Gorgani, Vis and Ramin, Vis's Reply to Ramin

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Vis's Reply to Ramin

The jasmine-bodied Vis said: "O senseless Ramin, you have nothing of wisdom but the name! Cruelty strikes a heavy brick upon the heart, and its mark remains upon the heart forever. The cruelty you did has remained upon my heart—just as faithfulness from you has gone from my heart. No one can be both infidel and faithful; both love and vengeance cannot fit in one heart. When one remembers a hundred kinds of cruelty from you, no scent of faithfulness remains in the heart. You yourself know what I did with you, what hardship I bore in hope of faithfulness. Then what did you do in my place? You killed—and what you killed, you yourself ate! You went and chose another friend over me; you did well—you yourself were worthy of her. What else could come from you but what you did—like vultures eating carrion? Well done, giving a beast and taking a donkey! Who was ever worthy of one like me? You were fit for salt land and sand—why did you need to be given a palace and garden? I thought you were a hunting lion who would take nothing but a meadow gazelle. I did not know you were an old fox who takes a donkey's ear with a hundred tricks. Why, when you had washed yourself pure, did you scatter dust and ashes upon your body? Why did you leave the cup of wine and milk and set before yourself the cup of dog and garlic? Why did you rise from the spring carpet and sit upon the felt and ragged cloak? Was it not enough that you went from my city and took refuge in the city of enemies? Was it not enough that you took another friend and made me contemptible before friend and enemy? Was it not enough that when you wrote a letter, you mixed words with my blood? With so much cruelty, anger, and torment, you placed a burden of ugliness upon a burden. When the nurse came before you, you drove her away; you called her dog, sorceress, and full of tricks. You are the trickster and full of tricks against the nurse—you are the sorcerer, you are the great capital! You took her for a fool and ignorant; you told her the deception of sorcerers. You set tricks for both her and me; you placed a thousand brands upon our souls. You are Zahhak, of demon-seed—you make both tricks and spells! You were unfaithful—we were not; you broke trust—we did not. You were happy in Gurab for a while; now you have come back with eyes full of water. You speak picture-like words—inside steel, outside gold! I am that newly bloomed garden of a hundred colors, over which you spoke all that shame. I am that royal, beautiful rose-garden that was all gazelle in your eyes. I am that spring from which you drank water—when you drank, you filled the spring with dust. Now from thirst, you have endured much heat; you have come hurrying to drink water from me. You should not have drunk water from the spring if, when you drank, you filled the spring with dust. Or now that you have made the spring contemptible, you cannot drink its water again!"