Nushirwan I: Nushirwan's Administration of the Realm, his Wars with Frontier-Tribes and with Rum, and the Revolt of Nushzad

" O lofty Cypress, thou that ravishest
The heart ! oh ! wherefore art thou thus opprest
With pleasure, Grace, and luxury anear
Why is thine ardent heart fulfilled with fear ? "
Said to the questioner the Cypress-tree :—
" I was in joy ere age o'ermastered me.
I yield me to the puissance of three-score,
Forbear then and contend therewith no more,
For it hath dragon's breath and lion's claw,
And whomsoe'er it flingeth it will gnaw.
It hath the might of wolf, and thunder-breath,
In one hand care and in the other death.
It maketh stoop the Cypress that subdued
All hearts, it maketh jasmine amber-hued ;
It giveth saffron's tint to cercis-bloom,
And, after saffron's tint, a toilful doom.
The runner's foot is bound though fetterless,
The precious body turned to wretchedness ;
The lustrous pearls begin to fail with me,
And stoopeth too the noble cypress-tree ;
My melancholy eyes bewail and run
Through their debility and travail done ;
My blithe, glad heart is full of pain, and thus
These days of mine have grown ungenerous.
Or ever man is weaned his death is nigh,
And people call him old ! The sovereignty
Of Nushirwan was forty years and eight ;
To look for youth at sixty is too late
For thee, so seek an end to thine affairs,
And wound thy heart no more by gainful cares."

When Nushirwan assumed the ivory throne,
And donned the crown — the lustre of the heart —

The Great men of the world were gathered there
What time the Shah sat with his counsellors.
That chief of famous men then loosed his tongue,
Invoked the righteous Giver of all good,
And said : "Be our hearts filled with praise and love
Toward the almighty Ruler of the sky.
From whom are good and ill, fame and desire,
By whom I am made sorrowful and glad,
Of whom are Grace and strength. By His command
The sun is bright in heaven. We will not quit
His counsels and His covenant, or reckon
Our breaths but at His bidding. He that doth
That which is just upon the throne of power
Will have fruition of good fortune here ;
But he that harboureth an ill intent

Will bring disaster on himself at last.
Whate'er. ye ask of us we will reply,
And in our answer will advise you well.
None wotteth of the secrets of the heart ;
That is a way too strait for me to find ;
But Still if justice be the Shah's employ
It surely will rejoice the hearts of all.
Delay not till the morrow this day's (.work ;
How know'st thou what to-morrow will bring: forth '.

The rosary in bloom to-day will have
But worthless flowers for thee to cull to-morrow.
In days when thou art hale be not unmindful
Of malady, of suffering, and of loss ;

Think of the day of death which closeth life,
And how with death we are as leaves with wind.
When thou art slack to act thou makest all
Thy policy unsound. When envy swayeth
The heart of man no leech can cure that ache.
When passion mastereth wisdom is't not proof
Of madness ? Furthermore none honoureth
The quarrelsome and talkative. The path
That leadeth thee to guile is gloomier,
To right is straiter. Skilful as thou art,
If thou art lazy and perfunctory
Thy work will turn out ill. Whene'er the tongue
Is wedded to deceit it hath no lustre
From heavenly fortune. Feckless folk resort
To lying, and we can but weep for such.
Whenas the Shah is first to rise from slumber
He will be safe from foes and hale of body.
Be wise and have withal enough to eat,
But more than this is anguish, toil, and greed.
Whenas a Shah is just and liberal
The world is full of goodness and of peace,
But if he thwarteth justice in its course
He eateth colocynth and drinketh blood.
All ye in this assembly ! hear what I
Proclaim to you, learn it, observe it well,
And all your years fare side by side with fortune :
Full many a crowned monarch have we scanned,
And our choice is the path of right and wisdom ;
Yet must ye listen to my minister,
For good and ill appear not save through him.
Whoever cometh to this court of mine
With just cause whether in or out of season,
No minister of mine will I approve
That keepeth such a matter hid from me.
As for the officers about my court,
And valiant cavaliers among my troops,

As we stint not the stipend due to them
So must they tender mine own name and fame.
Let all be done humanely and uprightly
Without defect of justice. Every one,
That, being an Iranian, girdeth him
To do his service in this court of ours,
Shall have both treasure and kind words from us
If he shall prove a shrewd and modest servant ;
But if his underlings shall be oppressed,

And he shall be unwise and fear not God,
He shall be punished for his wickedness,
And we should grieve not o'er the fall of one
So despicable. Keep within your hearts
The laws of holy God and fear not us,
For He is King of kings, Lord of the world,
Victorious, and One whose word is law,
The Illuminer of crown and sun and moon,
Who showeth us the way of righteousness.
Lord of the world is He, the Judge of judges,
And higher than the thoughts of every man.
He hath created heaven, space, and time,
And hath adorned our souls and hearts with love.
He is the Guard of crown and lofty throne,

And when thou seekest help will succour thee.
'Tis He hath fired your hearts with love of us,
will hath blinded, heart and eye, our foes.
Well-being is all subject to His hest,
All goodness underneath His providence.
All from the stubble to the seventh heaven —
Air. fire, and water, and our gloomy earth —
Bear witness to His being and afford
Thereof a clear assurance to thy soul.
Whate'er we praise is under His command,
And all our worship dedicate to ;. "
When Nushirwan had spoken all the world
Was lost in wonder at him. To their feet
All rose with praise anew the Shah to greet.

The king of kings called unto him the wise,
And settled the affairs of all the world.
The world itself he parted into four,
Assigning that which was inhabited.
He first of all for Khurasan took thought,
And filled thereby the nobles' hearts with joy.
The second part was Kum and Ispahan—
The seat of magnates and the place of chiefs —
Wherewith Azar Abadagan, whereon
The Iranians lavished offerings, was comprised.
That Shah of wary heart included too
Armenia up to Ardabil and Gil.

The third from east to west was formed of Pars,
Ahwaz, and of the marches of Khazar.
'Irak together with the land of Rum
Came fourth — a splendid realm and populous —
And in these marches to the indigent,
Who had to toil to satisfy their needs,
The Shah made largess of his hoarded treasures,
And all folk blessed him.

Now of former Shahs —
Shahs greater or inferior to himself —
All had required a portion of the crops,
And no man thitherto had 'scaped the tax.
The royal portion was a third or fourth
Until Kubad came and required a tenth.
He meant to have reduced it further still,
And strove to make the lowly like the lord,
But fortune gave him not the time. Whilst thou
Art in the stream ne'er trust the crocodile.
The crown of worship came to Nushirwan.
And he remitted all the tenth forthwith.
The sages, chiefs, great men, and archimages,
The shrewd of heart, assembled — all the rulers.
They had the land partitioned and surveyed,
And laid thereon a land-tax of one drachm
So that the owners might not be distressed.
All that lacked seed or beast, when they should be
Preparing for the crops, were subsidised
Out of the treasure of the king of kings
So that they might not let the ground lie fallow.
Land, if untilled. was left out of account ;
The previous usages were done away.
On each six fruiting vines a drachm was levied,
Date-palm plantations paid an equal tax,
While each ten stems of olives and of walnuts.
And other trees that bear their fruit in autumn,
Brought one drachm to the treasury, and this
Was made the only burden of the year.
To fruits that ripened in the month Khurdad
No heed was paid in taxing. From the men
Of means who neither owned nor tilled the soil
The tax-collector every year received
A payment ;varying from ten drachms to four ;
But no one was oppressed because the money
Was paid in three instalments annually,
And thus a third part of the tax was paid

Each four months to the exchequer of the Shah.
The royal Scribes and officers employed
Within the taxing-office passed all count.

The Shah had these above-named tolls and imposts
Recorded by the archmages in three ledgers,
Whereof he gave one to the treasurer,
And made that minister account for it ;
The second was for sending through the realm
To all officials and the men in power ;
The third was handed to the archimages
To keep account of all the revenue.
All that concerned tax, toll, and husbandry
Was done by order of the Shah himself,
And he had agents scattered everywhere
To keep him cognisant of good and ill.
He filled with justice all the face of earth,
And cultivated all the barren lands ;
Both great and small slept safely on the waste,
And sheep and wolf came to one trough. He bade
To draw up in the olden tongue a letter —
One that will pleasure thee to hear from me.
It thus began : " From Nushirwan, the chief—
The king of kings, the worshipper of God,
A Bough fruit-bearing from the Tree Kubad—
Who hath assumed the crown of majesty,
And in especial prospered all the land,
For God, the just Judge, gave him Grace divine,
To all the officers of revenue —
Thralls of the shadow of our Grace and throne —
Our well weighed greetings unto you whose birth
Hath been exceeded by your own deserts.
Here at the outset of our task we first
Give praises to the Maker of the world.
Know that the man is wise and shrewd of heart,
Whose praise is of the righteous Judge of earth,
Well knowing that He hath no need of us,
And that all secrets are revealed to Him,
Who when He willeth to exalt a man
First maketh him superior to all want.
He bade me judge, but He is Judge Himself,
And higher than all height eternally.
In God's sight king and subject are as one,
And saving service none hath aught to do ;
From the abyss of earth to heaven above,
And from the sun to dark and sorry dust,
The ant's foot beareth witness that He is,
That we are bondslaves and that He is king.
All His commands to us are righteousness ;

