3
burning, flaming, all are from afar; he may face the wrath of kings, yet will he be fearful of her.
13. He must betray his secret to none, he must not basely groan[1] and put his beloved to shame; in nought should he manifest his love, nowhere must he reveal it; for her sake he looks upon sorrow as joy, for her sake he would willingly be burned (or? willingly burns [with love]).[2]
14. How can the sane trust him who noises his love abroad, and what shall it profit to do this? He makes her suffer, and he himself suffers. How should he glorify her if he shame her with words? What a chance if one hurt not his beloved's heart![3]
15. I, Rust'haveli, have composed this work by my art. For her whom a multitude of hosts obey, I lose my wits, I die! I am sick of love, and for me there is no cure from anywhere, unless she give me healing or the earth a grave.
16. This Persian tale, now done into Georgian, has hitherto been like a pearl of great price[4] cast in play from hand to hand; now I have found it and mounted it in a setting of verse; I have done a praiseworthy[5] deed. The ravisher of my reason, proud and beautiful, willed me to do it.
17. Eyes that have lost their light through her long to look on her anew; lo! my heart is mad with love, and it is my lot to run about the fields. Who will pray for me? The burning of the body sufficeth, let (her) give soul-comfort! In praise of threefold hue, the verse must needs fall short.[6]
- ↑ Orlando Furioso, xvi. 2, 7, 8: "Pianger non dè' sebben languisce e muore."
- ↑ M., "in nothing should his love reveal itself; nowhere must he show it. To suffer for her sake should mean for him joy; for her he should go into fire."
- ↑ M., "Can anyone but a madman trust him who proclaims his beloved? What profit shall he have? Only this: that he harms her, and himself too. How is he able to glorify her if in words he shame her? What need is there for men to cause pain to the heart of the beloved?" Cf. 30, 363, 364, 709, 710.
- ↑ Margaliti oboli, lit., orphan pearl. This quatrain contradicts 7 and breaks the continuity of 15 and 17.
- ↑ Sadchodchmanebi. ? Equivocal.
- ↑ "Threefold" ? refers to the "three star-like heroes" (6) so worthy of praise (sakebelt'ha), or to the three kinds of poetry (22–24). P'herit'ha, 1.
