Bahram Gur

Whenas Bahram Gur sat upon the throne
The sun acclaimed him while the Shah adored
The Maker— the all-seeing, watchful World-lord,
The Lord of victory and majesty,
The Lord of increase and of loss — then said : —
" From Him have I received the throne and crown,
For He hath fashioned fortune, and my hopes
And fears are all in Him. I give Him thanks
For all His benefits ; do ye too praise Him,
And strive to keep His covenant unbroken."

The Iranians answered : " We are girt for service.
May this crown prove right glorious to the Shah,
And may his heart and fortune live for ever."

Their praises done, all scattered gems before him.
Thus said Bahram : " O chiefs experienced
In daily good and ill ! we all are slaves,
And God is One, sole-worthy to be worshipped.
From fear of evil days we will secure you,
And not expose you to malignant Need."

He spake. They rose and homaged him anew.
They spent the night in converse, and at sun-rise
The Shah sat peacefully upon his throne,
The Iranians came to audience, and he said : —
Ye chieftains famed and favoured by the stars I
Put we our trust in God and joy in Him.
Boast not and root out of the world our hearts."

He spake and then those Glories of his court —
His chiefs— called for their steeds. The Shah, the

third day,
Sat on the throne, and said : " Religious usage
Must be observed. We witness to God's being,
And make our souls familiar with the Faith.

There is a Resurrection, Heaven, and Hell,
And we can not escape from good and ill.
Ascribe not Faith or knowledge to the man
That doubteth of the Day of Reckoning."

The fourth day, donning on the ivory throne
The well-loved crown, he said : " Men, not my

treasures,

Are my delight. This Wayside Inn I ask not,
And grudge not going, for the other world
Is everlasting and this transitory.
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."

The seventh day, when he took his seat, he said : —
" Ye chiefs wise, wary, and experienced !
Since with the vile we practise villainy
We will have conversation with the wise.
Ye that are cold to me shall fare still worse
Than with my sire, but ye that do my will
Must not experience sorrow, pain, and toil."

The eighth day, when he took his seat, he bade
Call Jawanwi of those about the court,
And said to him : "To every mighty man,
To every chief and clime, indite for me
A letter couched in just and loving terms,
And say : Bahram hath mounted on the throne
With joy — a lord of bounty and of right,
A shunner of all fraud and knavery —
For he hath Grace and stature, love and justice :
The Judge all-holy is in all his thoughts.
" I will accept," he saith, " the obedient,
But fault-condoning maketh faults increase.
I sit upon my glorious father's throne,
I keep the customs of just Tahmuras,
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 envoys. Archmage, man of lore,
And wary cavalier, those letters bore.

Munzir and Nu'mdn, and remitted the Iranians' Arrears
of Taxes
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 : —
" Make intercession for us with the Shah
To pardon our offences, for the crimes
Of Yazdagird so wrought us that the blood
Froze in the nobles' hearts ! So much of foul
In word and deed, iniquity, distress,
And anguish chilled our hearts toward Bahram
Because we suffered so beneath his sire."

Munzir's warm pleadings mollified the Shah,
Who being just and noble pardoned all,
Whate'er the fault. He decked the imperial palace,
And all the good and great resorted thither.
When they had got the place of majesty
In readiness they seated there the worthy,
In every place they spread the board and called
For wine and harp and minstrelsy. Next day
Another crowd assembled, yet the chief
Was wearied not of giving. On the third
There were both revels and festivities,
And grief was banished from the world-king's palace,
He told the offices done by Nu'man
And by Munzir — those men of stainless birth —
On his behalf, and all the chiefs acclaimed
Those desert dwellings and those men of war.
The Shah next oped his treasury and filled
His palace with brocade and gold, steeds, trappings,
Mail-coats and scents and gems of every hue.
He gave all to Nu'man and to Munzir,
And Jawanwi told o'er to them the gifts.
None matched the Shah 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, the king of kings,
Descending from his throne, approached the seat
Where sat Narsi — a prince, his younger brother,
And one with him in heart and tongue. He made
Narsi 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 dinars. The Shah,
That man of lore, then bade Gushasp, the scribe,
With prudent Jawanwi, the chief accountant,
Approach, and ordered them to cancel all
Arrears of taxes for the Iranians.
These two wise scribes went to their registers,
And in this matter called in aid Kaiwan
Because he was the expert of the day,
And kept the world's statistics in his breast.
They added up the sum of the arrears,
And found it ninety and a hundred times
Three hundred thousand drachms. These he forgave,
And burnt the registers, and all Iran
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 Bahram,
The Shah. 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 Bahram'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 Shah ! 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 Iran
Went full of joy and bright of countenance,
And, as the sovereignty became secure,
Joy waxed and sorrow minished, while the Shah
In feasting, horsemanship upon the Ground,
In sport and polo, full employment found.

It happened that Bahram Gur went one day
With certain warriors to hunt the lion.

An old man, staff in hand, drew near to him,
And said : " God-fearing Shah ! within our city
There are two men, one rich, the other poor.
Now Baraham, the Jew, a miscreant knave,
Is rich in silver and in gold. Lambak,
The water-carrier, is of noble nature,
Fair-spoken, hospitable."

So Bahram

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 Baraham is but a barren Jew,
And grasping, and his greed should be exposed.
He hath drachms, treasure, and dinars, brocades,
And goods of all kinds, but none seeth his bread,
And he is ever wrathful at a guest."

The Shah 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 Iranian 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 Shah Bahram

Dismounted, and Lambak saw to the steed.
He gladly rubbed it down and haltered it.
Then, when Bahram was seated, ran and brought
A chess-board and made shift to furnish food,
And all things needful, saying : " Noble sir !
Put by the chess-men and begin thy meal."

The eating done, the host in high delight
Brought out a cup of wine. The Shah 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 bazar
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
Bahram had wine in hand ; Lambak too loved it.
When it was day he hurried to Bahram,
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,"
Bahram said, while the water-carrier blessed him : —
" Be merry in thy heart and mate with fortune."

He took to the bazar his water-skins
And tackle, which he pledged to some rich man,
Bought what he needed and returned in haste
Rejoicing to Bahram, and said to him : —
" Help with the food, for man must eat."

Bahram

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 Bahram Gur's couch.
The fourth day, when the sun shone and Bahram Gur
Awoke, his host approached and said : " Famed sir !
Thou hast resided in this small, dark house,
And doubtless in discomfort ; still if thou

Fear'st not the Shah stay in my mean abode
Two se'nights more if so thou hast a mind."

Then Shah Bahram blessed him and said: "Live
thou

Thy years and months in mirth and happiness.
We have been jolly in this house three days,
While quaffing to the monarchs of the world,
And elsewhere I will speak a word for thee
That shall make bright thy heart and plans, for why
Thy hospitality shall yield thee fruit,
And, if thou perseverest, thrones and crowns."
Dust-swift he put the saddle on his steed,
Departed merrily and sought the chase.
He hunted on till night the hills 'gan ride,
Then lightly from his meiny turned aside.

He stole away and made toward the house
Of barren Baraham, knocked at the door,
And said : " The Shah hath come back from the
chase,

But I was left behind. 'Tis night and I
Know not the way, can find not Shah and escort.
If I may sojourn in this house to-night
I will not trouble any one."

A slave

Went and reported this to Baraham,
Who answered : " Trouble not thyself hereat,
But say : " Thou wilt not get a lodging here.' "

The messenger departed to Bahram Gur,
And said : " There is no shelter here for thee."

Bahram 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 Baraham : —

" 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 Bahram Gur said : —
" If here my lodging will prove troublesome
I will not enter but will sleep outside
The door, 'tis all I want."

Said Baraham : —

" I Brave horseman ! thoughtlessly thou troublest me.
Were any one to rob thee in thy sleep
I should be plagued enough on thine account.
Come in if thou art in distress and want,

But on condition that thou askest naught.
I have not e'en a napkin wherewithal
To wipe my body when 'tis washed at death,
Or shroud wherein to wind it."

" My good sir ! "

Bahram rejoined, " I will not trouble thee
In any way. Thy portal will suffice.
I will be watchman, barring bell and cry."

Then Baraham 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."

Bahram 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.' '

Bahram 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
Bahram Gur shunned more sleep and put the saddle
On his fleet grey. His saddle ! Nay, hard pillow.
Came Baraham and said : " O cavalier !
Thou art not faithful to thy word. Thou saidst : —
I will sweep up the droppings of the steed

At once.' Away with them as thou didst promise.
I am annoyed by a dishonest guest."

Bahram Gur answered : "Go and fetch a slave.
He will remove the droppings fast enough,
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."

Bahram Gur, 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 Baraham and snatched it up
While Shah Bahram 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 Baraham,

That curst, malicious Jew. When he arrived

They made him sit and called an honest man,

To whom the Shah said : " Take some baggage-beasts
And acting with the utmost honesty,

Go to the house of Baraham 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, dinars, 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,
And packed the baggage but much still remained.
That good man drove apace the caravans,
And, when the bells resounded from the court-gate,
Went and informed the Shah : "As many gems
Are here as in thy treasury, yet are left
Two hundred ass-loads ! "

Thought the Shah, amazed : —
" The Jew hath greatly toiled, but to what profit
Since food hath failed him ? "

Then the Shah, 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 Shah
Called Baraham 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 ?
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 Shah 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
The forest, blazed forth like Azargashasp,

And, when the lion followed, strung his bow,
A hero he, shot and transfixed the creature
Through side and heart ; that of the lioness
Grew all a-flame, and she too charged Bahram,
Roared out and clawed at him. The cavalier

Smote with his sword her loins, and that brave beast
Gave up the fight. Now in the wood there dwelt
A country magnate, a God-fearing man,
Whose name was Mihr Bidad. That sword-stroke

(charmed him.
With sweet words on his tongue that old man left

The wood, drew near the Shah, blessed him, did

reverence And said : " O famous chief ! may fortune's star
Be at thy beck. A rural chief am I,
O holy one ! and owner of this march,
This tilth, and mansion, ox and ass and sheep.
Those lions caused me sorrow and despair ;
Now by thy hand, thy thumb-ring, and thy hilt
God hath removed them. Tarry in our wood,
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 Shah alighted and surveyed the forest ;
He found it verdurous, supplied with streams,
And fitted for a young man's dwelling-place.
Then Mihr Bidad 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 Bahram and took all pains
To set him at his ease. When Mihr Bidad
Grew blithe with wine he said : " Fair-fortuned hero
Thou favourest the Shah or the full moon
At midnight."

Said Bahram : " 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 Shah
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.
Next morn he took his seat and called for wine.
The captains of the host approached rejoicing,
And with the others came a noble man
Who from his village brought a gift of fruit —
Pomegranate, apple, quince, in camel-loads,
And posies fashioned for imperial use.
world-lord, seeing him, saluted him,
And seated him among the paladins.
The lord that brought the posies and the fruit
Bore in the olden tongue the name Kirwi.
While he was joying to behold the Shah,
The nobles, and the banquet-hall, he spied
A crystal goblet filled with wine which proved
His ruin. Reaching out among the lords
He grasped it, rose, and drank : " The king of kings ! "
Then cried : " A toper I, my name Kirwi.
Since in the presence of the king of kings

I drain the goblet I will drain again."

This said, he drained the goblet seven times,
And distanced all the other revellers.
Then by the Shah's permission he departed
To learn if he could bear off all that wine.
He left the jovial city for the plain,
And when the wine was warm within his breast
He galloped from among his retinue
Toward the hills, dismounted, chose him out
A quiet, shady spot, and slumbered. Came
A black crow from the mountains and pecked out
His eyes ! His escort following found him dead
And eyeless with his roadster by his side,
And wailed o'er him and at such revelry.

Now when Bahram had wakened in his chamber
A courtier came to him, and said : A crow

Hath pecked out both Kirwi's bright eyes while he
Was lying drunk among the hills."

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 Shah himself held revelry,
Or called for tales from old time legendry.

