Book D7The Early Sasanians

At Baghdad, Ardeshir took the ivory throne;Upon his head the crown of victory shone.

With girdle bound, the kings’ great gorz in hand,He took his splendid seat to give command.

They called him King of kings; in every gaze,He seemed Goshtasb restored from former days.

When he had donned the crown in royal state,He spoke these words before the proud and great:

“Justice is all my treasure here on earth;My toil and fortune give the world rebirth.

This treasure none can seize by fraud or force;Wrongdoing drives men down its bitter course.

If holy God is pleased with me, His handWill not withhold from me this darkened land.

The whole wide world shall rest beneath my shield;My rule shall never to injustice yield.

Let no one go to sleep with needs deniedBy any officer who serves my side.

No chief or mounted warrior to me swornShall leave a heart to nurse its need forlorn.

My court stands open wide to friend and foe,To those who wish me well or wish me woe.”

The whole assembly blessed him, crying then,“May justice make earth prosperous for men!”

He sent out troops wherever foes held land,And gave the marching armies this command:

“Make hostile chiefs submit; if they resist,Let throne and sword persuade them to desist.”

When Shah Ardeshir made proud Ardavan fall,The world was his; he stood above them all.

He took the slain king’s daughter as his bride,To learn where royal hoards lay deep inside.

Two sons of Ardavan to Hind had flown,To share whatever good or ill was shown.

Two more lay bound in Ardeshir’s domain;The living bore their wounds, their father slain.

In Hindustan the eldest brother stayed;His name was Bahman; there his plans were laid.

He chose a youth of judgment and of skill,Who heard his message with a ready will.

Denied a share of kingship, in despair,He gave the youth the poison he must bear.

He said, “Go tell my sister what I say:‘Seek no affection from our foe this way.

In Hindustan two brothers live in pain,Together bearing hardship’s bitter chain.

Two more in Ardeshir’s dark prison lie,With blood within their hearts and tears in eye.

How can the Maker bless the course you take,If you your father’s grieving house forsake?

If you would be Iran’s queen, take your place,And win the praise of warriors for your grace,

Take this Indian poison, cold and sure,And give Ardeshir death he cannot cure.’”

The envoy came at evening with the word,And gave the king’s dear daughter what he heard.

Her soul burned for her brothers and their pain;Her heart became a furnace of disdain.

She took the poison, fixed upon the deed,And planned the death her brothers had decreed.

One day Ardeshir rode across the plain,And loosed his arrows at the wild ass train.

When half the day had passed, he turned to rideBack from the hunting ground to his bride’s side.

He sought his bride; she saw him drawing near,And ran to meet her husband, Ardeshir.

She brought a topaz cup, its contents sweet:Cold water, sugar, meal for him to eat.

To please Bahman, she mixed the deadly baneWith meal and sugar, hoping for his gain.

The Shah received the cup, but from his holdIt fell and broke; its contents outward rolled.

The queen shook hard beneath the sudden fear;Her heart seemed torn in two as he stood near.

The Shah grew doubtful when he saw her shake,And feared what turn the heavens now might take.

He bade a servant fetch four household hens,And bring the birds before him from their pens.

The birds were set before the poisoned fare;Those watching thought suspicion idle air.

The fowls ate of the meal and swiftly died;No kindly reading could the poison hide.

The pious monarch summoned then a sage,His learned minister, advanced in age.

He asked his minister, “If you should raiseAn enemy to honor and to praise,

And favor so intoxicates his mindHe seeks your life, to all your kindness blind,

What punishment should such a treason bring?How deal with one who, fostered, turns to sting?”

The minister replied, “Who seeks the kingMust lose the head that planned so vile a thing.

Behead the guilty one without delay;Let no soft counsel turn your will away.”

The Shah commanded, “Take the woman’s head;Let Ardavan’s proud daughter join the dead.”

The minister went out; she walked ahead,She trembled, heart weighed down by guilt and dread.

She said, “O sage, your days and mine must end;Toward death the paths of both our lives must bend.

If you must kill me, hear before I die:Within me does Ardeshir’s offspring lie.

Though I deserve to have my lifeblood shed,Or hang upon a gibbet with the dead,

Wait till the child is born and parted free;Then do whatever judgment falls on me.”

The shrewd old minister returned and toldHis master, but the Shah’s resolve stayed cold.

He said, “Pay no attention to her plea;Bring out the noose and do as I decree.”

The minister reflected, “Dark the dayThat brings such orders for me to obey.

All living men must reach the appointed end;The Shah has no son on whom hopes depend.

Though his long life a hundred years should last,At death his throne to foes alone is passed.

From this deed, fruitless as it is, I mightContrive some noble act and set it right.

I shall preserve this moon-face from the blade;Perhaps the Shah’s fierce purpose yet may fade.

Once she has borne the child, at his commandThe sentence still can pass beneath my hand.

This matter will not leave my troubled mind;Let wisdom guide me; let me not be blind.”

He furnished chambers in his hall apart,To guard her as his body and his heart.

He thought, “Not even passing air may seeHer hidden face; so close her guard must be.”

Then thought, “My foes are many; doubts arise;No man is wholly trusted in my eyes.

I must ensure no slanderer can claimMy stream runs foul, or stain my honored name.”

He gelded himself, seared the flesh that bled,Then bound the wound, with salves upon it spread.

He salted what his knife cut at a stroke,And packed it in a casket, swift as smoke.

He sealed the casket then, and came in pain,His yellow face betraying all his strain.

He told his servants, “Bring a litter here;At dusk, before the Shah, let me appear.”

They lifted him in anguish, bent and frail,And laid him in the litter, deathly pale.

The Shah then asked the minister to speak:“Why has such yellow pallor stained your cheek?”

He answered, “What I did has left me torn,My heart in pain, my face so pale and worn.”

Before the lofty throne he set the case,Its seal and binding still secure in place.

He said, “Entrust this casket to the wardOf your own treasurer, within your hoard.”

The date was written on the casket’s face,With marks by which its origin to trace.

When time of birth drew near, the cautious manKept all concealed according to his plan.

The daughter of proud Ardavan gave birthTo one of royal mien and ardent worth.

He named the child Shapur, concealed him well,And barred his door to guests, lest they should tell.

For seven years he kept him from the light,Until he grew kinglike in grace and height.

One day the minister approached the king,And saw tears rise from care’s consuming spring.

He said, “O Shah, success is yours, yet stillYour soul is fed on sorrow’s bitter will.

The world has granted all you sought to own;You cast your foeman headlong from his throne.

Now is the time for joy and drinking wine,Not grief that makes the royal spirit pine.

Earth’s seven climes are yours; your troops awaitYour orders, as do all who serve the state.”

The Shah replied, “O counselor and guide,Whose wisdom sees what hidden cares I hide,

Our scimitar has justified the age;Grief, toil, and hardship have withdrawn their rage.

My years are fifty-one; the musk once spreadIs camphor now; my youthful roses fled.

I ought to have a son before me here,A joy of heart, a strength, a guide held dear.

A father with no son is like a boyWhose father died; no stranger brings such joy.

My crown and treasure fall to foes as spoil;For me, but dust and pain for all my toil.”

The shrewd old man then thought, “The time has comeTo speak, and end this sorrow’s heavy sum.”

He said, “O Shah, protector of your land,Magnanimous, supreme in heart and hand,

If you will promise first to spare my life,I shall remove my lord’s inward strife.”

The Shah replied, “O sage, why should you fear?Speak what you know; let hidden truth appear.

What better gift than counsel from the wise?Say all you know and lift this from my eyes.”

He said, “Pure Shah, discerning and sincere,May my reply find favor in your ear.

A casket lies among your treasures, sealedBy my own hand; command it be revealed.”

The Shah then told the treasurer, “RestoreThe thing that he entrusted you before.

Bring it, that we may see what lies inside,And cast this grief that burdens me aside.”

The treasurer brought forth the casket, sealed,And to the minister his charge did yield.

The Shah inquired, “What does this casket hide,And whose seal keeps it fastened on the side?”

He said, “My blood is here, the parts I toreFrom their own roots, my manhood now no more.

You gave me Ardavan’s own daughter then,And charged me that she never rise again.

I spared her for the child she bore; my handWas stayed by fear of God, who rules the land.

When your command arrived, I sought to saveMy honor, and my manhood freely gave,

Lest anyone should stain my name with blame,Or drown me in the sea of tainted fame.

Your Shapur now is seven years of age,Yet fit to be your minister and sage.

No other king has such a noble heir;The moon alone can match his face so fair.

In love I named him Shapur; may the skiesRejoice to see your happy fortune rise.

His mother too is with him, safe and mild,And she has raised and taught the royal child.”

The world’s king marveled at the loyal man,And thoughts about the hidden boy began.

He said, “O man of clear and prudent mind,Whose heart with understanding is aligned,

I shall not let such service lose its due;Much hardship you have borne to see this through.

Choose out one hundred boys his age and size,Alike in chest and limb before our eyes.

Let all be clothed alike from head to toe,With nothing more or less in what they show.

Send all the boys to play upon the ground,With polo sticks and balls to drive around.

When those fair youths are playing in my sight,My heart will turn toward him by nature’s right.

My heart will testify and make me knowThe son in whom my blood and lineage flow.”

At dawn the minister arranged the bandOf boys upon the field at his command.

In dress, in stature, bearing, form, and grace,No eye could tell one youth from all the race.

The field seemed bright as on a festive day,With Shapur in the midst of all their play.

When Shapur struck the ball, his ardor grew;He strove with manly spirit to break through.

Ardeshir came with chosen men beside,To watch the children on his field so wide.

He heaved a heavy sigh within his breast,Then pointed where his heart found truth and rest.

He told the minister, “Look there and see:That youth resembles what I used to be.”

The counselor replied, “Your heart has knownThe son your blood and body call their own.”

