Shota Rustaveli

"Vityaz in tiger skin»

Once upon a time, the glorious king Rostevan ruled in Arabia, and he had his only daughter, the beautiful Tinatin. Anticipating his approaching old age, Rostevan ordered his daughter to be elevated to the throne during his lifetime, which he informed the viziers about. They favorably accepted the decision of the wise ruler, because “Even if a maiden were to be king, the creator created her. A lion cub remains a lion cub, whether it’s a female or a male.” On the day of Tinatin’s accession to the throne, Rostevan and his faithful spaspet (military leader) and pupil Avtandil, who had long been passionately in love with Tinatin, agreed the next morning to organize a hunt and compete in the art of archery.

Having gone to the competition (in which, to Rostevan’s delight, his pupil turned out to be the winner), the king noticed in the distance the lonely figure of a horseman dressed in a tiger skin, and sent a messenger after him. But the messenger returned to Rostevan with nothing, the knight did not respond to the call of the glorious king. The angry Rostevan orders twelve warriors to take the stranger into custody, but when he sees the detachment, the knight, as if waking up, wipes away the tears from his eyes and scatters those who intend to capture his warriors with a whip. The same fate befell the next detachment sent in pursuit. Then Rostevan himself galloped after the mysterious stranger with the faithful Avtandil, but, noticing the approach of the sovereign, the stranger whipped his horse and “like a demon disappeared into space” as suddenly as he had appeared.

Rostevan retired to his chambers, not wanting to see anyone except his beloved daughter. Tinatin advises his father to send reliable people look for the knight around the world and find out “whether he is a man or a devil.” Messengers flew to the four corners of the world, traveling halfway around the world, but they never met anyone who knew the sufferer.

Tinatin, to the delight of Avtandil, calls him to his palace and orders him, in the name of his love for her, to search for a mysterious stranger throughout the entire earth for three years, and if he fulfills her order, she will become his wife. Going in search of the knight in tiger skin, Avtandil respectfully says goodbye to Rostevan in a letter and leaves in his place to guard the kingdom of his friend and close associate Shermadin from enemies.

And so, “Having traveled all over Arabia in four marches,” “Wandering across the face of the earth, homeless and wretched, / He visited every small corner in three years.” Having failed to pick up the trail of the mysterious knight, “running wild in heartache,” Avtandil decided to turn back his horse, when he suddenly saw six tired and wounded travelers who told him that they had met a knight while hunting, immersed in thought and dressed in tiger skin. That knight showed them worthy resistance and “rushed off proudly, like a luminary of luminaries.”

Avtandil pursued the knight for two days and two nights, until finally he crossed a mountain river, and Avtandil, climbing a tree and hiding in its crown, witnessed how a girl (her name was Asmat) came out of the thicket of the forest to meet the knight. and, hugging each other, they sobbed for a long time over the stream, grieving that they had never managed to find a certain beautiful maiden. The next morning this scene was repeated, and, having said goodbye to Asmat, the knight continued his mournful path.

…Once upon a time there were seven kings in Hindustan, six of whom revered Farsadan, a generous and wise ruler, as their ruler. Tariel's father, the glorious Saridan, “the thunderstorm of enemies, / Ruled his destiny, the adversaries of exactions.” But, having achieved honors and glory, he began to languish in loneliness and, also of his own free will, gave his possessions to Farsadan. But the noble Farsadan refused the generous gift and left Saridan as the sole ruler of his inheritance, brought him closer to himself and revered him as a brother. At the royal court, Tariel himself was brought up in bliss and reverence. Meanwhile, the royal couple had a beautiful daughter, Nestan-Darejan. When Tariel was fifteen years old, Saridan died, and Farsadan and the queen gave him “the rank of his father - the commander of the entire country.”

The beautiful Nestan-Darejan, meanwhile, grew up and captivated the heart of the brave Tariel with burning passion. Once, in the midst of a feast, Nestan-Darejan sent her slave Asmat to Tariel with a message that read: “Pitiful fainting and weakness - do you call them love? / Isn’t glory bought with blood more pleasant to the midjnur?” Nestan suggested that Tariel declare war on the Khatavs (it should be noted that the action in the poem takes place in both real and fictional countries), earn honor and glory in the “bloody clash” - and then she would give Tariel her hand and heart.

Tariel goes on a campaign against the Khatavs and returns to Farsadan with victory, defeating the hordes of the Khatav Khan Ramaz. The morning after returning to the hero, tormented by the torment of love, a royal couple comes for advice, who were unaware of the feelings experienced by the young man for their daughter: who should he give as a wife? only daughter and heir to the throne? It turned out that the Shah of Khorezm expected his son to be Nestan-Darejan’s husband, and Farsadan and the queen favorably perceived his matchmaking. Asmat comes for Tariel to escort him to the halls of Nestan-Darejan. She reproaches Tariel for lying, says that she was deceived by calling herself his beloved, because she was given against her will “for a stranger’s prince,” and he only agrees with her father’s decision. But Tariel dissuades Nestan-Darejan, he is sure that he alone is destined to become her husband and ruler of Hindustan. Nestan orders Tariel to kill the unwanted guest, so that their country will never fall to the enemy, and to ascend to the throne himself.

Having fulfilled his beloved’s order, the hero turns to Farsadan: “Your throne now remains with me according to the charter.” Farsadan is angry, he is sure that it was his sister, the sorceress Davar, who advised the lovers to commit such an insidious act, and threatens to deal with her. Davar attacks the princess with great abuse, and at this time “two slaves who look like Kajis” appear in the chambers. fairy tale characters Georgian folklore), they push Nestan into the ark and take him to the sea. Davar stabs himself with a sword in grief. On the same day, Tariel sets off with fifty warriors in search of his beloved. But in vain - he could not even find traces of the beautiful princess anywhere.

Once in his wanderings, Tariel met the brave Nuradin-Freedon, the sovereign of Mulgazanzar, who was fighting against his uncle, seeking to split the country. The knights, having “concluded a cordial alliance,” give each other a vow of eternal friendship. Tariel helps Freedon defeat the enemy and restore peace and tranquility to his kingdom. In one of the conversations, Fridon told Tariel that once, while walking along the seashore, he happened to see a strange boat, from which, when it moored to the shore, a maiden of incomparable beauty emerged. Tariel, of course, recognized his beloved in her, told Fridon his sad story, and Fridon immediately sent sailors “to various distant countries” with orders to find the captive. But “in vain the sailors went to the ends of the earth, / These people did not find any traces of the princess.”

Tariel, having said goodbye to his brother-in-law and received from him a black horse as a gift, set out again in search, but, despairing of finding his beloved, found shelter in a secluded cave, where Avtandil met him, dressed in a tiger skin (“The image of a fiery tigress is similar to my maiden, / Therefore, the skin of a tiger is the dearest to me among clothes”).

