hin invited them up to the lofty royal throne. Tariel said: "Sit thou; it is desired by the Supreme Judge;^[56] this day more than all days thy throne befits thee, I seat the lion of lions beside thee the sun of suns."

1519. Both (? Tariel and Rostevan) took him by the hand and set him on her throne; they placed Avt'handil by the side of her for desire of whom he was slain; she is better than the seen and the unseen, (better) than all sights. Think not any were like them in love, not even Ramin and Vis.^[57]

1520. The maiden was bashful and astonished to have Avt'handil seated by her side; her colour paled and her heart shot forth a tremor from within.^[58] The king said: "Child, why art thou so bashful before me? the sages say that love in its end will not fail.^[59]

1521. "Now, children, God grant you a thousand years' length of life, happiness, prosperity, glory, and, moreover, freedom^[60] from ills; may heaven not make you fickle,^[61] may it fall to your lot to be steadfast like it, may my fate be to have the earth heaped over me by your hands."

1522. Then the king commanded the armies to do homage to Avt'handil: "This is your king," quoth he, "such was God's will. This day he hath my throne, I have old age like an infection.^[62] Serve him as well as you have served me,^[63] keep my command."

1523. The soldiers and the magnates bent, humbly they did homage; they said: "Let us be as the earth to them that dispose of our lives^[64]; them who magnify those of us who are obedient, who liken the disobedient unto corpses, who make the arms of foes to fail (and) encourage our hearts!"

1524. Tariel too spoke with a eulogy^[65] the glorification of hope; he said to the maiden: "You are united, no longer the heat of fires burns thee, thy husband is my brother, I desire too that you be my sister, I will bring to nought those who are false and opposed to thee."

1. Dionysius the Areopagite (cf. also 176) is referred to in M., iv., Odes 1, 2; 3, 17. From this point to the end there are evidently many corruptions and interpolations.
2. T'havsa missa ucet'hessa uzado hqop'hs might mean: "He makes the pure better for Himself," or "unto Himself"; uzado has the sense of Lat. integer. The passage is obscure. For zadi, cf. 116. For shortness of evil, 1337, 1411, 1485; cf. Migne, Patrologia, vol. cxxii., De divinis nominibus, cap. iv., 1141 C "non igitur ex Deo malum"; 1142 C "malum instabile est."
3. Amazrzeni, 983, 1248, 1525.
4. Sinatip'he, Ch., beauty; cf. natip'hi, 1104, 1312, and Marr, iv. r n th.
5. Badakhshi, 3, 5, 136, 1415.
6. Samqaro, 1.
7. Laghi, proud.
8. Miumtsvdari.
9. Khmeloba, dryness. Ch. gives "meagreness" (a meagre store); Car. says "roast meat," and connects with root khm in sakhmili, furnace.
10. Lari, 1042.
11. "That all those sad days were past."
12. Kvabovani, Ch., hill abounding in caves; cf. Kart'hl. Tzkhovreba, i., 327.
13. Narebi, 1157, ? camp-followers.
14. Cf. 417.
15. Or, "as it is thy lot."
16. "However sturdy, he is to thee as nothing"; ceti, club, mace (1020).
17. Galeuli, exhausted, reduced to the lowest degree of brightness.
18. Khanebi, times; or, "when they had gone a long time."
19. ? mourning colours; 1181.
20. ? A threefold brilliancy.
21. 1337, 1411, 1468.
22. Chemad aracad, after my pattern; araci, a fable.
23. Khalva, A., 12, 303, 1122.
24. Aravi, Ch. Dict.; ar avi, not ill, Car. and Ch. edition of 1860.
25. Misruli miuparavi.
26. ? "it is bravery on his (the King's) part (to praise Tariel)."
27. Sialp'he, 487, 1017.
28. Cordi.
29. P'harman, P., firman; 627.
30. Bazma.
31. At'hks.
32. Zma, deed, behaviour, jest, play upon words, etc. Cf. Engl, jest, gesture.
33. Nacazmi, used of the sorting of grain; sifted, winnowed.
34. Misad, ? "him (Avt'handil)."
35. Darebit'h, 1515; darebad, 80, 595.
36. ? "We have not time for a long story."
37. P'hikali (42), slab of marble, etc.
38. Khel-mandili.
39. Mzrdeli, upbringer.
40. Sacvdavad da tqvedtza; sacvdavi, mortal; tqve, slave, prisoner.
41. Sense doubtful.
42. Movaneba, full moon, to be at the full; 106, 1510.
43. Ch., are mare: the fires of grief are quenched, but the tear of joy flows; Car., ar emare (for emale); the latter reading is adopted.
44. Cf. Ch., ? hidden her eyes from bashfulness.
45. Car. makes mare=male. The four identical terminations render the quatrain obscure.
46. Gmiri, 1426.
47. Movaneba, 1505.
48. ? Darian o or da riano: "what planet art thou?" or, "with what planet art thou?"
49. Car., Sheskhdes, tsavides qvelani shinat'h t'havisa marebad; Ch., Shina tsavides qovelni shehskhdes t'havisa darebad; dareba, comparison; t'havisa darebad, as was fitting to him (her), Ch.; cf. 1497, t'havisa darebit'h.
50. Mnat'hobni, celestial lights; cf. 944, "the seven."
51. Dasadarebad, for comparison with (?).
52. Arebad, ? to the place, destination.
53. Porp'hiri.
54. Sciptrosani.
55. Gvirgvinosani, cf. Lat. corona, 1533.
56. Bdche bdchet'ha, judge of judges.
57. The Story of the Loves of Vis and Ramin, of which the scene is laid in Merv, is the oldest novel in the world. For an account of the Georgian version, cf. J.R.A.S., July, 1902; cf. this poem, 182, 1058.
58. Shedagamo. M. Tseret'heli suggests she da gamo (cf. midamo), coming in and going out—i.e., frequent.
59. Tsakhdoma, pass away, perish: 1 Cor. xiii. 8, "Charity never faileth"—lit., "Love, its final non-failure (i.e., triumph) is told by the sages."
60. Gardukhdeloba, not to experience, not to pay; 1555.
61. Change you, shegtzvlit'h.
62. 36, 492.
63. Chemad stsorad, equally with me.
64. Holldack, op. cit.
65. Keba, 1027, 1430, 1535, 1512.