Nushirwan VI: The Shah's Last Years

It is recorded in the ancient book
From the recital of a truthful sage
That when news came from Rum to this fair land
For Nushirwan, the world-lord : " Mayst thou live,
For Caesar is no more and to another
Hath yielded time and earth," death filled his soul
With care ; his ruddy countenance became
Like yellow leaves. He chose out of Iran
An envoy of experience and high birth,
And then dispatched him unto Caesar's son.
Dispatched him to that fresh and fruitful Bough,
First charging him with many kindly words,
And saying : " 'Tis an evil none can 'scape."

He wrote a letter in distress and grief,
With eyes all tearful and cheeks sallow, thus : —
" God grant thee life and loving-kindliness
Now that thy sire is dead. No living thing-
Is born unless to die. A Wayside Inn
Is this and we pass on. Although we handle
The crown or helm and casque we find no quittance
From death's clutch. What is Caesar or the Khan
When his time cometh and all suddenly
Shall lay his head in dust ? .Mayst thou receive
No lack of joyful tidings of thy sire ;
May Christ befriend his soul. Now I have heard
That thou art seated on his famous throne,
And hast adorned the fortune that was his.
Require of us such strength as thou dost need
Of steeds, of arms, of treasure, and of troops.'"

The ambassador went forth from Nushirwan ;
He made the journey in all haste to Caesar,
And, when he reached the court, they gave him

entry ;
The envoy of the Shah approached the state.
When Caesar saw the title on the scroll
His heart swelled at the pride of Nushirwan.
He was a hasty youth, new to the throne.
Showed himself overbearing to the envoy,
Saluted him in an unseemly fashion,
With lax observance and discourtesy,
Gave him a lodging distant from the court,

And took no notice of the Great King's letter.
A week passed, Caesar's counsellors assembled,
And he addressed their leader : " Now consider
The answer to this letter, draw it up,
As thou dost know to do, in fitting terms.
And set forth good and ill."

The priest replied : —
" Thy liege am I and will obey the world-lord."

So all the bishops, priests, and counsellors
Assembled by themselves apart and then
Wrote with all speed a letter in response.
As Caesar bade, and first they praised the Maker,
And based their praise on wisdom, then they said : —
" Was such a letter worthy of the Shah,
A letter graceless and malevolent ?
Thou dost amiss for Caesar is but young,
But lately crowned, our king in right of birth.
Forbear to press the youth for this one year
With haughty superscriptions, tax and toll.
The youth hath written in befitting terms
To all the lieges and the potentates,
As the illustrious emperor of Rum,
To whom the mountain-tops are so much wax.
The envoy of the Shah hath come to us,
And he will tell the Shah what he hath seen
With us — our words of grief and joy alike :

Our weal and woe shall not remain concealed.
One Caesar hath departed but another
Succeeded who exalteth o'er all chiefs
His head without regard to any king

Among the underlords and overlords.

When they were ready with that Ruman letter
They summoned the ambassador to court.
That sage, on hearing that they were advised,
Came to the court and asked for the response.
They made him ready an unworthy robe
Of honour and put strangers from the hall.
Then Caesar said to him : " No slave am I,
The inferior of the Haitalians and Chin.
One should not lightly treat a potentate
Although thy Shah be Great King in the world.
He that hath many enemies is great,
And I have foes and friends upon my skirts.
Why dost thou scant me of my majesty.
And cloud my sun ? Thou, when such need is mine,
Shalt be my king, my father's memory.
Make fair report of thine experience here,
And seek no foul intent in my response."

They put the robe of honour on the sage,
And called the marchlord's roadster to the door.
He parted hastily and, tarrying not

At any stage, reached Nushirwan and told

What he had seen and heard and what had passed'.
The Shah was sorry at the words and said : —
" Thou hast had fruit of travel. I have heard
That whosoe'er indulgeth his self-will,
Not thinking what he doth, will smart therefor.
If he discerneth not 'twixt friend and foe
In telling thus the secret of his heart
To thee I ween too that he is no friend
To us and, further, hath not blood and feet
And skin. By holy God, by sun and moon,
By crown and throne and by Azargashasp,