Avtandil decides to return to Tinatin, tell her everything, and then join Tariel again and help him in his search.

... Avtandil was greeted with great joy at the court of the wise Rostevan, and Tinatin, “like a paradise aloe over the Euphrates valley, was waiting on a richly decorated throne.” Although the new separation from his beloved was difficult for Avtandil, although Rostevan opposed his departure, but the word, given to a friend, drove him away from his family, and Avtandil for the second time, already secretly, left Arabia, ordering the faithful Shermadin to sacredly fulfill his duties as a military leader. When leaving, Avtandil leaves Rostevan a will, a kind of hymn to love and friendship.

Arriving at the cave he abandoned, in which Tariel was hiding, Avtandil finds only Asmat there - unable to withstand the mental anguish, Tariel alone went in search of Nestan-Darejan.

Having overtaken his friend for the second time, Avtandil finds him in extreme despair; with difficulty he managed to bring back to life the wounded man in the fight with the lion and tigress Tariel. The friends return to the cave, and Avtandil decides to go to Mulgazanzar to see Fridon in order to ask him in more detail about the circumstances under which he happened to see the sun-faced Nestan.

On the seventieth day Avtandil arrived in the possessions of Fridon. “That girl came to us under the guard of two sentinels,” Fridon, who greeted him with honor, told him. “Both were like soot, only the maiden was fair-faced.” / I took the sword and spurred my horse to fight the guards, / But the unknown boat disappeared into the sea like a bird.”

The glorious Avtandil sets off again, “he asked many people he met in the bazaars over a hundred days, / But he didn’t hear about the maiden, he just wasted his time,” until he met a caravan of traders from Baghdad, the leader of which was the venerable old man Osam. Avtandil helped Osam defeat the sea robbers robbing their caravan. Osam offered him all his goods in gratitude, but Avtandil only asked for a simple dress and the opportunity to hide from prying eyes, “pretending to be the foreman” of the merchant caravan.

So, under the guise of a simple merchant, Avtandil arrived in the marvelous seaside city of Gulansharo, in which “the flowers are fragrant and never fade.” Avtandil laid out his goods under the trees, and the gardener of the eminent merchant Usen came up to him and told him that his owner was away today, but “here Fatma Khatun is at the house, his lady wife, / She is cheerful, kind, loves the guest at the hour leisure." Having learned that an eminent merchant had arrived in their city, moreover, “like a seven-day month, he is more beautiful than a plane tree,” Fatma immediately ordered the merchant to be escorted to the palace. “Middle-aged, but beautiful in appearance,” Fatma fell in love with Avtandil. “The flame grew stronger, grew, / The secret was revealed, no matter how the hostess hid it,” and so, during one of the dates, when Avtandil and Fatma “kissed while talking together,” the alcove door swung open and a formidable warrior appeared on the threshold, promising Fatma for her debauchery is a great punishment. “You will gnaw all your children out of fear like a she-wolf!” - he threw it in her face and left. Fatma burst into tears in despair, bitterly executing herself, and begged Avtandil to kill Chachnagir (that was the name of the warrior) and take the ring she had given him from his finger. Avtandil fulfilled Fatma’s request, and she told him about her meeting with Nestan-Darejan.

Once, at a holiday with the queen, Fatma went into a gazebo that was built on a rock, and, opening the window and looking at the sea, she saw a boat landing on the shore, and a girl, whose beauty eclipsed the sun, came out of it, accompanied by two black men. Fatma ordered the slaves to ransom the maiden from the guards, and “if the bargaining does not take place,” to kill them. And so it happened. Fatma hid the sunny Nestan in secret chambers, but the girl continued to shed tears day and night and did not tell anything about herself. Finally, Fatma decided to open up to her husband, who received the stranger with great joy, but Nestan remained silent as before and “she closed her lips like roses over pearls.” One day Usen went to a feast with the king, who had a “friend” and, wanting to reward him for his favor, promised “a maiden similar to a plane tree” as his daughter-in-law. Fatma immediately put Nestan on a fast-footed horse and sent her away. Sadness settled in Fatma’s heart about the fate of the beautiful-faced stranger. Once, passing by a tavern, Fatma heard the story of the slave of the great king, the ruler of Kajeti (the country of evil spirits - kajs), that after the death of his master, the king’s sister Dulardukht began to rule the country, that she was “majestic like a rock” and She had two princes left in her care. This slave ended up in a detachment of soldiers who traded in robbery. One night, wandering across the steppe, they saw a horseman, whose face “sparkled like lightning in the fog.” Recognizing him as a maiden, the soldiers immediately captivated her - “the maiden did not listen to either pleas or persuasion; she only remained gloomily silent before the robber patrol, / And she, like an asp, poured an angry gaze on people.”

On the same day, Fatma sent two slaves to Kadzheti with instructions to find Nestan-Darejan. At three days the slaves returned with the news that Nestan was already engaged to Prince Kadzheti, that Dulardukht was going to go overseas for the funeral of her sister, and that she was taking sorcerers and sorcerers with her, “for her path is dangerous, and her enemies are ready for battle.” But the Kaja fortress is impregnable, it is located on the top of a steep cliff, and “ten thousand of the best guards guard the fortification.”

Thus the location of Nestan was revealed to Avtandil. That night, Fatma “tasted complete happiness on her bed, / Although, in truth, the caresses of Avtandil,” who yearned for Tinatin, were reluctant. The next morning, Avtandil told Fatma the story of “how one dressed in the skin of a tiger endures grief in abundance,” and asked to send one of his sorcerers to Nestan-Darejan. Soon the sorcerer returned with an order from Nestan not to go to Tariel on a campaign against Kadzheti, for she “will die a double death if he dies on the day of battle.”

Having called Fridon's slaves to him and generously gifted them, Avtandil ordered them to go to their master and ask them to gather an army and march to Kadzheti, while he himself crossed the sea on a passing galley and hurried with the good news to Tariel. There was no limit to the happiness of the knight and his faithful Asmat.

The three friends “moved through the deserted steppe to the land of Fridon” and soon arrived safely at the court of the ruler Mulgazanzar. After consulting, Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon decided immediately, before the return of Dulardukht, to set out on a campaign against the fortress, which was “protected from enemies by a chain of impenetrable rocks.” With a detachment of three hundred people, the knights hurried day and night, “not letting the squad sleep.”

“The brothers divided the battlefield among themselves. / Each warrior in their detachment became like a hero.” The defenders of the formidable fortress were defeated overnight. Tariel, sweeping away everything in his path, rushed to his beloved, and “this fair-faced couple was unable to separate. / The roses of the lips, falling towards each other, could not be separated.”

