221
yours!" It seemed as if two suns and a moon were united there; they beautified one another. They set out, they departed.
1359. At P'hridon's fairly-builded house they both alighted; he sits down beside his sworn brother Avt'handil; Tariel sat on a throne[1] covered in cloth of gold.[2] To P'hridon, renowned as a hero,[3] they presented that armour.
1360. They said: "At this time we have no other gifts[4] for thee, but we have many other fair things lying in a place (we wot of)." He laid his face to the ground, he wasted not time: "Such a gift to me is worthy of you."
1361. That night they rested as P'hridon's guests; baths he gave them, he gave them gifts of garments in plenty, he clad their beauty in beauty,[5] each (garment) fairer than the other; he gave them rare jewels and pearls in a golden basin.[6]
1362. He said: "This (that I am about to say) is the speech of a bad host; 'tis as if hospitality to you wise (ones) wearied me as if you were mad (ones); but tarrying now avails not, it is better to travel the long road; if the Kadjis outstrip us there is a risk[7] of trouble.
1363. "Why should we use great hosts? We want good and few[8]; three hundred men suffice us, let us go (swift) like runaways[9]; in Kadjet'hi for fighting the Kadjis we shall put basket-hilts[10] on our swords; soon shall we find her whose pleasant aloe form will slay us.
1364. "Once aforetime I was in Kadjet'hi; you shall see it, and you, too, shall find it strong; on all sides round about is rock, a foe may not come up to it; if we may not go in privily, it is impossible to engage openly; so we need no army, the squadron[11] cannot follow us secretly."
- ↑ Sadjdomi.
- ↑ Oksino, 320.
- ↑ Dchabuci, 1221.
- ↑ Armaghani, P., 1211.
- ↑ Turp'ha turp'hit'ha, ? merely reduplicated adjective, characteristic of Georgian; if so, "with beautiful (garments)."
- ↑ Gobi.
- ↑ Saedchvi, doubt.
- ↑ Cf. 583, "little, but … excellent"; 594, "fair, though small."
- ↑ Mart'h meotani, like routed men running away (i.e., rapidly).
- ↑ Cota, 594.
- ↑ Razmi, detachment; 301. For military organization of Georgia, cf. I. Djavakhov, Gosud. stroi., t. i., Pbg. 1905.
