Šāh-nāmah - The Šahnama of Firdausi, Volume 7

The publication of this translation has advanced sufficiently to enable me to state that it will be completed in nine volumes, the last of which will include a General Index to the whole work.

á as in “water.”

í as in “pique.”

ú as in “rude.”

a as in “servant.”

i as in “sin.”

u as in “foot.”

ai as in “time.”

au as in ou in “cloud.”

g is always hard as in “give.”

kh as ch in the German “buch.”

zh as z in “azure.”

Bahrám's accession and inaugural measures. His adventures, amorous and otherwise, among his subjects. His relations with foreign potentates. His instructions to his officials, and remission of taxation. His introduction of the Gipsies into Írán, and his death.

Bahrám Gúr (Varahran V., A.D. 420-438) is said by Tabarí and Mas'údí to have been twenty years old at the time of his accession.³

According to Tabarí he reigned either eighteen or twenty-three years.^3a

Mas'údí says the latter.^3b

On the other hand Mír Khánd, who tells us that he followed the most generally received account, perhaps Firdausí's own, states that Bahrám reigned sixty-three years.^3c

No doubt popular tradition lovingly prolonged to the utmost the reign of this Sháh who, like James V. of Scotland, was a “King of the Commons.” The poet was at no loss for material in this part of his work, and the reign is the most diverting in the Sháhnáma. Its interest with regard to the question of the provenance of the Arabian Nights has been noted already.^3d

As is to be expected in the circumstances the subject-matter is largely legendary, though some authentic features have been preserved, and there can be little doubt but that Bahrám's own character as depicted by Firdausí is in the main historically correct. He fulfilled the promises made by him when a candidate for the throne, but gave himself up largely to pleasure, though this does not seem to have impaired his activities at critical moments. He appears, too, to have been fortunate in his administrators. His chief minister, Mihr Narsí, who is not to be confounded with Narsí, the Sháh's brother, and three of his sons were at the head of affairs. One was the principal, or nearly so, of the official hierarchy, another was chief superintendent of the taxes, and the third was commander-in-chief. ⁴

Mihr Narsí and his father Buráza are stated to have held office under Yazdagird, Bahrám's father, and the former was reappointed chief minister when Yazdagird, Bahrám's son, came to the throne.^4a

He was himself a prince and an Arsacid, so it would seem that the supplanted family had regained a great position for itself under the new dispensation, and that the state of things fully justified the pronouncement put by later legend into the mouth of Kaid.^4b

Bahrám Gúr began his reign with a persecution of the Christians, which led to war with the Eastern Roman Empire. There is a slight allusion to such a war in the poem,^4c

but the chief incident recorded to have taken place is a pacific one.^4d

§§ 1 and 2. Bahrám devotes the first days of his reign to carrying out his promises of reform made before his accession,^4e

and to the relief of taxation.

§§ 3-16. We have here a series of popular legends of Bahrám's adventures when going about unrecognised among various classes of his subjects.^4f

The story of the miser occurs twice.^4g

§§ 19-22. We have here the story of Bahrám's most famous exploit, which is historical, though as much cannot be said of the various details with which popular appreciation has embellished it. Historically, the foes over whom Bahrám won his great triumph were the Haitálians, or White Huns.^4h

This is clear on Firdausí's own showing when he comes to the reign of Pírúz.⁴ⁱ

Later on again, in the reign of Núshírwán, ample distinction is made between the subjects of the Khán of Chín and the Haitálians.^4j

In substituting the former for the latter on this occasion Firdausí errs in good company. Tabarí, Mas'údí, and Mír Khánd all name the Turks as the enemy,^4k

and since they did not come upon the scene for another century and more,^4l

we learn approximately the earliest date at which the story of Bahrám's exploit could have been edited in its existing form. According to the Persian Tabarí⁵

—the version adapted from the original Arabic by Bal'amí, the minister of the Sámánid prince Mansúr, son of Núh (A.D. 961-976), about A.D. 963—the Khán was put to flight, according to the Arabic^5a

slain in the battle by Bahrám's own hand. Both agree that the Khátún, or wife of the Khán, was taken prisoner and sent to serve in the famous Fire-temple at Shíz, whither Bahrám had gone to pray for success in his expedition.^5b

According to the Arabic Tabarí, Bahrám, as an act of thanksgiving for his victory, relieved his subjects of taxation for three years.^5c

This probably is the popular version of the fact that great reforms in that connexion were effected during his reign, but they could not have been justified, one would think, to the extent stated by the amount of plunder taken from the Haitálians, and still less to the extent described in the Sháhnáma, which affirms that he almost reformed taxation away altogether. It may be added that the various accounts of Bahrám's expedition against the Haitálians are in substantial accord though they differ in detail, e.g. as to how far the enemy had advanced at the time of the battle, the route that Bahrám followed in his march, and the number of troops that he took with him.

§ 24. Bahrám's war with the Eastern Ròman Empire, in which he was not very successful, came to an end in A.D. 422, but Firdausí (§ 19) makes it synchronise with that against the Haitálians which, according to the Persian Tabarí,^5d

took place five years later. Next we hear of an envoy sent by Cæsar (§§ 19, 23), and then of his belated audience with the Sháh. The points discussed are not the terms of peace, but certain “hard questions,”^5e

and it is only incidentally that the envoy mentions that Rúm is ready to pay tribute to Írán. We have a similar case in the reign of Núshírwán when the Rája of Hind sends the game of chess to that Sháh, who returns the compliment with the game of nard,^5f

while in the next volume we shall find the disgraced counsellor Búzurjmihr regaining the favour of the same Sháh by his success in solving another problem set by Cæsar.

§§ 26-38. For instances in the Sháhnáma of kings going incognito to visit foreign courts, see Vol. vi. pp. 325, 335. In the Arabic Tabarí, Bahrám's motive for visiting Hind is to see whether by annexing a portion of it he could lighten the taxes of his own subjects.⁶

Unlike his expedition against the Khán of Chín, as Firdausí puts it, and historically against the Haitálians, the one to Hind appears to be wholly fabulous. It is given, however, at length by Tabarí and Mír Khánd, and mentioned by Mas'údí.^6a

It will be seen that Bahrám in the course of his well meant efforts to promote the welfare of his subjects does not find it quite so easy as he expected to make everybody happy by legislation.

§ 39. Professor Nöldeke is inclined to consider Bahrám's importation of Gipsies from Hind to Írán historical.^6b

The details of course belong to the province of popular legend, but are delightfully characteristic of both parties concerned. The Gipsy language appears to be a debased form of Hindústání. According to Mír Khánd the Gipsies intermarried with the Persians, and the Jats were said to be their offspring. Consequently nearly every Jat is a musician.^6c

§ 40. Firdausí is almost alone in his statement that Bahrám Gúr died in his bed. The common account is that he was killed when out hunting by falling into one of the underground watercourses, so common in Persia, and that his body never was recovered. Popular tradition places the scene of his death in a valley between Shíráz and Ispahán and known as the “Vale of Heroes,” where there are numerous springs supposed to be intercommunicating and of great depth. Sir John Malcolm states that one of his escort was drowned in 1810 when bathing in the identical spring in which Bahrám is said to have perished.^6d

Tabarí lays the scene of the accident in Media, and it took place, if it took place at all, probably not far from Hamadán at a spot called, according to Dínawarí, Dái Marj. Nöldeke, however, considers that the whole story was made up to account for the nickname “Gúr” bestowed upon Bahrám. The word in question means both “onager” and “tomb.”^6e

The same collocation of letters also means a “Fire-worshipper,” and it is possible that some Muhammadan translator from the Pahlaví may have thought fit to dispatch the guebre to the grave.

Whenas Bahrám Gúr sat upon the throne
The sun acclaimed him while the Sháh adored
The Maker—the all-seeing, watchful World-lord,

Abstain from greed and trouble not thyself.”
The fifth day he said thus: “I have no joy
In others' toils for mine aggrandisement;
We toil in quest of jocund Paradise;
He that hath sown but seed of good is blest.”
The sixth day said he to his subjects: “Never
May we ensue defeat; we will protect
Our troops from foes and make malignants tremble.”

And treat all justly howsoe'er perverse.
I will be juster than mine ancestors,
And guide you to the Faith—that of Zarduhsht,
The prophet—quitting not my fathers' path.
I put the Faith of old Zarduhsht before me;
The way of that true prophet is mine own.
Be ye all sovereign in your own affairs,
And guard your marches and your loyalty,
Kings of your children and your women-folk:
Blest is the man that is both wise and pure.
If God accord us life and favouring stars
We will not fill our treasury with gold;
Such treasures keep the poor in travail. Read
This joyful letter which assureth you
Of lasting wealth and honour. To all kings
Our greeting, most to those whose warp and woof
Are love.”’”

They sealed the letters and made choice

Of glorious onvoys. Archmage, man of lore,
And wary cavalier, those letters bore.

Next day when Sol rose, when the hills bulked large,
And sleep was broken, to Munzir there came
A panic-stricken throng and said to him:—

and gems of every hue.
He gave all to Nu'mán and to Munzir,
And Jawánwí told o'er to them the gifts.
None matched the Sháh in bounty and in travail.
He gave the other Arabs many presents,
So that they left the royal halls, rejoicing.
He then had brought a royal robe of honour,
A steed, and raiment of a paladin;
These gave they to Khusrau, made much of him,
And seated him upon the glorious throne.
Then, turning from Khusrau,¹¹

the king of kings,
Descending from his throne, approached the seat
Where sat Narsí—a prince, his younger brother,
And one with him in heart and tongue. He made
Narsí the captain of the host to set
The land in order, gave up to his keeping
The host at large, and ravished all the realm
With bounty, oped the treasury, and paid
The troops who gladdened with dínárs. The Sháh,
That man of lore, then bade Gushasp, the scribe,
With prudent Jawánwí, the chief accountant,
Approach, and ordered them to cancel all
Arrears of taxes for the Íránians.

These he forgave,
And burnt the registers, and all Írán
Rejoiced thereat. Whenas all folk were ware
Of that event they praised him mightily.
They all flocked to the Fire-fanes, to the halls
Where New Year's Day and Sada feast were kept,
Flung musk upon the Fire and blessed Bahrám,
The Sháh. Thereafter he dispatched officials
To go about the world. He sought and gathered
Within a certain city all the exiles
Of Yazdagird that thus the monarch's letter
Might reach those noble Persians, and inquire
Their wishes, sent each chief a robe of honour,
And gave to each a province that befitted
His station. Noble, archimage, and marchlord,
Whoever heard Bahrám's deliverance,
All visited his court with open hearts,
And blithe of countenance. He bade each suitor
Repair to the high priest and, when the world
Had recognised his bidding, he let stand
A herald at his gate thus to proclaim:—
“Ye subjects of the watchful Sháh! abstain
From sorrow and from sin, and praise henceforth
Him through whose justice earth is prosperous.
Take refuge from the world with God alone,
For He possesseth all and helpeth all.
The man that giveth heed to our command,
Not turning from our path and fealty,
To him will we increase our benefits,
And clear our mind of hate and covetise;
But whosoever shunneth what is just
Shall suffer retribution at our hands.
If God hereafter shall vouchsafe us strength,
And matters turn out to our heart's content,
We will add benefit to benefit,
And ye shall utter praise on our account.”
At these words all the people of Írán
Went full of joy and bright of countenance,
And, as the sovereignty became secure,
Joy waxed and sorrow minished, while the Sháh
In feasting, horsemanship upon the Ground,
In sport and polo, full employment found.

So Bahrám

Inquired about the two, their words and ways.
A worthy said: “Lambak, the water-carrier,
O great, famed, noble king! is generous,
Doth keep a table, and is well disposed.
He passeth half the day in water-carrying,
The other half in entertaining guests,
And leaveth nothing over for the morrow,
While Baráhám is but a barren Jew,
And grasping, and his greed should be exposed.
He hath drachms, treasure, and dínárs, brocades,
And goods of all kinds, but none seeth his bread,
And he is ever wrathful at a guest.”¹³

The Sháh then bade a herald: “Go, proclaim
Before the court: ‘To every one concerned:
The water of the water-carrier,
Lambak, is bad to drink.’”

He stayed till Sol

Grew pale, then mounted a fleet steed and came,
Like wind, toward the dwelling of Lambak,
Knocked with the ring against the door, and cried:—
“A captain of the Íránian host am I,
The night is dark, and I have far to go.
Let me lodge here to-night. I will behave
With honour and discretion.”

Then Lambak,

Pleased with the voice of one that spake so fairly,
Made answer straight: “Come in, O cavalier!
And may the king approve thee. If ten others
Were with thee it were better: each had been
A moon above my head.”

Then Sháh Bahrám

Dismounted, and Lambak saw to the steed.
He gladly rubbed it down and haltered it,
Then, when Bahrám was seated, ran and brought
A chess-board¹⁴

and made shift to furnish food,
And all things needful, saying: “Noble sir!

The eating done, the host in high delight
Brought out a cup of wine. The Sháh was all
Amazement at that feast of his, kind speech,
And cheery mien, passed night there, and at dawn
Woke at the salutation of Lambak,
Who said: “Thy steed, good sooth, fared ill last
night.
Stay just this one day with me, and if thou
Wouldst have a comrade we will summon one,
And find the needful. Joy with me one day.”
The king made answer to the water-carrier:—
“I have not much on hand to-day.”

