§ 11

How Bahrám Chúbína summoned the Magnates of Írán, how they discussed his Pretensions to the Kingship, and how he acceded to the Throne

When Sol unsheathed its sword, and when its veil
Of yellow showed, Bahrám Chúbína sent
And called the magnates, seating them upon
The dais of the kings on golden seats,
Which he had ranged around, and sat in joy
As conquering monarchs do. Thereafter he
Spake with a mighty utterance thus and said:—
“Ye that are worshipful! now make response
In full assurance and auspiciously
Advise upon my words. Give them all heed,
And note my prompt dispatch. Ye will not find
A worse Sháh than Zahhák, search as ye may,
Who slew his sire for kingship's sake, whereby
Írán fell to his hands;* and now again
Khusrau Parwíz, a man unjust and cursed,
Hath slain his father and hath gone to Rúm;
And so till one of royal race appeareth,
One fit to claim the throne and make crown, girdle,
And fortune his who, think ye, is the man
To gird him at this present to restore
The precedents of kings? I swear by Him,
Who is the Master of the sun on high,
That I will give you aidance in the quest.”
The nobles heard the famous chieftain's words,
And none dissented. Then an elder rose—
Shahrán Guráz, a hoary warrior,
A chieftain eminent—and answered thus:—
“Thou art a benefactor to the world,
Illustrious prince! Hadst thou not been at Rai
No one had matched king Sáwa when he reached
Our coast with forces to enslave the Free;
But bravely thou didst arm thee and that trouble
Passed from the Íránians, and a host equipped,

C. 1898
And warriors all, four hundred thousand strong,
Fled from thy wooden shaft, and thus Írán
Had rest from heat and strife; so now its throne
Befitteth thee as thine unsleeping fortune
Is witness. Him that disobeyeth thee,
Or shunneth thine alliance, will we cause
To do thy will, brave though he be, and though
The matter touch Khusrau Parwíz himself.”
Thus spake he and resumed his seat, whereat
The chieftain Khurásán stood forth before
Bahrám Chúbína and thus spake: “I ask
This old, ambitious sage, who hath harangued
The assembly at such length, who hath inspired
His words? He praised thee so that all our hearts
Rejoiced, and yet there is a goodly saying
Used in the Zandavasta by Zarduhsht
For honest brains to hear: ‘Whoe'er shall quit
The Almighty's way, admonish such one year,
Supplying all his needs, and after that
If he return not slay him with the sword
By order of the Sháh, while if he be
The just Sháh's foeman let him be beheaded
Forthwith.’”

He spake, ceased, and resumed his seat.

Then Farrukhzád stood up. “O helpful chief!”
He said, “just speech is better than mishap.
If justice then is better perish he
That joyeth in unjust words.”

Then he spake

Thus to Bahrám Chúbína: “Blest be thou,
And may the sight of thee sustain the world.
If these my words find favour and if God,
The Conqueror, assist us live for ever
As our blest Sháh, and be the hands and tongues
Of bad men far from thee.”

That valiant man

Sat down and Khazarwán, son of Khusrau,
Came forward lion-like and said: “Although
Both young and old talk much yet in the end,
If thou wouldst follow right, dispatch like wind
A cameleer and tarry not until
Khusrau Parwíz, the exalted one, shall tread
The longsome road a victim to injustice.
Excuse thy late behaviour and approach not
The throne thus boldly, for no general
Is worthy of it while the world-lord liveth.
If thou art fearful of Khusrau Parwíz
Break off thy love for Párs and Taisafún,

