Šāh-nāmah - The Šahnama of Firdausi, Volume 7

Whenas the sun next day displayed its crown
The world-lord went to hunt the onager;
The soldiers strung their bows, the Sháh himself
Rode in the rear. He said: “If one should take
His bow to shoot at any beast the arrow
Should strike the buttocks and come through the
breast.”
A paladin replied: “O king! consider
Who in this noble host can shoot like that
Among thy friends or foes unless indeed

He urged Shabdíz,

And, nearing a buck onager, let fly
His arrow, when the moment came, and skewered
Together chest and buttock. As it died
The nobles of the golden belt came up;
They marvelled at his shot, and all applauded.
They could not see the arrow's point and feathers,
For they were hidden in the onager.
The warlike cavaliers and soldiers bent
With faces to the ground before Bahrám,
What while a paladin exclaimed: “O king!
Ne'er may thine eye behold the ill of fortune.
Thou art a horseman but all we ride asses,
And are but ill at that!”

The Sháh replied:—

“Not mine the arrow, for the All-conqueror
Assisteth me. None in the world is viler
Than one whose prop and helper God is not.”
He urged his charger onward, thou hadst said:—
“Yon courser is an eagle in its flight!”
A gallant onager appeared. Forthwith
The Lion reached out for his scimitar,
And with a sword-stroke clave the beast asunder
In equal halves. Chiefs, nobles, and attendants
Armed with the scimitar, came up to him,
And, when they saw that stroke, a sage exclaimed:—
“What swordmanship and might are here! Oh! may
The evil eye ne'er look upon this Sháh.
He hath no semblance save the moon in heaven,⁸¹

Beneath him are the heads of this world's chiefs,
While heaven is lower than his scimitar,
And arrow-point.”

The troops that followed him

Cleared all the plain of onager. He bade
Make rings of gold and grave his name thereon.
He ringed the creatures' ears and let them go;
Six hundred too he branded in a batch,
Then freed them for the honour of his name,
And for his will and pleasure, while a man
Went round the host proclaiming thus: “Let none
Sell to the merchants any onagers
On this broad plain but give them as a gift.”
They brought him from Barkúh and from the chiefs
Of Jaz abundance of brocade and furs.

And to his presence came the haughty chiefs,
Both alien and those akin to him.
He bade his retinue disperse and sought
His own delightsome palace. They adorned
The bower of Barzín, the handmaids there
Were clamorous for musk and wine, the Idols
Got ready song and harp, the hall was cleared
Of strangers. What with harp and wine and pipe,
And sound of song, the vaulted heaven seemed
To greet the air. All night from every chamber
They brought forth bands of dancers that the Sháh

Anon news came to Hind, Rúm, Turkistán,
Chín, and all parts inhabited: “The heart
Of Sháh Bahrám is given up to sport,
He taketh no account of any one,
He hath no outposts, no men are on guard,
And on the marches are no paladins.
For love of sport he suffereth all to drift,
And knoweth nothing of the world's affairs.”
Now when the Khán of Chín heard this he levied
Troops from Khutan and Chín, paid them, and set
His face toward Írán. No one took thought
About Bahrám while Cæsar for his part
Marched forth in force from Rúm. When tidings
reached
Írán from Rúm and Hind, from Chín and all
The settled regions: “Cæsar hath assembled
And led an army forth while troops are seen
Advancing from Khutan and Chín,” the chieftains,
The warriors old and young within Írán,
All came before Bahrám Gúr, full of wrath,
Of rage, and bitterness, and bluntly said:—
“Thy glorious fortune hath displayed its back.
The heads of kings should be intent on fighting,
But thy heart is intent on sport and feasting;
The crown and throne are worthless in thine eyes,
So are Írán, the treasure, and the host.”

Now the host approached

The high priest to get knowledge of Bahrám,
And said: “Why scattereth he his treasures thus
Instead of heaping them like other Sháhs?
He squandereth gold everywhere because
He knoweth not its worth. Both citizens
And soldiers are dispersed, and all have sought
Some course of betterment.”

At length, when words

Had waxen old, all folk agreed to send
A man of reputation to the Khán
Of Chín, “Because,” said they, “ere evils come
With war and pillage we must try all means
To save Írán: the master of the house
Is lost.”

Narsí replied: “This is not well;

The world hath not a bed for such a stream.
Shall I ask quarter of the king of Chín?
I will clothe earth with men and elephants.
There are arms, treasure, and courageous men,
Whose swords would send dust out of fire itself.
Why this despair concerning Sháh Bahrám
Because he started with a little band?
Why have your thoughts turned evil thus? If ye
Think ill then ill will come.”

The Íránians heard,

And answered him perversely, saying: “Bahrám,
Departing hence, took not a host with him,
And must we not resign our hearts to grief,
For when the Khán shall come to fight Irán
Our land will lose both scent and hue? The foe
Will trample on us shamefully, Narsí
And all the host will be o'erthrown. All means
Will we endeavour to maintain our place
And standing here.”

There was an archimage,

A skilful, learnéd, single-hearted man,
Humái by name, and him the Íránians chose
To gird his loins and undertake their cause,
Then wrote the Khán upon their own behalf
A cringing letter which began: “Thy slaves
Are we and bow down to thy will and pleasure.
We send thee of the produce of Írán
Together with our homage and excuses,
With gifts too, toll and tribute, for we have
No power to stand against the king in war.”
So from Írán the blest Humái arrived
With certain nobles—men of honest counsels—
And gave the Khán the message of the chiefs,
Whereat his heart rejoiced. Humái withal
Spake of the swift remove of Sháh Bahrám,
And of his hasty flight without a host,

and streams run
milk^88a

By justice, prudence, and magnificence.
I will await the tribute from Írán—
The Lions' gifts and taxes. I shall come
To Marv, or rather I shall pass it by,
Not wishing to cause damage by my troops.”
The messenger returned in haste and told
His converse with the Khán who led his host
To Marv, the world was black with horsemen's dust.
When he had rested he concerned himself
With feasting; no one thought about Bahrám.
At Marv there was no rest or sleep for sound
Of harp and lyre, the troops were all abroad.
There was no watch, no prospect of a shock,
But all was sport, wine, parties, twang of lyre,
And feeling night and day secure from war.
The Khán was looking for the Íránians' tribute,
Wroth that it came so late. Bahrám for his part
Slept not but guarded well his host from foes,
Kept his spies busy both by night and day,
And threw in feast and wine no time away.

As soon as tidings came to Sháh Bahrám:—
“The Khán and his great host are all at Marv,”
He led his soldiers from Ázargashasp,
Each with two horses but no baggage-train.
With Rúman helmet, morion, and cuirass
He hurried on like wind by day and night,
His soldiers rushing like a mountain-stream,
And reached Ámul by way of Ardabíl.
Departing thence he marched on to Gurgán,
Enduring all the chieftains' toil and pain,
And thence came to the city of Nisá;
One from Bisá preceded him as guide.

in its flight
He drew toward Marv. A runner from his scouts
Arrived and told: “The Khán attendeth not
To state-affairs but followeth the chase
At Kashmíhan with wicked Áhriman
As minister.”

Bahrám rejoiced to hear it;

His travail seemed but wind. There for a day
He rested and, when steed and Sháh and troops
Were all refreshed, reached Kashmíhan. At dawn,
What time the Lustre of the world arose
Above the hills, all ears were filled with blast
Of trumpet and all eyes with glint of flag-tops,
The din of battle went up from the chase,
And filled the ears of Sháh and troops. The clamour
Split mighty lions' ears. Thou wouldst have said:—
“The clouds are hailing,” wouldst have said: “The
moon
Is raining blood,” so sanguine was the dust
Upon that battlefield! The Khán, aroused
And dazed, was ta'en by Khazarwán. Withal
Three hundred of the noblemen of Chín
Were captured and fast bound on saddle-back.
The Sháh advanced on Marv from Kashmíhan,
Thin as a reed with riding for so long.
The few of Chín that yet remained at Marv
They slew. He followed up the fugitives
For thirty leagues; behind him was Káran
Of Párs. Returning to the hunting-ground
He gave the booty to the troops. When thus
He raised his head in triumph over Chín
He recognised in all the power of God,
Who to his other good had given the boon
Of might, and is the Lord of sun and moon.

