One night that Moon was sleeping with the Sháh,
All gems and colour, scent and loveliness,
But verily her breathing was not sweet,
And grew disgustful to the king of kings,
Who shrank and turned his head away from her
Upon the couch because her breath was foul.
The monarch of Írán was grieved thereat,
His mind was troubled and his soul all care.
They summoned skilful leeches to Náhíd,
And one of them, a shrewd and prudent man,
Examined till he found a remedy—
A herb whereby the gullet is inflamed,
Called in the Rúman tongue “iskandar.” This
He rubbed upon the palate of the queen,
And caused her eyes*

to water lustily.
The fetor fled away, her palate burned,
Her face shone like brocade; but though the Fair
Was sweet as musk Dáráb had ceased to love her,
The monarch's heart turned coldly from his bride,
And so he sent her back to Failakús.
She was with child but told not any one.

Nine months passed and from that fair dame was born
A babe like radiant Sol. She used to call him
Sikandar*

since he was so tall, well favoured,
And sweet of breath, for she esteemed the name
Of what had sweetened her own palate lucky,
While Cæsar told each chief: “There hath appeared
A Cæsar of my seed.”

None named Dáráb,

Sikandar was the son and Cæsar sire,
For Cæsar shamed to say to any one:—
“Dáráb hath put away my child.”

What time

Sikandar's holy mother brought him forth,
And one went to his grandsire with the tidings,
There was within the stable a brown mare,
In body lusty, swift and tall, and she
That very night produced a foal all white,
Short-shanked, and breasted like a lion. Cæsar
Exulted o'er that mare because he deemed
That birth would prove a lucky sign for him.
He used at dawn to have the infant fetched,
Would have the trappings put upon the mare,
And then caress the foal on eyes and mane
Because it was coeval with Sikandar.
The sky revolved awhile with matters thus,
And years of varied fortune passed away,
Sikandar came to have a monarch's heart,
The utterance of heroes. Cæsar held him
More dearly than a son and used to place
The due adornments on his martial breast.
He gained in wisdom, aptitude, good sense,
Weight, and intelligence. He was acknowledged
Successor on the throne to Failakús,
Who held him in regard in weal and woe.
He learned from tutors kings' accomplishments,
And thou hadst said that he was made to judge,
To found an empire, and to fill the throne.
Now when Náhíd had gone back to her sire
Dáráb took unto him another wife,

And had by her a son of Grace divine
And puissance, and younger than Náhíd's,
Named the same day Dárá in hope that he
Might be yet more successful than his sire.
Thereafter, when twelve years had passed away,
The Sháh failed both in fortune and in limb;
Humái's illustrious offspring 'gan to fade,
And he was summoned to the other world.
He called to him the magnates and the sages,
Conversed at large about the throne of power,
And said to them: “Dárá, son of Dáráb,
Now will become your leader in all good.
Give ear to him, perform what he commandeth
And be his will the music of your souls,
Because this throne of kingship lasteth not,
And when joy cometh it is soon recalled.
Be instant ye, let love unite with justice,
And think on me too gladly.”

This he said,

And heaved a sigh. The colour of his cheek
Turned from pomegranate-bloom to fenugreek.