New NaqqaliKing of Rum · conqueror of the world
Iskandarاسکندر
es-kan-DAR
Alexander, the king of Rum who defeats Dara and conquers the world.
- His story
- From D3.4, Darab Rejects His Wife, and Two Births, to D5.39, Iskandar’s Mother and Wife Mourn
- Named
- 207 times, in 58 sections
- Parents
- Darab
- Spouses
- Roshanak
- Plates
- Vol II: I, Vol II: IX
- Pictures
- 44 panels · identity sheets
How we draw Iskandar
The identity sheets the illustrator works from, one for each stage of life. Tap to open full size. More in the Art section.
In the pictures
Iskandar in 44 woodcut panels of the illustrated poem, in story order. Tap one to see it with the couplets it illustrates.
D3.4Faylaqus, the Infant and the White Foal
D4.2The Golden-Egg Bird Has Died
D4.3Dara Studies the Disguised Envoy
D4.3Iskandar Recognized at Dara's Banquet
D4.3Iskandar's Night Flight from Dara's Camp
D4.7Iskandar Reads Dara's Plea
D4.9Iskandar Cradles the Dying Dara
D4.9Iskandar Leads Dara's Golden Coffin
D5.4Roshanak Arrives under Her Parasol
D5.6Iskandar Dictates His Letter Before Milad
D5.10Faghestan Comes Before Iskandar
D5.11The Cup That Never EmptiesAll 44 pictures
D5.14The Iron Horsemen Filled with Naphtha
D5.15Iskandar Strikes Down Foor
D5.16Iskandar Comes on Foot to the Sacred House
D5.17The Queen's Painter Draws Iskandar
D5.19Siege Engines Before Faryan's Walls
D5.19The Disguised King Pleads for Qaydrush
D5.20Iskandar Rides into Kaydafa's Hall
D5.20Kaydafa Unrolls the Portrait
D5.22Taynush Rages at the False Envoy
D5.23Kaydafa's Crown and Seventy-Part Throne
D5.23Taynush Ringed in the Wood
D5.24The Brahmans Come Down to Greet Iskandar
D5.24Iskandar Weeps Before the Brahmans
D5.25The Yellow Fish Swallows the Ship
D5.26The Kargadan Attacks by Night
D5.27.2The Dragon Swallows the Poisoned Hides
D5.27.3The Dead King on the Golden Throne
D5.28The Envoy of Harum Rides to Iskandar
D5.28Two Thousand Crowned Women at the Grove
D5.29The Fork in the Darkness
D5.29The Green Birds on the Aloe-Wood Columns
D5.29Rubies in the Soldiers' Laps
D5.30Smiths Fire Iskandar's Wall
D5.31The Boar-Headed Corpse in the House of Gems
D5.31The Speaking Tree Cries at Noon
D5.32Iskandar, as Envoy, Before Faghfoor
D5.32Faghfoor's Envoy Learns Whom He Escorted
D5.33The Sindians Plead in Vain
D5.34Goosh-bistar Is Brought Before Iskandar
D5.35The Omen of the Lion-Headed Birth
D5.36Iskandar Dictates His Letter to His Mother
D5.37Iskandar's Last Words on the Open PlainHis story, in the poem’s own sections
9 sections, with the summary from the Notes. Open any one to read it in full here; tap a couplet number to cite it or suggest a better one.
D3.4
Darab Rejects His Wife, and Two Births
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A foul breath spoils the wedding night. A healer cures Nahid with the herb eskandar, but Darab’s desire is gone and he sends her home pregnant. She bears Iskandar, named for the herb; Faylaqus claims him as his own son. Darab’s other wife bears Dara.
42 couplets · Iskandar named 1 time · in the full poem
One night the bride lay by the king in grace,With jewels and scent about her moonlike face.
A sudden breath disturbed the Shah that night;Its pungent odor troubled his delight.
He drew away and turned his face aside,Repelled by the foul breath that left his bride.
The Shah grew troubled, sunk in anxious thought;His brows were furrowed by the care it brought.
They summoned learned healers to her aid,And by the royal bride their seats were laid.
One learned healer sought with judgment sound,Until the needed medicine was found.
The herb was known as eskandar by name;Its touch would set the palate all aflame.
He rubbed her palate with the burning herb;Her tears streamed down, too strong for her to curb.
The foulness passed; her mouth burned from the heat;Her face glowed like brocade, the cure complete.
Though now her breath was fragrant as pure musk,The Shah’s desire had faded into dusk.
He sent her back to Faylaqus, her sire,For nothing could restore the former fire.
She carried his child, but kept the matter sealed,And told no one what lay within concealed.
When nine full months had passed, the lady brightBore forth a child who shone like morning light.
His body fragrant, fair, and strong of frame,His mother chose Iskandar for his name.
She held that healing name a lucky sign,For it had cured her mouth, that herb benign.
To every lord the Caesar thus made known:“A Caesar from my seed has sprung, my own.”
None spoke of Darab; none would name that one:The Caesar was the father, he the son.
He hid his shame, lest anyone should knowThat Darab had dismissed his daughter so.
When that pure mother bore her shining boy,A herald told his grandfather with joy.
Within the stable stood a lofty mare,Dun-coated, fit for battle, strong and fair.
That very night she bore a foal of white,With lion’s chest and shanks both short and tight.
The Caesar raised his head in joy to seeThis birth, a sign of fortune’s kind decree.
At dawn he called the child into his sight,And dressed the mare in trappings rich and bright.
He stroked its eyes and mane with gentle joy;The foal was of an age with Nahid’s boy.
The years revolved through happiness and pain,As fortune shifted through the Roman reign.
The boy acquired a heart fit for a king,And speech such as the Pahlevans would bring.
More than a son he held the boy in pride,And dressed him as a hero at his side.
He grew in wisdom, skilled in deed and thought,With sober counsel such as sages taught.
As heir to Faylaqus he took his place;The Caesar’s joy and grief lay in his face.
His learned tutors taught him to command,And all the arts required to rule the land.
He seemed born only to uphold the right,And give the throne and kingship lasting might.
When Nahid left, Darab took as his wifeAnother bride to share his royal life.
She bore a son, a prince of royal grace,Younger than Nahid’s child, of shining face.
That day they named him Dara: may he gainMore joy than had his father in his reign.
But when twelve years had passed across the land,Both life and wealth slipped from the ruler’s hand.
Darab, Homahyi’s son, began to fade;The other world called him into its shade.
He called the nobles and the sages near,And spoke of kingship for them all to hear.
He said, “Now Dara, son of Darab, standsTo guide you all in goodness through these lands.
Give ear to him, obey his high command,And find your spirits’ peace beneath his hand.
For kingship’s throne will not endure for long;They call us back amid our joy and song.
Let love and equity your counsels guide,And think of me with joy when I have died.”
He sighed; his pomegranate bloom grew weak,And paled into the hue of fenugreek.