Bahrám Gúr stayed to rest at Marv and when
Both Sháh and war-steed were refreshed he chose
Bukhárá for the next attack, for he
Had changed from gentleness to bitterness.
He reached Ámwí⁹¹

in one day and one night,
Intent on conquest not on chase and sport.

and the desert of Farab.
Whenas the air was golden with the sun,
And doffed its skirt of lapis-lazuli,
The world was like a falcon's wing with dust
What time the world-lord passed by Mái and Margh.
He smote the Turkman host and set on fire
Their fields and fells, the stars concealed themselves
Behind the moon's skirts while the fathers made
Their way across the bodies of their sons.
All of the Turkmans that were leading men,
Both veteran and youthful swordsmen, came
Afoot in evil case before Bahrám,
With full hearts abjectly, and said: “O Sháh!
O mighty one! O favourite of the stars!
O chief of all the nobles of the world!
Since now the Khán is captive that broke faith
Shed not the blood of those that did no wrong,
For tyranny becometh not the great.
If thou demandest tribute it is well,
But why behead the guiltless? All of us,
Both men and women, are thy slaves and are
Thy vanquished in the fight.”

The Sháh's heart burned

For them. He sewed up with the hand of wisdom
The eye of his displeasure. In concern
That man of God restrained his warriors' hands
From shedding blood. His favour thus secured,
The man of wrath appeased, the leading chiefs
Agreed to pay a heavy tribute yearly.
The Sháh was well content; he took the tribute,
And further sums in lieu of pillaging.
He turned and reached the city of Farab,
His cheeks were flushed and smiles were on his lips.
He paused, allowed his troops to rest a week,
And called to him the potentates of Chín.
He reared a column of cement and stone,
Which none, save by the Sháh's command, might pass
Out of Írán, Khalaj, and Turkistán.
He made the line between them the Jíhún.
There was among the troops one Shahra hight,
A man of wisdom, rank, success, and fame.
Bahrám made him the ruler of Túrán,
And made his throne the crown upon the moon.
When Shahra sat upon the silver throne
He girt his loins and opened wide his hands,
Set too the golden crown upon his head,
And through the land joy universal spread.

C. 1547 The business of Túrán achieved, and when
The Sháh's heart was released from care, he bade
A scribe attend him, called for pen and ink
And silk of Chín, and wrote Narsí a letter
About the Turkman war and what his troops
Had done. It thus began: “The nobles praise
Through me—a slave—the Maker of the world—
The Lord of victory and mastery,
The Lord of Saturn, Mars, and Moon, the Lord
Of lofty, circling heaven, the Lord of mean
And miserable dust. The great and lowly
Are underneath His governance, and all
That is to be is subject to His word.
I have indited from the coasts of Chín
A letter to my brother in Írán,
And this same letter, writ on painted silk,
Is meant too for our chiefs and folk at large.
Those that were not engaged against the Khán
Must hear the tale from us who fought with him.
His army was so vast that thou hadst said:—
‘The dust thereof hath smeared the sky with pitch!’
The coasts became as 'twere a sea of blood,
The unjust's fortune drooped, and he was taken
Because⁹³

the turning sky was weary of him.
Now have I brought him on a camel bound,
With wounded liver and with blood-filled eyes.
The necks of all the proud are bent, their tongues
Are gentle, and their hearts are hot within them.
Those now pay tribute who were enemies,
And they that erred have come back to the way.
I and my host, as my well-wishers would,
Will follow this dispatch.”

The wind-foot camels,

Foam-seattering, parted like a thunder-clap,
And when the letter reached Narsí the heart
Of that prince throbbed with joy. The high priest
came
With all the heroes of the royal race
Before Narsí, the palace rang with joy,
And all gave ear to that report. The nobles
Were pricked at heart for shame before the Sháh
By reason of their fault. Among the chiefs
Six score and ten and more went to Narsí
To proffer their excuses, saying thus:—
“Perverse suggestions and the Dív's behest
Have led us to transgress the World-lord's way.
To such a host as that one would presume
That God would ope Heaven's gate. 'Tis marvellous,

Then
He brought his scented leather bags of coin,
And lavished gold and silver. If he saw
Upon a journey any broken bridge,
Or heard of any hostelry in ruins
From his officials, he would give command
For their repair out of his treasury
Without forced labour. On the poor withal,
And those that toiled to earn their daily bread,

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,

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

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 mans⁹⁹

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.

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.^99a

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,¹⁰⁰

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,^100a

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 next day when the sun displayed its crown,
And rays proceeded from the vaulted sky,
The monarch of the world sat on his throne,
And called the envoy in before his lords.
That old man sage, experienced, cloquent,
Of understanding and retentive mind,
Approaching with dejected head and arms
Enfolded, kneeled before the monarch's throne.
Bahrám both greeted and made much of him,
Set him upon the turquoise throne and said:—
“Here thou hast sojourned long; art thou not weary
Of looking on this land? War with the Khán,
Which closely partnered me, withheld me from thee;
Now all our case is altered, and thy sojourn
Exceedeth bounds. To that which thou shalt say
We will reply, deriving from thy words
Good rede.”

The ancient envoy praised him, saying:—

“May time and earth ne'er lose thee. Every king
Possessed of wisdom joyeth in the words
Of sages; sages are more nigh to God;
Those that think evil have the darker day.
Midst this world's chieftains thou art chief, who art
At once Sháh, chief, and best. Thy tongue's a balance,
Thy words are jewels, and who e'er will see
Gems weighed 'gainst gold? Thou art possessed of
knowledge,
Of counsel, sense, and Grace, and all the methods
Of conquering kings; thou art possessed of wisdom
And holy rede, and master of the wise.
Though Cæsar's envoy I am thy slave's slave.
I carry Cæsar's greeting to the Sháh:—
‘May this head, throne, and crown for ever be.’
And furthermore I have it in command
To ask seven questions of thy men of lore.”
The Sháh replied: “Proceed; the highest honours
Await the eloquent.”

He bade the high priest

Come to his presence with the famous sages,
But sighs were on his lips the while in view
Of what the man might ask. “What are,” he thought,

The high priest with the learned,

Men mighty in all lore, came, and the spokesman
Revealed the secret, telling to the high priest
The words of Cæsar: “What is ‘the within’
In thy nomenclature, what ‘the without,’
O guide, who hast no other name therefor?
What is ‘the above,’ my lord, what ‘the beneath’?
What is ‘the infinite’ and what ‘the vile’?
What hath most names and ruleth everywhere?”
“Haste not,” the high priest answered thus the sage,
“And turn not from the path of understanding.”
He then proceeded: “O thou man of wisdom!
Give ear to each reply that I shall make:
There is one answer only to thy words.
As to thy question touching ‘the without,’
And ‘the within,’ it is an easy one:
The heaven is ‘the without,’ air ‘the within’;
They are the Glory of the Omnipotent;
God, touching this world, is ‘the infinite,’
For lore to turn thee from Him is ‘the vile’;
‘The above’ is Paradise, Hell ‘the beneath,’
And he is wicked that doth fear not God.
Next as to that with many names whose will
Prevaileth everywhere: O ancient! wisdom
Hath many names, and wisdom compasseth
The will of kings. One man may call it love,
Another faith, but in its absence all
Is pain and tyranny. The eloquent
Term it uprightness and the fortunate
Astuteness; 'tis at whiles long-suffering,
At whiles trustworthiness, for speech therewith
Is safe. So divers are the names of wisdom
That they exceed accompt. Allow that naught
Surpasseth it; it is the chief of goods,
And knoweth this world's hoarded mysteries,
Which mortal vision cannot penetrate.
Again, the stars that glitter in the sky
Are what the master can afford to slight
For understanding of the Maker's work.
The eye that gazeth cannot reckon them,
And heaven above is unattainable
As being measureless, so thou mayst scorn
Such reckonings and processes of Fate.
One that can follow not an arrow's course,
Shrewd though he be, will marvel still thereat;
Then what can be more futile, favoured sir!
Than to compute heaven's stars? This much I know,
And if another replication be
'Tis that the Maker's mysteries are vast.”

Bahrám,

On hearing, showed his pleasure, his heart brightened.
He bade a robe of honour be made ready
Of things most valued in his treasury,
And gave the archimage withal ten purses
Of drachms with raiment, steed, and much besides,
And then the envoy of illustrious Cæsar
Went from the royal presence to his lodging.
When Sol displayed its hand upon the sky
The king of kings sat on his golden throne,
And Cæsar's envoy came to court, and with him
The high priest wise and worshipful. They went
With joy before the king of kings, conversing
On many matters, and the Sháh's high priest
Said to the envoy: “Matchless, peerless sage!
What thing is so injurious that we
Must weep at its occurrence? What know'st thou
So useful to the world that men become
Exalted when it chanceth?”