It is the Div that causeth lies and loss.
Now if my portion of the spacious world
Had been a garden only, park, and palace,
My heart had chosen naught but love and justice,
And kept a smiling face for everything ;
But now the expanse of all the world throughout
From east to west hath God, the Holy One,
Bestowed upon me as my sovereignty —
All from the bright sun to the darksome dust—
And I must practise naught save love and justice
Although I furrow mine own face thereby.
If careless be the shepherd and the waste
Thus vast the sheep will 'scape not from the wolf.
As for my subjects, whether country-folk
Or those devoted to the Cult of Fire,
Be they in drouthy dust or ship at sea

By Day or night alike, or be they merchants,
Engaged in voyaging over wet and dry

With monies and with lustrous pearls and musk,
The sun must shine not from the arch of heaven
Upon them save in justice and in love.
Now this hath been the custom of our race
That son should have his father's crown and this
The world hath recognised as just and right
With one consent in public and in private.
We have imposed a land-tax and a tree-tax
For sustentation of the throne and crown.
Now when they bring this letter to you may
Urmuzd prove fortunate to you. Whoever
Herein transgresseth by a single drachm,
Or doth injustice for a single breath,
I swear by God, who hath bestowed upon me
The diadem of Grace, that I will saw
That man in twain ; such is God's chastisement
On those whose evil seed hath come to fruit.
Observe this letter and this ordinance,
And turn not from the glorious Way and Faith.
Demand with justice and with courtesy
The instalment of the tax due each four months ;
But where the. locusts have been ravaging,
Or sunbeams beaten on the parched-up earth,
Or where the blast or lightning of high heaven
Hath brought disaster on the cultured fields,
Or if rain falleth not at the New Year,
So that the jocund crops are vexed with drought,
Demand no tax upon those fields and crops,
Because the spring-clouds have not watered them,
And pay the seed sown and the labourers' hire
Back to the farmers from the treasury.
The lands whose owner is deceased and hath
No kith and kin must lie not waste, for they
Are underneath the shadow of the Shah ;
Else will the foe make scorn of my resources
With such a pretext ready to his hand.
Give what is needed from the treasury,
For God hath set me out of reach of need.
If lands within my power lie desolate,
Unsheltered by the shadow of my wing,
Whoe'er he be that is responsible,
And doth neglect the task, hard though it be,
Him, whether lord or underling, will I
Hang from the gibbet on the spot. The great—
The Shahs of yore — had other usages,
With their officials rested right and wrong,

The world lay open to the cavaliers,
Who wantonly mocked wisdom and ne'er rested
From adding to their wealth. My wealth is justice ;
The people of the land compose my host ;
I will not cast a glance upon dinars.
To win by equity the world's regard,
And to respect the worth of men of birth,
Are dearer to me than the wealth of foes
That seek to win my kingdom and my throne.

The general that selleth men for gold
Shall get no entry to my court whereat
They are. esteemed that follow justice, love,
Law and the Way. When my shrewd officers
Assemble at the office of the archmage,
And falsehood showeth in the words of any,
He shall receive no grace from us henceforth.
I do not love the man that is unjust ;
The Leopard and the oppressor are as one.
All they that have ensued the way of God,
And bathed their dark souls in the stream of wisdom,

Shall have a lofty station at our court,
High estimation with the archimages,
And from their God for that which they have sown
The Recompense of jocund Paradise.
We are ourselves exempt from need of wealth
Whereby the soul is minished and accursed.
He that doth eat the flesh of mendicants
Will find, no doubt, some nurture in their skins.
A pard is Better than a king like that,
Who hath no modesty, no rule, no Faith.

The way of right is open to us. Why
Knock we in folly on the door of loss ? ?
To do ill closely, justice openly.

So that the fame thereof may come to us,
In high consideration at our court ;
But he hath God's approval and our own
Whose love and justice are as warp and woof."
If thou art just, O monarch ! thou wilt give
The world a record of thee that will live,
For every one will praise eternally
The Shah that brought the world prosperity.

Of all the Shahs that erst had throne and crown,
And had been great in treasure and in troops,
There was not one more just than Nushirwan,
And may his soul be young for evermore.
None was more worshipful for manhood, throne,
For diadem and knowledge. He possessed
An archimage, Babak by name, a man
Of wisdom, shrewd of heart, and fortunate,
Made him the muster-master of the host,
And bade him to prepare himself an office
Of ample size before the palace-gate,
And higher than its top, and furnish it
With carpets that were worthy of a king
To seat the clerks engaged upon the work.
A proclamation issued from his office,
And all the folk gave ear : " Famed warriors !
Mount and attend the portal of the Shah,
All ye that would have guerdon at his hands !
With iron helmets set upon your heads,
Arrayed in mail and bearing ox-head maces."

The troops came to the office of Babak,
The air was darkened by the horsemen's dust.
Now when Babak reviewed the host he missed
The standard and the chief of all the noble.
He left the office, mounted on his steed,
And bade the soldiers go back to their quarters.
The turning sky continued on its course,
And when the radiant sun displayed its face
It was proclaimed before the palace-gate : —
" Ye mace-men of the army of Iran !
Go all in full array with arms and bows
And lassos to the office of Babak."

They went with lances, helms, and coats of mail ;
The army's dust ascended to the clouds.
Babak looked round upon the host but, since
The Shah appeared not in his Grace and state,
Thus spake : " Return glad and victorious
In love and duty, each man to his quarters."

Again the third day rose the proclamation : —
Ye men of name, of Grace divine and wisdom !
Let there not be one horseman of this host
Without his helmet and cuirass of war,
And let him come and pass before this gate.
And see his name upon the muster-roll.
Let those that are distinguished by a crown.
By Grace, by majesty, and lofty fortunes,
Know that this muster is without respect
Of persons, reticence, and modesty."

The king of kings gave ear thereto and heeded
The proclamation from Babak's divan.
Then smiling called for coat of mail and helm.
And held erect the flag of majesty.
The Shah, with iron helmet on his head,
Proceeded to the office of Babak.
The chain-mail him down from his Ruman helm,

And was secured by many a fastening,
Within his hand he had an ox-head mace,
Within his belt four shafts of poplar-wood,
A bow on arm and lasso on the saddle.
While round his loins he had a golden girdle.
He urged his charger, gripping with his thighs,
And laid the massive mace upon his shoulder ;
Then, lightly wheeling both to left and right,
Displayed both steed and rider to Babak,
Who when he had inspected them approved,
And, having come up to the king of kings,
Said thus to him : " O Shah ! mayst thou be blessed
May wisdom be the provand of thy soul !
Thou hast adorned the kingdom's face with justice,
Such that with us 'tis thy memorial.
What I have said was boldness from a slave,
But never must thou turn from what is just ;
So now, I prithee, wheel thee to the right
With all the skill whereof thou art the master."

Then Nushirwan again urged on his steed
To right and left as 'twere Azargashasp.
Babak looked on amazed and oft invoked
The Maker of the world. A horseman's pay
Ran from a thousand to two thousand drachms ;
Four thousand were the most that any had.
Babak paid to the Shah just one drachm more.
Then from the office-door 'twas cried : " Exhibit
The charger of the first of warriors —
The horseman of the world, the famous Shah,"
While Nushirwan laughed heartily, for fortune
Was young with him and he a youthful king.
Now when Babak had left the royal office
He came before the noble Shah and said : —
" Great Shah ! if I,. thy slave, made bold to-day
The purpose of my heart was right and just :
Let not the Shah take notice of my harshness ;
It is not harshness to discharge one's duty,
And blest is he who meant not to be harsh."

" O man of wisdom ! " said the Shah to him,
" Keep thyself ever in the path of right,

Whereof thou break'st! the heart by self-regard.
Know that thou art the dearer in mine eyes ;
But mine anxiety is for myself—
How. when the army is engaged in fight,
I shall comport myself upon the field."
Babak made answer to the noble Shah : —

crown and signet will behold thy like,
While painter hath observed not limned in hall
A hand and rein like thine. O king ! Oh ! may
High heaven accord to thee thy full desire,
Oh ! may thy heart be glad, thyself unscathed ! "

Thus to the archimage said Nushirwan : —
" Our justice shall make old folk young again.
The king must leave as his memorial
Within the world but righteousness alone.
What need have we for such a treasury,
Such toil and greed, and to confine our soul
Within this Wayside Inn ? I The need, since here
Is no abiding, is to eat and drink.
I have been troubled with the world's affairs,
Although I kept these matters to myself,
Because my royal crown hath enemies.
And Ahriman doth compass me about.
Methought : I will bring troops from every, side
And summon warriors from every province,
But for the levy I have need of treasure,

Which I have But to labour to amass ;
Still if this bringeth evil on the poor
I must refrain my heart from this desire.'

So I revolved this matter in my heart,
And. having come upon a wise resolve,
I wrote a Letter to the paladins,
The mighty men. and prudent archimages-
To all the nobles and the potentates
In all the provinces, and thus it ran : —
" All ye possessed of wisdom and of sense !
Bring up your sons for military service,
Dispatch them to the field equipped for war,
And look to me for honour and reward.
They must be able to distinguish hand
And rein from stirrup on the hills and dales,
And learn to battle with the enemy
With mace and scimitar, with bow and arrow,
Because a youth unskilled availeth naught
Although he be descended from Arish.'
The muster-master went forth from the court,
With money for the chiefs, to every province,
And now in sooth I have adorned the face
Of earth with men prepared to take the field.
I have more knowledge, policy, and method
Than former Shahs, and greater armaments."