Now at that time a young shoemaker wedded
A virtuous wife, rich and of good repute,
But failed in nuptial duty, and his mother
Lamented bitterly his grievous case.
Howbeit she had some wine in store. She took
Her son to her own house and bade the youth : —
" Drink seven cups to hearten thee. Perchance
Thou mayest break this stubborn seal to-night.
How can a woollen mattock mine in stone ? "
He quaffed cups seven or eight, and verily
His feet and hide waxed strong. The cups had made
The young man confident ; he came, achieved
His purpose, and then went back to his mother
In high delight thereat, and thus it chanced :
A lion of the Shah's had broken loose,
And came along the road. Now at the time
The shoemaker was still in drink — a sea
That made his fingers thumbs. He ran, bestrode
The roaring lion, and then reaching out
He clutched its ears. The lion had been fed ;
The youth maintained his seat. Post-haste the keeper
Came running after them, a chain in one hand,
A lasso in the other. He beheld
A shoemaker upon the lion's back,
Perched there like some bold rider on an ass,
Ran to the palace-gate, came unabashed
Before the Shah, and told about the wonder
That he had seen, with his own eyes, and none

Beside had heard. The world-lord all amazed
Called the high priest and chiefs, and bade the former: —
" See what the stock of this shoemaker is.
If he shall prove a paladin by birth
'Tis well, for courage fitteth paladins."

They sought and asked his mother : "Is his rank
Above his station ? "

When the talk grew long
She hurried to the Shah 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
It flushed his cheeks and made a man of him.

Three cups of wine are his nobility ;
Who could imagine that the Shah would wish
To hear thereof ? Shoemaker was his granddad,
And so is he, and not by birth above
His trade."

The Shah 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 Shah 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 Jamshid
And Faridun. 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 Bahram Gur, 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
Toward the village and informed the folk : —

" This verdant spot — all fruitage, men, and cattle —
Hath greatly pleased Bahram, the king of kings,
Who hath a new design respecting it.
He raiseth all of you to noble rank
To turn this pleasant village to a city.
Here, lord and hireling, ye shall be all equal.
Men, women, children, ye shall be all chiefs,
Each of you be the master of the village."

Glad shouts rose from that prosperous settlement
Because the people were all lords alike.
Thenceforth, man's rede or woman's, 'twas all one,
And slave and hireling were their master's peers.
The village-youths, no longer checked by awe,
Cut off their elders' heads, then fell upon
Each other and, where roads were not, shed blood.
At that to-do folk fled incontinent.
The helpless aged remained, but there remained not
The implements of culture, goods, and crops.
The settlement had ruin in its face,
The Trees were withered and the streams ran dry,
The land and houses were all desolate,
And shunned of man and beast. Now when a year
Had passed and spring returned the monarch went
A-hunting in those parts and reached that spot
Erst populous and blithe, and saw the place

O'erturned, trees withered, habitations waste,
And not a man or beast throughout the march.
Thereat the Shah turned pale, the fear of God
Came on him, he was grievously distressed,
And thus addressed the archmage : " O Ruzbih !
Alack ! this place so jocund once is ruined !
Go to now and restore it with my treasures,
And take such order that the folk henceforth
Be scathless."

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,
And all the township was convulsed thereat,

All rapine, murder, stick ! May God befriend him
In like proportion, may grief, death, and hardship
Ne'er stale with him. Our case is growing worse,
And such that folk must weep for us."

Ruzbih,

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 ? "

Ruzbih 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. Ho 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 Shah went forth
Upon the plain a-hunting with Ruzbih,
The high priest. When the pair drew near the hamlet
Bahram Gur 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 Shah
Said to the high priest : " O Ruzbih ! what didst thou
To make this verdant village waste and scatter
Its men and beasts, and what hast thou dispensed
In thus restoring it ? "
The high priest answered : —
"This ancient seat was ruined by a word,
And by a word restored, to please the Shah.
He bade me : " Take thou treasure and dinars,
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 Shah 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 Shah, 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 Shah, on hearing, cried : " Well done, Ruzbih !
Thou'rt worthy of a crown ! "
Bahram Gur gave
That old man worshipful and prescient
A purse all filled with gold dinars. For him
A robe of honour too they fashioned
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
Illimitable game on waste and mountain.
He' and his escort reached in merry pin
A town. The night came on, and all was dark.
The chiefs dismissed the escort and recited
Tales of the Shahs. He saw afar a fire,
Such as Shahs kindle on Bahman's high day.
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 locks a-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 Shah Bahram !
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
Folk title him : " Bahram Gur.
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 Mushkinab, the others Mushkinak,
Naztab, and Susanak. With cheeks like spring,
With stately mien, and hand in hand, they went
Before the Shah and sang about Bahram,
The king of kings, the wise and prosperous.
Bahram Gur asked, for they perturbed his heart : —
" Who are ye, rose-cheeked ? Wherefore is this fire? "

One said : " O cavalier of cypress-height,
So like a king in everything ! our father
Is an old miller who is shooting game

Upon this mountain and will come anon
Since it is night, and he can see no longer."

With that the miller and his men came bringing
Their quarry. When his eyes fell on Bahram Gur
He rubbed his face upon the dust and bare him
With awe and reverence. The Shah bade give
That old man just arrived a golden cup,
And said to him : " Why keepest thou these four
With sunny faces thus ? Is it not time
For them to wed ? "

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."
Bahram 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."

Bahram Gur said : —

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

Bahram Gur 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 Chin
There would be no more idol-worshipping ! "

Thus till above the Raven's back the sun

Rose, and the world grew like a shining lamp,
They talked at large of base and upright men,
But with the day the village-chief arrived,

And said to that old man : O brave of luck !
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 Shah ! Bahram,
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 Bahram, the Shah, amid the throng ?
An archimage replied : " What wilt thou ? Speak,
Thou canst not see the monarch of the world."
The man said : " Since I may see not his face

I will speak not before his followers."

They brought before the Shah that seeker — one
Both learned and eloquent — who seeing him
Said : "I have words to speak to thee in private."

Bahram Gur turned his horse's head aside,
And rode some distance from his followers' sight.
Then said the man : " O world-possessing Shah !
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,
A wondrous clamour reached mine ears, and I

Came crying out in terror of my life.
The Clash of cymbals issued from the stream —
A sound denoting treasure."

Hearing this

Bahram Gur 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 Shah 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 Jamshid
Upon the buffaloes, and notified
The monarch of the world : "I have beheld,
And : " Shah Jamshid ' is on the buffaloes."
The Shah said : " O high priest in all regards

More learned than sages ! wherefore make mine own
The treasures that Jamshid laid up of yore ?
May nothing e'er be added to my wealth
Unless by justice and the scimitar.

Bestow the whole upon the poor. God grant
That no mishap befall us. For my troops
No share is requisite, our valour openeth
The earth to us. As is the use of kings
'Tis needful that we count up all this wealth,
Sell all the gems for cash, and then assemble
From desert and from settlement the widows,
The orphans, and the impoverished men of name —
Those lost to aspiration, fame, and ease —
Then take the sum of such, including those
That, troubled by their debts, should have a share,
And give to them the money and the goods
To assoil Jamshid the world-lord's soul, but I
Am youthful still, and sound in wind and limb ;
Why should I seek his treasures ? Let one tenth
Be for the finder, who sought out the Shah,
But never let him hope for joy hereafter
That beareth off the cerecloth from Jamshid.
To compass toil in consort with my troops,
And treasure and renown from Rum and Chin,
That is for me and for my steed, Shabdiz,
And for my trenchant scimitar. No shifts,
Or shirks, for me ! "
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 I
Down from Hushang as far as famed Naudar,
Who was a memory of Faridun,.
And on again right up to Kai Kubad,
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
The world for ill is well. Why should I need

The treasure of those gone ? Why should my heart
Expand toward dinars ? I will not set it
Upon this Wayside Inn, or make my boast
Of crown, or clutch at treasure. If the days
Pass in delight why should the wise eat grief ?
Whene'er a liege of mine, a countryman
Or courtier, shall complain of mine oppression
Then may my head and crown and treasure perish."

There was an ancient man, hight Mahiyar,
Whose years had reached eight score and four. He

rose,

On hearing this, and spake thus : " O just lord !
Tales have we heard of Faridun, Jamshid,
And others more or less renowned, but none
Hath heard of Shah like thee — the lowly's hope,
The Glory of the great — and were the sea
Large as thy heart 'twould rise in waves of gems,
For from thy soul the radiance of Surush
Proceedeth, dwarfing all a wise man's wit.
Thou hast so lavished treasure in the world
That no one great or small hath seen the like.
When men spake of the era of Jamshid,
And of the treasure of the buffaloes,
None wotted where it was — beneath the dust,
Or in the dragon's breath — but having found it
Thou didst not look thereon, for thou didst scorn
This Wayside Hostelry. Good sooth ! no king
Hath seen, nor will a hundred see, such jewels
As these in any sea, yet these and all

The buffaloes and onagers thou gavest
Without exception to the poor ! May crown
And girdle never lack thee. Health be thine,
Be victor thou and fortune's favourite.
The ink would blacken many a royal roll
To tell this tale and yet not reach the end.
Thou being gone thy name will live in praise
When folk recount the story of thy days."

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 ? "
Having helped him to dismount

The merchant found a place for him. The Shah,
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 Bahram 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."

Bahram 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 Bahram 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 Bahram :—
" Give to thy slave thy company to-day."

The Shah 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
Bahram and said : " O cavalier ! I bring thee

All hot what yesterday thou didst require,

And there is more to follow in due course."

Thus saying he set off to the bazar,
A different sort of purchaser. He bought
More almonds, sugar, fowl, and lamb to make
An ample meal, wine, saffron, musk, rose-water,
And hurried home. He brought the board all spread
With dainty meats. A sprightly youth was he
And well disposed. The eating done, he brought
Forth cups of wine, first serving king Bahram,
And thus, till blithe and jocund, they proceeded
From eating to the cup. The Shah addressed
His entertainer thus : " Bahram will be
Inquiring for me, but do ye drink on,
Grow drunk, and budge not till ye prove yourselves
Wine-worshippers." '

Then rubbing down and saddling
Shabdiz 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. Bahram, 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 Bahram : " 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 ? "

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."

Bahram abode a season with his lords,

With sparkling wine, with cup, and minstrelsy.
Spring came, the ground seemed Paradise, the air
Sowed tulips on earth's face, all tracts grew full
Of game, and in the brooks the waters seemed
Like wine and milk. The deer and onager
Paced in the dales or clustered on the sward,
The blackbirds haunted all the river-banks,
And all around them bent pomegranate-blooms.
" 'Tis long," the nobles said to Shah Bahram Gur,
" Since we have hunted onager."

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 Turan 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 Bahram had wine in hand ; the third,
When Sol illumed its crown, when earth grew golden.
And hill and stream became as ivory,
The valiant Shah 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 Bahram Gur strung
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. Bahram 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."

She went to her own chamber,
Swept out the house and laid down mat and pillow,
With blessings on Bahram, 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 Shah Bahram,
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 Chin.

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 Shah Bahram."

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 cavalier.
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. Bahram, 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 Shah 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 Shah for praise or blame."

That woman of few words said : " Yea, 'tis well,
For he is first and last in everything."

Bahram 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,
And always cavaliers are passing through

From public offices and ministers.
If one of them shall call a man a thief
The accused will have much trouble afterward.
The cavalier to compass some few drachms
Will make the poor man's life a misery,
Or one may smirch some honest woman's fame,
And make her fall to folly. This is loss,
Because the treasury is none the richer.
This is our trouble with our Shah, the world-lord."

The king grew full of thought at that account-
How those in power were wronging his good name —

And then the pious Shah thought with himself :—
" No one doth praise the just. Henceforward I
Will play the tyrant for a while that love
And justice may grow manifest from ill."

Vexed by dark thoughts he passed a sleepless night,
His heart allied to tyranny the while.
Now when Sol rent its musky-scented veil.
And showed its face in heaven, the woman left

The house and bade her spouse : " Bring pot and fire
And in the water put all kinds of grain
Before the sun shall see it. Mind it well
While I go milk the cow."

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 Shah, 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 Shah 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 Shah forthwith repented,
And prayed to God : " O Thou who art supreme,
Almighty, and the Arbiter of fortune !
If e'er my heart shall turn away from justice
Then be the throne of kings no longer mine."

