How Bahrám Chúbína and Khusrau Parwíz returned, how Gurdya advised Bahrám Chúbína, and how Khusrau Parwíz told his Purpose to the Íránians

He spake and smiled, turned from Bahrám Chúbína,
And set his face towards his host. Of those
Three valiant Turks who served the Khán of Chín,
Were savage as a wolf and had assured
Bahrám Chúbína: “We, to win renown,
Will on the day of battle bring to thee
The person of the Sháh alive or dead
Before the troops,”* one impious horseman, strong,
Fierce, fearless, rushed forth seeking fight and grim
With sixty coils of lasso on his arm,
And drawing near that steed of ivory,
And aiming at the splendid crown, flung forth
His lasso coiled, and caught the Sháh's crowned head;
But Gustaham clave with his sword the lasso,

The Sháh's head 'scaped from harm, while brave Bandwí
Strung up his bow and with his arrows robbed
The air of light. He loosed a poplar shaft
Against the Turk; that battle-seeker fled,
And to that miscreant said Bahrám Chúbína:—
“Be sombre dust thine only hiding-place!
Who said: ‘Assail the Sháh?’ Didst thou not see me
Upstanding in his presence with respect?’’
Sick, mind and body, he returned to camp.
His sister heard of his return, put off
Her splendid crown and, when a slave had brought
Her veil, ran forth in dudgeon sore of heart
To meet him and thus spake: “O warlike chief!
How didst thou fare, say, with Khusrau Parwíz?
If he be hot and hasty through his youth
Relax no effort in the cause of peace.”
The brave Bahrám Chúbína answered thus:—
“One must not reckon him among the Sháhs.
No valiant cavalier or sage is he,
Not generous or brilliant. Parts are better
Than birth, and kings should have them.”

His wise sister

Replied: “O shrewd, ambitious chief! if I
Say much thou wilt not hear me but display
Ill-temper and ill-nature. Call to mind
The saying of the aphorist of Balkh:—
‘When any one shall truth from hiding bring,
And tell thy faults, truth is a bitter thing.’
Think not to waste thy country for thou hast
Thy share of earth. A very wise man said:—
‘To have an ox's horn an ass once tried,
And lost forthwith his ears on either side.’
Court not the world's reproach; none of thy race
Hath worn the crown. Had this youth intervened not
I had not been thus seared and dark of soul;
But as it is his sire is living, the throne
Of sovereignty is still in place yet thou
Must interfere! How it will end I know not,
But all night long mine eyes are filled with blood.
Thine only aim is pain and malison;
Thou sniffest rashly at a poison-flower.
How folk will call Chúbína infamous,
The name Bahrám disfame! God will be wroth
Withal and Hell the prison of thy soul.
The world is not for every one, my brother!
And naught abideth save a fair renown.

Consider now, who was it sought thee out
Save king Hurmuzd? But since king Sáwa's throne
And goods came to thy hands thou didst assume
The crown, and having grown renowned through him
Art seeking for the imperial throne; but know
That every good thing is from God and be
Not ingrate to our Sháh; presume not thus
Upon thy stricken fields. Thou hast gained honour,
But be not arrogant. Thou hast at heart
Consorted with the Dív and hast grown guilty
In God's sight. When Hurmuzd was wroth and raved
Through what the foul Áyín Gashasp had said
Thou shouldest have been patient and not made it
A liege's opportunity for war;
And in his great affliction when his son
Came forth to fight from Barda' 'twas thy duty
To visit the young Sháh and ornament
His new throne as he wished. The youth had then
Adopted thine advice and thou hadst not
Seen evil days but quiet, joy, and triumph.
Why these designs upon the crown and throne?
Thou knowest that there still are princes left,
Both old and young, descended from Ardshír,
With wealth and countless hosts. Who in Írán
Will hail thee king? If any king with treasure
And troops could dare to eye this land of ours
It had been Sáwa, prince of Chín, none else,
Who marched upon the country of Írán;
But holy God made thee his opposite,
And saved our land and elders. Since the World-lord
Made this world and spread over it high heaven
Men have not seen a cavalier like Sám,
Whom not the rending lion would confront,
Yet when it happened that Naudar became
Unjust and trampled on his father's ways,
And when the nobles called on Sám and had
The turquoise throne made ready, ‘God forbid,’
He said, ‘that ever captain of the host
Should contemplate the throne because the dust
Of Minúchihr is mine, my coronet
The footings of Naudar's.’* I recognise
In Sám thy better; he sought not the kingship,
Not being ill-conditioned. So too Zál
And elephantine Rustam never sought
To rule our folk. Know, I have said this, brother!
Because the fortunate alone who hath
August hands, Grace, and high birth, and is wise,
Of ardent heart and just can take the throne.
I know not what will come on thee, for wisdom
Hath vanished from thy heart!”

