Now Cæsar having read the letter pondered,
And then addressed his noble minister:—
“Expound these problems. Call the Great and Brave,
Tell what hath passed at large and ascertain
If now Khusrau Parwíz in this contention
Will be successful or will writhe at fortune.
If ye shall say: ‘He will not be victorious,
Henceforth there is no New Year's Day for him,’
Then will we let him journey to the Khán,
And go, since he is ailing, to that cure;
But if he is to triumph and possess
The kingship, like his father, it were well
In all ways that he go hence with a host,
And so not contemplate revenge at heart.”
The prudent minister, on hearing this,
Gave orders and the readers of the stars
Came with their ancient tablets and consulted
Until three watches of the night had passed,
And in conclusion an astrologer
Spake thus to Cæsar: “O illustrious!
I have consulted these old tables made
In astrologic wise by Falátún.
* Ere long Khusrau Parwíz will have the realm,
The kingship start afresh, and darksome dust
Receive him not for eight and thirty years.”
Thereat said Cæsar to his minister:—
“Our doubts are cleared about Khusrau Parwíz.
What shall we say? What answer shall we give?”
“Let us apply a salve,” he made reply.
“If he betake him to the Khán's domains,
Get aid from him, perceive himself secure,
And levy soldiers elsewhere than in Rúm,
He never will forgo revenge on thee.
Advise thou who art wiser and more potent
In compassing thy will.”

“We must,” said Cæsar,

“Dispatch him troops forthwith. When all is weighed
'Tis well to hold wealth cheap and keep from harm.”
He wrote forthwith, bestowing praise on praise:—
“We have consulted loyal, honest priests
On all points bad and good, and have returned,
Discussion over, to our former view.
All is arranged and now we will unlock

Our ancient hoards. Within Kastantaniya
* We have but force enough for garrison,
But have ta'en order and have requisitioned
Troops from the other provinces. As these
Arrive I will not fail to send them to thee.
All this delay and great deliberation.
This pricking with a fleam the lion's jaws,
Arose from sages' tales about the past,
How under Sháh Shápúr, son of Ardshír,
Our youths' hearts aged with toil, much ravaging,
Assault and slaughter and unjust revenge;
Then passing to Kubád* and to Hurmuzd,
Both reckless of God's justice, of our cities
Were nine and thirty turned to bramble-brakes
By the Íránians, and the waste became
Filled with the blood of chiefs whose wives and children
Were carried captive; so thou must not marvel
If Rúmans mused revenge. Howbeit to owe
A grudge is not according to our Faith,
And God forbid that we should practise ill.
We know no better thing than uprightness,
And lack of all deceit and knavery.
We have convoked the chiefest sufferers,
And spoken much to them in this regard;
Their evil passions have been charmed away,
For gnawing bane hath turned to antidote.
Thus then have we secured that none will use
The language of revenge about the past,
And pledge our lives to further thy commands.
Thou too must pledge thy word that none will bear
Ill will to us, must say: ‘While I am king
I will not think your labours slight or mean,
Will not demand a tribute from the Rúmans,
Or sell for aught these services of theirs.’
Go further in complaisance: treat and make
Affinity with us. Whate'er ye do,
E'en in an unjust war, let us be friends
And brothers still through all vicissitudes
Of power. Now when ye need our help no longer,
And thoughts of vengeance shall recur to you,
There will be talk again of Túr and Salm,
And of the follies of the past, so now
I ask a binding pact, fit for thy seal,
As a reminder that from this time forth
We will not speak of vengeance for Íraj,
Or of the past. Írán and Rúm shall be
One realm; we will not seek to sever them.
There is a daughter in our ladies' bower—
A fit match for the greatest of the great;
Ask her according to our holy Faith,
According to our rites and ritual,
That when thou hast a child of Cæsar's line
He may not think of vengeance for Íraj:
Then earth will rest from war and strife, and seek
The right way in the Faith. Regarding this
With wisdom's eye thou wilt esteem it just.
Affinity will make alliance sure,
Such is the precept that we have of God.
Good sooth, it is a long day since Pírúz,
Or Khúshnawáz.* They gave their heads to wind,
But perish any treaty-breaking king!
Our Prophet, the Messiah, said thus: ‘If thou
Quit justice wisdom warpeth.’ Many a plan
Tried Khúshnawáz to keep the other's head
From coming to the shears, but when Pírúz
Used force against him, in that fight the Sháh
Saw but black reek while host and royal throne
Went to the winds because his head was turned
From right. Thou art a youth new to affairs,
And if thou wouldest gather fortune's fruit
Make not a treaty-breaker thine ally;
Dust is the shroud of such, and crown and throne
Curse treaty-breaking, strife-provoking kings.
Peruse my letter o'er and, if thy fingers
Possess the needful skill, write heedfully
A fair and good response. I would not have
This known to any scribe, so write thyself,
And take good heed. When I shall read thine answer,
And see therein the heart of one resolved,
I will dispatch forthwith arms, troops, and money
To ease thy heart of care. As touching those
Who are with thee most honoured or renowned,
And those withal 'gainst whom thou harbourest vengeance,
* Put manfully such hatred from your hearts.
Leave their* ill doings to almighty God,
And be not masterful with friend or foe.
If thou wouldst have victorious fortune hold thee
Lord of the world with host and crown and throne,
Lay not thy hand on others' goods but make
Thy soul a pathway toward the light, indulge
Thy kindred, and protect the labouring poor.
If thou art bounteous and a friend in need
None will attempt thy crown and throne. Of Sháhs
The vigilant have kept the world from foes.
The magnates that desire affinity
Themselves or for their virtuous children ne'er
Have suffered ill from foemen, and God's Grace
Hath magnified them.* Now we all court thee,
And deck our tongues to give thee good advice.”
Whenas the address was dry they sealed the letter
With musk. Now when with tidings of a league
That he expected not the letter reached
Khusrau Parwíz he told the Íránians:—
“The sun revolveth otherwise to-day!
A letter of high policy hath come
From Cæsar in most favourable terms:
He seeketh to abate the ancient feud
Between Írán and Rúm.”

They answered him:—

“Whene'er this feud is o'er no chiefs will seek
The Sháh's crown, or such numbers live in want.
If in thy days such righteousness come down
Men will inscribe thy name on every crown.”