When Núshírwán*

assumed the ivory throne,
And donned the crown—the lustre of the heart—
The great men of the world were gathered there
What time the Sháh sat with his counsellors.
That chief of famous men then loosed his tongue,
Invoked the righteous Giver of all good,
And said: “Be our hearts filled with praise and love
Toward the almighty Ruler of the sky,
From whom are good and ill, fame and desire,
By whom I am made sorrowful and glad,
Of whom are Grace and strength. By His command
The sun is bright in heaven. We will not quit
His counsels and His covenant, or reckon
Our breaths but at His bidding. He that doth
That which is just upon the throne of power
Will have fruition of good fortune here;

But he that harboureth an ill intent
Will bring disaster on himself at last.
Whate'er ye ask of us we will reply,
And in our answer will advise you well.
None wotteth of the secrets of the heart;
That is a way too strait for me to find;
But still if justice be the Sháh's employ
It surely will rejoice the hearts of all.
Delay not till the morrow this day's work;
How know'st thou what to-morrow will bring forth?
The rosary in bloom to-day will have
But worthless flowers for thee to cull to-morrow.
In days when thou art hale be not unmindful
Of malady, of suffering, and of loss;
Think of the day of death which closeth life,
And how with death we are as leaves with wind.
When thou art slack to act thou makest all
Thy policy unsound. When envy swayeth
The heart of man no leech can cure that ache.
When passion mastereth wisdom is't not proof
Of madness? Furthermore none honoureth
The quarrelsome and talkative. The path
That leadeth thee to guile is gloomier,
To right is straiter. Skilful as thou art,
If thou art lazy and perfunctory
Thy work will turn out ill. Whene'er the tongue
Is wedded to deceit it hath no lustre
From heavenly fortune. Feckless folk resort
To lying, and we can but weep for such.
Whenas the Sháh is first to rise from slumber
He will be safe from foes and hale of body.
Be wise and have withal enough to eat,
But more than this is anguish, toil, and greed.
Whenas a Sháh is just and liberal
The world is full of goodness and of peace,
But if he thwarteth justice in its course
He eateth colocynth and drinketh blood.
All ye in this assembly! hear what I
Proclaim to you, learn it, observe it well,
And all your years fare side by side with fortune:
Full many a crownéd monarch have we scanned,
And our choice is the path of right and wisdom;
Yet must ye listen to my minister,
For good and ill appear not save through him.*

Whoever cometh to this court of mine
With just cause whether in or out of season,
No minister of mine will I approve
That keepeth such a matter hid from me.
As for the officers about my court,
And valiant cavaliers among my troops,
As we stint not the stipend due to them
So must they tender mine own name and fame.

Let all be done humanely and uprightly
Without defect of justice. Every one,
That, being an Íránian, girdeth him
To do his service in this court of ours,
Shall have both treasure and kind words from us
If he shall prove a shrewd and modest servant;
But if his underlings shall be oppressed,
And he shall be unwise and fear not God,
He shall be punished for his wickedness,
And we should grieve not o'er the fall of one
So despicable. Keep within your hearts
The laws of holy God and fear not us,
For He is King of kings, Lord of the world,
Victorious, and One whose word is law,
The Illuminer of crown and sun and moon,
Who showeth us the way of righteousness.
Lord of the world is He, the Judge of judges,
And higher than the thoughts of every man.
He hath created heaven, space, and time,
And hath adorned our souls and hearts with love.
He is the Guard of crown and lofty throne,
And when thou seekest help will succour thee.
'Tis He hath fired your hearts with love of us,
His will hath blinded, heart and eye, our foes.
Well-being is all subject to His hest,
All goodness underneath His providence.
All from the stubble to the seventh heaven—
Air, fire, and water, and our gloomy earth—
Bear witness to His being and afford
Thereof a clear assurance to thy soul.
Whate'er we praise is under His command,
And all our worship dedicate to Him.”
When Núshírwán had spoken all the world
Was lost in wonder at him. To their feet
All rose with praise anew the Sháh to greet.