I swear that if I leave of Ruman race
A single man in joy upon the throne
I am not of the race of bold Kubad,
And in men's presence never mention me.
Henceforth Will I make black the fame of Rum,
And set the cultivated parts a-blaze.
Moreover he shall fill the ox-skins for us
With all the gems and treasures of his realm,
And my sword's point shall touch not sheath until
I have my heart's desire upon this Ruman,
Who arrogantly boasteth : " I am Caesar,'
As though I Were but one among his chiefs ! "

He bade the clarions and the Indian bells
And gongs be sounded at the palace-gate,
And bound upon his mighty elephants
The kettledrums. The world was indigo
With dust. A host that made the green sea quail
Marched forth from Mada'in toward the waste,
While at the blare of trump, the gleam of Flag,
And stir of horsemen in their golden boots,
Thou wouldest have declared : " The stars are

drowned,
And all revolving heaven is astound ! "

When tidings came to Caesar of the Shah : —
" He hath marched forth in anger from Iran,"
He set forth from 'Ammuriya to Halab ;

The world was filled with tumult, bruit, and din.
Three hundred thousand horsemen of Iran
Besieged the fortress of Halab. Troops gathered
From every side and tarried not from strife.
The warrior-prelates of the Ruman host
Set up their catapults on every side.
The Iranians took the stronghold of Sakila,
For from that region they would fain attack ;
Halab became as 'twere a sea of blood,
And all the host of Batarun sought quarter ;
Unnumbered Rumans perished 'neath the arrows,

And many were ta'en prisoners in the fight.
Within two se'nnights the Iranians brought
Some thirty thousand captives to the king.
The Rumans dug a trench before their host,
And let the water in at break of day.
They barred the Shah's advance ; he and his troops
Were at a stand in fight. He called to him
His commissaries and discussed with them
The posture of the war at large and said
Thus : " This hath grown a matter of much toil :
We cannot pass the water and the fosse.
The troops have need of money and supplies,
As well as horses, mail, and Ruman helms."
The commissaries, scribes, and treasurers
Of that world-lord went the treasury,
Which, as the number of his soldiers stood,
Was in dinars three hundred thousand short.
An archimage came to the Shah like dust,
And told him what the treasury lacked, whereat
The Shah's face gloomed. He ordered Buzurjmihr
To come, and said to him : " With treasury void
What booteth me the throne of king of kings ?
Go, call the camel-drivers, and dispatch
Some Bactrian camels on the road and take
Out of the treasures of Mazandaran

A hundred loads and upwards of dinars."

But Buzurjmihr made answer to the world-lord:—
" O just, wise, loving Shah ! the way is long
To reach the treasures of Iran, the while
Our troops are destitute and at a stand ;
But in the cities round about are those,
A hundredth of whose wealth would pay our troops.
If thou shalt ask the merchants and the thanes
To make advances they will not refuse."

The Shah was in this matter of a mind
With what the wise man of Iran had said,
And Buzurjmihr chose out a messenger
Wise, of a cheerful heart, and goodly face,
And said to him : " Go with a second horse,
And choose thee out some lusty notable
Among the merchants and the thanes — a man
Of mighty reputation — and request
A loan of money for the troops. The Shah
Will order money to be sent with speed
Out of the treasury."

That emissary,
Fair-spoken, young in years but old in wisdom
And shrewd, came to a neighbouring town and

asked
A loan of money for the king's affairs,
And round him gathered many of the rich.
A certain man, who made and vended shoes,
Attended closely to the envoy's words,
And asked : " How much ? "

The gallant envoy told,
And said : " O man of wisdom and of wealth !
The sum amounteth to four million drachms.'"

Said that shoemaker : "I will furnish them,
And earn the treasurer's praise."

He brought his balance,
Weights, and the drachms, but asked no bond in

writing.
He weighed the coin, the envoy's task was done.
Then that shoemaker said : " O fair of face !
Be good enough to say to Buzurjmihr : —
" I have but one child only in this world,
For whom my heart is all anxiety.'
Then add : " The monarch of the world perchance
Will grant a private favour to myself,
And let me place my boy among his sages,
For he hath wealth and intellect therefor.'

" With pleasure," was the messenger's reply,
" For thou hast cut my quest for treasure short."

So Buzurjmihr came to the Shah rejoicing,
Whose face cleared when he saw that wealth.