Lambak

Departed, taking divers water-skins,
But nobody appeared to buy his water.
In dudgeon he put off his vest and, taking
His porter's knot and bucket in his arms,
Went and procured instead at the bázár
Meat and dried curds, and in due course put on
The pot. His guest took note of all his trouble.
Lambak prepared the meal; they ate and drank,
And had another sitting. All that night
Bahrám had wine in hand; Lambak too loved it.
When it was day he hurried to Bahrám,
And said: “Be merry night and day, and franked
From trouble, grief, and toil. Consort with me
For yet another day, for, know, thy presence
Is life and goods to me.”

“Now God forbid

That we should not be happy for a third day,”
Bahrám said, while the water-carrier blessed him:—
“Be merry in thy heart and mate with fortune.”
He took to the bázár his water-skins
And tackle, which he pledged to some rich man,
Bought what he needed and returned in haste
Rejoicing to Bahrám, and said to him:—
“Help with the food, for man must cat.”

Bahrám

Took the meat promptly from him, cut it up,
And then proceeded with the cookery.
When they had eaten they took wine and goblet,
And first of all drank to the king of kings.
Lambak, when they had drunk, prepared for sleep,
And set a candle by Bahrám Gúr's couch.
The fourth day, when the sun shone and Bahrám Gúr
Awoke, his host approached and said: “Famed sir!
Thou hast resided in this small, dark house,

He stole away and made toward the house
Of barren Baráhám, knocked at the door,
And said: “The Sháh hath come back from the
chase,
But I was left behind. 'Tis night and I
Know not the way, can find not Sháh and escort.
If I may sojourn in this house to-night
I will not trouble any one.”

A slave

Went and reported this to Baráhám,
Who answered: “Trouble not thyself hereat,
But say: ‘Thou wilt not get a lodging here.’”
The messenger departed to Bahrám Gúr,
And said: “There is no shelter here for thee.”
Bahrám replied: “Return to him and say:
‘I mean to stop. I ask thee for a lodging
To-night and I will trouble thee no further.’”
The servant, hearing this, ran back and said:—
“This horseman will not budge to-night and saith
As much in many words.”

Said Baráhám:—

“Go instantly and say: ‘This house is small.
The Jew is very poor and every night
Reposeth, bare and hungry, on the ground.’”
They gave the message, and Bahrám Gúr said:—
“If here my lodging will prove troublesome
I will not enter but will sleep outside
The door, 'tis all I want.”

Said Baráhám:—

“Brave horseman! thoughtlessly¹⁷

thou troublest me.
Were any one to rob thee in thy sleep
I should be plagued enough on thine account.

“My good sir!”

Bahrám rejoined, “I will not trouble thee
In any way. Thy portal will suffice.
I will be watchman, barring bell and cry.”
Then Baráhám was troubled, and his soul
A brake of cares. He thought: “This saucy fellow
Will not depart. How can I cause him trouble
About his steed?” then said again: “Great sir!
Thy many words afflict me. If thy steed
Shall leave its droppings here and stale or break
The tiles, thou shalt remove its dung at dawn,
Sweep up, bear off its refuse to the plain,
And pay for any breakages at once.”
Bahrám replied: “I pledge my head to this.”
Dismounting from his steed he tethered it
With its own bridle and unsheathed his sword.
He spread his saddle-cloth, used as his pillow
The saddle, and reposed upon the floor.
The Jew secured the door, brought victuals forth,
And sat him down to eat. “O cavalier!”
He said, “remember, having heard, this saw:—
‘Who hath may eat and who hath not look on.’”
He answered: “I have heard so from of old,
And now I have beheld made manifest
What thou hast quoted from a sage's words.”
The Jew brought wine forth and, when satiate
With food and blither for the drinking, bawled:—
“O toilful horseman! list this ancient saw:—
‘He that hath food and purposeth to eat
Will offer his thanksgiving for the meat,
For one of substance hath a happy mind,
And in his wealth a coat of mail will find;
But Empty Pockets is a dry-lipped wight,
And, like thee, ravenous at mid of night.’”
Bahrám replied: “'Tis passing wonderful
What I have seen, and must not be forgotten,
And if thy goblet give thee good at last
Then heigh for drinker, wine, and genial cup!”
When o'er the mountains Sol displayed its sword
Bahrám Gúr shunned more sleep and put the saddle
On his fleet grey. His saddle! Nay, hard pillow.
Came Baráhám and said: “O cavalier!
Thou art not faithful to thy word. Thou saidst:—

And I will give him gold for sweeping up,
And bearing off, the refuse to the plain.”
“No one have I,” he said, “to sweep up refuse,
Take it away, and fling it in the ditch.
Break not thy promises deceitfully;
Let me not say that thou hast played the knave.”
Bahrám Gúr, hearing, took another course.
He had a dainty handkerchief of silk
Inside his boot, all musk and spicery;
He took it out and put therein the droppings,
Then flung them all together in the ditch.
Away went Baráhám and snatched it up
While Sháh Bahrám stood dazed. “Oho!” said he,
“Thou scrupulous! If the great king shall hear
Of all thy nobleness he will secure thee
From want in this world, and will set thee high
Among the chiefs.”

He went back to his palace,

And all night long was planning what to do.
Within his halls thought banished all repose,
He laughed himself but kept the matter close.

Next morn he donned his crown and held an audience,
Then called to him Lambak, the water-carrier,
Who came before him with enfolded arms.
They brought withal and quickly Baráhám,
That curst, malicious Jew. When he arrived
They made him sit and called an honest man,
To whom the Sháh said: “Take some baggage-beasts
And, acting with the utmost honesty,
Go to the house of Baráhám forthwith,
And look thou bring what thou find'st hoarded there.”
That honest man went to the Jew's abode.
The house was all brocade, dínárs, and raiment,
All carpetings, and draperies, and hoards.
There was a caravanserai attached,
And no room too on earth for all the goods—
Gold, silver, every gem, and, on the top
Of every bag, a lofty diadem.
The archmage's reckoning failed. He called for camels,
A thousand from the desert of Jahram,

That good man drove apace the caravans,
And, when the bells resounded from the court-gate,
Went and informed the Sháh: “As many gems
Are here as in thy treasury, yet are left
Two hundred ass-loads!”

Thought the Sháh, amazed:—

“The Jew hath greatly toiled, but to what profit
Since food hath failed him?”

Then the Sháh, the world-lord,

Bestowed a hundred camel-loads of gold,
Of drachms, of carpets, and things great and small
Upon the water-carrier. Lambak
Departed with his treasures. Then the Sháh
Called Baráhám and said to him: “O thou
Consorting in thy meanness with the dust!
Dost tell me that thy prophet was long-lived,
And yet bewail life's superfluities?^20a

A horseman came and quoted me this saw,
Out of the sayings of the past, which saith:—
‘Hath will enjoy and Hath not withereth.’
So now withdraw thy grasping hand and watch
Henceforth the enjoyment of the water-carrier.”
Then to that vile Jew of the synagogue
He spake at large of droppings, handkerchief
Gold-woven, and tiles, bestowed upon the knave
Four drachms, and said: “Take this as capital;
No more befitteth thee. To mendicants
Thy wealth, to thee thy head.”

He gave the poor

All that there was. The Jew departed wailing.
The Sháh gave up the house to plundering;
'Twas well that other folk should have their fling.

He found employment for the hunting cheetah,
Bestirred him and was minded for the chase.
He mounted him upon a speedy steed,
And pricked forth to the plain with hawk on hand.
He found a wood that was a rich man's seat.
It was as verdurous as Paradise,
And there was neither man nor beast in sight.
He said: “Here lions should be found. No man
Of prudence would sleep here.”

He entered in,

And rode about surveying it. He saw
A lion there and that he must employ
The scimitar. He shouted at the beast
And, when it bravely charged him, rode outside

And I will bring thee milk and wine and honey.
I have as many lambs as thou canst want
With trees fruit-laden that will furnish shade.”
The Sháh alighted and surveyed the forest;
He found it verdurous, supplied with streams,
And fitted for a young man's dwelling-place.
Then Mihr Bídád went and fetched minstrelsy
As well as divers of the village-chiefs.
He slaughtered numbers of fat sheep and came,
Gold cup in hand. When they had eaten bread
The servants set on cups of wine with roses
And fenugreek. The host quaffed one and gave
Another to Bahrám and took all pains
To set him at his case. When Mihr Bídád
Grew blithe with wine he said: “Fair-fortuned hero!
Thou favourest the Sháh or the full moon
At midnight.”

Said Bahrám: “Yea, that is so;

The King of kings designed this face of mine.
He maketh as He willeth, waxing not
Nor waning, but if I am like the Sháh
Then I have given thee this seat and forest.”
This said, he mounted, sought his pleasure-palace,
Bemused, but sleepless in the garth all night
Romanced about the lips of the beloved.

The world-lord

Grew pale of cheek thereat and sorrowful,
And from the palace proclamation issued:—
“Ye men of name endowed with Grace and sense!
Wine is a thing forbidden in the world
Alike to paladin and artisan.”
Thus passed a year while all held wine forbidden
E'en when the Sháh himself held revelry,
Or called for tales from old time legendry.

When the talk grew long

She hurried to the Sháh and told him all,
First doing her obeisance and exclaiming:—
“Live happily till time shall be no more.
This youth, who had not come to man's estate,
Must take himself a partner and keep house,
And then prove impotent! His wife, she said:—
‘This weakling was self-sown!’ All privily
I gave to him three cups of wine, and none
In all the world was ware thereof. Forthwith

The Sháh smiled on the crone, and said:—

“This is no tale to hide.”

He thus addressed

The archmage: “Wine is now permissible,
And we should drink thereof to his extent
Who in his cups still can bestride a lion,
And not be overthrown, but not to his
Who lieth all dead-drunk upon the road
What while some black crow pecketh out his eyes.”
A proclamation went up from the gate:—
“O paladins who wear the golden girdle!
Drink wine in moderation, all of you!
Considering the end when ye begin,
And when the wine hath led you to delight
Then go to sleep but not in helpless plight.”

The third day at the dawn the Sháh went forth,
He and his men, to hunt upon the plain;
Hurmuz, his minister, was on his left,
And on his right the holy archimage.
They told him tales, discoursing of Jamshíd
And Farídún.²⁶

Before them were the hounds,
The cheetahs, hawks, and falcons. Thus they shortened
The tedious day. Bright Sol was high, but still
They saw no trace of deer or onager,
And so Bahrám Gúr, troubled by the heat,
Turned back in dudgeon from the hunting-field.
He came upon a verdurous spot fulfilled
With houses, men, and cattle. Many folk
Came from the settlement to see the troops,
But no man did obeisance! Thou hadst said:—
“The earth hath tethered every ass of them!”
The monarch, vexed and overcome by heat,
Had fixed upon that village for a halt.
Its folk disgusted him, he viewed them not
With favour, and in anger thus addressed
The high priest: “What an ill-starred spot is this!
Be it a lair for wild beasts and for game,
And may its streams run pitch.”

The archimage,

Who took this for an order, turned aside

Going from the royal presence

The archmage sped forth to that scene of ruin.
From street to street he hurried and at last
Came on an old man unemployed. Dismounting
He spake the elder fair, made him sit down
Near by, and said to him: “Old, honoured sir!
Who wrecked this district once so populous?”
The old man answered thus: “Our monarch once
Was passing through our parts, and thereupon
There came to us a witless archimage,
One of those useless people with big names,
And said to us: ‘Ye all are chieftains here:
See that ye pay respect to nobody.
Be masters, all of you, both men and women,
And great among the great.’ Such were his words,

Rúzbih,

Grieved for that old man, asked: “Who is your
chief?”
The other answered: “Who will have a place
Where there is naught excepting seed and grass?”
Rúzbih replied: “Be thou the governor,
Be as the crown upon the head in all things,
Make requisition from the world-lord's treasures
For money, oxen, asses, grain, and produce;
Bring to the village all the unemployed;
They all are subjects, thou alone art chief,
And curse no more the ancient archimage,
Who spake not as he would in what he said.
If thou wilt have assistants from the court
I will dispatch them. Ask for what thou wilt.”
The elder joyed to hear this and was freed
From longsome grief. He hied him home forthwith,
Brought others to his Cistern and began
To people and apportion out the lands.
They borrowed from their neighbours ox and ass,
And furnished all the plain. He and his settlers
Worked hard and planted many trees on all sides,
And, when his labour had restored one piece,
The hearts of those that dwelt therein rejoiced.
Those that had fled, their heart's blood in their eyes,
Flocked back on hearing of that restoration,
And of the toils of that white-headed chief,
And reinstated street and water-course,
While fowl, ox, ass, and sheep all multiplied
Upon the cultured parts, and everywhere
Folk planted trees till that waste spot became
Like Paradise. The third year he restored
The town: the chief was blessed in all his labours.
When jocund spring came round the Sháh went forth
Upon the plain a-hunting with Rúzbih,
The high priest. When the pair drew near the hamlet
Bahrám Gúr suddenly beheld the world
All crops and cattle, lofty mansions rose,
And all the township thronged with sheep and oxen.
'Twas all streams, pleasances, and growing crops,
And fenugreek and tulips filled the hills,
Whereon roamed sheep and lambs, for hill and dale
Had grown to be a paradise. The Sháh

The high priest answered:—

“This ancient seat was ruined by a word,
And by a word restored, to please the Sháh.
He bade me: ‘Take thou treasure and dínárs,
And make this verdant spot a wilderness,’
But I feared God and blame from great and small.
When friends, though one in heart, are two in aim
'Tis ruin, as I have perceived, to both;
So when there are two rulers in a state
Their land will be o'erturned. I went and said
Thus to the elders of this settlement:—
‘O men! there is no ruler over you
From this time forth, but women, children, slaves,
Hirelings and husbandmen, are lords alike.’
When those who had been underlings became
Lords too the nobles' heads were all brought low,
And all the place was ruined by a word.
Thus was I far removed from all reproach,
And apprehension of God's chastisement.
Thereafter, when the Sháh had ruth on them,
I went and pointed out another course;
I made a wise, old man and eloquent,
A man of leading and informed, the ruler.
He laboured and restored the waste, rejoicing
His subjects' hearts. When one man ruled, the counsel
Was good, prosperity increased, ill waned.
I, unobserved, had shown them what was bad,
And opened afterward the way of God.
Discourse is better than fine-watered gems
When 'tis employed aright. Let wisdom be
The Sháh, the tongue the paladin, if thou
Wouldst have thy spirit easy. May thy heart
Be glad for aye and free from wile and waste.”
The Sháh, on hearing, cried: “Well done, Rúzbih!
Thou'rt worthy of a crown!”

