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eBook - Poem of Shota Rustaveli: The Knight in the Tiger Skin 2 - Story of Rostevan, King of the Arabians32
33 NO other child had the king save one only daughter, the shining light of the world, to be ranked with nought but the sunny group; whoever looked on her, she bereft him of heart, mind and soul. It needs a wise man to praise her, and ten thousand times a thousand tongues. 34 HER name is T'hinat'hin; let it be famous! When she had grown up to full womanhood, she contemned even the sun. The king called his viziers, seated himself, proud yet gentle, and, placing them by his side, began to talk graciously to them. 35 HE said: "I will declare to you the matter on which we are to take counsel together. When the flower of the rose is dried and withered it falls, and another blooms in the lovely garden. The sun is set for us; we are gazing on a dark, moonless night. 36 "MY day is done; old age, most grievous of all ills. Weighs on me; if not to-day, then to-morrow I die - this is the way of the world. What light is that on which darkness attends? Let us instate as sovereign my daughter, of whom the sun is not worthy." 37 THE viziers said: "O king, why do you speak of your age? Even when the rose fades we must needs give it its due; it still excels all in scent and fair colour. How can a star declare enmity even to the waning moon! 38 "SPEAK not then thus, O king. Your rose is not yet faded. Even bad counsel from you is better than good counsel from another. It was certainly fitting to speak about what your heart desires. It is better. Give the kingdom to her who prevails against the sun. 39 "THOUGH indeed she be a woman, still as sovereign she is begotten of God. She knows how to rule. We say not this to flatter you; we ourselves, in your absence, often say so. Her deeds, like her radiance, are revealed bright as sunshine. The lion's whelps are equal, be they male or female." 40 AVT'HANDIL was Spaspeti, son of the Amirspasalari. He was more graceful than the cypress; his presence was like sun and moon. Still beardless, he was to be likened to famous crystal and enamel. The beauty of the host of T'hinat'hin's eyelashes was slaying him. 41 HE kept his love hidden in his heart. When he was absent and saw her not, his rose faded; when he saw her, the fires were renewed, his wound smarted more. Love is pitiable; it makes man heart-slain. 42 WHEN the king commanded that his daughter should be enthroned as king, gladness came upon Avt'handil; the fire that was burning Avt'handil was extinguished. He said to himself: "Often will it now fall to my lot to gaze upon her crystal face; perchance I may thus find a cure for my pallor." 43
44 ALL the Arabians came; the crowd of courtiers increased. The sun-faced Avt'handil, chief of ten thousand times a thousand soldiers, the vizier Sograt, the nearest to the king of all his attendants. When they placed the throne the people said: "Its worth is beyond words!" 45 T'HINAT'HIN, radiant in countenance, was led in by her sire. He seated her, and with his own hands set the crown on her head; he gave her the sceptre, and clad her in the royal robes. The maiden looks on with understanding, all-seeing, like the sun. 46 THE king and his armies retired and did homage. They blessed her and established her as queen, many from many places told forth her praises; the trumpets were blown and the cymbals sounded sweetly. The maiden wept, she shed many tears; she drooped her eyelashes, the tail feathers of the raven. 47 SHE deemed herself unworthy to sit on her father's throne; therefore she weeps, filling the rose-garden with tears. The king admonishes her: "Every father hath a peer in his child," quoth he. "Until now the raging fire in my bosom has not been extinguished." 48 HE said: "Weep not, daughter, but hearken to my counsel : To-day thou art queen of Arabia, appointed sovereign by me; henceforth this kingdom is entrusted to thee; mayest thou be discreet in thy doings, be modest and discerning. 49
50 "MUNIFICENCE in kings is like the aloe planted in Eden. All, even the traitor, are obedient to the generous. It is very wholesome to eat and drink, but what profits it to board? What thou givest away is thine; what thou keepest is lost." 51 THE maiden hearkened discreetly to this her father's advice, she lent ear, she heard, she wearied not of instruction. The king drank and sported; he was exceeding joyful. T'hinat'hin contemned the sun, but the sun was like to T'hinat'hin. 52 SHE sent for her faithful, trusty tutor, and said: "Bring hither all my treasure sealed by thee, all the wealth belonging to me as king's daughter. " He brought it; she gave without measure, without count, inexhaustibly. 53 THAT day she gave away all she had gathered since her childhood; she enriched both small folk and great. Then she said: "I do the deed my father taught me; let none keep back any of my hoarded treasure." 54 SHE said: "Go, open whatever treasure there is! Master of the Horse, lead in the droves of asses, mules, and horses. He brought them. She gave them away without measure; she wearied not of generosity. The soldiers gathered together stuff like pirates. 55 THEY pillaged her treasury as 'twere booty from Turks; they carried off her fine, sleek Arab steeds. Her munificence was like a snowstorm whirling down from the sky; none remained empty, neither youth nor maiden. 56