Then Shah Ardeshir called a servant near:“O man of kindly heart and conscience clear,

Join in their play with cheerful face, and seeYou drive the ball with your own stick to me.

The boy who comes among my horsemen here,As bold as any lion, free from fear,

And takes the ball away before my face,Dauntless before the horsemen in this place,

Will be my royal son, beyond all doubt,In blood and body, as the signs point out.”

The servant did the bidding of the king,And drove the ball before the mounted ring.

The boys, as swift as arrows, chased it hard,Until they neared the Shah across the yard.

They halted, though they longed to join the play;But Shapur charged ahead without delay.

He bore it off before the monarch’s face,Then gave it to the boys beyond that place.

The Shah’s heart joyed as when an old man’s frameGrows young again and kindles into flame.

The horsemen lifted Shapur from the ground,And passed him hand to hand among them round.

At last the King of kings embraced the boy,And blessed the Judge of all with tears of joy.

He kissed his head and eyes, his face, and said:“This wonder must be told, its tidings spread.

I never dreamed of this; I thought him dead,And never hoped to kiss his living head.

God gave me greater kingship, and a sonTo leave my memory when my days are done.

What God has willed no man can flee or shun,Though he should raise his head above the sun.”

He called for gold and gems from all his treasure,And priceless rubies, heaped beyond all measure.

They poured the gold and jewels on the heir,And sifted musk and ambergris through air.

The coins concealed his head beneath their flow;No eye could see his face for gems below.

The Shah heaped gems upon his faithful guide,And gave a gold-adorned seat at his side.

He gave him wealth enough to furnish allHis palace chambers and his spacious hall.

He bade the daughter of Ardavan goBack to the palace free from fear and woe.

He pardoned all the guilt that stained her name,And cleansed his moon of rust, her face of shame.

He summoned learned men into the town,To teach the boy the wisdom of renown:

To write in Pahlavi, to sit the throneWith all the royal bearing kings have shown;

To wheel his horse in battle, firm and keen,And show the foe his spearpoint’s threatening sheen;

To feast, drink wine, give gifts, and lead his men,And bear the toil when war returned again.

He changed the dies for coins of every mold,And struck them new in silver and in gold.

On one face Ardeshir’s own name was shown;The other bore his minister’s alone.

The minister’s good name was held in praise,A man of counsel, versed in this world’s ways.

Both names appeared on edicts through the land;With seal and signet, his was full command.

He gave the poor who earned their daily breadA treasure, that their hunger might be fed.

He chose a tract of bramble and of thorn,And from it was a thriving city born.

The name of Gund-e-Shapur still is known;No other name survives beside its own.

Shapur grew cypress-tall beside the king;They feared the harm an evil eye might bring.

He never left the Shah, but at his sideServed as his trusted minister and guide.

The Shah found not a single day of peace,For enemies arose and would not cease.

When he had freed one province from its foes,Another rose to bring him deeper woes.

He said, “In public and in secret prayer,I ask the Maker, who sees everywhere,

To grant me all the world, with foes subdued,That I may worship Him in gratitude.”

His minister replied, “O King of grace,Whose wisdom shines upon this noble race,

Dispatch an envoy to Hind’s sage, the chiefOf sages, Kayd, whose knowledge brings relief.

He knows the lofty heavens and their course,The door to joy, the path to grief’s dark source.

He will foretell if all the seven climesBe yours without a rival in these times.”

The Shah chose then a youth of ready wit,For such a charge both keen and finely fit.

With steeds and gold and silk of Chin, he sentThe youth to bear the message the Shah meant.

He said, “Go tell the sage who reads the skies:‘O favored man, whose words are true and wise,

When shall I rest from war and weary toil,And hold in peace the kingdom’s royal soil?

If this shall never be, let labor cease;No more shall I spend treasure seeking peace.’”

The envoy came to Kayd with gifts in hand,And offerings sent from Ardeshir’s own land.

He told the Shah’s whole message, word by word,And bared each secret trouble he had heard.

Kayd questioned him; concern upon him weighed,Then turned to all his learning for its aid.

He brought his astrolabe to read the skies,With Indian tables spread before his eyes.

He weighed what heaven’s turning might portend:Ease, profit, pain, and harm that it might send.

“I reckoned Iran’s fortune, gauged its hope,And with it read the Shah’s own horoscope.

If Ardeshir’s line joins with Mehrak’s own,The son of Nushzad, peace shall bless his throne.

Then shall the Shah know peace throughout his days,And send no armies down the distant ways.

His wealth shall grow, his hardships fade away;Let not the feud between these houses weigh.

So all Iran will answer his behest,And all his heart’s desires shall be possessed.”

He gave the envoy gifts: “Let nothing stayConcealed of all the words I bid you say.

If he will heed, the lofty heavens will showThe worth of all the counsel I bestow.”

The envoy then returned to Ardeshir,And told him all that Kayd had made him hear.

When Ardeshir heard what the sage had said,His face grew yellow; pain within him spread.

He answered, “God forbid that I should seeThe offspring of that Mehrak joined to me.

To bring the enemy within my keepWould sow fresh war, and misery to reap.

Woe for my scattered treasure, all my care,The men dispatched, the toil I had to bear!

Mehrak has but one daughter left, they say;No one has seen where she has hid away.

Let searchers ride to Rum and Chin, and scourHind and Taraz, and bring her to my power.

Once found, she shall be burned; the dust shall weepAnd mourn her fate in lamentation deep.”

He sent to Jahram horsemen, and besideA keen, vindictive tracker as their guide.

She fled from Mehrak’s house when word drew near,And found a hidden corner in her fear.

Within a village chieftain’s house she stayed;He held in honor the secluded maid.

She grew like some straight cypress in the glade,With wisdom in the beauty she displayed.

No equal in that country could be found;No cypress matched her height on all its ground.

Now hear of Mehrak’s daughter in my song,And sword-bearing Shapur, bold and strong.

A little time passed on; the royal starGrew bright and shed its radiance afar.

The Shah went out to hunt at dawn one day,With wise Shapur beside him on the way.

The horsemen ranged across the grassy plain,And drove the game away with spur and rein.

A spacious dwelling stood beneath the sky,With grove and hall and palace rising high.

Shapur rode to the village, where he foundThe chief’s great house and stepped down to the ground.

A pleasant garden lay within the place;The prince went in amid its verdant grace.

A moon-faced maiden, drawing from the well,Turned the great wheel; the bucket rose and fell.

And when she saw Shapur, she came to greetThe prince with blessings, gracious, warm, and sweet.

“Be happy, sir, and joy be yours, I pray,And may your years be free from all decay.

Your courser thirsts; the village waters flowWith brackish salt, as those who drink them know.

But this well’s water, cold and sweet, is clear;With your permission, I shall draw it here.”

Shapur replied, “My moon-faced maiden, whyShould you be troubled? Let this task pass by.

I have attendants waiting; theirs the taskTo draw cold water, if I only ask.”

The maiden turned away, withdrew from view,And sat beside the stream that rippled through.

He bade a servant, “Bring the bucket here,And draw cold water from the well’s depths clear.”

The servant heard and ran to turn the wheel,And let the rope and heavy bucket reel.

The heavy bucket filled; the rope drew taut;The servant, straining at it, grew distraught.

Since all his strength could not bring up the weight,Shapur came grumbling at the servant’s state.

“You half a woman! Did she not commandThis rope and heavy bucket with her hand?

She drew such quantities, yet now you cryFor help, worn out, and cannot lift it high.”

He took the rope; what taxed the servant’s mightBecame an easy task, its burden light.

Discovering the weight the girl had raised,He spoke of her with wonder, and he praised:

“A maiden who can lift a weight so grandMust come of Kayanian blood within this land.”

When he had drawn the water for his steed,The maiden came with calm and graceful speed.

“May you live happily while time shall last,And learn from wisdom till your days are past.

Shapur, King Ardeshir’s strong son, could makeThe water milk that from this well we take.”

He asked, “My moon-faced maid, how can you knowThat I am Shapur? What has told you so?”

She answered him, “Full often have I heardYour truth and honor praised in every word.

‘His strength is like an elephant’s; his handGives like the Nile that pours across the land.

In height a cypress, with a frame of brass,Like Bahman in all things that come to pass.’”

“O moon-faced girl,” said he, “tell what I ask,And do not hide your life behind a mask.

Declare your stock, for bearing, form and face,Betray the secret of a royal race.”

“I am the daughter of the chief,” she said;“From him my beauty and my strength are bred.”

“Before a king, no lie can shine as true;Such words,” Shapur replied, “will never do.

No farmer’s daughter bears such grace as you,Such moon-bright face and fragrance, bloom and hue.”

“O prince,” she said, “assure me I shall live,And promise me the safety you can give.

Safe from the anger of the King of kings,I shall recount the truth that memory brings.”

The prince replied, “Within our garden growsNo plant of hatred toward the friends we chose.

So speak; fear neither me nor him who reigns,The just, renowned Shah over these domains.”

“I am the daughter of Mehrak,” she said,“Nushzad’s own son, whose child stands here in dread.

A pious man brought me, a child, to stayWith this good chief, who shelters me today.

So now, for fear of Ardeshir the Great,I draw his water, serving in this state.”

Shapur took up his lodging in that place,The chief stood waiting for his word of grace.

“Give me this maid, with Heaven as witness true,To be my wife, the bond approved by you.”

The village chief accorded his desire,With all the rites of those who worship fire.

In time, the cypress bore its fruit of grace,To bless the scion of the royal race.

He brought her from the chief’s house; there the princeCherished her in his palace like fresh quince.

When nine months passed, that radiant lady boreA child who matched the beauty that she wore.

You would have thought Esfandiyar stood near,Or that famed horseman, mighty Ardeshir.

Shapur named him Hormizd; the boy stood tall,A cypress where the plants beneath were small.

