Book D5The Iskandar Cycle

Iskandar took the throne: “May wisdom stayWith kings, lest royal rule should go astray.

God grants the victory; that king does wrongWho fears Him not, however great and strong.

Our good and ill shall pass; no earthly powerCan free us from Time’s grasp a single hour.

Whoever comes before us to complainOf wrongs we do shall surely justice gain.

At audience-time or in the dark of night,His words shall win redress and set things right.

For God has granted glory to our state,And opened wide good fortune’s welcome gate.

Let all my subjects share this gift with me,In mountain, desert, city, and at sea.

We shall demand no tribute from the landFor five full years beneath our just command,

Save from those claiming equal royal state,Who hold their sovereign rank to be as great.

We shall bestow rich gifts on those in need,And leave the wealthy of all tribute freed.”

When he had spoken thus of justice true,His heart embraced the good he pledged to do.

From Iran rose their praise of royal worth;They blessed the just king, ruler of the earth.

Then all the gathered nobles went their way;The king and his advisers chose to stay.

He called a scribe; the letter was begunWith pens from Rum, on silk of Chin, fine-spun.

The scribe to Roshanak’s own mother wrote,To Dalaray, and thus began the note:

“May God grant peace of mind after your pain,And grant the just reward the good attain.

I wrote before and sent advice to you,With fuller counsel than I now renew.

When fortune turned against your royal mate,A faithless servant sealed his mortal fate.

I wrapped him in a shroud befitting kings,And laid him free of pain and earthly things.

Before the war I often sought for peace,But he refused; his days were soon to cease.

His very foes lamented him that day;May God to Paradise direct his way.

May God among the righteous grant him rest,And poisoned arrows pierce the ill-wisher’s breast.

No one escapes Death’s grasp; its autumn blastSweeps us like leaves that cannot long hold fast.

The world is yours; the witnesses attestTo Dara’s counsel and his last request:

How Dara gave fair Roshanak as bride,And said, ‘She is fit to be at your side.’

With nurses, servants, nobles of the land,Send her from Iran with that honored band.

So, send her to my court without delay,To clear the darkness from my soul, I pray.

Keep Isfahan; its former rule maintain,With skilled officials serving its domain.

Keep every honest governor secure,Whom Dara named to office, just and pure.

In any city in Iran you may dwell,Wherever peace and comfort serve you well.

Be reconciled and let the world proclaimThat I now stand in Dara’s royal name.”

He wrote as well to Dara’s daughter bright,And warmed his words with tenderness and light.

He praised the wise Creator, whose commandSustains the world and rules on every hand.

He said: “From royal lineage none ariseBut those of virtue, pure in conduct, wise.

You charm with modesty and judgment clear,With gentle voice and speech that please the ear.

Your father placed you in my care; his nameSurvives his death in honor and in fame.

When you arrive before my palace gate,You shall behold your home and queenly state.

First of my ladies, you shall grace the crown,The armlet, ivory throne of high renown.

I wrote your mother: let her come to meWith all the honors fitting her degree.

As fits a king’s own daughter’s high estate,Isfahan’s Mobad leads you to our gate.

Bring maids, crown, elephants, and litter too,And her whose milk and honey nourished you.

Dwell in my palace, honored at my side,Glad-hearted, first of ladies, as my bride.

May modesty remain your constant grace,And royal chambers be your dwelling-place.”

A bold philosopher arrived to bringAnd then recount the message of the king.

When Dalaray received Iskandar’s word,A heavy sigh from her sad breast was heard.

For Dara, buried now beneath the clay,She shed red tears of blood in her dismay.

She called a skillful scribe and spoke her will,While bloody tears upon her cheeks flowed still.

She had a fitting answer penned and wroughtWith weighty words of promise, deeply thought.

She praised the just God, Lord of peace and art,And counsel that gives wisdom to the heart.

She wrote: “From Him who formed the turning skiesBoth war and peace and bonds of love arise.

We sought for Dara glory and acclaim,And graced our tongues by speaking of his name.

But now his time has passed; the royal seatIs coffin-wood, his reign at last complete.

I wish you goodness, fortune, kingly power,And greatness in the world that grows each hour.

I wish the world to move at your command;I speak it plainly, so you understand.

I heard your kindly words; may heaven rejoiceIn you, whose soul has given them a voice.

I heard of Dara’s tomb, the gallows high,Where Mahiyar and Janusiyar came to die.

Brief is the life of him who draws the blade,To strike the master whom his vows obeyed.

You sought for peace before the battle’s day,For days you counseled him to turn away.

But kings are not accustomed to bend low;None bids a crowned king serve another so.

You take our Shah’s place; our Sun is no more,And you, our Moon, shine where he shone before.

May nothing thwart your wishes, great or small;May your name live upon each palace wall.

At Roshanak’s betrothal we rejoice;Our hearts are gladdened by that welcome choice.

She is your handmaid; we obey your will,And bow our heads, your servants, faithful still.

She sends her greeting, with a letter wise,Fair as a garden grown in Paradise.

Since he who ruled the age has chosen you,None dares oppose what he resolved to do.

We wrote to chiefs and Pahlevans of might,To noble warriors trained in armed fight.

Your word is Dara’s word throughout the land,And none shall break their pledge to heed your command.”

She gave the envoy purses, slaves, and gold,And gifts of every kind her vaults could hold.

The Roman to Iskandar’s camp returned,And told him all he witnessed and had learned.

The throne, the rites, the court were so maintained,It seemed the Shah still lived and there remained.

Iskandar heard with joy the news they bore;The Kayanian crown he calmly took and wore.

From Amuriyah he called his mother near,And spoke the words of Dara for her ear.

He said: “Go now to Dalaray, and bearKind words about the marriage we prepare.

See Roshanak in her secluded place,And give her blessings from me, full of grace.

Take torque and armlet, earrings, and a crownOf royal gems befitting her renown.

A hundred camels, furnishings to bear;Ten more with Roman brocade, rich and rare.

For scattering, let purse on purse enfoldFull thirty thousand treasury coins of gold.

Take three hundred maids of Rum in your train,And more if needed as you cross the plain.

Give each a golden goblet for her hand,To serve beside the Shah at his command.

Take trusted servants to protect your way,And spare no splendor in the grand display.”

With her interpreter she left to ride;Ten well-spoken sages journeyed at her side.

As she approached fair Isfahan’s domain,The nobles came to meet her on the plain.

Then Dalaray came from her palace gate,With nobles, as their customs would dictate.

They scattered gifts within the entrance hallTill silver seemed of little worth to all.

The chieftains gathered where the palace rose,And sat with counselors in ordered rows.

She made such wedding-gear that street and martSeemed filled with life in every busy part.

For farsangs, camels stretched along the road,With gold and silver, colors in their load.

They carried hangings, robes, and carpets rolled,And goods to scatter, more than hands could hold.

There were fine Arab steeds in golden gear,And Indian swords in golden scabbards near,

With heavy helms, bargostvan for each horse,And jowshans, golden gorzes of great force.

Both cut and uncut cloth were piled so highThat no one knew such wealth beneath the sky.

Then palace servants gathered by the gate,And forty golden litters stood to wait.

With parasol and servants round her seat,Sat Roshanak, her happiness complete.

For half the road from her mother’s home there flowedGold, silver, brocades, steeds, caps on the road.

When Roshanak drew near to Mesr’s gate,They came to greet her, all, of high estate.

They decked the town with ornaments of art;A smile on every lip hid grief of heart.

They showered silver on her parasol,And sifted pure musk down before them all.

