The Prelude

IN the name of the Lord of both wisdom and mind,
To nothing sublimer can thought be applied,
The Lord of whatever is named or assigned
A place, the Sustainer of all and the Guide,
The Lord of Saturn and the turning sky,
Who causeth Venus, Sun, and Moon to shine,
Who is above conception, name, or sign,
The Artist of the heaven's jewelry !
Him thou canst see not though thy sight thou strain,
For thought itself will struggle to attain
To One above all name and place in vain,
Since mind and wisdom fail to penetrate
Beyond our elements, but operate
On matters that the senses render plain.

None then can praise God as He is. Observe
Thy duty : 'tis to gird thyself to serve.
He weigheth mind and wisdom ; should He be
Encompassed by a thought that He hath weighed ?
Can He be praised by such machinery
As this, with mind or soul or reason's aid ?
Confess His being but affirm no more,
Adore Him and all other ways ignore,
Observing His commands. Thy source of might
Is knowledge ; thus old hearts grow young again,
But things above the Veil surpass in height
All words : God's essence is beyond our ken.

Speak, sage ! the praise of wisdom and rejoice
The hearts of those that hearken to thy voice,
As God's best gift to thee extol the worth
Of wisdom, which will comfort thee and guide,
And lead thee by the hand in heaven and earth.

Both joy and grief, and gain and loss, betide
Therefrom, and when it is eclipsed the sane
Know not of happiness one moment more.

Thus saith the wise and virtuous man of lore
Lest sages search his words for fruit in vain : —
"What man soever spurneth wisdom's rede
Will by so doing make his own heart bleed ;
The prudent speak of him as one possessed,
And ' he is not of us ' his kin protest."
In both worlds wisdom recommendeth thee
When gyves are on the ankles of the mad ;
It is the mind's eye ; if thou dost not see
Therewith thy journey through this world is sad.

It was the first created thing, and still
Presideth o'er the mind and faculty
Of praise— praise offered by tongue, ear, and eye,
All causes it may be of good or ill.

To praise both mind and wisdom who would dare ?
And if I venture, who would hear me through ?
Since then, O man of wisdom ! thou canst do
To good by words hereon, proceed, declare
Creation's process. God created thee
To know appearance and reality.
Let wisdom be thy minister to fend
Thy mind from all that self-respect should shun,
Learn by the words of sages how to wend
Thy way, roam earth, converse with every one ;
And when thou hearest any man of lore
Discourse, sleep not, increase thy wisdom's store ;
But mark, while gazing at the boughs of speech,
How much the roots thereof are out of reach.
The first thing needful for thee is to know
The sum of primal elements which He,
Who maketh all things, made from naught to show
The greatness of His own supremacy.
Those elements are fourfold ; at their birth
No time elapsed and labour had no share ;
Fire shone above, and in the midst were air
And water ; underneath was dusky earth.
Fire was the first its virtue to unfold ;
About it moisture ceased and dryness came ;
Then fire where'er it failed made way for cold,
And moisture followed cold.

Even so the frame
Of this our Wayside Hostelry was made.

When these four primal elements combined,
They wrought, each on the rest, till every kind
Of products as we see them was displayed.
The turning vault of heaven showed its face,
Exhibiting new wonders day by day,
The Seven Planets then began their sway
In yon Twelve Houses ; each one took its place,
Foreboding good and ill, and giving fit
Return to every one that hath the wit
To read. The heavens, fettered sphere to sphere,
Moved as their making to completion came,
And then this earth, with mountain, desert, mere,
And upland, shone as 'twere a lamp aflame.
The mountains reared themselves, the streams gushed out,
While from the soil the herbs began to sprout.
Our earth was not vouchsafed a lofty stead ;
Obscurity and gloom prevailed around,
But stars displayed their wonders overhead
And light grew more abundant on the ground ;
Then fire arose and water sank, the sun
About the world its course began to run.
The herbage and the various kinds of trees
Grew up as fortune would. No faculties
Have they but growth. Thus fixed they were the prey
Of all the animals that passed, while they,
The roamers, aim at safety, nourishment,
And rest ; with such a life they are content.
With sluggish wits and tongues that never spake,
They browse upon the briar and the brake,
Acknowledging no end as wrong or right
And not required to offer reverence
To Him who, having wisdom, justice, might,
Hath not withheld one single excellence.