That blessed dame, who worshipped holy God,
Tried with her hand the udder once again,
She tried it in the Lord's name, saying thus : —
" Cause Thou the milk to flow."

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 Shah 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 Bahram.
They lighted down before that lengthy whip,
And passed saluting. " 'Tis the Shah, none else !"
The good-man told his spouse. " Naught but the

the throne
Could fit a face like that ! "

Then full of awe

Both ran to him and cried : " O Shah ! O great I
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 Shah, that such an one as he
Would come to this place as a guest, would come
To this poor home of ours."

Bahram 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
Wind-footed, and from that poor village reached
His jewelled halls. The nobles of Iran
Went thither for the chase, three hundred strong,
And each with thirty servants in his train
Of Turkman, Ruman, or of Persian strain.

The third day after this the Shah 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 Shah'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 Shah Bahram Gur. 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 Shah'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 Khan of Chin
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 Chin, and fifteen score of ruby signets.
Behind the falconers they led eight score
Of cheetahs for that Lustre of the world —
The Shah — 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 Shah
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
Its proper prey. At length it soared from sight,

And bound a crane, then soared again and flew
Like shaft from bow, the falconer pursuing.
The Shah was vexed that it had flown away,
And followed by the tinkling of its bells.
He came upon a spacious pleasure-ground,
With mansion rising in a coign thereof,
And thither went with certain of his men.
The rest remaining on the hunting-field.
On entering Bahram Gur saw a garden
As 'twere a mountain-skirt skin. Upon the ground
Brocade was spread, and all the place was full
Of slaves and wealth. A pool was in the centre
Whereby an old man sat. Three girls like ivory
Sat by him wearing turquoise crowns. Their cheeks

Were like spring, their statures tall, their eye-
brows

Arched, and their tresses lassos ; each girl held
A crystal goblet, and Bahram Gur saw them.
His eyes were dazzled at the spectacle
Just as his heart was gloomed for his tughral.
On seeing him that wealthy thane grew pale
As fenugreek with fear. A wise old man
Was he, Barzin by name, but ill-affected
Toward the Shah. As swift as wind he left
The hauz, approached the Shah, 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 Shah take pleasure in my garden,
The glory of Barzin 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."

Barzin 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 Shah 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 Shah
Without a mate or equal on the earth !
Oh ! may thine entertainer prove auspicious,
And all the wearers of a crown thy slaves.
Call for a wine-cup in our present joy,

And when thou art refreshed, ask what thou wilt."
The king of kings dismounted at the pool,

And old Barzin grew glad. With that there came
Bahram's chief minister and therewithal

The captains of the host and treasurer
Barzin brought forth a golden cup and first
Drank to the monarch of the world, then brought
And offered to the Shah a cup of crystal,
Who seeing took and drained the proffered draught
Below the inscription-line, whereat Barzin
In high delight had wine-jars set about
The place, and in his cups said to his daughters : —
" My clever chicks ! no chieftain of the host,
But Shah Bahram hath visited this garden
So come, thou songstress ! let us have a song,
And thou, my moon-faced daughter ! bring thy

harp."

All three drew near the Shah, and on their heads
Were jewelled crowns. One danced, another played
Upon the harp, the third possessed a sweet

And soothing voice. While they made minstrelsy
The king of kings in high contentment drained
His Goblet dry. He said thus to Barzin : —
" What girls are these who live with thee in joy ? "
Barzin thus answered him : " O Shah ! may none
Behold the age without thee. Know that these
Are mine own daughters and my heart's delight.
One is a caroler, another harpeth.

The third observeth measure in the dance.
I need not aught, O Shah ! for I have money,
Domain, and pleasure-ground, and my three daughters
Are, as the Shah perceiveth. like glad spring.
O moon-face ! " said he to the songstress, " fear not,
But sing a song about the Shah

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.

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."

Bahram Gur, having heard the ditty, drained
The massive crystal cup and thus addressed
Barzin : " 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 ! " Barzin 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 Shah
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

Bahram 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 Gaiumart
And of Hushang. Dust are they 'neath thy feet,
And all the three live but to do thy will."

The eldest daughter's name was Mah Afrid,
The second's Faranak, and the cadette's
Was Shambalid. Approving them at sight

The Shah preferred them 'mongst his lawful wives,
And bade a noble of his escort bring
Four golden litters. and. when all three Idols
Were set therein. they were encircled there
By forty Ruman slaves — their devotees—
Who called down praises on them as they went.
While they departed to their golden home
The glorious Shah caroused. A servant hung
His whip above the court-gate, for the escort,
Save by the token of the whip, ne'er knew
Where Shah and nobles were. When any one
Beheld the handle and its lengthy thong
He used to run thereto and do obeisance.
Bahram drank on until he was bemused,
Then glorious took his seat within a litter,
And went back to his women's golden house —
The house that was perfumed with ambergris.
On his return he tarried for a week,
And much he feasted, lavished, and held converse.
The eighth day he went hunting with Ruzbih,
And with a thousand cavaliers. He saw
That all the plain was full of onager,
Drew from its case his royal bow, and strung it,
Invoking God who giveth victory.
'Twas springtide and the onager were pairing.
From all the world they met confronting there,
And rent each other's hides, the face of earth
Was reddened with their blood. Bahram abode
While two bucks fought together furiously,
Then when the valiant buck that gained the day
Was covering a doe he laughed to see
The onagers, took hold upon his bow-string,
Shot, piercing the buck's flank so that the arrow
Went home up to its plumes, and skewered buck
And doe together, thrilling all his escort.
All who beheld that shot acclaimed the Shah : —
" Oh ! be the evil eye far from thy Grace,
And may thy whole life be a festival.
Such might as thine the age ne'er saw till now ;
At once Shah, warrior, and king art thou."

The Shah, 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 Bahram
Turned to the lioness and, shooting, pinned
Her breast and loins together, but exclaimed : —
" The shaft was featherless, the point was blunt.
If point there were."
The escort praised him, saying :—

O famous king of earth ! none ever saw,
Or will see, on the throne of king of kings

A Shah 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 Bahram,
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. 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 Shah Bahram ? 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 ? "

Bahram 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 Shah Bahram'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."

Bahram, 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 !
Ruzbih said to the chiefs : " So now the Shah
Is going to the village, there to knock
Upon the portal of the jeweller !

And, mark my words ! will ask of him his daughter,
And crown her doubtless with a crown of gold,
Will take her to his ladies' golden house,
And send that other three back to Barzin !
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 Shah demandeth tribute from all lands,
And Rum 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."
Bahram Gur, 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 Gulgun, 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 : —
there? Why knock thus at this time of
night ( "
Bahram replied : " This morning as the Shah
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 ? "

The maid made haste to open,

And said : " Come in, my son ! "

The Shah 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 Bahram Gur's servant.
They set a low seat for the host himself,
Who took his place close to his guest the Shah,

And then began to offer his excuse,
Thus saying to Bahram : " 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 Shah."

Bahram 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 Bahram.
" What," said he, " is my boon-companion's name ?
Now will I make a covenant with thee,
And I will take Bahram, the Shah, as surety."

The king laughed heartily thereat and said : —

" Gushasp, the cavalier, am I, and hither
Came I attracted by the sound of harp,
And not to drink or while away the Time."

This girl of mine," his host replied, " exalteth
My head to heaven and is at once my harper,
And my cup-bearer, and withal she singeth,
And dissipateth care. My Heart's Delight
Is named Arzu — my heart's delight and server."
He said to that tall Cypress : " Bring thy harp,
Come in thy loveliness before Gushasp."

The harpist, tall as a pomegranate-tree,
Moved stately to the king of kings and said : —
" O chosen cavalier who hast in all
The semblance of a king ! know that this house
Of feasting is thine own, my sire thy host
And treasurer. May thy dark nights be joyous,
And be thy head exalted o'er the rain-clouds."

He said to her : "Sit down, take up thy harp,
And let us have a song immediately.
To-night old Mahiyar shall be a youth,
And pledge his soul as hostage for his guest."

The harpist clasped her harp and first she played
The Magians' chant, and as the silken chords
Rang out an odour as of jasmine filled
The room. She sang to Mahiyar, her sire,
And thou hadst said : " How plaintive is her harp !

" 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 Faridun's. On thee

As handmaid I wait.

Arzu 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 Bahram, 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 Bistun. Heaven toiled to

mould

A man like thee. None see I to compete
In strife with thee. As dust beneath thy feet

Oh ! may Arzu'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 Mahiyar 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 Mahiyar to her,
The presents of this lion-hearted man ?
See if he pleaseth thee, and if 'tis well
For thee to go with him."

Arzu replied : —
" Good, noble father ! 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 Bahram Avaunt ! '

His daughter's words misliked him and he said
Thus to Bahram : " 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 Mahiyar
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 Faridun, the Shah.
Ill-omened 'tis to marry in one's cups
Or handsel any business."

Said Bahram : —

" 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 Arzu !
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 Mahiyar."

Her father answered : " Thou art now his wife. : "
Know this that thou art under coverture."

He gave her to Bahram Gur who espoused her ;
By dawn the matter had been consummate.

The Shah's attendant hung the royal whip
Upon the door of Mahiyar, Arzu
Went to her chamber while on every side
Folk still were sleeping. Mahiyar departed
To make all ready for the cavalier,
" Gushasp, and told a servant : " Shut the doors,
And send off some one to the flock in haste.

They must not serve the board without a lamb,
And one well fattened too. Wait on Gushasp,
And. when he waketh, bring him ice and sherbet.
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 Shah'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 Iran ? 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 !
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
There is a world of folk from hill and dale.
So now be up and doing, be not slack,
And let not wine affect thee."

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 Arzu
He said : " My gracious Moon ! it was Bahram,
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 Rum 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
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 Shah when in my cups !
Wine maketh old and young to misdemean."

Just then a slave came hurrying and said : —
" The Shah, that ardent spirit, is awake."

Now when the Shah 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 Arzu on whom his heart was set.
Arzu appeared with wine and offerings —

A handmaid with her necklace and her earrings —
And with a lowly reverence kissed the ground.

The Shah -smiled on her greatly pleased and said :—
" Whence such behaviour — first to make me drunk,
Then run a way ? 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,
Mazed at the Shah's good-nature. Came her sire (

With folded arms before the sun-like

Of kings, and said : " O Shah ! O chief I O wise !
O great ! O mighty one ! O warrior !

O archimage ! may this world ever be

At thy dispose and everywhere thy name
Associate with the crown. The man that quaffeth
The draught of foolishness should hold his tongue.
My fault was due to ignorance. Methinketh
That thou must deem me mad. Vouchsafe to pardon
My fault and make my face and faring bright.

I — a foolish slave — before thy door ;
The king of kings will deem me less than man."

Bahram replied : " The wise man never taketh
The drunkard seriously ; one should not eye
Or savour wine if it make sad the face.
I saw thee not ill-tempered in thy cups.
Now listen to the singing of Arzu,
And proffer as thine own apology
The tulips and the jasmine of her song.
Let her descant what while we quaff, not counting
The ill of days not come."

He kissed the ground,

Did Mahiyar, then brought and spread the board,
And, good man that he was, he fetched withal
The nobles that were stationed at the gate ;
Howbeit Arzu 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,
Arzu was called and set upon a seat
Of golden work. The Shah 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.

Shah, 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, Ruzbih appeared

Before the Shah. They lodged him in the village.
Ruzbih had brought a litter and withal
Two score of eunuchs, all moon-face and charming.
Those Rumans' faces seemed brocade of Rum,
And freshened all the country round. Arzu,
A crown of jewels set upon her head,

Toward the bower of Shah Bahram Gur sped.
The king of kings:-. attended by Ruzbih,
Went from the chief's house with a gladsome heart.
' He passed the night and went at dawn to hunt.
Troops fared o'er all the roads and trackless wastes
And thus abode a month. They pitched the tents -
And camp-enclosure, and swept all the field
Of game. None slumbered there, it was all wine,
Game, flesh, and harp, and lyre. They kindled fires
About the plain and burned wood green and dry.