When that bright Moon arrived within his sight,The Shah observed her beauty with delight.

He marked her stately bearing, wise and fair,As though fond Wisdom raised her with such care.

The mother placed her on a throne of gold;Iskandar’s love and soul were hers to hold.

He passed a week conversing by her side,And sought her counsel as a royal guide.

He found her wise and modest, fit for state,Composed and noble, worthy to be great.

He looked and found no fault in her to blame;His heart grew warmer in affection’s flame.

From Iran came rich offerings to behold,With royal gems and shining coins of gold.

From Iran, Turan, Chin the blessings came,And hailed his kingship and his royal fame.

His reign brought justice everywhere to men;And ruined places came to life again.

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.

When Iskandar surveyed Iran’s broad lands,And knew the realm now rested in his hands,

He turned his banners toward King Kayd’s domain,By road and trackless land he led his train.

The townsmen opened every portal wide,Wherever he advanced in royal pride.

He held their people low and raised on highHis helm beyond bright Venus in the sky.

He reached the mighty city on the plain,Named Milad, in King Kayd of Hind’s domain.

He set his camp upon that stretch of ground,And spread his legions through the lands around.

They called the scribe and seated him to writeBefore Iskandar, lord of royal might.

Like a fierce lion closing on its prey,He dictated the words he wished to say:

“From generous Iskandar, great in power,With crown and belt and sword that wins the hour.

May blessings crown the man whose heart is bright,Washed clean by knowledge, filled with learning’s light.

He chooses work that brings the smaller pain,When from his toil he seeks to gather gain.

He worships God and trusts His mighty hand,And fears the One on whom his hopes must stand.

He knows we give the throne its strength and light,The shadow of the Sovereign crowned with might.

I send this letter, that your soul may seeIts darkness lifted by these words from me.

When first the scribe has read these words to you,Do not delay or ponder what to do.

If this arrives by night, do not delay,Wait not for dawn; at once my will obey.

Defy my words, and I shall strike you down,And trample on your head and throne and crown.”

When Kayd received the letter, he drew nearTo meet the royal envoy and give ear.

He praised the envoy; then, with kindly face,He gave him at his side an honored place.

He said: “The Shah’s commands bring me delight;I shall not break my pledge by day or night.

But I shall not rush there with head held high,Unready for the Shah’s discerning eye.

Such conduct would displease Yazdan of all,Nor please the Shah within his royal hall.”

He called the scribe, who took at his commandSilk brought from Chin, a pen from India’s land.

He wrote the answer, splendid in its guise,Adorned like gardens set in Paradise.

He praised the Maker, Lord of time and might,Who grants prosperity and fortune bright,

Yazdan both generous and wholly just,Lord of brave deeds and skill, in whom we trust.

He wrote: “No pious man will turn awayFrom one renowned whom kingdoms now obey.

We should withhold no gift from one whose handHolds crown and sword, with legions at command.

Four things are mine, and no one else has foundTheir like, concealed or known, the whole world round.

Nor after me shall any man obtainFour things like these within the world’s domain.

These four I send whenever he decrees,To bring him fresh prosperity and ease.

Then, when the Shah commands, to him I ride,And serve him as a bondsman at his side.”

The envoy came like wind to tell his news;He gave the king the letter to peruse.

Iskandar said to him: “Return; retraceYour rapid steps to that far-distant place.

Say, ‘What are these four things none else can own,Whether concealed or openly made known?

We have seen all that is beneath the sun;The heavens will add no more to what is done.’”

The envoy left the presence, swift as fire,And rode to Kayd to voice the Shah’s desire.

He said to Kayd: “These four things you possess,Which none else holds, as you yourself profess;

The Shah would know what things you keep from sight;Not all that is has yet been brought to light.”

Then Kayd dismissed the strangers from the place,And with his counselor sat face to face.

They seated there the envoy as their guest,And honored him with all that they thought best.

He said: “I keep within my hidden bowerA daughter like a fresh and blooming flower.

If the high sun should gaze upon her light,Its own bright face would darken at the sight.

Her hair, a pitch-black kamand, downward slips;The scent of milk comes softly from her lips.

The cypress bends before my royal girl;And every word she speaks becomes a pearl.

Her face can steal the mind’s discerning light;Her knowledge feeds that mind and makes it bright.

When she is silent, modesty is shown;No equal to her beauty can be known.

Of noble stock, she offers God her praise;Both modesty and virtue guide her ways.

A cup is next, whose contents you may choose:Cold water, or the wine that you would use.

Though ten days with your fellows you remain,And drink, no less of wine will it contain.

It gives both wine and water from its store;Drink freely; it holds all it held before.

My third, a skilled physician, reads the signWithin a drop, the illness to define.

If at your court for years he should remain,You shall not writhe beneath the grip of pain.

The fourth, a wise philosopher, stays near;Apart from all the rest, I keep him here.

He reads the circling sun and moon’s bright glow,And tells the king what coming days will show.”

The envoy then returned; the mighty kingFelt joy unfold like flowers in the spring.

Iskandar said, “If all this tale is right,These four are worth the whole world in my sight.

If he should send these four, their light shall rollThrough all the darkness dwelling in my soul.

His realm beneath my feet I will not tread;For this kind deed, I shall turn back instead.”

He chose from Rum men learned, wise and sound,In whom no harmful purpose could be found.

He wrote a letter, gracious in its plea,With scent and colored art for Kayd to see.

He wrote: “Nine trusted sages, known to fame,World-traveled men of honor, free from blame,

My confidants, with knowledge, modest sense,And skill to guide, and keen intelligence,

I send them now to you; they will abideBy your discerning judgment as their guide.

Show them the four and let them there remain;Allow their stay within your own domain.

When letters from my learned elders sayThey saw the four you promised to display,

And testify that each before their eyesWas like no other seen beneath the skies,

I shall write: ‘While life lasts, let Kayd commandAs king of Hind, the ruler of that land.’”

The nine wise Roman sages left his side,And swiftly to King Kayd they chose to ride.

King Kayd then asked much of that learned crowd,And heard their answers spoken clear and loud.

He welcomed them with honor to his court,And lodged them well to make their full report.

Next day, when heaven gleamed with golden light,The sun unsheathed its sword to wage the fight,

They dressed the maiden with surpassing care,Though moons need no adornment to be fair.

Within the bridal chamber stood the throne,All gold, with Chin’s adornments round it shown.

She sat sun-faced upon that throne of gold,And Venus seemed beside her dim and cold.

The ancient sages, clear of speech and mind,Drew near to view the wonder they would find.

Kayd sent them to the bride, the radiant one,As asked by Iskandar, Faylaqus’ son.

The elders saw her face; its splendor shoneUpon her robe and crown and royal throne.

They stood in wonder at her stately grace;Their legs grew weak; they scarcely kept their place.

The nine wise elders stood with wondering gaze,Their tongues all filled with their Creator’s praise.

They stood stock-still beneath her beauty’s ray,Unable to withdraw or look away.

They lingered; someone came to end their stay,And called them to the king without delay.

King Kayd inquired, “Why did you tarry so?Was that a human face you came to know?

From every star she had her share of light,And beauty shone upon her face so bright.”

A Roman said: “No image in a hallCan show her like upon its painted wall.

Not one of us could take in all her face;No mortal can be found with such a grace.

Let each describe one feature with his pen,And send the Shah our written findings then.”

They sat with paper, ink and pens to write,Each sage describing what had met his sight.

Each wrote of what he saw; ink filled the sheet,No white was left when writing was complete.