Thus seven years went by; in all the sphere,The child had none to match him, none his peer.

They kept him hidden, far from every eye,And would not let him out where boys played by.

For seven days the King went hunting game,And wise Shapur went with him, bent on the same.

Hormizd slipped out unseen and ran away,Weary of lessons, longing now for play.

He ran to Ardeshir’s field, a bow in hand,With two shafts in the other, through the land.

He joined the children on the playing ground,Where polo sticks and balls were passed around.

The Shah returned from hunting with his train,And reached the playing field across the plain.

The chief of Mobadan, a learned sage,Came with the Shah to watch the boys engage.

A youth struck hard and sent the ball astray;It rolled toward the monarch on its way.

The boys all stopped; no child pursued the ball;They stood, their pleasure checked, unwilling all.

Hormizd ran from their midst, with flying feet,And rushed like wind the world’s great king to meet.

He took the ball before the old king’s eyes,Amid the soldiers’ shouts and startled cries.

Then from the boy a mighty shout rang clear,And filled with wonder glorious Ardeshir.

The Shah then asked the Mobad, “Whose is he?What noble branch has borne so bold a tree?”

The Mobad asked, but none could name his race;They all kept silent in that crowded place.

The Shah commanded, “Bring him here to me;Lift him from earth, his face I wish to see.”

The Mobad raised him from the dusty ground,And bore him where the King and court stood round.

The Shah said, “Noble child, before my face,Declare from whom you spring, your stock and race.”

The boy spoke out aloud, his meaning clear:“My name and race must not be hidden here.

I am Shapur’s own son, and he is yours;Through Mehrak’s daughter too my blood endures.”

The monarch stood in wonder at the word,Then smiled and pondered what his ears had heard.

He thought, “This thing was destined long ago;Why should I make my heart increase its woe?”

He called Shapur before him to declareThe truth, and questioned him with searching care.

Shapur was wan, his cheek was pale with dread;His heart grew sore at all the king had said.

But Ardeshir smiled and eased his fear:“Do not conceal the ancient secret here.

We need a son; whatever blood he brings,It is enough to know he springs from kings.”

Shapur replied, “May joy be yours to know;Your face sustains the world with all its glow.

The boy is mine; Hormizd I named my son,A tulip in low grasses, bright as sun.

I hid him from the Shah while still a shoot,And waited for the tree to bear its fruit.

This child was born of Mehrak’s daughter; heIs mine; no one can raise a doubt in me.”

Of water and the well he told the tale;His father listened to each full detail.

The King rejoiced and sought his palace door,His minister beside him as before.

He held the darling child in his embrace,And sought his palace throne with joyful face.

He had a golden throne prepared, and broughtA collar and a crown of gold, rich-wrought.

They decked the little head, then from the storeBrought gold and jewels, heaping more and more.

They poured until his head was lost to sight;His grandfather then raised him to the light.

He gave them all to poor men in their need,And more to sages, honoring wisdom’s seed.

He decked the fire-temple, rich arrayed,And halls of Nowruz and Sadeh with brocade.

He held a banquet with his chiefs; the throngOf minstrels filled the air with ringing song.

He spoke before the nobles gathered round,And all whose wisdom made their names renowned:

“Let none dismiss what learned men foretell,Who read the stars and what their courses spell.

For Kayd of Hind foretold: ‘Your fortune’s lightWill never bless your throne with full delight,

Nor realm, nor crown, nor treasure, nor your men,Nor diadem, nor farr shall bless you then.

Until your house and famed Nushzad’s own lineAre joined in blood, and both their stocks combine.’

For eight long years the sky has blessed my way,And granted what I wished from day to day.

Since Hormizd came to bring my heart its ease,The world has given all that tends to please.

The seven climes are ordered by my hand;My heart has gained what fortune’s gifts command.”

His officers now used one royal name:The King of kings, his title of acclaim.

Now hear how Ardeshir, through toil and care,Made justice flourish and the earth grow fair.

Learn too the wise decrees that he decreed,And weigh each counsel for your daily need.

He toiled, and made the rule of virtue stand,And spread both love and law by royal hand.

Desiring more recruits for his command,He sent his agents out through all the land.

They said, “Let none who has a son allowHis youth to grow in ignorance from now.

Teach him the horse, the gorz, the bow in hand,And poplar shafts, as warriors understand.

When trained to strength and proven able too,A youth shall serve beneath the royal view.”

From every realm the youths approached the court,Where muster-masters wrote the due report.

They wrote each name and gave each youth his place,With quarters for the men of martial grace.

When war breaks out, recruits like these shall goBeneath a Pahlevan against the foe.

A learned Mobad shall attend the train,To watch the men upon the battle plain.

One such shall watch a thousand in the fight,And judge what duties suit each warrior’s might.

He notes the coward and the man too frail,And those whose strength and courage do not fail.

He sends the record to the King of kings,With clear report of all such martial things.

The Shah, when he has read the message through,Will seat the messenger before his view.

From treasury’s best he gives a robe of state,To youths whose skill and valor prove them great.

But men unfit shall leave the fighting train,Nor fill the ranks upon the battle plain.

Thus grew his troops so vast beneath the sky,No star could see their bounds from up on high.

The men of counsel rose beneath his hand,Advanced by wisdom serving court and land.

A herald circled through the camp and cried,“You warriors of the Shah in fame and pride:

Whoever seeks the king’s approving sight,And stains the earth with foemen’s blood in fight,

Shall have from me a royal gift and name,And leave memorials bright with lasting fame.”

He ruled the realm through disciplined array,A shepherd guiding armored men each day.

Now see how Ardeshir arranged the bandOf scribes who served the business of the land.

He staffed his public offices with menWhose knowledge matched their mastery of the pen.

He weighed their script, the beauty of each line,And every dot within its fine design.

When skill was duly brought before his eyes,The Shah decreed the writer’s pay should rise.

The lesser scribes served officers instead,Their weaker wit and pen were elsewhere led.

Such men found no employment near the crown;None served there but the penmen of renown.

He knew the practiced scribes among his men,And praised the worthy masters of the pen:

“A scribe who fills the treasury by his art,And lessens toil, sustains the kingdom’s heart.

He aids the state, the army, and the law,And speeds redress without delay or flaw.

The scribes are sinews of my soul and hand,And rule the secrets of my high command.”

When governors went out, the Shah made plain:“Hold money vile throughout your term of reign.

Sell no man’s life for gold; this fleeting stayIs but a lodging all must leave one day.

Seek wisdom, righteousness, and sober view;Let greed and madness keep afar from you.

Take none of kith or kin into your train;The troops I gave will serve you in your reign.

Give monthly gifts to all the poor in need,But not to those who plan a hostile deed.

If justice makes your province prosper too,Then you will prosper by the good you do.

But if a poor man sleeps in fear of you,You sell your soul for silver’s passing hue.”

All those who came to court for state affairs,Or sought redress beneath the royal stairs,

Were met by trusted servants at the gate,Who asked how local governors ruled the state:

“Are they just men, or greedy for reward?Do any wronged lie hidden in their ward?

What learned men are there? Who faints from need?Whose age and counsel best may serve the deed?

What elder, veteran, or pious manCan aid the realm as only wisdom can?”

The King had said, “My toil and treasure’s storeShould serve the learned; I desire no more.

What better thing than one both wise and old,Whose tested words are worthier than gold?

Seek men of long experience, sound and true,And patient youths whose worth is proven too.

For when young men are wise and fit to learn,They take the old men’s places in their turn.”

Whenever his whole army went to fight,He acted with sound judgment and foresight.

He chose a scribe, learned, watchful, wise, and fair,And sent him first as envoy with due care.

He sent a courteous, just appeal ahead,To ward off wrong before men’s blood was shed.

The envoy searched the foeman’s inward mind,To learn what purpose lay in it confined.

If that wise foe perceived his meaning right,And shrank from all the sorrows of the fight,

He gained a robe, a grant, a charter too,A keepsake from the Shah to mark his due.

But if revenge possessed his heart instead,With blood within his liver, wrath his head,

The Shah gave gifts throughout the army band,So no man felt neglected in the land.

He chose a Pahlevan alert and wise,Who sought no rest, with watchful, prudent eyes.

Beside him went a scribe of practiced skill,To check the troops and keep the realm from ill.

An elephant upheld the herald’s frame;For two farsangs his proclamation came.

He cried to all the warriors of the land:“O famous chiefs, renowned in war’s command,

Protect the people all along your road;Let rich and poor rest safe in each abode.

Pay for provisions at each halting stage,And earn the thanks of farmer, youth, and sage.

Let none who worship God take others’ due,Or stain with unjust deeds the good they do.

Whoever shows the foe his back in fightWill see his fortune darkened into night.

His grave will stand nearby, or iron chainWill gall his neck and breast with bitter pain.

Or else, dismissed, on dust he shall be fed,And darkened dust shall be his only bed.”

Then he would charge the captain of the men,“Be neither slack nor rash in danger then.

Keep elephants in front; push scouts ahead,Full four farsangs before the army’s tread.

When battle comes, move through the troops, and hailEach rank: ‘Remember who you are, nor quail.

Remember why you stand upon this field;Let no man’s courage break, retreat, or yield.

For every one of you I shall obtainA robe from Ardeshir for this campaign.

A hundred hostile horsemen against oneOf ours are few, when battle is begun.’

When any horsemen advance on either side,Let not the center stand deserted, wide.

However vast the army you command,An empty center puts it in death’s hand.

Set your left flank against the foeman’s right,So matched opposing forces meet in fight.

Set right against their left across the plain;Let every mind attend the baggage train.

No man within the center shall advanceA single foot by haste or random chance.

But if the opposing center moves ahead,Then move your own where ordered ranks are spread.

When you have triumphed, shed no fleeing blood;Let mercy check the battle’s crimson flood.

