Now when the ebon Veil had disappeared,
And in the distance cock-crow reached the ear,
The winner of the world with stricken heart,
And deeply sorrowful, approached his sire,
On seeing him lamented, did obeisance,
And tarried long with him. Khusrau Parwíz,
Beholding his sire's face, sighed deeply, kissed
His eyes and head and feet, then said to him
With full heart and with face all wet with tears:—
“My father, fortune's mate, thou memory
Of Núshírwán! thou know'st that none had pricked
Thy finger had I been but there to help thee.
See what thou wilt command me; grief hath come
Upon thee and my heart is full. If now
Thou biddest I am at thy gate a slave
To guard thy head. I seek not crown, I want
Not host, and lay my head before thy throne.”
Hurmuzd replied: “O prudent one! my day
Of misery will pass from me, and he
That perpetrated this will soon be gone:
Both trouble and delight are transient.
I ask three things of thee, no more, and one
Is that each morning at the break of day
Thou wilt delight mine ears with thine own voice;
The second is that thou wilt send to me
Some noble cavalier scarred with long fight
To talk to me of warfare and the chase,
And some old sage to hold discourse of kings,
And bring to me the records to abate
My pain and misery; and my third wish
Is that thy mother's brothers, who are not
Thine equals but thy slaves, shall never see
The world henceforth: discharge thy wrath on them
For all this grief.”

“O king!” he made reply,

“May that man perish who deploreth not
Thine eyes and be thy foes, though their ill deeds
Be secret, banished from the world, but still
Consider in that lucid mind of thine:
Bahrám Chúbína hath been paladin
While with him there are countless forces—horsemen
And gallant sworders—and if we lay hand
On Gustaham no refuge will be left us;

But as regardeth an old scribe to read
The annals, and some war-primed cavalier,
Skilled in the feast withal, I will dispatch
Such ever new to thee. Be no whit sad,
And hold not thou the action Gustaham's;
'Tis God's because of senseless words and deeds.
May thy heart bear this anguish, and may patience
Consort with wisdom; but should fortune serve
I will myself exact complete revenge
On Gustaham and reprobate Bandwi,
And give them shroudless to the dogs to eat.
Be of good cheer, O son of Núshírwán!
And may thy soul be ever young.”

He spake,

And left the presence weeping but reserved.
The son was kindlier-tempered than the king
In which regard a man of wisdom said:—
“A bland youth, sweet-tongued, is a better friend
Than some fierce warrior ageing to his end,
Yet at the last dust is the common lot
Of one of parts and one that hath them not;
Albeit to learn of one there is no need,
Who saith that wits and fools are of one breed,
For knowledge will ensure thy fair surcease,
And heaven in Paradise will give thee peace.
As victuals serve to keep the body whole,
So knowledge is all needful for the soul.
Cry to the Holy and Supreme in all,
And be all undismayed at great or small.”