Now read the letter of Sháh Núshírwán,
And muse upon it in thine ardent soul.
He said: “This letter grateful to the heart,
Instructed, learned, well counselled, and abstruse,
Is from the Sháh exalted and sun-faced.
Great is he, heaven inclineth to his wish,
The world-lord he, just and beneficent,
Without reproach, the lavisher of treasure,
Increaser of Kubád's renown and throne,
Transmitter of the crown of state and justice,
Possessed of Grace and stature, fame and conduct,
And all that he could wish for from the crown
Of greatness, to Hurmuzd, our own pure son,
Who heartily accepteth all our counsels,
And is through God glad and victorious,
For evermore a world-lord crowned and throned.
This lucky month upon the day Khurdád,
With fair stars and world-brightening presages,
We set upon thy head the crown of gold,
As we ourselves received it from our sire,
And give thee too the blessings which Kubád,
The glorious, bestowed upon our crown.
Be vigilant and master of the world,
Be wise and noble and without offence,
Increase in knowledge and incline to God,
Because He is the Guider of thy soul.
We have inquired of one of good discourse,
One ancient both in wisdom and in years:—
‘What man of us approacheth nearest God?
Who goeth by the straitest path to Him?’
He gave reply: ‘Choose knowledge as thou wouldst
That people should bless thee because the sage

Deriveth not addition from the dust:
Make thy pure spirit then approved by knowledge.’
Through knowledge doth the Sháh adorn the throne:
Mayst thou be sage and of victorious fortune.
God grant thou never be a promise-breaker,
For promise-breakers have the dust for shroud.
See that thou punish not the innocent,
Or listen to the words of slanderers.
Let every ordinance of thine be just,
For justice will delight thy spirit. Seek not,
As thou wouldst be the lustre of thy throne,
To compass falsehood with thy tongue. Secure
A subject in the enjoyment of his wealth,
For others' havings are no friends of thine:
Joy in the wealth that thou hast earned thyself.
'Tis thine to be the asylum for all folk,
For overlord and underling alike.
Reward the man that acteth uprightly;
Oppose withal the evil-doer. Although
Thou mayst be held in honour in the world,
Forget not travail, misery, and loss;
Be what one may this is a Wayside Inn
Wherein it booteth not to feel at home.
Seek worth and be associate with the wise
If dost wish that fortune shall commend thee.
By knowledge bind the hands of tyranny,
As thou wouldst scape the evil of mishap,
And dearly tender him who in thy presence
Hath trodden under foot thy foeman's life.
The great men and the merchants of the city
Must have their share of justice. When thou settest
The crown of king of kings upon thy head
Discern the worse way from the truly great.
Keep ever in thy presence some wise man,
And hold him as thy body and thy soul.
In matters great and small pay no regard
To any save the accomplished and well born.
Give not the worthless battle-gear for when
Thou seekest it 'tis not to hand. Thy friend
Will yield thee to the foe; a double task
Both difficult and wretched will be thine:
He will bring down thy weapons to the field,
And one day will employ them on thyself.
Be generous to persons in distress,
Avoid ill-doing, fear calamity,
Discern the hidden motives of thy heart,
Make no mere outward show of good and right,
Be not unmeasured in beneficence,
And hear the counsels of the experienced.
Lean toward religious men but watch religion,
Because it causeth bitterness and wrath.
Proportion thine expenses to thy means,
And be not careful to augment thy store.
Observe the precedents of former Sháhs,
And be a righteous judge in everything;
The Sháh that doth unjustly is accursed;
Approve but justice then and court not curses.
Where are the crowned heads of the kings of kings?
Where are the great men and the ministers?
Their fame is now their sole memorial;
This Wayside Inn abideth not with any.
Command not to shed blood, or urge the host
To battle, lightly. Heed this weighty letter.
Set not thy heart upon this Hostelry.
Herein have I but sought thy good and decked
Thy heart with knowledge by the rede of Him
Who ruleth sun and moon; by Him keep off
The influence of the Dív. Have thou before thee
This letter, day and night. Let wisdom rule
Thy heart. If thou dost make a memory here
Thy name will never want for majesty.
Now be the Maker of the world thy refuge,
May time and earth affect thee. May high heaven
Turn but at thy desire and in the world
Be none aggrieved by thee.”

He placed the letter,

When written, in the treasury and abode
With fear and trembling in this Wayside Inn.

A king of kings well counselled, wise, and just,
Will strive to make his modesty unite
With strength of hand and gallantry in fight,
Be of pure Faith and put in God his trust.

See what man of these virtues is possest
And, seeing, him his meed of praise prefer,
Seek one that is as bright as Jupiter,
Aspiring, armed with sword, with mail on breast;

Who taketh from idolaters the sway,
Who with brocade of Faith his heart hath bound.
Yea verily the man himself is found:
Mahmúd is monarch of the world to-day.

The quest of battle and of banqueting
Are one to this world's lord. Abú'l Kásim!
God grant the age joy in the sight of him,
That open-handed and victorious king.