D4.3
Iskandar Visits Dara Disguised as an Ambassador
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Iskandar rides into Dara’s camp as his own envoy, delivers his master’s defiance, and is nearly recognized. He pockets the gold cups, claiming envoys keep them, until a returned tribute-seeker names him. He leaves at dusk and outruns a thousand pursuers.
80 couplets · Iskandar named 12 times · in the full poem
When news of Dara’s troops came down the way,Iskandar marched to meet its vast array.
Two farsangs lay between the camps; he broughtHis chiefs to share their counsel and his thought.
They spoke at length of Dara’s force and state,And told his story as they held debate.
When he had heard enough, he voiced his view:“There is one course, and this I mean to do:
I go as envoy to the Iran throne,And judge his strength and weakness on my own.”
He bade them bring a jeweled belt of state,And gold-worked robes befitting one so great.
They brought a horse with golden gear arrayed,And by its saddle set a gold-sheathed blade.
He chose ten Roman horsemen, fit to ride,Skilled in discourse, to travel at his side.
At dawn he left with that appointed train,Ten famed interpreters across the plain.
When he approached Shah Dara’s royal place,He then dismounted, bowed with courtly grace.
The Shah received the envoy with due care,And near his throne assigned the man a chair.
The courtiers marveled at his noble frame,And in their hearts gave praise to his great name.
They saw his royal splendor, learning, grace,His height and limbs, the color of his face.
He sat, then rose at once to speak his part,And shaped Iskandar’s message with his art:
“May you live long beneath the turning sphere,May your crowned head endure from year to year.
Iskandar says: ‘O king of high renown,Whose wishes thrive wherever shines your crown,
I have no wish to war upon your land,Nor linger in Iran with this armed band.
My only purpose is to journey wide,And view the realms that stretch on every side.
I seek all truth and goodness in your reign,Since you are lord of Iran’s wide domain.
If you deny me earth, how can I flyAnd tread, like clouds, a pathway through the sky?
You bring your army here, yet do not knowWhat plans I hold, or where I mean to go.
If you choose war, then war shall answer you;I shall not leave until the fight is through.
Appoint the day on which our swords shall meet;And keep that purpose firm; do not retreat.
I will not turn from mighty chiefs in fear,However vast the force that gathers here.’”
Dara observed his courage and his height,His speech and judgment, royal splendor bright.
He seemed like Darab on an ivory throne,With armlets, torque, and crown that brightly shone.
The Shah asked, “Tell your name and lineage now;The marks of kingship shine upon your brow.
You far surpass the lesser men I see;I think Iskandar you yourself must be.
With such a form and face, such speech and grace,Has heaven reared you for a sovereign’s place?”
Iskandar said, “No prudent king would goTo bear his own dispatch to friend or foe.
My master’s court has speakers skilled and wise,And learned men whom every prince would prize.
His court has many men of speech and art;He need not leave his throne to play my part.
His judgment would not lead him to forsakeThe paths his elders taught a king to take.
My lord entrusted me with this command;I gave his words as he himself had planned.”
They lodged the envoy in a tent of state,Prepared to suit a man of rank so great.
The feast was spread; the Shah then gave the call:His officer must bring him to the hall.
They called him in and gave him his due place,The envoy’s seat, with fitting courtly grace.
They ate; then wine and music stirred the throng,As players answered summons with their song.
Iskandar drank the wine they brought around,And in his lap each emptied cup was found.
The wine and cups went round in ample store;He kept too many, adding more and more.
The servant told the Shah, “The cups we bringHe keeps; all made of gold, O noble king.”
The Shah replied, “Ask why he keeps each cup,And will not let the server take it up.”
The server asked, “O man of kingly grace,Why clasp these golden cups in your embrace?”
Iskandar said, “Where royal wine is poured,The envoy keeps the goblet at the board.
If Iran’s custom differs, then restoreThis golden goblet to the royal store.”
Dara laughed, then ordered them to bringA cup of precious jewels fit for a king.
He bade them place the goblet in his hand,A red ruby on top, at his command.
Just then the men who, far from home, had madeTheir way to Rum to seek the tribute paid,
Came from their lodgings to the banquet hall,And walked toward the Shah before them all.
One saw Iskandar, then approached the throne,And blessed the Shah before he made him known:
“This is Iskandar, lord of royal grace,Who sits with crown and gorz in Rum’s high place.
When you commanded us to claim the due,We went to him as envoys sent by you.
He raged and humbled us before his throne,And warred on you in words, in scornful tone.
I fled his realm and spurred my steeds in flight,And drove them onward through the dark of night.
No other man in Rum bears such a face;He boldly comes within this very place.
He measures all your troops, your treasure’s worth,Your throne and crown, your sovereign might on earth.”
When Dara heard the tribute-seeker’s claim,He fixed a longer gaze upon his frame.
Iskandar knew what they had said apart,The words they placed within the monarch’s heart.
He waited till the daylight lost its glow,And watched the sun sink westward, gleaming low.
He reached the entrance of the royal tent,And mounted there, on swift departure bent.
He spoke to his own riders, men of fame,Whose lofty fortune matched their noble name:
“Our lives upon our horses’ speed depend;If they grow weak, we grasp wind in the end.”
They spurred their horses, galloping in flight,And fled from Dara’s camp with all their might.
When Dara looked, no crowned head was in sight;The guest had vanished in the dark of night.
At once he sent a watchman out to spyUpon the suspect’s tent that stood nearby.
Iskandar fled before the scout drew near;His fortune had not slept, nor failed him here.
Dara dispatched a thousand horsemen, bentTo seize Iskandar as he homeward went.
They raced like wind; the night was dark and black,And none could recognize the proper track.
At sight of a patrol they turned around;From that long, weary ride no gain was found.
When he returned, the Roman chiefs of mightRose from their seats, rejoicing at the sight.
That night they saw their sovereign glad at heart,A gem-filled cup before him, set apart.
He said, “Be blessed, and let your hearts be glad;Rejoice in this good omen we have had.
This cup means victory to every soul;The stars themselves are under our control.
I counted all their troops in camp and court;Their cavalry falls far below report.
Draw all your swords for battle, steel in hand;And press across the level, open land.
If you endure the struggle and the pain,Then kingship and rich treasure you shall gain.
The World-Creator grants His helping grace;The head of Fortune rests in my embrace.”
The mighty chiefs called blessings on his head,“May earth be blessed beneath your rule,” they said.
“For you our souls and bodies we lay down;Our pledge endures forever to your crown.
What king can rival you in noble height,In beauty, bearing, courage, and in might?”
D4.9
Dara Tells His Last Wishes to Iskandar and Dies
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Iskandar reaches the dying Dara, lifts off his crown and jowshan, and weeps. Dara preaches on fortune, asks him to guard his family, to marry his daughter Roshanak, and to keep the fire and the faith. He dies; Iskandar buries him royally and hangs the murderers.
