The third day at a feast made for the nobles
A scribe was brought and set before the Sháh,
Who, when his visage was relaxed with wine,
Wrote, joying in his lovingkindliness,
A letter which began with praise of one
That hath with knowledge laved his soul, made
wisdom
The jewel of his heart, won opulence
By his own toil and hardihood, acknowledged
That all good is from God, hath sought for wisdom,

Made friends of sages, knoweth that from justice
Naught will proceed but good, and knocketh not
Upon the portal of malignity:—
“If one complaineth of mine officers,
My noble chieftains or my men of war,
They have no prospect but the cell or gibbet,
And, if slain, vile committal to the dust.
Endeavour to make others' travail small,
Give joy and happiness to mourners' hearts,
Because the world hath stayed, will stay, with none;
Be just and inoffensive, that sufficeth.
I am exemplary of what I say,
And an incentive to all righteousness,
For what a multitude of troops assailed
Me and this noble company, while I
Departed with a little host, and those
Who were mine enemies are now my friends!
One noble personage—the Khán of Chín,
A world-lord having signet, crown, and throne—
I captured, and the Turkmans' fortunes fell.
All-holy God made me victorious,
My foemen's heads have come to dust. Be service
My sole employ, mine every thought be right.
I will impose no tax for seven years
On subject or compeer. I write this letter
In our old tongue to chiefs and to officials
That they may treat my subjects in accord
To righteous precedent and take no thought
Of doing wrong. Dispatch to me the names
Of those that are in want within your towns,
And in their portion have no day of joy,
And well will I content them. Furthermore,
If there be any men of noble birth,
Who can recall to memory better days,
Them also with my treasures set past need,
And magnify the wise. The folk in debt,
And empty-handed, who are everywhere
Looked down upon and scorned, them too relieve
Of debt and write their names upon the roll.
Pray ye to God to keep our heart thus true
To custom and the Faith, joy in this precept,
And well entreat the underlings. Moreover,
Despise not your own slaves, for they, like you,
Are God's. Let one of wealth, and fit therefor,
Entrust to learnéd men his children. Make
Their spirits rich in knowledge and encrown
Their heads with wisdom. Keep your hands afar
From others' wealth, be ye without offence,
And worshippers of God. Be diligent,
Break not our fealty,*

and eradicate
The stumps, the suckers, and the roots of evil.

Seek not to do your neighbours injury,
Especially the magnates and the rich:
Make God your refuge, keep His ordinance,
And your souls pledges of your love for Him.
Whoever hath grown great from nothingness,
And raised himself to independency,
Call him not great, such greatness dwindleth soon.
Be just, be worshippers of God, and wash
Perverseness and injustice from your hands.
All ye that have! withhold not from the poor;
Incline to holiness and act aright;
Break not the hearts and backs of suppliants;
Mishap is night to all things done amiss.
God's favour be upon the soul of him
To whom humanity is warp and woof.”
When they had written thus on lustrous silk
The scribe dipped into musk his pen and wrote
The heading thus: “The monarch of the world,
The heart of justice, knowing good and ill,
The lord of pardon, Grace, and puissance,
Bahrám Gúr, the all-bounteous king of kings,
To his marchlords and those beneath his rule—
The wise and understanding, warlike chiefs.”
Then runners, cavaliers, and cameleers
Went with the letter everywhere with guides,
And when it came to all the provinces,
To every nobleman and chief, all said:—
“Thanks be to God, the world-lord is devout.”
Thereat the women, men, and children went
In all lands from their houses to the plain,
And all invoked a blessing silently
Upon that upright monarch of the world,
Then set themselves to feast and called for wine,
And harp and minstrelsy. They feasted half
The day, the other half they toiled.

At springtide

It was proclaimed before the court at down:—
“Let those of substance eat and give away.
Let them thank us for that which they enjoy,
And let the poor come to the treasury,
And carry thence five drachms of proper weight,
Together with three mans*

of bright, old wine
Hued like pomegranate-blossom or like gold.”
The world disposed itself to merriment,
The shouts of revellers filled town and hamlet
Until they bought a coronal of roses
For two dínárs and gave without complaint
A drachm for a narcissus-spike. The old
Grew young of heart with joy, the streams ran milk.

The Sháh thanked God on seeing all the world
Thus glad.

One day he thus addressed Narsí:—

“Depart hence with the signet and the crown.
I have bestowed upon thee Khurásán;
Cause it to flourish; joy our subjects' hearts;
Be nothing if not just; stint not thy hand
Within this Place of Passage.*

If our father
Sought ill he quaked therefor like naked men
Beneath an autumn-blast.”

He bade prepare

A robe of honour for Narsí, thus voiding
An opulent treasury, and said to him:—
“God shelter thee, and be the sun's throne thine.”
The journey took two se'nnights, then Narsí
Assumed in peace the rule of Khurásán.
When he had gone one week the Sháh, whose heart
Was freed from care, bade, and the high priest went
Before him, bringing certain of the nobles.
The Sháh addressed him, saying: “Cæsar's business
Is dragging on, and his ambassador
Is waiting long for his dismission.
What sort of man is he, and from the standpoint
Of wisdom where is he, for wisdom straighteneth
The soul?”

The high priest answered: “Blest be thou,

Lord of the world, and dowered with Grace divine.
He is advanced in years, discreet, and modest,
A man of goodly speech and gentle voice,
A pupil of the school of Falátún,*

A man of wisdom, learned, and nobly born.
He left Rúm, full of energy, but now,
Since he hath been here, he hath grown depressed,
And torpid like a snake in winter-time,*

With weak frame and with cheeks of reed-like hue.
His servitors are all like sheep before
A hunting cheetah, but regard not us;
Such are their manhood and their valiancy
They think none in this land a man at all.”
Bahrám Gúr answered thus the high priest: “God
Bestoweth Grace and diadem and might.
If He hath given me victory, and turned
My fortune's night to day, still Cæsar too
Is of imperial race, is great, is sprung
From Salm whose head was crowned by Farídún,
And can recount his lineage sire by sire.
He acteth in a manly, prudent way,
And hath not turned to madness like the Khán.
At audience we will call the envoy in,
To see if what he saith be to the point,
And then I will dismiss him graciously,
For men are useful to me in this world;
One is for war and bringeth troops, another
For feasting and doth bring a golden crown.
I must maintain the honour of Írán,
The man that treateth with great men is great.”

The high priest praised him lovingly and said:—
“Live happily so long as heaven revolveth.
He shall not speak save to exalt thy fame:
Mayst thou be chief among the men of name.”