He drew the army up, gave rations out,
And, mindful of the Giver of all good,
Proclaimed: “Whoe'er ensueth wickedness
Shall writhe beneath the chastisement of God.
Ye must not so conduct you in this city
That e'en an ant shall be a sufferer.”*

Whenas the worldlord looked upon Gang-dizh
His cheeks were veiled by tears. Then from his steed
Alighting and with head upon the ground
He praised the Maker, saying: “O righteous Judge!
A slave am I whose heart is filled with awe
And reverence. Thou hast given me strength and rule,
Grace, army, courage, fortune, feet, and wings,
That I might see my father's city-walls
Arising from the ground. 'Twas Siyáwush
Who raised these battlements from their foundations
By Grace of holy God, and when a tyrant
Stretched forth a hand against him wickedly
His murder wounded all men to the heart.”
The troops with one consent wept o'er those ram-parts,
Wept for the blood of blameless Siyáwush,
Who perished by his adversary's hand—
An act which sowed the world with seeds of feud.
Now when these tidings reached Afrásiyáb:—
“The world-subduing Sháh hath crossed the sea,”
He kept what he had heard concealed till night,
And then without a word to any one,
And leaving all his veterans behind,
Fled unattended, full of wretchedness.
When Kai Khusrau had entered into Gang
His head was troubled and his heart was full.
He saw a pleasance that rejoiced all hearts,
With meadows like the lamps of Paradise;
Each corner had its fount and rosary,
The ground was hyacinths, each bough a perch
For nightingales. All said: “Behold a place
Where we could live in happiness till death!”
The wary king thereafter gave command
To seek the leader of the Turkman host.
They searched the gardens, plains, and palaces,
Employing guides to point them out the way.
The searchers roamed about like maniacs,
If haply they might find a trace of him,
And in the prosecution of the quest
They captured no small number of his folk,
And slew full many who were innocent,
But of the unjust king they found no trace.
Khusrau abode a whole year at Gang-dizh,
With minstrels and with revellers; the world

V. 1377

Resembled heart-enthralling Paradise,
All gardens, rosaries, and pleasances.
The Sháh's affection would not let him leave;
He tarried there victorious and glad.
The paladins of the Íránian host
Appeared one day before him and said thus:—
“Grant that the Sháh's heart be at perfect rest,
And not a thought be turned toward Írán,
Still in good sooth our foe Afrásiyáb
Hath left this shore and gone across the sea,
And Sháh Káús upon the throne is old
Without an army, treasure, Grace, and power;
So if Afrásiyáb shall reach Írán,
Full of revenge, who will watch o'er the land?
Should he recover throne and diadem,
Then all our travail will produce no fruit.”
The Sháh replied: “The counsel that ye give
Is mated to advantage.”

He convoked

The chief men of the place, spake much to them
Of travail past, and him that was the fittest—
The first in honour and most capable—
The Sháh presented with a robe of honour,
Intending to make Gang a marchlord's castle,
And said to him: “Abide here in all joy,
But never careless of the enemy.”
He then distributed what wealth there was,
Distributed both steeds and hoarded treasures,
Enriching all the townsfolk with their shares;
What armlets, thrones, and coronets were theirs!