Now in a little while, when all the troops
Were satiate of wealth, a sudden impulse
Came on Sikandar, and he greatly longed
To journey to the Kaaba. So at dawn
The drum-roll rose,*

the air grew like the eye
Of chanticleer, while all the mass of spears,
And silken pennons, formed a canopy
Of yellow, red, and violet.*

Sikandar

Departed with his diadem and treasures
To look upon the house of Ibráhím,
Who bare no little toil to build that shrine,
Which God hath named Baitu'l Harám, and there
Thou hast His perfect Way who calleth it,
By reason of its purity, His house,
And thither summoneth His worshippers,
Though needing not the world, or any place,
Or food, enjoyment, rest, or blandishment;
But still, since place had being, that hath been
A place of worship—God's memorial.
Sikandar then drew near to Kádisí,
World-conquering up to Jahram of Párs.
When news of him reached Nasr, son of Katíb,
Who was the Grace and ornament of Mecca,
He went to meet the Sháh with warlike chiefs,
And valiant, spear-armed cavaliers. Meanwhile
From Mecca sped a horseman to Sikandar,
And said: “The famous chief now on his way,
But not in quest of treasure, crown, and host,
Is sprung from Ismá'íl, the prophet, son
Of Ibráhím, the favoured of the stars.”
When Nasr arrived Sikandar welcomed him,
Assigning him an honourable rank.
Nasr, joying, told Sikandar of his race,
And of his secret purposes. He answered:—
“Good-hearted chieftain, speaker of the truth!
Who, next to thee, is greatest, most esteemed,
And honoured in the tribe?”

Nasr said: “O world-lord!

Khuzá' is master here. When Ismá'íl
Had passed away Kahtán, the monarch, came
With mighty hosts of swordsmen from the waste,
And seized the country of Yaman unjustly.
Of our race many guiltless folk were slain,
So that the day was over for our tribe.
Now this displeased the Maker of the world;
High Heaven frowned upon Kahtán: but when
He was reduced to dust Khuzá' appeared,
Unjust, audacious, and tyrannical;
All from Harám*

up to Yaman is his,
His angle is within the sea of Misr.
He hath transgressed from justice and the way,
And hath no thought of goodness in his heart,
The world is in his clutch, the hearts of all
The race of Ismá'íl are full.”

On hearing,

Sikandar slew such scions of Khuzá'
As he could find and scalped them, sparing none
Of friend or foe, delivering Hajáz,
And therewithal Yaman, from the oppressor
By policy and by his warrior-swordsmen,

And set up of the seed of Ismá'íl
All that were worthy of supremacy.
He visited afoot Baitu'l Harám;
The seed of Ismá'íl rejoiced in him.
At every step of Cæsar's pilgrimage
His treasurer showered dínárs. The Sháh, when he
Returned and reached the throne, bestowed on Nasr
Dínárs and treasure while the mendicant,
And they that lived by toil, grew free from want.