Bahrám Gúr gave

That old man worshipful and prescient
A purse all filled with gold dínárs. For him
A robe of honour too they fashionéd
Of royal stuffs, and cloud-ward raised his head.

Another week the monarch of the world
Went forth to hunt with lords and archimages,
Prepared to spend a month upon the chase,
To revel with his meiny, and to take

The king of kings gazed at the light and spied
A pleasant village with a mill before it,
Where sat the village-chiefs, while all the maidens,
Each with a crown of roses on her head,
Were feasting by themselves beside the fire.
The minstrels sat about, the maidens sang
Tales of the royal wars, and every one
Began to tell a story in her turn.
They all were moon-faced, all had lock??curl,
All were sweet-spoken, and all savoured musk.
They sat ranked on the grass and close before
The mill-door, singing, with a posy each,
And half bemused with wine and merriment.
Then from that scene of revel rose a cry,
And one exclaimed: “The toast of Sháh Bahrám!
He hath Grace, stature, mien, and love. Before him
The rolling sphere upstandeth. Thou wouldst say:—
‘His face distilleth wine, the scent of musk
Proceedeth from his hair.’ He only hunteth
The lion and the onager, and so
Folk title him ‘Bahrám Gúr.’”

This he heard,

And rode toward them. Drawing near the girls
He scanned the plain, beheld it filled with Moons,
And saw that he should stop short of the city.
He bade, and from the road cup-bearers came,
Provided wine and boon-companions,
And handed him a crystal cup. Meanwhile
Four of the girls, those chief in rank, came forth—
One Mushkináb,³²

the others Mushkinak,
Náztáb, and Súsanak. With checks like spring,
With stately mien, and hand in hand, they went
Before the Sháh and sang about Bahrám,
The king of kings, the wise and prosperous.
Bahrám Gúr asked, for they perturbed his heart:—
“Who are ye,^32a

rose-cheeked? Wherefore is this fire?”
One said: “O cavalier of cypress-height,
So like a king in everything! our father

The old man offered praise,

And said: “There is no husband for them; they
Are maidens still and pure in chastity,
But that is all the property they have,
And this is all that I can say for them.”
Bahrám said: “Give me all the four, and henceforth
Regard them not as daughters.”

Quoth the ancient:—

“Do not as thou hast said, O cavalier!
No cups have we, no land, no crops, no silver,
No mansion, ox, and ass.”

Bahrám Gúr said:—

“'Tis well, for I would have them portionless.”
The miller said: “The four shall be thy wives,
The handmaids of the dust within they chambers.
Thine eye hath seen their good points and their ill,
And, seeing, hath approved.”

Bahrám Gúr said:—

“From holy God, the All-giver, I accept them.”
He spake and rose. Steeds neighed upon the plain.
He bade the eunuchs of his escort bear
Those Idols to the royal women's house,
And through the night the troops filed o'er the waste.
The miller marvelled, mused all night, and said
Thus to his wife: “This moon-like lord so tall
And masterful, how came he here by night?”
She answered: “He perceived the fire from far,
The noise the girls were making, and the sound
Of minstrels, harp, and revelry.”

The miller

Said to his wife: “Advise me, O my spouse!
If this affair will turn out well or ill?”
She answered: “It is all God's providence.
The man, on seeing them, asked not their race,
Thought not of dowry. On earth's face he sought
For Moons and not for money or kings' daughters.
If idol-worshippers saw these in Chín
There would be no more idol-worshipping!”

Good fortune visited thy couch last night!
The verdant branches of thy tree bear fruit.
One looked, beheld the merriment and fire,
And, having turned his horse about, drew near;
So now thy daughters have become his wives,
And rest securely in his women's house.
By giving them such faces, hair, and carriage
Thou didst prepare them for the Sháh! Bahrám,
The king of kings, is now thy son-in-law!
Henceforth thou wilt be famous through the realm.
He hath bestowed upon thee all this province
And march, so sorrow not, for thou hast 'scaped
From cares and fears. Command. 'Tis thine to bid.
We all of us are thralls and bound to thee;
We all of us are subject to thee now,
Are subject! Rather we are all thy slaves.”
The miller and his wife in their amaze
Invoked God's name. The village-chieftain said:—
“Such locks as those and countenances too
Would bring the sun from his fourth heaven to woo.”

Another week he went forth to the chase
With favourites from the host and archimages.
Swift as the wind there came a loyal liege
With spade in hand and asking of the troops
Where was Bahrám, the Sháh, amid the throng?
An archimage replied: “What wilt thou? Speak.
Thou canst not see the monarch of the world.”³⁵

The man said: “Since I may see not his face
I will speak not before his followers.”
They brought before the Sháh that seeker—one
Both learned and eloquent—who seeing him
Said: “I have words to speak to thee in private.”
Bahrám Gúr turned his horse's head aside,
And rode some distance from his followers' sight.
Then said the man: “O world-possessing Sháh!
Thou must observe my words. A countryman
Am I, and landlord here. I own the soil,
The homestead, and the crops. I was engaged
In making water-courses on my land
To benefit my property, and when
There was much water, and the stream ran strong,
In one place there was formed an orifice,

Hearing this

Bahrám Gúr went and saw a plain all verdure,
And watered, bade bring labourers with spades
From far, and lighted from his steed. They pitched
His tent among the crops. Night came. The warriors
Lit lamps and everywhere enkindled fires.
Now when the sun set up above the deep
Its banner, burnishing the violet air,
The workmen mustered from all sides, as though
A mighty army, and began to dig.
That portion of the plain was excavate,
And, as the workers wearied, there appeared
Out of the dust a mount-like place—a mansion
Of mortar and burnt brick—like Paradise.
They plied their picks; far down a doorway showed,
An archmage, seeing, entered by the door,
He and another uninvited guest.
They found a single chamber long and wide,
And many cubits high. Within it stood
Two buffaloes of gold and, fronting them,
A golden laver strewn with emeralds
And rubies mixed. They seemed two Signs of Taurus,
Were hollow, and were filled up with pomegranates,
With apples, and with quinces that contained
Fine-watered pearls, each like a water-drop.
The buffaloes had jewel-eyes, and heads
Decayed with age. Ranked round them there were
lions
And onagers, some having ruby eyes,
And others crystal. There were golden pheasants
And peacocks, with their breasts and eyes all gems.
The minister, whose wisdom was a crown
Upon the moon, on seeing that spectacle,
Went to the Sháh and cried excitedly:—
“Arise. Enough to dower thy treasuries
Is here! A chamber filled with precious stones
Is manifest, whose key high heaven hath kept!”
His lord said: “One of counsel and of might
Would write his name upon his treasures. See
Whose name is there and when they were amassed.”
On hearing this the high priest went and saw
The impress of the signet of Jamshíd
Upon the buffaloes, and notified
The monarch of the world: “I have beheld,
And ‘Sháh Jamshíd’ is on the buffaloes.”

He went back to the treasure

Won by his sweat and toil, assembled all
The warriors of the realm, and gave his troops
A whole year's pay. He held a feast that spring,
Adorned his hall of jewelled tracery,
And, when the red wine shone in crystal cups,
And he himself was jocund and right glad,
He thus harangued his friends: “Exalted ones,
Who know the token of the throne of kings!
Down from Húshang as far as famed Naudar,
Who was a memory of Farídún,
And on again right up to Kai Kubád,
Who placed the crown of greatness on his head,
See who of all these mighty men is left,
And who remaineth to applaud their justice?
Now, since the circle of their years is cut,
Their reputation is their monument,
Which saith that this had spirit, that had not,
And one doth blame them, and another praise.
We all shall pass in turn, and not to walk

One day, another week, he went to hunt,
When indisposed, and took his bow and arrows.
The plain grew sultry with the blazing sun.
He came back from his hunting leisurely,
And reached a merchant's house, to whom he said,
On looking round and seeing none beside:
“Canst give us lodging since thou wilt not find us
A trouble?”

The merchant found a place for him. The Sháh,
Complaining of the colic, gave the merchant
Some drachms, and said: “Toast some old cheese
with almonds.”
The merchant did not do as he was asked,
Not having almonds by him, but, at night-fall
And at his leisure, got a hot roast fowl,
And served it to Bahrám upon a tray,
Who said: “I asked thee for old cheese, besought thee
To bring it, and thou hast not brought it me
Although I gave thee drachms and had complained
Of colic.”

Said the merchant: “Foolish fellow!

Thy soul is starving through thy lack of wit.
Since I have brought to thee this hot roast fowl
Mere shame should stay thee asking aught beside.”
Bahrám thereat ceased longing for old cheese.
Grieved at his words he ate, referring not
To what had passed. When it was sleeping-time
He slept and said naught further to the merchant.
Now when the sun rose o'er the heaving deep,
And when the Cloak pitch-hued had disappeared,
The wealthy merchant said to his apprentice:—
“O simpleton! why didst thou buy a fowl
Not worth a drachm for more and wrong me so?
Had't been a proper fowl then he and I
Had fallen not out last night, or hadst thou spent
A quarter of a drachm in buying cheese
He would have been to me like milk and water
To-day.”

The apprentice answered: “'Tis all one.

Know that the fowl is at my charge. Be thou
And he my guests, so quarrel not with me
About the bird.”

Now when Bahrám arose

From pleasant sleep he sought his docile steed
To saddle it and go back to his palace,
And from his palace raise his crown to Saturn.
The apprentice, seeing him, said to Bahrám:—
“Give to thy slave thy company to-day.”
The Sháh returned, sat down again, and mar-
velled
At fortune. Then the youth went out and fetched
Two hundred almonds and addressed his master:—
“Bestir thee, sir! and have these almonds toasted,
Make ready too some cheese and some new bread,
For such the cavalier asked yesterday,
Bring food and spread the board.”

He went before

Bahrám and said: “O cavalier! I bring thee

Then rubbing down and saddling

Shabdíz he started, blithe with wine, for court,
First saying to the merchant: “Toil not so
In quest of gain, O thou that sellest dear!
Thou wouldst have sold me for a quarter drachm
Yestreen, sewn up the eyes of thine apprentice
Because he bought a fowl above the price,
And have put me within the dragon's maw.”
He spake and sped back to his royal seat.
Now when the sun displayed its crown in heaven
The guardian of the world sat on his throne
Of ivory and bade the chamberlain
Seek out the merchant and conduct him thither
With his apprentice. One of them was glad,
The other glum. Bahrám, on seeing the apprentice,
Made much of him and seated him rejoicing
Among the lords. They brought to him a purse,
And made his awe-gloomed spirit like the moon.
Then to the merchant said Bahrám: “Know this:
Thou shalt be slave for life to thine apprentice,
And, further, pay him twice in every month
Three score drachms from thy savings. With thy
goods
He shall be entertainer and make laugh
The hearts of noble men.”

Then to the high priest:—

“The king that disregardeth this world's doings,
How can he know what man is truly great,
Or how discern the evil from the good?”⁴²

So now, O sage that seekest wisdom's way!
If thou must have a saw hear what I say:—
“Avoid all avarice if man thou be,
Or be indeed below humanity.”

He answered:—

“Choose we a thousand horsemen from the host,
And let them bring the cheetahs and the hawks,
The falcons and the noble peregrines,
Go to Túrán and pass a month in hunting.”
The royal hunter went. He found the world
All hues and scent. His gallant chieftains swept it
For onager, gazelle, and mountain-sheep—
A labour that extended o'er two days—
What while Bahrám had wine in hand; the third,
When Sol illumed its crown, when earth grew golden,
And hill and stream became as ivory,
The valiant Sháh went to the chase and saw
A dragon like a lion. From its head
Hair hung down to the ground, and it had breasts
Like those of women. Then Bahrám Gúr strung
His bow and shot forthwith a poplar arrow
Against the dragon's chest. He shot another
Straight at its head, and gore and venom flowed
Adown its front. The king dismounted, drew
His sword, and carved up all the dragon's breast.
It had gulped down a youth and frozen him
In blood and bane. Bahrám bewailed him sorely
What while the venom blinded his own eyes.
He took the corpse out of the dragon's maw,
Ne'er may its head and breast unite again.
He rode off dizzied, suffering, and longing
For sleep and water, reached a settlement,
Arriving at a house-door from the waste,
And saw a woman shouldering a pitcher.
She veiled her face from him. He said to her:—
“Can I lodge here or must I toil on still?”
She said: “Brave horseman! treat this house as
thine.”
On hearing this he rode his courser in.
His hostess called her husband. “Bring a wisp,”
She said, “and rub his steed. At feeding-time
Feed from the sack.”