A farther step — man cometh into sight ;
Locks had been made ; he was the key of each.
With head erect and cypresslike in height,
Submiss to wisdom and endowed with speech,
Possessed of knowledge, wisdom, reasoning,
He ruleth other creatures as their king.
Observe awhile with wisdom for thy guide :
Doth " man " imply one nature, one alone ?
Thou know'st it may be but the feeble side
Of mortal man, wherein no trace is shown
Of aught beyond, and yet two worlds agree —
A mighty partnership — to furnish thee.
By nature first, in order last, art thou ;
Hold not thyself then lightly. I have known
Shrewd men speak otherwise, but who shall trow
The secrets that pertain to God alone ?
Look to the end, act ever rightfully
And toil, since sloth and knowledge ne'er agree ;
But if thou wouldst escape calamity,
In both worlds from the net of bale be freed
And in God's sight a righteous man indeed,
Then to yon swiftly turning dome thy gaze
Direct, that cause of anguish and relief,
A dome not fretted by the lapse of days
And unaffected by our joy or grief;
It stayeth not to rest but turneth still,
Not perishing like us but undecayed :
There both the term and process are displayed,
There are revealed to thee both good and ill.

Of ruby is yon azure dome, not made
Of air and water, dust and smoke ; 'tis all
With lamp and torch in many a spot arrayed
Like gardens for the New Year's festival.
Within the dome a gladdening Gem behold
Revolving ; thence the light of day is spread,
And every morning like a shield of gold
It raiseth from the East its shining head ;
The earth is clad in robes of spreading light,
The sun declineth and there cometh night ;
Day ne'er o'ertaketh night, nor night the day,
Most regular in all their movements they.
O thou my Sun ! hast thou for me no ray ?

Though night be dark there is a light assured :
See that thou use it not unworthily.

Two days and nights its features are obscured,
Worn soothly by revolving ; presently
Tis seen again but pallid, thin, and backed,
Like one who by the pangs of love is racked. ro
Then if the gazer far away secure
A glimpse thereof, 'tis quickly lost to sight ;
But on the following eve it seemeth more
And yieldeth unto thee a larger light.

In fourteen days it waxeth full and bright,
In fourteen waneth till its course is run,
Diminishing as night succeedeth night
And drawing nearer to the blazing sun.
Such was the nature given by God's decree
And will be, while the moon itself shall be.

The Faith and knowledge trusty guides are they,
And 'tis for thee to seek Salvation's way ;
If thou wouldst have thy heart not sad, not see
Thy spirit wretched through eternity,
To take the Prophet's teaching be thy part,
There wash away the darkness of thy heart.
What was it that He said, the inspired Lord,
Of bidding and forbidding — Heaven's own word ?
"I am the City of the Doctrine, he
That is the gateway to it is 'All."
I witness that His heart is in that word
As though, as thou mayst say, His voice I heard.
Regard then each companion and 'Ali
As those that gave the Faith stability ;
These are the moons, the Prophet is the sun ;
With them in union is the way to run.
Slave of the Prophet's slaves with praise I greet
The dust upon his mandatary's feet,
What others say to me is no concern,
This is my way, from this I never turn.
The sage regardeth as a sea this world,
A sea whose waves are driven by the blast ;
There seventy gallant ships go sailing past,
Each with her canvas every stitch unfurled.
One stately vessel is in bridal gear,
As beauteous as the eye of chanticleer.
Muhammad and 'Ali are there within
That stately vessel, they and all their kin.
The sage beholding from afar that sea
Of viewless shore and depth, and ware that he
Must face the waves where all must drown, " If I
Shall go down with Muhammad and 'AH,"
He saith, " I sink in goodly company,
And surely He will rescue me from ill,
Who is of standard, crown, and throne the Lord,
The Lord of wine, of honey, and of rill,
Of founts of milk and floods which spread abroad."
If on the other world thou fix thine eyes
Keep close beside the Prophet and 'Ali,
And, should ill follow, lay the blame on me,
Who take myself the course that I advise.
In this Faith was I born, in this will die ;
The dust upon the Lion's foot am I.
Thy heart, if prone to err, is thine own foe,
And can the world more abject miscreants know
Than haters of 'All, for born in shame
Are they, and destined to eternal flame ?

