The Knight in the Panther's Skin
by Shota Rustaveli 
The Knight in the Panther's Skin (Georgian: ვეფხისტყაოსანი literally "one with a skin of a tiger") is a Georgian
medieval epic poem, written in the 12th century by Georgia's national poet Shota Rustaveli. A definitive work of the  
Georgian Golden Age, the poem consists of over 1600 Rustavelian Quatrains and is considered to be the "masterpiece  
of the Georgian literature". Until the early 20th century, a copy of this poem was part of the dowry of any bride.Taking place in the
 fictional settings of exotic "India" and "Arabia", the poem is a colorful allegory of the rule of  
Queen Tamar of Georgia, and the size and glory of the Kingdom of Georgian in its Golden Age. It tells the friendship  
of two heroes, Avtandil and Tariel, and their quest to find the object of love, Nestan-Darejan, an allegorical embodiment  
of Queen Tamar. These idealized heroes and devoted friends are united by courtly love, generosity, sincerity, dedication,  
and proclaim equality between men and women, which is a recurring theme. The poem is regarded as the "coronation  
of thought, poetic and philosophical art of medieval Georgia", a complex work with rich and transcending genres. It has
 been described as "epic", "chivalric romance", "epic romance" and "epic poem of Iyric poetry." Despite its formal complexity,
 it bears to this day "the Georgian vision of the world." 

Context and timeThe creation of the poem corresponds to the Golden Age of the Kingdom of Georgia and the reign of  
Queen Tamar who was  
enthroned by her father King George III of Georgia. Tamar was celebrated by poets for her beauty, intelligence and  
diplomatic skills. She magnified the Georgian kingdom to its historical maximum extension, repulsed the invasions and  
established protectorates over many Muslim and Christian lands around. Under her reign, the economy prospered and  
the Georgian caravans reached Ayyubid Egypt, the Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire. Medieval science grew and  
the largest monasteries and churches in Georgia were built, secular literature developed to the point of equaling the greatest
 religious texts. It was with the backdrop of this "remarkable growth" that Shota Rustaveli composed his poem. Rustaveli, a meskhetian from
 the south-western Georgian town of Rustavi, was close to Queen Tamar and possibly served as her treasurer.
 He likely participated in many military campaigns and the stories in his poem are set in faraway lands, but allegorical  
representations of his contemporaneous Georgia are recognizable in his work by many things, such as references to wine
 culture and a female king who became an heir of her father.In the very Prologue, Rustaveli mentions that he wrote this poem for praising the
 "King" Tamar.

თამარს ვაქებდეთ მეფესა სისხლისა ცრემლ-დათხეული,ვთქვენი ქებანი ვისნი მე არ-ავად გამორჩეული.
მელნად ვიხმარე გიშრის ტბა და კალმად მე ნა რხეული,
ვინცა ისმინოს, დაესვას ლახვარი გულსა ხეული.
By shedding tears of blood we praise King Tamar,
whose praises I, not ill-chosen, have told forth.
For ink I have used a lake of jet, and for pen a pliant crystal.
Whoever hears, a jagged spear will pierce his heart.

And in the epilogue he praises the queen's king consort David Soslan.

ქართველთა ღმრთისა დავითის, ვის მზე მსახურებს სარებლად,ესე ამბავი გავლექსე მე მათად მოსახმარებლად,
ვინ არის აღმოსავლეთით დასავლეთს ზართა მარებლად,
და ორგულთა მათთა დამწველად, ერთგულთა გამახარებლად.
God of the Georgians, David, who the sun is his servant,
And here I wrote this poetry for their use,
The one who rules on the east and west,
To burn the infidels, and please the devoted.