80 couplets · Iskandar named 9 times · in the full poem
Janusiyar began his words of praise:“Victorious king, may joy attend your days!
We struck your foe, and sudden was his fall;His crown and throne are ended, once for all.”
Iskandar heard what Janusiyar had said,Then turned to speak to Mahiyar instead:
“Where is the enemy you struck down so?Now lead me straight to him; before me go.”
The pair went first; the Roman, torn with pain,Felt bloody tears upon his features rain.
He came to Dara, pale of face and weak,His breast all blood, his face like fenugreek.
He bade them leave their mounts and hold the pair,The two advisers, under watchful care.
He sprang down like the wind and bent to seeThe wounded Shah, whose head lay on his knee.
He watched to see if Dara still could speak,And rubbed both hands across the royal cheek.
He lifted off the heavy royal crown,Then eased the jowshan off that weighed him down.
He eased the wounded monarch, weeping low,For no wise healer stood to treat the blow.
He said, “May all your suffering disappear;May those who wished you harm be seized with fear.
Rise to the golden litter from the ground,Or mount your horse, if strength can still be found.
From Hind and Rum I shall bring healers here;Your pain has drawn from me the bloody tear.
I shall restore to you your throne and reign,And, when you mend, I shall no more remain.
But I shall hang these villains by the feet,So all may see the justice they shall meet.
Last night, the elders spoke; my heart grew sore,And filled with blood, my soul in fierce uproar.
We spring from one old root, one royal line;Why should ambition sever yours from mine?”
Then Dara heard his words and softly said,“May perfect wisdom guard your heart and head.
I know the holy Judge who rules aboveWill grant reward for every word of love.
You say you will Iran to me restore,With crown and throne as in the days before.
But death is nearer than the throne I knew;My throne is empty, fortune fallen too.
High heaven turns all profit into loss,And changes earthly splendor into dross.
Look well at me; let not your pride proclaimThat you surpass these men of noble name.
Know good and evil both proceed from God;Praise Him, whatever paths your feet have trod.
I stand as proof of all that I have said:My life supplies a lesson, plainly read.
Such kingship, wealth, and greatness were my own;No other man had such a portion known.
My weapons, armies, horses; what a store!My throne and crown; what wealth was mine before!
My children, kindred; what a grieving train,With wounded hearts and spirits seared by pain!
The earth and time once bowed before my might,While fortune filled my empire with its light.
But now each earthly good has been withdrawn;In killers’ hands I lie, my fortune gone.
No hope in child or kinsman meets my sight;The world turns black, my failing eyes turn white.
No kindred stand beside me in my need;I trust alone in what Yazdan decreed.
Thus broken, I lie bleeding in the clay,Caught in destruction’s snare, a helpless prey.
Such is the custom of the circling sky:Both Shah and Pahlevan are born to die.
The longest reign must end with failing breath;Life is the quarry, hunted down by death.”
Iskandar’s eyes rained blood upon the clayWhere Dara, wounded past all healing, lay.
The dying Shah beheld his sorrow’s trace:The bloody teardrops on his yellow face.
“Weep not; such tears can bring no gain to me;From all my fire, but smoke is left to see.
Such was the portion that the Giver chose,And all my radiant days have reached their close.
Now heed the counsels that I shall declare,And guard them in your heart with constant care.”
Iskandar said, “Declare your final choice;I pledge myself to heed your dying voice.”
Then Dara spoke, recounting all his will:“Fear God, who rules the valley and the hill.
He formed the heavens, earth, and passing time,The weak and strong, in majesty sublime.
My children, kin, and women wise of heart:Protect them all and play a guardian’s part.
Take my chaste daughter as your royal bride,And let her share your throne with joy and pride.
Her mother named her Roshanak; her birthBrought gladness and delight to all the earth.
No shame shall touch you through this royal child;No taunt from foes shall leave your name defiled.
Reared by great kings, she shines among the great,Their crowning ornament at feasts of state.
Perhaps from her shall come a prince of fame,Who shall renew Esfandiyar’s great name.
He shall tend Zardosht’s fire throughout the land,And take the Zand-Avesta in his hand.
Through him the Sadeh feast shall burn more bright,With Nowruz and the fire-temple’s sacred light.
Ormozd, Mah, Khur, and Mehr he shall uphold,And keep their honors as in days of old.
He shall wash soul and face in wisdom’s stream,And honor all that Lohrasp held supreme.
The faith of Goshtasb shall his heart sustain,And each shall keep his rank throughout his reign.
He shall relight the Faith in future days,And live in righteousness and earn men’s praise.”
Iskandar heard and answered from his heart,“O noble Shah, I shall perform each part.
I take your counsels; in this land I standWithin the bounds your final words command.
Each act of goodness I shall make my own,With God my guide in all that you have shown.”
The dying monarch grasped Iskandar’s hand,And raised a wail across the blood-stained land.
He placed that palm against his mouth to pray:“May God protect and keep you on your way.
I yield my throne to you and turn to clay;To holy God I give my soul today.”
He spoke no more; his spirit took its flight,And all around him wept at that sad sight.
Iskandar tore his robes, as mourners must,And strewed the Kayanian crown with dust.
He built a tomb to suit the monarch’s creed,His glory and the rites his faith decreed.
They washed off blood with rosewater, and wept;The time had come when he forever slept.
They dressed him in rich Roman silk brocade,With jewels and gold upon his form displayed.
They covered all his body, pale and white,With fragrant camphor, veiling it from sight.
They set a golden throne to hold the dead,And placed a musk-sweet crown upon his head.
They laid him in a coffin wrought of gold;Iskandar’s bloody tears his sorrow told.
They lifted up the coffin from its stand,And all the mourners laid their hand on hand.
Iskandar walked ahead, bowed down with pain;The weeping nobles followed in the train.
He reached the tomb with grief so fierce within,It seemed that anguish split his very skin.
The coffin on the throne, the tomb was sealedBy royal custom, Dara’s form concealed.
Outside the tomb he raised two gibbets high,For those who made the wounded monarch die.
Alive, head-down, they hung upon each spar;The chiefs, Janusiyar and Mahiyar.
From all the army men came, stone in hand;They stoned the pair before the gathered band.
So perish all who strike a monarch down;Such be the fate of traitors to the crown.
When Iran’s warriors saw the grief he boreFor Dara, fallen king they served before,
They praised Iskandar’s worth with one accord,And hailed him ruler, earth’s acknowledged lord.
D5.5
Kayd of Hind Has a Dream
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Ten nights of dreams frighten Kayd of Hind, and none of his sages can read them. The hermit Mehran interprets each as a sign of a corrupt age to come, and advises Kayd to buy off the approaching Iskandar with four treasures no other king possesses.
120 couplets · Iskandar named 2 times · in the full poem
A teller of the tales preserved of oldNow brings a wonder worthy to be told.
There once ruled Kayd, a king of Hind renowned,Whom wisdom, insight, happiness had crowned.