There came a swarm of dealers from the city,
Who tarried at the camp for trafficking :
The crowd made bright the waste. At quarter price
They bought one onager or ten gazelles.-
And whosoever was in want of meat,
For cooking for his guests or for his children,
Might carry home ground-game and water-fowl
By ass-loads.

When a month had passed Bahram
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 Shah observed a town in front of him
With groups of houses, roadways, and bazars,
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 Shah 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 Shah alighted, scanned the house,
And hands and feet both failed him, for the place
Was all sheep's droppings though both great and

vaulted !

" Bring me," he said, " thou hospitable man !
Somewhat whereon to sit."

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 Shah 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 Bahram : —
" Bring fresh milk and new bread if thou canst get it."

" Imagine," said the other, " that thou hast
I should not be so lifeless had I bread,
Though life were better far than bread to me."

Bahram 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 Shah 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 Shah, " 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 long

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 ? "

Bahram
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 : " Farshidward,
A man without land, raiment, sleep, and food."

Bahram asked : " Why endeavour not for provand
And comfort ? "

Said the master of the house : —
' He that bestoweth all may end my days.
If only I can see my desolation

" Relieved of thee I will make prayer to Him.
Why cam'st thou to an empty house that never
Saw good condition and a high estate ? "

When he had spoken thus he wept so sorely
That Shah Bahram fled from his cries. He laughed
At that old man and took the road again,
While all his escort followed in his train.

Bahram, 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 : " Farshidward — 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 dinars, 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 Shah 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."

Bahram Gur gave the grubber some dinars,
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
Bihruz, a horseman brave and popular,
And sent with him a hundred ca'valiers,
Selected men well suited to the work.
He chose withal a scribe, an honest man
And skilled accountant. " Go," he told the grubber,
" Thou didst grub brambles, now reap gold. One

hundredth

Of all that wealth is thine. Show to these men
The way."

The grubber's name was Dilafruz,
A man of stately mien and stalwart form.
Bahram 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 world 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.
Height, waste, and level were one mighty cache,
But none had heard thereof. Bihruz, the son
Of Hur, reported to the king of kings,
Bahram Gur, 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 Shah be boundlessly rejoiced.
A wretch there is named Farshidward, unknown
In feast and fight to great and small alike
Throughout the world, not fearing God or Shah,
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 Shah is just.
Blame not my words and counsel. Let this wealth
Inaugurate a treasury ; 'twill 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 Shah's commands.
My salutation to him. May he live

What while his name is all in all to all."
He sent a cameleer post haste to bear

The letter to the Shah. Whenas Bahram Gur-
Had read it he was troubled in his heart,
Grew downcast, wept, and bent his warrior-brows.
He called for Ruman pens and silk of Chin,
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 Faridun.
Iraj withal, Tur, and, amidst the mighty.
Sam, Shah Kaus, and Kai Kubad, 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 dinars ;
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 Farshidward upon the mendicants
For their relief. Dinars and gems are dust
To him since he must needs go bury them.
May turning heaven be thy companion,
All justice mayst thou be and self-restraint."
They set the Shah's seal on the document,
And thereupon the courier turned and went.

Bahram 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

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,
And hold a hunting-bout upon that plain
To make me a memorial in the world.
Meanwhile the onager will grow plump-necked,
And compass lion's heart and tiger's strength.
We must take dogs and cheetahs, hawks and falcons,
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 Shahrivar
Arose, then all the world was filled with troops.
From every clime an army keen for strife
Set face toward the monarch of Iran,
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 Bahram Gur to dig wells,
To furnish them withal with wheel and bucket,
And run the water into troughs. The Shah
Came later with his meiny to the chase.
He saw the plain well stocked with onager,
The woods alive with lions, and thus said : —

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

Struck at the lion's head and clave the beast

Down to its middle, filling lions' hearts
With fear ; yet gallantly another one

Came roaring, one whose mate was suckling cubs.
He smote that lion's neck and parted head

From trunk. One said to him : O sun-faced Shah !
Hast thou not any mercy on thyself ?
The wood is full of lions and their young —
Cubs that are sucklings. Let the lions be,

For in the autumn-time they breed. This forest
Is three leagues deep, and if thou wert to spend
A year in taking lions wouldst not clear it ;
So why impose such labour on thyself ?
The Shah, when first he sat upon the throne,
Fought lions only as the compact was.
Now thou art Shah, the world is thine, so why
Fight with them still ? Thou cam'st for onager."

" Old sage," the Shah 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 Rum and Chin
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 Shah 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 Chin where lamb and other meats
Were served by the chief server. Shah Bahram Gur,
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 : " Ardshir, 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
The title of world's lord. What time Sikandar

Came to Iran from Rum and wrecked the land, Since
he was both ungenerous and harsh,
And slew kings six and thirty, monarchs' lips
Are Full of curses, and earth's surface full
Of vengeance, on him. Faridun they praise,

lie 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 Barkuh and Jaz
Unlawful hands on aught from jewels, gold,
Dinars, 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 Azargashasp
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 Barkuh, went out upon the plain,
And with their various packs produced a scene
About the host like a bazar in Chin.

Whenas the sun next day displayed its crown
The world-lord went to hunt the onager ;
The soldiers strung their bows, the Shah 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
Thou shoot in person. May thy head and crown
For ever live. When thou tak'st mace and arrow,
And scimitar, thy warriors are awe-struck
At thy commanding height and royal Grace,
While other archers' hands lose all their strength."

The Shah said : " 'Tis of God. If He withdraw it
What strength hath then Bahram ? "

He urged Shabdiz,
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 Bahram,
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 Shah 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 Shah.
He hath no semblance save the moon in heaven,
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 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 Barkuh and from the chiefs
Of Jaz abundance of brocade and furs.
These he accepted and then bade remit

Those countries' tax and toll though both could pay.
Their poor and those that earned their bread grew rich
By reason of his bounty. Many too
Had thrones and crowns. He went home from the

chase,

And passed a week in mirth among his men.
It was his wont to hold an open court
Upon the riding-ground, and thither used
To fare the troops, the men of eloquence,
The wise, the needy, and the suppliants.
" O ye that seek your rights ! " he used to say,
" Take shelter from your enemies with God,
While ye that have not slept through toil for me,
And yet have had no portion of my wealth,
Come to the king upon the riding-ground,
And haply he will make your fortunes new.
If any one is old, past work, and weak,
Or, being young, is crippled by disease ;
If any of the people be in debt,
And worried by the stress of creditors ;
If any children are left fatherless,
And yet ask not of those possessed of wealth ;
Or if the children's mothers are in want
In secret and conceal their poverty ;
Or if, again, a wealthy man hath died,
And left behind young children in this land,
Whom an executor, devoid of fear
And reverence for God, is plundering,
Keep nothing of this kind concealed from me ;
I want not people that conceal their wants.
I will enrich the poor, I will restore
The souls of misbelievers to the Faith ;
I will defray the debts of those who have

No money and whose hearts are sad, and open
My treasury's door to modest indigence.
If wrong befall from officers of mine

Defrauding children that have lost their sires,
Those doers of injustice will I gibbet
Alive for wronging one of noble race."

The Shah, advanced in wisdom and glad-hearted,
Went from the hunting-field toward Baghdad,
And to his presence came the haughty chiefs,
Both alien and those akin to him.
He bade his retinue disperse and sought

His o'wn delightsome palace. They adorned
The bower of Barzin, 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 Shah

Might be not sad of heart. He spent two weeks

In mirth, and oped his treasury day and night,
Gave largess, and departed for Istakhr,
Placed on his head the glorious, royal crown,
Unlocked the bower of Kharrad, and furnished

The Idols there with treasure and with drachms.
If any in that golden women's house
Had not a crown aloft an ivory throne
The 'Monarch of Iran growled mightily,
Bit at Ruzbih his lip in indignation,
And Said : " The tribute from Khazar and Rum

I give when paid, to these, but for the nonce
Now requisition ass-loads of dinars,

And treasure-loads from Ispahan and Rai.
A women's house when in such case as this
Will grow all desolate and not befit
The fortunes of the monarch of Iran."

They spread brocade upon the floor, and caused
Fresh tribute to be paid in every land.
The world thus passed awhile an easy life —
No war, no toil, no conflict, and no strife.

Anon news came to Hind, Rum, Turkistan,
Chin, and all parts inhabited : " The heart
Of Shah Bahram 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 Khan of Chin heard this he levied
Troops from Khutan and Chin, paid them, and set
His face toward Iran. No one took thought
About Bahram while Caesar for his part
Marched forth in force from Rum. When tidings

reached

Iran from Rum and Hind, from Chin and all
The settled regions : " Caesar hath assembled
And led an army forth while troops are seen
Advancing from Khutan and Chin," the chieftains,
The warriors old and young within Iran,
All came before Bahram Gur, 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 Iran, the treasure, and the host."

The Shah, the ruler of the world, thus answered.-:!
Those archimages, his admonishers : —

My helper is the Master of the world,
One who is wiser than the wisest sages.
I by the conquering virtue of great kings
Will guard Iran against the claws of Wolves ;
By fortune, host, wealth, scimitar will I
Avert this pain and travail from the realm."

He' toyed on just the same, his nobles' eyes
Were full of blood through him, and all folk said : —
This Shah will alienate all good men's hearts."
Yet Shah Bahram's heart was awake and full

Of trouble at the tidings. Secretly
He organised the host while folk at large
Knew not his privy purpose. All Iran
Was in dismay at what they saw of him
Their hearts were riven by anxiety ;
They all were in despair about the king,
And held his rule and person in contempt.

Now when the Khan was drawing nigh Iran

News of him reached the monarch of the brave,
Who called to him the aspiring Gustaham,
And spake much of the Khan and of his host.
This Gustaham was paladin in chief.

And minister, and fight came as a feast
To him. The Shah called Mihr Piruz, withal,
Son of Bihzad, he called too Mihr Barzin,
Son of Kharrad. Bahram, son of Piruz,
Son of Bahram. Ruhham and Kharzarwan,
Which twain were of Sasanian lineage,
One king of Rai, and of Gilan
Who stood up stoutly on the day of battle,

With Had, son of Barzin, approved in fight,
Who was the ruler of Zabulistan,
Karan too and Burzmihr and Dad the grim.
Son of Barzin, while of the Iranians
He chose him out a hundred thousand men,
Men of discretion, well beseen in war,
Committing to a scion of the race
In power : " Narsi, the brother of the Shah
So pure of Faith — those cavaliers and throne
And crown that he might guard the treasury
And realm. Narsi, that man of noble mien,
Possessed of Grace and Faith and loving looks,
Took up the charge, and thereupon the Shah
Chose from the host twelve thousand cavaliers
Fit for the day of battle — veterans
With ox-head maces and in coats of mail —
And marched thence to Azar Abadagan ;
But, as he took from Pars so small a host,
The mighty and the common folk alike
Thought : " Shah Bahram is fleeing from the fight,
And making off toward Azargashasp."

What time Bahram set face toward the Fire
From Caesar came an envoy swift as wind.
Narsi received and lodged him fittingly
Within the palace.

Now the host approached
The high priest to get knowledge of Bahram,
And said : " Why scattereth he his treasures thus
Instead of heaping them like other Shahs ?
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 Khan

Of Chin, " Because," said they, " ere evils come " "
With war and pillage we must try all means
To save Iran : the master of the house

Is lost."

Narsi replied : " This is not well ;
The world hath not a bed for such a stream.
Shall I ask quarter of the king of Chin ?
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 Shah Bahram

Because he started with a little band ?
Why have your thoughts turned evil thus ? If ye
Think ill then ill will come."

