Upon the seventh day that comely Sháh
Arrayed his host as 'twere the turning sky,
The din of tymbals went up from the court,
And air grew ebon with the dust of troops.
He chose a force of Persians and set out
Toward Ázar Ábádagán. There passed
Two weeks what while by order of the Sháh
The soldiers concentrated at his camp.
He pitched it on the plain of Dúk; the army
Was great and under Rúman discipline.
He gave the whole host up to Niyátús,
Thus saying: “Thou art master of the flock,”
And thence with certain valiant cavaliers
Let his swift steed have rein and made toward
Khanjast—an anxious journey—till he reached
Mausíl, the Armenian, who could hold his own
Among the great and had with him Bandwí,
The Sháh's maternal uncle. Now these twain,
On hearing that Khusrau Parwíz was stirring,
Sped from the waste to meet him on the way,
Preceding their own troops. To Gustaham
The Sháh said, seeing them upon the road:—
“O warrior! two are hurrying o'er the field:
“O sun-faced Sháh!
Hast thou no kindly welcome for Mausíl?”
He answered. “Since thou left'st Írán for Rúm
He hath not slept in lands inhabited,
But camped upon the plain, his palace been
Tent and pavilion. The troops with him
Are many; he hath all the gear of greatness,
With drachms and treasures. Now he hath been
waiting
Upon the road and longed for thy return.”
“How came it,” asked the world-lord of Mausíl,
“That all thy toil was hidden? We will strive
To give thee happy days and make thy name
The greatest of the great.”
Mausíl replied:—
“Give me new life, O king! Let me approach
And kiss thy stirrup while I praise thy Grace
And splendour.”
“For these words,” replied the Sháh,
“I will make bright thy gains to pay thy pains,
Will grant thy wish and set thy name on high
Above the great.”
Then he withdrew one foot
Out of the stirrup, and that ardent soul,
All eagerness, kissed foot and stirrup both,
O'ercome by veneration for the Sháh,
Who, when that loyal liege was satisfied,
Bade him remount and urged his own steed on
Across that barren waste until he reached
This said, he girt
His golden belt and sought the plain of Dúk
With wounded heart in trouble for his way:
Night fell ere he reached camp.
He sent shrewd spies
To learn the posture of the world's affairs,
And when the army of Nímrúz had heard:—
“The Sháh, the lustre of the world, hath come,”
They bound the drums upon the elephants,
And earth became as 'twere the river Nile.
All folk at that intelligence, which made
Them young again, drew near to give him aid.