The archmage, when he heard the Shah speak thus,
Called praises down upon the crown and throne.

The payment was delayed for forty days,
And then the athelings, equipped for war,
Went to the office and received their pay
While joyance was the order of the day.

Now when the sun displayed its shining face,
When circling heaven unlocked the garden-gate,
And when the Mound of Fenugreek appeared
While dark night's tresses vanished, Nushirwan,
All smiles, glad-hearted, and of youthful fortune,
Sat on his throne, while all that sought redress
Flocked to his court. The king harangued them
thus : —
" Acknowledge that ye have not any helper
Save holy God, the Lord of all, our Guide,
Who leadeth us in both worlds by the hand.
Fear not the throne and crown, the court is open
To all, and ye soe'er that come thereto
By day and night keep not your lips from speech.
If we are quaffing wine in company,
Or busied with advisers, or at polo,
Or on the hunting-field, the way is open
For you to us. Let access be withheld
From none because I am asleep, awake,
At work or play. Let none of you withdraw
From us to sleep with wants unsatisfied.
My heart will be rejoiced and bright whenever
I break the travail of the oppressed. Please God,
No officer of mine, no man at arms,
No servitor, shall sleep with heart aggrieved,
For from his grievance harm will come on me.
However trifling or obscure the matter
The Maker will require it at my hands.
For tolls and imposts, other than the archmages
Are now concerned with in mine offices,
No gold or silver shall be asked of you.
So sleep all unafraid of me henceforth.
Then sunward from the face of earth applause
Rose from the hall : " May Nushirwan have Grace,
And all his years the crown of king of kings !
Ne'er may the throne, the state, and famous crown
Of sovereignty be void of him ! "
They went
Their ; ways, glad and rejoicing, and earth's face
(Grew like the garden of Iram. Thou hadst not
Seen any one despondent in the world,
While from the clouds came seasonable rain,
The world resembled jocund Paradise,
The clouds sowed tulips in the pleasances,

The dales, the plains, and orchards shone like lamps,

The uplands were like garths, garths like the sun.

Thereafter tidings came to Rum and Hind : —
" Iran is like fine painted silk of Rum ;
The Shah hath decked with armaments and justice
The earth till it is like the shining moon.
No one in all the world doth know the sum
Of all his forces save the Shah himself.
They all are blithe of heart and dight for war,
Have fame and glory and illume the world."

The kings of all the realms were sore amazed
At heart ; their souls were dark through Nushirwan.
Ambassadors arrived from Hind and Chin,
And all kings called down praises on the Shah ;
They saw that they could counter not his might,
And hasted to pay tribute with good will,
Bare them as underlords to Nushirwan,
And gathered slaves and purses for his service.
With golden maces and with golden crowns
The envoys went upon their way. They reached
The court-gate of the monarch of the world,
And brought the toll and tribute of their lords.
The court appeared adorned like Paradise
Through all those purses, slaves, and audience-seekers.
Thus for a while the heavens turned above,
Consorting with the Iranian king in love.

Then Nushirwan, the wise, made this resolve —
That he would sojourn for a while abroad
To make the circuit of the jocund world,
And bring whate'er was hidden to the light.
He beat the kettledrums, marched forth the host,
And sun and moon were both astound at him.
What with the troops and jewels, gold and silver,
The golden girdles and the golden shields,
Thou wouldst have said : " No gold is left within
The mines, no gems or lustrous pearls remain !

He led his host toward Khurasan at leisure.
All heedful of Sasanian precedent.
Whenever he passed settlements he pitched
His camp and camp-enclosure on the waste,
And when the blare of clarions rose there went
A herald first afoot who thus proclaimed : —
Ye subjects of the monarch of the world !
Is any privily aggrieved at us ?
Sleep not despairing of the Shah, allow not
Your souls to fail with care."

He led the host

Thus to Gurgan and bare with him the crown
And throne of chiefs. Know, justice is no loss :
Shahs should have prowess, rede, and noble birth.

Now when the nightingales were full of song

They went thence toward Sari and toward Amul,
Where hill and plain were clothed with forest-trees,
Which filled the Iranian monarch's heart with thought.
He left the plain and mounting to the heights.
Still seated on his Arab bay looked out
O'er mountain and o'er forest, and observed
Rose, hyacinth and game, and water there
And thus he said : " O Thou almighty Judge
The World-lord, Conqueror, and Fosterer '
Thou art the Maker of the sun and moon.
The ( Guide and the Revealer of the way.
Thou mad'st the world of such delightsomeness
That we distinguish not 'twixt earth and Heaven.
Whoe'er shall worship any save Thyself
Will send his soul to Hell. It was for this
That pious Faridun forwent Iran,
And made his dwelling here, so passing fair
Is this place and delightsome to the heart,
Where water is rose-water and the soil
Is spicery."

One said : O righteous judge !
If this were not a highway for the Turkmans
Our hearts would be not empty of delight,
Such are the wealth and glory of this place ;
But as it is we cannot raise our necks
For constant murders, sack, and harryings.
There are not many left or even few
Of fowl or men or cattle on this spot.
This is the only route between the realms,
And causeth loss to the Iranian folk.
There came much toil and strife in former times,
But then the Turkmans' route was through Kharazm.
Now for the merchant or the thane to raise
His head would be in vain. However, now
That thou hast led an army to these parts,
Avert this ill from us and bar the way.
Thy treasures will be more, not less, thereby :
Now is the time to render us a service."

The Shah, whenas he heard the suppliant,
Showered tear-drops from his eyes and thereupon
Addressed his minister and said to him : —
" A very grievous toil confronteth us.
Henceforth 'tis not for us to fare and feast,
Or even tender our own crown, for God
Will sanction not the wrong in us that we
Shall be in happiness while thanes are grieving.
Such mountains as these are, such spacious plains,
All fit for gardens, grounds, and palaces,
And filled with cattle, game, and running water,
So that the soul is freshened by the sight —

We must not let the Turkmans lay them waste,
And desolate the country of Iran.
My kingly office, prudence, policy,
Humanity itself, will brook it not.
Men will invoke not blessings on our heads
What time Iran is lying desolate."

He Bade his minister : " From Hind and Rum
Select men famous in those cultured lands
From all the provinces, foreseeing men,
Such masters in their craft as thou canst find.
And build me from the sea a lofty wall,
On broad foundations and ten lassos high,
Of stone and mortar, starting from the deep,
And rising to the fountain of the sun.
In this way surely we shall form a bar,
And loss from foes will come not on Iran.
Use no forced labour, ope our treasury,
And pay to every one what he demandeth.
The labourer, the thane, and man of birth
Must not be incommoded by the blast."

He made An old archmage the overseer,
And shut out all the desert by the wall,
Wherein they set a mighty iron door,
And all the flock grew fearless of the wolf.
Of frontier-guards he stationed many a post,
And having made all safe, led on the host.

Thence from the sea he went toward the Alans,

And finding there ravaged, barren march
He thus addressed his chiefs : " It is a shame

For regions in Iran to lie thus waste,

And we must suffer not our foes to say so."

He chose an envoy from among the troops,
One, as was fitting, wise and eloquent,
To whom he said : " Depart hence with the dawn,
And say thus to the marchlords of yon folk : —
" From mine intelligencers have I heard
All that hath passed in public and in private,
And that ye say : " Why fear we Nushirwan ?
As for Iran it is a pinch of dust."
Now have we come anigh you and set up
Our camp, our camp-enclosures, and our court.
Your wastes are spacious and your mountains high,
Your troops are armed with arrow, mace, and lasso.
Your gorges are the place for ambuscades,
Land, mountain, field and fell, are all your own.
We — general and soldiers — challenge you,
We who are strangers in a foreign land.' '

The envoy went his way and spake the words
Dictated by the monarch of Iran.
The host of the Alans assembled — all.
The great, the sages, and the counsellors —
A host that found employ in pillaging,
And recked but little for the Iranians,
Iran was wont to stand in awe of them ;
Folk had no raiment, gold, or silver left,
And men and women with their babes and beasts
Were wont to quit their homes and seek the plains.
The envoy told the Alans, withholding naught,
The message of the monarch of the world,
Whereat the faces of the chiefs grew black ;
The words of Nushirwan amazed their hearts.
The great men and the chieftains of that march
Went forth with contributions and much tribute,
With slaves and raiment, and with gold and silver,
And many a noble steed, while of the folk
All that were men of years and eloquence
And wisdom-seekers, came to Nushirwan,
Bewailing their past doings. When they reached
The tent-enclosure of the Shah with presents,
And gifts, they cried and wallowed in the dust,

Their eyes fulfilled with tears, their hearts with blood.
For shame and self-excusing is no need

When wisdom and the valiant are agreed.
The prudent Shah was gracious unto them,
And pardoned all that they had done amiss ;

Then ordered that upon the wasted lands —
The lurking-place of lion and of leopard—

They should erect a city with all speed,
With room for sowing and for harvesting.
The whole surrounded by a lofty wall
That ill might not befall from enemies.

Alans made answer to the noble king,
And said : " With earrings on as slaves of thine,
And, as the Shah hath bidden, we will raise
The ramparts of a noble seat."

The Shah

Marched thence to Hindustan and sojourned there
At his commandment all folk came to him,
Came seeking to ingratiate themselves,
And for two miles beside the Indus-bank

Were horses, elephants, brocade, and coin.
The great men all with honesty of heart
And loyalty appeared before the Shah.

