XLIV
THE GOING OF TARIEL TO THE KING OF THE SEAS AND TO P’HRIDON'S
1404To the presence of the King of the Seas he sent a messenger (of good tidings); he bade him announce: "I, Tariel, come, vanquisher of foes, their destroyer and slayer; from Kadjet’hi I bring my sun, piercer of me with arrows; I desire to see thee with honour, as father and parent.
1405"Now I have the land of the Kadjis and their hoards. O king, all that is good hath happened to me from you: my sun was freed by P’hatman, she was a mother and a sister to her. What can I give thee in return for this? I hate vain promises.
1406"Come, see us before we have passed thy land. I present to thee outright the kingdom of the Kadjis, accept it from me; let thy men be posted there, hold the castle strongly. I am in haste, I cannot come to see thee, come thou forth, wend towards me.
1407"On my behalf tell Usen, P’hatman's husband, to send her, the sight of her will please her she freed; whom else can she desire to see more than her who is brighter than the sun, even as crystal is brighter than pitch?"
1408When Tariel's man was received by the ruler of the seas--it is the custom that the heart is agitated by startling tidings--he gave thanks and glory to God the Just Judge. Straightway he mounted; he needed no other messenger (or invitation).
1409He loaded baggage, he appointed the making of their wedding, he takes a number of pretty things, not a great quantity of jet. He has P’hatman with him, they made a journey of ten days; the sight of the lion and the sun, the light of the lands, rejoices him.
1410Afar off the three met the great King of the Seas, they dismounted, he humbly kissed them, they were encompassed by a host of troops; they rendered praise to Tariel, he gave a thousand thanks, when they saw the damsel he (the King of the Seas) was fascinated by her crystal-halo rays.
1411Slow fire consumed Dame P’hatman at the sight of her, she embraced her, she covered with kisses her hand, foot, face, neck; she said: "O God, I will serve Thee, since
my darkness is lightened for me; I recognize the shortness of evil, Thy goodness is everlasting."
1412The maiden embraced P’hatman; sweetly she speaks, not angry: "God hath enlightened my rent, faded heart; now am I as full as formerly I was waning; the sun hath shed his beams upon me, therefore I appear a rose unfrozen."
1413The King of the Seas celebrated there an exceeding great wedding; he thanked (Tariel) too for Kadjet’hi; he would not let them go for seven days; generously he dispensed gifts, the treasure he had loaded; they wore out (by treading) upon (it) the scattered gold coin as if it were a bridge.
1414There stood a heap of silk, brocade and satin. He gave to Tariel a crown, a price could not be set on it, of a whole jacinth, yellow, exceeding pure, likewise a throne of gold, red, refined.
1415He presented to Nestan-Daredjan a mantle adorned with gems, red jacinths, rubies of Badakhshan and rubies; they both sat, the maid and the youth, with faces flashing lightning; they that looked on them burned with new fire.
1416He presented to Avt’handil and P’hridon measureless great gifts, a valuable saddle, an excellent horse, to each a jewelled coat shedding rare-hued rays; they said:
[paragraph continues] "What thanks can we utter! Prosperous be your state!"
1417Tariel rendered thanks with his tongue in fair words: "Greatly have I been pleased, O king; first at seeing you, then you have filled us with many fair kinds of gifts; I wot we did well not to pass by afar off from you."
1418The King of the Seas says: "O king, lion, valorous, life of those near you, slayer from afar of those that cannot look on you, what can I give you like unto yourself, O fair to look upon! When I am away from you what shall avail me, O desirable to be gazed on!"
1419Tariel said to P’hatman: "I adopt thee as my sister. O sister, great is mine unpayable debt to thy heart! Now whatever treasure of the Kadjis I have brought with me from Kadjet’hi I give it to thee, take it, I sell it not."
1420Dame P’hatman made obeisance, she proffered exceeding great thanks: "O king, parting from thee burns me with unquenchable fire. When I shall be away from thee what shall I do! Thou wilt leave me like one bereft of sense. Ah, blessed are those near thee; woe to him that cannot gaze on you."