A rider sped from Milad on his way,To bring the king what elders had to say.

Iskandar read their letters, and he stayedLost in the wonder that their words conveyed;

For each had praised one feature, one alone,Yet little of its beauty had they shown.

He wrote to them: “You elders have done well;You looked on paradise, as you now tell.

Return with all four wonders to my door;Beyond these four, demand from him no more.

Give Kayd my charter and my pledge, then loadYour packs with Faghestan and take the road.

Let no man harm him after this decree;I found but justice in his acts toward me.”

The envoy left the gathering to bringThe Roman elders word from their own king.

Now when those sages heard their Shah’s reply,The travel-weary rider standing by,

They left their lodging for the royal seat,And stood before King Kayd, the Shah to greet.

They read aloud the words that Caesar sent,And told King Kayd the sovereign’s full intent.

King Kayd rejoiced; his land was free from fear,No threat from Iskandar now hovered near.

He chose a hundred Indians, wise of mind,Whose eloquence with learning was combined.

He opened up the vaults that were his own,And chose an armlet, crown, and royal throne.

He chose fine gems and cloth not cut or sewn,The finest of the treasures he had known.

Three hundred camel-loads they took away,Of royal gems and cloth in rich array.

Ten camels carried coins of shining gold;Ten more bore silver from the royal hold.

A splendid litter made of aloeswood,Adorned with gold and gems, before them stood.

Ten elephants bore golden seats displayed;One finer beast was saddled and arrayed.

The bride wept tears of blood, and in her trainThe sage and healer rode across the plain.

A noble bore the cup; the chiefs were filledWith wine from it, their sober senses stilled.

Faghestan came before the Shah; she boreA crown of black musk through his chamber door.

Her tresses over glowing cheeks were spread.They veiled, like jowshan, redbud blossoms red.

A cypress crowned with the round moon ablaze;On such a moon no eye could bear to gaze.

Her brows were bows above a somber glare;In twisted curls she wound her flowing hair.

Like Paradise’s two narcissi bright,Her eyes seemed formed of fire in all their light.

Iskandar gazed upon her stately grace,Her form from head to foot, her hair and face.

He said: “Behold the Lamp of all the earth!”And inwardly praised Him who gave her birth.

He praised the Just One, Maker of the skies,Who shaped such form and face before his eyes.

He called the learned Mobadan well known,From Rum’s great legions to attend the throne.

The Roman sages sat to see it done,And by their Christian rite the two were one.

He poured such gold upon her, rich and deep,The Moon could barely walk beneath the heap.

Now with the cypress-bride received in grace,Her dwelling set in its appointed place,

He wished to test his wit in every way,And see what the philosopher would say.

He sent a brimming bowl of yellow ghee,To learn how keen the scholar’s mind might be.

And said: “Anoint your breast and back with oil,Your waist and limbs, still weary from their toil.

Rest now, until your weariness takes flight;Then fill my soul and brain with learning’s light.”

The sage, when he beheld the bowl of ghee,Said: “I can solve the riddle that I see.”

He placed a thousand needles in the bowl,Then sent it back to test the monarch’s soul.

The sovereign, when he saw the sharp reply,Called in a smith in secret, none else by.

He bade him melt the needles in the heat,And make one rounded iron piece complete.

He sent that iron to the learned man,Who took it in his hands, and work began.

From that dark iron, polished clean and bright,He quickly made a mirror full of light.

They took it to Iskandar when dark fell,And kept the secret close, and did not tell.

Without a word, he left it in the wet,Until a mask of heavy rust had set.

He sent it back to test the scholar’s mind,And thus prolonged the riddle he designed.

The sage restored its brilliance, clean and bright,And sent it back at once, all filled with light.

He treated it, so damp would not so fastBring back the darkened tarnish of the past.

Iskandar summoned him; the sage was greeted,And just below the royal throne was seated.

He spoke about the bowl of yellow ghee,And asked: “What hidden meaning did you see?”

“The oil passes over limbs,” he said,“And on the body’s members it is spread.

You said: ‘Among the sages of this town,My share of knowledge wins the greater crown.’

I answered: ‘Shah, the heart both wise and pureCan pierce like needles, subtle, keen and sure.

Through sinew and through bone its point can go;It splits the stone that stands before it so.’

You answered me: ‘A heart grown dark within,Through feasts and battles and their bloody din,

Through spilling blood and fighting with its foes,Has blackened in the life of strife it knows.

How can the sage’s subtle words impartTheir meaning, reaching such a darkened heart?’

I said: ‘My speech is subtle, fine, and clear;My soul and mind are prudent and sincere.

My words are finer than a strand of hair;Your heart is not more dark than iron bare.’

You said: ‘Through all the years of blood I shed,The rust within my heart has grown and spread.

How can this darkness vanish from my sight?Why twist my words, bewildered by this plight?’

I said: ‘With knowledge of the heavens, IShall cleanse your heart and make your doubting die.

And when it shines with wisdom’s brilliant grace,How can fresh rust again obscure its face?’”

His honest words found favor in his eyes,The Shah esteemed him more for words so wise.

The treasurer, at his command, brought gold,Clothes, silver, and what gems a bowl could hold.

The gifts were laid before him, and he said:“I have a hidden jewel in their stead.

It brings me what I need, without a foe;Wealth walks with Ahriman wherever men go.

No watchman’s wages must I pay at night;No robber on the road can cause me fright.

For in the dark my knowledge keeps me whole,And wisdom crowns my waking, watchful soul.

By wisdom, knowledge, right, our souls succeed,While error opens doors where losses breed.

The Shah will see I have both clothes and food,Enough to keep my body strong, renewed.

Why should I take delight in heavy store,And spend my life protecting more and more?

Command your men to take these gifts away,And let true wisdom guide your heart today.”

Iskandar stood amazed at what he heard,And pondered many things the sage had stirred.

He said: “Yazdan of sun and moon shall layNo further sin upon me from this day.

I value all your counsel and your thought,The useful words that you to me have brought.”

Iskandar called the healer to his side,Who read the water, saw what it implied.

He asked: “What is the greatest cause of pain,The source of illness that makes men complain?”

The healer said: “The glutton at the feast,Who gives no thought to how his stores increased.

The man who eats too much cannot be sound;The great man seeks that health in him be found.

I shall gather herbs from all sides and makeA medicine for you alone to take.

A medicine I shall make to keep you whole,Without a purge to trouble flesh or soul.

It shall increase your appetite and will;Though you eat more, it shall not make you ill.

It shall restore the color of your face,And give your judgment clarity and grace.

Remember these fine words, for you shall gainMore blood within your body, strength of brain.

Your heart will bloom as brightly as the spring,And mastery of your body this shall bring.

Your flowing locks shall never turn to gray,Which takes a man’s hope in the world away.”

Iskandar said: “Such things I have not heard,Nor seen among the kings, as in your word.

If you can make this medicine for me,My guide throughout the world you then shall be.

With all my soul I value what you do;No ill-intentioned man shall injure you.”

He gave him robes and favors, and he raisedHis rank above the other healers praised.

The learned doctor journeyed to the hills,With men beside him, seeking cures for ills.

He knew each nush-daru and deadly bane,His knowledge marked the difference clear and plain.

He gathered mountain herbs to swell his store,Discarding useless plants the mountains bore.

He chose pure nush-daru, and with his artMixed medicine to play its proper part.

He cleansed the Shah with herbs from mountain ground,And kept him through the months and years thus sound.

He slept but little, eager for the charmsOf women, seeking softness in their arms.