Swept out the house and laid down mat and pillow,
With blessings on Bahrám, went to the cistern,
Drew water, and berated to herself
Her spouse the while: “The fool will ne'er bestir
Himself on seeing some one in the house.
This is not women's work, but for my part
I, soldier-like, can only grin and bear it!”
She brought and spread the board with vinegar
And salad, bread and curds. Went Sháh Bahrám,
And bathed his face, for he had been o'erwrought
In fighting with that dragon. So he ate
A little, then lay down and groaned, his face
Concealed beneath a kerchief made in Chín.
The woman, when she woke, said to her spouse:—
“O knave with unwashed face! thou shouldest slay
A lamb because this cavalier is great,
And of the royal seed, hath kingly bearing,
And moon-like Grace, and he is like to none
Save Sháh Bahrám.”

Her mean spouse said to her:—

“Why such to-do? Thou hast no salted meat,
No fire-wood, and no bread, and spinnest not
A-nights as others do. When thou hast killed
A lamb, and he—this cavalier—hath eaten
And gone, then go, buy, mingle with the throng;
The winter, cold, and blast undoubtedly
Will come on thee no less.”

So spake her spouse.

She hearkened not, for she was good and wise,
And in the end her husband slew a lamb
At her entreaty for the cayalier.
When it was slain she made a pot of broth,
And lit a fire with half-burnt sticks, then brought
The tray with eggs thereon and water-cresses,
A roasted leg of lamb and everything
That she had cooked. Bahrám, when he had washed
His hands, his dinner done, felt indisposed
For slumber and still ailed. Now when the night
Foregathered with the sun the woman fetched
Wine and a harp. “O woman of few words!”
The Sháh said, “tell to me some old-world tale
That while thou art reciting I may quaff
To chase away my pain and cares. I give thee
Free speech about the Sháh for praise or blame.”
That woman of few words said: “Yea, 'tis well,
For he is first and last in everything.”
Bahrám responded: “He is so indeed,
But he is just and good to nobody.”
That dame of spirit said: “O honest man!
This place hath many folk and many homes,

She brought the cow

From pasture, got much grass, and threw it down
Before her; then she tried the udders, crying:—
“In God's name who hath neither mate nor peer!”
She found the udder milkless, and the heart
Of that young hostess aged. She told her husband:—
“Good man! our monarch's heart hath changed in
purpose,
The world's king hath become tyrannical!
A secret change came o'er his heart last night.”
He said: “What words are these? Why go and
croak?”
She thus replied: “My dear one! what I say
Is sober truth, for when the Sháh, the world-lord,
Hath grown unjust the moon may shine not forth
In heaven, the udders are dry, the musk-bags lose
Their scent, adultery and guile are rampant,
The tender heart becometh flinty, wolves
Devour folk on the waste, the sage doth flee
The fool, and eggs are addled 'neath the hens
What time the Sháh becometh tyrannous.
The pasture of this cow had minished not,
Her watering-place supplied her as before,
Yet is her udder dry, her lowing changed.”
On hearing this the Sháh forthwith repented,

The milk flowed forth.

The good wife cried: “O God, our Succourer!
Thou hast recalled to justice the unjust,
For, if not so, this virtue were not his.”
Then said she to the master of the house:—
“The justice of the unjust is restored.
Laugh and rejoice; this is the Maker's boon
To us.”

Now when the porridge had been cooked,

And man and wife had done that chare, the good dame,
And after her the master of the house,
Who bare the tray, went to their guest. Upon it
There was a bowl of porridge, oh! how good
Had it been but some broth! The Sháh ate somewhat,
Then spake thus to that kindly dame: “Take thou
This whip outside and hang it where folk pass.
Choose out a proper bough because the wind
Must harm it not, then note the passers by
With one eye on the whip.”

The good-man went

Forthwith, he hung the whip upon a tree,
And kept his eye thereon a while. There came
Innumerable troops along the road,
And all that saw the whip there hailed Bahrám.
They lighted down before that lengthy whip,
And passed saluting. “'Tis the Sháh, none else!”
The good-man told his spouse. “Naught but the
throne
Could fit a face like that!”

Then full of awe

Both ran to him and cried: “O Sháh! O great!
O mighty one! O sage, high priest and world-lord!
A humble woman and her gardener-spouse
Have been thy poor hosts in this house. Withal
They did not do their best. We ne'er suspected
That 'twas the Sháh, that such an one as he
Would come to this place as a guest, would come
To this poor home of ours.”

Bahrám replied:—

“Good friend! I give to thee this march, the land,
And village. Be thou ever hospitable;
Be that, and give up garden-work.”

He spake,

And laughing left the house, gat on his steed

The third day after this the Sháh went forth
With escort, the equipment for the chase,
Ten camels all in housings of brocade
With stirrups silver and with dossers gold,
Ten camels with the Sháh's pavilion,
And his brocaded seat. In front of these
Were seven elephants which bare the throne
Of turquoise hued like Nile; its feet were all
Of gold and crystal; 'twas the throne itself
Of Sháh Bahrám Gúr. Every swordsman there
Had thirty pages who had golden belts
And bridles, while a hundred camels served
To bear the minstrels wearing massive crowns.
The falconers had eight score hawks with them,
And ten score noble peregrines and falcons.
Among them there was one bird black of hue,
More precious in the Sháh's eyes than the rest,
With sable talons and with yellow beak,
Like gold a-gleam on lapis-lazuli.
They called it a tughral. Its eyes were like
Two goblets full of blood. The Khán of Chín
Had sent it with a throne and crown, with amber,
A golden torque inlaid with emeralds,
With two score armlets, and with thrice twelve earrings,
Three hundred camel-loads of rarities
Of Chín, and fifteen score of ruby signets.
Behind the falconers they led eight score
Of cheetahs for that Lustre of the world—
The Sháh—with jewelled torques and chains of gold.
Thus came the king of kings upon the plain,
And raised his crown o'er Jupiter. The sportsmen
Made for the river whither used the Sháh
Auspiciously to fare each seventh year.
As they drew near they found the river full
Of water-fowl. He had the tabor beaten,
And the tughral flew off. The imperious bird
Was all impatience; in its claws a crane
Was helpless quarry, and a pard had been

approached the Sháh, and kissed the
ground,
Then said: “O monarch of the sun-like face!
May heaven revolve according to thy will.
I do not dare to say to thee: ‘Abide
With thy two hundred horsemen on my march.’
Still, if the Sháh take pleasure in my garden,
The glory of Barzín hath reached the moon.”
“To-day,” the world's king answered, “the tughral
Escaped us. I am vexed about that fowler,
Which hunted birds as leopards hunt their quarry.”
Barzín replied: “I saw a sable bird
Just now with golden bells and pitch-hued body,
Its beak and talons turmeric in hue;
It came and settled on yon walnut-tree:
By thy good fortune it is come to hand.”
The Sháh said to a servant: “Go and look.”
He went like wind and cried: “Glad ever be
The world-lord! The tughral is on a bough;
E'en now the falconer is taking it.”
The hawk thus found, the old man said: “O Sháh
Without a mate or equal on the earth!
Oh! may thine entertainer prove auspicious,
And all the wearers of a crown thy slaves.

The Idols

Took heart to sing and play. The songstress sang:—

“O moon-faced king! the moon in heaven
Alone is like to thee,
The royal throne thine only seat.
Thou with thy moon-like blee,

And teak-like stature art the pride
Of throne and crown. Oh! rare
For those that see thy face at morn,
For those that scent thy hair!

Thy loins are tiger-like, thy limbs
Are mighty, thy crown's Grace
Is as the cloud-rack high, and like
Pomegranate-bloom thy face.

For rapture of thy love hearts laugh,
Like ocean is thine own;
Like cloud thy hand. As thy fit prey
I see the lion alone.

C. 1520 Thou splittest with thy shaft a hair,
And by thine equity
Convertest water into milk.
When hostile armies see

Thy lasso and thy puissant arm
Their hearts and brains are rent
However mighty their array,
Howe'er on battle bent.”

Bahrám Gúr, having heard the ditty, drained
The massive crystal cup and thus addressed
Barzín: “O noble sir, experienced much
Is this world's heat and cold! thou wilt not find
A better son-in-law than me who am
'Mid kings a hero and the king of men.
Bestow thy daughters on me—all the three—
And I will raise thy coronet to Saturn.”
“O king!” Barzín replied, “may wine and bearer
Find favour in thy sight. Who will dare say
That he hath such a Venus in his house?
If now thou wilt accept me as a slave
To serve before the throne of king of kings
Then will I pay my service to thy crown,
Thy throne, thy Grace, thy fortune, and thy state;
Moreover my three daughters are thy handmaids
To stand before thee as thy slaves. The Sháh
Approved of them as such or ever he
Saw these three Moons afar. As teaks are they
In stature and as ivory in hue,
Fit for the throne and to adorn the crown.
Now will I tell the monarch of the world
What fortune I possess for good and ill:
Of clothes and carpets, stuffs and draperies,
Good sooth have I stored up in mine abode
Two hundred camel-loads or more as well
As necklaces and bracelets, crowns and thrones,
All for my daughters' pleasure.”

Hearing this

Bahrám replied: “Leave what thou hast in store,
Where now it is, and seek mirth with the wine-cup.”
The elder answered: “My three moon-like daughters
I give thee by the rites of Gaiúmart
And of Húshang. Dust are they 'neath thy feet,
And all the three live but to do thy will.”
The eldest daughter's name was Máh Áfríd,
The second's Farának, and the cadette's
Was Shambalíd. Approving them at sight
The Sháh preferred them 'mongst his lawful wives,
And bade a noble of his escort bring
Four golden litters,⁵³

and, when all three Idols
Were set therein, they were encircled there
By forty Rúman slaves—their devotees—
Who called down praises on them as they went.

The Sháh, on urging thence his steed Shabrang,
Came on a forest and beheld before it
Two savage lions, strung and drew his bow.
The arrow, striking on the lion's breast,
Was buried to the plumes. Forthwith Bahrám
Turned to the lioness and, shooting, pinned
Her breast and loins together, but exclaimed:—

The escort praised him, saying:—

O famous king of earth! none ever saw,
Or will see, on the throne of king of kings
A Sháh like thee, who with unfeathered arrows
O'erthrowest lions, and with plumed uprootest
A mount of flint.”

The monarch with his meiny

Rode on along the meadow-land and saw
A forest full of sheep, their herds in flight
For fear of harm. The chief herd, ne'er at ease
For terror of wild beasts, perceived Bahrám,
Who said to him: “What man is driving sheep
To this unlikely spot?”

The head man answered:—

“Great sir! none cometh to this pasturage
Except myself. They are a jeweller's:
I drove them from the mountains yesterday.
The owner is a wealthy man not troubled
By fear of loss.⁵⁵

He owneth gems by ass-loads,
Gold, silver, trinketry. He hath withal
One only daughter, skilful on the harp.
Her tresses cluster on her head in curls.
He will take wine from her hand only. None
Hath seen an old man like him. How could he
Have kept his property but by the justice
Of Sháh Bahrám? The great king of the world
Is not concerned for gold, and his archmages
Are not unjust; but say who slew these beasts,
For may the Ruler of the world uphold him?”
Bahrám replied: “This pair of lions fell
Beneath the arrows of a valiant man,
Who, having slain these gallant beasts, departed
With seven other gallant cavaliers.
Where is the jeweller's mansion? Point the way,
And hide it not from us.”

The chief hind said:—

“Proceed and thou wilt reach a brand-new seat.
The jeweller thence fareth to the city,
To Sháh Bahrám's own palace, but, what time
The sun doth don its Sable Silk, returneth
To banquet. Revelling and sound of lyre
Will reach thine ears if thou wilt bide a while.”
Bahrám, on hearing this, called for his steed,
And for apparel suited to a king,
Then parted from his minister and escort.
Good sooth! but he was full of eagerness!
Rúzbih said to the chiefs: “So now the Sháh
Is going to the village, there to knock
Upon the portal of the jeweller!

