How Khusrau Parwíz fought with Bahrám Chúbína the second Time, was defeated, and escaped from him by the Help of Surúsh

When day's white banner rose aloft the main,
And when the stars grew hopeless of the dark,
The drummers went forth from both camp-enclosures
With elephants and clarions. There rose
The sound of pipes and horns, the trumpeting
Of elephants, and clash of brazen cymbals.
Thou wouldst have said: “The plains and uplands heave,
The sun's face is like raven's plumes,” and when
The Íránians ranged their ranks and grasped their spears,
And Indian swords, thou wouldst have said: “The earth
Is all cuirass, the spear-heads light the stars!”
Whenas Khusrau Parwíz arrayed the centre
The troops took heart. Gurdwí, that brave aspirant,
Commanded on the right, and on the left
A famed Armenian* with cuirass and sword
Like Áhriman's. Shápúr with Sipansár
And Andiyán drew tight their loins for battle,
While close beside the Sháh was Gustaham
To guard him from the foe.

Bahrám Chúbína,

The hero, seeing not the Rúmans, paused
In silence, then commanded and they bound
The drums upon the elephants; the world
Was like the Nile. The elephant he rode
Was white and his antagonist despaired.
He charged the Sháh's right, shouting to Shápúr:—
“O knave! 'twas not thy promise in thy letter
To come against me on this field of blood!
This is not Persians' usage, and thou givest
Thy body to be slaughtered all for naught.”
Shápúr replied to him: “Thou dív-like one!
Thou hast lost all thy wits in slavery.

Whose name and token did the letter bear
Of which thou speak'st in presence of the lords?”
Then great Khusrau Parwíz said to Shápúr:—
“That letter was to match with his designs;
I and the other nobles of the host
Will compensate thee for it. In due season
I will explain and purge thee of suspicion.”
Bahrám Chúbína heard Khusrau Parwíz,
Perceived the ruse, was both enraged and shamed,
And in his wrath resolved on fight. The usurper
Charged all alone upon his elephant
The centre of the army of the Sháh,
Who saw and said to Andiyán: “Fierce lion!
Shower arrows on yon elephant and make
Your bows like clouds in Spring.”

The Íránians,

All that were fortune-favoured, strung their bows.
The elephant's trunk was riddled so with shafts
That thou hadst said: “It is a Nile!”* Forthwith
Bahrám Chúbína called for horse and helm,
King-worthy, and the arrows showered anew
Upon that proud one's steed. The warrior
Alighting, girt his mail-skirts round his waist,
And then with buckler raised above his head
Brought Doomsday with his trenchant scimitar
Upon the foe who dropped their bows of Chách,
And ran. They brought a horse. He mounted raging,
And shouting charged the centre of the foe—
The station of the Sháh—and pierced it through:
The standard of the leader disappeared.
Thence went he toward the foe's right and outflanked
The Persians and the baggage.* Now Gurdwí
Commanded there—a man of valiance
And of ambition. When he saw his brother
He strung and drew his bow. Those men of blood
Closed; thou hadst said: “They mingle.” Long they strove,
And neither would give way. Bahrám Chúbína
Cried: “Miscreant! wherefore girdest thou thy loins
To shed thy brother's blood?”

Gurdwí replied:—

“Old wolf! hast thou not heard the weighty saw:—
‘A brother as a friend is good: forego
Both skin and vein if he become thy foe.’

Thou art a man of blood, a miscreant,
An Áhriman, the Maker's enemy
At heart. No one of honour and repute
Will come against his brother in the fight.”
Bahrám Chúbína, hearing this, withdrew
In anger and high dudgeon, while Gurdwí,
His martial countenance a-gloom with iron,
Proceeded to the Sháh. Khusrau Parwíz
Commended him right lovingly and said:—
“May turning heaven reward thee.”

Then the Sháh

Made toward the centre, where his warriors reeled,
And sent one to Shápúr. “Assist Mausíl,”
He said, “put forth your power, fight back to back,
And ye may compass shining fortune yet.”
At that time said the king to Gustaham:—
If any Rúman shareth in this fight
Then when Bahrám Chúbína hath been worsted,
Or even wounded, they will raise their heads
Up to the sky and brag immeasurably.
I would not have the Rúmans waxing proud,
And glorying over us about the war.
I have seen all their prowess; they are like
A flock in Winter. 'Twill be best for me
To fight with him short-handed; I require not
Aid from another for I trust in God,
The Succourer.”

Said Gustaham: “O king!

Conspire not thou against thine own sweet life;
But if thou art determined choose some comrades;
Wreck not thy person on this battlefield.”
Khusrau Parwíz rejoined: “What thou hast said
Is well, so make thy choice of some to help
* Out of the army.”