Take not this world in jest, but walk with those
Whose steps are right ; right as thine end propose
If thou wouldst be with men of glorious name.
Why do I talk so long ? I fail to see
A limit to my theme's fertility. io
All have gone sweeping in the garth of lore
And what I tell hath all been told before,
But though upon a fruit-tree I obtain
No place, and purpose not to climb, still he
That sheltereth beneath a lofty tree
Will from its shadow some protection gain ;
A footing on the boughs too I may find
Of yonder shady cypress after all
For having left this history behind
Of famous kings as my memorial.
Deem not these legends lying fantasy,
As if the world were always in one stay,
For most accord with sense, or anyway
Contain a moral.

In the days gone by
There was an Epic Cycle spread broadcast
Among the learned archmages, and at last
A certain paladin, of rustic birth,
A man of courage, wisdom, rank, and worth,
An antiquary, one who ransacked earth
For any legends of the ages past,
Intent on learning what might yet be known,
Called hoar archmages out of every clime,
To ask about the annals of the throne,
The famed successful heroes of old time,
What men were doing in those days that we
Inherit such a world of misery,
And how each day beneath auspicious skies
They carried out some daring enterprise.
The archmages told their legendary store,
How this world fared and what kings undertook,
And as he listened to the men of lore
He laid the basis of the famous book,
Which now remaineth his memorial,
Amid the plaudits both of great and small.

Now, when the readers of the book had brought
The stories into vogue, all hearts were caught,
At least among the men of parts and thought.
A brilliant youth well skilled in poetry
Arose, of ardent mind and eloquent ;
"I will retell these tales in verse," said he,
And every one rejoiced at his intent ;
But vicious habits were his friends, though we
Should hold all vices foes that we should dread,
And death, approaching unexpectedly,
Imposed its gloomy helmet on his head.
He gave his life to vice, and earth ne'er gave
Him true enjoyment for a single day
While fortune quickly turned its face away :
He perished by the hand of his own slave.
Departing thus he left those tales of yore
Untold ; their wakened fortune slept once more.
O God ! forgive his faults, and in Thy grace
Assign him at the last an honoured place.

Mine ardent heart turned, when Dakiki fell,
Spontaneously toward the Iranian throne ;
"If I can get the book I will retell,"
I said, " the tales in language of mine own."

I asked of persons more than I can say,
For I was fearful as time passed away
That life would not suffice, but that I too
Should leave the work for other hands to do.
There was besides a dearth of patronage
For such a work ; there was no purchaser.
It was a time of war, a straitened age
For those who had petitions to prefer.
Much time elapsed. I still concealed from all
My secret purpose, for I could not see
One who was worthy to partake with me
This enterprise. What in this world can be
More excellent than noble words ? Men call
Down blessings on them, men both great and small.
Good words had God vouchsafed not to provide,
How had the Prophet ever been our guide ?
I had a dear friend in the city, thou
Hadst said : " They twain have but one skin." One day
He said : " I like thy scheme ; pursue thy way ;
Thy feet are hi the right direction now.
I undertake for my part to procure
This ancient Persian book ; but be not slack.
Of youth and eloquence thou hast a store,
Thy speech possesseth too the ancient smack.
The stories of our kings afresh relate,
And raise thy reputation with the great."
He brought the volume to me and anon
The darkness of my gloomy soul was gone.

When I obtained the volume a grandee
Of noble lineage and conspicuous worth,
Still in his youth, a paladin by birth,
Possessing prudence, wit, and energy,
A lord of counsel and of modesty,
To hear whose gentle accents was my joy,
Said unto me : " What means can I employ
To make thee give thy life to poetry ?
I will do all and hide thy poverty."
He used to tender me as one would tend
Ripe apples, lest a breath of wind should spoil ;
Thus through that noble and kind-hearted friend
I soared to Saturn from our grimy soil.
In his eyes gold and silver were as dust
While rank gained lustre. Earth seemed vile indeed
Before him. He was brave and one to trust,
And Avhen he perished was as in a mead
A lofty cypress levelled by a gust.
I see no trace of him alive or dead ;
By murderous Crocodiles his life was sped.
Woe for that girdle and that girdlestead,
That royal mien, that high imperial head !
Bereft of him my heart's hopes ceased to be,
My spirit quivered like a willow-tree ;
But I bethink me, to redress this woe,
Of counsel which to that great prince I owe ;
He said : " This Tale of Kings, if 'tis thy fate .'
To tell it, to the great king dedicate."
Those words gave solace to my heart ; there came
Thereto a sense of gladness and content ;
I took in hand my story in the name
Of him who is o'er kings pre-eminent,
The lord of earth, the lord of crown and throne,
Whose conquering fortune sleep hath never known.

