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with the jetty growth was beautiful (i.e., his face was beautified by the growth of his beard).[1]
191. He resolved to return, he sighed and groaned; he turned towards the plain; he traced out the road with his eyes; for a month he has seen no human being anywhere; there were terrible wild beasts, but he hunted them not.[2]
192. Though Avt'handil was become wild with heart-groaning and sighing, yet he wished to eat, after the wont of Adam's race; he killed game with his arrow, with arm longer than Rostom's[3]; he alighted on the edge of the reedy ground and kindled a fire with a steel.
193. He let his horse pasture while he roasted the meat. He saw six[4] horsemen coming towards him. He said: "They look like brigands[5]; else what good is to be found? No other human being has ever been here."
194. He took his bow and arrow in his hand, and went gaily towards them. Two bearded men were leading their beardless brother,[6] his head was wounded, his heart had swooned from loss of blood; they wept and grieved, his poor spirit was almost fled.
195. He called out: "Brothers, who are ye? I took you for brigands." They replied: "Be calm, help us and put out the fire[7]; if thou canst not help us, add grief to our grief, and make it complete; weep with us who need pity, scratch thy cheeks too."
196. Avt'handil approached; he spoke to the men with the grieved hearts. They told him their story, speaking with tears: "We are three brothers, for this we shed bitter tears; we have a large fortified town in the region of Khataet'hi.[8]
197. "We heard of good hunting ground, we went forth
- ↑ Ch. No. 192, omitted bv later editors.
- ↑ Shezakheba, 95, 110. Cf. zakhili, 219, 227, 576, 631.
- ↑ Reference to the Shah Nameh.
- ↑ Var. E. C., "three," which seems correct.
- ↑ Mecobre, 54, 1012, 1201.
- ↑ Dzma, Ch.; Car., qma.
- ↑ I.e., let not the smoke betray our presence; or, extinguish our fire (comfort our affliction).
- ↑ Cathay, 364, 456, 712, 834, 976.