A sage at heart, his mind a chieftain’s own,With Mobad’s glory on Kayanian throne.
For ten long nights strange dreams disturbed his bed;Each heavy omen filled his heart with dread.
The wisest men of Hindustan combined,To learn what future these strange signs outlined.
The counselors and sages met the call,To hear the dreams recounted in the hall.
The king laid every dream before the wise,And brought to light the secrets they disguise.
Not one could tell what any dream foretold;Their faces paled, their hearts with worry cold.
Then spoke a sage: “O master of the state,Heir to the wisdom of the good and great,
There is a famous one, Mehran by name,Who has attained the height of lettered fame.
He will not sleep or rest within a town,Among wild creatures he must settle down.
He feeds on seeds the mountain plants provide,And lives with beasts upon the mountainside.
He does not count us as his fellow men,Nor seek our company in field or glen.
His home is with wild sheep and deer that roam,Beyond men’s power to harm him in his home.
No harm can touch him in his lonely state;Devout is he and blessed by lofty fate.”
The monarch said: “We must not pass him by,A holy man whom Heaven holds so high.”
Moved by the hermit’s fame, the king arose,And mounted on the finest steed he chose.
His scholars followed in a noble train,To soothe his troubled heart and ease its pain.
The Shah approached the mountain where he dwelt,And greeted him with courtesy heartfelt:
“O worshipper of God, who makes his homeUpon the heights where sheep in freedom roam,
Attend these dreams, consider every one,And tell their meanings when my tale is done.
Know that one night, within my chamber deep,I laid my limbs to rest in peaceful sleep.
A vast house rose; no door appeared in sight,Where stood a giant elephant of might.
It found a narrow opening in the wall,And passed out safely from the palace hall.
Its massive bulk went through the straitened space,Yet left its trunk behind within the place.
Next night I saw the royal seat and foundIt bare of anyone by fortune crowned.
Another king then took that throne of white,And set upon his head a crown of light.
The third night, sleep came swiftly, and I dreamedOf finely woven cloth whose surface gleamed.
Four men hung on the cloth and strained and drew;Their faces from the pulling turned dark blue.
Not one grew weary, though they pulled and bent;The cloth held fast and whole, without a rent.
Upon the fourth, O sage of holy grace,I saw a thirsty man in some wild place.
Beside a stream he stood with thirst and dread,While fish poured water down upon his head.
He fled the water, springing far and wide;The stream pursued him, running at his side.
The fifth night brought a city near a stream,Whose people all were sightless in my dream.
Yet none showed anger at his blinded eyes,Nor let his sightless state give wrath its rise.
The city thrived on justice, gifts, and trade,And glowed with all the splendor these had made.
The sixth night showed a city full of grief,Whose people all were sick and lacked relief.
The sick would call upon the healthy, bentTo tend them first, on thoughtful care intent.
Though near to death, they asked, ‘What pains you so?’And sought a cure for suffering and woe.
Halfway through night the seventh vision spread:A leaping horse appeared with double head.
Two forelegs and two hind legs bore its frame;Each mouth consumed the grass, its fare the same.
It cropped the grass on both sides with its teeth,Yet had no outlet anywhere beneath.
The eighth night showed three jars set in a row;Hear now the marvel those three jars would show.
The outer two were brimming to the top;The central one was dry without a drop.
Two good men poured cold water, bright and clear,Into the middle jar that stood so near.
The outer jars lost nothing of their store;The middle stayed as dry as long before.
The ninth night showed a cow beside a stream,On grass beneath the sun within my dream.
A gaunt and wizened calf stood there to feedIts mother, who drew milk for each day’s need.
The mother cow was strong, her body great;The little calf was in a feeble state.
Now hear the tenth; be patient while I tellThis final dream and all that there befell:
A spring lay in a plain of ample spread,With lofty halls and a palace overhead.
Its waters reached the lands on every side,Yet in my dream the source itself was dried.
Reveal the future, tell me what it means,And tear the veil that hides these shifting scenes.”
Mehran replied: “Dismiss your heavy fear;No ruin shall approach your kingdom here.
Iskandar comes with legions in his train,And chiefs of Rum and of the Iranian plain.
If you would keep your honor whole and bright,Use wisdom; do not challenge him in fight.
Four unique treasures rest within your hand,Whose equals are unknown in any land:
Your daughter first, a maiden fair and wise,Whose beauty shines like light from paradise;
Your hidden sage, whose learning can impartThe secrets of the world to every heart;
Your famed physician, learned in healing lore,Whose knowledge wins him honor more and more;
And fourth, a cup whose water knows no heatFrom fire or sun, however fierce they beat.
Its water never lessens as you drink;Through these four gifts, your honor need not sink.
When Caesar comes, yield all four to his hand,And he will turn away and spare your land.
His troops and means of war surpass your own;You cannot match the splendor of his throne.
Now hear good counsel, cast away your fear;The meaning of each dream I shall make clear:
That house denotes the world; the beast you sawDenotes a thankless king who scorns the law.
His crooked speech and deeds put right to shame;Apart from wrong, he bears but kingship’s name.
The second showed your throne and crown made bright,When fortune brought another king to sight.
Such is the world: the power one calls his ownWill pass away; another takes the throne.
His heart is base, his body weak and worn,His spirit dark, by greed and craving torn.
His subjects flourish, while his heart knows grief;His lips make empty boasts beyond belief.
The third dream showed the cloth without a rent;Four men kept pulling yet were never spent.
That cloth is God’s religion, firmly spread;Its four opposing pullers hold each thread.
The first, the dehqan, tends the sacred fire,And holds the sacred twigs his rites require.
The next is Moses’ faith, the Jewish creed,Which holds itself the only faith to heed.
The third, the pious Greek’s religious art,Puts thoughts of justice in a monarch’s heart.
The fourth, Arabian, pure in heart and hand,Shall raise the wise and prudent through the land.
These four shall pull the cloth in separate ways,And fight for their religions all their days.
Then from the plain where mounted lancers ride,A man shall come, with goodness as his guide:
A pure and kindly man, who comes to lead,Shall spread four ways across the earth God’s creed.
The thirsty man who fled the river’s side,While fish poured water on him from the tide,
Foretells a time when learning meets disdain:A pure man drinks, but others still abstain.
Like fish within the sea, he stays below;The wicked rise where the Pleiades glow.
He calls the thirsty; none will heed his plea,Or turn toward learning’s water, offered free.
They flee the man of knowledge and proclaimTheir slanders in a crowd against his name.
The fifth dream showed a city, blind and bright,With trade and gifts that made it glow with light.
Yet none could see another’s face or form;Such blindness shall become the age’s norm.
It tells of times when wise men shall be slaves,Subjected to the rule of fools and knaves.
The learned shall be troubled in that hour;Their tree of wisdom bears no fruit or flower.
The ignorant shall hold the highest seat,While lettered men must flatter at their feet.