If beaten foes ask quarter, grant it then;Be not revengeful toward defeated men.

When you observe the foe begin retreat,Seek not the spoil, nor leave your ordered seat.

Beware of ambush still on vale and plain;Do not deem all secure and quit your train.

But once assured, heed no distracting word;Stand by the judgment you have made and heard.

Bestow the spoil on those who sought the fray,And washed from hearts the love of life away.

Bring every captive taken on that dayBefore my court, without excuse or stay.

I shall build there where thorn and bramble growA city where the captives all may go.

As you would live at peace, secure, and sound,Do not reject the counsel you have found.

And in your triumphs always bend to God,Because His guidance marks the path you trod.”

When envoys came from Turks or Romans bold,Or noble peoples, this command was told:

The border chiefs must know when envoys came,And let no negligence disgrace their name.

Along the road let lodgings be made ready,With care for every envoy, sure and steady.

Such was the charge appointed through the land:Food, robes, and carpets furnished at command.

Along the route they learned the envoy’s aim,His business, country, mission, rank, and name.

A noble camel bore a scribe, who pressedAhead to tell the Shah the guest’s request.

The troops rode out to meet him on the road;The victor Shah, enthroned, his splendor showed.

On either side attendants took their stand,In robes with gold embroidered, bright and grand.

He called the envoy near, with honor treated,And by the royal throne he had him seated.

He asked his business, hidden, plain, his name,The good and bad, his standing and his fame,

Of justice and injustice, what he knew,His land, its customs, king, and army too.

He led him to a palace set apart,And furnished it with all befitting art.

He held a feast with wine in royal state,And by the golden throne the envoy ate.

He took him hunting with a mighty train,A countless force of riders on the plain.

He sent him off with ceremonial care,And gave a royal robe for him to wear.

He sent wise Mobadan through every town,Men kind and shrewd, commissioned by the crown.

They raised new cities, spacious, sound, and bright,With royal treasure spent to build them right.

Each homeless man whom fortune left in need,Whose poverty gave grief a place to breed,

Received both food and shelter at command;Thus grew the people subject to his hand.

His name is current now as it was then,In public speech and private hearts of men.

One monarch only in the world we findWho brings lost Ardeshir again to mind.

I bring his name to life in words that last,And call his memory from the distant past.

How wondrous was the justice of his reign!Prosperity became his rightful gain.

The Shah received reports from far and wide,His agents learned what every place might hide.

Whenever men of wealth fell in distress,His agents learned, and brought it for redress.

He raised their fallen fortunes, made them thrive,And caused their ruined markets to revive.

He gave them fertile lands and houses too,With slaves and servants for each household due.

He gave this aid in secret, keeping allUnknown to those within the city wall.

If talent showed in children of their line,He gave them teachers who could make it shine.

In every quarter halls of learning stood,Beside the fire-temples, strong and good.

He let none want, save one who chose to maskHis poverty, and never came to ask.

He judged the subject and his own dear son,As though the two before him stood as one.

His justice made the whole world bloom and grow,And all his subjects’ hearts were set aglow.

When any king with justice is allied,In spite of time his footprints will abide.

Observe the policies of that brave chief,Whose every act brought suffering relief.

His watchful agents, wise in every land,Went through the world according to command.

Where any country bore too great a weightOf tax, through failing streams or ruined state,

He lifted taxes from the ruined ground,And mercy reached the smallest holdings found.

If any landholder was losing all,The Shah supplied his need before the fall.

From treasury he gave them cattle too,And tools, to keep their holdings firm and true.

Now hear, O king, the sayings of this sage,And make the world as bright as in his age.

If you would live in peace and free from pain,And heap no wealth through wrongful loss or gain,

Seek that your subjects live in quiet too,And win the praise that is your rightful due.

From Rum and Chin to Hind and Turan’s lands,The world grew Roman silk beneath his hands.

Both toll and tax flowed in without delay;No land defied him; all would now obey.

He called Iran’s nobility to meet,And gave each nobleman a royal seat.

Then rose and spoke with majesty and grace,And gave this royal counsel in that place:

“O chieftains, wise in counsel, hear and learnHow turning heaven deals, now kind, now stern.

It does not heed our justice, love, or hate,But raises whom it will, then shifts his fate.

It sets one man upon the height of all,Then gives him dust and sorrow at his fall.

His name alone survives beneath the sky;His toil lies buried where his ashes lie.

Then strive to leave a name of goodness here;No other lasting gain shall grace your bier.

Your lot, O Hormizd, rests in God’s decree;As He approves, so shall your portion be.

Commit yourself to God in all you do;He is Yazdan who makes good grow for you.

From every ill seek shelter in His might;Both good and bad lie in His ruling right.

He makes all hardship easy on your way,With brightened counsel and victorious day.

Judge by my life; consider and reviewThe good and evil I have journeyed through.

When I turned to Yazdan, Lord over all,My heart rejoiced in crown and palace hall.

I rule the seven climes, for God deemed rightThat I should hold them by His sovereign might.

From Rum and Hind I take the tribute due;The world grew Roman silk beneath my view.

Thanks be to God, who gave me strength and star,And favor from the sun and Saturn far.

Who knows how rightly we should praise His name,Or serve Him as His greatness would proclaim?

May He grant us the strength to serve His cause,And show His greatness and His sovereign laws.

And now I tell the just acts I intend,That joy and justice through the realm may blend.

Though one-tenth from communities is mine,As dehqan and the Mobad both define,

I ask it not; I give it back to you,The tax on land and flocks that once was due.

If any surplus from your toil was gained,It is restored; let no man be constrained.

The tithes and taxes that I took before,Whatever came to me, be it less or more,

I used them for your good throughout the land,And kept a countless army at command.

I sought your greatness, safety in your need,And to diminish Ahriman’s dark creed.

Hold fast to God, be diligent each day,And never cast His covenant away.

He gives, sustains, and feeds the low and high,The Maker of the overarching sky.

He shelters the oppressed beneath His care;Let no vain boast possess you anywhere.

Let no deceit take lodging in your breast;Descent will follow on the highest crest.

Where are the men whose crowns once brushed the clouds?Where are the lion-hunters and their crowds?

They all lie couched on dust and brick below;Blessed is the man whose seeds of goodness grow.

Let all who dwell within my realm give ear,And take to heart the counsel spoken here.

Five paths I show, of greater worth to holdThan crowns and treasure, sovereignty and gold.”

Now listen, all who serve, and hear againThe words of Ardeshir to all his men.

“First, know that God exists, and keep His ways;With pure devotion offer Him your praise.

Second, despise not knowledge, whether youAre subject, lord, or servant proven true.

Third, words of wisdom never can grow oldFor learned minds, however often told.

Fourth, fear the guilt of sin, whose threats are moreThan royal bonds or any prison door.

Fifth, know the slanderer, whatever his claim,Can never win the people’s good acclaim.

One further counsel: prize above your treasure,Your eyes, your life, this word beyond all measure.

Blessed is he whose deeds in public viewMatch those in private, constant, just, and true.

Soft-spoken, modest, wise, and cordial still,Let warm and kindly words express your will.

Who squanders silver for a boastful show,And spends to make his empty splendor grow,

Finds none to thank him for that vain display;The man who knows God turns from such a way.

Hold to the middle course and keep your place;Pure judgment wins the wise man’s name and grace.

Five further paths will set your faith upright,And make the course of conduct clear and bright.

They bring the heart both comfort and delight,Like honey free of poison’s harmful bite.

First, do not overreach through greed or pain;Accept what God has set for loss or gain.

The man content is rich in everything,With fruit and blossoms like the days of spring.

Next, break the neck of greed; let no one hearYour secret words when women’s ears are near.

Third, do not court the path of war and strife,For toil and anguish follow through your life.

Fourth, bar all grief from entering your breast;Let future evils not disturb your rest.

Fifth, shun affairs that fall beyond your claim;They are no quarry for your thought or aim.

Hear now my counsel, weigh the words I say;Their profit shall attend you on your way.

Cease not from learning if your mind would burn;The mind is kindled by the truths you learn.

If you have children, teach them, and curtailTheir play, so that their wisdom may prevail.

Attend my words and pains endured for you;I bear them so your judgment may stay true.

Let just and shrewd hearts not dissolve their ties;Preserve the fellowship that makes men wise.

Seek peace of heart through four enduring ways;Each brings you profit through the length of days.

First, fear and honor God with heart and mind,That He, your Help and Guide, may stand behind.

Next, act with justice toward yourself, and keepYour garment’s hem from stains that settle deep.

Take God’s commands to heart, and let me claimThe love you bear your own dear living frame.

Third, make the right stand plain before all eyes;Cast fraud away, and ban deceit and lies.

Fourth, never from the Shah’s command depart,In open deed or secrets of your heart.

Love him as your own self, and in his sightObey his word, and let your face grow bright.

Let loyalty possess your inmost soul;Keep covenant and let his word control.

Love him as life, if he is just and true,And stands a faithful guardian over you.

The Shah must bear the burdens of command,And seek the good and welfare of the land.

If he knows frontier lords or troops oppressThe realm, and leaves the people in distress,

Yet grants no justice, he is king no more,Nor worthy of the royal crown he wore.

He tears the sacred charter of command;The farr departs from his unrighteous hand.

An unjust king, a lion, stalks and preysAcross the pasture where the helpless graze.

Who treats the Shah’s command with heedless scorn,And fails in diligent toil, shall live forlorn.

His life is pain and toil upon the road;He will not reach old age in this abode.

If goodness and true greatness are your need,They spring from neither pride nor miser’s greed.

May all my subjects’ hearts rejoice and flourish;May my just rule the whole world bless and nourish.”

When Ardeshir the Shah was newly crowned,An elder came, for counsel long renowned.

