Description of Bahrām’s banquet in winter.

The building of the Seven Domes.

One day that with the light of lustrous dawn the heavens showed a clear and open brow:
Auspicious day, bright, world-illumining—happy that day! remembered be that day!—
The king with sages an assembly held as lovely as the charmer’s lovely face.
A day for house and not for garden ’twas, being the first day of the winter-time.
The garden’s lamps and candles were extinct*1079; the gardener had removed and gone away*1080.
The crow had robbed the nightingale of notes, and in the garden gave forth stolen notes*1081.
The crow’s (in truth) of none but Hindū race—in Hindūs theft is not a wondrous (act)*1082.
That artist (skilled), the early morning wind, had drawn upon the water chain-like rings.
The winter’s gleam, which robbed the fire of light, made swords from water, water too from swords*1083.
The snow-storm bearing in its hand a file, keen, glancing, pierced the eyes, and closed the springs.
The milk in fermentation grew like cheese; the blood (too) in the body icy cold*1084.
The ground had egg-plant robes*1085, ermine the mount; the sky put on (a robe of) minever.
The wild beasts lay in wait for animals; tore off their skins, and made of them skin-robes.
The plants kept down (their) heads beneath the earth; (all) things that grow were as recluses hid.
The alchemist’s work of the two-hued world*1086 had in the stone’s heart hid the ruby, fire*1087.
The roses through the furnace strained by art had plastered (too) cement above (their) heads*1088.
The drops mercurial in the water-glass were, layer upon layer, silver pure*1089.
In such a season the king’s winter-house*1090 of (all) four seasons kept the temperature*1091.
Through all the many fragrant perfumes (burnt) (well)-tempered had the wintry air become*1092.
The fruits and wines, (which were) as honey (sweet), gave sleep unto the brain, and waked the heart*1093.
A fire, of sandal and of aloes lit, had round it smoke like Hindūs at their prayers*1094.
A fire, a furtherance to cheer, a mine of Zoroastrian sulphur, red of hue*1095.
Blood that had curdled by fermenting ’twas; a piece of silk (that had been) steeped in blood*1096.
Its jujubes gave the hue of hazel-nuts; its mercury became bruised cinnabar*1097.
A ruddy apple with the core scooped out, with pomegranate-seeds stuffed within the hole*1098.
A garden (’twas) whose gardener had awaked, (and then) had bathed it in the juice of grapes*1099.
Some amber which had stained itself with pitch*1100; a sun which had assumed a veil of musk*1101.
Darkness, become a messmate of the light; a tulip growing from a ḥūrī’s locks*1102.
A Turk related to the race of Greeks*1103; the Lustre of the Eyes of Hindūs called*1104.
The torch of Jonah, or the Speaker’s lamp; the feast of Jesus, garden of Abraham*1105.
Small bricks of charcoal of a musky hue around the fire as, round a mirror, rust*1106.
Those, agate-hued, this, with cornelians’ worth; it was a mine of rubies in the dark.
Its gems, (which) to the eyes gave sustenance, (were), like the “yāqūt”, yellow, red, and blue*1107.
A young bride (’twas) whose ornaments were sparks; one ambergris-perfumed, embracing coal*1108.
A draped bower and some nooks at goldsmiths’ work*1109— an aloes-wood bower, and pomegranate-nooks*1110.
The yellow flame within the fuel’s*1111 smoke a store of gold was ’neath a swarthy snake*1112.
Its hellishness and heavenliness well known: hell by (its) heat, and heaven by (its) light.
The hell of those who to the temple go*1113; the heaven*1114 of those who take the road to heaven.
Zardusht’s Avesta tuneful round the fire; the Magians pledged their robes to it like moths*1115.
It opened pores of water which had frozen. Alas! why should it have the name of fire*1116?
Around the fire with special native grace ring-doves were flapping in the dance (their) wings*1117.
(And) in that banquet-room (all) draped with silk, pheasants and partridges were circling round*1118.
The room more pleasant than the cypress shade; the wine more rosy than the pheasant’s blood.
The ring-dove=coloured sky poured from the air ring-doves, (and) poured out from the ring-doves blood*1119.
The wine within the cup of crystal-make was like wet fire in arid water placed*1120.
The onager-eyed (beauties) drank the wine; of haunch of onager they made “kabābs”*1121.
King Bahrām Gūr drank wine (there) with his friends after the mode of world-possessing kings*1122.
Wine and dessert-fruits, music and some friends—some intimates, partakers of the wine.
The rosy wine, sweet smiler like the rose: a ripe thing crushed to death, a living fire*1123.
By music brains were heated, and the heart through warmth of feeling grew as soft as wax.
The sensible swept (clean) the path of cheer*1124; gave utterance to fine and witty words.
Whoe’er had any store, said from that store something within the bounds of his degree.
When speech became enchained with speech (these words) came from the tongue of one of eloquence:
The lofty steps which on the sky the king has mounted, and the subtlety he has*1125—
No one, in what is manifest or hid, has seen in any of the kings of earth*1126.
We by the glory of the (monarch’s) head*1127 have everything through his auspicious steps*1128.