False words are spoken, known to be untrue;No light of worship shines on what they do.
The sixth showed sick men serving those still well,Foretelling times whose hardships I shall tell,
When poverty is scorned and wealth is prized,And poor men by the rich are all despised.
The rich shall turn away from those who sue,And give no alms where charity is due.
The poor man serves for nothing, bound to stay,A slave for whom no purchaser need pay.
The horse with two heads grazing on the plain,Yet no way out for all its gathered gain,
Foretells a time when men shall hoard their store,And never fill their hearts, but long for more.
Their stores give poor men, sages, chiefs no aid;For none but self is any care displayed.
The three jars, with the middle standing dry,Though water from the others poured nearby,
Foretell an age when poverty knows shame,And bitter sorrow sets the heart aflame.
The spring cloud hides the sun yet gives no rainTo soothe the poor man’s wounds or ease his pain.
The rich give to the rich with honeyed praise;Their gifts pass back and forth through all their days.
The poor man’s lips stay dry through every day,And through the night no comfort comes his way.
The cow that drank her calf’s milk in your sight,Though she was strong and he was weak and slight,
Shows Saturn entering Libra in the sky,While power of arm rules all the world thereby.
The sick and poor and needy, day by day,Must give the healthy what they bid them pay.
The wealthy will not open up their stores,But turn the suffering poor from their doors.
The tenth dream, where the fountain-head was dry,With musk-sweet waters spread about nearby,
Showed no fresh water rising to its flow;Its waters had no haste, but lingered slow.
It tells of one who wears a crown of care,Bereft of wisdom, darkened by despair.
His troubles darken earth from shore to shore;The land lies empty of his treasured store.
He raises armies, rank on rank arrayed,To shape a crown and see the realm obeyed.
Both king and troops shall fall; new courts arise,While evil costs him favor from the skies.
But our great epoch is Iskandar’s hour,Who holds the crown of majesty and power.
When Caesar comes, give up those treasures four,And he will leave your land and seek no more.
Content him, and he passes on his way,For wisdom guides him; he will not delay.
Among the sages none has depths so great;His counsel serves in every work of state.”
King Kayd rejoiced at all the sage had said,And felt new life throughout his spirit spread.
He kissed the scholar’s eyes and holy head,And turned for home, his heart relieved of dread.
He journeyed home with peace restored to mind;His scholars followed, leaving grief behind.
D5.16
Iskandar Goes on a Pilgrimage to the Kaaba
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Iskandar turns from Hind toward Haram and the House that Ismail built. Nasr of Mecca meets him and tells how Qahtan and Khuza oppressed Ismail’s line; Iskandar destroys Khuza’s kin, frees Hijaz and Yemen, visits the shrine on foot, and relieves the poor.
36 couplets · Iskandar named 4 times · in the full poem
Soon all his troops were sated with the storeOf Hind and longed for wealth and spoils no more.
At dawn tabiras sounded through the air,And ranks of spears arose with martial flare.
The heavens glowed like a bright rooster’s eye,Gold, crimson, violet banners roofed the sky.
Toward Haram Iskandar took his way;Some hearts were glad, while others felt dismay.
With blaring horns and elephants he cameTo see the place that bore Ismail’s name.
That prophet bore great toil to raise the shrine,And labored long to build that House divine.
God named it Baitul Haram, holy seat;Through it the path of faith is made complete.
For purity He called that House His own;He summoned you to worship Him alone.
He needs no place, no food, no ease or rest,Nor pleasure such as mortal hearts love best.
Since place itself arose beneath the skies,That House became where God’s remembrance lies.
To Kadisiya went the Shah’s array;To Jahram, Pars, the conqueror made his way.
The news reached Nasr-e Qatib of renown,The pride of Mecca, honored in the town.
He rode to meet the Shah, a stately force,With spear-armed riders brightening the course.
A horseman sped from Mecca with this word,And told Iskandar what he knew and heard:
“He seeks no crown or treasure from your hand,Nor comes to claim the troops at your command.
He springs from Ismail’s fortunate line,Whose father, Ibrahim, bore the word divine.”
The Shah received him with a gracious face,And granted him a high and honored place.
Then Nasr rejoiced and spoke with open heart,Revealing birth and secrets, part by part.
Iskandar answered, “Chief of noble mind,In you a pure and truthful heart I find.”
The Shah then asked, “Among your noble race,Who else among you holds the foremost place?”
Nasr replied, “O sovereign of the land,Khuza is chief; this place is in his hand.
When Ismail passed beyond all mortal sight,Qahtan came from the plains in royal might.
With many swordsmen came his mighty train;He seized Yemen by force and caused it pain.
He slew the guiltless members of our line;Our house fell low, our fortunes in decline.
The Maker of the world condemned his reign;The heavens darkened on his proud domain.
When Qahtan fell and mingled with the dust,Khuza arose, audacious and unjust.
From Haram to Yemen he held command;The sea of Mesr lay beneath his hand.
He turned from justice and the righteous way,No thought of God or goodness in him lay.
The world lay in his clutch beneath his reign,And Ismail’s descendants lived in pain.”
Iskandar heard, and all the kin he spiedOf Khuza fell before his sword and died.
By policy and by his warriors’ might,He freed Hijaz and Yemen from their plight.
He raised the worthy sons of Ismail’s race,To rule with justice each appointed place.
On foot he came before that sacred shrine,And joy arose through all of Ismail’s line.
His keeper of the treasure scattered gold,At every step, as ancient tales have told.
Then, coming back, before the palace doorHe gave Nasr golden dinars from his store.
The poor and all who earned their bread by toilWere freed from want upon the Meccan soil.
D5.22
Taynush, Son of Kaydafa, Rages against Iskandar
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Taynush threatens to tear off the envoy’s head in vengeance for Foor. His mother has him dragged out, then recalls him at Iskandar’s request. Iskandar offers to deliver Iskandar unarmed into an ambush; Taynush promises him a treasury. Kaydafa understands the trick and says nothing.
55 couplets · Iskandar named 10 times · in the full poem
When Taynush heard Iskandar’s spoken word,He raged like wind, with all his anger stirred.
He cried: “You worthless fool! Your wit is small;No man would count you as a man at all.
Do you not know before whose face you sit?Do not display your hand or vaunt your wit.
Your head is filled with arrogance and wrath;Who is your king, who set you on this path?
Were it not for our sovereign mother’s grace,I would tear off your head here in this place,
As from a laden bough one plucks its fruit;A citron severed from the parent shoot.
Mourning Foor, I will tear your head away,And to the gathered troops its face display.”
His mother called to him to still his tongue,And at her shout his startled head he swung.
She said: “These heavy words are not his own;Flay him who sent him from his royal throne.”
She ordered them to drag her son away,Out from her presence, where he could not stay.
In private then she asked what could be done,About her foolish, fiendish-minded son.
“In secret he may hatch some weighty crime,And bring disaster in a little time.