Kharrad by name, in word and wisdom just,Bore justice in his soul, a sacred trust.

“O King, be blessed while time itself endures;May grace and joy through all your days be yours.

May fortune crown each victory you gain,May realm and throne and crown rejoice to reign.

Around your throne, before it and behind,Both birds and beasts stand in their ranks aligned.

Exalted over all who wear the crown,The whole world knows your greatness and renown.

Who can describe the justice of your throne?Justice and greatness are its founding stone.

We offer growing praise to God on high,And multiply our blessings as days fly.

We live beneath your reign, your servants true,And hope for every noble deed from you.

We long to see the beauty of your face,Your love and gracious words we would embrace.

May you be safe, for you have made us so;May we no breach of faith toward you show.

You barred the foes of Hind and distant Chin,For us and all our peers you stood between.

The rapine, war, and tumult disappear;The shouts of enemies no more we hear.

Remain forever happy in your reign,While wise Mobadan help your rule sustain.

No king can match your wisdom, clear and sound;No thought can pass your counsel’s utmost bound.

In Iran you have founded justice true,To make our children glad in what you do.

Your potent counsel makes old hearts renewThe strength and joy that in their youth they knew.

The nobles gathered here rejoice in you,And in the justice of your actions too.

Your words have made our wisdom grow more bright;The world beholds your face and fills with light.

You are God’s robe of honor, richly sewnFor fortune, crown, and girdle, and the throne.

Remain in joy, with love and justice here;The world recalls no king who is your peer.

Your might and farr keep safe the world’s wide space;Blessed those who find beneath your wings a place.

May you forever on your throne remain,The world obeying all that you ordain.”

You who would seek the marrow words bestow,Detach your heart from this old house below.

How many like us has this dwelling known!It rests with none; none holds it as his own.

Be king or servant, you must pass away;This world endures beyond your fleeting stay.

In toil or crowned, whatever be your part,You must pack up and from it all depart.

The sky will melt you, though of iron mold,And turn from you when age has made you old.

When cypress stature bends toward the ground,And dark narcissus-eyes in tears are drowned,

When rosy cheeks assume a saffron hue,And cheerful spirits lose their lightness too,

The soul does not sleep though the body may;Your friend has gone; alone you must not stay.

Whether a monarch or of subject birth,You have no dwelling but the darkened earth.

Where are the chiefs once crowned in royal gold,The riders blessed with triumph, now grown cold?

Where are the sages, men of martial fame,The princes every court would once acclaim?

Their pillows now are brick and dust for rest;The one who sowed good deeds alone is blessed.

Great Ardeshir’s example still shines clear;Hear what I tell, and keep its lesson near.

At seventy-eight, the watchful monarch layIn sickness, as his strength ebbed day by day.

He knew that death had drawn its shadow near,And that his green leaf yellowed with the year.

He summoned Shapur, gave him counsel deep,A charge for royal memory to keep.

He said, “Remember all my words today;Let slander pass like gusts of wind away.

When you have heard my sayings, practice them;Know worth from worthlessness; the false condemn.

With justice as my sword I set things right,And honored noble men with royal light.

I made my lands and royal power expand,Yet royal toil had worn my life’s last strand.

Through toil and sweat my treasures multiplied;Through all that labor wealth was set aside.

Now treasure lies before you, ease and all;The turning sky brings both a rise and fall.

It wounds us now, then gives us timely aid;Its favors follow injuries it made.

Fortune is first a vicious, restive steed,That strikes in prosperous days with reckless speed.

Then like a trained horse, arching neck for you,It bears you gently when its will is true.

Know this, my son: this false and passing hallHolds terrors for the happiest of all.

Be mindful of yourself and wisdom’s claim,If you would flee ill days and lasting shame.

When kings bestow on Faith the honor due,Then Faith and kingship stand as brothers true.

The Faith and kingship each the other need;Apart, neither can flourish or succeed.

Like lengths of brocade woven thread by thread,Before the wise together they are spread.

The Faith requires the Shah; without its guide,No kingship earns the praise that should abide.

Each guards the other, sharing one abode;One cloak enfolds them on their common road.

Each needs the other; through their union brightThey join in benefit and public right.

The man of Faith, with wisdom as his guide,Wins both the worlds through counsel at his side.

When kings stand guard to keep the Faith secure,Then Faith and kingship, brothers, both endure.

Whoever slanders kings whose rule is rightIs not a man of Faith, despite his rite.

If one who claims the Faith should hate his king,No pious name can cover such a thing.

What truth has every eloquent sage shown?Faith is the marrow justice calls its own.

Three things bring trouble to the royal crown:The unjust king whose wrath bears justice down;

Then raising worthless men above the skilled,Whose worth should have the seats of honor filled;

And making treasure his companion dear,To strive for more gold coins from year to year.

Let bounty, justice, wisdom be your aim,And let no lie pass current in your name.

A lie will cast its shadow on your face,And dim the glory of your royal place.

Take care: do not make treasure your desire,For coins bring toil with all that they require.

If greed for treasure grips the great king’s breast,His subjects will be wearied and oppressed.

The landed nobles’ wealth is yours to keep,Although they bear the toil for what you reap.

Protect their wealth through all that they endure,And make the bough of labor’s fruit secure.

Strive hard to put your wrath and rage away,And overlook men’s faults from day to day.

If anger rules you, grief will be your wage;Through words of pardon, seek to cool that rage.

The pious call an angry monarch light,A foolish man whom rage has robbed of sight.

Ill-wishing does not suit a royal mind;Adorn your heart with all things good and kind.

If fear once finds a lodging in your heart,Suspicion clouds your judgment from the start.

Let giving never cause your heart distress;Know wealth’s true worth, and share it nonetheless.

The king whose bounty reaches to the skyWins honor that no wealth alone can buy.

When trouble falls upon a monarch’s lot,Let wise Mobadan weigh the tangled knot.

Let him inquire of right and wrong within,And store the answer where his thoughts begin.

When you intend to hunt on open ground,Wine harms you more when hunting comes around.

Do not mix wine and feasting with the chase;Keep outdoor hunting in its proper place.

For wine brings heaviness upon the head;Remember what the elders long have said.

Abandon pleasure when your foes appear;Set all your thoughts upon the conflict near.

Spend freely, ready arms at your command;Call all the troops from every royal land.

Do not let present work await the dawn;Let no ill counsel near your throne be drawn.

Do not pry deep into the common heart;You gain but loss through such a searching art.

If common tongues bring evil news, give earTo no such slander; let it bring no tear.

They worship neither God nor kings they meet;They seek men’s heads by grasping at their feet.

Such is the nature of the common crowd;May wisdom be your guide when tongues grow loud.

Fear those who practice evil out of view;They make the wide world narrow round you too.

Tell no confidant the secrets you devise,For he has friends who carry hidden ties.

The words you thought were hidden from the lightWill soon be spread abroad in open sight.

When secrets pass as gossip through the street,The wise lose patience hearing them repeat.

You will grow angry, and the calming sageWill call you light of head and soothe your rage.

Do not seek faults in others, lest they showYour own defects to all who wish to know.

If passion conquers reason, in the eyesOf sages, all your manly virtue dies.

The Shah who rules the world must have a mindOf wisdom, filled with goodwill toward mankind.

If any man is rash and insolent,And earns reproach through his arrogant bent,

Let such a man have no place near to you,Though once among your counselors he grew.

When you are Shah, put wrath and vengeance by,If praise from pious souls would lift you high.

When passion takes its throne in wrathful might,No wisdom or devotion guides you right.

Speak not too much, nor feign a holy air;Let piety be true, not outward prayer.

Hear what men say; retain the words most wise,And keep what pleases you before your eyes.

Weigh well your words when sages gather near;Be kind to all, with heart and manner clear.

Do not look down on those who come in need;Seat no known foe where royal counsels lead.

Accept apologies for wrongs now past;Let no revenge prolong them to the last.

Be just to all and cherish all you can;A patient, bounteous heart ennobles man.

If any foe through fear should flatter you,Array your troops; let tabiras sound too.

Go forth while he is shrinking, weak in hand,And set your ordered power across the land.

But if he seeks both peace and rightful ways,And hides no mischief from your searching gaze,

Then take his tribute and preserve his face;Seek no revenge when peace has found its place.

Adorn your heart with knowledge of true worth;Then practice what you know upon the earth.

You will be loved if bounty shapes your hand,And famed for wisdom, justice in your land.

Keep my last charge alive from day to day,Bequeath it to your son, then pass away.

I have fulfilled a father’s duty here;Let no harm touch the wealth you hold so dear.

Do not transgress the charge I leave today,Or twist the meaning of the words I say.

Remember me by doing what is right;Cast evil from your heart and from your sight.

Do not bring pain upon my spirit’s rest,Or burn this feeble body, long distressed.

Let no one suffer sorrow at your hand;Bring harm to none through wrongs that you command.

Now when five hundred years have passed away,Your dynasty will meet its closing day.

Your sons and others of your kin will turnFrom this my covenant, which they will spurn.

They will depart from counsel, law, and light,And scorn the warnings of the sages’ sight.

They will neglect the charge I leave behind,And grow unjust, oppressive, harsh, and blind.

They will oppress their subjects, scorn the good,Despising pious men where once they stood.

They will put on the robe of evil deed,And give themselves to Ahriman’s dark creed.

All we have bound they will unbind in shame,Defiling Faith we washed of every blame.

My charge and counsel emptied of their aim;My country ruined by the wrongs they frame.

I pray the Maker, who alone can knowWhat lies concealed and what the world may show,

To guard you from all evil and its blame,And grant you in this world a worthy name.

God’s blessing, and my own, on one upright,Whose wisdom’s warp and justice’s woof unite,

Who keeps my charge, nor lets its honey turnTo colocynth, whose bitter juices burn.

Forty years and two full months have passed bySince I assumed the crown beneath the sky.