Said the envoy:—

The wise aye will be great and powerful.
The person of the foolish is more vile
Than clay and undeserving of all good.
Thou spakest of the unwise and of the wise,
And hast received, maybe, the right response.”
The high priest said to him: “Consider well,
Reflect, and put not fish upon the dry.”
The envoy said: “O man approved by all!
One well may quote the sayings of the wise,
But, if thou knowest another answer, speak,
For knowledge giveth increment to fame.”
The high priest answered: “Think, for speech
resulteth
From thought and brain, and know thou that the death
Of one least harmful is the greatest loss
Of all, but thou mayst joy when bad men die,
Albeit death is common to us all.
This then is profit and the other loss:
Let wisdom judge the answer of us both.”
The Rúman gave assent to what he heard;
Those words seemed excellent to him; he smiled,
Did reverence to the Sháh and said to him:—
“How happy is the country of Írán!

The envoy left the presence of the Sháh,
The night came on, the Sable Banner rose,
The men of lore were weary of discourse,
The valiant monarch sought his ladies' bower.
The circling vault of heaven rested not,
But roused the sleepers from their drowsihead,
The fountain of the sun set up its flag,
The world-Sháh's head woke lightly from repose,
The chamberlain unlocked the audience-door,
The king sat down upon the throne of gold.
He bade a robe of honour be made ready,
The envoy summoned. Indian scimitars
With golden scabbards noble steeds betrapped
With gold, dínárs, gems, musk, and spicery,
Beyond that ancient man's imaginings,
The shrewd Sháh gave the envoy, then was busied
With his own folk's affairs. By his command
The high priest, who was counsellor withal,
Approached him with a noble company,
And he apportioned all the land among
Those warlike paladins, gave drachms and steeds
And signet-rings and casques, and, to the greatest,
Thrones, crowns, and provinces. He filled the world
With right, and small and great rejoiced in him.
He banned the unjust with chilling words, unlargessed,
And, after, thus harangued the archimages:—
“Ye sages worshipful and pure of heart!
The world for us hath many memories
Of doings of the Sháhs unjust and just,
Whose hands oft-times were stretched for ill what while
Their persons lurked mid ease and luxury.¹⁰⁶

The world was frighted by these evil men,
The hearts of all the good were rent in twain;
All hands were occupied with evil-doing,
And none was instant in the cause of God;
The Dív's work everywhere prevailed; hearts ceased

A wise wazír rose to his feet and said:—
“O judge of what is just and right! the world
Hath ceased to fear malignants, toil and stress
Have left our coasts. Howbeit famed Shangul
Among the folk of Hind is still perverse;

Thereupon

His pious minister went with a scribe,
And others that were indispensable,
And canvassed all the case, brought paper, ink,
And pen, and wrote a letter full of counsel,
Instruction, knowledge, and the praise of God.
It thus began: “From God be praise on those
That seek His praise who is the Lord of all
That is and is not. All things have their peers,
But God is One. Of all that He bestoweth
Upon His slaves, on sovereign and subject,
Naught is more great than wisdom which illumeth
Both. He whom wisdom gladdeneth will walk not
The world for ill, and he that chooseth right
Ne'er will repent thereof; he cannot savour
Ill from the stream of knowledge. Wisdom looseth
Man from mishap; may none be wrung therewith.
Wisdom's first token is that one should dread
Ill-doing all one's years and know oneself;
Then must he search the world with wisdom's eye,
For wisdom is the diadem of kings,
And jewel of the men of name withal.
Thou know'st not thine own measure but dost plunge
Thy soul in blood. Now, seeing that I am
The monarch of the age, both good and ill
Are laid to me. Do thou so reign that right
May be preserved, for ill is manifest
On all sides. 'Tis not kingly to make raids,
And cotton with the ill-disposed. Thy grandsire
Was vassal to us and thy sire a slave
Before our Sháhs, and none of us allowed
Arrears in tribute out of Hindústán.

The monarch sealed the letter with his signet,
And then made ready for the chase, but none
Of all the host knew of his purposes
Except the nobles of his company.
Thus he drew night to Hindústán and crossed
The river of magician-land.^112a

On nearing
The palace of Shangul he gazed upon
The hall of audience with its gate and curtain.
It rose aloft in air, and at the gate
There was no lack of arms and equipage,
For there stood cavaliers and elephants
Amid a din of gongs and Indian bells.
He stood there all amazed and lost in thought,
Then on this wise addressed the curtain-keepers,
The servants and officials of the gate:—
“An envoy to this court am I, deputed
By conquering Sháh Bahrám.”

The chamberlain

Went to the royal presence from the curtain.
They raised it by the king's command and brought
The envoy in with all respect. Bahrám Gúr
Advanced with stately step, and saw a chamber
With crystal roof. On drawing near Shangul

Bahrám beheld him seated on his throne
Of majesty, and crowned. The steps that led
Up to that golden throne were all of crystal.
There sat the king in all his Grace and might,
Arrayed in silver broidered with gold thread
Beset with many a gem. Bahrám beheld
The monarch's brother on an ante-throne,
And wearing on his head a jewelled crown.
The minister sat by: the monarch's son
Stood there before the throne. The Sháh drew nigh
Thereto, did reverence, and paused awhile,
Then quickly loosed his tongue. “I have,” he said,
“A letter written in our tongue on silk,
Sent to the king of Hind by Sháh Bahrám—
The world's lord who possesseth crown and throne.”
The king, on hearing what Bahrám said, bade
To bring a golden ante-throne. They set him
Upon that seat of gold, and from the gate
Called in his comrades. Seated thus he said:—
“Exalted king! I will unloose my lips
When thou commandest. May both good and greatness
Be ever thine.”

Shangul replied: “Proceed,

For heaven's blessing is on those who speak.”
Bahrám rejoined: “That Sháh of royal race,
Whose like no mother in the world hath borne,
The exalted prince, the glory of the state,
Whose justice turneth bane to antidote,
To whom all potentates are tributary,
Whose prey is lions in the chase, and who,
On taking up the scimitar in fight,
Converteth deserts into seas of blood,
In generosity like clouds in spring,
In whose sight treasures and dínárs are vile,
Hath sent the king of Hind an embassy,
And letter writ on silk in Pahlaví.”

The king, on hearing this, asked for the letter,
And marvelled at that chief. A noble scribe
Read it, whereat the monarch's face became
Like gall. He said: “O man of eloquence!
Haste not to speak, and act not haughtily.
Thy Sháh displayeth his imperiousness,
Witness thy journey hither. Should one ask
For tribute out of Hindústán the wise
Would disavow him. If thy master speaketh
Of host and treasure, and of giving land
And cities up to woe … well, other kings
Are cranes, I am an eagle; they are dust,

C. 1563 Bahrám replied:—

“As thou art great, O king! sow not the seed
Of wrath. My Sháh said: ‘Say to him: “If thou
Art wise choose not the pathway of perverseness.”’
Produce now from thy court two men of lore,
Of fluent tongue, and happy in discourse,
And if in rede and wisdom they excel
One of these men with me then I have done
With this thy land, for wise men spurn not words;
Or else choose out among the warriors
That wield in Hindústán the massive mace
A hundred horsemen to fight one of us,
And we, what time thy wit and worth shall stand
Revealed, will ask not tribute from thy land.”

Shangul, on hearing this, said to Bahrám:—
“Thy counsel sorteth not with manliness.
Abide a season and relax thyself,
Why parley to no purpose?”

They made ready

A splendid hall. Bahrám reposed till noon,
And when the Crown that lighteneth the world
Had reached its height the feast was all prepared
According to the bidding of the king,
And zealous servants were about the hall.
When they had spread the board before Shangul
He bade a servant: “Summon to the feast
The envoy of the Íránian king, the man
Of fluent utterance and novel aims.
Bring his companions too and seat them where
Ambassadors are placed.”

Bahrám came quickly,

Sat at the board and oped his hand to bread,
But shut his lips to speech. The eating done,
They set themselves to quaff and called for harpists
And wine. The scent of musk rose from the feast,
The hall was spread with golden carpetings.
Now when the lords were merry in their cups,
And recked not of the future, king Shangul
Bade two strong men attend, men fit to wrestle
Against the Dív. These noble athletes came,
And girt their loin-cloths round them. Those two
youths
Contended lustily and strained and writhed
Together. Now Bahrám took up a cup
Of crystal and the wine confused his brain.

Shangul said smiling: “Rise,

And, if thou shalt o'ercome them, shed their blood.”
Bahrám, on hearing this, rose to his feet,
And boldly bending down the upright form
Of him whose waist he clutched (a lion so
Might seize upon wild onager) he flung
His foeman down so that his bones were broken,
And all the colour left his cheeks. Shangul
Was in amazement at the victor's mien,
His stature and his shoulders and his strength,
Invoked God in the Indian tongue and deemed
Bahrám to be a match for forty men.
When they were all bemused with pleasant wine
They left the hall of jewelled tracery
And, when the vault of heaven donned musk-hued Silk,
Both young and old slept after banqueting.
Shangul went to his sleeping-place, the wine
Had turned his looks and thoughts from king Bahrám.
Now when the musky-scented Veil was changed
To gold, and in the sky the sun appeared,
The king of Indians mounted on his steed,
And went forth to the Ground with polo-stick
In hand. His servants bore his bow and arrows,
And for a while he rode to please himself,
Then ordered Sháh Bahrám to mount and take
His royal bow in hand. Bahrám replied:—
“I have a number of Íránian horsemen
With me, O king! and they are fain to ply
The arrow and the polo-stick when bidden
By the most noble king.”

