The warriors of Chín agreed thereto,
And chose, moreover, from themselves two envoys,
The one a mighty man hight Bídirafsh,*

Advanced in years, a warlock stout of heart,

The other named Námkhást*

—a sorcerer—
Whose thoughts were ever bent upon destruction.
The monarch wrote a fair and goodly letter
To that illustrious sovereign and convert:—
“First, I have written in the World-lord's name,
Who knoweth what is manifest and hidden,
This royal letter, worthy of a king.
To brave Gushtásp, the monarch of the earth,
The worshipful and worthy of the state,
The elect, the eldest son of Sháh Luhrásp,
Lord of the world and warden of the throne,
This from Arjásp, prince of the mighty men
Of Chín, a world-subduing cavalier,
And chosen hero.”

In that royal letter

He wrote fair greetings in the Turkman*

script:—
“O famed son of the monarch of the world,
Who brightenest the throne of king of kings!
Fresh be thy head, thy soul and body hale,
Thy royal loins tight-girded. I have heard
That thou hast taken to disastrous courses,
And turned bright day to darkness for thyself.
A cozening old man hath come to thee,
Hath filled thy heart with terrors and alarms,
And with his talk of Hell and Paradise
Hath sown the seeds of folly in thy heart.
Thou hast accepted him and his religion,
Hast glorified his doctrine and his rites,
Hast flung aside the customs of the Sháhs—
The mighty of the world, thy predecessors—
And wrecked the Faith professed by paladins.
Why dost thou disregard the past and future?
Thou art the son of him on whom of all
The folk the glorious Sháh*

bestowed the crown,
And he chose thee among his choicest ones
In preference to the offspring of Jamshíd,

So that, like Kai Khusrau—the man of vengeance—
Thou wast more glorious than the other Kaians.
Thou hadst, famed monarch! royal might and lustre,
Grace, power, and magnificence, with standards,
Vast armies, elephants caparisoned,
And treasuries fulfilled with goodly havings,
While every chief was well disposed toward thee,
And thou didst shine resplendent in the world—
Ardíbihisht with Sol in Aries.
God gave to thee the kingship of the earth,
And all thy chieftains stood before thee. Thou
Didst err, ungratefully, despite His care,
While even after He had made thee Sháh
An ancient sorcerer misled thee. When
The news arrived I saw the stars by day!
Now have I written thee a friendly letter,
For I am both thy friend and good ally.
When thou hast read it make complete ablution,
And countenance no longer that impostor;
Put off the cincture that is round thy loins,
And quaff with joy the sparkling wine once more.
Cast not aside the usage of the Sháhs,
The mighty of the world, thy predecessors.
Now if thou wilt accept this goodly counsel
Thy life shall not be injured by the Turkmans,
Their territory, with Kashán and Chín,
Shall be to thee e'en as Írán itself,
I will bestow on thee the boundless treasures
That I have gotten me by mine own toils,
Fair-coated steeds*

bedecked with gold and silver,
And trappings all inlaid with gems, and I
Will with the treasures send to thee boy-slaves
And handmaids—pictures all—with crispy locks.
But if thou wilt accept not this my counsel,
Then shalt thou feel my heavy iron bonds,

For I will follow in a month or twain
This letter and will desolate thy realm,
Lead from the Turkmans and from Chín a host,
Whose tents the earth itself will not support,
Will fill the channel of Jíhún with musk,
And stanch therewith the waters of the sea,
Consign thy pictured palace to the flames,
And raze thee utterly, both root and branch,
Will set your land on fire from end to end,
And skewer you all together with mine arrows.
Those that are old among the Íránians
Will I make prisoners, will behead the worthless,
And carry off the women and the children
As slaves to mine own land; I will lay waste
Your country and uproot the trees. So much
I had to say. See that thou do thy part,
And lay this letter's counsel to thy heart.”