Having loaded three thousand mules and camels with rich booty, the knights, together with beautiful princess We went to Fatma to thank her. They presented everything they had gained in the Kadzhet battle as a gift to the ruler of Gulansharo, who greeted the guests with great honors and also presented them with rich gifts. Then the heroes went to the kingdom of Fridon, “and then a great holiday began in Mulgazanzar. For eight days, the whole country had fun during the wedding. Tambourines and cymbals beat, harps sang until dark.” At the feast, Tariel volunteered to go with Avtandil to Arabia and be his matchmaker: “Where with words, where with swords we will arrange everything there. / Without marrying you to a virgin, I don’t want to be married!” “Neither sword nor eloquence will help in that land, / Where God sent me my sun-faced queen!” - Avtandil answered and reminded Tariel that the time had come to seize the Indian throne for him, and on the day “when these plans come true,” he will return to Arabia. But Tariel is adamant in his decision to help Friend. The valiant Fridon joins him, and now “the lions, having left the edges of Fridon, walked in unprecedented joy” and on a certain day reached the Arabian side.

Tariel sent a messenger to Rostevan with a message, and Rostevan with a large retinue rode out to meet the glorious knights and the beautiful Nestan-Darejan.

Tariel asks Rostevan to be merciful to Avtandil, who once left in search of the knight in tiger skin without his blessing. Rostevan happily forgives his military leader, giving him a daughter as his wife, and with her the Arabian throne. “Pointing to Avtandil, the king said to his squad: “Here is the king for you.” By the will of God he reigns in my stronghold.” The wedding of Avtandil and Tinatin follows.

Meanwhile, a caravan dressed in black mourning clothes appears on the horizon. Having questioned the leader, the heroes learn that the king of the Indians, Farsadan, “having lost his dear daughter,” could not bear the grief and died, and the Khatavs approached Hindustan, “surrounded them with a wild army,” and they were led by Haya Ramaz, “who does not enter into conflict with the king of Egypt.” in bickering."

“Tariel, having heard this, did not hesitate any longer, / And he rode the three-day journey in 24 hours.” His brothers-in-arms, of course, went with him and overnight defeated the countless Khatav army. The mother queen joined the hands of Tariel and Nestan-Darejan, and “Tariel sat down with his wife on the high royal throne.” “The seven thrones of Hindustan, all their father’s possessions / were received there by the spouses, having satisfied their aspirations. / Finally, they, the sufferers, forgot about the torment: / Only he who knows sorrow will appreciate joy.”

Thus, three valiant twin knights began to rule in their countries: Tariel in Hindustan, Avtandil in Arabia and Fridon in Mulgazanzar, and “their merciful deeds fell everywhere like snow.”

The King of Arabia, Rostevan, feeling that his health is no longer so strong, enthrones his daughter Tinatin to the throne. into it already long years The king's pupil, the valiant knight Avtandil, is in love. The new queen and her retinue organized a hunt, during which they met a knight in tiger skin. He did not respond to their call and galloped away with sadness in his eyes. Rostevan sent a detachment of warriors after him, but the knight fought with them and won, and then disappeared again. Tinatin called Avtandil to her and said that she was giving him three years to find the mysterious knight and find out his story. If Avtandil copes with this difficult task, then she will marry him and make him king of Arabia.

In three years, Avtandil traveled around the entire Earth three times, but never picked up the trail of the knight. In despair, he already wanted to return to Tinatin, but one day he met a group of horsemen who told him about their recent battle with the knight. Avtandil went in the indicated direction and, hiding in a cave, watched as the lord in tiger skin met with a beautiful girl. Together they gave themselves up to tears and grieved that they could not find the beautiful Nestan. The young man rushed away, and beautiful girl decided to tell Avtandil the story of the knight in tiger skin, whose name was Tariel. Her name was Asmat and she was a slave of Tariel. Vityaz was from royal family rulers of Hindustan. He was passionately in love with Nestan-Darejan, the daughter of the second ruler of Hindustan. The girl had a stern character, and as proof of her love, she demanded that Tariel declare war on the Khatavs and win the battle. The knight carried out her order, but the servants of the evil sorceress Davar kidnapped the girl and took her to the open sea on a high-speed boat. Since then, Asmat and Tariel have been unsuccessfully trying to find Nestan, but her traces seem to be lost forever.

Avtandil decides to help the knight in his search. Before this, he visited Arabia, told the story of the knight Tinatin and received her blessing to search for the beautiful maiden. His search led him to the trading city of Gulansharo, where Fatma, the wife of a rich merchant who fell in love with him, told him that she once met Nestan, accompanied by two black guards. She bought the girl from them and sheltered her in her house. Her husband wanted to give Nestan as a wife to their king, and she, putting her on a fast horse, saved the girl. Afterwards she learned that Nestan had been captured by Prince Kadzheti, who was soon to marry her. Together with Asmat and Tariel, Avtandil went to rescue Nestan. Their army fought with the army of Prince Kajeti and Tariel finally managed to hug his beloved. They went to Hindustan, where Father Nestan blessed their marriage and proclaimed Tariel the sole ruler of Hindustan.

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Shota Rustaveli
Knight in Tiger Skin

The immortal poem of the great Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” is one of the most remarkable works of world literature.

Long before our era, the Georgian people created their highly developed material and spiritual culture. The works of writers of ancient times, Arab and Armenian historians, and Georgian chroniclers eloquently speak about this. The numerous monuments of ancient Georgian culture that have survived to this day amaze with the subtlety of craftsmanship, sophistication of taste, and the scope of creative thought.

The beauty and richness of nature, the exceptional geographical and strategic position of the territory have long attracted various conquerors to Georgia: Greeks and Romans, Persians and Arabs, Turks and Mongols. But the freedom-loving Georgian people selflessly resisted foreign enslavers. In continuous bloody battles to preserve his independence, he forged his own, deeply original culture, permeated with the spirit of courage and bravery, love of freedom and patriotism.

Peculiar features of Georgian national culture found especially vivid expression in fiction. The oldest period in the development of Georgian literature was marked by a number of works that have not lost their meaning and interest to this day. Despite the fact that most of them are of a religious and church nature, they reflect the events of people's life.

The work of the 5th century writer Yakov Tsurtaveli depicts the martyrdom of the Georgian woman Shushanik, who chose death over slavery and betrayal of her people. The 8th century writer Ioane Sabanisdze described the life of the Tbilisi youth Abo, devoted to his people and courageously accepting death at the hands of the Arab conquerors. This wonderful work of ancient Georgian literature is inspired by the spirit of the heroic liberation struggle.

In the 11th-12th centuries, secular fiction developed powerfully in Georgia. This was facilitated by the entire character of the era, which was marked by the greatest flourishing of the state, economic and cultural life ancient Georgia.

Most brightly original character Georgian culture was manifested in the brilliant poem “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” by Shota Rustaveli, which is the pinnacle of Georgian classical poetry.