I hold six cities, all in pleasant climes,Well watered and remembered through all times.

Khorra-e-Ardeshir, the first, I styled;Its air is musk; like milk its streams run mild.

The second bears the name Ram Ardeshir;From there I came to Pars in royal gear.

The third is Ormozd-Ardeshir, whose airCould make an old man young, relieved of care.

It is the luster of Khuzestan’s plain,With people, water, trade in loss and gain.

Another, Birka-e-Ardeshir, is knownFor gardens, pools, and rose-beds overgrown.

And two in Maysan and by Farat’s flow,Where cattle, springs, and pastures richly grow.

Such are the firm foundations I have laid;Remember, when you hear me, what I made.

I have prepared my baggage for the grave;Entrust my bier, and take the throne I gave.

In this world I have borne both public care,And private toil that was my lot to bear.

Rejoice my soul with justice; rule with might,Be glad, victorious, crowned in royal light.”

He spoke, and fortune darkened into night;Alas, that head, that crown, that throne so bright!

The fashion of this joyful world is thus:It keeps its hidden purposes from us.

Blessed is he who never greatness knew,Nor bore the burdens that its owners do.

You strive for wealth, yet neither can remain:Both man and wealth must pass, despite your pain.

Dust in the end is wedded to us all;Our cheeks at last are covered by the pall.

Come, let us set our hands to doing good,And shun the path of evil, as we should.

How blessed is he who takes the cup of wineTo toast the Shahs, those men of Faith divine.

He drinks his wine, then drinks another round,And falls asleep in joy, with peace profound.

Let praise ascend to Him, creation’s source,Who fashioned space and earth and time’s full course.

From Him beginning comes, from Him the end,From Him both passion and repose descend.

He made the starry heavens, earth, and time;All creatures are His own in every clime.

From worthless stubble to the throne of kings,His being finds its witness in all things.

Call none but Him the Maker; in His sight,The hidden and the seen alike are bright.

He showered blessings on Mohammad’s name,And on his comrades, bright with holy fame.

They all were holy men of self-command;No count can hold the sayings of that band.

Now let us lavish countless words in praise,To thank the Maker of the world and days.

Praise too the crown the King of kings displays,Whose throne makes brighter still the moon’s own rays.

Great Mahmud, graced by God, the King of kings,Is he from whom all bounty freely springs.

Brave, bounteous, just, by heaven’s favor blessed,He makes the age grow glad at his behest.

He rules in peace, with crown and treasure bright,And wields the axe and sword in every fight.

Our gracious king knows merit, truth, and worth,And thanks the God who raised him over earth.

Wise, fair, and eloquent, of kingly mold;In years a youth, in wisdom fully old.

His farr makes Jupiter release its rain;Beneath his shade we sport throughout his reign.

In battle he makes heaven echo loud;At feasts he scatters jewels through the crowd.

When angered, mountains melt beneath his way,And heaven shakes above the dust and clay.

His forebears reigned as monarchs in their day;The sun and moon join with him in their play.

May his renown endure while ages run,May joy increase until his days are done.

I head my tale with praise of his renown,His conduct, counsel, majesty, and crown.

Throughout the world his fame is widely known;May goodness guard his scepter and his throne.

His noble bearing lends the crown new light,And fortune arms him, shielding him from blight.

Throughout the world, all faithful hearts rejoice,And kings delight in him with common voice.

His glorious fortune makes the heavens glow;Earth forms the base that holds his throne below.

In war, a mighty elephant of dread;At feasts, a faithful sky with rain to shed.

At feasts, his bright designs make bounty flow;The waves of his great ocean rise and grow.

Earth’s monarchs are his quarry in the chase;Wild beasts and cattle find in peace their place.

In battle, when his gorz resounds in pride,It rends the lion’s heart, the leopard’s hide.

May his head flourish, justice fill his heart;May earth and his crowned head never part.

To tell of Shapur’s kingship, pour the wine,And let the feast and royal discourse shine.

When Shapur sat upon the throne of right,He wore the crown that filled the heart with light.

The sages, Mobadan, and nobles came,And stood before the king of royal name.

He spoke before them all with kingly air,The counselors of judgment, thought, and care:

“I am the lawful son of Ardeshir;I learn, and speak the knowledge I hold dear.

Attend my bidding, all who serve today,And never from my covenant turn away.

Examine what I say with careful thought,And blame it if its wisdom proves ill-wrought.

From all I know of fortune, good and ill,Two forms of greatness stand before me still.

One is the Shah, the guardian of the land,The wealth of high and low is in his hand.

If he is just and fortunate, it is plainThat wisdom stands beside him to sustain.

With wisdom as his guardian and his guide,Above dark clouds his head is raised in pride.

His quest is justice, and the knowledge brightThat fills his soul with comfort and delight.

The other is the sage who strives to gainTrue wisdom, gathered through his toil and strain.

The wise man knows that thanks to God are due;Blessed is the sage who knows his Maker true.

The wise deserve to reign; however bright,Gold cannot fill the place of wisdom’s light.

Contentment makes men rich; desire will chokeThe heart, and make of it a house of smoke.

The more the greed, the more the cares accrue;Strive not to feed the greed that grows in you.

So turn to peace and deeds of good report,And shun all men of sly and crooked sort.

Who grasps at others’ goods reveals a mindWhere little learning or good sense we find.

More than the stars that fill the sky aboveIs all the measure of my boundless love.

The customs of exalted ArdeshirI shall preserve in every province here.

For landed nobles, this shall be the rate:One-thirtieth, for troops who guard the state.

My cities thrive, my treasury stands secure;With courage, manhood, strength, I shall endure.

We need no others’ goods to serve our ends;For wealth can make sworn enemies of friends.

The road to us is open; those who pleadFor justice find our love attends their need.

We shall send men who know affairs of stateTo watch the world with care and investigate.

We ask no more than blessings for our days,Such as the pious Mobad gives in praise.”

Then high and low rose up before the throne,And made their gracious words of homage known.

They blessed Shapur with prayers of bright renown;They scattered emeralds on his shining crown.

His people all rejoiced beneath his hand,As Ardeshir’s ways flourished through the land.

Then tidings spread: “The King of kings is dead;His throne is empty, all its glory fled.

Wise Ardeshir has died and handed downHis throne to Shapur, now to wear the crown.”

The battle cry arose in every land,From Rum to Kaydafa’s assembled band.

The news reached Shapur; he prepared his might,With troops, flags, tabiras arrayed for fight.

Toward Palavina marched his army light,With no slow baggage train to check its flight.

From Kaydafa an army marched in dust,And dimmed the sun beneath its onward thrust.

From Palavina came another band,Led by a Roman chief of high command.

Baranush was that noble rider’s name,Proud in his bearing, with his soul aflame.

Among the Caesars, honored for his fame,He cast the kamand with a master’s aim.

As tabiras from both sides roared for fight,From Rum’s own center came a warrior bright;

From Iran came Garshasp, the Lion, bold,A chieftain famed in battles manifold.

The tabiras and shouts began to roar;Bold Shapur rose within the army’s core.

At karnay and Indian bell, the heavens swayed;The moon was shaken by the din they made.

The tabiras on elephants were bound;Their roar rose up two mil above the ground.

The earth was shaking, dust rose ever higher;The spears of battle glittered bright as fire.

A wise observer gazed upon the fight:“The clouds are raining stars!” he cried outright.

There in the center, Baranush was caught,His heart consumed by grief at what fate brought.

Of Romans, three full thousand men were slainAt Palavina on the reddened plain.

And twice eight hundred more were prisoners made,While grief upon those warriors’ hearts was laid.

Then Caesar sent a well-instructed man,To speak to Shapur with a peaceful plan:

“How much more blood will you pour out for gold?What answer to the Judge, when deeds are told?

When questioned on the final judgment day,What plea before the Maker will you lay?

I shall send tribute as I did before;Do not increase our sorrow any more.

With tribute, I submit to your command,And send my kin as pledges to your land.

If you withdraw from Palavina’s wall,I shall send all the wealth for which you call.”

Shapur remained until the tribute came,Ten ox-hide bags as payment for his claim.

A thousand Roman slaves and servants too,With countless rich brocades, were sent as due.

A week in Palavina Shapur stayed,Then went to Ahvaz, with the tribute paid.

He built a city, Shapur Gird by name;They say his justice graced it with its fame.

A year he labored on the town, and pouredGreat sums into its walls from his own hoard.

In Pars he built a city fair and great,A thriving place, of profit to the state.

This region lies in Khuzestan; its roadIs free to prince and peasant with his load.

At Nishapur, the ancient fortress rose;The day of Ard saw all its labors close.

He took Baranush with him on each ride,And listened to the counsel he supplied.

At Shushtar flowed a river broad and deep,So fierce no fish could cross its foaming sweep.

He said, “If building is your learned art,Then bridge this river; let your work now start.

For we depart, but this work still shall stand,A lasting work of skill within the land.

A thousand cubits long; ask what you need,Use all my treasure for this royal deed.

Bring Roman scholars, skilled and tried and true,To help you in the work you have to do.

When this is finished, hasten home to rest,And in your own house be your own glad guest.

Then live in joy and safety in your land,Far from all ill and from Ahriman’s hand.”

Baranush set to work to build each span;In three full years he finished all his plan.

From Shushtar, with the work complete, he turnedAnd hurried toward the home for which he yearned.

Shapur was just, in counsel wise and sure,His star exalted and his throne secure.

When thirty years and two months had passed by,His royal farr dispersed beneath the sky.

He called Hormizd to stand before his sight,And said, “My face has lost its color bright.

Be watchful when the crown is on your brow;Make justice for the world your lasting vow.

Put no great hope in kingship’s fleeting gain;Read constantly the book of Jamshid’s reign;

Do only justice in the world below;Shield lowly men; on great men farr bestow.

