How Gurdya made Sport before Khusrau Parwíz and how he gave Rai to her
Thus was it till the month of Farwardín,
And rose-leaves decked the surface of the earth,
Until the clouds' tears grew as large as hail,
And tulips filled the valleys and the plains,
Till all the dales were dappled like a pard,
And earth was coloured like brocade of Rúm.
The chieftains came to sport within the garths,
And to the uplands flocked all sheep and deer.
Khusrau perceived the garden's open gates,
The water-birds disporting on its streams,
And bade the trumpets sound. They carried thither
Jars of perfumes, sat down upon the grass,
Called out for wine and decked their souls with joy.
A man from Rai approached Gurdwí and told
All that had happened. He was grieved at heart,
And sought in his concern a remedy.
He told his sister: “Thou must tell the Sháh.
See if thou canst devise a scheme to make
His heart indifferent in this regard.”
Anon Gurdya produced a kitten, clad
As 'twere a child, upon a courser trapped
With gold and jewels. In the kitten's ears
Were earrings and its claws were tulip-hued,
Its eyes were pitch-like, languishing like those
Of folk bemused, its cheeks were like the Spring.
It rode about the garden like a child
With saddle-flaps of gold. The Sháh laughed out,
And laughter took possession of the court.
“What,” said he to Gurdya, “is thy desire,
My gracious lady?”
That resourceful dame
At once did reverence. “Exalted Sháh!”
She said, “grant Rai to me, be wise again,
Release the hearts of woeful folk from grief,
Recall that wretched mannikin from Rai,
And term him miscreant and malefactor,
For he doth ban the cats and wreck all gutters!”
Khusrau Parwíz laughed out at his wife's words,
And said: “Thou saucy shatterer of hosts!
I give to thee the city and the lands.
Send thither presently some upright man,