How Khusrau Parwíz went toward Rúm by the Desert-route and how a Hermit told him of the Past and Future

Khusrau Parwíz led on in haste where guide,
And grass and water, were not. Slack of rein
They went in dudgeon till they reached Bábil,
Where all the well-disposed among the chiefs
Went forth to welcome him. As he drew near
He made his men dismount outside the city,
And scarce had done so when a courier came
Out of Írán in haste. He bore a letter
Concealed upon him from Bahrám Chúbína,
And written to the ruler of Bábil:—
“Detain a company if one shall come;
My troops pursue and will arrive anon.”
The ruler, seeing the letter's purport, sought
Khusrau Parwíz in haste, who looked and read,
Astounded at the process of the world.
He feared pursuit and mourned his own fatigue,

But mounting presently departed thence,
And girding up his royal loins pressed on
Until he came to the Farát; no rest
Saw he in his own realm. His followers,
Both old and young, were famished. Then they spied
A wood and water while a caravan
Of camels led on by a cameleer
Appeared anon. That youth, when he beheld
Khusrau Parwíz, called blessings down upon
That noble one, who asked: “What is thy name?
What is thy trade and whither goest thou?”
He answered: “Kais am I, son of Háris,
And heir of Arab chiefs. From Misr have I
Come with a caravan and am myself
Chief cameleer. I dwell beside the waters
Of the Farát and came thence to this forest.”
Khusrau Parwíz asked: “What hast thou of food
And stuffs, for we are wearied out and famished,
Not having food or packs?”

The Arab said:—

“Stay; I am one with thee, share, soul, and body.”
In his affection for the Sháh he brought
A fatted cow; they slaughtered her and lit
A fire by kindling sticks both green and dry.
He grilled kabáb; the comrades of the Sháh
Were eager to partake, consuming much,
But had no bread. Each chieftain then made ready
A sleeping-place. They slept awhile, then rose
And offered up their orisons anew
To that just Judge who made the world, made mighty
And weak alike, and then the Sháh addressed
His comrades thus: “The most in fault are they
That are my noblest and most famous subjects:
Still those that have done worst, rebelled, and left
God's way, may trust with confidence to me.
See that ye give to them the fairest hopes.”
His comrades blessed him, saying: “O thou pure
Of heart and Faith! bright be thy heart and jocund
Thy lot, and may the just Judge give thee back
The throne. He hath bestowed on thee such Grace
And mien that love and justice are increased
For every one: thou art the sum of wisdom,
For thou replacest ill by good.”

The Sháh,

Though pleased at this acclaim, was in his heart
Concerned about his route and asked the Arab:—
“What is it like? How shall I fare with troops?”

He answered: “Seventy farsangs and more
Of waste and mountain front you. With thy leave
I will find meat and water for the road
If thou wilt hurry not.”

Khusrau Parwíz

Replied: “There is no other course, for this
Will furnish provand and a guide.”

The Aráb

Dispatched a cameleer to fare before
The troops. He hurried over waste and mountain,
All care and travail, with that company.
Withal afar another caravan
Appeared upon the route before the troops.
A wealthy merchant sought the king, who asked:—
“Say, whence art thou and whither hastening?”
He said: “I am a merchant and a scribe,
And I have come from Khurra-i-Ardshír.”
“How did thy father name thee?” said the Sháh.
The merchantman replied: “Mihrán Sitád.”
The king requested of the man supplies
Because the leader of his troops had said:—
“He hath, O Sháh! provisions past compute,
But may not be best pleased.”

“To find a host

Upon the way is so much to the good,”
The Sháh replied. The merchant loosed his bales
Of cheap and costly wares, brought provand forth,
And sat himself upon the ground, invoking
A blessing on the king. The eating done,
The hospitable merchant brought the Sháh
The water for his hands, but when Kharrád,
Son of Barzín, saw that he rose, ran up,
Took the warm water from the merchant's hand,
That no respect toward the Sháh might fail,
And when the merchantman made haste to bring
Wine lucent as rose-water then again
Kharrád, son of Barzín, took from his hand
The goblet and presented it himself.
In due observance servants profit find,
For all such service is repaid in kind.
“Which is the army's route,” the Sháh then asked
The merchant, “and, O hospitable man!
Where dwellest thou in Khurra-i-Ardshír?”
He said: “O Sháh! live in prosperity.
I of these traffickers am from Káraz.”
* The Sháh enjoined Rúzbih, the scribe, to note
The young man's name and village. “Go thy ways,
And be at heart the warp and woof of wisdom,”
He said. The army left that verdant spot,
And hurrying toward the Rúman marches reached
The town which Cæsar named Kársán. The Christ­ians,

On seeing the troops afar, went hurrying
Across the waste to carry their effects
Within the walls and firmly barred the gates.
The Sháh, the lustre of the world, chagrined
Remained outside for three days with his troops,
And on the fourth dispatched a man to say:—
“Our troops are few, send provand, succour us,
And treat us not in this high-handed wise.”
They scorned his words, his troops were weak and famished,
When suddenly there rose a murky cloud,
Which roared like some great warrior-lion; a storm
Swept o'er the place; from every quarter came
Din and a cry for help. By midnight half
The walls had gone; the town was all amaze;
The bishop offered prayers; in every quarter
They gathered food together, and three priests,
Three venerable men, went forth in haste
With native produce and with Rúman robes,
And brought a led horse to the Sháh. They said:—
“Our fault, O Sháh! is manifest to us,”
And he, a noble youth, reproached them not.
There was within the city's walls a palace,
Whose summit was at home among the clouds;
'Twas built by Cæsar and had many slaves.
The Sháh went thither when he left the plain,
And oft-times used to go about the city.
The Rúmans all acclaimed him and strewed jewels
Beneath his feet. Possessed of this fair dwelling
He rested for a while and wrote to Cæsar
Of that storm, rain, and darksome cloud, then went
Toward Mánwí which he renamed Mínú.
* The shrewd and wise, the great and powerful,
Among its citizens, with priests and monks,
Went to the king with gifts and offerings,
Spake of the storm and of that ancient town,
* And all said: “We are slaves and bow before
Khusrau Parwíz' behest.”