He never hath enough of chambering;
His consort flitteth ere the night is over!
He hath above a hundred ladies' bowers!
'Tis ill to have a king of kings like this.
Just now a eunuch reckoned up nine hundred
And thirty damsels wearing jewelled crowns
Within the palace, all provided for!
The Sháh demandeth tribute from all lands,
And Rúm will be exhausted in a year.
Alack! for shoulders, breast, and height like his,
And face that brightened all the company!
None will behold his like in strength and stature,
Who pinneth with one shaft two onagers;
But dalliance with women marreth him,
He soon will be as feeble as a ghost!
His eyes will darken and his looks grow wan,
His body slacken and his cheeks turn blue.
To sniff at women maketh hoary heads,
And hoary heads have naught to hope on earth.
As polo-playing maketh stoop the upright,
So womanizing causeth every ill.
Once in a month is intercourse enough,
While more is waste of blood. A wise youth too
Should husband vigour for his children's sake.
In this excess there is excess of loss,
And slackness is afflictive to a man.”
They went back to the palace, talking still,
And one remarked: “The Sun hath lost his way.”
Bahrám Gúr, with one slave to mind his horse,
Fared through the gloom of night and, when he neared
The jeweller's abode, heard sounds of harping,
Whereto he urged Gulgún, his steed, forthwith
Toward the merchant's house. He knocked and asked
Admittance, all the while invoking Him
Who made the sun. A kindly handmaid said:—
“Who's there? Why knock thus at this time of
night?”
Bahrám replied: “This morning as the Sháh
Was coming from the hunting-ground my horse
Went lame, and I perforce got left behind.
Here in this thoroughfare the folk will steal
A steed like this and my gold harness too,
So I need help.”

The handmaid went and told

Her lord: “A man requesteth shelter, saying:
‘My steed with its gold harness will be stolen,
And I shall go away undone.’”

He answered:—

“Then ope the door. Hast never seen a guest
Come here before?”

And said: “Come in, my son!”

The Sháh on entering,

And seeing such a place and such attendance,
Said to himself: “O just and only God!
Thou art Thy servant's Guide to what is good.
Ne'er may I be but just in conduct, never
Be covetise and arrogance my creed,
Let every act and deed of mine be just,
And let my subjects' hearts rejoice in me:
Then, if my knowledge and my justice wax,
My memory will shine when I am dead.
May all my subjects, like this jeweller,
Enjoy the sound of harp and revelry.”
On entering the lofty hall he saw
The jeweller's famed daughter from the door.
The thane, on seeing him, arose and came
With bows profound, and said: “Good ev'n to thee.
May all thy foemen's hearts be rooted out.”
The host spread out a mat and laid thereon
A cushion, gazing at his guest with joy.
One brought a sumptuous board with viands hot
And cold thereon. One came—a faithful liege—
And was instructed to secure the steed.
Elsewhere they lodged and fed Bahrám Gúr's servant.
They set a low seat for the host himself,
Who took his place close to his guest the Sháh,
And then began to offer his excuse,
Thus saying to Bahrám: “Brave paladin!
Since thou art entertained within my house
Conform thyself to my rough usages.
When we have eaten we must drink and then
Rest sweetly. 'Tis dark night, the wine is royal;
When thou hast drunk thy quantum thou shalt sleep,
And, when thou wakest at the break of day,
Must haste back to the service of the Sháh.”
Bahrám replied: “Night dark when one alighteth
On cheery host like thee! We must not prove
Ingrate to God; the hearts of thankless men
Are full of fear.”

The handmaid, who was all

Astonied at the aspect of the guest,
Brought water, bowl, and napkin. Hands were washed.
Then came the wine-cup's turn, and with the wine
Came mirth, contentment, and tranquillity.
The handmaid brought a flagon and strong drink,
Red wine, a cup, and flowers of fenugreek.
The thane first reached out for the cup and drank,
Then washed it out with musk and with rose-water,
And gave the cup that cheereth to Bahrám.
“What,” said he, “is my boon-companion's name?
Now will I make a covenant with thee,
And I will take Bahrám, the Sháh, as surety.”

“Thou art as a cypress
That lippeth a stream,
And white locks encircle
Thy cheeks' rosy gleam.

Thy tongue is warm-spoken,
Thy heart loveth peace,
Oh! ne'er may thy foemen
Of ill have surcease.

Thy soul's food be wisdom.
Thy bent is as great
As Farídún's. On thee
As handmaid I wait.

Árzú am I titled,
I joy in our guest,
Like monarch whose troops are
With victory blest.”

This ditty done, toward the guest she turned,
Turned toward him with a song and plaintive chords:—

“Sincere and brave, high-starred and king-like one!
They that ne'er saw Bahrám, the cavalier,
The well approved, to every bosom dear,
Should look upon thy face, and all is done.

His only semblance in the host thou art,
Tall as a cypress with a reed-like waist,
A cypress with a pheasant's carriage graced,
An elephant in bulk with lion's heart.

Two miles in fight thou flingest forth thy spear,
Thy cheeks as though pomegranate-blossoms shine
(Who was it washed, say'st thou, those blooms in
wine?)

And as a camel's thighs thine arms appear.

Thou tramplest Mount Bístún. Heaven toiled to

C. 1526

mould
A man like thee. None see I to compete
In strife with thee. As dust beneath thy feet
Oh! may Árzú's form be while life shall hold.”

The girl's proficiency with song and harp,
Her looks, her stature, and accomplishments,
So wrought the world-lord that thou wouldst have
said:—
“His heart hath grown a magazine of woes,”
And at the time when Máhiyár grew drunk
Before him he addressed his host, thus saying:—
“Give me thy daughter as my lawful wife
If thou wouldst be commended for just dealing.”
“Wilt thou accept,” said Máhiyár to her,
“The presents of this lion-hearted man?
See if he pleaseth thee, and if 'tis well
For thee to go with him.”

Árzú replied:—

“Good, noble father!⁶²

if thou wouldst bestow me
On any then my partner is Gushasp,
The cavalier. One that doth look upon
A man like this will bid Bahrám ‘Avaunt!’”
His daughter's words misliked him and he said
Thus to Bahrám: “O horseman of the fray!
Regard her carefully from head to foot,
Her industry, her knowledge, and discretion;
See if she be approved of thee at heart;
Report of her is better than assumption.
She is at once accomplished and no beggar;
I do not specify exact amounts,
But shouldst thou count the gems of Máhiyár
They would exceed those in the royal coffers.
Be not precipitate, take rest to-night,
And, if needs must, another cup of wine,
For great men make no compacts in their cups
Especially about their lady-loves.
Wait therefore till the sun shall rise on high,
And till the nobles' heads have roused from
sleep,
Then will we call far-seeing elders in—
Disinterested men and scholarly.
At night 'tis out of order and ignoreth
The precedents of Farídún, the Sháh.
Ill-omened 'tis to marry in one's cups
Or handsel any business.”

Said Bahrám:—

“Absurd! 'Tis ill to draw, or go by, omens.
This harpist pleaseth me to-night, so strive
To deem the matter an auspicious one.”
The sire said to his daughter: “O Árzú!
Dost thou approve him as to looks and manners?”
She said: “Yea, I approved of him when I
Far off beheld him with such head and eyes.
Complete the work and leave the rest to God:
The sky is not at feud with Máhiyár.”
Her father answered: “Thou art now his wife.
Know this that thou art under coverture.”

Take too a bowl of camphor and rose-water
To scent his chamber. As for me, my cups
Have left me just as I was yesterday;
Old jewellers shirk not their wine.”

He spake,

And, drawing up his cloak about his head,
Wooed rest and sleep.

When bright Sol showed its crown,

And earth became like shining ivory,
Troops armed with shields and double-headed darts
Went to seek traces of the royal whip.
The escort gathered round the door as though
The Sháh's own court, and all that recognised
The whip came forward and saluted it.
The porter, seeing that great gathering,
The throng of swordsmen and of javelin-men,
Went, roused his sleeping lord, and sobered him,
Thus saying to him: “Rise, bestir thyself;
This is no time to sleep or place to sit,
Because the world's king is thy guest within
This sorry house of thine!”

The jeweller's heart

Throbbed wildly at the words. He cried: “What
say'st thou?
How tracest thou the footsteps of the king?”
Then fully realising what was said
He sprang up from the bed-clothes with a shout,
Enraged against the porter, “These,” he cried,
“Are not the words of wisdom and of age.”
“Experienced man!” the slave said, “who on earth
Made thee the monarch of Írán? So vast
A host is at thy gate that, wouldst thou pass,
There is scant room, and every Jack of them,
On coming up, saluteth our old curtain!⁶⁴

At dawn, before the sun began to shine,
The cavalier's attendant came and hung
A whip all gold and jewels o'er our entry,
Where we pass through it, and round that long whip

Hearing this,

The shrewd old man was troubled: “Why did I
Get drunk last night before the king of kings,
And let my daughter share the wine with us?”
Then going to the chamber of Árzú
He said: “My gracious Moon! it was Bahrám,
The king of kings, that last night visited
The jeweller! On coming from the chase
He hither turned his rein. Now up and don
Brocade of Rúm and set upon thy head
Thy last night's crown. Make him an offering
Of jewels worthy of a king—three rubies
Of royal worth—and, when thou shalt behold
His sun-like face, enfold thine arms before him,
Keep thine eyes fixed on him and think of him
As thine own soul and body. Answer meekly
When he shall question thee, and let thy words
Be modest and discreet. I shall not come
Unless he calleth me and giveth me
A place among his followers. I sat
At table with him like his peer! Oh! would
That I had no bones in me! Furthermore
I cottoned with the Sháh when in my cups!
Wine maketh old and young to misdemean.”
Just then a slave came hurrying and said:—
“The Sháh, that ardent spirit, is awake.”
Now when the Sháh woke safe and sound, he went
To bathe him in the garden, went to pray
Before the sun, confiding all to God.
Returning thence to the reception-room
He bade a server bring a cup of wine,
Heard that his retinue had come, dismissed it,
And called Arzú on whom his heart was set.⁶⁵

Arzú appeared with wine and offerings—
A handmaid with her necklace and her earrings—
And with a lowly reverence kissed the ground.
The Sháh smiled on her greatly pleased and said:—
“Whence such behaviour—first to make me drunk,
Then run away? Thy song and harp suffice
For me, a woman's presents are for others.
Come sing to me thy ditties of the chase,
Of spearhead-blows, and royal combatings.”
Anon he said: “Where is the jeweller,
For we got drunk together yesternight?”
The daughter, when she heard this, called her father,

He kissed the ground,

Did Máhiyár, then brought and spread the board,
And, good man that he was, he fetched withal
The nobles that were stationed at the gate;
Howbeit Árzú went off to her own bower,
Her visage puckered at those stranger-guests,
And stayed till heaven grew sombre, and the stars
Came out around the moon. The eating done,
Árzú was called and set upon a seat
Of golden work. The Sháh bade her to take
Her harp and sing to him the song that he
Had asked of her already. Thus she sang:—
“O monarch undaunted! the lion in shame
Will slink from the wood at the bruit of thy name.
Sháh, victor, host-breaker art thou. In thy mien
The tints of the tulip on jasmine are seen.
In stature no ruler on earth is thy peer,
In looks thou transcendest the moon in her sphere.
A host on the war-stead, beholding in fight
Thy helmet, will rive, heart and brain, with affright,
And longer discern not the depth from the height.”
When they were blithe with wine and, eating done,
Were quaffing draught on draught, Rúzbih appeared
Before the Sháh. They lodged him in the village.
Rúzbih had brought a litter and withal
Two score of eunuchs, all moon-face and charming.
Those Rúmans' faces seemed brocade of Rúm,
And freshened all the country round. Árzú,
A crown of jewels set upon her head,
Toward the bower of Sháh Bahrám Gúr sped.

When a month had passed Bahrám

Grew eager for his wives' society,
And led his people from the hunting-ground.
Folk could not see the way, the cavaliers
Raised such a dust! but swift as dust they sped
Till day's cheeks turned to lapis-lazuli.
The Sháh observed a town in front of him
With groups of houses, roadways, and bázárs,
And ordered that his escort with the baggage
Should push on, leaving not a soul behind.
He asked: “Where is the chief man of the place?”
And then made thither straightway. He beheld
A shattered entry broad and deep. The owner
Came and saluted him. The Sháh inquired:—
“Whose ruin is this and wherefore in such plight
Amidst the town?”

The master said: “'Tis mine,

And ill luck is my guide. I have not here
Kine, raiment, victuals, manhood, understanding,
No feet, no wings. Me thou hast seen, now view
My house—one fitter for a curse than blessing.”
The aspiring Sháh alighted, scanned the house,
And hands and feet both failed him, for the place
Was all sheep's droppings though both great and
vaulted!

The other answered:—

“Why mock thy host so wantonly, O marchlord!
Had I some draperies my guest would praise me,
But I have none, no clothing, food, or carpets.
Pray lodge thee somewhere else; here all is poor.”
The Sháh said: “Fetch a cushion then that I
May sit awhile.”

“The place is ill,” he answered.

“Good sooth! wouldst thou have bird's milk?”

Said Bahrám:—

“Bring fresh milk and new bread if thou canst get it.”
“Imagine,” said the other, “that thou hast
Partaken and gone off with ‘Fare thee well.’
I should not be so lifeless had I bread,
Though life were better far than bread to me.”
Bahrám said: “If thou hast no sheep how come
These droppings here?”

“'Tis night,” the other answered.

“My head is all a muddle with thy talk.
Select some mansion with a curtained entrance;
The master of it will commend thy choice.
Why shouldst thou be with an unfortunate,
Who maketh leaves his pillow for the night?
Thou hast a golden sword and stirrups, thou
Shouldst sojourn not where there is fear of thieves,
For thieves and lions haunt old hulks like this.”
The Sháh said: “If a thief should rob me now
Thou wouldst not be responsible, but give me
A lodging for the night, 'tis all I need.”
“Then need it not,” the owner made reply;
“None lodgeth in my house.”

“O wise old man!

Why art thou,” said the Sháh, “so short with me?
Still thou wilt give me, I presume, cold water,
O noble one!”