Gustaham selected

Twice seven Íránian horsemen brave and proud.
He wrote himself down first upon the list,
Then brave Shápúr with Andiyán, Bandwí,
Gurdwí—the prop of kings—Ázargashasp,
And then Shírzíl, Rangwí who could outface
The lion and the elephant, Tukhára—
A help in fight and to Yalán-sína
A mortal foe—illustrious Khusrau,
And Farrukhzád, Ustád son* of Pírúz,
Who caused his enemies to melt away,
Urmuzd and fortunate Khurshíd—a pair
To whom their foemen were as grass. Their chief
Was gallant Gustaham expert in war.
On this wise he made choice of fourteen men,
And hurried with them from the host apart.
Khusrau Parwíz harangued those chiefs and said:—

“My noble followers! look ye all to God,
Be blithe of heart and smiling. Naught will chance
But as He willeth while this ancient sky
Endureth. Better perish in the fight
Than have a slave to rule us. Ye must be
My body-guard and instant in the fray.”
All blessed him, hailed him king of earth and vowed
That none of them would quit him in the strife.
The monarch heard, was reassured, rejoiced,
And well contented with those warriors.
He left the host with glorious Bahrám,
And went forth with those fourteen combatants,
While from the look-out rose a shout forthwith:
They told Bahrám Chúbína: “Troops have come.”
That vigilant aspirant gat to horse
With lasso in the straps and sword in hand.
When from his steed he saw the sum of them
He chose him some few warriors and spake
Thus to Yalán-sína: “Yon miscreant
Hath proved that he is hardy in the fight,
For now I know that none but he would venture
Upon this field of vengeance. He hath come
Attended by a troop like this to battle,
But it may be to face the crocodile!
There are not more than twenty cavaliers,
And not one of them do I recognise!”
* Then to Ízid Gashasp* and to Yalán-sína
He said: ‘Men hide not valour. Four of us
Will do, for fortune is a greater friend
To me than to Khusrau Parwíz.”

He gave

The host to one hight Jánfurúz, who loved
The night's gloom more than day, and then went forth
Himself and sped on with the wary three.
Khusrau Parwíz perceived Bahrám Chúbína,
And told his comrades: “There hath come a troop.
Be not perturbed for 'tis my time to stand.
Leave it to me and with my mace to deal
With vile Bahrám Chúbína: be it yours
To combat with his chiefs. Ye are fourteen
To three and may ye never see defeat.”
Then with his Rúman soldiers Niyátús
Must needs gird up the loins and from the field
Of fight they made their way toward the heights
To view both companies and all exclaimed:—
“Why bartereth the great Sháh life for crown?
Abundant horse are left and yet he goeth
To fight in person recklessly!”

All raised
Their hands to heaven because they deemed him slain.
Now when Bahrám Chúbína and his comrades—
Yalán-sína and brave Ízid Gashasp* —
Charged, all the comrades of Khusrau Parwíz
Took flight. Bahrám Chúbína was the wolf,
These nobles were the flock and full of dudgeon
When they beheld that dív escaped from bonds:
Howbeit Bandwí, Gurdwí, and Gustaham
Stayed with the Sháh till, with a prayer to God,
He also, left resourceless, turned his steed,
Pressed by Ízid Gashasp.* “My fate,” he said,
Is on me! Why in folly did I court
This Doomsday, for the folk have looked upon
My back in flight?”

Said Gustaham: “The horsemen

Approach us: wherefore shouldst thou fight alone?”
The Sháh looked back and saw Bahrám Chúbína
The foremost of the four, and then to save
Himself cut loose his charger's sable mail.
His three* companion-horsemen lagged behind;
His vengeful foe pursued. A narrow gorge
Confronted him. Behind him warriors three
Came on like pards. The gorge was barred by rocks.
The world-lord was afar from his own troops.
That glorious youth dismounted fain to scale
Afoot in haste the heights. His path was barred:
The heart of that famed man was sore thereat.
He might not tarry and he could not flee,
While after him came fierce Bahrám Chúbína,
Who called to him: “O knave! the abyss is yawning
Before thy height of greatness! Why hast thou
Thus shouldered thine own fate and brought it me?”
Then straitened with the scimitar behind,
The rocks in front, the Sháh cried: “God almighty,
Who art above the processes of time!
Thou art my succour in my helpless strait:
I cry not unto Mercury and Saturn.”
Or ever from the mountain rose that cry
Surúsh, the glorious, grew manifest
Upon the pathway, garbed in green and riding
A white steed. At that sight Khusrau Parwíz
Recovered confidence. Surúsh drew near,
And having grasped the prince's hand (such things
Are not a marvel with all-holy God)
And borne him from his foe, placed him in safety,
And then let go his hold.

“What is thy name?”

Khusrau Parwíz inquired and spake and wept
By turns. He said: “Surúsh. Thou art in safety;

Lament no more. Henceforth Great King art thou,
And shouldst be naught but holy.”

Having said,

He vanished: none hath looked on such a marvel.
Bahrám Chúbína saw and, all astound,
Invoked the Maker oft. A trembling came
Upon him when he saw his purpose foiled.
He said: “May pluck ne'er fail me while I fight
With men, but now that it hath come to fays
I needs must weep for my beclouded fortunes.”
For his part Niyátús upon the mountain
Asked God's protection, Maryam tore her cheeks
In anguish for her world-lord spouse. The host
Filled mountain, plain, and dale, the Rúmans' hearts
Were grieved and seared. Said Niyátús to her:—
“Stay here; I fear me that the Sháh is lost.”
With that upon the mountain's further side,
Far from the troops, Khusrau Parwíz appeared.
That famed host joyed and Maryam's heart was eased.
He came to her, informed her of that marvel,
And thus he said: “O spouse of Cæsar's line!
The just Judge hath done justice unto me;
'Twas not through slackness or through cowardice,
* For cowards show their slackness in the fight.
I was companionless within the gorge,
And in my trouble called upon the Maker,
And He that ordereth the world's affairs
Revealed to me, His slave, His hidden purpose.
Not glorious Farídún or Túr or Salm,
Or yet Afrásiyáb, e'er dreamed such things,
For, nobles! what I looked upon to-day
Betokeneth victory and sovereignty.
Renew the struggle and remember me.”