Because he failed to keep desire restrained,His vigor ebbed and left his body drained.

The healer came to read the water’s sign,And saw his vital powers in decline.

He said: “In women’s beds, through love’s delight,The young grow old, their bodies lose their might.

I think for three nights sleep you have disdained;Speak now the truth and let it be explained.”

Iskandar said: “My health is sound and hale;No illness saps my strength or makes me frail.”

Yet Hind’s wise healer would not share his view,Nor take the Shah’s account as wholly true.

That night he sought the writing, and preparedA cure for strength diminished and impaired.

That night Iskandar kept no lady near,No moon-faced partner shared his slumber here.

At dawn the healer read the water’s sign,And saw no trace of weakness or decline.

He cast the waiting potion to the ground,And sat, cup in his hand, with joy unbound.

He bade them spread the table, bring the wine;With music of the strings, they were to dine.

The Shah inquired, “Why did you pour awayThe medicine you toiled to mix that day?”

He said, “Last night no woman shared your bed,You slept alone throughout the night instead.

When you lie down alone throughout the night,You need no potion to restore your might.”

Iskandar laughed, and joy within him stirred:“May earth not lack for Hind!” was then his word.

“The healers and the readers of the skiesSeem gathered all in Hind before our eyes.”

He called for gold in purse, and one black steed,With golden trappings worthy of the deed.

He gave these gifts and blessed his judgment clear:“May wisdom ever be your partner here.”

At his command they brought the cup of gold,Filled with cold water, splendid to behold.

All drank from dawn until the close of day,Yet still the water had not ebbed away.

He turned and asked the learned sage to tell:“Explain this art to me; you know it well.

What fills this cup? Is it the stars’ device,Or Indian craft that makes its stores suffice?”

The sage replied: “Despise it not, O king;Long years of labor shaped this wondrous thing.

Wise astrologers came from every land,The foremost masters, skilled to understand.

They gathered round King Kayd to make it right,Through daylight and the lapis-colored night.

They watched the workings of the stars on high,And spent long days in study of the sky.

Observe how loadstone draws the iron near;So take that force as your example here.

By nature, this draws water in its turn,Sweet water from the heavens, as we learn.

It gathers water when its stores grow slight,Its filling hidden from all human sight.”

The Shah approved the counsel he had heard,And found true profit in the wise man’s word.

The Shah then spoke to Milad’s elders, grave:“In justice, I shall keep the oath I gave.

I shall not break it while it holds its place;One ought to stand before him, face to face.

Four wonders I received from Kayd’s own hand;No further gain from him shall I demand.”

Two hundred beasts bore wealth, all they could hold,A hundred jeweled crowns atop the gold.

With dinars and with jewels still uncut,The hoard within the mountain’s depths was shut.

That hoard and those who hid it from men’s sightWere never seen again in open light.

Of wealth he hid within the mountain’s hold,He bore a keepsake of that treasured gold.

From Milad toward Ghanooj he led his train;The treasure in its hiding would remain.

He brought his army near to Foor, then badeA letter full of war and strife be made.

“From Iskandar Faylaqus, king of kings,Who kindles fire, and joy and sorrow brings.

To Foor, the mighty chieftain ruling Hind,The high-starred leader of the troops of Sind.

He first gave praise to God, whom all obey,Who ever was, and shall not pass away.”

Then he wrote: “With the prince whom God has blessed,The realm, the crown and throne shall safely rest.

But whom Yazdan brings low shall suffer woe,And on his head the sun no light shall throw.

You surely know what God has granted now:On this dark earth, the glory on my brow,

With victory, good fortune, and command,The diadem and throne to rule the land.

But earthly days cannot for long endure;Our time will pass; of that we may be sure.

Another king will come to claim the prize,And reap these fruits beneath the shifting skies.

An honored name must last, kept clear of shame,Beneath the moon, within this narrow frame.

When this is laid before your royal eyes,Fill your dark thoughts with justice, and be wise.

Exchange your throne of greatness for your steed;Consult no Mobad, nor a guide you heed.

Seek safety from me; set your schemes aside,For schemers find their troubles long abide.

If for one moment you defy my will,And choose proud valor, bent on battle still,

I shall bring legions fierce as spreading fire,Picked warriors, brave in battle, grim in ire.

When I arrive with horsemen for the fray,You shall repent your lingering delay.”

When all the letter’s measured words were done,The scribe had finished what he had begun.

They stamped Iskandar’s seal upon the sheet,And chose a guide, the journey to complete.

The envoy spoke to Foor of war, and thenOf feasts and joy, then war and strife again.

They called the seasoned envoy to draw near,And seated him beside the king to hear.

Foor burned with anger when the words were read;Against the mighty Shah his anger spread.

He wrote a fierce reply, and planted soA tree in hatred’s garden, there to grow.

He first began: “Before the Holy One,We must fear Him in all things said and done.

We shall not squander words, but make it plain:The braggart’s helplessness, his boasting vain.

You summon me! Have you no sense of shame?Does wisdom in your mind possess no claim?

If Faylaqus once wrote to Foor this way,Then you may raise such tumult for the fray.

Dead Dara’s fall has made you overbold,For fortune left him and his star grew cold.

When fortune leaves a great and ancient race,They give their teacher’s counsel little place.

The war with Kayd became a feast that day;You think that kings have all become your prey.

No Kayanian king in days gone byAddressed us thus, with words that rose so high.

I am King Foor, born from King Foor’s own line;No Caesar counts for much with me or mine.

When Dara sought my aid to save his reign,His heart and fortune faltered, all too plain.

I sent him elephants to lend their might,And words of courage to maintain the fight.

When by that servant’s hand his life was lost,Iran’s good fortune turned, at bitter cost.

When earth was cleared of Dara and his reign,A nush-daru replaced your deadly bane.

If his bad minister had laid him low,Why let your wisdom fail and folly grow?

Do not parade your daring in the fight;With me, your dealings will not prove so light.

Behold my elephants and troops arrayed,Their ranks so thick, the very wind is stayed.

The highest rank is all you seek to win;Your nature mirrors Ahriman within.

Sow no more seeds of greed throughout the land;Fear harm and evil fortune’s heavy hand.

We sought your good in writing this reply,And graced your heart with good intent thereby.”

When Foor’s defiant message was received,He chose brave men whose worth he had perceived.

His youthful chiefs were seasoned, shrewd, and wise,And led the columns under foreign skies.

He marched against King Foor through India’s land,The earth seemed sea beneath his vast command.

The troops filled every road in their array;It seemed the earth possessed no other way.

Rough roads and seas and mountains barred their course,And daily drained the soldiers of their force.

The troops grew slow and weary, sorely tried,On grievous roads through country rough and wide.

When all the army halted on the way,Some men approached to speak of their dismay.

“Rum’s Caesar, lord of Chin, of high renown,Your marching legions weigh the whole earth down.

Neither the Faghfoor, Foor, nor Sind’s great kingSeeks war with you or strife that war would bring.

Why lead your forces over ruined soil,And waste your faithful soldiers’ lives in toil?

We see no sound horse left for us to ride,To face the foe upon the farther side.

If now the troops should turn from this attack,No horse or foot could ever travel back.

When we prevailed in all the wars of old,We faced armed men whose hearts were fierce and bold.

Now seas and mountains bar the path ahead;Not one of us desires to join the dead.

Do not turn ancient glory into shame;Who wars with waves and stone to win a name?”

Their words displeased Iskandar; in his wrath,He scorned the counsel offered on the path.

