§ 15
How Bahrám Chúbína sent a Message to Parmúda and how Parmúda asked Quarter
C. 1834

Bahrám Chúbína stayed before the hold
Three days but sent at sun-rise on the fourth
This message to Parmúda as the chief
Both of the realm and race: “O noble king
Of Chín and of the Turks! why hast thou chosen
To occupy this stronghold? Where are now
King Sáwa's passion to possess the world,
And all his treasure, power, and elephants,
His armour for the steeds and ardent chiefs?
Where are thy witchcraft and thy sorcery
That now thou dost seclude thyself? Time was
When all the Turks'domain was not enough
For thee, thy father peerless in the world.
Now womanlike thou sittest in this hold,
With full heart, beating thine own head. Undo
The castle-gate, seek quarter, ask of me
To plead for thee before my king. Dispatch
Thy treasures of dínárs and all thy purses
From this hold plain-ward or if thou keep them
Keep not the realm for kings despise dínárs.
Myself will intercede for thee at court
Because I am the champion of Írán;
Thee will I make chief of all chiefs and treat thee
Above thine aims and thine imaginings.
Now if thou hast some hidden policy,
One that will make thy gloomy prospects bright,
Confide in me; since thine affairs are thus
Be not thou distant. I have given thee quarter,
As thou dost know, and opened thee a way
To scape by, else thou hadst been lifeless now,
As is thy sire, and seen not son or kindred:
But if thou hast companions for the fight,
With treasure and abundance of dínárs,
Exert thyself herein and take revenge,
For troops are not to seek where there is treasure.”
The messenger arriving told his message,
Which when Parmúda, the ambitious, heard
He answered: “Say: ‘If so thou canst forbear
To search out this world's secrets. Thou perchance
Hast made too bold therewith because thy toils
Have brought forth fruit; yet in thy victory
Joy not; though thou art young the world is old.
The secret of the turning sky is known
To none; it never showeth us its face.
To mock becometh not a general.
I too had soldiers, elephants, and drums,

C. 1835
But heaven above is practised in deceit,
So couple not thy heart with arrogance.
My sire, the world-lord, that discerning man,
Whom thou beheldest on the day of fight,
Had earth as bondslave of his horse's hoofs,
And heaven revolved according to his will;
Yet sought he what it was not his to seek,
And turned not from his wrongful purposes.
His prowess is o'erlaid by ridicule,
And enemies bemock him from afar.
As for thy saying that thy host exceedeth
The revolutions of the sun and moon
In sum, and that thy steeds and elephants
Seem grass-seeds scattered by a wind-mill's sails,
All that will pass away and thou withal
Wilt cease to joy and to illume the world.
Fear sharp fate's vengeance yet;* it may infuse
Some of its bane in this thine antidote.
When one hath made a trade of shedding blood,
And harassing the hearts of enemies,
Men will shed his blood also by the token
That he hath shed the blood of other chiefs.
Wreck though thou mayst the country of the Turks
Still in the end they will exact revenge.
If I shall come to thee forthwith I fear
That thou wilt make an end of me. Thou art
A slave; I am a king. Shall I abase me
Before a thrall? I will not come to battle
Without a host or those that wish me well
Will call me mad; but it is no disgrace
For me to ask for quarter from thy Sháh
In mine extremity. When that is done
The hold, the treasure, and the men are thine;
Thy wishes will be law in this famed land.’”
The messenger returned with this reply;
Bahrám Chúbína was rejoiced thereby.