The Iranians heard,

And answered him perversely, saying : " Bahram,
Departing hence, took not a host with him,
And must we not resign our hearts to grief,
For when the Khan shall come to fight Iran
Our land will lose both scent and hue ? The foe
Will trample on us shamefully, Narsi
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, learned, single-hearted man,
Humai by name, and him the Iranians chose
To gird his loins and undertake their cause,
Then wrote the Khan upon their own behalf
cringing letter which began : " Thy slaves
Are we and bow down to thy will and pleasure
We send thee of the produce of Iran
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 Iran the blest Humai arrived
With certain nobles — men of honest counsels —
And gave the Khan the message of the chiefs,
Whereat his heart rejoiced. Humai withal
Spake of the swift remove of Shah Bahram.
And of his hasty flight without a host,
Before the noble Khan whose heart and soul

Expanded like a rose. He told the Turkmans :—
" Now we have saddled the revolving sky !
Who ever took Iran without a fight
As we have by our counsel, wit, and patience ? "

He gave great presents to the messenger,
Drachms and no few dinars, and wrote this answer : —
" May wisdom company the pure of soul.
I do agree to what hath been proposed
By this ambassador of honest men.
When with my host I reach Marv I will make
The clime like pheasant's plumes, and streams run

milk

By justice, prudence, and magnificence.
I will await the tribute from Iran —
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 Khan 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 Bahram.
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 Khan was looking for the Iranians' tribute,
Wroth that it came so late. Bahram 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.

Soon as tidings came to Shah Bahram : —
" The Khan and his great host are all at Marv,"
He led his soldiers from Azargashasp,
Each with two horses but no baggage-train.
With Ruman helmet, morion, and cuirass
He hurried on like wind by day and night.

His -soldiers rushing like a mountain-stream,
And reached Amul by way of Ardabil.
Departing thence he marched on to Gurgan,
Enduring all the chieftains' toil and pain,
And thence came to the city of Nisa ;
One from Bisa preceded him as guide.

O'er mount and waterless and wayless tracts,

At times unwonted, through the night till morn,
He marched and had the watch out night and day.
Thus Swifter than a pheasant in its flight
He drew toward Marv. A runner from his scouts
Arrived and told : " The Khan attendeth not : "
To state-affairs but followeth the chase
At Kashmihan with wicked Ahriman
As minister."

Bahram rejoiced to hear it :
His travail seemed but wind, There for a day
He rested and, when steed and Shah and troops
Were all refreshed, reached Kashmihan. 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 Shah 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 Khan, aroused
And dazed, was ta'en by Khazarwan. Withal
Three hundred of the noblemen of Chin
Were captured and fast bound on saddle-back.
The Shah advanced on Marv from Kashmihan,
Thin as a reed with riding for so long.
The few of Chin that yet remained at Marv
They slew. He followed up the fugitives
For thirty leagues ; behind him was Karan
Of Pars. Returning to the hunting-ground
He gave the booty to the troops. When thus
He raised his head in triumph over Chin
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.

Bahram Gur stayed to rest at Marv and when
Both Shah and war-steed were refreshed he chose
Bukhara for the next attack, for he

Had changed from gentleness to bitterness.
He reached Amwi in one day and one night,
Intent on conquest not on chase and sport.
He reached it in the night's first watch and crossed
The river and the desert of Farab.
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 Mai 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 Bahram,
With full hearts abjectly. and said : " O Shah !
O mighty one ! O favourite of the stars !
O chief of all the nobles of the world !
Since now the Khan 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 Shah's heart burned

For them. He sewed up with the hand of wisdom
The eye of his displeasure. In concern
That man of God rest 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 Shah 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 Chin.
He reared a column of cement and stone,
Which none, save by the Shah's command, might pass
Out of Iran, Khalaj, and Turkistan.
He made the line between them the Jihun.
There was among the troops one Shahra hight,
A man of wisdom, rank, success, and fame.
Bahram made him the ruler of Turan,
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.
The business of Turan achieved, and when

The Shah's heart was released from care, he bade
A scribe attend him, called for pen and ink
And silk of Chin, and wrote Narsi 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 Chin

A letter to my brother in Iran,
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 Khan
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
Because 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-scattering, parted like a thunder-clap,
And when the letter reached Narsi the heart
Of that prince throbbed with joy. The high priest

came

With all the heroes of the royal race
Before Narsi, the palace rang with joy,
And all gave ear to that report. The nobles
Were pricked at heart for shame before the Shah
By reason of their fault. Among the chiefs-
Six score and ten and more went to Narsi
To proffer their excuses, saying thus :—
" Perverse suggestions and the Div'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,
Surpassing thought and all the providence
Of wise and learned men ! In thy reply,
'Mongst matters fair and foul, vouchsafe to give-
A place to our excuse. Although the chiefs
Have erred the illustrious Shah may pardon them."

Narsi agreed and said : " So will I do
As to release the Shah's heart from revenge."

He wrote at once an answer to the letter,
Disclosing matters fair and foul, and said : —
" The Iranians in their pain and misery,
And for the sake of country, children, treasure,
Went for protection to the Khan of Chin,
Despairing of their own illustrious Shah ;
'Twas not through enmity, offence, or strife ;
No other Shah had gained their preference.
Now if the conqueror, the king of kings,
Will pardon he will make their dark night day.
Me they selected as the advocate
To urge their cause, and bade me : " Plead for us.' '

An archimage, by name Burzmihr, agreed
To go upon that embassage, approached
The monarch of the world, and told him all.
The Shah was well contented by the words,
The fire of his fierce anger ceased to fume.
Then from Chaghan, Khatlan, Balkh, and Bukhara
The chieftains went with tribute, and the archmages
From the Gharchis with sacred twigs, and pleaded
Before the worshippers of Fire, and thus
From year to year all those that had the means
Went to the court with taxes and with tribute.

When the Fire-fane was ready and the place
To hold the feasts of New Year and of Sada
The Shah approached Azar Abadagan,
He and his nobles and his men of name ;
They went to make their prayers before the Fire,
And all the archmages offered reverence.
The Shah gave largess to the worshippers,
And passing thence proceeded to Istakhr,
Which was the glory of the king of kings.
From ox-hides and from sheep-skins, borne before him
Upon the backs of elephants, were scattered
A thousand quintals and eight score of largess ;
Part was in drachms, the rest in gold dinars —
Coin that an archimage of Pars would call
In ancient Persian " paidawasis." 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,
He lavished drachms, for bounty never irked him,
While, thirdly, on the honest folk, the widows-.
And infant orphelins, he showered silver.
Fourthly, on those too old for work or warfare,
And, fifthly, on all those of noble birth
That were despised by wealthy folk, and sixthly
On folk that coming from a lengthy journey
Paraded not their poverty, he lavished
A treasure, and looked round him to do good.
All booty he made over to his troops,
And had no notion of amassing wealth.
He bade a pious archimage to bring: him
The crown worn by the Khan of Chin. They took
The jewels out and used them and the gold
To grace a Fire-fane's walls and decorate
The throne-top of Azar. Thence he departed
To Taisafun where dwelt Narsi with those
Archmages that advised him. All the chiefs,
The great men of Iran, and governors,
Came forth to meet the Shah, and when Narsi
Beheld that royal head and crown, the flags
Resplendent, and that mighty host, he lighted,
With all the great men and august archmages,
And did obeisance to Bahram who bade him
To mount again, and grasped him by the hand,
Then went up to the golden throne and sat
What while the chiefs stood girded in his presence.
He lavished treasure on the indigent,
They opened wide the prison's narrow doors,
The age was filled with jollity and justice,
The hearts of all were strangers to distress.
He banished toil and grief from every clime,
He made a banquet for the great, and all
That hasted to attend the royal board
Received a present worthy of a lord.

The third day at a feast made for the nobles
A scribe was brought and set before the Shah,
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,
Made friends of sages, knoweth that from justice
Naught will proceed but good, and knocketh not
Upon the portal of malignity : —
" If one complaineth of mine officers,

My noble chieftains or my men of war,
They have no prospect but the cell or gibbet,
And, if slain, vile committal to the dust.
Endeavour to make others' travail small,
Give joy and happiness to mourners' hearts,
Because the world hath stayed, will stay, with none ;
Be just and inoffensive, that sufficeth.
I am exemplary of what I say,
And an incentive to all righteousness,
For what a multitude of troops assailed
Me and this noble company, while I
Departed with a little host, and those
Who were mine enemies are now my friends !
One noble personage — the Khan of Chin,
A world-lord having signet, crown, and throne —
I captured, and the Turkmans' fortunes fell.
All-holy God made me victorious,
My foemen's heads have come to dust. Be service
My sole employ, mine every thought be right.
I will impose no tax for seven years is
On subject or compeer. I write this letter
In our old tongue to chiefs and to officials

That they may treat my subjects in accord
To righteous precedent and take no thought
Of doing wrong. Dispatch to me the names
Of those that are in want within your towns,
And in their portion have no day of joy,
And well will I content them. Furthermore,
If there be any men of noble birth.
Who can recall to memory better days,
Them also with my treasures set past need,
And magnify the wise. The folk in debt,
And empty-handed, who are everywhere
Looked down upon and scorned, them too relieve
Of debt and write their names upon the roll.
Pray ye to God to keep our heart thus true
To custom and the Faith, joy in this precept,
And well entreat the underlings. Moreover,
Despise not your own slaves, for they, like you,
Are God's. Let one of wealth, and fit therefor,
Entrust to learned men his children. Make
Their spirits rich in knowledge and encrown
Their heads with wisdom. Keep your hands afar
From others' wealth, be ye without offence,
And worshippers of God. Be diligent,
Break not our fealty, and eradicate
The stumps, the suckers, and the roots of evil.
Seek not to do your neighbours injury,
Especially the magnates and the rich :
Make God your refuge, keep His ordinance,
And your souls pledges of your love for Him.
Whoever hath grown great from nothingness,
And raised himself to independency,
Call him not great, such greatness dwindleth soon.
Be just, be worshippers of God, and wash
Perverseness and injustice from your 'hands.
All ye that have ! withhold not from the poor ;
Incline to holiness and act aright ;
Break not the hearts and backs of suppliants ;
Mishap is nigh to all things done amiss.
God's favour be upon the soul of him
To whom humanity is warp and woof."

When they had written thus on lustrous silk
The scribe dipped into musk his pen and wrote
The heading thus : " The monarch of the world,
The heart of justice, knowing good and ill,
The lord of pardon, Grace, and puissance,
Bahram Gur, the all-bounteous king of kings,
To his marchlords and those beneath his rule —
The wise and understanding, warlike chiefs."
Then runners, cavaliers, and cameleers
Went with the letter everywhere with guides,
And when it came to all the provinces,
To every nobleman and chief, all said : —
" Thanks be to God, the world-lord is devout.

Thereat the women, men, and children went
In all lands from their houses to the plain,
And all invoked a blessing silently
Upon that upright monarch of the world,
Then set themselves to feast and called for wine,
And harp and minstrelsy. They feasted half
The day, the other half they toiled.

At springtide

It was proclaimed before the court at dawn : —
" 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 mans 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 dinars and gave without complaint
A drachm for a narcissus-spike. The old
Grew young of heart with joy, the streams ran milk.
The Shah thanked God on seeing all the world
Thus glad.

One day he thus addressed Narsi : —
" Depart hence with the signet and the crown.
I have bestowed upon thee Khurasan :
Cause it to flourish ; joy our subjects' hearts ;
Be nothing if not just ; stint not thy hand
Within this Place of Passage. If our father

Sought ill he quaked therefor like naked men
Beneath an autumn-blast."

He bade prepare

A robe of honour for Narsi, 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 Narsi
Assumed in peace the rule of Khurasan.

When he had gone one week the Shah, whose heart
Was freed from care, bade, and the high priest went
Before him, bringing certain of the nobles.
The Shah addressed him, saying : " Caesar'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 Falatun,
A man of wisdom, learned, and nobly born.
He left Rum, full of energy, but now,
Since he hath been here, he hath grown depressed,
And torpid like a snake in winter-time,
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."

Bahram Gur 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 Caesar too
Is of imperial race, is great, is sprung

From Salm whose head was crowned by Faridun,
And can recount his lineage sire by sire.
He acteth in a manly, prudent way,
And hath not turned to madness like the Khan.
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 Iran,
The man that treateth with great men is great."

The high priest praised him lovingly and said :
" Live happily so long as heaven revolveth.
He shall not speak save to exalt thy fame :
Mayst thou be chief among the men of name."