Shangul replied:—

“The arrows and the bow are doubtlessly
The mainstays of the cavalier. Do thou,
Who hast such limbs and neck and might of hand,
String up thy bow and shoot.”

Bahrám Gúr strung

His bow and urged his steed with shouts. He took
And shot an arrow that destroyed the mark.
The sportsmen and the warriors 'gan to call
Their blessings down upon him, one and all.

Shangul, misdoubting of Bahrám, thought thus:—
“This stature, Grace, and skill in archery
Resemble not a mere ambassador's
Of Hindústán, of Turkistán, or Persia,
But, be he of the Sháh's race or a noble,
'Twere well I call him brother,” smiled and said

He said thereafter to his own adept:—
“I have a secret for thee. If this man
Be not sib to Bahrám, or in degree
Above his paladins, 'twill prove a marvel
To wise men's hearts. We must not trust his words.
Address him courteously and say: ‘Abide;
There is no cause for thee to leave Kannúj.’
Sayst thou: ‘He will detect deceit herein?’
If words of mine may terrify his heart
It will be better far for thee to speak,
And talk to him in convenable terms.
Say thus to him: ‘'Tis well for thee to gain
More estimation with the king of Hind.
Now if thou will abide with him, and further
His subtle policy, thou shalt possess
The goodliest march of Hind because the king
Hath thee in high esteem. 'Twill be a land
Of never ending springtide where the streams
Breathe of the rose. The fortunate ne'er quit
Kannúj where twice a year the fruit-trees bear,
Where there are treasures, gems, dínárs, and drachms,
And where drachms can be had hearts are not sad.
The king is gracious and for love of thee
He smileth when he looketh on thy face.’
What time ye meet speak thou whate'er thou knowest
To this effect and then inquire his name,
For that will joy my heart. Should our land please
him
Our favours would surpass his excellence,
We would appoint him captain of the host
Anon, in favour highest in the land.”

My better plan is to return to court,
And to the purview of the conquering Sháh.
If thou wouldst have my name it is Barzwí;
My monarch and my parents call me so.
Communicate mine answer to Shangul,
For I have stayed long in an alien realm.”
The minister, on hearing this reply,
Told all that he had heard before the king,
Who frowned and said: “He holdeth him aloof,
But I will take such order that this Light
Of hosts shall end his days.”

There was a wolf^120a

Within the monarch's coasts of bulk so vast
That it withstood the wind. The lions fled
The woods before it, and the swift-winged vultures
The sky. Thereat all Hind was full of fear:
Its howlings deafened those most keen of ear.

Shangul said to Bahrám: “O man approved!
All enterprises prosper in thy hands.
A wood near by my city troubleth me.
There is a wolf there like a crocodile,
And rendeth lions' hearts and leopards' hides.

soaked in blood.”
Shangul provided him a guide that knew
The creature's lair and haunt, and then Bahrám
Went with his trusty guide toward the wood
Of that blood-shedding wolf. Much spake the guide
About its lair, its height and breadth and bulk,
Showed where it was and went back while Bahrám
Approached apace. Iránians thronged behind him
With loins girt for the fray, but when they saw
Afar so vast a wood, the monster's bulk,
And lair that it had made, all said: “O Sháh!
Adventure not; thou wilt surpass the bounds
Of hardihood because, however brave
Thou art in fight, none hath fought rocks and moun-tains.
Say to Shangul: ‘This may not be. I have
No sanction for this combat from the Sháh.
I fight when I am bidden so that he,
On hearing of it, may advance my rank.’”
Bahrám replied: “If holy God hath given
My dust to Hindústán how can I die
Elsewhere? That is beyond me.”

That brave youth

Strung up his bow, and thou hadst said: “He holdeth
His own life cheap!”

He sped toward the wolf

With head all rage and heart resigned to death.
He grasped his royal bow and, having drawn
Some poplar arrows from his quiver, poured
His shafts like hail till by that token anguish
O'ercame the wolf. On seeing the beast's end nigh,
Bahrám, exchanging bow for sword, smote off
Its head, exclaiming: “In the name of God,
Who hath not mate or peer and gave to me
Such Grace and might! By His command the sun
Is bright in heaven.”

He bade bring wain and oxen

To carry that wolf's carcase from the wood.
They bore it. When Shangul saw it afar
He had his banquet-hall decked with brocade,
And when the mighty king sat on his throne
He set Bahrám upon the seat of honour

and raise waves upon the dark blue sea.
Shangul spake thus to his companions,
His clever confidants: “By turns this envoy,
This lion-man, doth please and trouble me.
If he remained he would be my support,
The ruler of Kannúj and of my realm,
But if he goeth from me to Írán
Bahrám will devastate Kannúj; with such
A servitor to such a lord this land
Will lose both hue and odour. All the night
Have I been musing o'er his case and framing
A fresh device—to send him to that dragon,
Which surely he will 'scape not. Then shall I
Be censured not on his account if he
Will fight with dragons.”

So he called Bahrám,

Told stories of the mighty men, and said:—
“God, Author of the soul, hath led thee hither
Out of the country of Írán to purge
The ills of Hindústán as is the way
Of men of name. A matter fraught with pain
And travail is confronting us, of travail
At first but treasure in the end. If thou
Accomplish this depart on thy return
With my good wishes home.”

The Sháh replied:—

“I may not leave the way of thy behests,
But will perform thy bidding faithfully
Unless the heaven itself shall turn awry.”

Shangul said to Bahrám: “Within my realm
There is a dragon—an exceeding bale—
Which fareth both by land and stream to hunt
The lashing crocodile. Thou mayst devise
A scheme to rid thereof the realm of Hind,
Whose tribute thou shall carry to Írán,
For all the country will assent thereto,

The bold Bahrám replied:—

“I must entrust my life to all-just God.
If I am doomed to perish by this dragon
My time will be not lengthened or decreased
By hardihood.”

He strung his bow, he chose

Shafts dipped in bane of milk,¹²⁵

and 'gan to shower them
Down on the dragon, wheeling all the while,
Like horsemen in the fray, to left and right.
He sewed up with steel points the dragon's mouth,
Whose venom scorched the brambles, then he shot
Four arrows at its head, and blood and poison
Poured down its breast. The dragon's body failed
By reason of those shafts, and all the ground
Ran with its gore and bane. Then lightly drew
Bahrán his sword of watered steel and pierced
The dragon's heart right dourly, hacked its neck
With sword and battle-ax, and flung to earth
Its lifeless form. The dragon overthrown,
He turned in duty to the Lord and said:—
“O Judge who judgest righteously! 'tis Thou
That slewest this great dragon, for who else
Hath might enough? Thou art Thy servants' refuge
From every ill.”

He sought the king of Hind,

The noble chieftain of the Sindian host,
And said: “The king is freed from these attacks
By His decree—the Judge and Nourisher's.”
Shangul grieved, hearing this, because Bahrám
Was in the saddle still. He bade that wains
And oxen should convey the dragon's carcase
To plain from forest, while all Hindústán
Invoked upon Írán the All-Just's blessing:—

All men rejoiced except Shangul whose heart
Was pained, the matter made his visage wan,
And when night came he summoned his wise men,
Both those of his own kin and aliens,
And thus he said: “This man of Sháh Bahrám's,
Who hath such might, such limbs, and mastery,
Do what I may, is worsted by no toil!
Now if he goeth from us to Írán,
And cometh to the monarch of the brave,
He will depreciate my host and say
That here in Hindústán there is no horseman,
And so my foemen may grow insolent.
I will behead the envoy, will destroy him
By stealth. What say ye? What do ye advise?”
“Bring not thy heart, O king!” the wise men
answered,
“To sorrow by such deeds. For thee to slay
The ambassadors of kings would be an act
Unwise and senseless. No one e'er conceived
A thought on this wise. Compass no such plan.
Thou wilt be execrated by the chiefs,
And people should respect their sovereign.
By putting this man's head within the shears
Thou wilt bring longsome trouble on thy land.
Forthwith will come an army from Írán,
And with a potentate like Sháh Bahrám;
None of us in these regions will survive,
And thou wilt have to wash thy hands of kingship.
This man is our deliverer from the dragon,
And slaying should compensate not his toils;
Here hath he killed the dragon and the wolf;
Give him more life, not death.”

