The Sháh, both seared and sore, with frowning face
And sighing lips, then had this letter written
Wherein he first of all gave praise to Him,
Who fashionéd the heavens, time, and earth,
The Artificer of Sun and Moon and Saturn,
The Illuminer of Grace, of crown, and throne:—
“From worthless stubble up to elephant
And lion, from the dust on emmet's foot
Up to the Nile, though men shall roam from earth
To turning heaven they roam beneath God's sway.
No limit can be seen to His behest,
And none will rob Him of the sovereignty.
Of that unpleasing letter have I heard,
Sent by that most injurious son of mine,
And of the criminals who brake from ward,
And are assembled now about Núshzád.
'Twere better one should quit the world than see
A day like this, for all are born to die;
First Núshírwán and then Núshzád must go.
From gnat and ant e'en to rhinoceros,
And elephant, none can escape the claws
And beak of death. If earth revealed its secrets,
Displaying everything from first to last,
Its bosom would be found fulfilled with kings,
Its breast with blood of cavaliers, its skirts
With men of lore, the creases of its robe
With fair-cheeked dames. Then wherefore set a crown
Or helmet on thy head when death's plumed shaft
Will pierce them both? No one rejoiceth much
At death of son, albeit all must die;
But as for those consorting with Núshzád,
Who reckon on the death of Núshírwán,
The death of them would be a cause for joy
If but Núshzád should 'scape the evil day.
Moreover none but misbegotten knaves
Would count upon the death of righteous Sháhs.
Now though Núshzád hath turned his head from us,
In that the Dív thus hath conspired with him,
His purpose is not firm in this regard;
He was inflamed when he obtained his wish.
He could not have the post as well as we,
And thus was ruined by a false report,
For had the crown been void of Núshírwán
Núshzád had been the glory of the realm.
Still such an act is worthy of his Faith,
And suited to an evil soul like his.
I am not moved or fearful in this matter,
In that our son's religion is impure:
Moreover for the wealth that he hath wrecked,
That matter weigheth nothing on my heart;
While as for all that have combined with him,
And banished from their hearts their awe of us—
The ill-doers, the malignant, and base-born,
Unworthy to be subjects to myself—
We look upon them also with contempt:
Let not their doings make thy heart afraid.
My fear is of the Master of the world,
Who is in wisdom wiser than the wise.
We must not grow unthankful in our souls
To God who is omniscient in good.
Me hath He given triumph and success,
Grace and the diadem of king of kings,
And had my praise been worthy of His gifts
It would have bettered my prosperity.
My son hath found a home and rest elsewhere;
No single drop of him came from my loins.
With his awakening my foe arrived,
And, I do fear me, toil. Still if the World-lord
Hath no occasion to be wroth with me
I reck not of such things. In my regard
All they that are confederate with my son
Are vile and despicable. 'Tis his letter
That, if it bringeth Cæsar, will befoul
My stream. The twain must be akin, methinketh,
Since they are one in Faith and policy.
The man that quitteth his forefathers' Faith
Is one whose wits are much to seek. That son
Is best who is of one Faith, not at war,
With his own sire. Albeit though that insensate
Turn from the right no lip must ope to curse him.
To curse him is in essence to curse us,
Because he is of our own flesh and blood.
Array the host, take order for the war,
But act with moderation and hold back,
While if the matter cometh to a pass,
And if he offer battle, be not fierce.
To capture him is better than to slay:
Perchance he will turn back from evil doing,
And then the stream that reared that noble Cypress
Must come not on it in a bath of dust;
But if he hold his honoured person cheaply,
If that tall Cypress shall demean itself,
And if he spurn the pillow of delight,
Withhold not thou the mace and scimitar.
A man of rank indulging base desires
Can not be freed from that propensity,
And such a high-born man is base indeed
When he doth fight the monarch of the world.
Fear not to slay him if he would pour out
His own head's blood upon the dust. He hasteth
To give his faith to Cæsar and put off
Allegiance to our crown, whereby his greatness
Hath grown vile, wretched, and calamitous,
And he hath chosen ruin from high heaven.
In this regard said Mihr-i-Núsh—a sage
Who worshipped God and wore the woollen vest:—
‘The man that joyeth in a father's death,
May his be neither happiness nor breath.’
Seek not for light from darkness, else wilt thou
But mingle fire and water in the stream.
Man's only rest is when his toil is done:
It is fate's law and we must acquiesce.
Be not in friendship with the turning sky,
For whiles thou art the kernel, whiles the shell.
Why seek from its pomegranate hue and scent,
For it will rob thee of them both at sight?
Whene'er the turning sky exalteth thee,
Then is thy time for travail, fear, and loss.
As for the soldiers that are with Núshzád,
And err so greatly from the path of duty,
Know that they are but wind and sport to us,
The mockery of the wise, no mystery.
As for the Christians that are in his host,
And have revolted for religion's sake,
The regimen of Christ is such that they
Are frighted if one lifteth up one's voice,*

Desert his precepts and his path, and end
By turning into foemen of the Cross.
As for the other folk—the common herd,
Ill-taught, ill-minded, and adventurous—
They will not fright the heart of any man:
Their counsel and a breath of air are one.
Now if Núshzád be taken in the fight,
Discourse not with him touching these affairs;
His person must not suffer injury,
His raiment must not show the rents of blows,
Because his women-folk will slay themselves.
His palace will afford the best of prisons
Both for himself and those that follow him.
Bar not to him the portal of my treasures,
Albeit one so dear hath grown so vile,
And as for raiment, vietuals, tapestries,
And carpets there must be no stint at all,
For he is fitted but for things like these.
As for those marchlords of the Íránians—
Those that have girded up their loins with him—
When thou hast conquered do not hesitate,
But cleave them through the middle with the sword,
For all that are the great king's enemies
Thou rightly flingest to the crocodiles.
Besides these, all that are opposed to me
At heart—the seed of wicked Áhriman—
Who have forgotten all our benefits,
Thou now wilt test in dealing with Núshzád.

All acted as our watchmen heretofore,
And were in terror of our punishments.
For those on-lookers who have vilified,
And wagged their tongues against, Núshzád, know thou
That they have in especial cursed ourselves,
Preparing trouble in mine evil day.
Do not thou too as they; thus foemen speak.
Unworthy as he is he is mine own,
Such is the truthful witness of my heart.
The tongue of each man that hath spoken ill,
Or acted with injustice toward him, brand
In presence of the folk. May such an one
Have neither tongue nor mouth. As for the man
That warreth to o'erthrow the Sháh, employing
Guile, enmity, hostility, and faith
In Áhriman, such, as the famed Sháh's foe,
Must not be suffered in the realm.”

They set

The Sháh's own seal upon the letter. Then
The messenger departed with all speed,
And, when to Rám Barzín he made his way,
Told all that he had heard the great king say.