Of all the Sháhs that erst had throne and crown,
And had been great in treasure and in troops,
There was not one more just than Núshírwán,
And may his soul be young for evermore.
None was more worshipful for manhood, throne,
For diadem and knowledge. He possessed
An archimage, Bábak by name, a man
Of wisdom, shrewd of heart, and fortunate,
Made him the muster-master of the host,
And bade him to prepare himself an office
Of ample size before the palace-gate,
And higher than its top, and furnish it

With carpets that were worthy of a king
To seat the clerks engaged upon the work.
A proclamation issued from his office,
And all the folk gave ear: “Famed warriors!
Mount and attend the portal of the Sháh,
All ye that would have guerdon at his hands!
With iron helmets set upon your heads,
Arrayed in mail and bearing ox-head maces.”
The troops came to the office of Bábak,
The air was darkened by the horsemen's dust.
Now when Bábak reviewed the host he missed*

The standard and the chief of all the noble.
He left the office, mounted on his steed,
And bade the soldiers go back to their quarters.
The turning sky continued on its course,
And when the radiant sun displayed its face
It was proclaimed before the palace-gate:—
“Ye mace-men of the army of Írán!
Go all in full array with arms and bows
And lassos to the office of Bábak.”
They went with lances, helms, and coats of mail;
The army's dust ascended to the clouds.
Bábak looked round upon the host but, since
The Sháh appeared not in his Grace and state,
Thus spake: “Return glad and victorious
In love and duty, each man to his quarters.”
Again the third day rose the proclamation:—
“Ye men of name, of Grace divine and wisdom!
Let there not be one horseman of this host
Without his helmet and cuirass of war,
And let him come and pass before this gate,
And see his name upon the muster-roll.
Let those that are distinguished by a crown,
By Grace, by majesty, and lofty fortunes,
Know that this muster is without respect
Of persons, reticence, and modesty.”
The king of kings gave ear thereto and heeded
The proclamation from Bábak's díván,
Then smiling called for coat of mail and helm,
And held erect the flag of majesty.
The Sháh, with iron helmet on his head,
Proceeded to the office of Bábak.
The chain-mail hung down from his Rúman helm,
And was secured by many a fastening.
Within his hand he had an ox-head mace,
Within his belt four shafts of poplar-wood,
A bow on arm and lasso on the saddle.
While round his loins he had a golden girdle.
He urged his charger, gripping with his thighs,
And laid the massive mace upon his shoulder;
Then, lightly wheeling both to left and right,
Displayed both steed and rider to Bábak,
Who when he had inspected them approved,
And, having come up to the king of kings,

Said thus to him: “O Sháh! mayst thou be blessed!
May wisdom be the provand of thy soul!
Thou hast adorned the kingdom's face with justice,
Such that with us 'tis thy memorial.
What I have said was boldness from a slave,
But never must thou turn from what is just;
So now, I prithee, wheel thee to the right
With all the skill whereof thou art the master.”
Then Núshírwán again urged on his steed
To right and left as 'twere Ázargashasp.
Bábak looked on amazed and oft invoked
The Maker of the world. A horseman's pay
Ran from a thousand to two thousand drachms;
Four thousand were the most that any had.
Bábak paid to the Sháh just one drachm more.
Then from the office-door 'twas cried: “Exhibit
The charger of the first of warriors—
The horseman of the world, the famous Sháh,”
While Núshírwán laughed heartily, for fortune
Was young with him and he a youthful king.
Now when Bábak had left the royal office
He came before the noble Sháh and said:—
“Great Sháh! if I, thy slave, made bold to-day
The purpose of my heart was right and just:
Let not the Sháh take notice of my harshness;
It is not harshness to discharge one's duty,
And blest is he who meant not to be harsh.”
“O man of wisdom!” said the Sháh to him,
“Keep thyself ever in the path of right,
Whereof thou break'st the heart by self-regard.
Know that thou art the dearer in mine eyes;
But mine anxiety is for myself—
How, when the army is engaged in fight,
I shall comport myself upon the field.”
Bábak made answer to the noble Sháh:—
“No crown and signet will behold thy like,
While painter hath observed not limned in hall
A hand and rein like thine, O king! Oh! may
High heaven accord to thee thy full desire,
Oh! may thy heart be glad, thyself unscathed!”
Thus to the archimage said Núshírwán:—
“Our justice shall make old folk young again.
The king must leave as his memorial
Within the world but righteousness alone.
What need have we for such a treasury,
Such toil and greed, and to confine our soul
Within this Wayside Inn? The need, since here
Is no abiding, is to eat and drink.
I have been troubled with the world's affairs,
Although I kept these matters to myself,
Because my royal crown hath enemies,
And Áhriman doth compass me about.
Methought: ‘I will bring troops from every side,
And summon warriors from every province,
But for the levy I have need of treasure,
Which I have but to labour to amass;
Still if this bringeth evil on the poor
I must refrain my heart from this desire.’
So I revolved this matter in my heart,
And, having come upon a wise resolve,
I wrote a letter to the paladins,
The mighty men, and prudent archimages,
To all the nobles and the potentates
In all the provinces, and thus it ran:—
‘All ye possessed of wisdom and of sense!
Bring up your sons for military service,
Dispatch them to the field equipped for war,
And look to me for honour and reward.
They must be able to distinguish hand
And rein from stirrup on the hills and dales,
And learn to battle with the enemy
With mace and scimitar, with bow and arrow,
Because a youth unskilled availeth naught
Although he be deseended from Árish.’*

The muster-master went forth from the court,
With money for the chiefs, to every province,
And now in sooth I have adorned the face
Of earth with men prepared to take the field.
I have more knowledge, policy, and method
Than former Sháhs, and greater armaments.”
The archmage, when he heard the Sháh speak thus,
Called praises down upon the crown and throne.
The payment was delayed for forty days,
And then the athelings, equipped for war,
Went to the office and received their pay
While joyance was the order of the day.