On hearing this

Shangul grew gloomy, for the sages' words
Perturbed him. Passing thus the night, at dawn
He sent a messenger to Sháh Bahrám,
And, when they were together privily
Without a minister or counsellor,
Said: “O thou Joy of hearts! thou hast prevailed.
Attempt no greater feat. I will bestow
My daughter on thee as thy wife, for thus
Shall I be profited in word and deed.

Bahrám was in amaze,

And mused upon his throne, his birth, and glory.
“There is no remedy for one's own acts,”
He thought, “and this thing cannot bring reproach;
Besides by this I may preserve my life,
And look again upon Íránian soil,
For, as the case is, we have tarried long;
The lion is taken in the fox's net!”
Thus said he to Shangul: “I will obey
Thy hest and make thy word my rule of life.
However of thy daughters choose me one,
Who, when I see her, may obtain my praise.”
The king of Hind, on hearing this, rejoiced,
And decked his halls with painted silk of Chín.
Shangul's three daughters came like jocund spring
In all their bravery, their scents, their colours,
And looks, and then he bade Bahrám Gúr: “Go,
Prepare thy heart to see a novel sight.”
Bahrám Gúr went immediately, beheld
The hall, and of those moon-faced maids chose one
Like jocund springtide, Sapínúd by name,
All grace and modesty, all wit and charm;
On him Shangul bestowed her—one that seemed
A straight-stemmed cypress and a smokeless lamp—
Then chose the richest of his treasuries,
Gave to the moon-faced maid the key thereof,
Called for Bahrám's companions, cavaliers
Of noble rank and masterful, and gave them
Dínárs and drachms and every kind of wealth,
With camphor, aloe-wood, and ambergris,
Steeds, golden trappings, girdles, and for those
Of highest rank, gold crowns, while for Bahrám
He had a turquoise crown and glorious throne
Of ivory prepared, and decked his palace
Of jewelled tracery. All men of name
Within Kannúj resorted to that place
Of feasting, waiting on their king with joy.
They spent a se'nnight thus with wine in hand,
All glad and jocund in the banquet-hall,
With Sapínúd beside Bahrám, the king,
Like wine in crystal goblet glittering.

Intelligence came to Faghfúr of Chín:—
“A man of Grace and courage from Írán
Hath reached Shangul as an ambassador,
And verily is of heroic race.

When with the daughter of Shangul Bahrám
Consorted she found out that he was Sháh;
By night and day she wept for love of him,
And kept her eyes upon his face. Her father
Heard of her love and ceased to doubt Bahrám.
One day the pair sat happily, discussing
Things great and small, and Sháh Bahrám spake thus:—
“I know that thou dost wish me well, so I
Will tell to thee a secret; keep it close.
I would quit Hindústán. Dost thou consent
Thereto? I will take thee withal, but none
Among this folk must know. Within Írán
My state surpasseth this and, furthermore,

She said: “O worthy of the throne!

I will, with fortune's aid. Not much removed
There is a place where festivals are held,
For in the forest there my father feasteth.
It is a place that men deem fortunate,
And thither gather idol-worshippers.
Hence to the forest is a score of leagues,
And one must weep before the idols there.
That is a place for hunting onager,
A place too for the worshippers of God.
Both king and host will set forth to the feast;
He will not leave a soldier in the city.
Go then if thou art minded to depart:
Let feasts grow old but be thou young for ever.
Wait for five days, then when the world's Light shineth,
And he shall quit the city, get thee ready
To go thyself.”

His wife's words pleased Bahrám,

Who slept not till the dawn for thought.

Now when

The sun displayed its hand upon the sky,
And dark night packed, he mounted on his steed,
And rode forth with his weapons to the chase.
He told his wife: “Make ready and tell none;
Let us prepare and set out on our way.”
Bahrám departed, neared the stream,¹³³

and saw
The baggage of some merchants on the road.
They recognised him, and he bit his lip,
For they were of Írán—bold travellers
O'er sea and land. He bade them offer him
No reverence; not even had he told
His comrades what he purposed. To the merchants
He said: “Shut fast your lips; on that depend
Our profit and our loss, for if in Hind
This secret be divulged the Íránian soil
Will be as seas of blood. Enlarged is he
Whose lips are shut, the tongue must be confined,
And both hands open. By a mighty oath
Will I bind fast your tongues till I regain
My throne. Say thus then: ‘May we turn away
From God, the Holy and Supreme, and follow

to a crown; but if the throne
Be void of me armed hosts will come from all sides,
And leave no merchants here, no Sháh, no thane,
No host, no throne, no crown.”

When they perceived

The import of his words they came with cheeks
All wet with weeping. “May the nobles' lives
Thy ransom be,” they said, “and youth and kingship
Thy habit. If the treasure of thy secret
Should be revealed our country would resemble
A sea of gore! Who dareth contemplate
Such things and turn his wisdom to an ax,
His counsel to a hatchet?”

Hearing this,

The Sháh 'gan praise those honourable men
Of Grace and Faith, and fared home ill at ease,
Committing to God's charge his soul and body.
He tarried till the banquet-hall was decked,
And till the nobles had departed thither,
But when Shangul himself prepared to go
Bahrám's wife said to him: “Barzwí is sick,
Would be excused, and saith: ‘Be not concerned
For me, O king! The banquet-hall to one
That aileth is distasteful, and the king
Must know thus much.’”

“Let none,” Shangul replied,

“That aileth think of banqueting.”

At dawn

He left Kannúj and hurried to the place
Of feasting. When 'twas night said Sháh Bahrám:—
“'Tis time to go, good wife!”

He seated her

Upon her palfrey and invoked God's name
O'er her in ancient Persian, donned his mail,
And mounted too, his lasso in the straps,
And mace in hand. He hurried to the river,
And found the merchants sleeping. Rousing them
He gat a skiff in readiness wherein
He seated Sapínúd. With day begun
They came to land, and brightly shone the sun.

Shangul was ware

That he had spoken sooth because his prowess
And valiancy could not be overlooked,
But answered him: “I have foregone my children,
My kindred, and allies, have held thee dearer
Than mine own eyes, and as the diadem
Upon my head, and given thee her whom thou
Thyself didst choose. The right is on my side,
The wrong on thine. Instead of good faith thou
Hast chosen outrage. Ever hast thou heard
Of good faith paid thereby? Shall I tell thee:—
‘One of my kin and wise in mine esteem
Hath gone off cavalierly, gone conceiving
Himself a king?’ What hath a Persian's heart
In common with good faith? He sayeth ‘yea’
And meaneth ‘nay’! Thou'rt such a lion's whelp,
In good sooth, as would bathe in their hearts' blood
Its nurses and, when fanged and sharp of claw,
Would purpose combat with its fosterer!”
Bahrám made answer: “When thou knowest me
How shalt thou call me ill in thought and deed?
I shall be unreproached for having gone,
Thou wilt not term my heart and conduct evil.

Astounded at his words

Shangul took off his Indian turban, spurred
His steed, and from the front of that great host
Approached the Sháh to make excuse, embraced
The king of kings with joy, and sought to amend
What had been said. He was rejoiced to see
Bahrám, prepared the board, and brought the cup.
Bahrám revealed the secret to Shangul,
Discoursed of the concernments of Írán,
And said: “Such circumstances and such thoughts
Were those that guided me in this affair.”
They both of them arose, the drinking done,
And each asked pardon of the other one.

These two kings—one a worshipper of God,
The other an idolater—joined hands,
And pledged themselves: “Henceforth we will not
sever
Out hearts from right, will raze each root of guile,
Keep faith for aye, and listen to the words
From sages' lips.”

Shangul too bade farewell

To Sapínúd, he made his breast the warp
And hers the woof. The two kings quickly turned
Their backs on one another and flung down
The rancour of their hearts upon the dust.
One land-ward went, the other river-ward,
Apace and glad.

