He found employment for the hunting cheetah,
Bestirred him and was minded for the chase.
He mounted him upon a speedy steed,
And pricked forth to the plain with hawk on hand.
He found a wood that was a rich man's seat.
It was as verdurous as Paradise,
And there was neither man nor beast in sight.
He said: “Here lions should be found. No man
Of prudence would sleep here.”

He entered in,

And rode about surveying it. He saw
A lion there and that he must employ
The scimitar. He shouted at the beast
And, when it bravely charged him, rode outside

The forest, blazed forth like Ázargashasp,
And, when the lion followed, strung his bow,
A hero he, shot and transfixed the creature
Through side and heart; that of the lioness
Grew all a-flame, and she too charged Bahrám,
Roared out and clawed at him. The cavalier
Smote with his sword her loins, and that brave beast
Gave up the fight. Now in the wood there dwelt
A country magnate, a God-fearing man,
Whose name was Mihr Bídád. That sword-stroke
charmed him.
With sweet words on his tongue that old man left
The wood, drew near the Sháh, blessed him, did
reverence,
And said: “O famous chief! may fortune's star
Be at thy beck. A rural chief am I,
O holy one! and owner of this march,
This tilth, and mansion, ox and ass and sheep.
Those lions caused me sorrow and despair;
Now by thy hand, thy thumb-ring, and thy hilt
God hath removed them. Tarry in our wood,*.

And I will bring thee milk and wine and honey.
I have as many lambs as thou canst want
With trees fruit-laden that will furnish shade.”
The Sháh alighted and surveyed the forest;
He found it verdurous, supplied with streams,
And fitted for a young man's dwelling-place.
Then Mihr Bídád went and fetched minstrelsy
As well as divers of the village-chiefs.
He slaughtered numbers of fat sheep and came,
Gold cup in hand. When they had eaten bread
The servants set on cups of wine with roses
And fenugreek. The host quaffed one and gave
Another to Bahrám and took all pains
To set him at his case. When Mihr Bídád
Grew blithe with wine he said: “Fair-fortuned hero!
Thou favourest the Sháh or the full moon
At midnight.”

Said Bahrám: “Yea, that is so;

The King of kings designed this face of mine.
He maketh as He willeth, waxing not
Nor waning, but if I am like the Sháh
Then I have given thee this seat and forest.”
This said, he mounted, sought his pleasure-palace,
Bemused, but sleepless in the garth all night
Romanced about the lips of the beloved.

Next morn he took his seat and called for wine.
The captains of the host approached rejoicing,
And with the others came a noble man
Who from his village brought a gift of fruit—
Pomegranate, apple, quince, in camel-loads,
And posies fashioned for imperial use.
The world-lord, seeing him, saluted him,
And seated him among the paladins.
The lord that brought the posies and the fruit
Bore in the olden tongue the name Kírwí.
While he was joying to behold the Sháh,
The nobles, and the banquet-hall, he spied
A crystal goblet filled with wine which proved
His ruin. Reaching out among the lords
He grasped it, rose, and drank “The king of kings!”
Then cried: “A toper I, my name Kírwí.
Since in the presence of the king of kings
I drain the goblet I will drain again.”
This said, he drained the goblet seven times,
And distanced all the other revellers.
Then by the Sháh's permission he departed
To learn if he could bear off all that wine.
He left the jovial city for the plain,
And when the wine was warm within his breast
He galloped from among his retinue
Toward the hills, dismounted, chose him out
A quiet, shady spot, and slumbered. Came
A black crow from the mountains and pecked out
His eyes! His escort following found him dead
And eyeless with his roadster by his side,
And wailed o'er him and at such revelry.
Now when Bahrám had wakened in his chamber
A courtier came to him, and said: “A crow
Hath pecked out both Kírwí's bright eyes while he
Was lying drunk among the hills.”

The world-lord

Grew pale of cheek thereat and sorrowful,
And from the palace proclamation issued:—
“Ye men of name endowed with Grace and sense!
Wine is a thing forbidden in the world
Alike to paladin and artisan.”
Thus passed a year while all held wine forbidden
E'en when the Sháh himself held revelry,
Or called for tales from old time legendry.