“Didst thou not see,” rejoined

The householder, “more than two bow-shots long⁶⁹

The pool? There drink and take whate'er thou wilt.
Why seek for aught in this impoverished house?
Good sooth! hast never seen a poor man barred
From working by decrepitude?”

Bahrám

Rejoined: “Thou art not one of the first water,
Chief though thou be; so strive not with a soldier.
What is thy name?”

He answered: “Farshídward,

A man without land, raiment, sleep, and food.”
Bahrám asked: “Why endeavour not for provand
And comfort?”

Said the master of the house:—

“He that bestoweth all may end my days.

Bahrám, on quitting that famed township, came
Upon a bramble-brake. A man, who held
A mattock in his hand, was grubbing there.
The monarch left his retinue, drew near him,
And said: “O enemy of brambles! whom
Know'st thou of most account in yonder town?”
He answered: “Farshídward—a man of greed
That doth not suffer him to sleep or eat.
He hath, may be, a hundred thousand sheep,
More camels, steeds, and asses. Earth is full
Of his amassed dínárs, but would that he
Had neither skin nor marrow to his body!
A famished paunch and nakedness are his;
He hath no child, no kin, no friends, no goods.
A captive in the hands of Greed and Need
His person is all misery and wasted
Through eating not, but if he were to sell
For gold his tilth 'twould purchase gems enough
To fill a house! His shepherds swill down flesh
With milk, but he himself hath millet-bread
Without e'en cheese! He never saw two coats
At once; he is a tyrant to himself.”
The Sháh said to the grubber: “Thou dost know
The number of his sheep, but knowest thou
Where those flocks are and likewise where his steeds
And camels are at large?”

The grubber said:—

“O thou! it is not far from here to where
His camels and his sheep are, but my heart
Is troubled at the ill that he may do me.”
Bahrám Gúr gave the grubber some dínárs,
And said: “This day shall gentle thy condition.”
He bade one of his escort come to him,
A man that knew his way about, by name
Bihrúz, a horseman brave and popular,
And sent with him a hundred cavaliers,
Selected men well suited to the work.
He chose withal a scribe, an honest man

The grubber's name was Diláfrúz,

A man of stately mien and stalwart form.
Bahrám bestowed on him a noble steed,
And said: “Thou must companion with the wind.”
He was the Light of hearts but he became
The Lustre of the world⁷²

and carried out
His task triumphantly. He led the troop
O'er hill and plain past countless flocks of sheep.
Upon the mountains were ten caravans
Of camels, each with its own caravaneer.
The scribe wrote down of draught and of milch cattle
Twelve thousand, and the number of the camels
And steeds as twice ten thousand. All the waste
Was dinted with their hoofs. Beside the stream
There were three hundred thousand camel-loads
Of potted butter and curds fresh and dried.^72a

Height, waste, and level were one mighty cache,
But none had heard thereof. Bihrúz, the son
Of Húr, reported to the king of kings,
Bahrám Gúr, praising first almighty God,
The All-victorious and All-nourisher,
And next the king of kings who had released
Men's hands from toil, and then proceeded thus:—
“O monarch of the world! thou art the joy
Of all folk great and small because thy justice
Surpasseth bounds. Our treasury hath suffered
Through silence as to this man's wealth. 'Tis well
That all things in the world should have their
bounds,
Well that the Sháh be boundlessly rejoiced.
A wretch there is named Farshídward, unknown
In feast and fight to great and small alike
Throughout the world, not fearing God or Sháh,
And thankless in respect of what he hath.
While thus he streweth o'er the world his wealth
He is a lack-all, wretched, secretive,
Who is as unjust as the Sháh is just.
Blame not my words and counsel. Let this wealth
Inaugurate a treasury; '??will need
Three years to order it. I have invoked
To mine assistance certain other scribes,
And settled them upon this fertile mount,
But, though the writers' backs are bent, not yet
Is manifest the sum of this man's treasure;
Moreover he possesseth, so folk say,
Still greater buried hoards of gold and jewels.
Here in the mountain am I with both eyes
Upon the road to know the Sháh's commands.

He sent a cameleer post haste to bear
The letter to the Sháh. Whenas Bahrám Gúr
Had read it he was troubled in his heart,
Grew downcast, wept, and bent his warrior-brows.
He called for Rúman pens and silk of Chín,
And bade a scribe approach. He first gave thanks
To God almighty, the omniscient Guide,
“The Lord of knowledge and of Grace, the Lord
Of diadem and kingship,” then wrote thus:—
“I should by rights attach this man. He hath not
Amassed these hoards by thievery and bloodshed,
Hath not incited others to do wrong,
But he hath been ungrateful and not had
The fear of God within him, hath kept ward
O'er all this treasure to the detriment,
By such amassing, both of heart and soul.
Wolf is as good as sheep upon yon plain
Since neither yieldeth profit or return.
A buried gem is nothing but a stone,
Affording no one either food or raiment.
We shall not found a treasury on his toils,
Or fix our heart upon this Wayside Inn.
Evanished from the world are Farídún,
Íraj withal, Túr, and, amidst the mighty,
Sám, Sháh Káús, and Kai Kubád, besides
The other potentates whose names we cherish,
And mine own sire who filled my heart with pain
As being neither just nor generous.
None of these great men is in evidence;
Herein there is no striving with the Lord.
Collect this treasure and distribute it,
But touch not thou one hair. To every one
That hideth his necessities and looketh
Long vainly for remission from his ills;
To old men past their work and despicable
In rich men's eyes; to those that have spent all,
And now in trouble breathe forth chilling sighs;
To those that have renown but not dínárs;
To traders reft of friends; to little ones
Whom thou beholdest orphans, their sires dead,
And they themselves in want of gold and silver;
To women that have neither spouse nor raiment,
That know no handicraft and no employment,
Give all these treasures and irradiate
The lives of those poor souls. This done, neglect not
The hidden treasures, but bestow the hoards
Of Farshídward upon the mendicants

Bahrám bade slaves set up the imperial throne
Within the pleasance, then in spring-tide beauty.
They brought the turquoise throne at his command,
And set it 'neath a blossom-shedding tree,
They brought forth wine and cups, and minstrels went
Toward the pleasance with the chiefs. The king
Said to his counsellors: “This is the time
Of jollity for men. We all must couch;
Death treadeth under foot the rolls of fame,
The hall and palace. We shall have enough
Of our own company within the charnel,
Men both of mien and stature though we be.
The king and beggar carry when they die
Naught but their good and ill away with them.
What toil soe'er men bear is only loss,
For, when they perish, that will perish too.
That praise of us remaineth is enough,
For crown and girdle are another's share.
Thou needest innocence and uprightness
That thine enjoyments prove not scath to thee.
My years exceed already eight and thirty,
And many a day hath fleeted in delight,
But, after two score years, grief for the day
Of death is instant with us. If one hair
Turn white upon our heads we must forgo
All hope of joy; when musk becometh camphor
'Tis ruined; camphor suiteth not the crown.
Two years more will I spend in feast and sport,
Then, when my strength is somewhat broken, go
Before God's presence, don the woollen robe,
And be not thankless for His mercies to me,
For I have passed my days in joy and had
My share of royal crown. Now for the rose,
The apple, the pomegranate, and the quince!
Let not the golden goblet fail of wine!⁷⁵

But when I see the apples amber-cheeked,
The heavens dappled like a leopard's back,
The fragrant camomile producing seed,
And wine as ruddy as the reveller,
When air is pleasant, neither hot nor cold,
Earth fresh and water blue, what time we don
Our autumn furs, I must to Jaz to hunt,

For that far faring since it is the spot
For onager and archery, and there
No moment will we rest from chevying.
The plain that I have set mine eyes upon
Is lower Jaz. There tamarisks are tall
As spear-shafts, there too we shall find the lion,
And have a hunting if we bide our time.”
He waited till the clouds of Shahrívar
Arose, then all the world was filled with troops.
From every clime an army keen for strife
Set face toward the monarch of Írán,
Who chose among them chiefs of note as hunters,
And carried with him to the chase a force
Of thirty thousand mounted Scimitars.
They took with them pavilions, tent-enclosures,
Tents, beasts, and shielings, while the underlings
Went on before Bahrám Gúr to dig wells,
To furnish them withal with wheel and bucket,
And run the water into troughs. The Sháh
Came later with his meiny to the chase.
He saw the plain well stocked with onager,
The woods alive with lions, and thus said:—
“Wine is our quarry to-night, for on the sand
Are many lion-tracks, and we must have
A lion-hunt to-morrow. Rest ye then
In health of body and in merry pin,
And let us drink till daybreak, till the sun—
The lustre of the world—is bright again.
Our scimitars shall fell the lions first,
Shall fell those valiant dragons. When the woods
Are cleared of lions then the onager
Shall yield himself a servant to my shafts.”
He stayed that night and, when the morning dawned,
Approached the forest with his men, whereat
A lion, lusty-grown with battening
On onagers, rushed forth, and brave Bahrám
Said to his friends: “Though I have bow and arrows,
And mastery therewith, I will assail
Yon lion with the scimitar that none
May call me coward.”

Donning a shrunk vest

Of wool he mounted on his battle-steed.
Now when that dragon of a lion saw him
It reared, brought down its claws, and sought to strike
The charger on the head.⁷⁷

The warrior heeled
His steed and with his trenchant scimitar,
What while the lioness made off apace,

Now thou art Sháh, the world is thine, so why
Fight with them still? Thou cam'st for onager.”
“Old sage,” the Sháh said, “let to-morrow dawn,
And heigh for onager and shaft and me!
But cavaliers and nobles now alive
Can rival me in archery, so when
We give its due to manhood we must take
Account of iron mace and scimitar.”
The archmage said: “Hadst thou ten horsemen
with thee,
And like thee in the fight, then Rúm and Chín
Would have no crown and throne, and men of wisdom
Would ship their goods off. Be the evil eye
Far from thy Grace, and be it thine to feast
Among the roses.”

Then with archimages,

And captains of the host, the Sháh departed
Toward his tent-enclosure from the wood
What while the troops acclaimed him, saying thus:—
“Ne'er may the crown and signet-ring lack thee.”
That paladin then entered his pavilion,
His escort quitting him, and washed his hands
Of sweat. He had with him a trusty steward,
Who draped a fresh tent for him. There they set
Musk, camphor, and rose water, and spread musk
Withal upon the sleeping-place. Each tent
Had golden tables laid with services
Of ware of Chín where lamb and other meats
Were served by the chief server. Sháh Bahrám Gúr,
The eating done, called for a mighty cup
Of crystal, which a fairy-faced cup-bearer
Brought and consigned it to the just king's hands,
Who said: “Ardshír, the great king, he whose fortune
Made old folk young, was founder of our house,
And we are underlings if we be worthy
E'en of that title. Both in fight and feast,
At counsel and at board, give none but him

Farídún they praise,
And he is cursed by stirrers up of strife.
Throughout the world may only good proceed
From me to small and great. Bring me a herald,”
He added, “one of goodly voice and leading,
Let him go round the host and thus proclaim
O'er way and waste alike: ‘Whoe'er shall lay
Within the region of Barkúh and Jaz^79a

Unlawful hands on aught, from jewels, gold,
Dínárs, and furs to mean and worthless chaff,
Him will I horse face tail-wards and will have
Two of the soldiery to lead him hence.
His feet shall be made fast beneath his steed,
And to the temple of Ázargashasp
Will I dispatch him there to supplicate
All-holy God and worship in the dust
Before the Fire. I will bestow his goods
On those whom he hath robbed and wronged withal.
If any horse shall injure growing crops,
Or harm fruit-bearing trees, the horse's owner,
Be he a noble or of no account,
Shall not escape a year's imprisonment.
My work is but to carry from the desert
My portion, then go home again rejoicing.’”
The more part of the traffickers of Jaz,
And of Barkúh, went out upon the plain,
And with their various packs produced a scene
About the host like a bázár in Chín.

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

Whenas Balásh had mourned one month, with dust
Upon his head and lacerated cheeks,
The people and the high priest came to him
With valiant warriors and famous sages.
They spake with him at large by way of counsel
In profitable words, then seated him
Upon the throne of kingship, showering gold
And jewels over him abundantly.
When seated on the throne he said: “O chiefs!
Acquire the secrets of the sages' hearts,
And ye shall have advancement at my hands
When my dark counsels brighten. Frustrate not
The purpose of well-doers in the world.
As for the wicked and malicious man,
He shall not partner me, but first will I
Enrich him with advice and, if that faileth,

What time Pírúz was going to the war
He sought a paladin—a man of counsel
And weight—to watch o'er crown and throne, and be
A friend to young Balásh. Now Súfarai—
A man of great estate and good withal—
Was fitted for that task, experienced,
A native of Shíráz, a general,
A man exalted both in heart and head,
And likewise marchlord in Zábulistán,
Kábulistán, Ghaznín, and Bust. When tidings
About Pírúz, uncounselled and unguided,
Came his eye-lashes drenched his cheeks with tears,
He rent his raiment of a paladin,
The warriors doffed their helmets and sat mourning
Through sorrow for the Sháh, while Súfarai
Exclaimed: “How shall Balásh, youth that he is,
Seek vengeance for Pírúz?” for well he knew

And from Zábulistán advanced toward Marv.
He chose him out a wary messenger,
Who by his words could mollify the heart,
And spake on this wise to a scribe: “Arise,
Because thy pen hath stirring work to do,
Indite to Khúshnawáz and say: ‘O fool,
And knavish doer of the work of dívs!
Thou art in God's sight guilty, and thy shirt
Shall wail for thee. Whoe'er did deed like thine,
Thou faithless one? Thou shalt behold anon
The sword of tribulation. Thou hast slain
A man without offence—the king of kings,
The grandson of the world-lord Sháh Bahrám—
And hast set up a new feud in the world,
A feud to be forgotten nevermore.
Why, when the din of tymbals rose, didst thou
Not come and fawn upon him like a dog?
Thy grandsire was a poor man of thy tribe,
Thy sire was like a slave before Bahrám.
Lo! I have come to Marv to seek revenge,
And I will waste the Haitálians utterly.
The captives and whatever booty came
Within thy grasp upon that battlefield,
I will exact all with the sword of vengeance,
And bear to Marv Túrán's dust, suffer not
The world to be thy son's, burn all thy kith
And kin, cut off thy head by God's command,
And make thy kingdom like a sea of blood.