He said: “In all the war on Iran’s plain,No Roman suffered injury or pain.

Dara was ruined by his servants’ hands;Yet none of you was hurt in those same lands.

Without your aid I tread this fearsome trail,And set my foot upon the dragon’s tail.

You shall see Foor harried, with no releaseFrom me in war or feast, nor any peace.

When I return to Rum from this campaign,My valor shall exalt the world’s domain.

With God to aid and Iran’s troops behind,No Roman goodwill need I seek or find.”

When they beheld the anger in his eyes,The troops began at once to apologize.

They said: “We are your slaves and heed command;We only march where you direct our band.

If horses fail, we march on foot afield,To face the foe and never bow or yield.

Though with our blood they flood the low terrain,And heap the hollows high with bodies slain,

No foe in battle shall behold our back,Though heaven rain down mountains on our track;

We are your slaves, to follow your command;Our lives, if we offend, are in your hand.”

Iskandar heard their words and soon arrayedHis troops for war; his battle plans were laid.

He chose from Iran thirty thousand strong,Equipped for battle, marching in a throng.

Dara’s bold kin, of Kayanian descent,Among the chosen troops to battle went.

Then Roman captains crowned by martial fameIn armor, fit for battle, onward came.

Then forty thousand horsemen would appear,All seasoned men, who rode in Iran’s rear.

Behind them rode the horsemen, fierce and light,From Khazar, famed for strength in every fight.

From Shalam and Hijaz, from Yemen’s land,Came Arab warriors in a countless band.

From these the mighty Caesar chose the best,Twelve thousand warriors hardened by each test.

The ordered columns rose before their eyes,Till plain and valley seemed like peaks in size.

Skilled Mobadan and astrologers of state,Full sixty, read the stars for battle’s date.

When Foor received the news, “The foe draws near,”He chose the ground and mustered without fear.

His troops amassed upon the spreading plain;The elephants seemed like a mountain chain.

For four full farsangs battle ranks were spread,With warriors behind and beasts ahead.

From Hind came men who knew the land to sayHow those huge beasts destroyed men in the fray:

“It casts a horse two farsangs on the plain;Such is its power amid the battle’s strain.

No horseman dares approach that fearsome might;Who does will find no path for backward flight.

Their giant trunks rise towering through the air,As though great Saturn made their fortune fair.”

They drew the beast in all its fearsome strength;Iskandar studied every line at length.

He bade the Roman sages bring to viewAn elephant in wax, its likeness true.

He asked: “Who can devise a subtle schemeTo save our troops from danger so extreme?”

The sages met in council to advise,And sought a plan to meet the beasts’ great size.

The Shah assembled smiths of highest fame;From Rum and Pars and distant Mesr they came.

More than three thousand craftsmen heard the call,The foremost in their craft among them all.

They forged both horse and rider, iron-bright;An iron saddle bore the man upright.

With nails and copper binding every seam,They made both horse and rider shine and gleam.

They wheeled it to the king upon a cart,Black naphtha filling all its hollow heart.

The king beheld the work with great delight;He judged the craft would serve him in the fight.

He ordered more than one full thousand made,Both horse and rider, all in iron arrayed.

Dappled and dun, gray, black, the ranks appeared;Who ever saw an iron army reared?

For one full month the smithies rang with blows,Till all the finished figures stood in rows.

He sent the iron force on wheels to ride,Like fighting horsemen marching side by side.

Now as Iskandar drew toward the fight,He saw Foor’s horse and army come in sight.

On both sides rose the thunder of the cry,And dust rose as the warriors hurried by.

They lit the horses’ naphtha, blazing red;Each Indian in anguish struck his head.

The black naphtha flared up in sheets of light;The iron army moved into the fight.

The troops cried out; the elephants were stirredTo rage by blows as battle-shouts were heard.

Fire caught their trunks; the drivers at the sightStood wondering at that strange and dreadful plight.

Thus all Foor’s troops and elephants gave way,And fled the burning engines in dismay.

Their foes, who saw the Indians turn in flight,Swept on with all their army’s gathered might.

Iskandar like a raging tempest sped,In hot pursuit of those who turned and fled.

He followed till the air grew deep and dark,And night put out the battle’s final spark.

The monarch with his legions took his stand,Between two mountains sheltering his band.

He sent out scouts to keep the roads in sight,To guard the camp throughout the depth of night.

Now when the golden crown of morning showed,And all the world like whitest crystal glowed,

There rose a blare of karnays through the air,With fifes, tabiras sounding everywhere.

Both armies armed for war, their spearheads high,Upraised toward clouds that spread across the sky.

Iskandar rode between the lines alone,A Roman sword in hand, his purpose known.

A rider went to Foor and cried aloud,His summons sounding far across the crowd:

“Iskandar stands before the ranks today;He seeks to meet and hear what you would say.

He will speak and hear you; if just and true,He will agree with what he hears from you.”

Foor heard, and from his center rode ahead,To stand before the troops that he had led.

Iskandar spoke: “O warrior, look around;Both armies’ shattered men lie on the ground.

Wild beasts now feast on brains of warriors dead,While hooves crush bones where streams of blood are shed.

Why should our soldiers perish in the press,While shattered remnants flee in their distress?

We both are heroes, resolute and young,With wisdom in each mind and on each tongue.

Let us take arms and end this war in fight;We both would seize the country by our might.

Whoever wins this combat, hand to hand,Shall take the throne, the troops, the crown, the land.”

Foor heard, and joyfully the challenge met,As though a feast before him had been set.

Foor said: “This is the proper course, well known;Without our armies, let us fight alone.”

He trusted in his lion’s strength to fight,And rode a dragon-steed of proven might.

Iskandar, slim as any writing reed,With light arms, rode a fierce and speedy steed.

They took their blades and wheeled across the space,To meet each other in that deadly place.

Foor, elephantine, rode a mountain grand,And bore a mighty dragon in his hand.

Iskandar marveled, troubled by the strife,And in his heart despaired of his own life.

They circled still; behind the troops a soundOf shouting rose across the battleground.

Foor’s heart grew troubled at the sudden shout;His head and eyes and ears all turned about.

Through dust, like wind, Iskandar charged ahead,And struck the lion, whose red blood he shed.

His sword struck head and neck beneath the crown,And brought the giant crashing lifeless down.

His army raised a shout that reached the sky;Iran’s bold warriors charged, their spirits high.

A lion-hide tabira raised its roar;Beyond the clouds its voice was heard to soar.

Karnay and tabira renewed their sound;The sky turned ebony, iron the ground.

The men of Hind pressed forward, face to face;In straits, they met the foe in narrow space.

A proclamation echoed through the plain:“O righteous chiefs of Hind’s renowned domain,

Foor’s head lies in the dust, his body torn;His elephantine frame is split and shorn.

For whom do you still fight and strike this way?Why bear such sword-blows? Why this long delay?

What Foor was to your land in days before,Iskandar is; your war and feasts restore.”

The men of Hind approached, and all replied,Their voices joined together, side by side.

They saw Foor’s head in blood and dust that day,His breast and body cleft where now he lay.

A mighty shriek rang out from all around;They wailed and flung their swords upon the ground.

With dust upon their heads, to Caesar’s sideThey came in grief, and mourned their king who died.

Iskandar gave them back the swords they flung,And soothed the grief with which their hearts were wrung.

He said, “Though Foor is dead, cast off your care;Your hearts must not surrender to despair.

My favor shall increase; I bring relief,And drive away your fear and bitter grief.”