You seek for knowledge; judgment is your guide;Consider what is fitting, then decide.”
Iskandar said: “This course is not the best;Recall the prince; that is my own request.”
The queen recalled her son and bade him sit,Within her splendid court, as she saw fit.
Iskandar spoke: “O prince of royal name,Be calm, if you would gain the end you claim.
I bear no grudge for any words you say;I take them all and cast no blame your way.
Iskandar sits in joy, with throne and crown;He heaps on me the grief that weighs me down.
He bade me ask for tribute from your land,And sent me to obey that harsh command.
So, every harm his enemies intendFor him falls on the envoy he would send.
I shall repay the Shah through my design,And offer him a plan that seems benign.
If I can take his hand and bring him toThe place where he stands face to face with you,
Without his legions, sword, or crown or throne,No sign of royal power about him shown,
What will you grant me for this hidden snare,From all the wealth your royal hands can spare?”
Taynush replied: “I hear what you have told;Do not delay until these words grow old.
If you accomplish this through wit and might,And bring the western monarch to our sight,
The treasure, moneybags, and all the store,The horses, royal followers, and more,
I grant you all, with thanks for what you do;You conquer worlds, and value kindness, too.
You shall be my true minister and holdThis realm’s rich treasury of wealth and gold.”
Iskandar rose and took him by the hand,To seal the pact that both had framed and planned.
The prince inquired: “How will you set the snare?What magic will accomplish this affair?”
Iskandar said: “When I depart this place,You must ride with me at a measured pace.
Bring one full thousand horsemen, famed in fight,Men fit for battle, proven in their might.
Upon my journey here I marked a wood,Where all your men may hide as warriors should.
I shall leave you in ambush in the shade,And go alone to where his camp is made.
I shall report, ‘The queen has sent such store,That thoughts of wealth need trouble you no more.
Her envoy fears to face your armored mass,Where countless banners fly, and dares not pass.
With priests and wise men, if you choose to go,Meet Taynush; he has treasures he would show.
On meeting him, receive the wealth he brings,Prepared for that day: rich and varied things.
On seeing you without your legions near,He comes; or may return with passage clear.’
Iskandar, hearing these persuasive lies,Will never read the purpose I disguise.
Beneath the tree he bids the keeper bringThe crown and throne, the emblems of a king.
Then ring him round with all your armored might,And grant him rest from fortune’s endless fight.
This wins my vengeance and your heart’s desire,And leaves you free from any hostile ire.
When you have seized him, I am wholly yours;I shall keep watch at gate and palace doors.
My fortunes then will flourish through your aid;My market, too, shall thrive through this good trade.
You shall bear off much silver, gems, and gold,With slaves and harnessed steeds within your hold.”
Taynush rejoiced; his face grew proud and bright,A cypress standing in the court’s full light.
“My hope is that his day shall turn to night,And that our hidden snare shall hold him tight.
For all the blood his ruthless sword has shed,Let vengeance now descend upon his head:
For Dara, noble son of Darab’s line,For Sind’s slain warriors, vengeance shall be mine;
For valiant Foor, the pride of Hind’s domain,Whose blood Iskandar poured upon the plain.”
Kaydafa heard Iskandar’s subtle speech,And grasped the hidden end he hoped to reach.
She smiled within, but kept her features still,And veiled her coral lips in cloth with skill.
Iskandar left her presence deep in thought,And weighed with subtle art the plans he wrought.
D5.29
Iskandar Seeks the Fount of Life
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Iskandar watches the sun sink into the sea, then enters the darkness with Khizr as guide. At a fork he loses him; Khizr finds the Fount of Life and drinks. Iskandar reaches only a shining mountain, where green birds question him and Israfil warns him to prepare for the end.
91 couplets · Iskandar named 4 times · in the full poem
A mighty city rose before his sight,Its people great in stature and in might.
With red hair, yellow faces, all were fitFor battle, with the strength to answer it.
They came before Iskandar at his call,And struck their heads like madmen, one and all.
He asked their chiefs: “What wonders have you here,To fill the passing traveler with cheer?”
An elder said, “O Shah whom stars befriend,Who conquers cities to the world’s far end,
Beyond the city lies a water deep;No share of it have men been seen to keep.
When to that place the shining sun draws near,Within its depths we see it disappear.
Beyond that water stretches endless gloom,A realm where sight itself can find no room.
So much I have heard of that realm of night,No telling ever brings its end in sight.
A learned worshiper of God once saidA hidden spring lay in that darkness spread.
My wise informant named its secret flowThe Fount of Life, where death can never go.
‘Who drinks its water never tastes of death;He lives, and death shall never still his breath.
A path links Paradise with waters pure;Wash there; your body’s sins shall not endure.’”
Then Caesar asked: “How can our beasts proceedThrough darkness on the road where we must lead?”
The elder then replied: “To take that course, You must not trust the tread of any horse;
Choose four-year mares with nursing foals beside; Leave foals behind to be their homeward guide.
For though your sight be lost in endless gloom, The mothers track their young through mortal doom.”
The Shah chose thousands from that hardy breed, Fresh four-year mares, well-fit for war and speed.
He gladly led his legions from that ground,And called the watchful chiefs to gather round.
He reached a boundless city on the plain,Whose distant walls seemed endless to his train.
Its groves and halls displayed a wondrous view,And every earthly luxury there grew.
There he dismounted, and at dawn next day,Went forward by himself upon the way.
He waited till the sun grew yellow-gold,And sank within those waters, blue and cold.
He saw the wonder shown by living God,As light withdrew from every field and sod.
Back in his camp, he pondered on the sight,And prayed to God throughout the quiet night.
The dehqan called that water Life by name,When telling of the gifts from God that came.
He brooded on the Fount of Life, then choseHis hardiest men to seek what no man knows.
He packed supplies for more than forty days,And journeyed eagerly through hidden ways.
He camped his other legions in the town,And sought a guide of honor and renown.
Khizr, the counselor of that noble band,Its foremost chief, would guide his searching hand.
Iskandar gave his heart and soul in trust,And said: “Be diligent, as wise men must.
If we should gain that water, pure and fair,We shall spend long years in worship and prayer.
He will not die who tends his soul and, wise,Makes God the refuge where his safety lies.
Here are two charms, two mohreh-stones divine; At sight of water, like the sun they shine.
Take one and lead us onward on the way;Guard soul and body where the shadows stay.
The other charm shall be my guiding spark,As with my legions I approach the dark.
We shall see what God, who made all we know,Conceals within the things that plainly show.
You lead; yet God remains my refuge still,And shows my path and purpose through His will.”
A cry rose from the desert, loud and clear:“God is the greatest!” rang upon the ear.
At every stage, when Khizr led his train,He left all kinds of food upon the plain.
For two full days and nights they kept their way; No lips were moved to eat throughout that stay.
Upon the third, the roadway forked ahead;The Shah took one, Khizr chose the other instead.