The envoy with the letter

Of Súfarai went like a mighty lion,
Came in an angry mood to Khúshnawáz,
Appeared before his throne, did reverence,
And gave the letter, while the captains present
Withdrew. The monarch gave it to a scribe,
And said: “Read out to me in confidence
Both good and ill.”

The scribe thus answered him:—

“This letter is all arrow, mace, and sword,”
And sorely grieved was valiant Khúshnawáz
At that long letter writ by Súfarai,
Then set himself without delay to answer
The good and ill there written and began:—
“I live in fear of God and fortune's changes.
A worshipper of His would not have broken
The compact of the Sháhs. I sent Pírúz
A letter of advice besides the treaty
Of that great king,¹⁷⁵

but he despised my words,
And spurned the old king's pact. When he assailed me,
And put me to a shift, and when the hosts
Met face to face, the stars raged at Pírúz,
And by no will of ours thy Sháh was slain.
Or e'er he broke the pact of righteous Sháhs
His youth had not another day of joy;
He found^175a

no favour in the Maker's eyes;
Thou wouldst have said: ‘Earth took him by the
heel.’^175b

The man that breaketh his forefather's treaty,
And flingeth underfoot the head of right,
Is like Pírúz upon the battlefield,
Pashed in a dusty ditch. So shalt thou be
If thou shalt come; my wealth and warriors fail not.”
Departing with the letter and apace
The envoy in a week reached Súfarai,
Who read and loosed his tongue in malisons.
Then from the plain the people heard the blare
Of trumpets and the clash of brazen cymbals,
And Súfarai led forth to Kashmíhan
A host so great that Sol was lost in heaven.
'Twas thus they crossed the stream—an armament
That made itself at home where'er it went.

On his side vengeful Súfarai

Came onward like a blast. When it was night
That leader of the army occupied
All the approaches with fresh elephants.
The outposts went their rounds in both the hosts,
The world resounded with the warriors' shouts,
The challenge of the sentries and the clang
Of bells rose from both armies, front and rear,
Till Sol rose o'er the peaks and made the dales
And deserts like white crystal. Both arrays
Prepared for strife; each raised the flag of greatness.
Then dragons' livers sundered at the shouting
Of valiant warriors while feathered shafts
Made air all vultures' plumes, and earth became
A bath of chieftains' blood. Where'er one gazed
Lay heaps of warriors slain. Then Súfarai
Charged from the centre with his troops amain,
While Khúshnawáz on his side with his sword
Of vengeance spurred down from his vantage-ground;
But when he saw that fortune proved unkind
He turned his rein and showed his back, pursued
By Súfarai as 'twere a raging blast,
Who followed with a head-transfixing spear.
He captured many nobles; many more
Were slain by arrow and by scimitar.
He sped till he reached Kuhandizh and saw
No lack of slain and wounded on the way.
Then from the ramparts Khúshnawáz beheld
His troops spread o'er the desert's hills and dales;
The way was strewn with dead and things of price
So that the plain was decked out like a garden.
The soldiers carried off to Súfarai
The harness, lances, coronets of state,
The battle-gear, the girdles, steeds, and slaves,
And made a heap as high as Mount Alburz.
He paid no heed to all that Turkman spoil,
But gave the whole in largess to his troops,
And thus harangued the host: “To-day's affair
Hath prospered for us to our hearts' content
Through fortune's favour, but what time the sun
Shall lift its hand in heaven we must not bide

The troops replied: “'Tis thine to bid,

And thine to stipulate the terms of peace.
None knoweth better in Írán than thou:
Thou art our king, our leader, and our lord.”
Thus to his noble chiefs spake Súfarai:—
“The only policy for us to-day
Is this—to seek no more to fight with them.
I will lead back the army to Írán
With speed, because Kubád,¹⁷⁹

son of Pírúz,
One of the royal race, is in their hands
With the high priest Ardshír and army-leaders,
Both young and old. If we fight Khúshnawáz
The matter will be long and profitless,

His soldiers blessed him, saying:—

“That is the treaty, precedent, and Faith
For us.”

The paladin then called the envoy,

And thus addressed him with a dulcet tongue:—
“It was the act of God—enough! This world
Designeth evil and appriseth none.
The great men of Írán that have been taken
Are these—Kubád and the high priest Ardshír.^179a

These with the rest that have their feet in fetters
Dispatch to me in honourable fashion.
Moreover all the booty in your hands—
Dínárs and crowns and wealth of every kind—
Dispatch in full to me, and let it come
In presence of the chieftains of this host.
We will not stretch our hands to spoil and slay
Because we have no need and worship God.
Within ten days we will recross Jíhún,
And take no warlike step thenceforth. Give ear
To that which I have said and tell it all,
On thy return, to Khúshnawáz.”

The envoy

Returned forthwith to Khúshnawáz in triumph,
And gave the message. Khúshnawáz rejoiced,
And instantly released Kubád from bonds
With the high priest Ardshír and all the other
Íránian prisoners, collected all
The booty found upon the day of battle,
Besides the throne and crown of Sháh Pírúz,
And what was scattered 'mongst his troops, and sent
All by a trusty man to Súfarai.
Now when the soldiers looked upon Kubád
They joyed to see him, the high priest Ardshír,
And all the other captives young and old.
The mighty men came from their tents and all
Stretched out their hands to heaven in gratitude
That they beheld the king of kings' own son
Unhurt with all the rest that most they prized.
Forthwith the chief broke up the camp, took horse,

When tidings reached the country of Írán
About that fortunate and glorious chief,
About his war and strife with Khúshnawáz,
And all his wonder-working policy:—
“He hath returned glad and victorious
From war, Kubád hath been released from fetters,
And Súfarai hath brought withal Ardshír,
The high priest, and the Íránian prisoners;
Just now he crossed o'er the Jíhún, his host
Is on the plains and mountains of Írán,”
Such shouts ascended that thou wouldst have said:—
“They deafened those that heard.” The prudent
magnates
Arose and gat themselves in readiness
To go forth with their welcome while Balásh
Prepared a golden throne to seat Kubád,
And that chief paladin. When Súfarai
Arrived within the realm the great men all
Met, while the Sháh prepared the welcoming,
Set forward with such forces as he had,
And when he saw Kubád released from bonds,
Glad and victorious, embraced him quickly
With joy and cursed the people of Haitál
And Chín. They passed within the royal palace
With hearts still sore and eager for revenge.
Balásh commanded and they spread the board,
And called for wine and harp and minstrelsy;
But there was little gladness at that feast
Through sorrow for magnanimous Pírúz.
The singers lauded Súfarai and sang
Upon the harp the war against Túrán.
He was the Cynosure of all the chieftains,
Who entertained high hopes and joyed in him.
The country rallied to him, those at least
That longed to take revenge on Khúshnawáz.
The hearts of all the paladins rejoiced
In Súfarai; they freed their souls from care.
Thus was it till four years had passed away,
And he had not his equal in the world.
Naught happened but according to his will,
And what he would he did. Now when his word
Prevailed throughout the world he had Balásh
Removed, albeit gently, from the throne,
And said to him: “Thou rulest not the realm;
Thou knowest not the good men from the bad;
Thou turnest all the empire to a jest
Through thy perversity and carelessness.
Kubád is wiser far than thou and hath
Much more authority within the realm.”
Balásh withdrew to his own house, for he
Dared not make answer: “Get thee gone,” but said:—
“This throne will vex not when I sit thereon;
'Tis free from travail, pain, and malison.”

Kubád ascends the throne and harangues the chiefs. Súfarai continues for a time at the head of affairs and then is disgraced and executed. The Íránians revolt in consequence, hand Kubád over to Súfarai's son, Rizmihr, and make Kubád's brother, Jámásp, Sháh. Rizmihr acts with extreme loyalty, protects Kubád, and escapes with him to the Haitálians. On the way thither Kubád marries a thane's daughter who becomes the mother of Kisrá. Provided with an army by the king of the Haitálians Kubád regains the throne. He wars against Rúm, builds cities, and becomes a convert to the teaching of Mazdak who, however, is worsted in a public disputation by Kisrá and put to death with his followers. Kubád appoints Kisrá, to whom the folk give the name of Núshírwán, his successor and dies.

According to Mír Khánd, Kubád (Kobad, A.D. 488-531) was known as “the well-intentioned.”¹⁸³

Historically the events of his reign, as set forth in the Sháhnáma, may be revised as follows. Súfarai remained at the head of affairs until the revolt occurred that drove the Sháh to take refuge with the Haitálians. This revolt was brought about by the conversion of Kubád to the doctrines of the heresiarch Mazdak, who had a large and increasing following. Kubád seems to have been sincere in his adoption of Mazdakism, but at the same time used its subversive principles as a means of reducing the power of, and of humbling, the great nobles. The official hierarchy, however, took alarm, Kubád was dethroned and shut up in the “Castle of Oblivion” in Susiana, and Jámásp, his brother, reigned in his stead. Kubád, however, by the help of his sister, wife, or both, or of Súfarai himself, managed to make good his escape to the Haitálians with whom he had stayed for some two years as a hostage during the lifetime of his father.¹⁸⁴

During his second sojourn among them he married his own niece—the offspring, by the Haitálian king, of the captive daughter of Pírúz.^184a

Helped by his royal father-in-law Kubád managed to recover his throne and placed Súfarai again at the head of affairs, but at length, finding him too powerful, called in the aid of his rival—Shápúr of Rai, the captain of the host—and had him put to death. Kubád never seems to have abandoned his personal regard for Mazdakism, in spite of the fact that it had cost him the temporary loss of his crown, until nearly the end of his long reign. Probably after his restoration he was content to hold it as a pious opinion only, no longer as a weapon to be used against the nobility or in a manner provocative of the Magi. The Maz-dakites, however, not unnaturally became concerned about the future—what would happen on Kubád's death? Accordingly they attempted to secure the succession for one of Kubád's sons whom they knew that they could trust. Kubád, however, had made up his mind already in favour of another heir, and a great massacre of Mazdakites ensued. This seems to have taken place at the end of A.D. 528 or the beginning of A.D. 529. Kisrá in consequence of the share that he took in exterminating the Communists received the name of Núshírwán.¹⁸⁵

This account, from which all irrevelant history has been omitted, differs widely, as will be seen, from that given in the Sháhnáma: Mazdak and his evangel have been replaced in their proper historical context, the story of the birth of Kisrá has been omitted, and so has all reference to Rizmihr, Súfarai's son.

§§ 2 and 3. Tabarí tells us that when, at the instance of Kubád, Shápúr of Rai overthrew Súkhrá (Súfarai), a saying, which became a proverb, grew current and ran thus: “Súkhrá's wind is gone; now a wind has risen for Mihrán.” Mihrán was the name of one of the great Arsacid families that played an important rôle, and held high office, in Sásánian times, and its employment in the above proverb has led Nöldeke to suspect that “Súkhrá” also must be the title of a family, not the name of an individual, as otherwise the two halves of the proverb would not have balanced properly. He is inclined therefore to the opinion that Súkhrá and Zarmihr— the Rizmihr of Firdausí—were not two individuals standing in the relation of father and son to each other, but one and the same person—Zarmihr of the family of Súkhrá of the house of Káran.^185a

This house, like that of Mihrán, was probably of Arsacid descent, but in Íránian tradition, as we learn from the Sháhnáma, claimed a much older origin and looked upon Káwa, the smith, who raised the standard of revolt against the tyranny of Zahhák, as the founder of its fortunes.^185b

However this may be, the rivalry between two great families, and the employment by the Sháh of one of them to deliver himself from the overgrown authority of the other would be natural enough. It is to be noted that Shápúr of Rai is described in the poem as being descended from Mihrak—the mortal enemy of Ardshír Pápakán and evidently for some reason or other a very important personage in Íránian legend. He is said to have been of Jahram in Párs, while Rai, with which his descendant Shápúr is associated, was the centre of Arsacid power in popular tradition.^185c

Not very long ago we had a Mihrán as treasurer to Yazdagird son of Shápúr,¹⁸⁶

quite lately we found another—Ruhhám—helping Pírúz in his struggle against his brother Hurmuz,^186a

presently we shall come upon a third as the opponent of Belisarius,^186b

a fourth as a general in Núshírwán's host,^186c

while a fifth—Mihrán Sitád—goes on a mission to the Khán.^186d

In Kubád's plans for escape to the Haitálians he associates himself with six others. Seven is a favourite number in Persian story. We have the Seven Climes, the Seven Courses or Stages of Rustam and Asfandiyár, the Fight of the Seven Warriors, the Seven Feasts of Núshírwán, and other instances.^186e

§ 4. According to Tabarí, Kubád fled twice to the Haitálians, once on the occasion of his unhistorical contention with Balásh^186f

and again, historically, here. On both occasions he is said to have contracted a marriage on his journey and to have been accompanied by Zarmihr (Rizmihr). This is stated by Tabarí with regard to the first flight and by Dínawarí and Firdausí as to the second.^186g

§ 5. In the above accounts the birth of Kisrá is chronicled in connection with both flights. This duplication does not make the story any the more probable, and, as a matter of fact, Kisrá appears to have been the son of the sister of one of Kubád's generals who served in the Roman war, A.D. 502-506.^186h

In view of the subsequent importance of Kisrá it was incumbent that Kubád should ask and receive satisfactory assurances as to the descent of the mother of his son. The name Kisrá is the Arabic form of the Persian Khusrau which, with the exception of twelve years, was the name of the Sháhs from A.D. 531 to A.D. 627, if we leave out of account the usurper Bahrám Chubína.