Thereafter
He said : " Thanks be to God, whom I have known
Through all my years of life, that in our realm
There is a manufacturer of shoes,
Blessed in this manner and illustrious.
God grant that we may never injure one
That is possessed of such a store of wealth.
Discover for me what his wishes are,
That this good will of his to us may last,
And when thou payest the debt bestow upon him
A hundred thousand drachms that he may not
Forget us."

Buzurjmihr said to the world-lord : —
" O well-starred Shah of goodly countenance !
God grant that no king who is tyrannous
Be happy on his throne and fortunate.
Thy subjects all are men of wealth, aspire,
And are possessed of thrones and diadems.
Now this boot-seller, if the Shah will hear,
Made one request. He said, for so the envoy
Reporteth : " May the world-lord mate with wisdom.

I have a son grown up who is desirous
Of one to teach him learning, and if now
The Shah is willing to assist therein,
So that my good son may become a scribe,
Then for the Shah's life will I pray God, saying :—
" May this throne-worthy live eternally."

The Shah made answer saying : " O wise man !
How hath the Div perplexed thy vision ! Go,
And lead the camels back, for God forbid
That we ask him for silver and for pearls.
How should the merchant's son become a scribe,
Accomplished, learned, and mindful though he be ?
Our son when he shall sit upon the throne
Will need a scribe whose fortune will prevail.
If this voung boot-seller attain distinction,
And my son look to him and list to him,
The man of wisdom and of noble birth
Will have but discontent and chilling sighs.
The sage will be held lightly by my son.
Receive no praise for what he answereth,
And we shall be accursed, when we are dead,
For having introduced this precedent.
Our rations must be got by honest means.
Ask not his money, talk not of our needs.
Dispatch the camels back upon their way.
And ask shoemakers for supplies no more."

So with the cash the envoy went again ;
Those drachms filled that shoemaker's heart with
pain.

Whenas from Pisces Sol displayed its crown,
And flung a robe of ivory o'er the earth,
The scouts returning from the trench-edge came
Before the exalted Shah and said to him : —
" An embassage from Caesar hath arrived
In tribulation to excuse his faults."

The ambassador approached immediately
With benedictions upon Nushirwan,
On seeing whose head and crown the Ruman

heaved
A cold sigh, thinking : " Lo ! a Shah exalted
With kingship, manhood, and a mighty host ! '

Two score pilosophers of Rum, whose tongues
Were full of utterance and their hearts of sighs,
Brought, each one, thirty thousand in dinars
As offerings to the king. When they beheld
His comely countenance they came lamenting,
And writhing serpent-like. The king of kings,
On seeing them, received them graciously.
Assigning them the customary seats,
And then their spokesman thus addressed him :

" Caesar,
O Shah ! is young and hath but just acceded ;
His sire is dead, the world is new to him,
And he is unacquainted with affairs.
Now we are all of us thy tributaries,
And servants, and are under thy protection.
For thee Rum is Iran, Iran is Rum ;
Why then distinguish them ? The king of kings
Hath all the age's wisdom for his own,
And straighteneth Caesar's back. The Khan of

Chin,
The king of Hind, are glad in him and help
To grace his throne. Although a youth, not yet
Of man's estate, made utterance ill-advised
Let not the king of kings, in whom the vault
Of lapis-lazuli rejoiceth, take
Revenge thereat or dudgeon. We will pay
The tribute laid on Rum from the beginning,
And keep pact."

Smiling at the envoy's words
Said Nushirwan : " Although the boy be noble
His speech hath little wisdom. What is Caesar ?
What Batarun, the insensate one. whose tongue
Hath caused his soul's abasement ? All the wise
Born of Sikandar's stock have proved triumphant.
And eminent, yet if one doeth not
Our bidding but rejecteth our advice
And our alliance, from his peopled realm
Will we send up the dust and will not fear
His treasures and his troops."

The envoys kissed
The ground, as courtiers use, and made reply : —
" O Shah that art victorious and supreme !
Blame not the past. We are thy travail's dust,
The warders of thy treasure. When the king
Shall take us into favour we shall cease
Both from misfortune and from discontent.
The toils that here the king of kings hath borne
Are no small matter in the Rumans' eyes,
And we will pay, by way of toll and tax,
His treasury ten ox-hides of dinars.
'Tis thine to bid us pay thee less or more,
And to accept it though it be unworthy."