When tidings reached Írán:—

“The Sháh himself with those escorting him
Hath come back from Kannúj,” the people all,
As they were minded, decked the roads and cities,
And everywhere strewed money, musk, and saffron.
When Yazdagird received the news he gathered
The seattered troops. He and Narsí, the high priest,
And all the sages, went to meet the Sháh.
When Yazdagird beheld his sire Bahrám
He lighted down and bent him to the dust.
Narsí, the monarch's brother, and withal
The high priest had cheeks dust-stained but glad hearts.
On such wise Sháh Bahrám came to his palace,
Committing soul and body both to God.

to wisdom, and thus said: “Revere
The Almighty in whose ken the manifest
And hidden are, Him praise, and unto Him
Address thy supplications midst night's gloom,
For he hath given power and victory,
And is the Lord of shining sun and moon.
All ye that would gain Paradise abstain
From evil and foul deeds. Where there is justice
With bounteousness and righteousness the heart
Will turn from guile and loss. Let none henceforth
Fear me though he possesseth hills of gold,
And mines of silver. From your hearts expel
All fear and seek addition of all good.
The peasant and the thane are one to us
When we are judge. When we gave crown and
throne
To any know that 'twas from God and fortune.
I will strive not to fill my treasury,
I would drive not my people from their homes.
One treasure only—justice—will I hoard
That after death my spirit may rejoice.
Thus too, God willing, will my heart grow bright,
And fortune smile. Hereby I shall increase
Our blessings and direct you to fair fortune.
He who hath borne oppression from my troops,
Officials, kin, and cavaliers of war,
And doth acquaint me not, but keepeth hidden
That knavery, is guilty of the crime;
Will one so futile e'er endeavour greatness?
I call to God for justice on the man
That hath concealed the moon behind a cloud;
But if your will is other, for men's motives
Are diverse, tell me boldly; haply I
May bring to pass your long-conceived desires.
Attend to me, do what I bid, and find
Your souls' peace in my counsels.”

Thus he spake,

Resumed his seat upon the throne, rejoicing,
And set the crown of greatness on his head.
The nobles praised him, saying: “May the crown

The Sháh unlocked the prisons and began
Bestowing gifts of drachms on every man.

Now from his child—the consort of the Sháh—
Shangul heard of the doings of her spouse,
And was desirous to behold Írán—
The dwelling of the noble monarch's daughter.
He sent an Indian eloquent and noble
As envoy to request the Sháh to grant
Another treaty to be stored away
For record, and the world's lord had one drawn
Like shining Sol in jocund Paradise.
The envoy took withal a letter written
In ancient Persian by the Sháh's own hand,
And went his way.^140a

Now when he reached Shangul,
And when the monarch of Kannúj had seen
Bahrám Gúr's letter, he prepared to journey
From Hindústán, but hid it from his kindred
In Chín. Seven monarchs followed in his train,
Escorting Rái^140b

Shangul upon his way—
The monarch of Kábul, the king of Hind,
The king of Sind with troops, the famous king

And fowls. The eating done, he held a revel
In royal wise—all colour, scent, and beauty.
The handmaids and the slave-boys stood around,
Throne, hall, and palace were like Paradise,
The wine-cups were all crystal, there were chargers
All golden, musk, and scents. The revellers
Wore jewelled crowns and shoes depict with gems.
Shangul was in amazement at the palace,
And as he drank he pondered: “Is Írán
A paradise or garden where one's friends
Exhale the scent of musk?”

Thus to the Sháh

Said he in private: “Let me see my daughter.”

Imperious. For a while they did not irk
Their hearts, not one of them felt pain and grief
As for a month they hunted on the waste
Gazelle and onager. Then they returned
With instancy to wine and festival.
Thus king Shangul, when hunting and when feasting,
Ne'er was long absent from the world-lord's side,
Or at the riding-ground, at merrymake,
At banquet and at polo, turned his face
For one day from the Sháh. A long while passed,
The Indian king prepared to journey home.
He sought his daughter with a loving heart,
And stayed with her a while. He bade a slave-boy
Bring pen and paper to him, then he sought
For phrases scented with black, pounded musk,
And wrote in Indian a righteous rescript,
As it were ancient Persian. First he praised
Him who had washed the world of its distress,

Transgress not the commandment of that king,
And carry my dead body to the fire.
Give up my treasury to Sháh Bahrám,
And therewithal crown, kingdom, throne, and casque.”
This deed of gift in Indian characters
On silk he gave to Sapínúd as hers.

Shangul abode for two months in Írán,
And then dispatched a noble to the Sháh
To ask permission to depart, both he
And his illustrious counsellors, for home.
The king of kings consented that Shangul
Should start on his return to Hindústán,
And bade an archimage to choose among
The treasures of Írán—dínárs, gems, silver,
Gold, thrones and crowns, swords, girdles and brocade,
And stuffs uncut—unbounded, countless gifts
To give Shangul while for his suite he furnished,
To each in his degree, steeds and brocade
Of Chín, dismissed them happy and content,
And went three stages with Shangul. Besides
The gifts he gave them provand to the coasts
Of Hindústán.

When Sháh Bahrám returned

He sat in peace upon the throne, but mused
Of death and of ill fortune till his heart
Ached and his face grew wan. He bade a scribe—
A noble archmage who was his vizír—
To come to him and bade him to inspect
The treasury and reckon up the gold,
The gems, and raiment, for astrologers
Had told him, and the words had troubled him:—
“Thy life will last three score of years, the fourth score
Will make thee weep at death,” and he had said:—

On hearing this

Bahrám took thought, he was too wise to sorrow
Beforehand, and replied: “My sway is ending.
This world, if thou reflectest, hath three days.
Since yesterday is over, and to-morrow
Not come, to-day I stoop not under care.
As I have means of largess and a throne
Of ivory I will have no more tax.”
He bade that no tax should be asked thenceforth.
From small and great. He set up in each city
A man to rouse the drowsy and check strife
Wherefrom proceedeth naught save evil deeds.
He gave those wise archmages what was needful
By way of provand, clothes, and draperies
Out of his treasury, and said to them:—
“Ye must hide nothing good and bad from me.
Be ye the arbitrators of disputes,
Make no demands that make yourselves vexatious,
Report both good and ill, and cut my fears
Concerning evils short.”

This thing obtained

Throughout the world, and nothing good and bad
Remained concealed. Those sages ordered all,
But still from every province letters came,
Which said: “Through bounty,¹⁴⁶

idleness,^146a

and wealth
The brains of men are ceasing to be wise.

He chose

A marchlord full of justice and of knowledge
For every province as was fit. He gave them
A court-allowance for a year, invoking
The Giver of all good. Much time passed by,
And then the monarch had a letter sent
To those truth-speaking men and correspondents,
Whom he had scattered through the world, to ask:—
“What is there in the world unprofitable,
And bringeth injury upon this realm?”
They wrote in answer: “Through the monarch's
gifts
No man observeth rule and precedent.
There is no thought or care for tilth or toil
Wherefrom man's worth deriveth. We behold
Draught-oxen straying and the herbage lush
In tilth and springing crop.”

The Sháh rejoined:—

“Till midday, when the world-illuming sun
Is at its height, the tiller of the soil
Must rest not from his work. The other half
Is for repose and sleep. If men are fools
We can but weep for them. If any lacketh

Thereafter he sent letters to each archmage,
Gave clothing to the mendicants, and asked:—
“In all the realm what folk are free from toil,
And who are mendicants and destitute?
Tell me how things are in the world, and lead
My heart upon the pathway toward the light.”
An answer came from all the archimages,
From all the nobles, and the men of lore:—
“The face of earth appeareth prosperous,
Continuous blessings are in every part,
Save that the poor complain against the ills
Of fortune and the Sháh. ‘The rich,’ they say,
‘Wear wreaths of roses in their drinking-bouts,
And quaff to minstrelsy, but as for us
They do not reckon us as men at all.
The empty-handed drinketh with no rose
Or harp.’ The king of kings should look to it.”
The Sháh laughed heartily at this report,
And sent a camel-post to king Shangul
To say thus: “O thou monarch good at need!
Select ten thousand of the Gipsy-tribe,
Both male and female, skilful on the harp,
And send them to me. I may gain mine end
Through that notorious folk.”

Now when the letter

Came to Shangul he raised his head in pride

And so the Gipsies now,

According to Bahrám's just ordinance,
Live by their wits; they have for company
The dog and wolf, and tramp unceasingly.

Thus passed he three score years and three, and had
No equal in that age. With New Year came
The scribe—the wise archmage, his minister—
And said to him: “The treasury of the king
Of mighty men is void, and I have come
For thy command. Those that enjoyed this wealth
Expect us not to levy any tax.”
The monarch answered: “Take no further pains,
For I have passed beyond the need thereof.
Resign the world to its Creator—Him
Who manifested forth His works. The heavens
Will pass away, but God abideth ever
To guide both thee and me to what is good.”
He slept that night, and early in the morn
A countless crowd resorted to his court.
They brought together all that were required,
And young prince Yazdagird approached the Sháh,
Who gave him in the presence of the lords
The crown and bracelets, torque and ivory throne.
Intending to devote himself to God
He cast away the crown, he left his seat,
And hasted to resign the world's affairs.
At night-fall he was eager for repose,
And, when the sun displayed its head above
The deep, fear filled his archimage's heart,
Who thought: “The Sháh ariseth not from sleep
Unless he hath withdrawn him from the lords.”