1421The two radiant ones spoke to the King of the Seas; their teeth were crystals, their lips as pearl-shells. "When we are deprived of you we desire not merrymakings, harps and kettledrums. But give us leave, it is time, let us depart, we are in haste.
1422"Be our father, parent and hope! But this indeed we beseech of thee: grant us a ship!" The king said: "I grudge not to give myself as earth for you (to
tread on); since thou art in haste, what can I say to thee! Go! Thine arm be thy guide!"
1423The king fitted out a ship on the shore. Tariel set out; those who were parted shed tears, they beat their heads, they tore their hair and beards (and) cast them away. P’hatman's tears in their flow even augmented the sea.
1424The three sworn brothers crossed the seas together, again they confirmed by their word what they formerly affirmed; singing and laughter were beseeming to them, who were not ignorant thereof; the ray from their lips shone upon the planks of crystal (their teeth).
1425Thence they sent a man to Asmat’h as a messenger of good tidings; also to the households of P’hridon's chiefs who had been in the fight, to announce to them: "He comes hither, as the sun he rises high, reinforcing (?) the planets; we erstwhile frozen shall be frozen now no more."
1426They seated that sun (Nestan) in a palanquin; they wended their way along the coast. They sported like children; the passing away of woe gladdened them. They came where was the land of the hero Nuradin, they were met, they heard the sound of frequent song.
1427There all P’hridon's magnates met them. Asmat’h, full of joy, whose wounds no longer appeared, was riveted to Nestan-Daredjan so that axes could not unloose them. Now she had ended all her faithful services.
1428Nestan-Daredjan embraces her, kisses her face with her mouth. She said: "Mine own, woe is me, I have filled thee too with grief. Now God hath granted us grace,
[paragraph continues] I acknowledge His (boundless) bounty. I know not with what I can repay so great a heart as thine!"
1429Asmat’h said: "Thanks be to God, I have seen the roses unfrozen. At length understanding hath thus revealed things hidden. Death itself seems to me life when I see you happy. Better than all friends are suzerain and vassals that love one another!"
1430The magnates did homage, they rendered great praise: "Since God hath caused us to rejoice, blessed is His divinity; He hath shown us your face, no longer doth the burning of fires consume us; even He that gave the wound, He hath the power to heal it."
1431They came and put their mouths on their hands; thus they kissed them. The king (Tariel) said: "For our sake have your brethren sacrificed themselves. They have found joy in eternity a reality and no dream. They have attained communions with the One; their glories are increased an hundred and twenty fold.''
1432"Though their death is sore to me and grievous, yet the great immortal gift hath there fallen to their lot." This he spake, gently he wept, and the rain (of tears) was mingled with the snow (of his cheeks). Boreas blows from (? shakes) the narcissi; January freezes the rose.
1433There all wept when they saw him in tears; whoever had lost any (kinsman) moaned, weeping and sobbing. All were hushed. Then they said respectfully (to Tariel): "Since sages liken thee to the sun, it befits them that look upon you to be merry; wherefore should they lament!
1434"Who is worthy of your so great weeping and sorrow? Death for your sake is far better than walking upon the earth!" Then P’hridon said to the king: "Make not bitterness to thyself from aught. May God in return render to thee a thousand joys!"
1435Avt’handil also sympathized; he speaks with great sorrow. They rendered praise, and said: "Let us now yield ourselves to smiling; since the lost lion has found the vanished sun, no more will we weep what is deplorable, no longer will we set canals in our eyes."
1436Thither they went where is the great city Mulghazanzar. They played trumpet and kettledrum, there was trampling and uproar; the sound of drums and copper drum blended fairly; the burgesses crowded round, they left the bazaar.
1437The merchants came from their rows, on all sides there is a host of onlookers; the officers kept a wide space round them, they had arms in their hands; families came crowding in, causing trouble to the officers; their entreaty is to be allowed there to look upon them.
1438At P’hridon's they alighted, they saw a pleasing palace, many slaves with golden girdles met them, they have nought but gold brocades as a carpet for their feet; they threw up gold above their heads, the crowd marching there picked it up in heaps.