C. 1899
And live in ease and power in Khurásán.
Write letter after letter of excuse;
Perchance Khusrau Parwíz may prove amene.”
When he withdrew stepped forward Zád Farrukh,
And said with justice: “Chiefs of noble race!
I have been listening to this debate
Of these the chosen leaders of Írán.
First, that proposal worthy of a slave
To make a paladin the Sháh is one
Distasteful to the wise, one to diminish
A man's renown. The words of Khurásán
Were grand and wedded, I maintain, to wisdom,
While those of Farrukhzád were violent,
Such as would hebetate the hearts of sages.
The fourth to speak was Khazarwán, the chief,
Whose words were also wise, for since God made
The world the course of time is manifest.
Start from Zahhák, the Arab, who was both
Unjust and foul of Faith. He slew Jamshíd,
That overweening one, and seized the world
Unjustly. Holy men grieved that a dív
Was Sháh till Farídún, that glorious king,
Abated him. Next came that miscreant,
Afrásiyáb, who for that purpose left
Túrán and crossing o'er the stream beheaded
Naudar, the noble, with the scimitar
In piteous fashion and o'erturned the state;
And, third, Sikandar who from Rúm invaded
Írán, laid waste our land, and slew Dárá,
The swordsman, so that food and slumber grew
Harsh to the Íránians, while, fourthly, came
Foul Khúshnawáz who robbed our fields and fells
Of mirth and joy when unexpectedly
The Haitálians slew Pírúz, a Sháh high-starred,
The conqueror of the world, the chief of rulers,
And overturned the throne of king of kings.
But none hath seen a wonder such as lately
Came on Írán when Sháh Khusrau Parwíz
Fled from the throne, from his own troops, to foes!”
This said, he sat and wept. Bahrám Chúbína
Turned livid at the words. The veteran
Sambáz, loin-girt, with Indian sword in hand,
Leapt to his feet. “This noble paladin,”
He said, “is great, just, ardent, so till one
Of royal race shall come and gird his loins
C. 1900
'Tis best for him to sit upon the throne,
For he is warlike, brave, and fortunate.”
Bahrám Chúbína, chief of warriors,
Heard, clapped his hand upon his sword and drew it,
Exclaiming: “If we find within this quarter
A woman of the lineage of the Sháhs
I will behead her with the trenchant sword,
And let the breath of death pass over her.
* I will not wait for one to claim the realm,
And caracole amidst the cavaliers.”
Whenas the chiefs possessed by Áhriman
* Heard their foul leader thus assert himself
They drew their scimitars, arose, and spake
In terms unheard till then: “Bahrám Chúbína
Is Sháh and we are subjects. We will not
Transgress his wishes and commands.”

Now when

Bahrám Chúbína saw the scimitars
Drawn he did what was just and right, and said:—
“If any one shall leave his seat and touch
His scimitar I will cut off his hand
Forthwith and sober him.”

This said, he left

The nobles for the pleasance. That great conclave
Dispersed with faces lined and broken hearts.
Whenas the pitch-hued, star-illumined Veil
Appeared, and watchmen's calls were heard, he asked
For pen and paper, and a noble scribe,
And wise, approached, to whom he handed pen
And inkstand, saying: “Write out on this silk
This declaration from the Íránians:—
* ‘Bahrám Chúbína is the Sháh, triumphant,
Deserving crown, adorning throne, and seeking
Right publicly and privily.’”

This written

They lighted links and passed an anxious night,
But when the Veil of lapis-lazuli
Had passed away and when the world was sun-gilt,
One fortune-favoured came and set a state
Within the palace of Bahrám Chúbína;
Upon that golden state they placed a seat,
And oped the court. He took his place as Sháh,
And donned the royal crown. The scribe then brought
The declaration of his sovereignty
Inscribed upon the costly painted silk,
And each chief testified: “Bahrám Chúbína
Is monarch of the world.”

When they had signed

He sealed it with his golden seal and said:—
“All-holy God will testify to you
That now this realm is mine and may its kings
Be of my lineage for a thousand years,

C. 1901
And thus ennobled hold in line direct
The crown and lofty throne.”

'Twas on the day

Khurshíd of month Ázar that thus the Lion
Gave up the Onager's back.* Bahrám Chúbína
Thereafter thus harangued the Íránians:—
“Revengeful strife hath risen in our midst.
Whoe'er accepteth not this settlement,
Be he an honest man or not, shall spend
But three days in Írán and on the fourth,
What time the world's Light mounteth to the sky,
Shall go to join Khusrau Parwíz and sleep not
In our dominions longer.”

Blessing him,

Not from their hearts, men said: “May earth ne'er lack thee.”
Heart-broken that Bahrám Chúbína reigned
Those loyal to the kingdom's rightful lord
Departed Rúm-ward and dispersed abroad.