Page:Persian Literature (1900), vol. 1.djvu/57

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE SHÁH NÁMEH
23
To this the princess: “Is it so decreed,That every woman has two tongues, two hearts?All false alike, their tempers all the same?No, no! could I disloyally betray thee?I who still love thee better than my life?”

Jemshíd found it impossible to resist the damsel’s incessant entreaties and persuasive tenderness, mingled as they were with tears of sorrow. Vanquished thus by the warmth of her affections, he told her his name, and the history of his misfortunes. She then ardently seized his hand, overjoyed at the disclosure, and taking him privately to her own chamber, they were married according to the customs of her country.

Him to the secret bower with blushing cheekExultingly she led, and mutual bliss,Springing from mutual tenderness and love,Entranced their souls.

When Gúreng the king found that his daughter’s visits to him became less frequent than usual, he set his spies to work, and was not long in ascertaining the cause of her continued absence. She had married without his permission, and he was in great wrath. It happened, too, at this time that the bride was pale and in delicate health.

The mystery soon was manifest,And thus the king his child addrest,Whilst anger darkened o’er his brow:“What hast thou done, ungrateful, now?Why hast thou flung, in evil day,The veil of modesty away?That cheek the bloom of spring displayed,Now all is withered, all decayed;But daughters, as the wise declare,Are ever false, if they be fair.”
Incensed at words so sharp and strong,The damsel thus repelled the wrong:—“Me, father, canst thou justly blame?I never, never, brought thee shame;With me can sin and crime accord,When Jemshíd is my wedded lord?”

After this precipitate avowal, the Kábul nurse, of many spells, instantly took up her defence, and informed the king that the prophecy she had formerly communicated to him was

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.