" As touching treasure," thus the Shah replied,
" The matter resteth with my minister."

Then all the Rumans went before that archmage,
Went with loud lamentations and ill-starred,
Used every plea at large, told Caesar's purpose,
Informed him of the ox-hides and dinars,
And matters that concerned the peace of Rum.
The archmage answered thus : " Ye give the gold,
But what brocade will ye present as well ?
What time the king returneth he will need
A thousand pieces of gold-woven brocade,
For he is constantly concerned with gifts
Of robes of honour for his lords and lieges."

The Rumans gave consent thereto and then
Returning did obeisance to the Shah.
He tarried on the battlefield awhile.
Then when the king and host had taken rest
He chose among the troops a warrior —
One of ability in ciphering —
And gave him soldiers that he might demand
The Ruman tribute and convey it home.

The Shah departed thence toward Taisafun

With troops behind him and in front of him.
All furnished well with silver and with gold.
With silvern bridles and with golden girdles.
" The air is silken all," thou wouldst have said,
" With all the silken banners of the chiefs,
While hills and plains are golden and the belts
Are like the Pleiades with jewelry."

When he drew near the city on his march
A multitude went out to welcome him.
All came to Nushirwan afoot with loins
Girt up for service and with open hearts,
While all that had accompanied the Shah
Proceeded to the palace-gate afoot,
And all the mighty chieftains called down blessings
Upon that Shah alert and just and holy,
While those of greatest eminence brought gifts
Of precious stones. The Shah, on his return,
Made manifest his power to all the chiefs,
And then the warriors went home. There came
Addition in the world to each man's fame.

The high-souled minstrel, who instructeth me,
What said he of time's mutability ?
" No prudent sage will set his mind and heart
Upon this Hostel whence we must depart,
For we arise and fall from day to day,
And alternate our joyance with dismay.
Dark earth will be our final resting-place,
This with high honour, that with deep disgrace,
And after they depart they tell us not
If wakeful joy or slumber be their lot ;
Still if they flourish not that pass our ken
At least they will not strive with death again.
In contemplation of that day of awe
What are five years and twenty or five score,
Passed by one man in pleasure and delight,
Passed by another in penurious plight ?
None have I seen that had a wish to die
Among the upright or the waywardly,
But all are shocked at death — the pious one,
Just as the idol-serving Ahriman."
Old man ! when three score years and one have
past,

Wine, cup, and rest grow savourless at last,
Yet wine for one that readieth to die
Is as a wool-coat when 'tis winterly,
When body freezeth in the midst of vice,
And soul hath lost its way to Paradise.
Full many a friend hath lagged or passed away,
But in the waste the cup with thee will stay.
Unless thy life's endeavour thou forecast
Sure retribution will be thine at last.
Ill-doing endeth in calamity ;
If thou dost ill the world will sadden thee.
Joy not in evil that thou hast achieved,
Who, grieving others, shalt thyself be grieved.
Know that, however great may be the sum
Of these thine earthly years, thine end will come ;
So multiply thy good deeds here below
That thou mayst gladden when thou hast to go.
The deeds accomplished and the words let fall
In life will serve as our memorial.
I ask of God from time, its Maker He,
For such a respite, such felicity,
That all these many tales and stories told,
Now over-passed by years and waxen old,
From Gaiumart to Yazdagird, which be
In disarray, may be arrayed by me ;
That I may range them, weed that garth, and tell
Anew what hap the kings of kings befell,
Then verily I shall not grieve when I
Shall have to quit this Wayside Hostelry.
And now what saith the man of ardent soul
Of Nushirwan, the world-lord's, purposes ?
The monarch at the age of seventy-four
Became possessed by thoughts of death and sought
A master for the world whose chiefest aim
Should be to clothe him in the robe of justice,
Display compassion to the mendicants,
Be great, untroubled, and of ardent soul.
He had six sons of noble birth who all
Were great, shrewd-hearted, and of kingly mien,
With valour, learning, self-control and counsel,
Young with a love of knowledge, and of these
The wisest and the eldest was Hurmuzd,
The nobly born, a man unparalleled,
Exalted, knowing, fair of countenance,
And well affected to the noble race.
The Shah gave orders to his officers
To test the disposition of his son.
By day and night to mark his utterances.
And to inform the monarch of the world
Of his proceedings whether good or bad.
At that time said the Shah to Buzurjmihr :—
" I have a secret purpose in my mind.
When I exceeded three score years and ten
My musky tresses took a camphor-hue,
And when I quit this Wayside Hostelry
A master will be needed for the world,
Who will give largess to the mendicant.
The stranger, and the man of his own kindred,
Be bounteous, will refrain from love of treasure.
And set his heart not on this Wayside Inn-
One whose whole purpose ever is toward good,
Whose place is on the Shah's throne. I thank God
That I have sons wise, learned, who worship Him,
And none esteem I dearer than Hurmuzd,
Or more pre-eminent for rede and sense.
Of mercy, generosity, and right
I see naught lacking in his heart at all.
So summon now the archmages and the chiefs,
All that observe the way of understanding,
Prove ye his knowledge and thereby present
Accomplishment upon accomplishment."