Who questioned them and well entreated them.
And placed them in accordance to their rank. With jocund

heart

Troops, steeds, and elephants fulfilled the world.

He went his way, and tidings came to him :
The world is wasted by the Baluchis,
Till from exceeding slaughter, pillaging,
And harrying, the earth is overwhelmed,
But greater ruin cometh from Gilan,
And curses banish blessings."

Then the heart

Of Nushirwan, the Shah, was sorrowful,
And grief commingled with his joy. He said
To the Iranians : " The Alans and Hind
Were, in their terror of our scimitars,
Like silk. Now our own realm is turned against us
Shall we hunt lions and forgo the sheep ? "

One said to him : " The garden hath no rose
Without a thorn, O king ! So too these marches
Are ever troublesome and treasure-wasting.
As for Baluch the glorious Ardshir
Tried it with all his veteran officers,
But all his stratagems and artifices,
His feints, his labours, arms, and fighting failed,
And though the enterprise succeeded ill
He cloaked the failure even to himself."

This story of the thane enraged the Shah,
Who went upon his way toward Baluch.
Now when he drew anear those lofty mountains
He went around them with his retinue,
And all his host encircled them about,
And barred the passage e'en to wind and ant.
The troops, like ants and locusts, occupied
The mountain-outskirts to the sandy desert.
A herald went his rounds about the host,

Proclaiming from the mountains, caves, and plains :-
" Whene'er the Baluchis are seeking food,
If they be warriors and carry arms,
However many or however few,
Let not a single one of them escape."

The troops, ware of the anger of the Shah,
Stopped every outlet with their horse and foot ;
Few of the Baluchis or none survived,
No women, children, warriors, were left.
All of them perished by the scimitar,
And all their evil doings had an end,
The world had quiet from their ravaging :
No Baluchi, seen or unseen, remained,
While on their mountains, so it came to pass,
The herds thenceforward strayed without a guard ;
Alike on waste and lofty mountain-top
The sheep required no shepherd. All the folk
Around thought nothing of past sufferings,
And looked on vale and mountain as their home.
Thence toward Gilan marched Nushirwan, for there,
And in Dilam, was trouble manifest.
The army stretched from sea to mountain-top,
The air was full of flags, the earth of troops.
The army was extended round Gilan,
And light departed from the sun and moon.
Thus spake the Shah : " Among the small and great
No trace of Wolf and Lion must be left."
So mighty was the slaughter in the land
That all the region's face was bathed in blood.
At all the slaying, pillaging, and burning
The men and women sent up wails of woe.
On every side the slain were piled in heaps,
The grasses smirched with brains. The warriors —
The just, the prudent and the men of weight —

Remaining in Gilan bound their own hands,
And with their women-folk behind, their children
Before them, came lamenting to the king
With bosoms rent and dust upon their heads.
They all assembled at the monarch's court
With bounden hands and wounded bodies, saying : —
" We have turned back upon our evil courses ;
Oh ! that the Shah would cease from his displeasure !
If he is vexed at heart against Gilan
We will behead ourselves with our own hands.
It may be that the Shah then will relent
When he shall see the heaps of severed heads."

When such a cry rose from the court, and when
The Shah had listened to their supplication,
He pardoned them ; the past was blotted out,
But he required two hundred hostages
Both from Gilan and from Dilam that none
Thereafter might pursue the path of ill.
He left a paladin with them to stay,
And, having ordered all things, marched away.

Next from Gilan he marched toward Mada'in,
Not knowing his troops' number or extent.
Now as he journeyed on appeared afar
A boundless host of wielders of the spear.
A cavalier — one of that great array —
Approached as quick as dust on their behalf,
And, having lighted from his charger, said : —
" Behold Munzir the Arab."

When Munzir

Drew near the Shah all chiefs made way for him.
The Shah saluted him with signs of joy,
And brightened at his looks. That veteran
Set loose his tongue, discoursed of Rum and Caesar,
And said : "If thou art monarch of Iran,
The guardian and the backbone of the brave,
Why do the Rumans lord it so and prance
Upon the desert of the cavaliers ?
While if the Shah be Caesar's overlord
That haughty potentate should lose his head.
Now if the noble Shah will give permission
No more will he behold us asking aid,
And in the fight the horsemen of the desert
Shall triumph o'er the cavaliers of Rum."

The Shah was wroth that Caesar should exalt
His crown, as said Munzir, and, having chosen
Among the troops a man of eloquence,
And learned in Caesar's tongue, said thus : " Go thou
To Rum, take not thine ease in peopled parts,
And say to Caesar : " If thou lackest wisdom
Thy brains will sorrow for thy policy.
The warrior-lion chasing onager
Will batten on them even in a salt-marsh.
For thee to have thy just dues from Munzir
Sufficeth seeing that Vega is his throne.
Discern then 'twixt thy left hand and thy right,
And, when thou knowest, claim what march is thine.
Since I am the distributor of lands
And realms, am highest in the world and chief,
My conduct shall be worthy of myself :
I will let not the wind blow on Munzir.

Since thou hast stretched thy hand upon the Arabs
In fight take privy heed for thine own self.
Moreover all that sovereignty is mine,
And mine is all between the Bull and Pisces.
If I shall send an army into Rum
Thy sword of steel will prove a sword of wax.' "

The ambassador came forth from Nushirwan
As 'twere a torrent, came and gave the message

To Caesar, but that worthless recoiled
From what was just, replied evasively,
Imagining a fall from power remote,
And answered thus : " As for that fool Munzir,
Take what he stateth at its proper worth.
If he complaineth out of wantonness,

Exaggerating thus the evil done,
Or if a single man complain within
The desert of the wielders of the spear,
I will convert the heights of earth to breadths,
And that unwatered desert to a sea."

The envoy heard, came swift as dust, and told
The words of Caesar. Nushirwan enraged
Said to his minister : " The brains of Caesar
Are wedded not to wisdom. I will show him
Who hath authority, the power to conquer
The world, to levy war, and make a pact.
His overweening and his haughtiness,
His labour, pillaging, and harrying,
He shall repent more dearly than the drunkard,
That thrusteth both hands in the fire at night."

He then bade blow the trumpets, and a host
Was gathered unto him from every side ;
The din of tymbals went up from the court-gate,
Earth was pitch-hued and air was ebony.
He chose of cavaliers from that famed host
A hundred thousand armed with scimitars,
Entrusted that great army to Munzir,
And bade him : " From the desert of the spearmen
Lead unto Rum an army of the brave
To set the frontier and the land afire,
For youthful monarch though I be and though
I am but newly famoused in fight,
Yet fear not Rum or Ruman, thou ! for I
Regard the Ruman as a pinch of dust.
Now will I send me an ambassador —
A man of eloquence — to him. Henceforth,
If thou experience naught calamitous,
That Caesar should keep Rum would pleasure us.

The Shah then called a scribe that was at court.
And bade to write a letter unto Caesar : —
" From Nushirwan, the Shah of glorious birth,
The world-lord and successor of Kubad,
To Caesar, the exalted lord of Rum —
Guard of the marches of that prosperous land."

The letter opened with the praise of God
From whom alone all greatness must be sought —
" The Master of the circling sun and moon,
The Source of victory and mastery,
Who is above the will of turning heaven
As touching justice, love, and strife. Though thou
Art Caesar and the lord of Rum dispute not
Aught with the Arabs, for if thou shalt take
The sheep out of the clutches of the wolf
Thou wilt, as thou art ware, have grievous toil ;
While if thou sendest troops against Munzir
I will not leave thee host or crown or throne.
If any underling grow masterful
He shall be punished by our scimitar.
Step not a single cubit past thy bounds
If thou desirest that our pact shall stand.
If thou shalt pass thy bounds we will pass ours,
And trample under foot thy head and throne.
The greeting of the lord of diadem
And might to those that seek not to cause trouble
By their injustice."

Unto this they set

The Shah's seal and then chose a cavalier,
Such as was needful, from the court, a man
Persuasive, valiant, shrewd, and veteran.

The envoy with the letter of the king
Came to famed Caesar, gave it, greeted him,
And told him all the mind of Nushirwan.
When Caesar heard and had perused the letter
He writhed and was astound. His brow grew wrinkled,
His visage wan at what the exalted Shah
Had said. He called a scribe, wrote his reply,
And made his meaning clear for good and ill.
The letter first grew musky with the ink
What time he offered praise to God almighty —
" The Artist of the heavens over us,
The Source of warfare, peace, and amity.
He giveth in the world one man a crown
With slaves before him better than himself.
Though turning heaven itself be under thee,
And Jupiter beneath thy scimitar,
Search out thy records, for no son of Rum
E'er hath paid tribute to thy royal race.
King as thou art I am no less than thou ;
I too possess a head, a crown, and realm.
Why must I take so much abuse in fear
Of foot of elephant or din of drum ?
I now ask you for tribute and for toll,
And who is there with power to fight with Rum ?
The doings of Sikandar in Iran
Thou knowest, and we claim that noble Shah.
Sikandar's sword is still in evidence,

Why pickest thou a quarrel with us thus ?
The javelin-wielding horsemen of the waste
Have pillaged our possessions in their raids :
No longer will we bear their wrongs but raise
The dust in all their borders. Nushirwan
Was neither Maker of the sun, nor hath
He seized the key of the revolving sky.
That there must be no other king of kings,
And his will only current in the world."

He gave the envoy no reply in speech,
Not recking of the wrath of Nushirwan,
But, when he set the seal upon the letter,
He spake these words : " Christ and the Cross are
with me."

