How Bahrám Chúbína heard of the Blinding of Sháh Hurmuzd and how he led his Troops against Khusrau Parwíz

Bahrám Chúbína heard how fortune dealt
With that famed king: “They set the searing irons
To his bright eyes, and those two Lamps, those twin
Narcissi of his garth, are dead, his son
Is seated on his throne and his high fortune
Is trodden underfoot.”

Bahrám Chúbína,

The hero, was amazed, grew wan, and pondered.
He said: “The time for me to fight hath come;
By daring I will seize the world.”

He bade

To bear forth to the field the kettledrums
And flag of majesty. He packed the baggage,
He called his warriors to horse and spake
Of waging war against Khusrau Parwíz.
His host, as 'twere a moving mountain, marched
Audaciously as far as Nahrawán.

Khusrau Parwíz, on hearing, was in dudgeon
At such swift action and sent spies to note
The progress of events with these behests:—
“We first must learn the feeling of his troops:
If like Bahrám Chúbína they intend
To fight or whether we shall have delay,
And whether he be foremost at the centre
Or at the wings, his state at audience-time,
And if he hunteth while upon the march.”
They went unnoted by the troops, gat news,
And came back to the Sháh all privily.
They said: “His troops are for Bahrám Chúbína,
All from the highest chieftains to the boys.
In marching he is sometimes at the centre,
And sometimes with the right or left or baggage.
We saw him long of sight and diligent—
A cautious warrior and cavalier.
His kinsmen all are in his confidence;
He hath no need of strangers, giveth audience
In royal fashion, hunteth on the plain
With cheetahs, knoweth but the usages
Of Sháhs, and readeth all the book of Dimna.”
* Khusrau Parwíz said to his minister:—
“A long task faceth us. Bahrám Chúbína,
When he is charging at an enemy,
Would break the hearts of dragons in the deep,
And from the monarch of the world withal
Hath learned the methods of the kings of kings,
While, thirdly, with Kalíla,* so to speak,
As minister none hath so shrewd a scribe.”
Then said he to Bandwí and Gustaham:—
“Our mates are grief and toil.”

Now when Gurdwí,

Dármán, the monarch of Armenia,
Shápúr and Andamán, shrewd chiefs and fighters,
Were set in secret conclave with the Sháh
He thus addressed them: “Mighty warriors!
When wisdom is a light within the brain
Then knowledge is the body's coat of mail,
Which naught except the sword of death will sever,
A sword whereto a steel helm is as wax.
I am but young to you so cannot walk
The world aright; instruct me what to do.
Who suffereth from these wounds?”

An archmage said:—

“Thou wilt be happy and the Grace and provand

Of empty brains. Now since the mystery
Of this our whirling world grew manifest
Hath wisdom been disparted into four.
One portion is the king's for Grace and wisdom
Fit him; another is the pious man's;
The third the loyal liege's who as near
The royal person tendereth advice;
The wise account the small part left the thane's.
The impious and unthankful have no wisdom.
If now the king will hear the old sage's words,
And fix his heart's eye on them, he will eat
Their fruit when they have passed within his heart.”
The Sháh replied: “Were I to write this down
In gold its Grace and vogue would ask no less;
The archimages' utterances are gems,
But I have other purposes at heart,
For when our two hosts meet, and when our spearheads
Shall reach to Gemini, I shall not be
Blamed if I quit the centre and advancing
Before the host call to Bahrám Chúbína,
That impious and self-seeking general,
Show him a peaceful face, make much of him,
And praise him. If he shall receive my words
'Tis well, for who at court can be his peer?
But if he seeketh fight I too will fight,
And range my host against his.”

All the leaders

Assented to his scheme, the great applauded,
And hailed him king of earth; all said: “Oh! be
The ills of fortune far from thee, O king!
Be victory, Grace, majesty, and crown
Of king of kings thine own.”

He answered thus:—

“So be it; enough. May none of us behold
Disunion or defeat.”

Then from Baghdád,

And with new camp-enclosures, he marched forth
Upon the plain. As the two powers drew near
Upon the march, the captain of the host's
On that side and on this the Sháh's, and when
The world's light had been taken in the toils,
And pitchy night had shaken out its locks,
Scouts went forth from both hosts to guard the approaches;
And when night, frighted by the sword of day
Had fled dry-lipped and quaking, rose the din
Of tymbals from both camps and Sol led forth
To war. Then at the Sháh's command Bandwí
And Gustaham put on their iron helms,

And went with other chiefs of ardent soul
Toward the canal* of Nahrawán, whereat
The outpost came before Bahrám Chúbína,
And said: “There is a force two bowshots off.”
On hearing this he ranged his host and called
His veterans and bestrode a piebald steed
With musk-black tail—a noble caracoller
With brazen hoofs. An Indian scimitar
Sufficed to arm him, and its stroke was like
The levin from the cloud. He urged his horse
As 'twere a lightning-flash. That miscreant,
Ízid Gashasp, was on his left. Withal
There came Hamdán Gashasp* and Yalán-sína,
All rage and enmity, while three bold Turks,
Sprung from the Khán, made ready to take vengeance
Upon Khusrau Parwíz and swore: “When we
Shall see the Sháh out-distancing his troops,
Him will we bring to thee in bonds or slain,
And thy realm shall repose in peace.”

On one side

There was Khusrau Parwíz and on the other
The paladin, between was Nahrawán,
While on both sides the armies watched them meet,
And how the paladin the Sháh would greet.