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my strength. I yield thee my life for my heart's sake. What more can I do?"
244. When the maid heard from the knight of his love, with heart sobs she began to shed tears a hundredfold more; again she raised her voice in wailing, she smiled not. God gave Avt'handil his wish, his heart's comfort.
245. He said (to himself): "These words have changed her colour; doubtless her tears flow faster (for that) she is mad for someone." He spoke once more: "O sister, a lover is pitied even by his foes; thou, too, knowest that he himself seeks death, he shuns it not.
246. "I am a lover, a madman to whom life is unbearable. My sun sent me to seek that knight. Even a cloud could not reach me where I have been on that quest. I have found thy heart; his to thee, thine to him.
247. "His face I have imprinted on my heart like a (holy) picture.[1] For him mad, cut off, have I given up all[2] my joy. One of two things do thou to me: make me a prisoner or set me free,[3] give me life or slay me, adding grief to grief."
248. The maiden spoke to the knight a word more pleasant than her first: "What thou hast now thought of is much better; just now thou didst sow enmity in my heart, now thou hast found in me a friend more sisterly than a sister.
248a. "Then, since thou hast thought of love as thine aid, henceforth it will not be that I shall not be thy servant; if I devote not myself to thee, I shall make thee mad, I shall make thee sad; I shall die for thy sake if I find not some means to help thee.[4]
249. "Now, whatever I tell thee, if thou wilt be obedient to me therein thou shalt meet whatever thou seekest, thou shalt certainly not fail; if thou hearkenest not to me thou shalt not find, let thy tears flow[5] as they will; discontent with the world shall come upon thee, thou shalt die, thou shalt be put to shame."
