
Trophies Sent from Herat to the Shah
From E5.12, Bahram Chubin Announces His Victory. It illustrates E5.12.4–15 (to E5.12.19):
- E5.12.4Then men awoke as sleep released its hold;The captain summoned all his comrades bold.
- E5.12.5He said, “Behead the chiefs among the slain,The bold war-Pahlevans of Turan’s plain.
- E5.12.6Each leader of the folk and captain deadShall have his banner flaunting near his head.
- E5.12.7Set flags behind the heads of those who woreThe diadems of warriors before.”
- E5.12.8He gathered mules to bear the heads away,And took them from the field where corpses lay.
- E5.12.9Then called a scribe and spoke at length of all:The countless troops, the battle’s rise and fall,
- E5.12.10The movements, chances, stratagems of war,And all the toil and hardship that he bore.
- E5.12.11He told of warfare waged by Iran’s men,And how no horseman loosed his belt till then.
- E5.12.12When he had written to the Shah, he choseA courier from the troops to bear his prose.
- E5.12.13He set King Saveh’s head upon a spear,A sign of victory made stark and clear.
- E5.12.14He bade them bear that monarch’s standard too,And heads of chiefs from Chin and Turan’s crew.
- E5.12.15On beasts of burden all were borne away,To reach the Shah with speed and no delay.
In the picture
Woodcut panels, identity sheets and banners © 2026 New Naqqali LLC, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0: share and adapt them for non-commercial use, with credit to New Naqqali. Rights & permissions.
New Naqqali
