Page:Man in the Panther's Skin.djvu/255

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233

I acknowledge His (boundless) bounty.[1] I know not with what I can repay so great a heart as thine!"

1429. Asmat'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!"[2]

1430. The magnates did homage, they rendered great praise[3]: "Since God hath caused us to rejoice, blessed is His divinity[4]; He hath shown us your face, no longer doth the burning of fires consume us; even He that gave the wound,[5] He hath the power to heal it."

1431. They came and put their mouths on their hands; thus they kissed them.[6] The king (Tariel) said: "For our sake have your brethren sacrificed themselves. They have found joy in eternity a reality and no dream.[7] They have attained[8] communion[9] with the One; their glories are increased an hundred and twenty fold.[10]

1432. "Though their death is sore to me and grievous, yet the great immortal gift hath there fallen to their lot."[11] 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.

1433. There 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!

  1. Ar sidzvire, not avarice.
  2. Lord and vassal, 793, 836, 837; cf. Holldack.
  3. Keba, ? eulogy in set form; 5, 984, 986, 988, 1009, 1025, 1027, 1435, 1524.
  4. Ghvt'heba, ghut'haeba, deity, godhead; also, miraculous icon not made by human hands.
  5. Tsqluli, dacodili, "to the wound wounded by him …" Might apply to P'hridon as well as God, grammatically.
  6. Gardahcotznes, ? kissed over; 1116.
  7. Tzkhadad, clearly; otzneba, fancy, vision. Cf. 1 Cor. xiii. 12, "through a glass darkly"; 656, 707.
  8. Mikhvdes, ? from mikhdoma, understand, attain.
  9. Saziarod. Cf. ziareba and Svanetian diar, bread; 1087.
  10. 1139.
  11. 425.