The archimages, the investigators,
And counsellors assembled, called to them
Hurmuzd, the atheling, and seated him
Among the chiefs. Then Buzurjmihr began : —
" O prince fair-starred and fair to look upon !
What know'st thou that will brighten the pure soul
And wisdom, and be fruitful for the body ? '

He answered : " Knowledge is the best, for great
Among the great is one of understanding.
In knowledge is man's safety ; it restraineth
The hands of Ahriman from ill, and next
Come patience and munificence whereby
The body gaineth fame and ease."

The sage
Then asked : " What showeth virtue to advantage,
And what will raise a man to high estate ? '

Hurmuzd replied : " First, to be courteous
To all in good and ill ; next, to endeavour
To grieve as little as one can the hearts
Of every one ; and, thirdly, to deal justly
Within the world and so gain self-content. "'

On that pure-hearted prince of goodly mien
Gazed Buzurjmihr, the questioner, and said : —
" Now will I speak concerning needful topics.
Count them upon thy hands, remember all
That I shall ask, and make a just response
To them in that same order. Bring bear
High-mindedness and justice for, if thou
Art heedful of such matters, of a truth
Heaven's gate is oped to thee since I will question
At large that I may have response in full.
The Master of the world instruct thee ! May
Thy wit be bright, good fortune by thy mate.
Now will I question thee of what I know
With fairness. Answer as thy knowledge is.
The wise man is discerned by his replies,
And compasseth his will in everything.
Inquiry is the lock, response the key :

Response discriminateth bad from good.
Who is the child dear in his father's eyes,
Fair of behaviour, and without offence ?
What man is worthy of our heart's compassion,
So that one needs must weep at his distress ?
What man repenteth of his own good deed,
And that too from the bottom of his heart ?
Who is the man deserving of my blame
When I shall make inquiry of his acts ?
Who would do better if he shunned the world
Because his quiet days are at an end ?
What maketh for our happiness in life,
And what do we recall most willingly ?
Which is the time to praise ? What profiteth
Us most ? Who is the dearest of our friends,
Whose voice doth make a pleasance of the heart ?
Who is the man with most friends in the world,
That joy in him in public and in private
Who too is he that hath most enemies,
And most malignantly disposed to him
What is the thing, the most injurious,
For which when done there is good cause to weep ?
Of all the things that mortals cherish here
What is the most unstable of them all ?
Who is the tyrant that is unashamed,
The man most loveless and irreverent ?
Whose words produce most ruin in the world,
And cause the greatest trouble to his friends ?
What is the matter that entaileth shame,
And evil on a man through his own words ? "

For one whole day till night rose o'er the hills
The sage's words produced no weariness,
But when the darkness brought the time for lights
The chiefs' heads darkened with bewilderment,
And, when the Shah grew weary of his words,
He paused for a reply. The great Hurmuzd
Rose to his feet and fitly praised the Shah : —
" Ne'er may the Shah be lacking to the world,
But still abide upon the imperial throne ;
Ne'er may we see the crown, the royal state,
And throne of ivory, devoid of thee ;
In their excusings may the strong be dust
Before thee, heaven thine antidote from harm.
Now will I make reply to Buzurjmihr,
And solve his questions with a right good will.
The sage first questioned me concerning sons.
And so it is with them I must begin.
A son doth make his father glad of heart,
And freeth it from griefs, if he affect
His sire, incline to goodness, and be just.

