The Sháh rejoiced thereat, made much of them,
And seated them, each as his rank deserved,
Then oped the portal of his grandsire's hoards,
Unmindful of the bonds of love and kindred.
They put upon a thousand lusty camels
Loads of brocade, of jewels, and dínárs.
There were ten thousand oxen drawing wagons
With implements of war, and camels laden
With drachms past counting from the treasury.
When night had come he issued orders, saying:—
“Bear the kinswomen of Afrásiyáb,

And household, whether they be slaves or daughters,
In litters from the palace by the road
Down to the royal park, and furthermore
A hundred famous and illustrious chiefs,
Each one of them renowned for gallantry,
And all the kindred of Afrásiyáb,
Whose eyes are filled with tears of grief for him,
Such men as Jahn and noble Garsíwaz,
In litters with their feet made fast in bonds,
Besides a thousand hostages from Chín
And Turkistán as pledges for those states.”
The Sháh then chose him from the Íránians
Ten thousand men. He put them in Gív's charge,
And said: “O thou whose steps are fortunate!
Go with this company to Kai Káús.”
He ordered next a scribe to come prepared
With paper, musk, and spicery, to write
A letter with rose-water, musk, and ink
About the matter of Afrásiyáb.
The scribe, whenas his pen was wet with musk
And ink, praised first of all the righteous Judge:—
“He is the Upholder and the Finisher,
He is the Artificer of earth and time,
The Maker of the ant and elephant,
Of trifling mote and of the dark blue sea,
The Lord of that which is and that which is not,
To whose supremacy all things submit.
The sky will not turn harshly o'er the man
Whom He hath fed with loving-kindliness.
His blessings be upon the king of earth,
The Maker of the warp and woof of peace.
I reached this fortress which Afrásiyáb
Kept for his season of repose and ease.
Within it were his throne and coronet,
His greatness, diadem, his crown, and host.
'Twas forty days before the ramparts fell,
And we could reach the enemy; but Gív
Will give the Sháh the full particulars
Of all that chanced upon the battlefield.
When in God's presence thou shalt ope thy lips
Give thanks on my behalf both day and night.
I will lead on the army to Máchín
And Chín, and thence will march upon Makrán,
And after with the aid of holy God
Will cross the sea.”

Forthwith Gív left the presence

With many troops and gallant warriors.
The journey passed like wind; he neared Káús,
Who, when he heard of that auspicious offspring
Of paladins, sent many troops to meet him;
The nobles too set forward on the way.
When gallant Gív was coming to the Sháh
That warrior-band looked like a plain of lions.
Gív, entering the presence, kissed the ground
Before the state. Káús, on seeing him,
Arose with smiles and stroked him on the face,
Asked touching king and host, and how they fared
Beneath the circling sun and shining moon.
The gallant Gív told all that he had seen,
About the great king and the warriors,
In words whereat the ancient Sháh grew young,
Then gave the letter to a scribe to read,
Who read it to the monarch of Írán,
And filled the whole assembly with amaze.
Then Sháh Káús descended from his throne,
Took from his head the Kaian coronet,
And, wallowing upon the darksome dust,
Returned thanksgiving to all holy God,
And thence departed to his dwelling-place,
Escorted by his loyal paladins.
Gív told what he had seen and what Khusrau
Had said. Káús brought wine and summoned min-strels,
Inviting the brave princes of Írán,

And spent in converse all the livelong night;
Thus did the hours of darkness fleet away
Until with lights the guests went from the presence,
And made for home with glad and merry hearts.
Now when the sun shot from its radiant orb
Its arrows and night turned its gathered reins,
There rose a din of tymbals at the court,
The warriors went in to audience.
The ruler of the world then summoned Gív,
Placed him upon the famed, imperial throne,
And ordered that the spoils should be brought forth,
The haughty and illustrious warriors,
Together with the guiltless womenfolk—
The unseen victims of Afrásiyáb—
With Jahn and Garsíwaz—the man of guile,
Who had tripped up the feet of Siyáwush.
Káús, beholding wicked Garsíwaz,
Cursed him as he deserved. They brought both him
And Jahn in gyves before the lofty throne,
With all the prisoners and hostages.
The Sháh dealt with them after their deserts,
Put one in ward, another into bonds;
One was all hope, another in distress.
Káús beheld with eyelids full of tears
The daughters of the great Afrásiyáb,
And made the royal bower their dwelling-place,
With handmaids to attend them. All the spoils
Of every kind, dínárs and uncut gems,
He gave to the Íránians that they
Might call down blessings on the king of earth.
He made the captives over to his chiefs,
Retaining neither great nor small himself.
They then prepared a residence for Jahn,
Providing food, attendants, and a guard.
There was a gloomy dungeon in a hold,
Repulsive, with a charnel-house hard by,
And this became the lot of Garsíwaz:
Such are time's changes! Blest are they that rule
With open hands and hearts devout and pure,
Who reckon that the world will not endure,
And never haunt the portal of the fool;
But he whose wits are small and lusts*

debased
Is by a leech among the madmen placed.
Whenas the Sháh had made an end of these
He cleared the hall of every stranger there,
And then the scribe prepared himself to write,
And made his pen's point like a diamond.
They wrote a letter to the provinces,
To all the men of name and all the chiefs:
It ran: “Túrán and Chín are now the Sháh's,
The sheep and leopard water at one cistern.”
He made a gift of money to the poor,
And to his own attendants and his kin.
Before his portal for two sennights' space
Men saw no passage through the crowds that sought
For largess. The third week Káús reposed
In Grace upon the throne of majesty,
While mid the sound of flute and song the cup
Was welcomed. From the goblet of the Sháh
Rose for a sennight waves of ruddy wine.
When New Moon came he made a gift to Gív—
A gift of gold plate set with turquoises,
Of golden chargers and of turquoise goblets,
Of golden girdles and of silver harness,
Of female slaves with torques and earrings on,
Of bracelets and of crowns of jewel-work,
Of raiment also, thrones, and carpetings,
Of bright stuffs, perfumes, and embroidery.
The monarch sent for Gív; they seated him
Upon a golden throne and then presented
The gifts before him. After that was done
Gív with his face caressed the royal throne.