The envoy spent no breath on him, perceiving
With grief the answer, and with grief departed ;
Swift as a dust-cloud to the Shah he sped,
And told him all that Caesar purposed.

The king, when he had read the letter, raged
Against the turn of fortune. Then he called
The archmages and the chieftains, one and all,
And spake to them at large about that letter.
He sat for three days with his counsellors
And paladins — the shatterers of hosts —
And on the fourth day was resolved to lead
His troops to fight with Caesar. At the gate
Arose the blare of trumpets with the din
Of brazen cymbals and of drums. He paused not,
But went to battle in a righteous cause,
Assembled troops, made up the baggage-train,
And called on God, the Giver of all good.
A dust rose such that thou hadst said : " The sky
Hath smirched its visage in a sea of pitch ! "

He clad the surface of the earth with horse-shoes,
While silken flags incarnadined the air.
There was no room on earth e'en for a gnat,
No room for wind left in the firmament.
The hubbub of the horsemen and the dust
Of elephants made earth seem like the Nile.
The world-lord marched with Kawa's flag, with crown,
And golden boots. The army's din was heard
Two miles away. Before the host were drums
And elephants, and on this wise the Shah,
With chiefs behind him and with chiefs before him,
Sped onward to Azar Abadagan.
Now when his eyes beheld Azargashasp
Afar he lighted down and went afoot,
Requested of his pious minister
The sacred twigs and bathed his cheeks with tears.
He made his entry of the Fane of Fire

With wailing. They set up a throne inlaid
With gold, and spread thereon the Zandavasta,
Wherefrom an archimagus read aloud,
According to the ritual, while priests
And chieftains wallowed in the dust before it,
And rent their skirts. The great men showered jewels
Upon the book and muttered laud thereon.
The Shah approaching offered praise and prayer
Before the Maker of the world, and asked
For victory, for mastery, and guidance
Upon the path of justice. He bestowed
Gifts on the attendants and on mendicants
Wherever seen. He pitched his tent before
The Fire-fane, and his troops arrayed their ranks
Upon each side. He called a prudent scribe,
Discoursed at large, dictating fitting words,
Bade him address by letter graciously
The marchlords of the country of Iran,
And say : " Fear God, be vigilant, and guard

The world against the enemy. Ye lords
And paladins ! be just to those beneath you,
And keep such forces as will foil the foe.
None while my standard shall be out of sight
Must think to slumber in security."

As from the Fane of Fire he marched towards Rum
The bruit of him was spread throughout the land,
And all the faithful lieges flocked to him
Until the warriors hid the fields and fells,
And many an aspirant came with gifts
And offerings to the king. Where'er he lighted
There reached him salutations and addresses
From all sides, while where'er he led his host
He still had feast and chase before his eyes,
And 'twas the custom for a thousand chiefs
To come each night to banquet with the king.
When he was near the frontier he made ready
For war and in the first place paid his troops.
His general was Shirwi, son of Bahram —
A man of rede and self-possessed in battle.
He gave the army's left wing to Farhad,
To whom he proffered many prudent counsels.
Ustad, son of Barzin, was on the right,
Garshasp, the atheling, was o'er the baggage.
Mihran was at the centre, for his heart
Was steadfast in the fray. The outpost duty
The Shah gave to Hurmuzd, son of Kharrad,
Enjoining wisdom to his soul and heart,
While everywhere intelligencers went
That nothing might be hidden. Then the Shah
Called and advised his veterans much and well
He said to them : "Ye numbers numberless

Of men of high estate and warriors !
If any one of you shall quit my way,
Or draw a breath without my privity,
Shall cause affliction to mendicants,
Or to the mighty men possessed of treasure,
Shall injure any tree that beareth fruit,
Or do an act unseemly, trample down
The cornfields, or leave station to advance
Before the troops, I swear by God, the Lord
Of Mars, of Saturn, and of Sol, who gave me
The diadem and might, forthwith to cleave him
Asunder with my sword though like a star
He hide him in the clouds. I am the scout
Before the host, aspirant, central stay,
Guard of the elephants, of troops, and baggage,
Am now upon the left, now on the right.
I fare o'er land and sea, I seek no rest
And sleep in war."

A herald named Shirzad
Laid up at heart the words of Nushirwan,
And made in haste the circuit of the host,
Went round about tent and pavilion,
And cried : "Ye troops in numbers numberless !
The bidding of the watchful Shah is this :
Whoever, save in justice, love, and wisdom,
Shall look upon this gloomy earth of ours,
Men shall pour out his blood thereon as one
That hath departed from the will of God."

A proclamation did not satisfy
The Shah who night and day employed himself
In going on his rounds about the host,
Observing everything both good and bad,
Receiving tidings of the world's affairs,
And slighting nothing whether good or ill.
When any soldier died upon the march
The Shah prepared a charnel at the place,
And all the man's belongings — silver, gold,
His bow, his helm, his lasso and his belt,
Or good or bad, were buried with the dead,
Who in the grave had still his goods with him.
The world was lost in wonder at the height
Of majesty attained by Nushirwan.
In every place where he engaged in battle-
He showed his counsel, caution, and good sense,
And used to call a trusty messenger,
Who went to foes preparing for resistance,
And if they entered on the path of right
The wise Shah treated them with clemency ;
But, if they fought, that valiant Crocodile
Was very wroth, went forth to fight with them,
And gave their fields and crops to spoil. He wooed
The world with justice and the scimitar.
The conduct of the Shah was like the sun's,
Which shineth in its course on wet and dry,
Denying unto none its radiance,
When banishing the clouds from circling heaven,
But giving all its justice and its bounty,
Its hue and scent, its lustrous pearls and waters,
Obscuring unto none its light and height,
But joying hearts and simply shining on.
The king of kings by justice, policy,
And Grace took all the world beneath his wings ;
Both war and bounty were mere play to him,
And thus it was that he attained his greatness.
Confronted by the elephant and lion
He ne'er deferred the combat for a day,
And when a foe was instant to appear
In helm and mail before the host for fight,
Him would they slaughter or in scorn would fling
Bound in the dungeons of the conquering king.

He marched upon this wise until he reached
A busy city which was named Shurab,
Wherein Gushtasp dwelt when he went to Rum.
The Shah beheld it rising in the air,
Fulfilled with men and goods, with harp and song,
With stone-foundations springing from the deep,
And battlements up-builded to the clouds.
The troops beleaguered it but saw no means
Of access to the gate. The Shah set up
The catapults on all four sides, and then
The ramparts of the Christian crumbled down.
From every quarter came the breath of doom ;
Men saw no place of refuge or escape,
And when the shining sun set in the sky
The castle-walls were level with the plain.
The shouts of cavaliers, the dust of troops,
And fume of fire ascended to the moon.
The strong-hold was all trunkless heads and feet,
Elsewhere were headless trunks. The cries for quarter,
And women's shrieks, rose o'er the drummers' din.
The magnates eminent for wealth or valour
They bound and laid upon the elephants,
While wails of woe and cries for quarter rose.
The Shah spared none in battle-tide, he spared not
His treasures and dinars in banquet-time.
He marched thence till another hold appeared,
Wherein were Caesar's treasures, and it had
A mighty man for castellan. 'Twas called
Arayish-i-Rum till that Nushirwan
Ill-ended it. The watchful Shah surveyed
That hold, unentered yet by hostile troops,
And bade shoot showers of arrows till the air
Was thick with them as 'tis with hail in spring.
The chieftains bravely stormed the walls and flung
Fire on the city and the citadel,
Wherein no living thing remained alive
Or, in the country round, a thorn or briar.
The Shah gave Caesar's treasures up to spoil,
And all the crowns and purses to his troops.
He brought the Day of Doom upon that city,
And all folk fled. Men, women, children, wailed
Till old and young assembling came before
The noble Shah and cried aloud for succour : —
" The ministers, the treasurers, and treasure,
Are thine, and thine the gain and toil in Rum ;
We only beg of thee to spare our lives,
We bondslaves of the Glory of thy crown."

The Shah bade cease the slaughtering, and he
Provided for these people bounteously.

Departing thence the Shah led on his troops,
And left Arayish-i-Rum in his rear,
One came and told him : " Caesar hath dispatched
A host and lo ! it draweth nigh."

On hearing

Of that great power's approach — all spears and mail-
The Shah proclaimed The tidings to the troops

That all the host might be prepared. They marched
As 'twere an iron mountain ; battle-cries-.
Ascended and the blast of clarions.
A courier with tidings from the scouts
Appeared before the monarch of the world,
And told him : " Caesar hath dispatched an army
Formed of his famous men and warriors.
Their leader is a mighty paladin,
Whose name in Ruman is Farfuriyus —
A haughty cavalier with tramp and drum — —
And all his troops long for the fight like wolves."

While thus he spake before the watchful Shah
The dust-clouds of the advancing host appeared.
He smiled and answered thus the messenger : —
" The thing is not unknown to us, for we
Already have prepared the host for battle :
Such thoughts ne'er have been absent from our minds.'