Rustaveli lived and worked at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. He was a contemporary of Queen Tamara, to whom he dedicated his poem.

Rustaveli was profound for his time educated person. He absorbed all the best traditions of the Georgian culture that preceded and contemporary him, and perfectly mastered all the achievements of philosophical and literary thought of both the Eastern and Western worlds.

It has long been established that Rustaveli’s poem reflects contemporary poet life of the Georgian people. The assumption that its plot was borrowed from Persian literature is without any basis, since neither in Persian nor in any other literature was there a work with a similar plot. The poem tells about the events that took place in Arabia, India, Khorezm and other countries of the East. However, scientists have proven with complete convincing that this circumstance is explained only by the poet’s desire to veil the specific events depicted in the work that took place in the life of Georgia during the Rustaveli era. Some plot motives poems coincide with extreme accuracy with historical events that time. For example, “The Knight in the Tiger's Skin” begins with a legend about how the king of Arabia Rostevan, who did not have a son-heir, feeling the approach of death, elevated his only daughter to the throne - Tinatina, famous for her beauty and intelligence. This event happened in Georgia in end of XII centuries. Tsar George III, concerned about the fact that he did not have a son-heir, having consulted with those close to him and secured their consent, made his only daughter Tamara queen during his lifetime.

This fact took place only in Georgia during the Rustaveli era, and it has never been repeated in any other country.

More than seven and a half centuries separate us from the time of the creation of “The Knight in Tiger Skin.” Throughout this time, the poem was the favorite book of the Georgian people. Not only in educated circles, but also among the broad masses of the people, the poem was memorized, repeated, and sung. The poem has retained its exceptional popularity and genuine nationality to this day. It became the property of not only the Georgian people. Not many works of the world fiction have stood the test of time so brilliantly.

What is the key to immortality? genius creation medieval Georgian poet? Deeply progressive for its time ideological content works embodied in a brilliant artistic form.

Unlike all the famous works of art of the medieval West and East, Rustaveli's poem is free from both Mohammedan fanaticism and Christian scholasticism.

Ahead of the European Renaissance by a full one and a half to two centuries, Rustaveli created the first deeply humanistic work in the medieval world, imbued with a feeling of love and compassion for man, glorifying sublime human feelings and affirming the idea of ​​the triumph of freedom and truth over the world of slavery, violence and oppression. It is not mythological characters and heavenly powers that stand at the center of Rustaveli’s poem, but living people with their human feelings, passions, aspirations. The heroes of the poem are people of exceptional physical and spiritual strength.

The poem is based on the idea of ​​human liberation from the kingdom of darkness, slavery and oppression. The poem tells the story of the victorious struggle of three knight friends - Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon - for the release of the beautiful Nestan-Darejan, Tariel's beloved, captured by the Kadjas, who languished in the harsh and gloomy fortress of Kadjeti. The duel between two forces: the knights, inspired by high human feelings of love, friendship and love of freedom, on the one hand, and Kadzheti, who is a symbol of slavery, darkness and oppression, on the other, constitutes the main conflict underlying the plot of the poem. And this unequal struggle between the principles of good and evil, light and darkness, freedom and slavery ended in a brilliant victory for the knights who fought for the triumph of freedom and justice: they defeated the impregnable fortress of Kadzheti and liberated the beautiful Nestan-Darejan - the embodied symbol of beauty, light and goodness.

Thus, in the era of medieval slavery and oppression, Rustaveli sang the ideas of freedom and justice, sang the victory of man inspired by the sublime aspirations over the forces of slavery and darkness.

Evil is instantaneous in this world,
Kindness is inescapable.

These words of the poet express the main life-affirming idea of ​​the poem.

Nestan-Darejan and Tariel, Tinatina and Avtandil love each other with sincere, pure, sublime love, inspiring a person to the most noble deeds. The heroes of Rustaveli's poem are bound by bonds of selfless friendship. Avtandil and Fridon, having learned about the great grief that befell

Tariela, joined him. Risking their lives and well-being, they remained inseparable comrades until the victorious end of the struggle, until the defeat of the Kadzhet fortress and the release of the captive beauty.

Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon, the main ones characters poems - people who know no fear in struggle and despise death. They firmly believe that

Better than a glorious death
What a shameful life!

And, inspired by this heroic motto, they fearlessly fight for the triumph of their lofty aspirations. The same courage and fortitude characterize the main heroines of the poem - Nestan-Darejan and Tinatina. They can withstand any test and boldly make self-sacrifice in the name of truth and goodness.

Rustaveli's poem is inspired by the sacred feeling of patriotism, selfless love and a person’s devotion to his homeland, his people. The heroes of this work are ready, without any hesitation, to give their lives for the good and happiness of the fatherland.

Nestan-Darejan, languishing in the Kadzhet fortress, gets the opportunity to write a letter to her beloved, Knight Tariel. What does the captive beauty ask for her beloved? It’s not about him coming and freeing her from unbearable suffering and torment, but about Tariel going to his homeland and fighting against the enemies who have encroached on the freedom and honor of the fatherland. Depicting such a moral feat of his heroine, great poet expressed the idea that a person, under any circumstances, is obliged to subordinate all his interests and aspirations to his duty to his homeland, to the cause of happiness and well-being of the fatherland. The heroes of Rustaveli's poem are inspired by such a high patriotic consciousness. This sacred feeling illuminates his entire immortal creation.

Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon are sons of different nations, people of different religions. This circumstance in no way prevents them from being the most devoted friends and selflessly giving their lives for each other. Thus, in the era of medieval national and religious limitations, Rustaveli sang the deeply progressive idea of ​​​​friendship and solidarity of peoples.

One of the progressive features of Rustaveli’s poem is the idea of ​​equality and equality between men and women that is clearly expressed in it. The heroines of the poem - Nestan-Darejan and Tinatina - are endowed with the same high virtues as Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon, and are in no way inferior to them. Rustaveli speaks about this in his famous saying:

Lion children are equal to each other
Whether it's a lion cub or a lioness.

Numerous sayings are scattered throughout Rustaveli's poem - for example, the poet's statements about the harmfulness of lies, his preaching of the need to show perseverance and firmness in any trouble, and many others. Great importance Rustaveli’s teaching on poetry as a branch of wisdom, as well as his condemnation of empty, entertaining poetry, contributed to the development of Georgian artistic culture.

Rustaveli's poem rose high above the level of the dark and gloomy Middle Ages, becoming the first harbinger of humanism in world literature.

But the greatness and immortality of this work lies not only in its rich ideological content. It is a true masterpiece of poetic creativity, an unsurpassed example in the art of words to this day. Written in the genre of a novel in verse, the poem is built on the basis of a sharply dramatized plot, developing according to the laws of increasing plot development. The style of the poem contributes to the clear expression of the deep thoughts embedded in it. The verbal fabric of this large philosophical and poetic work is replete with wonderful metaphors and comparisons, rich in carefully selected euphonious rhymes. By masterfully alternating two main poetic meters (the so-called high and low “shairi”), the dynamic rhythmic composition of the poem is achieved. Rustaveli – genius artist words drawing monumental poetic images endowed with bright character traits.

