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1320. "I have slain my friend! What befits me disgraced? I blame myself for a deed not thought out with heed. A stupid[1] man cannot do well in a difficult matter. It is said: 'Chidden slowness is better than praised haste.'"
1321. Tariel lay unconscious, as if scorched. Avt'handil rose, he passed through the rushes in search of water; he found the lion's blood, he carries it to quench the flame, he sprinkled it on (Tariel's) breast; the lapis-lazuli became ruby-hued.
1322. Avt'handil sprinkled the breast of that lion (Tariel) with the lion's blood. Tariel started up, the ranks of the race of India moved,[2] he opened his eyes, he received power to sit up; blue seems the ray of the moon diminished in ray[3] by the sun.
1323. Winter makes the roses fade, their leaves fall; the ardour of the summer sun burns them, they bemoan the drought, but upon them nightingales complain with lovely voice; heat consumes, frost freezes; the wounds hurt them in either case.[4]
1324. Even so is it hard to deal with[5] the heart of man; it is mad alike both in grief and in joy; it is always wounded, its fate is never whole.[6] He only can trust this world who is his own foe.
1325. Tariel gazed again on the writing of his slayer; he reads, though the reading of her letter maddens him; his tears blind him to the light, dark seems the beam of day. Avt'handil rose, he began to speak with rough[7] words.
1326. He said: "Such behaviour[8] is unworthy of an instructed man! Why should we weep now? It behoves us to set about the making of smiles. Arise, let us go in
- ↑ Tzru, false.
- ↑ "His black eyelashes quivered." M., xii. 30, "the regiment of Indian origin moved."
- ↑ Shuk-nacrt'homi, ? reflected back; 1135, shuk-nacrt'hali, waning.
- ↑ ? this and next quatrain spurious.
- ↑ Mosagvareblad, to contrive, adapt, satisfy, Car.
- ↑ I.e., there is always something lacking.
- ↑ Mkisi, 182, 677, 838, 964, 1049.
- ↑ Nakmari, 446, 833.