Next, of the pitiable man, for whom

The eyelids drop their tears : this is the magnate
Whose fortune hath been scattered and he now
Is thrall to one unworthy. This man's case
Is one to be deplored with bitterness,
Because he hath a miscreant for his lord.
Again, the man that doeth benefits
To thankless folk is all solicitude,
And one forgetful of good done to him
Would make a fool of wisdom. Then the sage
Inquired for whom 'tis goodlier to seek
A resting-place by flight from tyranny ?
The wise man is at liberty to quit
The country where the monarch is not just ;
Escape is needful from an unjust king.
Because he bringeth Doomsday on the world.
The sage inquired : " In what rejoicest thou ? '
'Tis in a brother or some charming fere.
He then inquired : "What is the time to praise ? '
The time when we are quit of enemies :
'Tis well to praise that ever more and more.
Moreover for thy question touching friends,
'Tis good to have the aidance of all such.
If they be wealthy shelter 'neath their cloaks.
And toil with them if they be mendicants.
The humbler and the nobler that one is
The more do his friends" hearts rejoice in him.
The sage next asketh me : " Who hath a foe
By whom his heart is ever vexed and hurt ? '
The man whose tongue is bold to utter ill
Is very apt to make him enemies.
" What is of things the most injurious,'
Thou saidest. ' and at last a cause for tears ? '
When passion hath the mastery of thy heart
It passeth with the passing of a breath,
But with fruition cometh penitence ;
So handle not the blossom of desire.
' "What,' he inquired, ' is that inconstant thing
"Whose feet I seek to clutch and grasp its head ? '
It is the friendship of a foolish man
Of evil nature and unstable counsels ;
And furthermore he saith : " Who is the tyrant
That is all shameless and remediless ? '
Call him remediless if he use guile,
A tyrant if he acteth shamelessly.

As for the man whose very trade is lies,

I term him tyrannous and despicable.

" Whose words,' thou saidest, ' are the cause of ruin,

Cause grief and harm but leave the speaker scath-
less ? '

The traitor and the worthless double dealer

Fill wise men's hearts with pain. The sage in-
quired : —

" What is the fault that causeth one most shame,
And maketh him repent of his own words ? '
The foolish talker's who doth bear himself
Vaingloriously within the sight of men,
But is, when he is private and alone,
Repentant for the words that he hath spoken.
Yet, when he next shall speak, will boast again.
The man without accomplishment is honoured
If he exceedeth not his limitations.
Those were the questions, these are my replies.
The blessings of the world be on the Shah,
May all tongues speak according to his will,

And may his noble heart be glad and blest.""
The king of kings was lost in wonderment

At him and lauded him right royally ;

All were rejoiced that were assembled there,

The monarch's heart was set at large from care.

Then by the Shah's command they wrote a patent
That gave Hurmuzd the throne and crown, and

when
The wind had dried that paper wrought in Chin
They set a seal of musk thereon. The Shah.
In presence of the magnates and shrewd sages,
Charged the high priest therewith. I, by the grace
Of the victorious monarch of the world.
Put into verse this act of Nushirwan's.
The world in practice doth belie its show ;

Beneath 'tis naught but dolour and chagrin.
But, whether thou hast crown or toil and woe,

Thou ne'ertheless must quit this Wayside Inn.
Peruse a letter of the kings of yore,

And see if Nushirwan hath any peer
For justice, rede, festivity, and war.

Yet, his day done, he found no tarriance here.
So turn from feast and pleasure, and be wise.

Thou aged dotard and impenitent !
The world may still look freshly to thine eyes

When in thy cups thou scornest to repent ;
Yet still, if thou be wise, repent anon ;

The man of Faith is well advised for aye ;
The seasons of thine age will soon be gone.

Spring, Summer-tide, and Autumn pass away !
Then when thy body is in dust below
Think whither that pure soul of thine will go !

What was it that the aged chronicler
Said of the testament of Nushirwan ?
When the responses of Hurmuzd were ended
The high priest entered on a new discourse.
The Shah bade, and the counsellors and scribes
Wrote out on silk a gracious document
From Nushirwan to young Hurmuzd, beginning
With praise of the All-just and then proceeding :—
" This counsel of the offspring of Kubad
Hear graciously and write upon thy heart,
Which haply through these words of mine may live.
Know that this world is faithless, O my son !
And full of toil and trouble, pain and bale.