Then with his lips afoam he gave command
That all the army should draw up in line.
So host with host confronted, and the air
Was hindered in its passage by the dust.
It was a glorious gathering of troops,
Proud chiefs and wielders of the scimitar,
All with loins tightly girded for the fray —
The great, the sages, and the seed of kings.
The swords of all were reeking with fresh blood,
And trenchant of the clouds. The enemy
Had no more respite than the quarry hath
From leopard springing. Ruman slain lay heaped
On all sides while the wounded turned from fight.
Farfuriyus himself thus stricken fled
The field with banner rent and drums o'erthrown.
The horsemen of Iran like pards, when they
Clutch on the waste the mountain-sheep, pursued
The Rumans, sweeping them from dale and desert.
The Shah marched on again equipped for war,
The soldiers all with mace and sword in hand.
He led his army on along a plain
Until another lofty hold appeared —
A citadel with soldiers, trump, and drum,
And hight Kaliniyus. The eagle saw not
Its battlements, a full moat girdled it,
And all around it stretched a fair domain
Of halls and gardens, grounds and palaces.
'Twas strongly garrisoned by Ruman troops —
All famous men and eager for the fight.
The Shah encamped his powers two leagues away,
Earth blackened with the dust-clouds of the host.
And war-cries went up from Kaliniyus—
A clamour that bedwarfed the tymbals' din.
The Shah marked well that city whereunto
His troops for ever thronged increasingly ;
They battled at the gates and showered down
Their shafts and hand-grenades, and when bright Sol
'Gan pale, and half revolving heaven was dark.
No portion of the castle-walls remained :
That city was all level with the ground.
Then from the Shah's gate proclamation issued : —
" Ye famous men of the Iranian host !
Come from the city, every man, and pass
The night upon the plain. If any cry
Shall rise from women and from aged folk,
Or any sound of pillage, rioting,
And combating, shall reach mine ears at night.
So that but one complain of evil usage,
As soon as such appealeth ye shall see
The skin of the offender stuffed with bay.

When Sol was stretching out its hand from Cancer,
Had put away fatigue and banished sleep,
The tymbals sounded at the monarch's gate,
Those that were highest in esteem set forth.

And from that hold and seat the men and women
" No cavalier of all our warriors
Is left," they said, " or magnate in this city ;
They all, though guiltless, have been slain or wounded,
And it is time for pardon from the Shah,
Because God's justice never will approve
That women, babes, and elders should be captive.
The citadel and city's walls are such
That henceforth thou wilt see but thorn-brakes here.
Since Caesar was the offender how are we —
The people of Kaliniyus — to blame ? "

The Shah gave pardon to those Rumans : both
The guilty and the innocent escaped.
He left with them an ample store of wealth,
And marched his army with all speed away ;
But all the folk that he saw fit for arms
They bound on elephants and carried off.
Then news to Antakiya came : " The Shah
Is on his way with elephants and troops."

Now at that city was a boundless host
Of Ruman warriors and mighty men.
The Shah accorded to them three days' grace
That he might war not on them wrongfully,
But on the fourth his host came mountain-like —
The warriors of Iran in close array —
While for the sake of women, children, land,
And wealth the cavaliers of Rum advanced.
They fought three mighty battles in three days,
But on the fourth day when the sun arose
The marches of that prosperous land lay open,
The Iranians saw no Ruman cavaliers,
The soldiers took possession of the place,
And filled it till there was no room to stand.
The great men that had thrones and coronets,
And those that were the treasurers of Caesar,
Gave up the treasure to the Shah — the world-lord—
The treasure unto him that bare the toil.
The Iranians set in bonds on elephants
All that were warriors among that folk.
The Shah dispatched to Mada'in the captives,
And all the wealth of Caesar, then went round
The city and beheld a country-side
More brilliant than the orbed moon. The gardens,
The parks, and streams, restored old age to freshness
And youth. The king addressed his nobles thus : —
" Can this be Antakiya or young spring ?
Whoe'er hath seen not jocund Paradise
Whereof the soil is musk, the bricks are gold,
Whose waters are rose-water and trees jewels,
Whose country is the sky, whose heaven the sun,
Should look on this fresh land, and may it be —
This land of Rum — in full prosperity."

Then Nushirwan gave orders to construct
A city having palaces and streams,
Like Antakiya. radiant as a lamp —
All rosaries and mansions, parks and gardens.
The great men. bright of heart and happy, called it
Zib-i-Khusrau. 'Twas like the jocund spring—
A paradise all colour, scent, and beauty.
The captives taken in the towns of Rum,
Whose hands and feet were galled with heavy bonds,
Were set at large by Nushirwan's command,
And sent to dwell in joy in that new city.
He said We have erected this new seat —
All gardens, rosaries, and palaces —
That each might have a dwelling to his mind
And worthy of his name."

He gave to each

Goods, and the earth was decked like Paradise.
At sight of all the mansions, streets, and marts
Thou wouldst have said : " Each space is occupied."
A clamorous cordwainer came and said : —
" O unjust Shah ! there was a mulberry
Within my dwelling at Kaliniyus
Before my courtyard ; from Zib-i-Khusrau
I have not any such advantages,
For there is no such tree before my door."

So Nushirwan bade men to plant green trees
Before the door of that misfortuned one.

The Shah then chose a Christian unto whom
He gave authority, wealth, troops, and said : —
" Zib-i-Khusrau is thine and thine the charge
Of all the stranger-folk and their new home.
Be like a tree that beareth fruit and be
The city's sire at whiles, at whiles its son.
Be bountiful and beautify the place,
Not covetous, and keep the mean in all."

The Shah marched forth from Antakiya, leaving
A Christian and experienced man in charge.

Farfuriyus thereafter brought to Caesar
Intelligence about Kaliniyus,
And said to him : " The experienced Nushirwan
Came in his state with troops and elephants.
So mighty is his host that seas and mountains
Are all confounded by the horses' dust."

Then Caesar writhed for that which he had spoken,
And called to him his prudent chiefs. His heart
Was full of fear because of Nushirwan ;
All day and through three watches of the night
He canvassed what to do. Thus spake a priest : —
" Thou'rt ill-advised because thou hast not power
To fight with Nushirwan. The foe will raise
The dust from this fair realm and bring to naught
The achievements of the Caesars. In debate
The feeble-tongued endangereth the state."

Now Caesar heard this and his heart was troubled,
His counsels were o'ercast by Nushirwan.
He chose of the philosophers of Rum
From regions scathless of the enemy,
A man of eloquence and understanding,
While of the priests three score unsmirched in soul
And wisdom volunteered. He sent the Shah
An embassage. Those magnates took their way.
Their leader was that man of wits, Mihras —
A warrior old in wisdom, young in years.
There. went 'before them treasures of all kinds
Past reckoning, while Caesar, who repented
His language in the past, dispatched no stint
Of adulation, counsels, and fair words,
With heavy tribute and with hostages
Both of his own and of his nobles' kin.
Mihras, when he had come to Nushirwan,
Pronounced his praises in the Ruman tongue,
And thou hadst said : " So shrewd and just is
He will produce stars from his sleeves ! " 'Twas thus
He spake to Nushirwan : " Set not, O king !
Such value on the world. Thou art in Rum
Now and Iran is void ; it hath not worth ;
Or Glory. So, when Caesar is away
From. " Rum. this country valueth not one gnat.
The worth deriveth wholly from the man :
When he is lost the value is lost too.
If this commotion be but for wealth's sake —
That miner of wisdom and contentment —
Lo ! I have brought thee all the wealth of Rum,
For more than land and treasure is a soul
Serene."

The king's heart, when he heard this, grew
As jocund as a garden in the spring,
And he accepted what the envoy brought —
The purses of gold coin, and hostages-
Gave commendations to the ambassadors,
Enlarging on the value of the gifts,
And said : " O clear in wisdom ! any one
Whom wisdom feedeth is a mighty man.
If all the soil of Rum were turned to gold
Thou wouldst outvalue still that noble land."
They set as tribute on those fields and fells
A hundred ox-hides brimming with dinars
To be dispatched by Caesar to the king
Each year with other gifts and offerings.
His troops were not to occupy Yaman,
Or to require aught of the people there.
Therewith was heard the blare of trump and clash
Of brazen cymbals, and the prudent world-lord
Led back his host. He went his way to Sham,
And tarried there awhile. He brought with him
So many implements of war and troops,
So many captives, purses, crowns, and thrones,
That earth's back bent beneath the elephants,
And purses full of drachms. When he resolved
To quit that land he set in charge thereof
Shirwi, son of Bahram, and said : " Demand
The tribute due from Caesar and accord not
Remission for a month or day."

Shirwi,

Who kissed the ground, blessed and addressed the
Shah :—

" Mayst thou be happy and victorious,

And may the royal Tree ne'er pale its leaves."

When at the monarch's portal had begun
The drum-roll flag and troops fared toward Arman.