Jámásp who, according to Mír Khánd, was known as “the proud,”¹⁸⁶ⁱ

appears to have reigned for two years, A.D. 496-498, and it is to be feared that his brother's treatment of him after his deposition was not so amiable as Firdausí would have us believe. The same remark would apply to Jámásp's adherents, whom also the poet tells us were pardoned. One account at all events states that Kubád “killed the Great” when he regained the throne.^186j

According to Tabarí, Zarmihr (Rizmihr) was put to death by Kubád some time after his restoration.^186k

The story of the Sháh's ingratitude to the father is duplicated in the case of the son, which in itself is suspicious, as is the almost superhuman loyalty displayed by the latter in § 3. It may be laid to the account of the legitimist view that obtains in this part of the poem.¹⁸⁷

If Súfarai be the Persian commander-in-chief called Seoses in Procopius he was not put to death till about A.D. 519.^187a

Until war broke out in A.D. 502 there had been, with one slight exception in the reign of Yazdagird son of Bahrám Gúr,^187b

a period of peace for eighty years between the Persian and Eastern Roman Empires. To both the defence of the passes in the Caucasus against the incursions of northern Barbarians was equally important, and the understanding was that both should contribute equally to that end. This arrangement formed one of the terms of the peace concluded by Yazdagird with the younger Theodosius after the brief war, above mentioned, in A.D. 442. The Romans, however, were very remiss in carrying out their part of the undertaking, and their money contribution was in arrear. Both parties seem to have been inclined to look upon the money as tribute to be exacted or refused according to circumstances, and this added to the difficulty of an agreement which probably is responsible for the notion often found in Íránian legend that Rúm was tributary to Írán. Kubád, after his restoration, found himself in want of money to pay his Haitálian allies and applied to the Emperor Anastasius for the arrears due for the defence of the passes. Anastasius refused, his motive being, it is said, the hope of embroiling Kubád with his northern mercenaries, and the Sháh declared war. At first he was very successful, taking Theodosiopolis in Roman Armenia and Amida in northern Mesopotamia, but the generals whom he left to carry on the war, when he himself was called off to resist an Haitálian invasion, were less successful, and Kubád commissioned his brother-in-law, the uncle of Kisrá, to negotiate a peace.^187c

The Persians received a lump sum and gave up the captured cities. Towards the end of Kubád's reign war again broke out, A.D. 526, and lasted till his death. It was in this war that Belisarius rose to fame and fought twice with one of the Mihráns named Pírúz.^187d

Procopius, who had become secretary to Belisarius in A.D. 527, gives a correspondence purporting to have passed between the two generals.^187e

Hulwán was situated north-west of Kirmánsháh at Sar-i-pul-i-Zohab. ^187f

Kubád merely renamed it as he also renamed a town called Aragán on the borders of Ahwáz and Párs not far from the present Bihbihán. He changed Aragán to Rámkubád.¹⁸⁸

§§ 6 and 7. In the Vendídád there is a reference to “the ungodly fasting Ashemaogha” (heretic), to which the Pahlaví commentary on the Zandavasta adds: “like Mazdak, son of Bámdát.”^188a

In the late Pahlaví Text known as the Bahman Yasht the names are given of six priests whom Núshírwán summoned to his aid in his disputation with Mazdak.^188b

Two of them are recognisable in Firdausí's Hurmuzd and Mihr-Ázar. Mazdak's place of birth is quite uncertain, and his historical importance began and ended with the reign of Kubád. The poet omits to mention two of Mazdak's principles —the prohibition of bloodshed and of flesh-eating—but in other respects his account of that heresiarch's doctrines seems to be substantially correct—Zoroastrianism with private property and the family abolished. To this anarchical Faith doubtlessly he did his best to win over Kubád's recognised heir, failing in which he schemed to alter the succession and perished in the attempt. This seems to be the obvious explanation of the catastrophe. Mání and his followers in their time fared no better.^188c

Núshírwán was far too able and practical to be led away by Mazdak, and on coming to the throne tried his best to repair the mischief that had been done.^188d

seat he said: “Conceal
Naught from me. By bright day and darksome night
The way to me is open unto you.
The man is great who ordereth his tongue
To right discourse and seeketh not deceit,
While since he will be merciful in wrath
The best of men will welcome him as guide.
He setteth up the throne of acceptation
Within the world, receiving from the great
Just commendation. If thou keep'st thy heart
Far from revenge both great and small will praise
thee,
But when the great king is a double-dealer
His double-dealing is a call to strife.
First hear a matter through for thus apprised
Thou wilt reply aright. When any sage
Is covetous his knowledge will not fruit;
When he is headstrong it will be to him
Like water in a salt marsh. Furthermore
'Tis well to get a soldier's heart and bear
Reproach submissively.¹⁸⁹

The rich, hard man
Is lower even than a mendicant;
But when a foolish mendicant hath sway
His rule is simple madness. He that knoweth
His own defects will not be eloquent
On those of others. Patience is the pillar
Of wisdom: to be wroth is but to make
Oneself despised. Submission to God's justice
Will make thee rich, sincere, and honourable,
For thou art freed from care. The body of him
That hath no greed is better than a treasure,
While that man whose viaticum is knowledge
Will die in person but in name live ever;
So put ye all your hands to good alone,
And walk not on this whirling world for ill.”
The nobles all called blessings down on him,
And showered emeralds upon his crown.
He was a youth of sixteen years, and bore
As yet but little part in government,

Thus in the cup the wine was tulip-like
Until Kubád was twenty-one¹⁹⁰

years old;
Then Súfarai came in before the king
For licence to go home and thereupon
He gat him ready with his retinue,
Struck up the drums, and started for Shíráz,
Returning to his country, full of joy,
As one that had obtained his whole desire.
All Párs was as it were a slave before him,
And, save the throne of empire, all was his.
His thoughts were these: “I have set up the Sháh,
And done him homage as my sovereign,
So now if any man shall slander me
He will rebuke that man and banish him.”
He levied tribute on the provinces,
On all the men of name and all the chiefs.
When tidings of his just and unjust deeds
Came from Shíráz to glorious Kubád,
The people said: “The Sháh hath but the crown,
And not the troops and treasure in Írán,
Hath no authority, is not consulted;
The world is all the slave of Súfarai.”
All those that shared the secrets of Kubád
Repeated to him what the people said,
And added: “Why, exalted king! art thou
Contented merely to be king in name?
His treasury is better filled than thine:
Thou shouldst release the world from his oppression.
All Párs hath grown as 'twere a slave to him,
The great men have become his thralls.”

These words

Seduced Kubád's¹⁹¹

heart, which became forgetful
Of all the services of Súfarai;
He said: “If I shall send an army forth
He will revolt and seek to be avenged,
I shall but use my wealth to make a foe,
While he will cause much trouble and much toil.
The people all are talking of his deeds,
Unwitting of his secret purposes.
I know not any warrior of Írán
To march against him with a host to battle.”
A wise man answered thus: “Think not that he
E'er will be recognised as king. Thou hast

For Súfarai had not a foe like him
In public and in private. Thus apprised
Shápúr convoked his lieges and led forth
His army in all haste to Taisafún.
When he had brought his army to the Sháh
They gave him audience instantly. The world-lord,
On seeing him, received him graciously,
Caused him to sit upon the turquoise throne,
And said: “I have no portion in this crown,
Am noted 'mongst the foolish in the world.
All power is with Súfarai; I see
But sovereignty in name. Late in the day
My body shrinketh from the weights that press
With justice or injustice on my neck.
E'en were my brother master of Irán
'Twere better than this unjust Súfarai.”
Shápúr replied: “O king! be not aggrieved
At heart on this account. Thou shouldest write
A letter in harsh terms to him, for thou
Hast Grace and fame, high lineage and support.
Say: ‘Of the crown of king of kings my share
Is travail and an empty treasure-house.
Thou takest tribute, and I bear the blame.
I will not have thee call me Sháh henceforth.
Lo! I have sent to thee a paladin
In that thy conduct causeth me to wail.’
When he shall get a letter thus conceived,
And I am there with troops prepared for fight,
I will not leave him time to wink an eye,
Or speak a word to him unless in wrath.”
They called to them a scribe and seated him
Before Shápúr, who said again the words
As spoken in the presence of the Sháh:
The writer wrote them, grieving secretly.
Shápúr, whenas the Sháh had sealed the letter,

The paladin

Replied: “The monarch of the world is ware
What toil and hardship I have borne for him
That marching from Zábulistán with troops
I set him free from bondage by my valour,
And suffered no calamity to come
Upon him. I had influence with the Sháh,
And with the chieftains of the Íránian host,
But since bonds are to be my recompense,
And my resistance will be troublesome
To thee, I ask no respite. Bind my feet:
The fetters of Kubád will profit me.
Doth he not shame before God and the host,
For I shed freely my warm blood for him?
What time the Sháh was in captivity
I swore by God a mighty oath, and said:—
‘My hand shall look but on my falchion's hilt,
And I will cloud the sun in fight, till I
Shall give my head or bring down from the throne
The head of Khúshnawáz between the shears.’
And now he biddeth me be bound! Is't right?
Receive I but derogatory words?
Still turn not aught from his commands, for know
That bonds but ornament a hero's feet.”
Shápúr, on hearing this, made fast the fetters,
Then bade the trumpet sound and gat to horse.
From Párs he carried Súfarai before
Kubád, who thought not of past services,
But bade men bear him to the prison-house,
Near where the madmen were, and gave command
To carry from Shíráz to Taisafún
What wealth soever he possessed—his folk,
His treasures, and the produce of his fields—
By those appointed to the treasurer.

Now when these tidings reached the Íránians:—
“He of the elephantine form is dead,”
A cry of anguish went up from Írán,
Men, women, children, all alike bewailed;
The tongue of every one was steeped in curses,
And secret thoughts found public utterance.
Írán was all convulsed, the dust went up,
While all folk made them ready for the fight,
And thus they said: “Since Súfarai is gone
Let not Kubád's throne be within Írán.”
The soldiers and the citizens agreed,
They would not bear the mention of Kubád,
But marched upon the palace of the Sháh,
Vexed at his ill advisers, for redress.
These men—all malice and intent on evil—
They took, dragged from the palace, and then sought
With diligence for traces of Jámásp,
His younger brother and a noble youth,
One whom Kubád had cherished tenderly.
They chose him, seated him upon the throne,
And called down blessings on him as their Sháh;
But made Kubád's feet fast in iron fetters,
Unheedful of his Grace and noble birth.
Now Súfarai had one son well beloved,
A wise man, holy and illustrious,
A youth without offence, Rizmihr by name,
Whose fame had made his father well content.
To him the people gave Kubád in bonds,
As unto some malicious enemy,
And thought: “Through grief the loving son will take
Revenge upon the king for Súfarai.”
The good Rizmihr, the worshipper of God,
Laid not his hand for ill upon the world-lord,¹⁹⁶

The good Rizmihr, on hearing this, anon
Released Kubád from fetters. From the city
They fared forth to the plain by night, unseen
By foes, and made toward the Haitálians,
Wrung with anxiety and hurrying.
On this wise sped the seven like flying dust
Until with dizzy heads they reached Ahwáz,
And entered on their steeds that wealthy town—
A town wherein a famous chieftain dwelt.
Dismounting at the dwelling of the thane
They tarried there and breathed themselves awhile.
He had a daughter moonlike, crowned with musk,
And, when Kubád beheld her face, all wisdom
Fled from his youthful brain. He went forthwith,
And told Rizmihr: “I have a privy word

Said Kubád while smiling

At him who thus dictated terms: “I never
Will give that land a thought and, when thou wishest,
Will send thee troops in numbers numberless.
What is Chaghán that I should look that way?”
When they had made their pact the Haitálian king
Unlocked his treasury and gave Kubád
Dínárs and arms, and two score thousand swordsmen,
All famed as warriors and cavaliers.
Thus to Ahwáz from the Haitálians went
Kubád; the whole world rang with that event.

Kubád approached the thane's abode and saw
In every street a scattered populace,
Who all apprised him of the joyful news:—