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is removed; if it go not away, the sky will make it remove; to look at them the onlooker must become a hill and a mountain[1] (?).

1546. He who created them such, He Himself shall sunder them, though of their own will they desire not parting. They glue together and cleave the rose[2] they weep and tears flow; all those who parted from them thought their lives of no account.

1547. Nestan-Daredjan said: "Would that I had never come to know thee! Separated from the sun I should not now be thus melted by parting. Thou shalt know tidings of me; let me have news of thee, speak to me in letters. As I am burned up for thy sake, thou shalt melt for mine."

1548. T'hinat'hin said: "O sun, delight of them that gaze on thee! How can I give thee up, or how can I endure parting! Instead of praying for days from God, I shall desire death. Mayst thou have as many days as I shall shed tears!"

1549. Again they kissed each other, those ladies parted; she who was left there could not take her eyes away from her who was gone; she too looks back, therefore flames consumed her. I cannot write down a tenth part of that I could wish!

1550. Rostan at their departure was made more mad than madmen; a thousand times he says, "Woe is me!" not merely once doth he sigh; hot flows the spring of tears, as if a cauldron were being heated. Tariel's face is drawn, the soft snow[3] falls gently, it wastes away.

1551. The king crushed[4] Tariel's rose with embracing and kissing. Quoth he: "Your presence hitherto seems like a dream to me; when thou art gone afar from me I shall remain with my sufferings twentyfold increased. Life was given to us by thee; by thee also shall we be slain."

  1. Kedgoreba, Ch., raise the head to see better. The quatrain is apparently corrupt or spurious, or both; the following quatrain is unintelligible.
  2. 899, 1398.
  3. P'hip'hki, 178, 668, 1115, 1537.
  4. Datqlezha, to crease, crumple.