He sat upon Foor’s throne; a feast was spread,While others mourned the king who now lay dead.

Such is this fleeting lodging we must know:One finds his joy within another’s woe.

Enjoy your wealth; leave nothing stored away:Why toil for what another takes one day?

Two months he sat upon the royal throne,And gave the troops Foor’s treasure, once his own.

Soorag, a noble chief of proven might,Was Hind’s great champion, famed for strength in fight.

He gave Soorag the throne and spoke aloud:“Do not hoard gold; a king must not be proud.

Give and enjoy whatever wealth you gain;This fleeting crown and throne will not remain.

Now Iskandar, now Foor, the crown may bear;Now wrath and pain, now war and feasts they share.”

He gave the army silver coins and gold,And decked the realm’s brave warriors, strong and bold.

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.

The Shah then came to Judda with his train,And did not choose for long there to remain.

He bade the troops build ships at his command,And many boats, and had them fully manned.

From Judda toward Mesr he took his way,And led his marching army in array.

Qaytun was king of Mesr; his troops were vast;All reckoning of numbers they surpassed.

When word arrived that from Haram he came,The conquering Shah in all his pride and fame,

With troops and slaves and gold he came to bringHis crown and throne before the conquering king.

Iskandar welcomed him with joy that day,And said, “May all your foes be swept away!”

The Shah remained in Mesr a year of peace,And let his weary army’s labors cease.

In Andalus a queen held royal sway,Both wise and mistress of a vast array.

World-seeking, generous, famed throughout the land,Kaydafa held the scepter of command.

She chose a warrior skilled in line and shade,A clever draftsman, master of his trade.

She said: “Go secretly to Caesar’s hall,But name neither our land nor me at all.

Mark everything about him with your eyes:His seat, his bearing, and his form and size.

Draw him from head to foot and show his face;His coloring and stature clearly trace.”

He readied all and mounted to obey,Then like a courier went on his way.

He rode from Andalus to Mesr’s land,Where Caesar ruled his armies in command.

He watched the king enthroned and on his steed,And brought out fine silk, ready for the deed.

He drew the king’s true likeness with his pen,Then swiftly took the homeward road again.

Kaydafa saw his likeness with a sigh,And hid it, troubled by what met her eye.

She said: “Through counsel and his warlike might,This man will trample kingdoms left and right.

Whoever comes against him as a foeWill find his life beset by grief and woe.”

Iskandar questioned Qaytun, “Tell me true:Who rivals Queen Kaydafa, in your view?”

He said, “O Shah, no equal can be found;Her name and greatness fill the world around.

No man can number all her vast array,Unless the muster rolls should show the way.

In wealth and greatness, worth and steady heart,In calm composure, she is set apart.

In counsel and kind speech none stands so high;No equal walks beneath the living sky;

Her city, built of stone, stands strong and tall;No leopard’s claw could scratch its mighty wall.

Four farsangs long, four farsangs wide its frame;Its breadth and length are measured both the same.

Her treasure has no bound that men can name;The world has long been filled with her great fame.”

Iskandar, hearing all that Qaytun knew,Called for a scribe and told him what to do.

On silk they wrote: “From him whom cities fear,Iskandar, king of kings, these words appear.

To wise Kaydafa, eminent of name,Whose majesty has won a world-wide fame.

First, praise be to the Master of the sun,Who lit the moon when heaven’s course was spun.

The generous Lord, whose justice governs all,Gives increase where His will would have it fall.

We have not rushed to war with all our force,But have respected your exalted course.

When this imperial letter meets your view,Let light make clear the darkened mind in you.

Send tribute at the bidding of our might;You lack the strength to face us in a fight.

Such conduct shows a wise, far-seeing mind,With strength and purity of faith combined.

But should you turn against what we ordain,Then fortune’s turning wheel will bring you pain.

Take Dara’s fate and Foor’s to teach you more;You need no teacher from a distant shore.”

The wind soon dried the heading on the scroll;They set a seal of musk upon the whole.

By royal order, on a camel fleet,The envoy rode the journey to complete.

She marveled at the letter as she read,And wondered at the words the Shah had said.

Her answer praised the Judge by whom was laidThe earth, and all the world’s broad fabric made:

“He raised the turning heavens into place,And gave both good and evil room in space.

He made you triumph over Foor of Hind,And Dara, and the mighty chiefs of Sind.

Your pride was lifted by the heavy blowThat struck those famous swordsmen down so low.

You rank me with those kings beneath your tread,And set the crown of triumph on your head?

My royal glory far surpasses theirs,As do the troops and wealth my kingdom bears.

Why should I bow to threats or yield to fear,And bend to Caesar when his threats draw near?

At court my troops are millions in their might;A ruler leads each hundred to the fight.

If I should summon all my martial train,No room would then remain upon the plain.

Each chief who brings an army from my landHas treasure in his train at his command.

What empty words you utter in your pride!Since Dara fell, your boasts have multiplied!”

Her golden seal she pressed upon the scroll;A camel sped like wind to reach its goal.

Iskandar read the queen’s defiant reply,And bade the brazen karnays shake the sky.

A month he marched with all his armed train,And reached Kaydafa’s border and domain.

King Faryan ruled there, prosperous and grand,With troops and ample treasure at command.

His city stood prepared for war’s fierce might;No crane could see its wall-top in its flight.

He brought his troops to guard the fortress wall,Where horsemen rode along the rampart tall.

Iskandar bade the prelate to proceedWith catapults and engines they would need.

Within a week the lofty fortress bentBefore him; in his noble legions went.

Iskandar entered, and his order ran:“Let no one shed the blood of any man.”

Kaydafa’s son was married in that town;He gladdened Faryan, wearer of its crown.

For King Faryan had given him as brideHis cherished child; Kaydafa swelled his pride.

The bridegroom’s name was Qaydrush; for his part,He was King Faryan’s eyes and ears and heart.

Then Shahrgeer took both Qaydrush and his fairYoung bride, and held them fast, a captive pair.

Iskandar knew the captive whom they brought,And formed a secret plan for what he sought.

He called his minister before his seat,And gave him crown, throne, and command complete.

The minister was Bitlqun, wise of mind,A counselor to whom fate had been kind.

“When they bring in the bride, you shall be knownAs Iskandar Faylaqus on the throne.

Sit on the Kayanian throne, and reign;I will come girded, standing in your train.

Then bid the headsman make Qaydrush lie dead,And from his shoulders cut away his head.

Then I shall step before your throne and pray,And beg that you should turn the blade away.

Prepare a private place to hear my plea;When I implore you, grant his life to me.”

Bitlqun grew troubled, for he could not knowWhat hidden purpose lay beneath the show.

The Shah replied, “This secret we must keep;Let none discover what lies hidden deep.

Call me before you as your envoy then,And speak of Queen Kaydafa once again.

With ten men I will bear your letter far;Bid me bring back her answer where you are.”

Bitlqun replied, “I shall obey your will,And practice every craft with secret skill.”

When dawn unsheathed its sword of burning light,And drove away the remnants of the night,

Bitlqun assumed the throne in royal dress,Though shame and sorrow filled him with distress.

Iskandar stood before him, girded, near;They closed the doors and kept the chamber clear.

Then Shahrgeer led Qaydrush to the king,In tears that only bitter grief could bring.

His wife was with him, fragrant, fair to see;He held her hand amid their misery.

Then Bitlqun asked, “Who is this man in woe,Whose bitter tears in such profusion flow?”

Qaydrush replied, “Hear what I have to say:I am Kaydafa’s son, held here today.