Like to the sun was Nushirwan, the king —

The world's hope and its fear. Just as above
Sol speedeth on its pathway carrying

A sword in this hand and in that hand love,
Is all Relentless in its hour of rage,

But in its day of ruth all clemency,
So was this Shah of royal lineage,

Who had adorned the world with equity.
Know this — in my regard the monarch's state

And subject's, if they holy be and pure,
Requireth of necessity a mate,

Dress, provand, and a privacy secure ;
While if the wife be pious and discreet

A heaped-up treasure will she prove, and all
The more if locks musk-scented to her feet

Descend, and she be more than common tall,
Wise, learned, well counselled, chaste, and can express
Herself in fair discourse with gentleness.
The noble Shah possessed a wife like this,
In height a cypress and in looks a moon,

This Moon-face was a Christian, and her beauty
Engrossed the tongues of all. She bare a babe
Sun-faced, out-shining Venus in the sky.
The. noble mother called the child Nushzad,
And no fierce blast assailed that lovely boy.
He grew up as he were a straight-stemmed cypress —
A youth of parts, the glory of the realm.
He knew of Hell, the path to Paradise,
Of Christ, of Esdras, and Zarduhsht, but he,
Believing not the Zandavasta, bathed
His visage in the fount of Christ, preferring
His mother's to his father's Faith : the age
Was lost in wonderment at him. The king
Was grievously concerned about his son,
Because that Rose bare only fruit of thorns.
They shut the portal of Nushzad's fair palace,
And there imprisoned him. His prison-house
Was at Gund-i-Shapur far from his home
And father. Many criminals and captives
Were with him in that city and in ward.
Now when the Shah was on his way from Rum
The turmoil and the journey tried him sorely ;
So weak was he that he could hold no court.
One bare the tidings to Nushzad and told him : —
" The Glory of the empire is bedimmed ;
The watchful world-lord Nushirwan is dead,
Bequeathing to another earth and time."

His father's death rejoiced Nushzad. Oh ! may
No pleasure and enjoyment e'er be his !

He that doth joy when just kings pass away
Must have a gloomy temper. As to this

A famous ancient said : "If thou art glad
At my decease see that thou never die."

From death thou know'st no succour can be had,
The past is one here with futurity ;

But never death will wreck the soul of one
Whose toil hath favour in the sight of God.

Call we a reprobate and fool that son
Who in his father's footsteps hath not trod.

Wet be the seed of colocynth or dry
It will not savour musk, then where the need

That it should change from what should spring
thereby

By nature if the gardener sow its seed ?
When any plant is predisposed to earth,

It parteth with the sunshine and pure air,
Therefrom no foliage or fruit hath birth.

It liveth for the earth and dieth there.

I have made mention of Nushzad. Take heed

That thou quit not the path of equity.
If heaven possessed a father then indeed

He would resemble Nushirwan, so why
Should his own son quit the paternal way,

And seek the royal dignity and throne ?
Accord thine ear to all that I shall say,

And I will keep back nothing, O my son !
I have well ordered that I did receive

From rustic bard, and by that token too
Am fain some memory of myself to leave,

So be the honour unto whom 'tis due.
This is my wish that after I am dead

My fame as poet evermore shall last.
On this wise spake a Persian bard whose head

A hundred years and twenty had o'erpast :—
" He that is hostile to the world's great king

Not of man's stock but Ahriman's must be."
Now' of Nushzad they tell that very thing

As handed down by ancient Legendry.
Whenas the son of Nushirwan had heard : — : —

The throne of that right royal Tree is void."
He oped his palace-door, and from all quarters
Troops gathered unto him — all that had 'scaped
From wisdom's bonds and had been put in ward
By Nushirwan. Nushzad unchained the mad,
And all the city was in consternation ;
But he assembled of the citizens
All that were Christians, whether priests or prelate",
Assembled many haughty cavaliers
And swordsmen, while his mother gave him wealth—
The treasures lavished on her by the Shah.
There gathered to him thirty thousand men,
All famous and prepared to fight. He took
The cities round ; his fame was noised abroad.
He wrote a letter to his kinsman Caesar,
Made known his dark designs, and said : " Arise
O king ! for thou art lord, friend, of one Faith
With me, and Caesar. As 'twere Rum, Iran,
Its worship and its settlements, are thine,
My father hath been sick and now is dead,
His wakeful fortune hath been overthrown."
The tidings reached the towns of Mada'in
Of what the son of Nushirwan had done,
Whereat the warden of that march dispatched
To Nushirwan a cavalier to whom
He told what he had heard and what was secret.
The messenger went like a rapid stream,
And came to Nushirwan to whom he gave
The letter, telling all that he had heard,
And of the overt actions of Nushzad.
The Shah, when he had listened and had read
The letter, grieved thereat and was confounded,
Held session with the noble archimages,
Debating much with them in privacy,
And, when the consultation reached its end
In resolution, bade a scribe attend.

The Shah, both seared and sore, with frowning face
And sighing lips, then had this letter written.
Wherein he first of all gave praise to Him,
Who fashioned the heavens, time, and earth,
The Artificer of Sun and Moon and Saturn,
The Illuminer! of Grace, of crown, and throne : —
" From worthless stubble up to elephant
And lion, from the dust on emmet's foot
Up to" the Nile, though men shall roam from earth
To turning heaven they roam beneath God's sway.
No limit can be seen to His behest,
And none will rob Him of the sovereignty.
Of that unpleasing letter have I heard,
Sent by that most injurious son of mine.
And of the criminals who brake from ward,
And are assembled now about Nushzad.
'Twere Better one should quit the world than see
A day like this, for all are born to die ;
First Nushirwan and then Nushzad must go.
From gnat and ant e'en to rhinoceros,
And elephant, none can escape the claws
And beak of death. If earth revealed its secrets,
'Displaying everything from first to last,
Its bosom would be found fulfilled with kings,
Its breast with blood of cavaliers, its skirts
With men of lore, the creases of its robe
With fair-cheeked dames. Then wherefore set a crown
Or helmet on thy head when death's plumed shaft
Will pierce them both : " I No One Rejoiceth much
At death of son, albeit all must die;
But as for those consorting with Nushzad,
Who reckon on the death of Nushirwan,
The death of them would be a cause for joy
If but Nushzad should 'scape the evil day.
Moreover none but misbegotten knaves
Would count upon the death of righteous Shahs.
Now though Nushzad hath turned his head from us,
In that the Div thus hath conspired with him,
His purpose is not firm in this regard ;
He was inflamed when he obtained his wish.
He could not have the post as well as we,
And thus was ruined by a false report,
For had the crown been void of Nushirwan
Nushzad had been the glory of the realm.
Still such an act is worthy of his Faith,
And suited to an evil soul like his.
I am not moved or fearful in this matter,
In that our son's religion is impure :
Moreover for the wealth that he hath wrecked,
That matter weigheth nothing on my heart ;
While as for all that have combined with him,
And banished from their hearts their awe of us —
The ill-doers, the malignant, and base-born,
Unworthy to be subjects to myself —
We look upon them also with contempt :
Let not their doings make thy heart afraid.
My fear is of the Master of the world,
Who is in wisdom wiser than the wise.
We must not grow unthankful in our souls
To God who is omniscient in good.
Me hath He given triumph and success,
Grace and the diadem of king of kings,
And had my praise been worthy of His gifts
It would have bettered my prosperity.
My son hath found a home and rest elsewhere ;
No single drop of him came from my loins.
With his awakening my foe arrived,
And, I do fear me, toil. Still if the World-lord
Hath no occasion to be wroth with me
I reck not of such things:. In my regard
All they that are confederate with my son
Are vile and despicable. 'Tis his letter
That, if it bringeth Caesar. will befoul
My stream. The twain must be akin, methinketh,
Since they are one in Faith and policy
The man that quitteth his forefathers' Faith
Is one whose wits are much to seek. That son
Is best who is of one Faith, not at war,
With his own sire. Albeit though that insensate
Turn from the right no lip must ope to curse him.
To curse him is in essence to curse us,
Because he is of our own flesh and blood.
Array the host, take order for the war,
But act with moderation and hold back,
While if the matter cometh to a pass,
And if he offer battle, be not fierce.
To capture him is better than to slay :
Perchance he will turn back from evil doing,
And then the stream that reared that noble Cypress
Must come not on it in a bath of dust ;
But if he hold his honoured person cheaply,
If that tall Cypress shall mean itself,
And if he spurn the pillow of delight,
Withhold not thou the mace and scimitar.
A man of rank indulging base desires -
Can not be freed from that propensity
And such a high-born man is base indeed
When he doth fight the monarch of the world.
Fear not to slay him if he would pour out
His own head's blood upon the dust. He hasteth
To give his faith to Caesar and put off
Allegiance to our crown. whereby his greatness
Hath grown vile. wretched, and calamitous,
And he hath chosen ruin from high heaven.
In this regard said Mihr-i-Nush — a sage
Who worshipped God and wore the woollen vest : —
The man that joyeth in a father's death,
May his be neither happiness nor breath.'
Seek not for light from darkness, else wilt thou
But mingle fire and water in the stream.
Man's only rest is when his toil is done :
It is fate's law and we must acquiesce.
Be not in friendship with the turning sky,
For whiles thou art the kernel, whiles the shell.
Why seek from its pomegranate hue and scent,
For it will rob thee of them both at sight ?
Whene'er the turning sky exalteth thee,
Then is thy time for travail, fear, and loss.
As for the soldiers that are with Nushzad,
And err so greatly from the path of duty,
Know that they are but wind and sport to us,
The mockery of the wise, no mystery.
As for the Christians that are in his host,
And have revolted for religion's sake,
The regimen of Christ is such that they
Are frighted if one lifteth up one's voice,
Desert his precepts and his path, and end
By turning into foemen of the Cross.
As for the other folk — the common herd,
Ill-taught, ill-minded, and adventurous—
They will not fright the heart of any man :
Their counsel and a breath of air are one.
Now if Nushzad be taken in the fight,
Discourse not with him touching these affairs ;
His person must not suffer injury,
His raiment must not show the rents of blows,
Because his women-folk will slay themselves.
His palace will afford the best of prisons
Both for himself and those that follow him.
Bar not to him the portal of my treasures,
Albeit one so dear hath grown so vile,
And as for raiment. victuals, tapestries,
And carpets there must be no stint at all,
For he is fitted but for things like these.
As for those marchlords of the Iranians —
Those that have girded up their loins with him —
When thou hast conquered do not hesitate,
But cleave them through the middle with the sword,
For all that are the great king's enemies
Thou rightly flingest to the crocodiles.
Besides these, all that are opposed to me
At heart — the seed of wicked Ahriman —
Who have forgotten all our benefits,
Thou now wilt test in dealing with Nushzad.
All acted as our watchmen heretofore,
And were in terror of our punishments.
For those on-lookers who have vilified,
And wagged their tongues against, Nushzad, know thou
That they have in especial cursed ourselves,
Preparing trouble in mine evil day.
Do not thou too as they : thus foemen speak.
Unworthy as he is he is mine own.
Such is the truthful witness of my heart.
The tongue of each man that hath spoken ill,
Or acted with injustice toward him, brand
In presence of the folk. May such an one
Have neither tongue nor mouth. As for the man
That warreth to o'erthrow the Shah, employing
Guile, enmity, hostility, and faith
In Ahriman, such, as the famed Shah's foe
Must not be suffered In the, realm."
They set
The Shah's own seal upon the letter. Then
The messenger departed with ; speed,
And, when to Ram Barzin he made his way,
Told all that he had heard the great king say.

