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which will please thee; now the flower will be renewed, the rose hitherto fading."
1314. Tariel said: "O brother, that which rejoices me to-day is enough, in seeing thee I have seen all my comfort, whatever other balm God gives; hast thou not heard: How can man find in the world that which is not of Heaven's doing!" (?)
1315. When Tariel was not convinced, Avt'handil was ill at ease, he could no longer delay to tell the tale; he hastened, he drew forth the veil of her on whose lips the rose blooms; when Tariel saw, he recognized it, seized upon it, started.[1]
1316. He recognized the letter and the fringe of the veil and unfolded them, he pressed them to his face; he fell, a rose pale in hue, his spirits fled, the watchman[2] of jet bowed his head. Neither Caen nor even Salaman could bear sorrows like his.[3]
1317. Avt'handil gazes at Tariel lying lifeless; he flew to him, he set about helping him, the sweetly-speaking; he could not be of avail to the consumed one, completely burned up with fire; her tokens had laid hold of his life.[4]
1318. Avt'handil sat down to weep; he mourns with melodious voice, full oft he tears his raven locks, he rouses them by seizing them with his crystal (hand), he brake the ruby polished with a hammer of adamant,[5] thence issue streams which I likened to coral in hue.[6]
1319. He scratches his face; blood flows from his cheeks while gazing at (Tariel). "What I have done neither madman nor fool hath done. Why did I in my haste pour water on a fire difficult to quench! The heart struck hastily by exceeding joy cannot bear it.
- ↑ Shemovarda (? became like a rose).
- ↑ Tala, A., guard, watchman; here "eyelashes."
- ↑ M., xii, xli, xlii; iv., 68, n. 1. Abul. (182) reads: "Not only a man, even if he were Cain, but even a rock (sala, sali), could not endure such suffering as his "; 1297. As Marr points out, Caen is Caisi—i.e., Majnun, the lover of Leila (cf. Nizami's poem)—and Salaman is the hero of the story of Salman and Absal, subsequently versified by Jami, 1552. Nizami was a native of Transcaucasia and contemporary of Rust'haveli.
- ↑ M.
- ↑ ? he strikes his face with his fist.
- ↑ ? spurious quatrain.