Dark, reactionary forces angrily pursued Rustaveli and tried to destroy his poem. This explains the fact that in the official historical documents of the Rustaveli era we do not find the name of the brilliant author of “The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger.”

Since the thirties of the 13th century, Georgia was subjected to devastating invasions of the Mongol hordes, which ravaged the country. Enemies destroyed most of the written monuments of the era. Of everything literary heritage era of Rustaveli, besides “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger”, only two works by the famous odopists of this time have reached us - Shavteli and Chakhrukhadze - and two monuments of artistic prose: “Visramiani” and “Amiran-Darejaniani”. The manuscript of Rustaveli's poem has not survived. The poem has reached us only in copies of the late 16th and early XVII centuries. The first printed edition of The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger was burned by the reactionary clergy in the 18th century.

But the people carefully and lovingly preserved the great poetic creation persecuted by reactionary forces. Over the centuries, Rustaveli's poem has educated the Georgian people in the spirit of courage and bravery, love of freedom and humanism. The people inscribed the immortal words of the poet on their battle banners:

Better than a glorious death
What a shameful life!

Shota Rustaveli had a huge influence on the subsequent development of Georgian literature. From the beginning of the 17th century, when Georgian culture began to revive again, Rustaveli’s poem acquired the significance of a true example of poetic creativity. The great classics of Georgian literature of the last century - Nikolai Baratashvili, Ilya Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, Vazha Pshavela, Alexander Kazbegi and others - learned a lot from the great Rustaveli.

The heroic spirit of Rustaveli's poem is in tune with ours socialist reality– the most heroic era in the entire history of mankind; it is close to our Soviet people - the most heroic and freedom-loving people in the world. The humanistic ideals of the great poet, his noble dreams about the triumph of freedom and truth, about the friendship of peoples, about the equality of men and women have found fruition in our Soviet country. The feeling of selfless patriotism, love and friendship, courage and bravery glorified by the poet constitute the characteristic features of moral character Soviet man. That is why this great creation does not lose its vitality and relevance today.

“The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger” has become the property of all the peoples of our great Motherland. On the bright holiday of all multinational Soviet culture The 750th anniversary of the poem culminated in 1937. Now “The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger” has been translated into the languages ​​of many peoples of our Motherland. There are five complete translations of the poem in the language of the great Russian people. “The Knight in Tiger Skin” took its rightful place in the treasury classical culture Soviet peoples, on a par with creative heritage Pushkin and Shevchenko, Nizami and Navoi, with “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, “David of Sassoun” and other masterpieces folk epic fraternal peoples of the USSR. Rustaveli's poem has been translated and is being translated into many languages ​​of the peoples of the West and East; it occupies a worthy place in the spiritual life of all progressive humanity.

Beso Zhgenti

The first story.
About Rostevan, the Arab king

Lived in Arabia once
King from God, happy king -
Rostevan, fearless warrior
And the ruler is just.
Indulgent and generous,
Surrounded by loud glory,
Until old age he
He ruled his own country.

And I was at Rostevan’s
Daughter - Princess Tinatina.
And her beauty shone
Serene and innocent.

Like stars in a clear sky
The young eyes sparkled.
Having seen such beauty,
People were losing their minds.

The mighty king is calling
Their wise viziers.
Majestic and calm,
He makes them sit down.
Says: “Oh, how fragile
Everything is arranged in the world!
Let's sit down, friends, I need
In your friendly advice.

Here in my beautiful garden
The rose dries, fades,
But look, she's being replaced
Another one appears.
I lived in this world for a long time,
Now death is knocking on me, -
My daughter, from now on
Rules you like a queen."

But the nobles answered:
“Tsar, with the flawed moon,
No matter how the stars shine,
No one can compare.
Let in your beautiful garden
The rose is quietly fading -
Fading Rose
It smells sweetest of all.

But we agree with you.
Here's our solution:
Let him rule the country from now on
The one that is not more beautiful.
And intelligence and nobility
The girl is different.
Lion children are equal to each other
Whether it’s a lion cub or a lioness.”

In the palace among the courtiers
There was a handsome man Avtandil,
Young military leader
A young warrior, full of strength.
He loved the princess for a long time
And now I was happier than everyone else,
Having heard that Tinatina
Reign on the throne.

Together with Vizier Sograt
He erected a magnificent throne for her,
And a crowd of noble Arabs
Gathered from all sides.
And the commander brought
The entire Arab squad,
To greet the queen -
Young Tinatina.

Here is Princess Tinatina
The father sat him on the throne,
He gave her the royal scepter,
He put a crown on his head.
Trumpets sounded, cymbals
They thundered in front of the girl,
All the people bowed to her
And he called her queen.

Tinatina is crying, crying,
Tears flow from the eyes,
Tender cheeks are blushing
And they glow like roses.
“Oh, don't cry! - her father whispers to her.
You are the queen, be calm:
Before the army and the people
It is unworthy to lament.

Like weeds and roses
The sun shines all year round.
Be the same sun as you
For slaves and masters.
Be fair and generous
As your soul tells you:
Generosity will increase fame
And it will tie hearts to you.”

Father's teachings
The obedient daughter listened
And the treasury from the dungeons
She ordered it to be taken out immediately.
Brought in large jugs
Hundreds of yachts, pearls,
And her Arabian horses
The groom led him out of the stables.

Tinatina smiled,
Got up from the table
I gave everything away to the people,
I gave away all the wealth.
Queen of glorious warriors
She ordered to give it gold.
The one who was hitherto poor
He left the palace rich.

The sun was approaching sunset.
The golden day faded.
The king thought, and down
He hung his head.
Avtandil said to Sograt:
“The king, apparently, was tired.
We need to come up with a joke
To make him happy."

Here they stand, feasting,
Pour a glass,
Smile at each other
And they approach Rostevan.
Sograt says with a smile:
“O lord, what’s wrong with you?
Why is your face beautiful
Are you clouded with sadness?

You probably remember
About your treasures, -
Your daughter, without knowing the limits,
I distributed them to the people.
It would probably be better
Don't put her on the throne
Why waste the treasury?
Ruining the state."

“You are brave, vizier! - answering,
The Tsar Father laughed. -
Even the slanderer will not say
That the Arab king is a miser.
Remembering the past,
That's why I was upset
That no one knows military science
Didn't learn from me.

Listen, my brave vizier,
Listen, daughter Tinatin:
I had everything in this world,
But God didn’t give me a son.
My son would be equal to me,
And now by the will of God
Only one military leader
Looks a little like me."