57 AT the head sat the sun-faced Avt'handil, desirable to them that look upon him, the agile leader of the hosts; like a tiger and a lion is he. The old vizier Sograt sat by his side. They said one to the other: "What ails the king, and why has he grown pale?" 58 THEY said: "Some unpleasant thought has come into the king's mind, for nothing has happened here to make him sad."Quoth Avt'handil: "Let us inquire, O Sograt, let him tell us why he is displeased with us; let us venture on some pleasantry; why hath he shamed us?" 59 SOGRAT and the graceful Avt'handil arose; each filled his winecup, and with meek mien drew nigh. Then with smiling faces they cast themselves on their knees before the king. The vizier sportively spoke thus, with eloquent words. 60 "YOU look sad, O king; there is no longer a smile on your face. Thou art right, for, lo! your daughter with lavish hand has given away all your rich and costly treasure. Make her not queen at all; why bring grief on thyself?" 61 WHEN the king heard him he looked up with a smile. He marvelled how he had ventured thus, how he dared to speak such words! "Well hast thou done!" He thanked his vizier. He confirmed this what he said: "He who lays avarice to my charge is a lying chatterer. 62
63 "IT is true I have a daughter tenderly nurtured, but God has given me no son; I suffer in this fleeting life. There is none to be compared with me in archery or at the game of ball. It is true that Avt'handil resembles me somewhat, thanks to my teaching." 64 THE proud youth hearkened modestly to these words of the king; with bent head he smiled. Well did a smile befit him; his shining white teeth gleamed like sunshine on a mead. The king asked: "Why smilest thou? Or why wert thou shy of me?" 65 YET again he said: "Why dost thou laugh at me? What is laughable in me?" The youth replied: "I shall tell you if you grant me leave to speak. With what I say be not offended, be not wroth, blame me not, call me not bold, ruin me not for this!" 66 HE anwered: "How can I take aught thou sayst as displeasing?" He took an oath by the sun of T'hinat'hin, that contemner of the sun. Avt'handil said: "Then will I speak boldly; vaunt not yourself of your archery, it is better to speak modestly. 67 "I, AVT'HANDIL, earth under feet, am an archer before you; let us lay a wager; let your armies attend as witnesses. 'Who is like me in the lists?' said you - vain indeed is denial!-that is decided by the ball and the field." 68
69 AVT'HANDIL obeyed; they ceased their discourse. They laughed, they sported like children, lovingly and becomingly they behaved. They fixed the wager, and laid down this condition: Whoever shall be beaten, let him go bareheaded for three days. 70 THE king commanded, moreover: "Let twelve slaves be chosen to attend us, twelve to give me arrows and wait upon me; Shermadin alone is for thee; he is equal to them. Let them count the shots and the hits, and give a faithful, unerring report." 71 TO the huntsmen he said: "Travel over the plain, beat in many droves, go yourselves to do this, invite the soldiers to look on, assemble and close round!" The festivity and banquet broke up; there were we pleasantly merry.  |
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THERE was in Arabia Rostevan, a king by the grace of God, happy, exalted, generous, modest, lord of many hosts and knights, just and gracious, powerful, far-seeing, himself a peerless warrior, moreover, fluent in speech. 
THE great sovereign of the Arabs published throughout Arabia an edict: "I, her father, appoint my T'hinat'hin queen; she shall illumine all, even as the shining sun. Come and see, all ye who praise and extol!" 
"SINCE the sun shines alike on roses and middens, be not thou weary of mercy to great and small. The generous binds the free, and he who is already bound will willingly obey. Scatter liberally, as the seas pour forth again the floods they have received. 
ONE day passed; there was a banquet, food and drink - a feast of fruit. A great gathering of warriors sat there to make merry. The king hung his head, and his brow was furrowed with sadness. They began to discuss this one with another: "What weighs upon him, and why grieves he?" 
"THAT afflicts me not, O vizier. This it is that troubles me: Old age draws nigh; I have spent the days of youth, and nowhere in our dominions is there a man who hath learned from me the knightly arts. 
"I WILL not let thee thus dispute with me! Say the word, let us draw the bow; do not shirk. Let us make good men witnesses of our rivalry; then in the field it will be manifest whose praises should be sung." 
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