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leap, they trained me, I used to go along a rope so that eyes could not follow me; whatever little boys looked at me they also desired to do it.[1]
1371. "'Now, whichever of you knows best how to cast a noose,[2] let us throw the end of a long rope[3] to that tower,[4] it seems as easy for me to cross as a field; I shall make it a trouble to you to find a sound man inside.[5]
1372. "To me it seems nought to cross in armour, no trouble to bear a shield; nimbly shall I leap down inside, strike like a wind, slay the soldiers; I shall open, you will see the opening of the gate, you too come thither where you hear the uproar of alarm."[6]
1373. Avt'handil said: "Ha, P'hridon! friends cannot complain of thee; thou hast hope in thy lion-like arms, wounds hurt not thee; thou counsellest hard counsel to make foes lament; but hearest thou not how very near the garrison shouts!
1874. "When thou goest over, the garrison will hear the clatter[7] of thine armour, they will perceive thee, they will cut the cord,[8] of this thou must be assured. Everything will turn out ill for thee; only the vain attempt[9] will remain to thee. That counsel is of no value; let us help ourselves in some other way.
1375. "This is better: you stay hidden in ambush. These men will not lay hands on a traveller coming into the town. I will dress myself as a merchant, I will do a treacherous[10] deed; I will load a mule with helmet, hauberk and sword.
1376. "It is of no use for the three of us to go in, there is risk that they would perceive it; I shall go alone as a merchant, and well shall I win in unnoticed; secretly shall
- ↑ Inatridian, ? they envied.
- ↑ Sagdebeli, lasso.
- ↑ Sabeli.
- ↑ Burdji, ? the four masonry supports or pillars of a building.
- ↑ This is Ch.'s interpretation of line 4.
- ↑ Zriali zarisa, perhaps the ringing of a bell or some other signal of alarm. Zari, P., also means "bell" or "rattle."
- ↑ 221.
- ↑ T'hoci, 251.
- ↑ P'hereba, to plume oneself, etc., 13, 30, 160, 765, 1229, 1236; p'heroba, caress, blush, colour, 37. Here perhaps "the empty appearance, vain show" (?).
- ↑ Mukhthali, 739.