Having heard the royal word,
Avtandil smiled.
“Why are you laughing, knight?” -
The king asked, frowning.
“Tsar,” answered the young knight,
Make me a promise first
That you won't judge me
For an offensive confession.

King, you are in vain to boast
In front of the whole country,
That no one in military science
Can't compare to you.
I know it perfectly
All military science.
If you want, we'll argue
Who shoots more accurately with a bow?

Rostevan, laughing, exclaimed:
“I accept the brave challenge!
Let them have a competition
And then do whatever you want.
Apologize before it's too late
Otherwise, beaten by me,
You go through three days
With bare head."

The king was happy again
And he laughed and joked.
The vizier laughed with him
And brave Avtandil.
Seeing the king cheerful,
The guests instantly cheered up,
Again the dishes began to smoke,
The goblets began to hiss again.

And as soon as in the east
The radiance of the day spread,
Avtandil the military leader
He sat on a white horse.
Wrapped with a golden turban
There was a snowy brow
And the weapons thundered
Hitting the saddle.

Surrounded by arrows
A field opened before him
Between the bushes along the ravines
The animals jumped freely.
Squads of hunters in the distance
And dashing beaters
The ringing trumpets were blown
And they were driven towards them.

So the king appeared too
On his Arabian horse,
And the hunters bowed down
Before him in slavish respect.
And skilled assistants
The army galloped around him,
To count the animals killed
Or send arrows.

“Well, it hurt! - the king exclaimed.
We will strike easily and surely!”
Two arrows rose from bows
A goat and a chamois fell at once.
Dust swirled in pillars,
The horses rushed like the wind,
And the animals rushed
Scattered from the chase.

But more and more often the arrows struck,
The animals fell in the darkness,
There was a wild roar on the field,
Blood flowed along the ground.
Two hunters were flying
And, shooting while galloping,
Suddenly the horses stopped
On a rocky shore.

There was a field behind
Ahead there is a river and a forest.
Of the animals who remained alive,
He has now disappeared into the forest.
The king said: “My victory!
Hey, slaves, take the arrows." -
“Sir, my victory!” -
The brave hunter objected.

So, joking and bickering,
They stood above the river.
Meanwhile the animals were killed
The king's servants counted.
“Well, slaves, reveal the truth,”
The lord ordered them, -
Which one of us is in the competition?
Was there a winner?

The king, having heard this news,
I hugged the glorious fighter,
And the despondency disappeared
From a tired face.
The trumpets blew loudly,
And a fun hunt
Sat down under the trees,
Taking a break from the hike.

The second story.
About how Rostevan saw the knight in tiger skin

Suddenly the nobles noticed
What's above the river
A stranger is seen
He captivated everyone with his beauty.
He sat and cried bitterly,
And the horse has a long rein
He held, and the horse was in harness
Precious and ancient.

With surprise and alarm
The king looks at the knight.
So he called the slave to him,
Sends to a stranger.
The slave drove up to the stranger,
He spoke the royal word,
But the knight is silent and does not hear,
Only tears flow again.

What a hello to him!
What does the Tsar’s speech mean to him!
He is silent and weeps bitterly,
Thought wandering far away.
Slave, frightened and pale,
Repeats the order.
The slave looks at the stranger
But in response there was only silence.

The slave has returned. What to do here?
The king calls the twelve best
Brave young slaves,
The bravest and most powerful.
He says: “It’s your turn.
Here are swords, shields and arrows.
Bring a stranger.
Be valiant and brave."

They went. Hearing
The sound of guns on the road
The stranger looked back.
"Woe is me!" - said in alarm,
He wiped away his tears, straightened his sword,
He pulled the horse with his hand,
But the slaves have already overtaken
Surrounding him with a crowd.

Woe, woe, what happened here!
He grabbed the leader
Hit it to the right, hit it to the left,
He threw one at another,
He strikes others with a lash
It cut all the way to the chest.
Blood flowed, horses snored,
People fell like sheaves.

The king was furious. With Avtandil
He gallops onto the battlefield.
The stranger drives quietly.
On the beautiful Merani [ 1
Merani– a winged horse, an image of Georgian mythology.

]
His horse looks like him. And the knight,
Like the sun in the sky, bright.
Suddenly he saw a chase
And he noticed the king in her.

He whipped his horse and flew up
A wonderful horse, obedient to his will
The rider... And everything disappeared.
No one is visible anymore -
No horse, no stranger.
How they fell through the ground!
Where are the tracks? No traces are visible.
They were not found, no matter how hard they tried.

Sad and gloomy
The king returned home.
The whole palace became despondent.
How to help in such trouble?
Locking myself in the bedchamber,
The king sits thoughtfully.
The musicians don't play
The sweet harp is silent.

Hour after hour passes like this.
Suddenly the king’s call was heard:
“Where is Princess Tinatina,
Where is my pearl?
Come, dear child.
My worries are heavy:
A wonderful thing happened
This morning at hunting time.

Some foreign knight
Met us in the valley.
His face is like the sun
I won't forget from now on.
He sat and cried bitterly,
He was silent in response to the messenger,
Didn't come to me with greetings
As befits a stranger.

Angry at the hero,
I sent slaves for him.
He attacked them like a devil
He interrupted and was gone.
He disappeared from my eyes,
Like a disembodied ghost
And to this day I don’t know
Who is that knight unknown?

Darkness has enveloped my heart,
I've lost my peace
The days of fun are gone
There is no former joy.
Everything is a burden to me, life is hateful,
There is no consolation for me.
No matter how many days I live -
I can’t wait to calm down!”

“Sovereign,” the princess says, “
On your golden throne
You are the ruler over kings,
All are submissive to your will.
Sent out reliable messengers,
Let them travel around the whole world,
Let them know who that knight is,
Is he human or not?

If he is the same mortal
A man like you and me
He will be found in time.
If not, then I won’t hide it,
It was, apparently, the devil,
Seducing the king.
But why should you crash?
Why should you languish in vain?

And so they did. The next morning
We rushed to all ends,
To find out about the knight,
Rostevan's messengers.
A year passes and they are all gone.
Finally the hour comes -
The messengers are returning
But their story is sad:

"Sir, within a year
We've been everywhere
We've traveled all over the world
But we didn't see him.
We asked many people
But, alas, there is only one answer:
There is no one in the world who would
He was dressed in tiger skin."

“Ah,” replied the king, “I see
My daughter was right:
I fell into the nets of hell,
I barely died from them.
That was not a knight, but a devil,
Flew away like a bird.
Away with sadness and anxiety!
Let's live and have fun! "

And lights came on everywhere
The agates flashed brightly,
The musicians started playing
The acrobats began to spin.
Once again the feast was merry,
And again there are many gifts
The one who was more generous distributed
No, it hasn’t happened before.

striking the strings of the harp,
Lonely and sad
Avtandil sat sadly.
Suddenly in his bedchamber
A black man appeared, a minister
The one whose figure is slimmer than aloe:
"My lady, queen,
He’s waiting for you in his chambers.”