Whenever thou are joying therein and when
Thy heart is free from time's distemperature
That happiness hath no abiding-place,
And thou must quit this Wayside Hostelry.
As I resign the world to thee with justice
Thou must thyself resign it to another.
Since both by bright day and by longsome night
My thoughts are busied with mine own departure
I seek a head fit for the royal crown
To be a diadem on every head.
We have six sons — the Lustre of our heart —
Wise, generous, and just. We have made choice
Of thee because thou art the eldest-born,
A wise man and the adornment of the crown.
Kubad, the well beloved, had four score years
What time he spake to me of sovereignty ;
Now I have come to seventy years and four,
And I have made thee monarch in the world.
Herein mine aim hath been but peace and weal
So that I might have worship after death.
My hope is that almighty God will make thee
All glad and fortunate. If by thy justice
Folk are secure through thee thou wilt thyself
Repose in peace, glad through thine own just

dealing,
And for thy good works done win Paradise,
For he is blest that sowed but seed of good.
See that thou ne'er lose patience ; haste is ill
In kings. The world-lord that is shrewd and learned
Will be in estimation all his years.
In no way go about to compass lies,
Else will the visage of thy fortune pale.
Keep haste afar both from thy heart and brain ;
The wisdom that is joined to haste will slumber.
Incline toward the good and strive therefor,
And list the sage's rede in weal and woe.
Ill must not compass thee about, for ill

Will verily result in ill to thee.
Let both thy raiment and thy food be pure,
And keep thy father's counsels still in mind.
Make God thy refuge and incline to Him
As thou wouldst have Him for thy guide. When

thou
Shalt make the world all prosperous by thy justice
Thy treasury will prosper, fortune joy
In thee. Reward men when they act aright ;
Wait not till good men's toil hath waxen old.
Make glad the men of parts and have them near

thee,
But keep the world dark to the ill-disposed.
In all affairs take counsel with the sage,
And fret not at the toils of sovereignty.
Whenas the wise hath access to thee, throne
With troops and treasure will continue thine.
As for thy subjects, suffer none of them
To be in cheerless case. The potentates
And nobles of thy realm must all partake
Thy good, but let the ignoble share it not,
And trust not aught to one that is unjust.
Give all thine ear and heart to mendicants,
And let their sorrows be thy sorrows too.
The chief that of his own accord is just
Will please the world as well as please himself.
Bar not thy treasury to men of worth,
But act with bounty to the virtuous :
Still if thine enemy become thy friend
Sow not thy seed of good on that salt soil.
If thou shalt follow this advice of ours
Thy crown will be exalted evermore.
May He that giveth good wish well to thee,
Thy throne be wisdom and thy crown success.
God grant that thou mayst not forget my words

Though thou be far removed from my sight.
May thy head flourish and thy heart be glad,
Thy person pure and far from hurt of foes.
May wisdom be thy watchman evermore,
And righteousness the subject of thy thoughts.
When I shall pass away from this wide world
A goodly palace must be built for me,
Secluded somewhere from the haunts of men,
And where the swift-winged vulture flieth not —
A palace lifted toward revolving heaven,
And in its height ten lassoes long and more,
And thereupon let there be limned my court,
The great men, and the warriors of my host.
Let tapestries of every kind be there
In plenty, strewings, colour and perfume.
Embalm my corpse with camphor and arrange
A crown of musk upon the head thereof.
Bring forth five pieces never handled yet
Of cloth of gold and of brocade of Chin,
And garb me in them in the Kaian mode,
As is the usance of Sasanian Shahs,
By which same token make an ivory throne
With crown suspended o'er the ivory,
And let the golden vessels that I used,
The goblets and the censers and the cups —
A score filled with rosewater, saffron, wine,
Ten score with camphor, musk, and ambergris —
Be set upon my left hand and my right,
No more or less, for such is my command.
Drain from my trunk the blood and afterwards
Let the dry space be filled with musk and camphor,
And lastly block the passage to my throne —
A passage that no other Shah may see.

