How Bahrám Chúbína sent Troops after Khusrau Parwíz and how Bandwí contrived to rescue him from their Hands
On entering the palace of the Sháh
Bahrám Chúbína chose from his fierce host
Six thousand wielders of the scimitar,
Mailed, to pursue the king, and put Bahrám,
The son of Siyáwush, in charge of those
Famed, warlike troops, while on the other part
Khusrau Parwíz took to the waste to 'scape
His foes with life, and reached at length a hold
With battlements of viewless height. Folk called it
“The House of God”—a shrine, a blesséd spot,
With bishops and a metropolitan,
A place for penitents. He there addressed
A holy man: “What food is there to hand?”
A bishop said: “There are unleavened loaves
And watercress, my lord! If such thou needest
Let it be none save ours.”
The king forthwith
Alighted with his escort. That aspirant
With his two courtiers took in hand for prayer
The sacred twigs, then on the soft, blue*
sand
They sat and ate in haste of what there was.
Thereafter he addressed the bishop thus:
“Hast thou no wine, old sir whose steps are blest?”
He said: “We manufacture wine from dates;
We make it in the heat of summer-time.
There is a little left, clear as rose-water,
And red as coral in the sun.”
Forthwith
He brought a cup thereof and it eclipsed
The hue of Sol. Khusrau Parwíz drank three,
Partook of barley-bread and, when his wits
Were warmed with ruddy wine, slept with his head
Laid on Bandwí's lap on the yielding sand,
All sorrowful of soul and liver-pierced.
Just as he slept the senior bishop came.
Said Khusrau Parwíz: “Good friend!
Direct us in the matter.”
He rejoined:—
“I will devise escape for thee, O king!
In this strait, though I shall have sacrificed
My life to save the monarch of the world.”
Khusrau Parwíz replied: “A sage of Chín
Hath uttered better things in this regard:—
‘In Paradise shall be his future state
Who here hath tilled about a monarch's gate.
The plastering can not abide in place
When city-walls are levelled to their base.
When mighty cities perish out of hand.
Let not the hospitals be left to stand.’
If shift thou knowest use it; holy God
Will save thee from the need of other help.”
Bandwí said: “Let me have the crown of gold,
The earrings, girdle, and the robe from Chín,
Gold-woven and tulip-hued, and while I don them
Abide not thou. Go with thy troops apace
As sailors speed a vessel o'er the deep.”
The youth did as Bandwí advised and thence
Companioned with the wind. When he had made
Shift thus to flee, Bandwí, the veteran,
Turned to the bishop, saying: “Ye must tarry
Unseen of all upon the mountain-top,”
Then went himself dust-swift within the shrine,
And with all speed shut fast the iron door,
Assumed the gold-embroidered robe and donned
The royal crown. He went upon the roof,
And thence unwillingly beheld a host
On every side. He waited till they came
Up to the hold to fight. At sight of him
With gold crown, earrings, torque, and belt all cried:—
It is Khusrau Parwíz with his new crown
And robes.”
Bandwí, when certain that the troops
Had taken him to be the Sháh himself,
Went from the roof, donned his own clothes with
speed,
Then fearlessly returned and said: “Young braves!
To whom shall I address me as your chief
Because I have a message from the Sháh
To give in presence of the mighty men?”
“This may prove a trifle,”
Bahrám said to his chiefs, “or else of moment.
If we shall press him much he may be wroth
And fall on us. He is a host himself,
A world-aspirant, shrewd and valorous.
If he be slain in fight Bahrám Chúbína
Will send too dust from us. 'Tis best to wait
To-day, although our stores are running low,
To see if he will yield without contention.”
Thus was it till the night rose o'er the mountains,
And her host gathered, then both far and wide
The troops spread, kindling fires on every side.