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, eloquent,

Of understanding and retentive mind,
Approaching with dejected head and arms

Enfolded, kneeled before the monarch's throne.
Bahram 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 : " Khan,
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 Shah, 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 Caesar's envoy I am thy slave's slave.
I carry Caesar's greeting to the Shah : —
" 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 Shah 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 seven mysterious things whereof this Ruman
Would question us ? "

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 Caesar : " 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

in 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."
When Caesar's spokesman heard he kissed the

ground,

And offered praise. " World-ruling Shah," he said,
Ask nothing more of God, for all the world
Is thine to bid, the heads of all the great
Are under thy control, the world hath not
A king like thee in mind, thou praised by all
The high-born nobles ! while thy minister
In knowledge passeth sage and archimage.
All the philosophers are slaves to him,
And at his wisdom hang their heads."

Bahram,

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 Caesar
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 Caesar'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 Shah'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 Ruman gave assent to what he heard ;
Those words seemed excellent to him ; he smiled,
Did reverence to the Shah and said to him : —
" How happy is the country of Iran !

For others look not on a king of kings

Like Thee, or on a high priest such as thine.
Thou art the world's high crown in understanding,
In priests thou art the greatest of the great.
Wouldst thou from Caesar tribute ? Be it so,
Because thy minister is sovereign
In wisdom," and his words rejoiced the king,
Whose heart grew fresh as roses in the spring.

The envoy left the presence of the Shah,
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-Shah'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, dinars, gems, musk, and spicery,
Beyond that ancient man's imaginings,
The shrewd Shah 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 Shahs unjust and just,
Whose hands oft-times were stretched for ill what while
Their persons lurked mid ease and luxury.
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 Div's work everywhere prevailed : hearts ceased
To fear the Master of the world. The head a

Of virtues and the hand of ill, the door
Of understanding and the quest of wisdom,

Are laid upon the Shah's neck, and in him
Especially are seen both right and wrong.

A who stretched his hand out to injustice,
Was not a holy man, wise or devout.
Hold not his actions strange, for rust attacked
The bright steel of his heart. Consider too
The experience of Jamshid and Shah Kaus
For having sought the guidance of the Div.

My father in like manner followed them,
And washed not his dark soul in wisdom's stream.
His Subjects writhed, and many lost their lives
Through his severity. .Now he hath gone,
Hath left behind him but an evil name,
And hath no praise from any. yet let us
Give blessings to his soul, for God forbid

That it should writhe through our vindictiveness ;
And now that I am seated on his throne

His way will doubtless be to Paradise.
I ask the world's Lord to bestow upon me,
Alike in public and in private, strength
To treat my subjects with humanity.
And make pure musk out of the darksome dust,
That when therewith my body shall conjoin
None wronged by me may pluck me by the skirt.
Put ye too on the robe of uprightness,

With hearts washed clean from wrong, for none is born
Unless to die, be he of Persian, Arab,
Or Human in race ; death's charge is lion-like.
And from its claws none can withdraw the neck ;
It maketh quarry of the rending lion,
The dragon's body 'scapeth not its toils.
Where are the heads and crowns of kings of kings ?
Where are the mighty and the glorious chiefs ?
Where are the cavaliers and haughty ones ?
I see no trace of them within the world.
Where are its fair who joyed those chieftains' souls ?
Know thou that all whose cheeks are 'neath the shroud
Are wedded to the dust. Let all of us
Have hands both clean and good, and not commit
The world to evil ways. I swear by God,
The Lord of all, who gave to me the Grace,
With crown and throne, high birth and quality,
That if an officer of mine shall wrong
The mean or mighty by a pinch of dust
I will consume his body in the fire,
Or hang him to a gibbet by the neck.
If in the watches of the night a thief
Shall steal a poor man's quilt I will make good
His loss from mine own treasury with brocade,
And wash the hearts of mourners from their woe ;
While if a sheep be taken from the flock
In dark night or in snow-storm I will give
Instead thereof a steed of noble race,

And God forbid that I should ask for thanks.
If in a war against mine enemies
A cavalier is wounded in the fight
I will assign him yearly maintenance,
I will not leave his children in distress.
Praise ye the Judge that knoweth what is good
Throughout eternity. Let none lay hand
On water or on fire except the priests
That are fire-worshippers. Slay not draught-oxen,
For they are of avail in husbandry,
Unless past work and worthless to their owner.

Pack-oxen too must not be slain, the land
Else will grow void of grace. Deliberate
In all things with the men of lore and break not
The hearts of children that are fatherless.
Be alien from the promptings of the Div,
In fight ensue not feast. If I require
My subjects to pay taxes I abjure
God, throne. and crown. Since Yazdagird, my father,
Did evil, to redress that wrong have I

Disseminated justice. Let your hearts
All joy to do it and in gratitude
Observe the Cult of Fire. God may forgive him,
And guide him out of Hell to Paradise.
Give pleasure to the young, break not the hearts
Of lieges, keep from drunkenness in age,
For 'tis unseemly in the old to tope ;
Sin ye not therefor, for in age 'tis well
To make your preparations to depart.
If God, the righteous Judge, approveth us
Let not the future trouble you to-day ;

Let there be pleasure in my subjects' hearts,
And let the nobles' heads be free from grief."
The chiefs, on hearing and considering well
His Words, all wept that such an one was theirs,
A Shah so wise and shrewd, acclaimed his worth,
And hailed him as the great king of the earth.

A wise

wazir 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 ;
His bands of plunderers infest the earth
From Hindustan up to the coasts of Chin.
He will lay hands for ill upon Iran,
And thou shouldst apprehend this. Thou art Shah ;
Shangul but wardeth Hind, so why should he
Take toll of Sind and Chin ? Consider this,
And note his plans, for ill must not ensue."

The Shah on hearing this, was full of thought,
The world before him seemed a tangled brake,
And thus he answered : "I will deal herewith
In secret, not consulting any one.
I will myself alone observe his troops,
The conduct of his kingship and his throne,
Approaching him an as ambassador,
And not acquaint the Iranians and the lords.
O holy archimage ! write to Shangul
A firm but courteous letter."

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 Shahs, and none of us allowed
Arrears in tribute out of Hindustan.

Now mark the fortune of the Khan of Chin,

Who came thence 'gainst Iran. He gave to spoil
All that he brought, and writhed for his ill deeds.
I see thee also thus disposed, the same
Perversity, same Glory, and same Faith.
Now I have arms and treasures for the war.
My soldiers are devoted and arrayed ;
Thou canst not stand against my gallant men,
And there is not a general in Hind.
Thou art conceited of thy might, preferring
Thine own rill to the river. Now behold !
I have dispatched an envoy to thee, one
Of knowledge, eloquence, and high degree.
Send tribute or make war and fortify
The passes. Be our blessing on his soul
Whose warp and woof are equity and wisdom.

Whenas air's breath had made the writing dry
The w'riter of the letter folded it,
And then the scribe addressed it on this wise : —
" From this world's king, the monarch shrewd of wit,

The lord of government, the lord of might,
The world's possessor, generous Bahram Gur,
Who on the day of Ard in month Khurdad
Received from Yazdagird the royal crown,
Chief of the marches, guardian of the realm,
To whom Saklab and Rum are tributary,
This to Shangul, who ruleth over Hind
From Sind up to the river of Kannuj."

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 nigh to Hindustan and crossed
The river of magician-land. 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 Shah Bahram."

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. Bahram. Gur
Advanced with stately step, and saw a chamber
With crystal roof. On drawing near Shangul
Bahram 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. Bahram 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 Shah drew nigh
Thereto, did reverence, and paused awhile,
Then quic-kly loosed his tongue. " I have," he said,
" A letter written in our tongue on silk,
Sent to the king of Hind by Shah Bahram —
The world's lord who possesseth crown and throne.'

The king, on hearing what Bahram 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."

Bahram rejoined : " That Shah 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 dinars are vile.

Hath sent the king of Hind an embassy,
And letter writ on silk in Pahlavi."

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 Shah displayeth his imperiousness,
Witness thy journey hither. Should one ask
For tribute out of Hindustan 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,
I am a sea. None fighteth with the stars,
Or seeketh fame by warring with the sky.
Worth is much better than the useless talk
That maketh wise men hold thee in contempt.
Ye have not manhood, knowledge, realm or city ;
Your share of sovereignty is only loss.
My whole land is a hidden treasury
Whereon mine ancestors have laid no hand,
Beside my store of mail for man and steed,
Which, if my treasurer should bring it forth,
Would ask for elephants to bear the keys,
If mighty elephants could carry them ;
And should I count my swords and coats of mail
The stars would seem contemptible in sum
To thee. The earth will not sustain my host,
My throne, and mighty elephants. If thou
Shouldst multiply a thousand thousand-fold
'Twould be the sum of those that call me king.
Mine are the jewels of the hills and seas,
I am the present mainstay of the world.
The founts of aloe, musk, and ambergris,

The hoards of undried camphor and the drugs
That cure the suffering, whoe'er shall ail
Throughout the world, are plenteous in my realm,
As Well as silver, gold, and jewelry,
While fourscore kings with crowns of gold up-gird
Their loins at my behest. My land is full
Of mountain, stream, and chasm ; not e'en a div
Would find his way across it. From Kannuj
Up") to the marches of Iran and thence
Right to Saklab and Chin the chiefs are all
My men and cannot choose but homage me.
The watchmen of Khutan, of Hind, and Chin

Use in their challenges no name but mine ;
All speak the praises of my crown and grow
More serviceable. In my women's bower
The daughter of Faghfur of Chin invoketh
God's blessing on me — me of all the world.
By her I have a lion-hearted son,
Whose' scimitar despoileth mountains' hearts,
No one -since Kai Kaus and Kai Kubad

E'er hath concerned himself about this land.
Three Hundred thousand warlike troops withal
Acclaim me. Of allies I have twelve hundred,
Who all are wholly in my confidence ;
All are my kith and kin by long descent,
And Stand before me here in Hind. Their war-cry
Would make the lions of the jungle gnaw
Their claws. If there were any precedent

For chiefs to slay an envoy out of wrath
Thy head and body would I part, and let
Thy raiment wail for thee."

Bahram replied :—

As thou art great, O king ! sow not the seed
Of wrath My Shah 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 Hindustan 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 Bahram : —
" Thy counsel sorteth not with manliness.
Abide a season and relax thyself,
Why parley to no purpose ? "

They made ready

A splendid hall. Bahram 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 Iranian king, the man
Of fluent utterance and novel aims.
Bring his companions too and seat them where
Ambassadors are placed."

Bahram 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 Div. These noble athletes came,
And girt their loin-cloths round them. Those two

'youths

Contended lustily and strained and writhed
Together. " Now Bahram took up a cup
Of crystal and the wine confused his brain.
He' -spake thus to Shangul : " O king bid me

To gird me for bout, for when I wrestle
Against the strong I am away from harm
And drunkenness."

Shangul said smiling : " Rise,
And, if thou shalt o'ercome them, shed their blood."

Bahram, 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
Bahram 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 Bahram.

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 Shah Bahram to mount and take
His royal bow in hand. Bahram replied : —
" I have a number of Iranian 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 arrow's 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."

Bahram Gur 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 Bahram, thought thus : —
" This stature, Grace, and skill in archery
Resemble not a mere ambassador's
Of Hindustan, of Turkistan, or Persia,
But, be he of the Shah's race or a noble,
'Twere well I call him brother," smiled and said
Thus to Bahram : " Famed, high-born prince ! thou

art

No doubt the Shah's own brother, being dowered
With vigour, strength, and skill in archery,
Because the Grace of kings, the might of lions,
Are thine. Art thou then but a gallant chief

Bahram said : " King of Hind ! discredit not
Ambassadors. I am not of the seed
Of Yazdagird or Shah. To call him brother
Would be a crime in me. A stranger I,
Come from Iran, no seeker after knowledge,
No sage. Dismiss me for the way is long,
And I must not incur the Shah's displeasure."

Shangul replied : " Be not importunate,
For I have somewhat still to say to thee.
Thou must not be so eager to depart,
For hasty going prospereth not. Abide
With us and set thy heart at ease. If thou
Wilt have not mellowed wine then take it crude."