He stayed three days,

And on the fourth when Sol, the world's light, rose,
And thrust its bright sword through the clouds, departed
Toward Warígh;* it was a city's name,
And had the true Cross* and a hospital.

Upon the waste he saw a hermitage;
He heard the hermit's voice, approached, and asked:—
“What blesséd one is here?”

They made reply:—

“An ancient man grown wan with many years,
A skilled astrologer; there is not aught
Concealed from him, and what he saith will be.”
The Sháh drew nigh the door forthwith and cried:—
“Be thine to worship God, and may He bless thee
If thou wilt come forth from thine ancient cell.”
Forthwith the hermit, when he heard the words,
Descended from his cell and seeing the Sháh
Said: “Of a truth thou art Khusrau Parwíz
Brought by the hand of an ill-doing slave,
Impure, Armenian-like, a servitor,
To this affliction for thy father's throne.”
He spake at large; Khusrau Parwíz became
Cheered in his heart through all that kindliness,
And all in wonder at the words invoked
The blessings of the Maker on the man,
The devotee, and, mounted, greeted him
With outstretched hand, whereat the man of God
Did reverence and spake long. By way of proof
The Sháh said: “Of the Íránian host am I,
A subject, bearing a dispatch to Cæsar,
And I shall carry to my lord his answer.
See if my journey will be prosperous,
And how result.”

He answered: “Say not so;

Thou art the Sháh, make not thyself a courtier.
I told thee all at sight so never prove me.
Thy Faith alloweth no falsehood, and deceit
Is not thy way and wont. Thou hast endured
Much toil and suffered, and at last hast fled
Before thy slave.”

Astounded and confused

Khusrau Parwíz began to make excuse.
The hermit said: “Forbear, and question me
Of what will be. As to thy coming hither
Be glad and confident, and to the world
A fruitful bough for God will satisfy thee,
And give to thee high fortune and high place,
While thou wilt have from Cæsar arms and troops,
And daughter worthy of the crown of state.
The World-lord, who ne'er sleepeth, will assist thee
In battle with thy slaves, while in the end
The miscreant will flee and oft recall

The days of his success. He will alight
Far from that field of battle and there dwell;
Yet still, though rather than submit to thee
He will choose exile, they will shed his blood
At thy behest.”

Khusrau Parwíz replied:—

“God grant it, ancient sage! but tell me this:
Will it be long ere I obtain the kingship?”
He said: “Twelve months and thou wilt have the throne,
Then fifteen days and thou wilt light the world
As king of kings.”

“Who of this company,”

The Sháh inquired, “will bear most toil and care
On mine account?”

The hermit said: “Bistám,*

A lofty spirit and a prosperous,
And thy maternal uncle who, thou knowest,
Hath made thy lifetime pleasant; but be ware
Of that unprofitable man, the source
Of all thy plaints, affliction, and mishap.”
The Sháh was wroth and said to Gustaham:—
“Thy name revealeth thee! Thy mother called thee
Bistám but thou proclaimest in the fight
Thyself a Gustaham!”

Then to the hermit:—

“This is mine uncle on my mother's side.”
The hermit answered: “Yea, it is the same;
Thou wilt see pain and strife through Gustaham.”
“And after,” said the Sháh, “what will ensue,
My counsellor?”

He answered: “Heed not that,

For thenceforth thou wilt have but praise; no ill
E'er will befall thee, and if hardship cometh
'Twill be from God. This rebel will disturb
Thy peace, but after thou wilt be content,
And, bad as this malicious one may prove,
His fate is in thy hands.”

“Be not concerned

Hereat, O king!” said Gustaham. “By God,
The Holy One, the Maker of the moon,
Who made a Sháh like thee to rule the world;
By sun, by moon, and by Ázargashasp,
And by the life and head of our famed Sháh,
While Gustaham shall live he shall not seek
Aught but the right or knock at evil's door;
And if he should be minded otherwise
Then may the soul of Gustaham depart.
No human being since the World-lord made
The world hath looked upon His secret's key;
Why shouldst thou credit then a Christian's words,
And heed his idle talk? Suspect me not
Through speech of his, and seek not for a pretext
Against me now that I have sworn to thee.”
Khusrau Parwíz made answer: “Holy men

Speak to the point. Withal I have not seen
Ill from thee ever, and thou catchest not
At guile or folly, yet high heaven's process
May make thee harmful and no wonder too,
For when God willeth wit and wisdom swerve.”
Then said he to the hermit: “Be thou glad
In heart and prosperous.”

From that hermitage

He went like levin flashing from a cloud
Toward the city of Warígh, and thence
There met him those of worth and eminence.