On marching with his chiefs of Rúm Sikandar
Fared toward the city that thou call'st Harúm,
Which was inhabited by women only,
Who suffered none to come within their gates.
Their left breasts were like eager warriors',
Who don the breastplate on the day of battle,
While on the right hand they resembled women's,—
Pomegranate-like on silk. The Sháh with all
His mighty men of Rúm approached Harúm,
And wrote a letter fit and fair and worthy
Of his high birth, addressed thus: “From the king
Of Rúm and of Írán to her that is
The ruler in Harúm.

The letter first

Named Him who ruleth o'er the starry heaven,
Of whom are justice, love, and bounteousness,
And then went on: “Whoe'er is wise of soul,
And walketh yet alive upon the world,
Hath heard of what we have achieved on earth,
And how we have exalted sovereignty,
While he that hath refused to do our bidding
Hath no couch save dark dust. Fain would I have
No place concealed from me throughout the world.
I roam not for addition's sake but ache
For knowledge. Be my hand withheld from gain,
And justice ever comrade of my soul.
If I approach 'tis not to fight with you;
My heart is set on peace and jollity.

If ye have any sage wise, shrewd, and clerkly,
When he hath read my letter of advice.
Let all of you of worth prepare to meet me,
For none shall lose by coming.”

He commanded

That a philosopher of Rúm should bear
The letter to the city of Harúm,
And added many honied words. The envoy
Was wise himself. When he arrived he saw
The city full of women and no men,
And all the people went forth to the plain
To see the Rúman. All the counsellors
In that assembly gathered round the letter
And, when a city-sage had read it over,
And grew possessed of what the Sháh proposed,
They sat, and wrote back: “O exalted Sháh!
Live ever. We have set thy messenger
Before us and have read thy letter through.
First as to what thou sayest touching kings,
Thy victories, and former fights: if thou
Shalt march against the city of Harúm
Thou wilt not see the ground for hoofs and feet
The districts of our city pass compute,
And in each one there are ten thousand women.
We sleep in arms and battle for addition.
We all are spouseless, modest maidens we.
Whichever way thou comest to this land
There is deep water to be ferried over.
When one among us hath a mind to wed
We none of us behold her face again,
And she must cross the water be the day
Fine, blusterous, or snowy. Having married,
If she shall have a daughter—one refined
And fond of hues and scents—that child of hers
Abideth ever in her native air;
But if she proveth masculine and proud
Her mother will dispatch her to Harúm;
While if the mother bringeth forth a son
He tarrieth, coming not to dwell with us.
Each night ten thousand maidens guard the river.
When one of us unhorseth in the fight
Some lion-man we set a golden crown
Upon her head and raise o'er Gemini
Her throne, and surely there are thirty thousand
Among us, wearing crown of gold and earrings,
By whose hands some illustrious warrior
Hath turned to dust upon the day of battle.

Thou art a great man, and thy fame is high;
Close not the door thereof upon thyself,
Else folk will say that thou didst fight with women,
And, after fighting, fled'st, and this will shame thee.
And ne'er be obsolete while this world lasteth;
But if thou, with thy famous men of Rúm,
Wilt come and go about Harúm, observing
All faith and courtesy, thou shalt behold
But mirth and kindness. If thy choice, O Sháh!
Be other thou wilt shrink from us in battle.
We will lead forth against thee such a host
That sun and moon shall darken.”

When this answer

Was finished an ambassadress departed
With crown and royal raiment, and with ten
Fair cavaliers. When she approached the Sháh
In state he sent some troops to welcome her.
The noble lady gave to him the letter,
And told the message of the valiant women.
Sikandar, having read that answer, chose
A man discreet and wise, sent this reply,
And said: “Be wisdom wedded to men's brains.
No kings or chiefs, exalted though they be
And favoured by the stars, are left on earth
That are not subject unto me. Black dust
And camphor-dust, and feast and battlefield,
Are one to me. I have not come with drums,
With elephants, with players on the tymbals,
And such a host that plain and mountain quake
Beneath the horses' hoofs, to fight with women.
I fain would see your city, and if ye
Will make approaches to me all is well.
When I have seen I will march hence the host,
And not abide here long. We will behold
Your policy and glory, how ye manage
Your steeds, your grace, and potence. Privily
Will I inquire as to your works and ways,
How women can exist, men absent, how
Death's ravage is repaired, and find the outcome.”
The envoy went and did his embassage
At large. The magnates met and made reply:—
“We will select two thousand women, fluent,
Learned, and discreet; each hundred have in charge
Ten crowns of gold each set with many gems,
Two hundred crowns in all, and none but kings

Are digne of them. We will collect and heap them,
Each with its jewels weighing thirty ratl.*

We will go forth to meet the Sháh when we
Are ware of his approach, for we have heard
About his knowledge and his Grace.”

The envoy

Returned and spake those words instinct with wisdom.
Sikandar marched forth from his resting-place,
And marvelled at the conduct of those women.
He went two stages, then a storm arose,
Whose snow-drifts made all level with the hills,
And many followers perished on that day
Through cold and snow. The Sháh pursued his march
Two stages farther through that grievous frost,
Then reached a burning land whence vapours rose,
And murky clouds; “The host,” thou wouldst have said,
“Was marching over fire.” The hauberks burnt
The shoulders of the Persians, and the earth
Glowed with the horse-shoes of the cavaliers,
And thus it was until they reached a land
Where they beheld all folk as black as night,
With pendent, slobbering lips; all lips and slobber
Were they, all slobber and lip! Their eyes seemed
blood;
Flames issued from their mouths! Their warriors
Brought many elephants and offerings
Before the Sháh, and said: “We caused this storm
And snow to harm you, for none e'er hath traversed
This route as we have seen your army do.”
The Sháh abode a month. When he and host
Had been refreshed he sped thence merrily,
His heart prepared, toward the women's city,
And o'er the stream two thousand women passed
With crowns and earrings on. There was a forest
Thick and well watered; all the place was glad,
And flourishing. The women brought a store
Of provand and bright, figured tapestries
Out to a mead and, when Sikandar reached
The city of Harúm, they flocked to him
Out of their settlements. Full many a crown
They proffered him, as well as raiment, gems,
And things both fair and sweet. These he accepted,
Received the women with all courtesy,
And gave them quarters in that charming spot.
When night turned day he visited the city,
And occupied himself in seeing it,
Investigating all its usages
Till all had been made clear. He questioned much,
Surveyed the river, and departed westward.
He found a mighty city of brave men

With ruddy faces and with flaxen hair,
All fit for battle and the day of fight.
They came before Sikandar at his bidding
With bodies bent and hands upon their heads.
He asked their chiefs: “What wonders have ye here?”
An elder thus replied: “Star-favoured Sháh,
And lion-capturer! there is a Deep
Beyond the city. Brighter than that water
Naught have we seen, for when the radiant sun
Arriveth there it setteth in those depths.
Beyond it all is dark and lost to sight,
While of that place of darkness I have heard
So many tales that they are numberless.
A man of lore, a worshipper of God,
Declareth that there is a fountain there,
And mine informant, who is wise and great,
Referreth to it as the Fount of Life.
That wise, discerning man said: ‘How shall one
Who drinketh of the Fount of Life e'er die?
From Paradise it runneth; wash therein
The body, and thy sins will pass away.’”
Then Cæsar said: “As to this place of gloom,
How can beasts fare therein?”

The devotee

Made answer: “Ye must ride upon young horses.”
The Sháh bade herdsmen gather to the camp
The herds at large and chose ten thousand steeds,
All four-year-olds and fit for battle-needs.