The length of the reign of this Sháh (Isdigerd II, A.D. 438-457), as given by Firdausí, appears to be about correct. From the point of view of popular tradition he seems wholly to have been overshadowed by his famous father, and his reign consequently is all but a blank in the Sháhnáma. Historically it was full of incident, and Firdausí's statement—

“He sent out countless hosts on every side,
And kept the world secure from enemies,”

though it may be only a conventional statement, is correct enough. He began his reign with a war with Rúm. This was soon over, but was followed by long wars with the Huns and the Haitálians. Within the empire there were persecutions of the Jews and Christians, and about A.D. 450 serious trouble in Armenia. Yazdagird, as we have seen,¹⁵³

continued his father's minister, Mihr Narsí, in power. According to Mas'údí he fortified the passes in the Caucasus.^153a

He was known to his subjects by two titles— “The Clement”^153b

and “The soldier's friend.”^153c

Of the two sons of Yazdagird it is not certain historically which was the elder, but as Pírúz was successful in the struggle for the throne that followed on the death of his father, he in any case would have been made out to be the elder in order to regularise the succession, and the elder he is according to all the Oriental authorities. In dating his coins he ignored the short reign of his brother Hurmuz.^153d

The earliest coins of Pírúz date from his third year as he reckoned it, counting from his father's death, so the reign of Hurmuz (Hormisdas, A.D. 457-459) lasted about two years.¹⁵⁶

Hurmuz probably had the advantage of being on the spot at the time of Yazdagird's death, but Pírúz may have had the better right to the throne,^156a

and seems to have owed much to the services of a leader named Ruhhám—a scion of the great Mihrán clan which was of Arsacid descent.^156b

The name is a familiar one to students of the Sháhnáma as that of one of those secondary heroes many of whom—real personages in the Parthian epoch—have been reflected back to the mythical periods of the poem.^156c

Ruhhám, as we have seen, was one of the Twelve (eleven) Champions.^156d

Whether Pírúz also received formal help from the Haitálians is doubtful, but plenty of nomad tribes would be willing to take service with him for a consideration, and if they happened to be within the Haitálian sphere of influence would be regarded as Haitálians themselves by tradition. For the consideration required in the text Tabarí substitutes Tálikán.^156e

This is much more probable. Tirmid is mentioned because it would represent the traditional notion of the Oxus being the boundary between Írán and Túrán. On the other hand settlements in the desert, such as Tálikán, were valuable both for trade and in war.^156f

Firdausí's statement that Pírúz pardoned Hurmuz is supported by Dínawarí and Mír Khánd, but two out of the three accounts in Tabarí say that Hurmuz was put to death. The third says that he was imprisoned. In all probability he was executed.^156g

Hurmuz succeeded to his father's throne,
And set upon his head the crown of gold,
While, thou hadst said, Pírúz was all one rage
With tears of envy mounting to his eyes.
He went incontinent with troops and treasures,
And many chiefs, to the Haitálian king,
Who was a princeling of Chaghán, a man
Of high ambition and possessed of troops,
Of treasure, and of power, hight Faghánísh.
To him Pírúz said: “O good friend of mine!
Two sons were we—the glories of the throne.
Our father gave the younger of us twain
The royal crown and, having acted thus
Unjustly, died. If thou wilt give me troops
I have myself wealth, weapons, majesty,
And might of hand.”

The monarch of Chaghán

Replied: “'Tis well, thy sire was king himself.
I will point out the way to get thy rights,
And furnish thee with troops upon these terms:
That I shall have Tirmid and Wísagird,
To which effect I hold a covenant
From Yazdagird.”

Pírúz said: “Yea, 'tis well,

And thou deservest greater sovereignty.”
The monarch gave him thirty thousand swordsmen—
A noble army of Haitálians—
Wherewith Pírúz, the Sháh, arrayed a host
That darkened sky and moon with flying dust.
He fought with king Hurmuz who could not long
Endure the strëss of war but presently
Was taken, and his father's crown and throne
Grew worthless to him. When Pírúz beheld
His brother's face he yearned for love and union,
Bade him remount and sped to grasp his hand,
Dispatched him to the palace and declared
His own conditions. Said Hurmuz to him:—
“Thank God that those who worship Him are wise.
My brother taketh from me crown and throne;
Be victory both in name¹⁵⁸

and deed his own.”

Pírúz becomes undisputed Sháh. His inaugural speech. The land is troubled by a severe drought which Pírúz takes measures to mitigate. The breaking of the drought. Pírúz builds cities and, in violation of the treaty of Sháh Bahrám Gúr, makes war upon the Haitálians, is defeated, and killed.

The reign of Pírúz (Perozes, AD. 459-484) lasted much longer than eleven years, and seems to have made a deep impression on the popular mind by reason of its accumulation of mishaps. The expedition against the Haitálians was preceded by a few months by a total eclipse of the sun¹⁵⁹

—a portent of disaster that well may have helped to bring about its own fulfilment. Mír Khánd tells us that this Sháh's sobriquet was “The Valiant.”^159a

A relic of Pírúz—a cup engraved with a representation of that Sháh engaged in hunting—is said to be still in existence.^159b

§ 1. Drought is common enough in Írán, and the record shows that this particular one must have been of exceptional severity. According to Tabarí the relief measures adopted by Pírúz to cope with the emergency were so efficient that only one man perished through want.^159c

Tabarí of course is merely giving the statements of his authorities without comment.

§§ 2-4. According to the account in Tabarí, Pírúz built three cities—Rám-Pírúz (the Pírúz-Rám of Firdausí) in the territory of Rai, another called Rúshan Pírúz, and a third named Shahrám-Pírúz (Firdausí's Bádán Pírúz) in Ázarbáiján.¹⁶⁰

The tradition given in the Sháhnáma of the war between Pírúz and the Haitálians is dominated by the memory of the beloved and popular Bahrám Gúr. We have seen how that Sháh, after his triumphant campaign against that people, set up a pillar that was to mark the boundary between them and the Íránians.^160a

The presumption in the poem is that the arrangement then made continued in force till Pírúz refused to be bound by it any longer. His refusal brought death upon himself and disaster on his host. Clearly this was a judgment upon him for violating the treaty made by his grandfather. Naturally if Pírúz had been successful a different popular estimate would have been formed upon his conduct, but as matters turned out he was manifestly a wrong-doer for having left his grandsire's way and he merely got his deserts. Consequently on this occasion right was on the side of the enemy, and for a time the tradition becomes almost pro-Haitálian. Between the memory of a great popular Sháh and the occurrence of a great national disaster practically nothing remained, and the two are linked together as cause and effect. Historically, as we know from other sources, the case was very different. Bahrám Gúr's son and successor, Yazdagird, had plenty of trouble with the Haitálians,^160b

and so had, it would seem, Pírúz himself before the final disaster overtook him. Once, if not twice, he had been forced to conclude an unfavourable peace with them, had found himself in their power, and his son, Kubád, had on one occasion to remain two years in captivity until a heavy ransom had been paid. If the story of the help given by the Haitálians to Pírúz against his brother, Hurmuz, at the price of the cession of Tálikán be unhistorical it was probably at one of these conclusions of peace that the place was ceded.^160c

Popular tradition may have preferred to represent Tálikán as being yielded to secure the throne for the rightful heir rather than as the consideration for a disgraceful treaty later on. Pírúz violated his own compact, not Bahrám's, and perished in consequence. There are three accounts of the disaster in Tabarí. They are in accord in essentials, and two of them attribute the proximate cause of the overthrow of Pírúz to the trench dug by the Haitálian king who in these accounts is called Achshunwar or Akhshunwar approximately, but in the absence of diacritical and vowel points the precise form is uncertain. According to one account it was the evil practices of the Haitálian king that impelled Pírúz to declare war, and four sons and four brothers perished with him.¹⁶¹

The second, which comes from Ibn Mukaffa,^161a

states that there were two campaigns. In the first of them Pírúz was led astray by an Haitálian chief, who had had himself purposely mutilated in order to deceive the Sháh, and forced to sue for peace. Subsequently wounded honour induced him to tear up the treaty and renew the struggle in spite of the advice of his counsellors; he perished, and his baggage, women, money, and papers fell into the hands of the enemy.^161b

In the third account mention is made of Bahrám Gúr's pillar, and Pírúz is said to have had it thrown down and dragged in front of him by fifty elephants and three hundred men that he might not be charged with passing it. This account also states that a daughter of Pírúz was among the captives taken by the Haitálians. Their king put her into his haram, and she had a daughter who afterwards married her uncle Kubád.^161c

There can be no doubt but that a terrible disaster befell the Íránian arms in this campaign and, as we shall see presently,^161d

the memory of it was reflected back upon the mythical past and the story retold in connexion with the overthrow of a Pishdádian Sháh.