Safety and health (for us); distress for foes; abundance of advantages (for us).
Health, safety, and subsistence—these three (things) are the essentials, other (things) but vain.
When clothed the body and the stomach full, say, Be not pearls or rubies in the world!
(Then) we who have (with us) a king like you, in having you have everything (we can).
Would that in that there were some means by which the evil eye might e’er from us be turned*1129!
That the stars’ motion and the heavens’ march an aspect so auspicious (e’er) might show!
That the good luck of joy might never stray, pleasure not ruined be for those who joy!
So that the king might be for ever glad, the wind not snatch the grain of his delight*1130.
’Tis urgent that the monarch’s life be gay, if (e’en) our lives be sacrificed ’tis fit.
When to an end the speaker brought (his) speech, all present fixed (their) hearts upon the speech*1131.
The words took from the heart anxiety*1132; the speech was by the hearts of all approved.
A man of noble mind was there with them, a lordly man of honourable birth.
Shīda by name, sun-bright*1133, adorner, he, with (his) designs of all (both) black and white*1134.
A master in the work of drawing too, and in surveying famed geometer.
Physics, geometry, astronomy—all in his hands was like a ball of wax.
A finished worker in the building-art; in painting and in sculpture artist skilled;
Who, using brush and chisel, by his work took Mānī’s soul and Farhād’s heart away*1135.
Simnār was his first master, and, in truth, to learning an apprenticeship he’d served*1136.
He’d helped his master in Khavarnaq erst in painting and in sculptured work as well*1137.
When at that feast he saw the monarch gay; fluent of tongue, with fervidness of heart*1138,
He kissed the earth, paid homage to the king, sat down again when he had kissed the earth.
He said, If by the king I’m given leave, I’ll keep the evil eye far from his lands;
For I can weigh the sky, I know the stars, by reason know the business of the stars.
In painting and in building you may think I have the inspiration of (true) art.
I’ll form a likeness to the lofty spheres*1139, by means of which they will not harm the king.
Whilst he is in the picture-room, the world, he’ll have no fear of the celestial stars.
Placed in the place of safety as to life, on earth he’ll be, (in power), as the sky*1140.
I mean, from my ideas of the affair*1141 like the Seven Skies*1142 I’ll make a seven-domed house.
The hue of every dome distinct, more fine than hue of any idol-temple known.
Seven rare and charming idols has the king*1143, each signalized as of a different Clime*1144.
In ground-work and in columns every Clime*1145 is with a certain planet in accord*1146.
(And) for the seven days of every week the seven planets, it is plain, appear*1147.
On such days, days to light a festive scene, let him take pleasure in a dome each day;
Put on attire in colour as the house, and with the charmer of the house drink wine.
If with these words (of mine) the king conform, he’ll magnify himself, be glorious.
So long as life exists and may be used*1148, (the king) will have enjoyment of his life.
The king said, Granting that I do (all) this, the house of gold, the doors of iron make,
Since at the end of things I needs must die, why should I all this pain and trouble bear?
As to your words, that I should raise a house of domes, and in such wise adorn the domes—
Houses of fancy and desire all these—where is the house of servitude to God?
Although in all of them I may express applause, where shall I the Creator seek*1149?
Again he said, These words are ill-conceived—why spoke I of the place-Creator’s place?
He who cannot in (any) place be seen may be adored and served in every place.
The monarch spoke these words, was silent (then)—his brain full of excitement from the theme.
For he had seen in Simnār’s formula*1150 what served as comment on the seven forms;
Those fairy forms too of the Seven Climes like pearls of price he in his casket had.
These words upon the world-king had effect, for he had knowledge of a secret scheme*1151.
He used not haste in answering the words; he gave no answer for a few short days*1152.
When after these expressions several days had passed, the brilliant king for Shīda sent;
Asked him to do what he had erst proposed, (and) settled all things wanted for his work.
He made a treasure ready, gave him means, that he might take the trouble if he could.
(Then) for the work of marking out the site a day by Bahrām’s aspect blest was chosen*1153
Under a good ascendant by a man observant of ascendants, skilled in stars*1154.
Shīda with an ascendant auguring good laid the foundation of the house of domes.
He’d made it in two years so heavenly that no one could distinguish it from heaven.
When one in dome-constructing so expert had built so fine a house of seven domes;
Had, as to the ascendant of each one, fulfilled (all) the conditions made at first*1155,
The monarch came, and seeing seven skies*1156 in friendship hand in hand together joined,
He thought how the act of Nu‘mān towards Simnār throughout all countries had become well-known;
(And how) the killing of that wondrous man*1157 was dis­approved by all who could discern.
The town of Āmul*1158 he to Shīda gave, that Shīda might through Bahrām be content.
He said, If (King) Nu‘mān (once) did a wrong by treatment so severe of one, a friend,
My justice will amend that act of wrong—from lavishness not that, nor this from greed*1159.
The action of the world can be like this—it gives one loss, and gives another gain.
(Like) a “kabāb” one friend becomes through thirst*1160; another friend immersed in water drowns.
All are bewildered at their own affairs; except submission know no remedy*1161.
No one the secret of this knows but God, He, only, knowledge of all secrets has.