Table Of ContentS R
hota u sw eli
T K P S
he night in the anther kin
S R
hota ustaveli
T K P S
he night in the anther kin
88
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New translation by Lyn Coffin
Translation © 2015 Lyn Coffin
Publication © 2015 Natalia Alhazishvili
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used
in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except
for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
First Edition
Tbilisi, 2015
ISBN 978-9941-0-7926-9
POEZIA Press
Verbatim translation and editing: Prof. Dodona Kiziria
Editor: Prof. Nodar Natadze
Cover design: Maya Sumbadze
Design: Nini Palavandishvili
Design elements from L’Art Décoratif au Caucase
by Grégoire Tatieff (Grigol Tatishvili)
Illustrations: Michaly Zichy
(Courtesy of Georgian National Center of Manuscripts)
Printed in Turkey by
MEDCEZlR MEDYA MATBAACILIK SAN. VE DI$ TlC. LTD. §Tl.
www.medcezirmedya.com
On the Translation
Lyn Coffin’s translation shows superb technical mastery of the elaborate shairi form used by
Shota Rustaveli in his 12th century epic, The Knight in the Panther Skin. Coffin is faithful
to both meter and rhyme, yet does not lose the beauty of Rustaveli’s poetry. Most previous
English translators such as Katherine Vivian or R.H. Stevenson, favored free verse, but Coffin
has preserved the structure as well as the splendor of Rustaveli’s great adventure story. Coffin
is both a meticulous wordsmith and a passionate artist who has combined both these talents
to produce one of the most accurate and readable translations into English of Rustaveli’s epic
over the last forty years.
Stephen Jones
Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies, Mount Holyoke College
Author of ‘Georgia: A Political History Since Independence ’
T C
able of ontents
Chapters
Prologue 11
The Story of Rostevan, King of the Arabs 16
King Rostevan and Avtandil Go Hunting 25
The King of the Arabs Sees the Knight in the Panther Skin 27
Tinatin Sends Avtandil to Look for the Knight 37
Avtandil’s Letter to His Vassals 44
Avtandil Sets Forth in Quest of the Knight 46
Avtandl Tells His Story to Asmat 58
The Meeting of Tariel and Avtandil 66
Tariel Tells His Story to Avtandil 73
The Story of TariePs Falling in Love 80
First Letter Written by Nestan-Daredjan to Her Beloved 88
First Letter Written by Tariel to His Belovéd 89
Tariel Writes a Letter and Sends a Man to the Khatavians 91
Nestan Daredjan Summons Tariel 92
The Letter by the King of the Khatavians to Tariel 94
TariePs Tryst with Nestan-Daredjan 96
Tariel’s Departure for Khataeti and Great War 99
TariePs Letter to the Indian King and His Triumphant Return 106
The Letter of Nestan-Daredjan Written to Her Belovéd 113
Tariel Laments and then Faints 115
TariePs Letter in Answer to His Belovéd 117
The Council Concerning Nestan-Daredjan’s Marriage 118
Tariel and Nestan-Daredjan Discuss Her Marriage 120
The Arrival of the Bridegroom and His Slaying by Tariel 127
Tariel Hears Tidings of the Disapperance of Nestan-Daredjan 132
Nuradin Pridon’s Story 138
Tariel’s Aid to Pridon l42
Pridon Tells Tariel Tidings of Nestan-Daredjan I44
The Story of Avtandil’s Return to Arabia 152
Avtandil’s Request to the King and the Vizier’s Entreaty 163
Avtandil’s Discourse with Shermadin 171
The Testament of Avtandil for King Rostevan Before He Secretly Left 173
Avtandil’s Prayer 178
King Rostevan Hears of Avtandil’s Secret Flight 179
Avtandil’s Second Departure to Meet with Tariel 182
Avtandil Finds Tariel 188
Tariel Tells How He Killed a Panther and a Lion 196
Tariel and Avtandil Return to the Cave and See Asmat 198
Avtandil Goes to See Pridon 204
Avtandil Comes to Pridon’s After He Parted from Tariel 209
Avtandil Goes to Seek Nestan-Daredjan and Meets a Caravan 220
The Story of Avtandil’s Arrival in Gulansharo 226
Patman Becomes Enamoured of Avtandil 230
Patman’s Letter of Love to Avtandil 231
Avtandil’s Letter in Response to Patman 233
Patman Tells Avtandil the Story of Nestan-Daredjan 241
The Story of the Capture of Nestan-Daredjan by the Kadjis 261
The Letter Written by Patman to Nestan-Daredjan 272
The Letter Written by Nestan-Daredjan to Patman 277
The Letter Written by Nestan-Daredjan to Her Beloved 279
Avtandil’s Letter to Pridon 283
Avtandil’s Departure from Gulansharo and Meeting with Tariel 285
Tariel and Avtandil Go to Pridon 294
Pridon’s Counsel 297
Avtandil’s Counsel 298
Tariel’s Counsel 301
Tariel’s Visit to the King of the Seas 307
The Wedding of Tariel and Nestan-Daredjan Held by Pridon 313
The Three Knights Go to the Cave and Then to Arabia 318
The Wedding of Avtandil and Tinatin by the King of the Arabs 327
Tariel Learns of the Death of the King of India 332
Tariel’s Arrival in India and the Defeat of the Khatavians 335
The Wedding of Tariel and Nestan-Daredjan 341
Epilogue 345
End-notes 346
Afterword by Levan Gigineshvili 349
From the Translator 357
From the Publisher 358
