When those two miscreants Salm and Túr had heard:—
“The throne of king of kings is bright again,”
They feared their star would sink and sat together
In anxious thought; those wretches' day was darkened
And they resolved to send to ask forgiveness.
They chose a man persuasive, wise, and modest,
To whom they made a passionate appeal,
And fearful of a downfall opened wide

The treasury of the West. From that old hoard
They chose a crown of gold. They housed the elephants.
What wagons did they fill with musk and ambergris,
Brocade, dínárs, and precious furs and silks!
On high-necked elephants the embassage
Went from the West in state toward Írán.
The courtiers added tokens of regard,
And when there was as much as heart could wish
The envoy came prepared to start. The kings
Gave him this embassy to Farídún,
Invoking first of all the name of God:—
“May valiant Farídún for ever live
On whom God hath bestowed the royal Grace,
Be his head flourishing, his person loved,
His genius higher than heaven! I present
A case committed to me by two slaves
At this high portal of the king of kings.
Know that two ill-disposed and lawless men,
Whose eyes are wet with shame before their sire,
Repentant, seared at heart, and much to blame,
Now seek how best they may excuse themselves;
Till now they had no hope of being heard.
What do they say? Their words, wise Sháh! are these:—
‘Let him that did the evil bear the brunt,
And live in pain of heart and self-reproach
As we are doing now, O noble Sháh!
Thus was it written down for us by fate
And by decree of fate the sequel came;
E'en world-consuming lions and fierce dragons
Escape not from the net of destiny.
Again—the foul Dív bade us put aside
All terror of the Worldlord from our hearts,
He took possession of two wise men's brains,
And mightily prevailed against us both;
And now our hope is that perchance the Sháh
May yet forgive us, and impute the wrong
To ignorance in us, next to high heaven
That is at once our shelter and our scath,
And thirdly to the Dív that in our midst
Is girded runner-like to work us ill.
Now, if the great king's head no longer harboureth
Revenge on us, our good faith shall be evident.
Let him send Minúchihr and, as an escort,
A mighty army to his suppliants,
With this intent that we may stand as slaves
Before him dutifully; thus our tears
May wash the tree that springeth of revenge,
Our offering shall be our tears and groans,
And when he groweth up our hoards and thrones.’”