Wise and untouched by evil

He ruled one year with justice and good counsel.
Next year the face of heaven was dry, the water
Shrank in the streams till it became like musk.
The third and fourth year it was even so,
And all men were in misery through the drought;
The mouth of heaven became as dry as dust,
And river-water was a precious drug;
There was no room to stand, such multitudes
Of men and beasts lay dead. The king of kings
Beheld that portent, took off tax and toll,
And in each city where he kept his stores
Bestowed them freely on both small and great.
A proclamation issued from the court:—
“Distribute, O ye men of name and might!
Such grain as ye possess and heap instead
Your treasuries with coins struck by Pírúz.
Whoe'er possesseth hoarded stores of grain,
Or sheep or oxen roaming at their will,
Let him dispose thereof at his own price,
For lives are perishing for lack of food.”

He ordered folk to quit their homes,

And coming plainwards lift their hands in plaint.
A cry of bitter weeping and distress,
Of pain and consternation rose to heaven;
On hill and waste, in desert and in cave,
They called on God for mercy. On this wise
For seven years both small and great beheld
No verdure anywhere. With Farwardín,
The eighth year, rose a glorious cloud which rained
Pearls on the parched up soil. The scent of musk
Rose from the gardens while the hail that fell
Lay in the mud like pears within a bowl;
The rainbow was resplendent in the sky,
The age escaped the ill of evil men,
And everywhere the bow was strung again.

Now when Pírúz had 'scaped that day of stress
He sat in peace upon the throne of kingship,¹⁶³

He built himself a city which he bade
Call Pírúz-Rám, the world hath good thereof,
For 'tis the pleasance of the glorious Sháhs.
He built withal Bádán-Pírúz, far-famed,
A place of peace and joy, now Ardabíl,
Where Cæsar hath of right his boundary.
Whenas Pírúz had prospered all these parts,
And made thereby the hearts of wise men glad,
He gave a largess to his noble troops,
And gat him ready to attack the Turkmans.
In that campaign Hurmuz was in the van
With troops new-levied; after Sháh Pírúz
Kubád led¹⁶⁴

on the army like a blast;
Pírúz' pure son was he, wise, and a bough
That brought forth fruit. Balásh, the younger son,^164a

A man of Grace and justice, sat rejoicing

Was bidden by Pírúz: “Abide thou here
As upright minister before Balásh.”^164c

Pírúz set forward with his troops, his treasure,
And gear of war, to fight with Khúshnawáz.
Now brave Bahrám had marked the boundary
By setting up a column on the plain
With this inscription by the king of kings:—
“Let not a Turkman or Íránian
Transgress this boundary on any wise,
Or pass across the river.”

When Pírúz,

The lion-queller, reached that spot he saw
The mark set by the monarch of Írán,
And thus addressed his chiefs: “By this same token
Will I erect with scimitar and treasure
A tower against the Turkmans so that none
May suffer from the Haitálians. When 'tis raised
On the Tarak, and when their chiefs shall bring
The former treaty, I will say: ‘Bahrám Gúr
Did thus by manhood, wisdom, might, and Grace,
But I will leave no trace of Khúshnawáz,
Haitálian or Turkman, high or low.’”
When Khúshnawáz, son of the Khán, had heard:—
“The Sháh and all his host have crossed Jíhún
Against the treaty that Bahrám Gúr made:
Fresh war and strife have come upon the land,”
A veteran scribe was called by his command.

He wrote a letter to the king of earth,
With¹⁶⁵

praises of him from the righteous Judge,
Then said: “Since thou departest from the pact
Made by just kings I will not call thee royal.
Thine ancestors had acted never so,
Those rulers of the world elect and pure.
By breaking thus the compact of the Persians,
And flinging to the dust the mark of greatness,^165a

Thou forcest me to break the treaty also,
And draw the scimitar in self-defence.”
He wrote at large and sent too many gifts.
A noble cavalier and eloquent
Went with the letter which when Sháh Pírúz
Had read he raged against that famous prince,
And bade the envoy: “Rise and get thee gone,
Return to that base man and say to him:—

And to Pírúz repeated all these words.
When that haught Sháh had read what Khúshnawáz
Had written in the letter he was wroth,
And said thus to the envoy: “One of years
And world-experience would speak not like that;
But if from Chách thou comest o'er the river
My spearheads are prepared to welcome thee.”
The messenger returned to Khúshnawáz,
Spake with him privily at large, and said:—
“I see not in Pírúz a reverence
For God; he hath not wisdom for his guide;
He careth only for revenge and strife,
And walketh not according to God's will.”

Around his host¹⁶⁷

He dug a trench which he made shift to hide;
'Twas lasso-deep and twenty cubits wide.

This done, he called on God and marched his powers
From Samarkand. On that side Sháh Pírúz,
The frantic, led his troops on like a blast;
On this side Khúshnawáz with fearful heart
Prayed privily before the holy Judge.
The drums and trumpets sounded in both hosts,
The air was ebon with the armies' dust,
And from them both such showers of arrows rained
That blood ran down like water in a stream.
Then, like a dust-cloud, Sháh Pírúz advanced
With mace and Rúman helm, and as he drew
Anear to Khúshnawáz,¹⁶⁸

the Turkmans' chief
Retreated, turned his rein, and showed his back.
The foeman followed fiercely. Sháh Pírúz
Spurred forward with few followers and fell
With others—chiefs and Lions of the day
Of battle—in the fosse, such as Hurmuz
His brother, glorious Kubád and others—
Great men and princes of the royal race—
Till seven had fallen headlong, men of name
With golden casques. Then Khúshnawáz returned
Rejoicing to the fosse and lifted thence
The living while the throne bewailed their fortune.
Now Sháh Pírúz, that chief of chiefs endowed
With Grace and state, had broken head and back,
While of the princes, save Kubád, none lived:
Thus host and empire went adown the wind.
Then Khúshnawáz advanced with heart content,
And head exalted with his warrior-host,
And gave to spoil the baggage and the foe,
For right and left were indistinguishable.
They made some prisoners and what numbers more
Were stretched by arrows on the sombre soil!

Balásh becomes Sháh. Súfarai leads forth a host against the Haitálians to avenge the death of Pírúz and defeats them. Terms of peace are arranged, Kubád and the other captives are released, and Súfarai returns with them in triumph to Írán. After some years Súfarai dethrones Balásh and makes Kubád Sháh.

Balásh (Balas, A.D. 484-488) seems to have been the brother, not the son, of Pírúz and the uncle of Kubád.¹⁷⁰

The name is identical with the more familiar Vologeses. Balásh being on the spot and regent at the time of the death of Pírúz naturally became Sháh. Tabarí says that he had to fight for the throne with his brother (really his nephew), Kubád, who fled to the Haitálians. The real struggle however appears to have been with Kubád's brother, Zirih, who was defeated and slain.^170a

§§ 2 and 3. Pírúz having expiated by his own death his violation of the treaty made by his grandfather, Sháh Bahrám Gúr, with the Haitálians, popular tradition is at liberty to resume a patriotic attitude and set forth how Pírúz was avenged and Íranián honour vindicated. Unfortunately the account does not appear in the oldest authorities and seems to be unhistorical. Írán at that time was much oppressed by, if not actually tributory to, the Haitálians.^170b

Súfarai's triumphant campaign seems to have been invented as a salve to the national honour and, incidently, as a glorification of the great family of Káran to which he belonged. The story of his success appears, as Nöldeke has pointed out, to have been reflected back into mythical times and told in connexion with Naudar, the Pishdádian Sháh. Certainly the parallel is very complete. In both cases the Íránian host is overthrown by a Northern foe; in both the Sháh perishes; in both the scene is laid in the same neighbourhood; in both the defeat is avenged by a Káran, and in both cases the prisoners are rescued.¹⁷¹

In Tabarí's account Súfarai appears as Súkhrá.^171a

As a leading Íránian of the time he may have been instrumental in bringing about a peace with the Haitálians after the death of Pírúz, and this perhaps may be regarded as the historical measure of his achievement.^171b

Balásh appears to have been somewhat after the type of Yazdagird, son of Shápúr, in character,^171c

mild and tolerant, approved by the Christians and hated by the Magi who, it is said, were scandalised at his attempt to introduce the Roman fashion of public baths, which of course involved a profanation of the sacred element. As his treasury was exhausted he was unable to look to the army for support, and after a reign of four years was dethroned and blinded. According to other accounts he died a natural death.^171d

Mír Khánd says that he was known as “the beloved.”^171e