Ne'er, since the making of the world was done,
Hath such a king been seen by human eye ;
The crown above his throne is like the sun,
And maketh earth as bright as ivory.
How canst thou say : " It is the sun indeed " ?
From him by far more glorious rays proceed.
Abu'l Kasim ! this all-victorious one
Hath set his throne yet higher than the sun !
His are the rays which illustrate the sky,
His is the Grace which openeth afar
Yon mines of gold.

Awoke my slumbering star.
Ideas poured through my brain tumultuously.
Methought : " The time for speaking in good sooth
Hath come, the outworn age regaineth youth."

By thoughts of this great monarch occupied
I fell asleep one night with lips all praise,
While my free heart, although my lips were tied,
Shone in the dark. Then I beheld in sleep
A dazzling lustre rising from the deep
And making by the brightness of its rays
The gloom of earth like glittering gems. The waste
Grew like brocade beneath that radiant light,
And in the midst a turquoise throne was placed.
Upon the throne there sat a moon-like king
With on his head a crown for covering.
His army stretched two miles. To left there were
Seven hundred elephants in all their might.
Before him stood a trusty minister
To guide him to the Faith and to do right.

By that Shah's Grace, by all those troops outspread
And mighty elephants my head was dazed,
And as upon his royal face I gazed
To that illustrious company I said : —
"Is this the sky and moon, or throne and crown ?
Are these his soldiers or the stars come down ? "
One answered : " Tis the king of Rum and Ind,
King from Kannuj e'en to the river Sind,
While in Turan and in f ran men give
As slaves obedience to his will and live
Thereby. With justice decked he earth and now,
That done, hath set the crown upon his brow.
Mahmud the worldlord, the great Shah, doth bring
Together sheep and wolf for watering.
The monarchs from Kashmir down to the sea
Of Chin are instant in his eulogy,
And children yet within their cots proclaim
With lips unweaned as their first word his name
Do thou too tell his praise, for thou canst speak,
And through him everlasting glory seek.
All do his bidding and keep fealty."
When I awakened to my feet I sprang,
Oh ! what a while that night his praise I sang !
No drachms had I but poured my soul, and cried
To- mine own heart : " My dream is justified.
For his renown is patent far and wide."
Then praise to him who praiseth the Most High
For sleepless fortune, crown, and signet-ring.
His glory maketh earth like garths in Spring
With flower-painted soil and cloudy sky —
A sky whence in their season showers come
And make the world a garden of Iram.
What good is in Iran his justice giveth,
His name alone is heard where any liveth.

A bounteous Heaven at banquets thou wilt find,
A sharp-clawed Dragon in the fray meanwhile ;
He is an elephant, hath Gabriel's mind,
Hands like a winter-cloud, heart like the Nile.
When he is wroth, opposing fortune's might
Is, as dinars are, worthless in his sight ;
To boast of crown and hoard is not his part,
And war and travail darken not his heart.
All those who are among his fosterlings,
Freeborn or otherwise, but noble still,
Devoted lieges of the king of kings,
With loins girt ready to perform his will,
Have each a province under their control,
Each hath his name inscribed on every roll.
The foremost is his brother, who in years
Is younger, but in courage hath no peers ;
They who are courtiers of his Grace acquire
Joy in the shadow of the age's king,
For he who hath Nasiru'd-Din for sire
Hath round his throne the Pleiads in a ring,
And is the lord of prowess, rede, and might
In whom the nobles, one and all, delight.
Next is the prince of Tus, a valiant lord
Who mocketh lions in the battle-tide,
And lavisheth what fortune may accord
To him, desiring honour, naught beside.
He leadeth men to God ; his prayer is still
That the Shah's head may be preserved from ill.
May earth ne'er see that royal head go down,
And may the Shah rejoice for ever thus,
Possessing health of body, throne, and crown,
Unpained, untroubled, and victorious.

Now to the opening of my work once more
To tell the tales of famous kings of yore.