Take little pride in gold; give freely still,Be just, and let good fortune crown your will.

Raise no loud shout at those who do no wrong,If you would have good fortune last you long.

Keep all my counsel rooted in your heart,As I kept Ardeshir’s charge from the start.”

He spoke; his face grew pale, its color fled,And anguish filled the young man’s heart with dread.

Now let my tale adorn Hormizd’s renown,And shine like moonlight on his throne and crown.

His reign was free from fault and free from blame;Its only flaw: how soon its ending came.

When mighty Shah Hormizd assumed his seat,Both wolf and lamb drank from one cistern sweet.

He spoke before the sages, wise in thought,And veteran chiefs who many wars had fought:

“Since God, who gives all good, has blessed my name,And granted me the crown and royal claim,

I shall pursue the just and rightful way;Blessed he who keeps his father’s words each day.

Through kindness I would win your friendship here,And share the secrets that you hold most dear.

The headstrong man, who will not heed or hear,Finds little favor where the great appear.

The man who lets his quarrels rule his lifeFinds need renewed each year, the child of strife.

For envy is the sword the foolish bear;And fortune laughs at them in their despair.

Who feels ashamed of work will hardship know;His life grows straitened, and his bread runs low.

Avoid the base of mind, whose hearts give greedAn open door to enter and to feed.

Pass not through portals where no knowledge lives;Seek out the wisdom that good counsel gives.

Let prudent judgment flourish in your sense,And turn your hearts from every dark offense.

Wisdom is water; knowledge is the ground;Know that the two must be together bound.

No wonder if the heart of any kingGrows dark when love no longer has its spring.

May all my subjects worship God and thrive,May joy within their hearts remain alive.

May they find favor in the Maker’s sight,With wisdom’s aid in secret and in light.

When sage and pious man in converse meet,And speak about the king upon his seat,

Let every word be weighed, and then be told;For noble speech will never grow too old.

Speak nothing but good words; let none who speakIn malice find the hearing that they seek.

The great king’s heart will see what you conceal;His ear will hear the words your lips reveal.

For walls have ears, as every sage has said;So guard the living words your tongue has spread.”

The whole assembly blessed the noble king,His clear heart and pure faith made praises ring.

They broke up glad beneath that cypress shade,Where all his royal brightness stood displayed.

That wise Shah kept the precepts Shapur taught,The son of Ardeshir in word and thought.

The world rejoiced in him; how good are kingsWhen justice rules the work their bounty brings.

He ruled with modesty and justice rare,And time passed on beneath his watchful care.

Black musk gave way to camphor on his head,Both rose and Judas-bloom lay dry and dead.

When Hormizd knew that death could not be fled,In streams of blood his bitter tears were shed.

He had the carpet spread within his hall,And Bahram came in answer to the call.

He said, “My son, of pure and noble birth,Through courage and through knowledge prove your worth.

Now weakness settles through my weary frame,And cheek and hair in color grow the same.

The straight-stemmed cypress bends beneath time’s blow,The rose takes on the quince’s yellow glow.

When comes the hour for you to rule the land,Be wise, and keep oppression from your hand.

Turn not from those who call to you for right,And pardon no oppressor in your sight.

Reject all falsehood, if you would make brightYour throne and realm with justice and with light.

Let wisdom be your soul, let modest graceBe minister; let gentle speech have place.

May God, victorious, lend His aid to you;Your subjects’ hearts be quarry you pursue.

Abandon rancor; keep desire at bay,May God not let such passion rule your way;

Keep slanderers and foolish men away,And schemers too must find no place to stay.

The ignorant will bring you grief and pain;From heeding those who lack all sense refrain.

The shameless man whose tongue runs on and onWill find respect from all his fellows gone.

Let wisdom keep your anger in control;Show gentleness toward a temperate soul.

Beware of greed, for greed gives birth to wrath,And fear and need will follow in its path.

Practice forbearance, uprightness of heart,And let all fraud and falsehood stand apart.

Shun evil fame; the man whose name is stainedWill find the world’s delights are never gained.

No wise man leaves the path that wisdom taught.Haste brings remorse for what its rush has wrought.

But patience brings the rightful course to light;Hold fast to virtue; keep its path in sight.

The patient keep their anger in command,And cease to crave what lies beyond their hand.

But since the bold may think forbearance weak,When pushed too far, a wiser balance seek.

The man who holds the throne must let his mindBetween the two extremes a passage find.

Let neither haste nor slackness hold control;Let wisdom be the guide that leads your soul.

Give slanderers no praise or place with you,Nor honor those who seek out faults to view.

Seek not a foe’s affection or acclaim,Though he may hail you by your royal name.

His tree bears colocynth, though green its spread;Though you may grasp his feet, he seeks your head.

Be not deceived when fortune lifts you high,Nor when your fortunes in the lowlands lie.

Fortune is harsh to those whose hearts are vile;Be not malignant, false in speech or smile.

The noble gatherings scorn the faithless chiefWho breaks his covenant and harvests grief.

Take hold of wisdom; let it grace your mind,And keep your speech and deeds by it confined.

It graces crown, wealth, troops in their array,Reveals how sun and moon pursue their way.

Do not pursue mere wealth or passing mirth,For this brief house will cast you back to earth.

Consult the wise alone; let custom stand,The ways the former Shahs gave to the land.

With ordered troops make those who wish you illGrow fearful; look both ways with thoughtful skill.

He who will flatter worthless men for gainBestows the praise his own desires ordain.

He seeks your fall through words that he will say;Let no such flatterer beside you stay.

The man who has no use for praise, whose mindRejects its worth, count less than humankind.

For God desires praise; reproachers findHe brings their hearts distress of every kind.

Who shuts his eyes to faults and keeps control,And swallows wrath with ease within his soul,

Will prosper more with every passing day;Haste fills the heart with blood and brings dismay.

Whoever seeks to fight the mighty seaShows by that wish how foolish men can be.

Slight not my sayings; make your heart a bow,Your tongue the arrow wisdom bids you throw.

Expand your chest, your arm held straight and true;Then set whatever mark appeals to you.

Let heart and tongue conform to wisdom still;Then speak, in that accord, of what you will.

The man of understanding, sound of mind,Has worthy words and counsel well designed.

When with your counselors you speak apart,Let no assembled crowd take any part.

If long experience guides the thoughts you weigh,Your fortune shall increase from day to day.

Your soul shall grow more watchful than your foe;Your heart and brain and counsel stronger grow.

The passion-led will prosper not, but fail;Their counsels find no course that can prevail.

If you greet friends with welcome and delight,Their joy will grow, their pleasure gain new height.

Let furrows mark your brow as foes draw near;Make those who wish you ill grow pale with fear.

Give to the worthy all you wish to share;Your treasure is for those deserving care.

Keep heart and soul from envy; from it flowHot tears of blood, the bitter streams of woe.

The upright scorn the king whom envy gnaws;They blame the Shah who feeds its hungry jaws.”

A noble scribe recorded all he heard;The minister received the written word.

The king sighed coldly, breathing out his grief;His ruby cheeks turned yellow as a leaf.

When once-bright cheeks grew yellow in his sight,For Bahram all the world was robbed of light.

For forty days he mourned, his spirit bowed;Dust on the idle throne lay like a shroud.

So heaven turns above the world below,Now full of anguish, now with love aglow.

If you are wise, do not call heaven your friend;It tears your skin when chance will serve its end.

Night falls on Ormozd, in the month of Dey;Set speech aside; let wine conclude the day.

Now sing of Bahram, crowned in royal state,Whose reign was brief, so swift the turns of fate.

When Bahram sat upon the throne of gold,His heart still seethed with grief he could not hold.

Three years, three months, three days his reign would last;In gladness on the throne those days were passed.

The chiefs of Iran came before the throne,Their belts girt fast, their loyal service shown.

They called God’s blessing down upon his head:“Live while the royal throne endures,” they said.

“The Kayan crown befits the head you raise;Your fathers held the kingship in their days.

May all your foes grow pale before your might,And may your soul put grief for death to flight.”

He answered, “Chiefs and nobles of the land,And champions who lead the mounted band,

Let landed nobles, loyal to the throne,And royal servants make no wrong their own.

Behold this restless dome that wheels above,Blind to the nurtured child and parents’ love.

Bind passion’s hands and cast its words aside;Let not its counsel in your breast abide.

It roots men out in shame; its cruel handPlucks them like birds left bare at its command.

Whoever keeps himself from evil deed,And guards his body from its taint, is freed

To live in joy; when comes his final breath,His heart will feel no anguish at his death.

The Shah should guard the wealth within the land,And cherish pious people with his hand.

The king must shelter Faith; let it be knownThat Faith crowns him who sits upon the throne.

Without that Faith, no kingship can remain,Though yet another crown he may obtain.

Blessed is he who masters wrath with mind,And walks the earth with conduct just and kind.

In want, be glad, and still to bounty spurred;May no realm lack the sage whose voice is heard.

The sage will never trample on a foeWhom he has power to crush and overthrow.

Pass not through life in ignorance; instead,Let knowledge be the path on which you tread.

Let those who seek renown reject all strife;Keep clear of it throughout your mortal life.

Know nobles, troops, and kings who idle lieWill lose their proper road beneath the sky.

The idle sleep, then wake to deep remorse;When roused, they grieve for their neglected course.

Fair words with evil deeds will never earnThe praise or Paradise for which you yearn.

Speak truth and do good deeds, and never tearThe hearts of worthy people everywhere.

I hold great treasure, majesty, and might,With many dinars and a king’s full right.

Enjoy your own; whoever has no store,Through my great treasure need be poor no more.

My purse is open; let no need endure,Its wealth stands ready to sustain the poor.”

Not many days had passed before the shearsDrew near the crowned head to end its years.