The knight stood up and put on his clothes
In precious clothes.
Oh, how loudly my heart beat
Where is the ray of hope lit!
He appeared before Tinatina,
But the queen was gloomy.
He looked at Tinatina
And I couldn’t be surprised at her.

Carefully wrapped her breasts
Beautiful ermine fur,
The veil shone over the brow,
Falling like a delicate fabric,
Under a crimson veil
The magic curl trembled.
Avtandil looked at the maiden,
But he could not understand her.

“Oh queen! – he exclaimed. -
What, tell me, is bothering you?
Maybe there will be a remedy
The one that will help? -
“Oh, I’m worried, knight,
The one who cried over the river.
Day and night I see him
There is no peace for my soul.

I know you love me,
Even though he didn’t open up to me in love,
Be my faithful servant
And find where he disappeared to.
Capture the evil demon
Heal me from torment.
Leo, the sun will love you!
Know this in the hour of separation.

You look for him for three years.
They will fly by like an arrow,
And you'll come back
And you will see me.
Let's swear to each other
That we will not break the decision:
If you return with good news,
We will be wife and husband."

“Oh,” exclaimed the knight, “the sun,
Whose eyelashes are made of agate!
I swear to you with all my heart:
You are my only joy!
I was waiting for the inevitable death -
You have illuminated my whole life.
I will do everything for you,
Whatever you ask."

So they swore an oath to each other
Avtandil and Tinatina,
And the cheeks of a young maiden
Bloomed like two rubies
But the hour of separation struck,
And they broke up again.
Oh, how bitter is the hour of separation
Was for a young heart!

The night passed in melancholy and grief.
But, waking up early in the morning,
Avtandil appeared cheerful
Before the throne of Rostevan.
“Sovereign,” he said to the king, “
To learn about the queen,
Should I go around again
Our glorious borders.

Leader of the great Tinatina,
Equal to the glorious king,
I will please the humble ones,
I will conquer the rebellious.
I will multiply your lands
I will collect tribute everywhere,
And with rich gifts
I will come to you again."

Grateful to Avtandil,
The king deigned to answer:
"Leo, it doesn't become you
Avoid victories.
Go, it's your decision
The royal heart is pleased,
But alas for me if soon
You won’t come back!”

The great king embraced him,
Kissed him like a son...
The knight came out, repeating:
“Tinatina! Tinatina!
But why these prayers!
And he left alone
Saddled a dashing horse
And he rushed off on a long journey.

Comparative characteristics of Tariel and Avtandil from “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin” and William from the song “The Coronation of Louis”
First of all, we note that all these heroes fight valiantly, have extraordinary strength, commit capricious acts, and are commanders and are confident in their victory no matter what. In addition, they are unusually cruel, just remember how he dealt with Prince Tariel - “I grabbed him by the legs, and hit him with his head on a tent pole,” and how Wilhelm dealt with Anseis - “He hits him on the head with his left fist, lifts him up.” right, and lowers it onto the back of his head: In the middle he broke his jaws, and laid him dead at his feet.” There is also another important fact - the Heroes are self-willed and extremely emotional. Avtandil's willfulness is manifested in the fact that he did not listen to his ruler and went to help his friend. William's willfulness is manifested in the fact that he, without the ruler's order, killed the governor and crowned the true king on the throne. The emotionality of the Knights is manifested in the fact that they constantly cry for their lovers and their love and friendship drive them throughout the novel. Wilhelm shows his emotionality when he is told about the atrocities of Anseis, who wasted the resources of the kingdom, and he, unable to contain his anger, takes out his sword and heads to the temple to kill the traitor, but then comes to his senses and decides not to use the sword, and again in a fit of anger everything - and kills Anseis.
This is where the similarities end. Let's look at the differences. The knights from the novel are young, slender and beautiful. Throughout the story they are often called sun-faced, which means their beauty, and their beauty is also described in other beautiful words. They are also compared to aloe, which means they are slim. In the song, William is not described at all, since a knight, according to the concepts of the French people of the twelfth century, should not be beautiful, but fair, be able to fight well and command an army.
Avtandil and Tariel are very emotional. Tariel cries all the time about his beloved, and at the mention of her he loses consciousness, but their emotionality helps them think more carefully about their actions. These two heroes are rich, generous and will do anything for the sake of their friendship and love, with friendship being more important. For example, Avtandil spent the night with his unloved one in order to find out something about his friend’s beloved. They give out money and gifts just like that, because it is customary among their people and because then they will be treated with respect and will not be betrayed.
Wilhelm is also emotional, but his emotionality deprives him of his reason, and he commits spontaneous actions. He killed Anseis out of motivation to protect the throne, since the ideal of the French people is considered to be one who treats his own fairly and does not let them be offended, and also kills strangers, those who are not of the same faith.
Throughout the novel, the knights were driven by friendship and love. And Wilhelm was driven by deep feelings for the country.
Having examined the similarities and differences of the characters, we come to the conclusion that for the Georgian epic the ideal of a hero is his generosity, beauty, their emotionality, as well as how strong their love and friendship are. The ideal of the French epic is a hero who can show self-will and emotionality at the right moment, and who will also be fair to his people.

"The Knight in Tiger Skin"- epic poem written by Shota Rustaveli

Once upon a time, Arabia was ruled by the just king Rostevan, who had his only beloved daughter, the beautiful Tinatin. The king, sensing that his earthly hours were already running out, one day informed his viziers that he was transferring the throne to his daughter, and they humbly accepted his decision.

When Tinatin ascended the throne, Rostevan and his faithful military leader and beloved pupil Avtandil, who had long been in love with Tinatin, went hunting. While enjoying this favorite pastime, they suddenly noticed in the distance a lonely, saddened horseman in a tiger skin. Sad Wanderer Burning with curiosity, they sent a messenger to the stranger, but he did not obey the call of the Arabian king. Rostevan was offended and very angry, and sent twelve of his best warriors after him, but he scattered them and did not allow them to capture him. Then the king himself went to him with his faithful Avtandil, but the stranger, spurring his horse, disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

Rostevan, having returned home, on the advice of his daughter, Tinatin sends the most reliable people to look for the stranger and find out who he is and where he came from in their area. The king's messengers traveled all over the country, but never found the warrior in the tiger skin. Tinatin, seeing how his father is puzzled by the search for this mysterious man, calls Avtandil to him and asks him to find this strange horseman in three years, and if he fulfills this request, then she will agree to become his wife. Avtandil agrees and hits the road.

