Now at that time 'twas Cæsar's policy,
Whenever he possessed a daughter grown
To womanhood, well favoured by the stars,
And he perceived that she was fit to wed,
To gather to his palace all the magnates,
The sages, and the counsellors—all those
Of competent degree and high estate
Among the nobles—and the moon-faced damsel
Would roam her father's hall to seek a spouse,
But so surrounded by her waiting-maids
That men could view not e'en her lofty crown.
He had three daughters then within his bower,
Like roses in the spring, tall, fair, and gentle,
Wise, modest, and well seen in everything.
The eldest was the princess Katáyún,
The wise, the merry, and high-spirited.
One night she dreamed that all the country shone
With sunlight. There appeared a throng of men,
The Pleiades among them and a stranger—
A wanderer of mournful heart and wise,
In height a cypress and in looks a moon,
Whose seat was as a king's upon his throne—
And Katáyún held out to him a posy,
A posy bright and sweet, which he accepted.
As soon as day dawned, and the sun arose,
The nobles woke, and Cæsar called together
A vast assembly of the great and brave,
Who sat rejoiced. The fairy-faced princess
Was summoned, and appeared with sixty handmaids,
A bunch of fresh narcissus in her hand,
And roamed about until she grew aweary,
But no one of the throng found favour with her.
She went back from the hall to her apartments
In state, but wept; her heart yearned for a husband.
Meanwhile earth grew as dark as ravens' wings
Until the Lamp rose o'er the mountain-tops;
Then Cæsar bade that all the wealthy nobles
Among his lieges in the land of Rúm
Should meet together in his lofty palace,
That some one might find favour by his beauty.
Now when the tidings came to every chieftain,
To high and low alike, the same good friend
Said to Gushtásp: “How long wilt thou be hidden?
Come! It may be that looking on the palace
And throne of greatness may abate thy grief
Of heart.”

Gushtásp thereat set forth with him,

And sat down in the palace but apart,
Aggrieved, and sore. Shrewd-hearted slaves appeared,
Then Katáyún with rosy-cheeked attendants.
She roamed the hall with slaves before and after,
And when from far she saw Gushtásp she said:—
“The meaning of my dream is manifest,”
And set the rich and splendid coronal
Upon his glorious brow. On seeing this
The minister, her tutor, came in haste
To Cæsar, saying: “She hath chosen one
In stature like a cypress in the orchard,
With cheeks like rosebuds, and such neck and shoulders
That whosoever seeth is astonied!
Thou wouldest say: ‘Here is the Grace of God,’
And yet we do not know him!”

Cæsar answered:—

“Forbid it, Heaven! that a child of mine

Should wrong her race. If I give him my daughter
My head will be abased in ignominy;
We must behead them both within the palace.”
The bishop said: ‘'Tis not so grave a case,
And hath occurred to many chiefs before thee.
Thou saidest to thy daughter: ‘Choose a husband.’
Thou saidest not: ‘Choose an illustrious prince,’
And she hath taken him that pleaseth her;
Show then submission to the will of God.
This was the custom of thine ancestors,
Those eminent, God-fearing, holy men,
And Rúm hereon is founded; take not thou
A new way when the land is prospering;
It would not be auspicious. Speak not so,
And by untrodden paths forbear to go.”