Bahrám Chúbína

Made answer: “'Tis all true and holy God
Is witness, but the thing hath gone too far;
My heart and brain are sick with greed and I
Must grow whole or resign my head to death,
Which pierceth helms of steel. If I am stricken
By this young Sháh my troops will take from him
His throne and, black at heart with vengeance, set
Another there.”

The youthful king for his part

Recrossed the bridge of Nahrawán, rejoicing,
Called all the captains of the host, set those
Entitled by their rank beside the throne
Of sovereignty, and said: “Good-hearted chiefs,
Adept and veteran! of this my kingship
This is my primal act—a mere essay—
And none doth owe us praise though our intent
Be good, and ye have had no good from us
While we must now augment your toils and griefs.
Ye served mine ancestors and have seen much
Of this world's salts and sours. I will disclose
My purpose, hidden from the host, to you;
My words must go no further, that would mar
My scheme if it were published to the troops.
I mean to lead the host to-night to battle,
For I have parleyed with Bahrám Chúbína,
Who is an active, skilful cavalier,
Though I discerned no wisdom in his head,
Or in the heads of his illustrious troops.
His fight with Sáwa is his only theme,
He telleth o'er and o'er the same old tale.
He thinketh me a foolish youth and fain
Would frighten me with mace and scimitar,
Not knowing that I attack by night and so
Gain confidence. If ye will share the fray
With me I will not loiter but, when night
Shall steep her face in ambergris and loose
Her musky locks, do ye mount armed and grasping
The mace and scimitar.”

They all agreed

To do the Sháh's behest. When he had gone
Back to his tent he put all strangers forth.
He sent for Gustaham and for Bandwí,
And for Gurdwí, a veteran warrior,
And told his purpose of a night-attack
In hopes that they would aid. Said Gustaham:—

“O king! why put such confidence in fight?
A camisade may alienate thy troops.
Thy soldiers and the soldiers of the foe
Are one in heart and body; on one side
Are grandsons, on the other grandsires. What
Deception can there be? Here is a brother,
And there a father; they are all akin;
How shall son war with sire? Encourage not
The wishes of thy foes by this design.
This was no matter for the host; thy words
Have ruined all.”

Gurdwí said: “All is over,

E'en as a wind that passeth o'er the plain.
Power, passion, treasury, and troops make err
A young man's head. Do not be thou to-night
Upon the field and suffer not the host
And treasure to be lost, because I doubt not
That all our secret plans and preparations
Will be reported to the other side;
Yield not thy head then to the enemy.”
Pleased with the rede Khusrau Parwíz assented,
Selected certain chiefs devoted to him
For good and ill—Kharrád, son of Barzín,
And Gustaham, the Lion, and Shápúr,
And Andiyán, the valorous, Bandwí,
Kharrád, withal, the Lustre of the host,
Nastúh, the chief and burner up of heroes,
And others who would serve to guard the troops,
The treasure and himself. They sought a hill
That would avail if fight were toward—a place
All grass and apt for feasts. Khusrau Parwíz
Thence viewed the host from far.

Bahrám Chúbína,

The brave, for his part mounted and when great
And small drew near he questioned of the chiefs:—
“What tidings have ye of your kith and kin?
Send to them, ye that have such—men at one
With you in word and Faith. If they will come
And do my will, and stake their lives as pledges
Of their sincerity, I will enrich them,
And they shall all be nobles like yourselves.
The troops from Barda' and from Ardabíl,
And slack Armenians—a band or two—
Remain. We fear them not in fight while those
From Barda' are but as a pinch of dust.”
The chieftains heard what brave Bahrám Chúbína
Proposed and chose a warrior from the host,

Sage, fluent, heedful, who thus charged departed,
And speeding onward through the longsome night
Declared his message to the Íránian chiefs,
And heard their answer: “Till the hosts engage
We will not leave Khusrau Parwíz. This matter,
We fear, will prove a long one. He will make
A night-attack, so feel not ye secure.”
The envoy, hearing this, went swift as dust
Back to the army of the paladin,
And as a privy matter, every word,
He there reported all that he had heard.