The prophet’s jewel blazed with sudden light, And guided him to waters gleaming bright.
He reached the Fount of Life; his mortal yearsWere raised to Saturn’s height among the spheres.
He washed his head and body in that flow,And sought but God to guard him here below.
He drank and rested, gave his praise to God,And turned back swiftly on the path he trod.
Iskandar reached the light and saw a height,A mountain vast and luminous and bright.
Tall columns rose of aloe-wood on high,Upon the rocky mountain, toward the sky.
On every column rose a mighty nest,Where sat a great green bird in lofty rest.
They spoke in Roman tongue with voices clear,And hailed the world’s great master drawing near.
He hurried toward them, wondering at the sight,And stood before those columns in the light.
A bird said: “You whose heart is set on toil,What do you seek upon this fleeting soil?
Though you should raise your head to heaven’s height,The world will send you home in grief’s despite.
Have you seen adultery in your quest,And houses built of bricks where people rest?”
He said: “Both things are present in our time:Adultery, and homes of brick and lime.”
The bird descended lower from its height;The man of God stood wondering at the sight.
It asked: “Do men seek music, and the throngOf drunken voices raised in merry song?”
He said: “They love the harp and wine-cup well, And under worldly pleasures choose to dwell.”
In grief the bird dropped down upon the ground, Till on the column’s base its feet were found.
It asked: “Are knowledge and right conduct moreThan crookedness and failings in your lore?”
He answered: “One who seeks for knowledge trueWins honor; each assembly grants his due.”
The great bird flew back to the column then,And with its beak it cleaned its claws again.
It asked: “Do those who worship God on highDwell in your land on mountains near the sky?”
He said: “The pure in thought can find no placeExcept the mountain for their worship’s grace.”
The bird ascended to its lofty nest;The Shah was glad, with brightness in his breast.
Again, with claws it honed its beak, and boreNo fear of resurrection’s dreadful roar.
Then it instructed him to climb the peak,Alone, on foot, without an escort, seek
That sight which makes the merriest spirit weep,Upon the mountain’s summit, stark and steep.
He heard, and climbed the mountain on his own,To see what waited on its peak alone.
He saw Israfil with his head raised high,A karnay in his hand beneath the sky.
His lips held breath; his eyes were brimming, wet;He waited for God’s word, not blowing yet.
When he saw Iskandar upon the height,He cried like thunder, terrible in might:
“O slave of greed, cease toiling in this way;A cry shall reach your ears some future day.
Toil less for crown and treasure while you dwell;Prepare to leave and make your last farewell.”
The Shah replied: “My portion here belowIs what the turns of fortune chose to show.
Without this movement through the world, I findBoth seen and hidden things escape my mind.”
He then descended, wailing, spent, and worn,And praised the Giver from whom good is born.
He turned again toward that darkened way,With guides before him through the sunless gray.
When through the darkness marched his armed train,A cry rose from the mountain, black and plain:
“Who takes a stone upon this mountain landWill rue the thing he carries in his hand.
And he who takes no stone will sorrow feel;The heart turns toward a cure its pain to heal.”
The legions heard the voice with minds intent;Each pondered deeply what the warning meant.
Should they take stones or leave them where they lay,And count no trouble yet to come their way?
One said: “From sin this weary burden grows:To carry stones and reap regretful woes.”
Another said: “We ought to take a few;Perhaps we shall escape the pain they brew.”
One gathered stones; another took no share;A third took little, loath the load to bear.
They left the Water’s region for the plain,And from the dark emerged with all their train.
They searched their sleeves and folds of clothing through;Their faults and shortages came into view.
One lap was full of rubies, bright and fair;Another held uncut gems, just as rare.
Who took but little now was sorrow-torn:He left green gems as though each were a thorn.
Still more regretful was the man whose handHad left those precious jewels upon the land.
D5.30
Iskandar Builds a Wall against Yajuj and Majuj
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Coming out of the darkness, Iskandar’s men find that the stones they gathered are gems. Traveling on, he hears of Yajuj and Majuj and walls their pass with fused layers of charcoal, iron, copper and sulfur, blown molten by a hundred thousand smiths.
55 couplets · Iskandar named 3 times · in the full poem
Two weeks he stayed; when rest had made him strong,He led his legions on, a mighty throng.
From Khavar toward Bakhtar went his train;He chose to travel every earthly lane.
And as he went, he saw a noble place,As though no wind or dust had touched its face.
On elephants, tabiras hailed his fame;Two mil the chiefs came out to greet his name.
The Shah received them with a gracious heart,And raised their station, set them high apart.
He asked: “What matchless marvels do you hold,Within these borders, wonderful and old?”
They opened then their lips and told their care,And spoke of all the griefs they had to bear:
“A grievous terror falls on us; we pleadFor your protection in our hour of need.
This mountain lifts its summit to the sky;Our hearts are torn with pain, and sore we sigh.
From Yajuj and Majuj our hearts are sore,As though our breasts could hold those hearts no more.
Whenever any band invades our street,They leave us only sorrow and defeat.
Their faces look like camels’, strange to view;Black tongues and blood-red eyes confront us too.
Dark-faced, with teeth like boars’ in grim array,Who dares approach them as they make their way?
Their bodies, thick with indigo hair, appearLike elephants in breast and chest and ear.
They sleep upon one ear spread on the ground,And wrap the other over them around.
The mothers have a thousand children each;No one can count the multitudes they reach.
They gather like the beasts that roam the plain,Like herds of gurs they race across terrain.
In spring the clouds give forth a thundering roar,And all the green sea surges more and more.
A storm cloud heaves a monster from the deep; With roaring winds across the sky they sweep.
It casts that mountain-fish upon the shore, Where gathered myriads feast on it once more.
They feed each year upon that monstrous meat,And strengthen savage limbs with all they eat.
Then plants become the food on which they feed;From every side they gather what they need.
In winter, thin and wasted, they appear;Like doves their voices sound upon the ear.
In spring like wolves they come before your eyes,And mighty are the voices of their cries.
Now if the great Shah could devise a scheme,And from this grief our weary hearts redeem,
He shall receive the praise of every tongue,And long remain on earth, with praises sung.
Show greatness, bring relief to those in need;For you too need God’s help in every deed.”
Iskandar heard their tale in deep surprise,And pondered, sorrow darkening his eyes.
He said: “I shall provide the needed gold;Your city’s help and labor must uphold
The work; with God, the Giver, as our stay,My plan shall close their passage through this way.”
All cried: “May fortune’s ills be far from you,O Shah whose heart is generous and true.
We are the servants of your ruling voice,And lifelong service is our willing choice.
We shall bring all the things your plans require;No greater task than this could we desire.”
Iskandar went to view the mountain height,And took with him his sages of insight.
He ordered: “Bring the smiths, and for their handsGreat hammers, copper, brass, as work demands.