This daughter of King Faryan is my wife;No other shares my curtained, private life.

I went to bring her home, where she would beAs cherished as my very life to me.

Now Shahrgeer holds me; arrows take their tollUpon my flesh, and fate has hurt my soul.”

Bitlqun heard all, and sorrow filled his breast;His head was pained, his heart by grief oppressed.

He raged and told the headsman, “Let him lieBeneath the dust; this man is doomed to die.

Still bound beside his wife, his life shall end;Your Indian sword his neck in two shall rend.”

Then in disguise Iskandar kissed the ground,And hailed the Caesar-born, as duty bound:

“If you will grant this captive’s life to me,Then honored in this gathering I shall be.

Why kill the guiltless out of vengeful hate?Yazdan who made the world abhors that fate.”

Then Bitlqun said, “Your pleading spared the two;Their lives have been delivered here through you.”

He turned to young Qaydrush: “Your life was done,But through this envoy’s plea it has been won.

I send him with you; let your mother hearMy message fully, every matter clear.

If she sends tribute, let the bloodshed cease;No flesh need then be torn; we shall have peace.

Protect this upright minister of mine;He speaks of war or feast, as I design.

Repay the kindness he has shown today;A noble heart seeks kindness to repay.

When once the letter’s answer is in hand,Send him with royal honor from your land.”

Qaydrush replied, “My heart, my eyes, my earsShall never turn from him through all my years.

I cherish him as dearly as my life,For I owe him my world, myself, and wife.”

The Shah chose ten Romans, loyal and true,The trusted few who all his secret knew.

He said, “Call me Bitlqun upon the way;Let none reveal the part I mean to play.”

Qaydrush led on; the king, intent to hear,Entrusted him with watchful eye and ear.

The lord spurred on like fire upon his steed,And reached a crystal mountain at full speed.

Fruit trees of every kind grew on its side,While grass grew thick across the hillside wide.

They journeyed on with haste across the land,Toward Queen Kaydafa’s seat of high command.

When Queen Kaydafa learned her son was near,She listened eagerly, intent to hear.

She rode to meet him with a mighty trainOf famed and fortunate chiefs from her domain.

The queen approached; Qaydrush dismounted, bowed,And blessed his mother, speaking it aloud.

She bade him mount and take his former place,Then clasped his hand and rode at equal pace.

Qaydrush recounted all his pain and woe;His pallor deepened as he told her so.

In Faryan’s city, crown and throne were lost;His troops and treasure paid the bitter cost.

“The man who rides beside my wife and meFrom Iskandar Faylaqus set me free.

He would have had my neck struck through, then burnedMy body in the fire, to ashes turned.

Grant every wish he places at your feet;Oppose him not but make his welcome sweet.”

When Queen Kaydafa heard her son’s account,Her heavy sorrow rose beyond all count.

She summoned him and gave him, at her side,A seat where men of honor might abide.

She questioned him, and honored him as guest,And lodged him in a chamber richly dressed.

She sent him food of every kind to eat,With clothes and furnishings for his retreat.

That night passed by; at dawn he made his wayTo greet the queen and his respects to pay.

The servants drew the heavy curtains wide,And let him, still on horseback, pass inside.

An ivory throne upheld her royal frame;Her ruby, turquoise crown shone bright as flame.

She wore a Meccan robe of gold brocade,With many servants standing to give aid.

A covering spread overhead in gold,With woven work of jewels to behold.

Her face was bright and beautiful as day;The crystal columns framed her seat’s display.

Her servants stood with torques and earrings brightWithin the palace decked with gems and light.

Iskandar stood and on that splendor gazed,And whispered God’s great name and prayed, amazed.

Rum and Iran seemed nothing in his eyesBeside that seat, so splendid in its guise.

He kissed the ground, as flatterers will do,Before the queen whose favor he would woo.

The queen received him well and kindly pressedWith gracious questions her attending guest.

The sun was fading in the heavens whenThe time for strangers’ audience closed again,

She ordered that the banquet should be spread;The call for wine and music swiftly sped.

They ranged the teakwood tables, richly bright,With gold-star work and ivory forms in sight.

They brought abundant food for all to eat,Then brought the wine when eating was complete.

They set out trays of silver and of gold;Kaydafa’s honored name they first extolled.

The noble queen observed the stranger well,Amid the revelry that round them fell.

She told the keeper of her secret store:“Bring out the silk I ordered here before.

Bring forth the portrait, gently borne and spread;Let no rough touch disturb a single thread.”

The treasurer brought the silk and set it near;She gazed intently till its form was clear.

She looked at him, then at the painted face,And found no difference in a single trace.

She knew that he was Caesar, lord and guideOf all the famed troops gathered at his side.

He made himself an envoy, bold of heart,And entered her assembly in that part.

“O fortunate sir,” she said with steady grace,“What word from Iskandar comes to this place?”

He said: “The world’s great monarch spoke to meAmong his chiefs, and gave me this decree:

‘Tell pure Kaydafa: let your heart pursueNo other path than what is straight and true.

See that you do not turn from my command;Keep watch upon the covenant we planned.

If you resist, a mighty force shall start,An army that will break the stoutest heart.

I learned of your accomplishments and worth,And did not rush to war upon your earth.

Your wisdom and your modesty are clear;Your subtle counsel keeps the world from fear.

If you refuse the tribute at my call,Know you have not the strength to face us all.

Turn from all crookedness and wrong in you;You shall find goodness, all my dealings true.’”

Kaydafa was enraged at what she heard;She found no cure but silence, not a word.

She said: “Return to lodging now and restWith pleasant company, our honored guest.

Come back tomorrow; I shall answer then,And plan your happy journey home again.”

Iskandar then returned to his retreat,And planned all night to guard against defeat.

At dawn the mountain’s shining lamp rose high;The plain shone bright as brocade to the eye.

He came with smiling lips before the queen,His heart grief-black beneath his cheerful mien.

The chamberlain received him at the gate,And brought the envoy where the queen would wait.

The palace thronged with strangers come to call;He saw a crystal chamber in the hall.

Carnelian, emerald, worked in patterns bright,With royal gems within, enriched the sight.

The floor was sandalwood and aloeswood,With onyx, turquoise pillars where she stood.

He marveled at the splendor of the place:“No worshipper has seen such royal grace.”

He stepped before her, and a seat of goldWas set for him, its finery to behold.

“Why stare at this, O Bitlqun?” asked the queen.“Has Rum no palace such as you have seen?”

He said: “O queen, do not esteem as smallThe worth and beauty of this royal hall.

It rises over halls where monarchs shine;Your sea is full of jewels, a precious mine.”

Kaydafa smiled; his speech had pleased her well,And made her heart with fresh enjoyment swell.

She sent her people out and drew him near,And seated him beside her, close to hear.

She said: “O son of Faylaqus, you shareBoth feast and fight, both joy and bitter care.”

Iskandar paled; his soul in anguish grew;His cheeks, once bright, took on a lapis hue.

He said: “O queen of wisdom, such a wordFrom one like you should never have been heard.

I thank Yazdan that no great chief came hereBeside me, where your words would reach his ear.

He would have borne this news before the throne,And swiftly made my life no more my own.

Bitlqun am I, steward of all you see;No son of Faylaqus should you call me.”

Kaydafa said: “Enough of this dispute;You are Iskandar; let your lips be mute.

If you should see your face before your eyes,Cease all your tricks, and let no anger rise.”

She laid the silk before him, where was shownHis pleasing likeness, clearly his alone.

If but the painted image stirred at all,It would be Shah Iskandar in the hall.