For three whole years Avtandil wandered all over the world, but never found him. And then one day, when he decided to return home, he met six wounded travelers who were rebuffed by a warrior dressed in tiger skin. Avtandil again went in search of him, and one day, looking around the surroundings, climbing a tree, he saw how a man in a tiger skin met a girl whose name was Asmat, she was a slave. They embraced and cried; their grief was due to the fact that for a very long time they could not find one beautiful maiden. But then the knight set off again. Avtandil met with Asmat and learned from her the secret of this unfortunate knight, whose name was Tariel. Soon after Tariel's return, Avtandil became friends with him, because they were united by one common desire - to serve their beloved. Avtandil told about his beauty Tinatin and the condition she set, and Tariel told his very sad story. Love So, once upon a time seven kings ruled in Hindustan, six of them considered their ruler the wise ruler Farsadan, who had a beautiful daughter, Nestan-Darejan. Tariel's father Saridan was the closest person to this ruler, and revered him as his brother. Therefore, Tariel was brought up at the royal court. He was fifteen years old when his father died, and then the king put him in the place of chief commander. Love quickly arose between young Nestan and Tariel. But her parents had already looked at the son of the Shah of Khorezm as a groom. Then the slave Asmat calls Tariel to her mistress’s chambers, where she and Nestan had a conversation. She reproached him for being inactive and that she would soon be given in marriage to someone else. She asks to kill the unwanted guest, and Tariel to seize the throne. That's how everything was done. Farsadan was angry and thought that this was the work of his sister, the sorceress Davar, who advised the young lovers to such deceit. Davar begins to scold the princess, when some two slaves immediately appear and send Nestan into the ark, and then set him on the sea. Davar plunges a dagger into his chest out of grief. From that day on, the princess could not be found anywhere. Tariel goes in search of her, but also does not find her anywhere.

Then the knight met the ruler Mulgazanzar Nuradin-Fridon, who was at war with his uncle, who wanted to split his country. Tariel becomes his brother-in-arms and helps him defeat the enemy. Fridon mentioned in one of his conversations that he once saw a strange ship sail to the shore, from which an incomparable beauty emerged. Tariel immediately recognized his Nestan from the description. Having said goodbye to his friend and received from him a black horse as a gift, he again goes in search of his bride. That’s how he ended up in a secluded cave, where Avtandil met him, who, satisfied with the story, goes home to Tinatin and Rostevan and wants to tell them everything, and then come back again to help the knight find his beautiful Nestan. Return Returning from his native land to the cave, he does not find the sad knight there, Asmat tells him that he again went to look for Nestan. After a while, having overtaken his friend, Avtandil sees that he is mortally wounded after a fight with a lion and a tigress. And helps him survive. Now Avtandil himself is looking for Nestan and decides to visit the ruler Fridon to learn more about the story about the beautiful girl. Afterwards, he met with a merchant caravan, whose leader was Osam. Avtandil helped him deal with the sea robbers and then, dressing in a simple dress to hide from prying eyes, pretended to be the head of the merchant caravan.

After a while they arrived in the heavenly city of Gulansharo. From the wife of one very rich nobleman, Fatma, he learns that this woman bought the sun-eyed beauty from robbers and hid her, but then she could not stand it and told her husband about her, who wanted to make her the bride of the local king, bringing the girl to him as a gift. But the captive managed to escape, and Fatma herself helped her. However, as it turned out later, she was captured again, and Fatma, who also began to look for her, heard rumors that this beauty was now engaged to Prince Kadzheti. His aunt Dularzhukht, who ruled in place of her brother, went to the funeral of her sister-witch, and gathered all the sorcerers and sorcerers for this ceremony. Reunion of loving hearts While she was away, Avtandil and Fridona came to the fortress of Kajeti together with their beloved Nestan Tiriel. A lot of adventures awaited these friends. However, soon the long-suffering hearts of lovers finally united. And then there was Avtandil’s wedding with Tinatin, and after them Tariel and Nestan got married. Faithful friends sat on their thrones and began to rule gloriously: Tariel - in Hindustan, Avtandil - in Arabia, and Fridon - in Mulgazanzar.

Main characters

• Rostevan - King of Arabia
• Tinatin - daughter of Rostevan, beloved of Avtandil
• Avtandil - commander in Arabia
• Socrates - one of the viziers of Rostevan
• Tariel - knight in tiger skin
• Shermadin - Avtandil's servant, who led the estate in his absence
• Asmat - slave Nestan-Darejan
• Farsadan - Indian king
• Nestan-Darejan - daughter of Farsadan, beloved of Tariel
• Davar - Farsadan's sister, Nestan-Darejan's teacher
• Ramaz - ruler of the Khatavs
• Nuradin-Freedon - ruler of Mulgazanzar, friend of Tariel and Avtandil
• Osam - captain of the sailors whom Avtandil saved from pirates
• Melik Surkhavi - King Gulansharo
• Usen - head of the Gulansharo merchants
• Patma - Usen's wife
• Dulardukht - Queen of Kajeti
• Rosan and Rodya are Dulardukht’s nephews; Dulardukht wanted to marry Nestan-Darejan to Rostan
• Roshak - warlord of Kajeti

Composition

Tariel – main character Shota Rustaveli's poem "The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger". He was the son of the amirbar (commander), King Farsadan of India.
He was born and spent his entire childhood at the royal court, surrounded by sages. But after great grief befell him, he went to live in the forest, among wild animals. He himself is a powerful, handsome, stately knight.
...Tariel stood mighty,
Trampling the lion under foot.
A sword drenched in scarlet blood,
Trembling in his hand...
...Tariel, like the sun,
He sat mighty on a horse,
And he devoured the stronghold
With a fiery and burning gaze...
...This knight is unknown,
Silent and dejected,
Was wearing a caftan
Lush tiger skin.
The whip was visible in his hand,
All bound in gold
The sword was hung from the belt
On an oblong belt...
His speech is pathetic, enthusiastic, powerful, embellished with numerous epithets. Tariel is a man who is fearless and courageous in battle, who values ​​and respects friendship, who never let his friends down, and who always fought for good. He sees his purpose in life as living it honestly and happily, doing good, and dying with dignity. He is sincere pure love loved Nestan-Darejan, daughter of King Farsadan. And when the Kaji kidnapped her, he searched for her for many years, did not find her, and decided to live the rest of his days in the forest, among forest animals. But his friend - Avtandil - helped him find his bride, and they, together with Fridon - the king of Mulgazanzar - freed Nestan from the Kaji fortress. Avtandil was his most devoted friend:
...Separated from Tariel,
Avtandil cries on the road:
"Woe is me! In anguish and agony
The long journey has begun again.
It is also difficult for us to be separated,
Like a date after death."
In Tariel, Rustaveli wanted to show a wise, faithful fighter for good who would never abandon his friends in trouble. Heroes like Tariel are worthy of emulation.