He said thereafter to his own adept : —
" I have a secret for thee. If this man
Be not sib to Bahram, 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 Kannuj.'
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
Kannuj where twice a year the fruit-trees bear,
Where there are treasures, gems, dinars, 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."
The king's experienced minister departed,
Informed Bahram, and pointed him his way,
Then asked his name because without his name
No answer would suffice. Bahram changed colour,
On hearing this, perplexed for his reply.
At length he said : " O man of eloquence !
Make me not wan of visage in two realms.
I will quit not the Shah for any treasure
However much I may be pinched by want.
The teachings of our Faith are otherwise,
As are our estimations, wonts, and ways,
And every one that turneth from his king
Is lost by such revolt. No man of wisdom
Is eager for addition ; bad and good
Are transient with us. Where is Faridun,
The master of the crown, he that restored
The age ? Where are those chiefs of royal race,
The world-lords Kai Khusrau and Kai Kubad ?
Thou hast withal some knowledge of Bahram,
The young, ambitious, and imperious,
Who, if I cross his purpose, will avail
To bring the world in ruins on my head,
Leave Hindustan not field or fell but bear
Off to Iran the dust of Wizard-land.
My better plan is to return to court,
And to the purview of the conquering Shah.
If thou wouldst have my name it is Barzwi ;
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

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 Bahram : " 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.
Let it be thine to go against this wolf,

And pierce its hide all over with thine arrows.
The world may find rest then and by thy Grace,

Victorious one I Thenceforth in mine esteem,
And that of all this noble company,

Thy station shall be such that evermore

The folk of Hind and Chin all shall acclaim thee."

Bahram, the honest, said : " I need a guide ;
Then by God's strength, when I behold the beast,
Thou shalt perceive its garment soaked in blood."

Shangul provided him a guide that knew
The creature's lair and haunt, and then Bahram
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 Bahram
Approached apace. Iranians 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 Shah !
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 Shah.
I fight when I am bidden so that he,
On hearing of it, may advance my rank.' '

Bahram replied : " If holy God hath given
My dust to Hindustan 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.
Bahram, 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 Bahram upon the seat of honour
While all the chiefs of Hind, and cavaliers

Of Chin, applauded him. The lords all came
With offerings and spake thus to Bahram : —
" None ever did a deed to equal thine ;
Its brilliancy is more than eyes can bear."

As for Shangul he was both glad and grieved,
Appearing cheerful and depressed, by turns.

There was a dragon, an amphibious beast,
Which haunted streams and sunned itself ashore ;
It. with its breath, could suck huge elephants

Down, 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 Kannuj and of my realm,
But if he (goeth from me to Iran
Bahram will devastate Kannuj ; 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 Bahram,

Told stories of the mighty men, and said : —
" God, Author of the soul, hath led thee hither
Out of the country of Iran to purge
The ills of Hindustan 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 Shah 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 Bahram : " 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 shalt carry to Iran,
For all the country will assent thereto,
And likewise gifts therefrom of aloe-wood,

Of swords, and goods of all kinds, with the tribute."

Bahram replied : " Great king and sovereign,
Whose word is law in Hind ! by God, the Just
And Holy One's, command I will cut off
The footing of the dragon from the earth,
But must be shown its lair whereof I know not."
Shangul accordingly dispatched a guide
To -show it to Bahram who went his way
With thirty horsemen, nobles of Iran
And swordsmen. Hasting to the stream he saw
The dragon mid the gloom, its form, its writhing.
And furiousness, fire flashing from its eyes.
The nobles of Iran with loud exclaims,
And shrewdly troubled at that dragon, said : —
" Hold not this dragon as thou didst the wolf.
O king ! the other day. By one mishap
Give not Iran up to the wind, rejoice not
Thy foemen here."

The bold Bahram 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, 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
Bahram 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 Bahram
Was in the saddle still. He bade that wains
And oxen should convey the dragon's carcase
To plain from forest, while all Hindustan
Invoked upon Iran the All-Just's blessing :—
" For there a cavalier like this was born

To fight with dragons. One who hath such limbs,
Such stature and such bearing cannot be
But equal to the king in his degree."

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 Shah Bahram'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 Iran,
And cometh to the monarch of the brave,
He will depreciate my host and say
That here in Hindustan 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 Iran.
And with a potentate like Shah Bahram ;
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 Shah Bahram,
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.

This done, abide with me, for thou wilt have

No colour to depart. I will appoint thee
The captain of the host and give thee kingship
In Hindustan."

Bahram 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 Iranian 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 Chin.
Shangul's three daughters came like jocund spring
In all their bravery, their scents, their colours,
And looks, and then he bade Bahram Gur : "Go,
Prepare thy heart to see a novel sight."

Bahram Gur went immediately, beheld
The hall, and of those moon-faced maids chose one
Like jocund springtide, Sapinud 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 Bahram's companions, cavaliers
Of noble rank and masterful, and gave them
Dinars 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 Bahram
He had a turquoise crown and glorious throne
Of ivory prepared, and decked his palace
Of jewelled tracery. All men of name
Within Kannuj 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 Sapinud beside Bahram, the king,
Like wine in crystal goblet glittering.

Intelligence came to Faghfur of Chin :—
" A man of Grace and courage from Iran
Hath reached Shangul as an ambassador.
And verily is of heroic race.
Great exploits have been wrought in Hind and by
The hand too of this valiant lion-man
Through resolution and the might of fortune.
Naught but the crown and throne befitteth him,
And on him hath Shangul bestowed a daughter,
So that his diadem might reach the moon."

That mighty world-lord wrote to Shah Bahram
A letter superscribed : " From him that is
The monarch of the world, the head of nobles,
And crown of chiefs, to that ambassador
Of Persia who with thirty comrades reached
Kannuj." and then proceeded : " I have had
Accounts of thee, thou famed and glorious man !
About thy wisdom, prudence, and advice,
And how thou standest steadfast everywhere,

So that the wolf and that notorious dragon
Could 'scape not from thy shafts and scimitar.
The lady :given to thee is my kin.

Her dust is worth the whole of Hindustan,
And thou hast raised thy head on high by thus
Affining with this mighty potentate.
While in Iran 'twill magnify the Shah.

Whose Crown well may bediadem the moon,
Because his envoy took fit comrades, reached
Kannuj, and clasped a Moon upon his breast.

Now bear the toil, come hither, and abide
Within this land so long as thou mayst wish.
I Will illume mine eyes with seeing thee,
And make thy rede the breastplate of my soul.

Thou shalt go hence at will. I will not bid thee : —
Abide awhile.' So with a robe of honour,
And wealth, depart with joy, thou and thy chiefs,
Well furnished. 'Tis no shame for thee to come
To me ; I have no quarrel with the Shah.
On no wise be remiss in coming hither,
And, when thou wouldst depart, then tarry not."

This letter reached Bahram Gur and perturbed him.
He called a scribe, wrote his reply, and planted
A tree within the orchard of revenge.
The letter thus began : " I have received
Thy words. Thou canst have seen no land but Chin,
For thou hast superscribed thy letter thus :—
" From him that is the monarch of the world,
The most exalted of the glorious chiefs.'
It is not so ; new-fangled majesty
Like thine I do not recognise. Bahram Gur
Alone is king of kings ; we know none other.
No man remembereth any king like him
In courage, knowledge, Grace, and lineage.
Him I acknowledge, as victorious world-lord,
And know him greater than all other kings.
Again, for what thou saidst about my deeds,
And of my toil endured in Hindustan,
That too was all the star of Shah Bahram,

Who hath Grace, throne, and fame. Accomplishment
Is the Iranians' own, they hold fierce lions
Of no account. They all are single-hearted,
They worship God, and in their blest estate
They fear no ill. Again, if king Shangul
Bestowed his daughter on me I achieved
That honour by my courage. He is great,
By his own courage driveth wolf from sheep,
And, thinking good to make affinity

With me, bestowed on me his worthy child.
Again, for what thou saidst : Arise and come,
And I will guide thee unto every good,'
The Shah sent me to Hind, and shall I go
To Chin for painted silk ? If I propose
A course like that he will approve it not.
Thou sayest further : " I will send thee home
Enriched with treasures.' God hath set me past
The need of clutching after others' goods.
I praise Bahram for all his bounty to me,
And offer up thanksgiving to my God
Three watches of the day and of the night.
And fourthly, all the praise that thou hast lavished
Upon me in excess of my deserts,
This I accept from thee, O king of Chin !
And will report it to the Shah. May God
Give thee so many blessings that the sky
May not distinguish 'twixt their warp and woof."

Bahram dispatched this letter to the king
Of Chin when he had sealed it with his ring.

When with the daughter of Shangul Bahram
Consorted she found out that he was Shah ;
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 Bahram.

One day the pair sat happily, discussing
' Things great and small, and Shah Bahram spake thus
" I know that thou dost wish me well, so I
Will tell to thee a secret ; keep it close.
I would quit Hindustan. Dost thou consent
Thereto ? I will take thee withal, but none
Among this folk must know. Within Iran
My state surpasseth this and, furthermore,
The Almighty is mine aid. If thou wilt go
Thy wise decision will promote thy weal,
In every place thy title shall be ' queen,'
And thine own sire shall kneel before thy throne."

She said : " Exalted one ! seek what is good,
And turn not from the way of understanding.
The best of womankind is she through whom
A smile is always on her husband's face.
If my pure purposes are not conformed
To thy command I joy not in thy life."

Bahram replied : " Then frame a scheme but tell it
To none."

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 Bahram,
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.

Bahram departed, neared the stream, and saw
The baggage of some merchants on the road.
They recognised him, and he bit his lip,
For they were of Iran — 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 Iranian 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
The Div if ever we desert the counsel

Of Shah Bahram and contemplate ill-doing.' '

When this oath had been taken and confirmed,
So that the Shah's heart was relieved from care,
He Said : " Guard well my secret. tendering it
Like. life'.- itself. if ye desire to turn
My bondage to a crown ; but if the throne
Be void of me armed hosts will come from all sides,
And leave no merchants here, no Shah, 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
A sea of gore ! Who dareth contemplate
Such things and turn his wisdom to an ax,
His counsel to a hatchet ? "

Hearing this,

The Shah '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
Bahram's wife said to him : " Barzwi 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 Kannuj and hurried to the place
Of feasting. When 'twas night said Shah Bahram : —
" '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 Sapinud. With day begun
They came to land, and brightly shone the sun.

A horseman from Kannuj sped with the tidings
Of Shah Bahram's departure, and Shangul,
Who heard it from that loyal servant, quitted
The chase as swift as fire. He hurried on
Until he reached the river where he saw
Both Sapinud and brave Bahram. He grieved.
Crossed o'er in dudgeon, and upbraided thus
His child : " O wicked wanton ! thou hast passed,
Bold as a lioness, across the river
To go Iran-ward with this lusty knave,
To desert waste from cultured paradise,
Without my knowledge. Now thou shalt behold,
Since thou hast left my pillow secretly,
The impact of my double-headed dart."

Bahram replied : " O thou of evil mark !
Why didst thou urge thy steed as madmen do ?
Thou hast had testimony that in war
I am as with the cup and boon-companions.
A hundred thousand men of Hindustan
Before me would not equal, as thou knowest,
One horseman like me and my thirty comrades,
Famed, clad in mail, and wielding Persian swords.
I will fulfil the Indians' eyes with blood,
And will not spare a soul."

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 ! "

Bahram 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.
The king of kings am I both of Iran
And of Turan, the leader of the folk,
The mainstay of the brave, and will requite
Hereafter thy deservings and behead
Thy foes, hold thee as father in Iran,
And vex thee not with tribute for thy realm.
Thy child shall be the Lustre of the West,
And Crown of dames."