Bring gypsum, stone, and firewood, heap on heap,As much as we shall need, and more to keep.”
They brought abundant stores at his request;The work stood ready, all its plans addressed.
The masons and the smiths from every landAssembled to fulfill the king’s command.
The experts came from lands both far and wide,And built two walls, one on each mountainside.
The height rose soaring skyward from its base;Almost a hundred rash broad, it filled the space.
One rash of charcoal, one of iron they laid,With copper strewn between the layers they made.
They poured the sulfur in among the store;Such was the art of kings of ancient lore.
Each substance formed a course, in ordered rows,Till from the earth to crest the layers rose.
They mixed much oil and naphtha, then they pouredThe mixture on the substances there stored.
They heaped great loads of charcoal on the height,Then, at his order, set the mass alight.
A hundred thousand smiths obeyed his will,And brought their bellows, working with their skill.
The roaring blast rose from the mountain’s peak;The stars before the fire’s fierce might grew weak.
So time went by amid that fiery glare,The bellows’ blast, the smiths’ relentless care.
The substances grew molten, flowing bright,And fused together in the fire’s fierce light.
Thus Yajuj and Majuj were held at bay,And nations breathed in safety from that day.
Through that famed barrier, Iskandar’s Wall,The world escaped oppression’s bitter thrall.
Five hundred rash rose up its mighty frame;Its breadth to nearly one full hundred came.
The nobles blessed the Shah with one accord:“May time and earth not lack you, noble lord.”
They brought the many gifts those regions made,And down before the Shah their wealth was laid.
He took no gift, but left without delay;His deeds amazed the world from day to day.
D5.35
Iskandar Goes to Babil and Writes to Arastatilis
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Fearing an Iranian revenge on Rum, Iskandar plans to destroy the Kayanian nobles; Arastatilis argues him out of it and has him parcel Iran among tribal kings instead. At Babil a monstrous stillbirth is read as an omen of his end, and he falls ill.
48 couplets · Iskandar named 4 times · in the full poem
To Babil then Iskandar led his force;The earth lay hidden underneath its course.
He knew his life was ebbing, nearly past,And darkness on his day was falling fast.
He thought, “No royal scion shall remainTo lead an army over Rum’s domain.
For such a prince might raise the battle sign,And trample that rich realm, that land of mine.”
He wrote Arastatilis of his will,And laid before the sage his purpose ill:
To put the heirs of Iran to the sword, And slay each prince of Kayanian accord,
Lest one arise to seek the royal seat, And bring his native Rum to swift defeat.
When they conveyed the letter to the sage,The sage grew fearful, reading through the page.
He answered quickly, while his lashes shedSuch tears they seemed the pen with which he said:
“Your royal letter reached me,” said the sage; “Stay now your hand, and turn from wrathful rage.
Abandon this dark purpose while you may,And give the poor your gifts without delay.
Commit yourself to God; restrain your hand,And sow good seed wherever you command.
All men are born to meet the final breath;No strength or counsel gives escape from death.
No king has borne his kingship to the tomb;He leaves his crown for others to assume.
Shed not the nobles’ blood along your way,Lest you be cursed until the Judgment Day.
If Iran has no army to defendIts soil, no king on whom its chiefs depend,
From Turkistan and Hind their ranks will flow,From Saklab and from Chin, a countless foe.
Who takes Iran may turn his force on Rum;What wonder if revenge your home consume?
Let not one breath bring harm upon the lineOf those descended from the Kayanian sign.
Summon the nobles, men of freeborn name,With gifts and feast and counsel as your aim.
Assign each chief a province to control,And have their names recorded on a roll.
Record those nobles, freeborn men of worth,Through whom you freely gained the whole wide earth.
Let none command another in your stead,And raise no single Shah above their head.
Make Kayanian princes shields for Rum,So no invading army brings your doom.”
When this reply reached great Iskandar’s hand,He cast aside the slaughter he had planned.
He summoned nobles, freeborn men of worth,Who showed humanity upon the earth.
He ranked them all according to degree,And seated each where it was fit to be.
He wrote a covenant that none should claimThe least increase to serve his private aim.
Each ruled the province granted in his name;As Tribal Kings, they won their lasting fame.
That night Iskandar came to Babil’s gate;The chiefs rejoiced to see him in his state.
A woman bore a child so strange in frame,That all who saw it wondered at the same.
A lion’s head, hooved feet, an ox’s tail;Its human chest and shoulders made them quail.
It died the instant into life it came.May no new birth prolong that mother’s name.
They bore it swiftly to the world’s great king.He stared in wonder at that startling thing.
He took it as an omen, dark and dread,And said: “Let earth conceal this child, now dead.”
He called the readers of the stars to speak,And asked what sign lay in that creature bleak.
The star-reader grew grieved at what he knew,And hid the meaning from the king’s own view.
The Shah warned: “If you hide truth from me,I shall strike off your heads immediately.
No cloth shall serve as shroud when you are slain;The lions’ jaws shall hide what may remain.”
The star-reader, when anger seized the king,Replied: “Renowned lord, hear the news I bring.
You came to birth beneath the Lion’s light;The Mobadan and chiefs knew this was right.
The lion’s head upon this lifeless birthForetells your empire’s head will bow to earth.
The world shall rage in turmoil, till it ends,And then another to the throne ascends.”
Each star-reader before him spoke the same,And pointed to this sign to prove the claim.
Iskandar heard, and grief consumed his mind;His powers of thought and judgment both declined.
He said, “Death has no cure; I fear no call;My span can neither rise nor shrink at all.”
That very day in Babil he fell ill,And knew that grievous harm had worked its will.
He called a veteran scribe, a man of art,And told him all that lay within his heart.
Family
- Parents
- Darab
- Spouses
- Roshanak
- Siblings
- Dara
On the maps
Story maps that show Iskandar or tell a part of the story that names Iskandar.
D5.1–D5.39Iskandar’s World — The Master Circuit
D3.1–D3.4Darab's Reign and the Two Births
D4.3–D4.9The War of Dara and Iskandar
D5.5–D5.15Iskandar into Hind: Kayd and Foor
D5.16–D5.17The Pilgrimage West: Mecca, Judda, and Mesr
D5.18–D5.24Andalus and Queen Kaydafa
D5.25–D5.28The Marvels of the South
D5.29The Land of Darkness and the Fount of LifeWhere he appears
Named mentions by book, from the Universe Registry, the index behind this site. Titles and epithets are not counted.
D3Darab1D4Dara and Iskandar48D5The Iskandar Cycle140D6The Ashkanian Dynasty5D8The Shapur Zul-Aktaf Cycle and Later Early Sasanian Reigns2D10The Bahram Goor Cycle: Justice, Foreign Adventures, and End of a Reign1D13Anooshirvan and the Road to the End-time2E4Anooshirvan’s Last Years1E6Khosrow Parviz5E7The Story of Khosrow Parviz and Shirin2More in the Glossary, all the characters and the Art.