That court will be conducted otherwise,
And none will have e'en access unto us.
Let those among my sons and noble kin,
Who feel my death as a calamity,
Refrain from feast and pleasure for two months,
For that is usual at the Shah's decease,
And 'twould be seemly for the good to drop
A tear on this, the Great King's, testament.
Depart not from the bidding of Hurmuzd
And breathe not save' according to his will."
All o'er that testament shed many a tear.
And Nushirwan survived it just a year.

In that year Nushirwan upon a night
Amidst his prayers and praises had a dream,
Wherein his lucid spirit saw in sleep
A Sun rise in the night and therewithal
"Was an ascent that had two score degrees,
Whose summit reached to Saturn in the ascendant.
From the Hijaz in stately pomp and joy
That Sun ascended that ascent, fulfilling
The world with brilliancy from Kaf to Kaf,
And everywhere converting grief to mirth,
While all the horizons, whether far or near,
Took lustre from its glory everywhere,
And everywhere light entered save the hall
Of Nushirwan which still abode in gloom.
The Shah rose from his sleep for half the night,

And oped his lips to none on that affair,
But when the sun unveiled its countenance
He summoned to his presence Buzurjmihr.
The king of kings in private to that sage
Related what he had beheld in sleep,
And Buzurjmihr, possessed of all the case,
Considered all the dream from end to end,
And thus replied : " O king of power supreme !
In truth there is a mystery herein.'"

The king said : " Speak the truth because my life
Is failing in my body for suspense."

Then Buzurjmihr spake thus : " O thou whose
rede
Is higher than moon and sun ! this dream have I
Well studied : mark the marvel of its meaning.
From this day forth for forty years and more
Among the Arabs one will rise to power,

Who will adopt the way of righteousness,

And turn aside from all deceit and loss.
He will confound the whole Faith of Zarduhsht.
When he shall show the moon his finger-tip,
His finger will divide it into two,
And none will look upon his back in toil.
The Jew and Christian shall withstand him not,
And he will do away with former Faiths.
He will ascend a triple-footed throne,
And all the world will be advised by him.
When he shall quit this Wayside Hostelry
The treasure of his words will still remain.
The world will joy in him from age to age,
Save the Shah's palace which the winds will scatter.
When he is dead a scion of thy race
Will have the tymbals, drums, and elephants.
A host will come on him from the Hijaz,
Though unpossessed of arms and equipage,
Will cast him from the throne upon the dust,
And fill the world with warriors. Then will cease
The observation of the feast of Sada.
And every Fire-fane be a rubbish heap.
Folk will no longer worship Fire and Sun.
And all the fortunes of the brave will slumber.
Jamasp himself declared before Gushtasp
This secret, giving this interpretation."

When Nushirwan heard this from Buzurjmihr
The favour of his countenance was changed :
He was all day the mate of pain and grief,
And slumbered, when night came, worn out by care.
Now when three watches of the night had passed
There went up such a panic-stricken cry
That thou hadst said : " The world is all o'er-

turned !
And then one said : " The hall is rent in twain ! '
Thereat the Shah's heart started from its place,
And in the uttermost bewilderment
He spake concerning it to Buzurjmihr,
Beginning with the rending of the hall,

Which when the sage had looked upon he spake

On this wise, saying : " O Shah Nushirwan !
This outcry rose by reason of the Sun
That thou beheldest in thy dreams last night.
Know that thy palace gave a cry what time
That moon-like babe was born, and presently
A horseman with two steeds will come to say : —
" Fire-worship is abandoned to the blast ! '

Thereat, as swiftly as the flying dust,
A horseman came with tidings : " Even now
Azargashasp is cold ! "

The Shah's heart straitened
Because of it ; he sighed continually.
Then Buzurjmihr : " O Shah ! why mourn there-
for ?

Or, with the change of a diacritical point : —

And when the night came, could not sleep for care.
What matter this world's griefs and joys to thee
When thou art gone and parted far by time ? "

The Shah survived not this event for long.
He died : the world bewailed him. Buzurjmihr
Veiled his own visage in the dust within

Four se'nnights of the passing of the Shah.
Who left behind this record when he went.
Be thy part to preserve his monument.
For since the turning sky proved so unfair
To him expect no love or justice there.

And now the crown and throne I decorate
Of Shah Hurmuzd, and seat him on the state.