He led his army thence toward Chín and raised
The chiefs' heads to the Pleiads. Stage by stage
He crossed the desert till in forty days
He reached the sea,*

dismounted there his troops
And pitched the camp-enclosure of brocade.
He ordered then a scribe to write a letter
As from Sikandar, conqueror of cities,
Bade that the letter should comprise all kinds
Of fair and foul, and, when the scribe had finished.
Went as ambassador. He chose a Persian,
A shrewd man, one with him in heart and word,
To bid him “Do” or “Do not.” Then he gave
The captain of the host charge of the troops,
And of the Rúmans took with him five sages.
When tidings reached Faghfúr: “There is an envoy
Approaching Chín” he sent a force of troops
To meet him, and Sikandar fared in state.
He reached that spacious court. Faghfúr beheld
That chosen troop of valiant men and came,
With mind averse and anxious, from the entry
To meet Sikandar who ran up to him,
Did him obeisance, and sat long within
The hall of audience. Faghfúr gave greeting,
Received him well, and lodged him splendidly.
Now when the bright Lamp rose above the mountains
They brought a horse caparisoned with gold,

And summoned the Sháh's envoy to the presence.
Sikandar spake at large, said what was fit,
Then gave the letter, and recalled what Cæsar
Had said. The letter's superscription ran:—
“From Rúm's Sháh, who is world-lord and the prince
Of every march and land, whom other monarchs
Praise, to Faghfúr, the glory of the realm.”
The letter thus began: “Praise to the Maker
From us His slaves,” and then went on to say:—
“Our will for Chín is this, that it should prosper.
Ye should not fight us; that cut short Fúr's life.
So was it with Dárá, who ruled the world,
Faryán the Arab, and with other chiefs.
From west to east none hath escaped our sway.
Heaven knoweth not the number of my troops
Though Venus, Mercury, and Sol shall count them.
If thou infringest my command in aught
Thou wilt but vex the country and thyself.
Prepare thy tribute when thou readest this,
Be not aggrieved, and meddle not with evil.
If thou wilt come and see me and my host
I will regard thee as ally and friend,
Assure to thee thy throne and crown, and fortune
Shall harm thee not; but if thou wouldst not come
Before thy lord, send to my treasury
The rarities of Chín, as golden ware,
Swords, steeds and signets, raiment, slaves, and thrones
Of ivory, rich brocade and torques and crowns—
Whate'er thou hast—as thou wouldst be unscathed
By us. Repulse mine army by these means,
And keep in safety crown and throne and treasure.
Thou know'st both courses now: my host expecteth
Thy fall or rise. The Maker bless thee. Mayst
Thou ne'er have reason to recall my words!”
The lord of Chín, on seeing such a letter,
Was wroth but showed it not and with a smile
Said to the envoy: “Heaven is thy Sháh's consort!
Tell what thou canst about his looks, his stature,
His prowess, and his speech.”

The envoy said:—

“O chief of Chín! know, none is like Sikandar
On earth. In prowess, bounty, rede, and wisdom,
He passeth man's conception. Cypress-tall
Is he, an elephant in strength, a Nile
In bounty, and in tongue a trenchant sword.
His blandness draweth eagles from the clouds.”

Faghfúr, on hearing this, took other order.
He bade serve meat and wine, and deck a hall
Within the garth. They quaffed till it was dark,
And they were all bemused. The lord of Chín
Said to the ambassador: “Be Jupiter
Thy Sháh's ally. Tomorrow I will answer,
And make the day right glorious in thy sight.”
Now when Sol rose in Leo, and the sky
Had night alow, Sikandar drew anear,
But not with ill prepense. Faghfúr inquired:—
“How went the night, for thou wast flushed wine-red
Yestre'en when going hence?” then bade a scribe
To come with paper, musk, and spicery,
And wrote a warm rejoinder, and adorned,
Like Paradise, that paper wrought in Chín;
And first he praised the Judge, the Lord of manhood,
Of justice, and accomplishment, the Lord
Of learning, self-control, and Faith, “and may
He bless the king of Rúm. Thy courteous envoy
Hath reached us with the letter of the Sháh,
That seeker after knowledge. We have read
Thy royal words and with the great discussed them.
For what in fight and feast befell Dárá,
Son of Dáráb, Faryán, and Fúr whom thou
Didst triumph over and become the shepherd,
With monarchs as the flock: the Lord of sun
And moon so ordered it; impute it not
To prowess and the number of thy troops,
For when a chief's life endeth 'tis all one
To die in feast or fight. Thou foughtest them
Upon their fated day which altereth not.
Boast not and vaunt not over them, for thou
Past doubt wilt pass thyself, though thou be iron.
Where are Jamshíd, Zahhák, and Farídún?
They came from wind and went to wind again.
I neither fear thee nor will fight with thee.
Not, as with thee, doth bluster fill my head,
Who am not used to bloodshed, while ill-doing
Is not accordant to my Faith. Thou call'st me
Before thee but in vain, for I serve God,
Not king. I send thee more than thou dost ask;
Regarding largess I am not contentious.”
Upon his cheek Sikandar felt the blush
Of shame, his liver arrow-pierced with what
Faghfúr had said, and thought: “None shall behold me
Fare in disguise henceforth.”

He left the palace,

Went to his lodging, and prepared to leave.
The great Faghfúr unlocked his treasury;
He grudged not bounty. First he bade make ready
An ivory throne and fifty crowns inlaid
With gems, and load with gold and silver ware
A thousand camels and a thousand more
With silk and satins, with brocade of Chín,
With camphor, aloe, musk, and spicery.
He liveth at his ease who scorneth gold.
Of squirrel, ermine, and of sable pelts,
Of rugs, of horse-hides, and of weazel-skins,
The prudent treasurer brought forth and packed
Of every sort two thousand, brought withal
High-mettled steeds caparisoned with gold,
And slave-boys too, three hundred, with gold girdles.
They brought three hundred red-haired camels laden
With many a rarity of Chín. Faghfúr
Chose from among the elders one of weight,
And sugared speech, and bade him go with greeting
And message to the Sháh, and bear to him
The glad news that the chiefs would do him homage
So long as he was in the coasts of Chín.
The envoy set forth with Sikandar. Who
Would think that he was Sháh? But when the sailors
Saw him, sprang up, and lightly spread the sails,
And when the viceroy met him with the troops,
Reporting what had chanced,*

while all the soldiers
Praised him and bent their faces to the ground,
The man of Chín perceived: “It is the Sháh!”
And went to him afoot protesting loudly.
Sikandar said to him: “Make no excuses,
And mention not the matter to Faghfúr.”
That night he rested and next day at dawn,
When he was set in peace upon his throne,
He gave the envoy gifts, and said: “May wisdom
Be ever thine. Go to Faghfúr and say:—
“With us thou hast great honour. Chín is thine,
If I may say so, and what more thou wilt.
I shall abide at present where I am;
One cannot hurry with so large a host.”
Back with the speed of wind the envoy hied,
And told Faghfúr what Cæsar had replied.