That done, he gave to Ram Barzin the letter
With its behests for dealing with Nushzad,
To levy troops, make war, and banish ruth.
When the old man had read it, and had heard
The messenger at large, the din of tymbals
Arose at cock-crow at the palace-portal,
Ye A mighty host marched forth from Mada'in,
And Ram Barzin went swiftly to the war.
News reached Nushzad who called and paid his host,
While all the Christians and grandees of Rum
That dwelt along the march of that fair land
Assembled with Shammas as general :
Those warriors' hands all had been bathed in blood.
A shout rose from the portal of Nushzad,
And then the army, like a wind-tossed sea,
Moved from the city out upon the plain,
Their heads all war, their hearts revenge and venom.
When Ram Barzin beheld that army's dust
He blew the trumpets and arrayed the host.
The dust of cavaliers, the charge of chieftains,
The brandishing of mighty maces, rent
The hearts of flints ; none saw the bright sun's face.
Then in the centre of the host Nushzad

Set on his head a Ruman helm. His host
Was full of Christian clericals from Rum ;
The soil was hidden by their horses' hoofs.
Thou wouldst have said : " Earth seetheth, and the air
Is shrieking over it."

A warrior,
Beclad in mail and hight Piruz the old,

Came boldly forth and cried : " O famed Nushzad !
Who wantonly hath turned thy head from right ?
Contend not with the army of the king
Because thou wilt repent thee of this strife.
Thou hast abjured the Faith of Gaiumart,
The pathway of Hushang and Tahmuras.
The arch-deceiver Christ was put to death
Because he had renounced the Faith of God ;
So choose not him, of all that founded Faiths,
Who so mistook the aspect of his work,
For if the Grace of God had shone in him
How could the Jews have gained the upper hand ?

Heard hast thou what thy sire, that noble man,
The world-lord, did to Caesar and to Rum,
Yet now thou wouldst contend with him and raise
Thy head to heaven ! For all thy moon-like mien,
Thy Grace and stature, neck, limbs, hands, and

mace,

I see no wisdom with thee anywhere,
Such recklessness possesseth thy dark soul !
Woe for this head of thine, crown, name, and birth,
Which now thou wouldst abandon to the blast !
For son to seek his living father's throne,
How should this be ? 'Tis neither use nor right.
To seek the crown, if he be dead, is well ;
To seek to fight him now is criminal.
Save thou be snorting elephant or lion
Thou canst not match Shah Nushirwan, and though
I have not seen, O prince ! a bridle-hand
Like thine limned in the palace of the Shahs,
Such foot and stirrups, such a breast and neck,
Such ardour in the fight and such a mace,
Though painter never looked on such a picture,
Or any age on such a prince, yet burn not

The soul of Nushirwan by childishness,
Or stultify the world-illuming crown,
For hostile howsoe'er a son may be
His father will lament when he is slain.
Dismount, ask quarter of the Shah, and fling
This mace and Ruman helmet to the ground ;
Then if far hence some chilling blast should make
The dark dust settle on thy countenance,
The Shah's heart would consume for thee, the sun
Weep o'er thy face. Sow not throughout the world
The seed. of enmity, for hastiness
Becometh not a prince. If thou dost swerve
From mine advice and trust to violence,
And to thy might, the counsel of Piruz
Oft will recur to thee, and then the words
Of thine ill counsellors will seem but wind."

Nushzad made answer : O wind-pated dotard !
Ask not my troops — exalted warriors —
Or me — the Shah's son — to cry out for quarter.
The Faith of Nushirwan is naught to me ;
My heart inclineth to my mother — her
Whose constant practice is the Faith of Christ.
I will not quit her Grace and Faith. Although
Its Founder : " Christ — was slain, the World-lord's

Grace

Hath not forsaken Him. That Holy One
Hath passed from this earth back to holy God,
Such was His aspiration when on earth.
I may be slain but shall not fear to die,
For to that bane there is no antidote."

He answered thus the old Piruz and veiled
Air's face with shafts. The warriors of the host
Advanced, the battle-cry and clarion's blare
Went up, Nushzad, the chief, spurred on like fire,
Came as it were Azargashasp, and brake
The left wing of the army of the Shah,
Where none remained to fight with him. He slew
Full many a Lion of the host, whereat,

Grown wrathful, Ram Barzin bade shower arrows,
And fill the air as 'twere with hail in spring.
The din of battle went up on both sides
From all the valiant soldiers there engaged.
Nushzad was wounded in the mellay. Oft
He called to mind the counsel of Piruz,
And reached in pain the centre of the host,
Pierced by a shaft and pale with agony.
Thus said he to the warriors of Rum : —
" To fight one's sire is wretched, vile, accursed ! "

Bewailing and lamenting thus he summoned
A bishop and confessed his heart's desires.
He said : " The evil fortune caused by me
Hath fallen rigorously upon myself.
Now, since my head will pass beneath the dust,
Dispatch a horseman to my mother. Say
To her : Nushzad hath left this world. For him
The days of right and wrong are at an end.
I prithee be not grieved at heart for me ;
Such is the fashion of this Wayside Inn !
Since I have been allotted this dark day
How could my heart be glad and brighten earth ?
All living creatures are but born to die ;
Grieve not for me, for thou art mortal too.
'Tis not my slaying that confoundeth me,
But worse — my sire's displeasure. Let me have
No mausoleum, throne, or stately rites,
But bury me with Christian burial.

I need no camphor, musk, or spicery,
For arrow-stricken I depart the world.' '

He spake and shut his lips. Thus passed Nushzad,

That noble Lion-heart. Now when his troops

Heard of his death they fled the battlefield.

The Iranian leader, hearing that the prince
Was slain went weeping to his couch in haste
The troops ceased slaying on the field of fight,
And neither joyed nor spoiled. They saw the prince
Slain and o'erthrown with ignominy, his head
Upon a Ruman bishop's breast : the field
Was filled with wailing for him. Ram Barzin
Was troubled to the heart and asked the prelate : —
" What know'st thou of the prince's dying wishes ? "

" Except his mother," thus the bishop answered,
" None must behold his head exposed. He, seeing
That he was wounded by a shaft, forbade
All obsequies and musk and spicery,
Or coronet, brocade of Rum, and throne,
Perceiving his to be the slave's dark lot.
His mother now will shroud him and provide
A tomb and winding-sheet with Christian rites,
While his condition now is that of Christ's,
Although he did not die upon the Cross."

Of all the Christians that were in the land
There was not one but had his visage torn.
A cry rose from the country. Men and women
Assembled. From the plain they raised the corpse
Of that young, gallant prince — the Heart and Eyes
Of Nushirwan, the Shah — upon a bier,
Transporting it three leagues by hand, then set it
Upon two mules which bare it to his mother.
Now when she was aware of what had chanced
Her head and crown descended to the dust.
She came forth to the street unveiled. A crowd
Assembled round her in the market-place.
They set a camp-enclosure round about,
And all the folk cast dust upon their heads.
They laid him in the earth. He passed. He came
From wind and suddenly to wind returned.
Gund-i-Shapur was all in tears, consumed
With sorrow for the anguish of the Shah.
Why writhe so madly in the bonds of greed ?
Thou know'st that here thou canst not long remain.
Seek to escape, give not the world such heed,

Smell not its rose so fondly, 'tis but bane.
From Faith and righteousness turn not thy head,

Or else the wrath of God will chasten thee ;

A father's wrath," a pious Arab said,

" Will bring upon thy life calamity."
When sire shall be displeased with son in aught

Know that in seed and fruit that son is bad.
Oh ! never make thy father's soul distraught

Whatever trouble thou from him hast had.
When thou'rt secure refrain thy heart from woe,

Nor on thy heart the fire of trouble fling,
Let not thy passions master wisdom so,

But act with seemliness in everything.
Now be the world's king happy all his days,

And may he bear these words of mine in mind.
Mahmud, the world-lord, who ensueth praise,

A niche therefor in every heart will find.
Love ever shineth from his Grace divine,

His crown's top is the pillar of the sky.
Now ask, if cup thou hast, for amber wine,

And hold not quaffing acting sinfully.
Seek joy and mirth but never be bemused,
Nor think that talk — wise talk — should be abused.