Astounded at his words
Shangul took off his Indian turban, spurred
His steed, and from the front of that great host
Approached the Shah to make excuse, embraced
The king of kings with joy, and sought to amend
What had been said. He was rejoiced to see
Bahram, prepared the board, and brought the cup.
Bahram revealed the secret to Shangul,
Discoursed of the concernments of Iran,
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 Sapinud, 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 Iran :—
The Shah himself with those escorting him
Hath come back from Kannuj," 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 scattered troops. He and Narsi, the high priest,
And all the sages, went to meet the Shah.
When Yazdagird beheld : " His sire Bahram
He lighted down and bent him to the dust.
Narsi, the monarch's brother, and withal

The high priest had cheeks dust-stained but glad hearts.
On such wise Shah Bahram came to his palace
Committing soul and body both to God.

He rested when the world grew dark and while

The moon was like a silvern shield, but when
Day rent night's raiment, and the world's Light

showed,
The king of kings sat on his golden throne,

Gave audience but refrained his lips from speech.
Came all the nobles with the men of lore,
And princes of the empire, then the world-lord
Rose on his throne and spake words just and holy,
First spake of the Creator, then discharged
His debt 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
And signet ne'er lack thee. Realm, crown, and throne
All glory in a Shah that is both wise,
And of victorious fortune, but with thee
Thy hardihood, thy knowledge, and thy Grace
Are greater than the throne of king of kings.
A Shah like thee the world remembereth not
For manliness, for treasure. and for justice.
To bless thee is incumbent on us all,
Both young and old, and we will glorify thee
To God and in the presence of our folk.
No Shah hath sat upon this throne of gold
Like thee in justice, victory, and might.
Thou raisest from the dust the dead by justice,
By goodly speech, and by munificence.
May God almighty be thine aid, and may
The head of fortune's star be in thy lap."
The mighty men and sages prosperous
Went from the monarch's throne with songs of joy.
Then mounting with his troops he drew anear
The precincts of Azargashasp. He lavished

His Gold and jewels on the mendicants,
On those especially that hid their want.
The high priest of the Fire-fane of Zarduhsht
Came muttering prayers with sacred twigs in hand.
The Shah brought Sapinud to him. and he
Instructed her in custom, Faith, and rite,

In limpid water and the good religion
Bathed her and banned from her dust, rust, and soil.
The Shah unlocked the prisons and began
Bestowing gifts of drachms on every man.

Now from his child — the consort of the Shah—
Shangul heard of the doings of her spouse,
And was desirous to behold Iran —
The dwelling of the noble monarch's daughter.
He sent an Indian Eloquent and noble
As envoy to request the Shah 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 Shah's own hand,
And went his way. Now when he reached Shangul,
And when the monarch of Kannuj had seen
Bahram Gur's letter, he prepared to journey
From Hindustan, but hid it from his kindred
In Chin. Seven monarchs followed in his train,
Escorting Rai Shangul upon his way—
The monarch of Kabul, the king of Hind,
The king of Sind with troops, the famous king
Who ruled Sandal, the monarch of Jandal,
A potent prince, the monarch of Kashmir,
A man of mastery, and last of all
The great and glorious monarch of Multan,
All coveters of honour, all with crowns,
All wearing torques and earrings, all with escorts
And camp-equipment. all of them renowned.
Of high estate and rank, all exquisite
With silver, gold, and gems ; their parasols
Were all of peacocks' plumes, their elephants
Had housings of brocade, their escorts glittered
O'er miles with offerings for the Shah and gifts,
Such that dinars seemed worthless in his eyes.
Thus king Shangul and those seven kings withal
Proceeded stage by stage, and, when they neared
Iran with all their precious equipage,
The Shah, informed of their approach, arrayed
A host to go to meet them while the chiefs
Of every city went to welcome them.
The king of kings in wisdom old, and wary
Though young in years, advanced to Nahrawan.
The two illustrious and exalted kings
Drew near to one another, both of them
Alighted from their steeds and, as they met,
Both offering greetings and apologies,
Embraced. Both retinues alighted too :
The world was full of babble. Much talk passed
On matters great and small when thus the kings
Of these two kingdoms met. They both remounted,
As did their worshipful and famous troops.
Bahram Gur set him up within his halls
A golden throne draped as the custom was,
Set wine upon the board and furnished minstrels.
The whole place rang with song. He spread a board,
An arrow-flight in length, with roasted lambs
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 Iran
A paradise or garden where one's friends
Exhale the scent of musk ? "

Thus to the Shah

Said he in private : " Let me see my daughter."
Bahram bade eunuchs of the company

Conduct him to that Moon. The noble king
Went with them and beheld another palace
Like spring. When he beheld her on her throne
Of ivory, crowned with an amber crown,
He came and kissed her on the head, and laid
His cheek to hers and wept exceedingly
For love of her as did the Fair o'er him.
He stroked her hand and speaking of that hall,
That palace, and reception-room, he said : —
" Behold a paradise ! Thou hast escaped
A wretched palace and a foul abode."
The gifts that he had brought with him — the

purses,

The crowns, and slaves withal, the gems and raiment,
Whose value none knew how to estimate,
He gave to her. He gave great largess too,
And that blithe home was like a garth in spring.
Departing thence he went back to the Shah,
Disposed for drinking by his happiness.
Now when the lords were merry with the wine
Shangul departed to his couch to sleep,
And, when the Veil of musky hue appeared
With stars to spot it like a leopard's back,
The revellers betook them to sweet slumber,
While all the attendants stood with folded arms.
Thus was it till that golden Cup appeared,
Which thou wouldst call the sun, flung off the cloak
Of lapis-lazuli, and strewed the waste
With topazes ; then valiant Shah Bahram
Went forth to hunt and took the Indian kings,
Went to the chase with cheetahs, hawks, and falcons
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 Shah. 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-
Had spread abroad integrity and right,
And flung black lies and loss upon the Div : —
" I serve upon the way of use and Faith,
Not that of anger or for vengeance sake.
I have bestowed my daughter Sapinud
As wife on Shah Bahram, that noble prince.
May he live ever as the king of kings,
And be the great ones of the world his slaves.
As soon as I shall quit this Wayside Inn
Let king Bahram become Rai of Kannuj
Transgress not the commandment of that king,
And carry my dead body to the fire.
Give up my treasury to Shah Bahram,

And therewithal crown, kingdom, throne, and casque."

This deed of gift in Indian characters
On silk he gave to Sapinud as hers.

Shangul abode for two months in Iran,
And then dispatched a noble to the Shah
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 Hindustan,
And bade an archimage to choose among
The treasures of Iran — dinars, 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 Chin, dismissed them happy and content,
And went three stages with Shangul. Besides
The gifts he gave them provand to the coasts
Of Hindustan.

When Shah Bahram 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 vizir —
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 :—
" The first score years will I devote to pleasure,

Will set joy as a shoot within my soul,
And in the next will justify the world

By equity and liberality
In public and in private. I will Leave
No corner waste and will provide for all.
In the third score I will entreat the Lord ;
Perchance He will direct me on my way."

The astrologer said sixty years and three,
But of the three the reckoning was not clear,
And so the Shah desired sufficient treasure
To meet the presage of the astrologer,

Else would he have not self-reproach and travail ?

The treasurer went to the treasury,
On hearing this, and laboured at the account.
He toiled exceedingly till he had told
The total to the monarch's minister,
Who thereupon went to the famous Shah,
And said : " For three and twenty years to come
In sooth thou wilt need naught. I have allowed
For provand, largess, and thy famed troops' pay,
For envoys that arrive from other kings,
And from thine own famed provinces, and thou
Possessest! for these years a treasury filled
With silver, gold, and goods."

On hearing this

Bahram 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, idleness, and wealth
The brains of men are ceasing to be wise.
There is such strife and bloodshed in the world
That young men set no value on the great ;
The young men's hearts are filled with many things,
But not with thoughts of Shah and archimage.
Their faces they have turned from gain to guile,
They have grown troublesome and combative.
The peasants, landowners, and unemployed,
All give themselves to battle and contention."

When letters of this kind arrived the Shah
Was heart-pierced at the bloodshed. In each province
He chose officials, wise and understanding
As was befitting, and provided them
Out of his treasury with food and raiment,
The means for largess, and its allocation,
And for six months established offices,
Requiring of his subjects drachms in payment,
And stamping " tax " on silver thus received.
The officers wore crowns and had great state.
For six months he received, for six gave back

To wretched mendicant and man of birth.
He strove in this way to keep men of war
From bloodshed and inaugurating ill.
Again his agents wrote : " Munificence

Hath robbed the world of its security,
For they that have the money pay no tax,
But only meditate more bickerings.
Instead of being crass they have grown cruel,
They are all troublesome and quarrelsome."

Now when Bahram Gur had perused this letter
His heart was troubled at such deeds. He bade : —
" Treat in accord to God's decree all those
That shed blood or employ deceit, that all

May find the means of livelihood."

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 Shah rejoined : —

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
Fruits, seed, and oxen be not stern and harsh

Toward him but kind and aid him from my treasures
That none may be distressed by indigence.
So likewise if the weather causeth loss,
And nobody is sovereign o'er the weather,
Or locusts anywhere conceal the earth,
And eat the herbage to the naked soil,
Give compensation from the treasury.
Proclaim this edict in the provinces.
If there are sterile routes or if the land
Be but a waste and all uncultivate,
And whether it be owned by rich or poor,
From such as I describe demand not aught,
And if a man, one of my servitors,
Or mine own foster-sire, shall take one mite
Him will I bury on the spot alive :
God give him neither home nor dwelling-place."

They sealed the letter with the royal ring,
And sent the camel-posts a-hurrying.

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 Shah. " 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 Shah 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
O'er Saturn's orbit and made choice of Gipsies,

As bidden by the Shah who, when they came,
Accorded them an audience and gave each
An ox and ass, for he proposed to make
The Gipsies husbandmen, while his officials
Gave them a thousand asses' loads of wheat,
That they might have the ox and ass for work,
Employ the wheat as seed for raising crops,
And should besides make music for the poor,
And render them the service free of cost.

The Gipsies went and ate the wheat and oxen,
Then at a year's end came with pallid cheeks.
The Shah said : " Was it not your task to plough,
To sow, and reap ? Your asses yet remain,
So load them up, prepare your harps, and stretch
The silken chords."

And so the Gipsies now,
According to Bahram'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 Shah,
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 Shah ariseth not from sleep
Unless he hath withdrawn him from the lords."
Then Yazdagird drew near his sire and spied
What froze the breath upon his lips : " Bahram
With faded cheeks lay dead on gold brocade !

The day of gloom is as it was of yore,
Sear not thy heart with greed and lust of more.
At death the cores of stones and iron quail,
And here thy strivings are of no avail.
Thou shouldst be inoffensive and humane ;
Why seek addition with its biting bane ?
Woe for that great Shah and his equity !
Oh ! never derogate his memory.
Of fifty monarchs of seed royal sown,
Who girt their loins upon the Iranian throne,
Bahram Gur had no like in eminence,
In justice, puissance, and excellence.
Thou wouldst have called king Rustam but vizir
To him though Rustam sent his arrows sheer
Through mounts of iron, yet was there no delay
When Shah Bahram Gur's term had passed away.
What profit had he from his valour's day ?

For forty days the Shah bewailed his sire,
The host wore raiment black and blue, and when
The charnel closed o'er that famed warrior Shah
" He bore off bounty," thou hadst said, " with him."

Sun. moon, and Venus, Saturn, crown, and throne,
A Shah, like this one, ne'er will look upon.
Woe for that royal mien, that height, and Grace !
Woe for that lofty star, that hand, and mace !
He decked the throne and crown, from Rum and Chin
Took toll and tax, yet passed as he had been

Some starving mendicant ! When all was done
What profited his halls aloft the sun ?
He and the pauper fare the selfsame path,
And each of grief and pain a scantling hath.

The dear delights of earth, the sovereign sway,
What boot they ? Soon thy rule will pass away.
Blest is the pious mendicant and wise,
Whose ears oft feel the world's rough pleasantries,

For, when he passeth. he will leave behind
A good name and a good conclusion find.
His portion is in heaven, and in God's sight
He will have honour, not be in my plight.
In miserable case, calamitous,
With all that I possess sent Hell-ward thus
Beyond recall ! No hope in heaven I see,
My hand is void, both worlds have ruined me !

Now, if I can collect my thoughts again,
The rule of Yazdagird shall be my strain.