The Shah possessed a son, his heart’s delight,Bahram, his namesake, heir to royal right.

He brought his son to sit below the throne,And said, “Green branch that from my tree has grown,

Not long have I enjoyed the crown I wear;May fortune bless the years that are your share.

From crown and throne no joy was mine to reap;May fortune grant you blessings rich and deep.

Sing, flourish, let your laughter ring out long;Let peace and gladness fill your life with song.

So walk that when the Great Account is read,You face your Maker free from shame and dread.

The world was made to feed our daily need,And not to heap up more and more through greed.

Eat, give, and tend the soul; with wisdom’s hand,Break evil’s foot, and let no malice stand.

By justice and by bounty make earth thrive,And let your subjects’ joy remain alive.

For neither kings nor Mobadan remainForever; none can hold the world’s domain.”

The father gave his son the world to keep;The son gave him a dakhmeh’s peaceful sleep.

Know this is no injustice of the sky;You breathe like passing wind, then fade and die.

This law endures while heaven’s wheel shall roll;Why then afflict and trouble your own soul?

Why ask or speak of what may come to view?Such matters are no proper task for you.

Though greed has not yet worn your soul away,A narrow coffin is your place to stay.

Since death has such a wolfish heart, let mineHave one great bowl filled to the brim with wine.

And bring a sweetheart, silver-bodied, tallAs cypress, kind, whose honeyed words enthrall;

With jasmine scent, bright cheeks, and moonlike bloom,Sun-bright, with breath as rich as musk perfume.

For forty days, in mourning for the dead,Bahram would set no crown upon his head.

The warriors and counselors, grave and wise,Came with lamenting hearts and tearful eyes.

They sat in mourning, cheeks of yellow hue,Their lips like lapis-lazuli, dark blue.

A prudent Mobad came to plead his case,That Shah Bahram should take his royal place.

For one full week he urged him to his seat,And stayed until his purpose was complete.

He gladly took the throne in royal state,And crowned himself as Kayan rites dictate.

He first praised God, who makes the ages bright,And sets revolving time aglow with light;

Who fosters knowledge, truth, and all things wise,And lays low crookedness and fraud and lies;

Yazdan of Saturn and the heavens aboveAsks servants but for justice and for love.

Then said, “Tried sages, pure Mobadan, hear:You men of long experience, lend an ear.

However great your knowledge, let it breedNo pride before your kings in word or deed.

Let wisdom guide your deeds in royal ways,And drink to bless the Shah of Iran’s days.

The man whom God grants increase and command,And eloquence, receives them from His hand.

Let all our deeds be generous and fair;Let justice make earth flourish everywhere.

May I not breathe a word of wrong or greed,Nor fill my treasure through a crooked deed.

My treasure is for gifts that I bestow;A king’s good deeds through open giving show.

A man whose mind is clear will seek to learn,And toward humane and kindly conduct turn.

Forbearance is the root of human worth;The rash bring scorn upon themselves on earth.

Let harshness never snare you in its net;No joy from rage and rashness will you get.

The man secure finds joy; his toil and painTurn into wind, and leave on him no stain.

The generous heart is richer than the rest;It counts amassed dirhams as wind at best.

If you have nothing, labor to acquire;For few will honor those whose needs are dire.

A man with nothing gains no honored place;He finds no standing, no regard or grace.

When you are satisfied, your heart finds peace;But greed brings fears that give you no release.

So do not toil through greed for hoarded wealth,And drive your soul and body from their health.

Choose moderation if you seek men’s praise,In matters high and low throughout your days.

Make all the world content through justice shown;Its wealth and joy will then become your own.

Security and uprightness must stand,With justice never failing in the land.

But if greed clutches at your heart and will,Your soul lies trapped in the nahang’s throat still.

When joy grows less, the spirit dwindles too,And weakened wisdom cannot see you through.

Such is the turning heavens’ settled course;Against fate’s will we have no strength or force.”

He ruled with justice, keeping faith with right;His subjects’ hearts rejoiced in its delight.

When nineteen years of royal rule were spent,His reign was closed, and life poured out lament.

The crowned Shah joined the dust; a dakhmeh’s shadeHid him from all the joy the world displayed.

Bahram Bahramian began to reign,And pledged to make just rule and bounty plain.

They sprinkled emeralds upon his crown,And named him Kermanshah of high renown.

He said, “May God, whose judgments all are fair,Grant wisdom, justice, counsel as our share.

My blessed father, generous and just,Was shepherd to the kings within his trust.

May goodness be the work I make my own;May good and justice guide me on the throne.

May I do nothing crooked, lest my nameBefore Yazdan be darkened by my shame.

This fleeting house will not remain with man;May goodness help me through this fleeting span.

Let us choose good, and pledge both heart and handTo justice and to bounty in the land.

Both good and evil deeds preserve our name.Sow only good, and leave no seed of shame.”

When four brief months of royal rule were past,The throne and crown wept, bitter and downcast.

Bahram saw death, the dread nahang, draw near,Whose hunt both elephant and rhino fear.

He gave his son the world and said, “May lightAnd grace attend your reign and keep it bright.

Array yourself, drink wine, enjoy your reign;Give freely; let no throne or crown bring pain.”

When Bahram’s day and fortune both had flown,He gave to Narsi both the crown and throne.

He breathed a sigh; his life had reached its close,And in the burial chamber found repose.

Thus moments race, each breath beyond the heedOf one whose soul is mastered by his greed.

“O happy fortune, bring red wine to me;The poet now has lived for sixty-three.”

When Narsi sat upon the ivory seat,And wore the crown that made his joy complete,

The nobles came with offerings in hand,Still mourning for his father through the land.

He blessed them: “Friends who guard the Faith and right,May justice keep your hearts in steady light.

Know that the Maker governs all we seeAnd all things hidden; He has granted me

Greatness and wisdom, justice, modest mind,A generous heart, soft speech, and counsel kind.

And if my star should rise both clear and bright,From me shall come your joy and heart’s delight.

When any wise man’s friendship you can win,Know you and he are clothed within one skin.

Expect good deeds from those whose strength is sound,And seek the wise where wisdom can be found.

True courage comes from watchful, prudent ways,And valiant men are worthy of all praise.

But he who flees from work and shuns the fightWill lose his name and honor through that flight.

The idle man is cowardly within,For sloth and cowardice are close of kin.”

For nine full years he ruled with counsel sound;His words brought benefit the whole world round.

His day drew near, and fortune’s favor fled;Like wax grew soft the steel helm on his head.

Hormizd ran to his bedside, fair and bright,A tulip glowing with its own rich light.

Narsi’s own son was like the moon at night,That shines through darkness, silvery and white.

The Shah said, “Gently nurtured youth, remainWith all your strength apart from vice and stain.

You, Narsi’s soul, with Bahram’s fortune blessed,Are worthy of the throne and royal crest.

You have great stature, courage, learned grace,In knowledge none can stand to take your place.

May crown not weep because of how you reign;Nor let your council’s hearts burn with such pain.

Rule by the laws of kings throughout the land,As you have learned from God’s own pure command.

May joy within your heart and soul increase;May greatness, treasure flourish without cease.

At length your own bright day will pass from view,And rolling heaven trample over you.

So act that when they question you that day,Your answers bring good fortune on your way.”

Thus spoke the Shah, then drew across his headThe mantle; from his depths a cold sigh spread.

That day it seemed no Narsi ever reigned;No throne, no crown, no royal seat remained.

When great Hormizd assumed the royal seat,The wolves no longer dared to hunt for meat.

He kept the world in peace beneath his hand,And foiled Ahriman’s schemes throughout the land.

First he praised God, all-knowing and all-wise,The mighty Lord, whose care all life supplies.

“He made the night and day, the turning sky,Saturn and Mars, the sun that wheels on high.

All victory and grace, just heart and crown,Come forth from Him, whose light is handed down.

May justice fill my heart and guide my hand;May joy through me reach those whom I command.

The hearts of base men never gather praise;Avoid their fellowship throughout your days.

Take counsel not with men of evil mind,But seek the good, whose judgment is refined.

The pious call no giver truly kindWho gives for thanks he later hopes to find.

The man who takes a gift but gives no thanksDeserves no place among the honored ranks.

The harsh man trembles when no friend is near.With none to love him, he is prey to fear.

The wise man takes no idler as his guide;No slothful helper should remain beside.

If slothful men are those on whom you call,You cannot rule or judge men, great or small.

Beware self-praise and arrogance of heart;Let not the throne make modesty depart.

When one ill-natured grows both poor and vile,He blames his fortune and complains awhile.

He idles, blaming fate; no counsel, lore,Or worth to grace a throne is in his store.

The loss of wealth diminishes his soul,His mind and heart, and leaves him less than whole.

He prides himself on want and evil ways,And lifts his head in folly all his days.

He lacks all wealth and knowledge, counsel, skill,Faith, and the favor of God’s righteous will.

May all your nights and days be blessed and bright,May foes’ souls from their bodies take their flight.”

The chiefs acclaimed his words with one accord,And raised their heads from mourning, hope restored.

Nine years passed; his pomegranate-blossom faceTurned yellow, and its bloom left not a trace.

That crowned head grieved at death; his life was done,And at his bedside there was not a son.

That famous king, whose words were sweetly told,Departed young; the world was worn and old.

The people mourned for him for forty days,And left the vacant throne beneath their gaze.

The nobles’ heads were filled with anxious care,While the great throne stood empty of its heir.

The Mobad saw, within the women’s place,A maid with tulip cheeks and moon-bright face.

Her lashes curved like khanjars Kabul made;Like Babylonian script, her curls were laid.

Her chain-like locks were twisted, wound, and spread,All intertwined and knotted on her head.

Within her womb she bore the royal seed,The realm took heart from what had been decreed.

Above her head they hung the royal crown,And on it showered gold and dirhams down.