He bit his lip; his day grew dark as night,To see his hidden scheme exposed to light.

He murmured, “May no man in danger standWithout a khanjar ready to his hand.”

She said: “Though at your breast you wore a blade,No strength or sharpened sword could bring you aid.

There is no room for fight or path for flight;You have no strength to overcome this plight.”

He said: “The great who seek the world must showTheir courage on whatever paths they go.

They must not turn aside from danger’s ground;No coward in the world is lofty-crowned.

If I had weapons here, this chamber’s floodWould rise around us like a sea of blood.

I would slay you; or to my foe lay bareMy flank, and with my blade my liver tear.”

Kaydafa smiled to see his lion’s pride,And spoke with gentle wisdom at his side.

She said: “O lion-hearted king, take care;Let not your valor lead you to a snare.

Not by your glory fell King Foor of Hind,Or Dara, Darab’s son, or chiefs of Sind.

The fortune of those mighty kings grew small;Your star bestowed the greater share of all.

Your valor made you reckless in your pride,Since time and earth have served you far and wide.

Acknowledge God as giver of all good,And thank Him all your life, as all men should.

You claim through wisdom all the world is dueTo you; I do not find that claim is true.

What profit has your wisdom brought to you,When you disguise yourself as envoys do?

You walk within the dragon’s breath today;In youth you sew your shroud along the way.

But bloodshed and a reckless war with kingsAre not the harvest that my counsel brings.

A king with power, if he would be just,Shows mercy, as the wise and righteous must.

The man who spills a king’s blood in his ireShall reap at last the punishment of fire.

Go peacefully and take the homeward way,Then turn to some new task without delay.

For nevermore shall you as envoy ride,Since all the earth will know the face you hide.

There is no mighty ruler, far or near,Whose likeness I have failed to gather here.

On silk their forms are painted, each consignedTo one of proven care and knowing mind.

For each, the reader of the stars makes clearIf he will bring me safety or bring fear.

When kings are generous and wise in thought,To men and women is their story brought.

I call you Bitlqun while you stay with me,And set your seat apart, as yours should be.

No man shall know your secret or your name,Or hear the voice that tells from where you came.

I will dismiss you with a kindly mind,If sound and prudent judgment I can find.

Swear that against my children and my state,My kin and friends, you hold no thought of hate.

You shall esteem me as your equal here,And hold my realm in honor, free of fear.”

Iskandar heard her words and grew content,And felt his fear and dread at last were spent.

He swore by the just Judge who rules on high,And by the Christian faith beneath the sky.

He swore too by the sword with which he fought:“No evil purpose shall be in my thought.

Toward all your lands and children I shall bearGood faith, which all your noble kin shall share.

I shall do only what is right and good,And keep my dealings truthful, as I should.”

Kaydafa said: “One thing I must declare:One warning now deserves your closest care.

My son Taynush will scarcely heed my voice;He follows reckless paths of his own choice.

He is the son-in-law of Foor; guard wellThat of your bond you nothing to him tell.

He must not learn you share Iskandar’s heart,Or stand his friend and take the monarch’s part.

For Foor’s revenge, his fury would be hurledTo bring the heavens down upon the world.

Go to your lodging now with joyful mind,And leave the cares of this brief world behind.”

He left, his heart a mountain, firm and high;What man of wisdom fears that he must die?

He did not frown at what the queen had said,Nor let the hopes within his heart fall dead.

He stayed that night, and when the dawn was red,He sought the queen as daylight gently spread.

The queen sat in her richly furnished hall,With ranks of followers around her all.

The ceiling shone with onyx and with gold,And varied jewels gleamed in colors bold.

Before her lay a posy, musk-sweet, fair;Her sons and Bitlqun stood before her chair.

Horse-felling Taynush stood with Qaydrush near;To Kaydafa’s commands both lent an ear.

The younger son spoke to his mother wise:“O just queen, favored by the smiling skies!

Let Bitlqun leave you happy, satisfied,And give him one to lead him as his guide.

Let no man treat him as a foreign foe,Or bring upon his head a sudden blow.

For he has saved my life and made it bright;I hold him as my world’s sustaining light.”

She said, “My deeds shall prove my honor true,And pay him all the honors rightly due.”

Then she looked at Bitlqun: “Now make it clear,What hidden purpose first has brought you here?

What does Iskandar wish? Who guides his throne?What royal business have you here made known?”

He said: “O queen, exalted in your reign,Too long have I remained in your domain.

The Shah said, ‘Ask her tribute; should you stay,My legions shall advance without delay.

No realm, no crown or throne shall she retain,No life, joy, glory, fortune shall remain.’”

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.

All that long night he planned; then dawn was seen,Its border bright with silk brocade of Chin.

It raised its golden banner on the height,And purple silk sank down before its light.

He came before the queen; an attendant roseFrom court to meet him, as the custom goes.

They came, as custom bade, the guest to greet;The world-seeker approached her royal seat.

They cleared the audience hall of strangers then,And brought the envoy to the queen again.

He saw her on her throne and wished her well:“May Jupiter beside your counsel dwell.

By Christian faith, by every honest vow,By God, who hears the tongue that swears it now;

By the great Cross, its faith, its holy creed,By life and head of him whose rule we heed;

By priestly girdle, deacon, sacred nameOf the Holy Spirit, witness to my claim:

I shall not come to Andalus again,Nor send my legions there as fighting men.

I will employ no crafty, hidden ruse,Or twist this compact toward a false excuse.

I will not treat your noble son with spite,Nor order harm, nor deal it through my might.

I bind true faith upon my inmost soul,And shall not wrong you while I keep it whole.

Who wishes you well is my brother true;I grant him all the brotherhood his due.

Your throne shall be as sacred to my eyeAs that great Cross which stands beneath the sky.”

Kaydafa marked the solemn words he swore,His honest pledge that war would rise no more.

She had the palace filled with seats of gold,With ornaments from Chin, fair to behold.

She called her chiefs, whom kindly stars had blessed;On golden seats she placed each honored guest.

She sent for both her well-beloved sons,And all her noble kin, the honored ones.

Then thus addressed them: “In this passing sphere,We need not suffer so through grief and fear.

Why should this turning world give me a shareOf only war and hatred I must bear?

Iskandar still will seek for greater gain,Though he should bring the sky beneath his reign.

He seeks our suffering for wealth and spoil;No earthly wealth is worth such grief and toil.

I counsel peace and ask you not to fight,Nor press the kingdom into such a plight.

But let us send an answer, firm and clear,With honor and with counsel he should hear.

If after counsel he still lifts his hands,Then let him learn the rigor of my bands.

I with our soldiers will confront his might,Till heaven and moon shall pity his poor plight.

To try this course can bring us little woe;Perhaps a lasting friendship yet may grow.

What say you? Let me hear what you advise;Bless this design of mine, if it is wise.”

The chiefs all raised their heads and answered clear:“O queen of justice whom our souls revere,

No one recalls a chief so just and kind,So generous in heart, so sound of mind.

You speak of nothing but the righteous deed;How blessed the realm that follows where you lead!

If this great Shah becomes your trusted friend,What more could good men wish for in the end?

Your treasure need not bear the cost of strife;No wealth is worth the torment of your life.

An Iskandar who comes from Rum can wieldA sword that makes a sea of every field.

Should gifts turn him from your gates, it is plainAll worldly wealth is worth a paltry grain.

We see no course but peace to end this strife;No noble man makes war his aim in life.”

When she had heard those men of wisdom speak,Those honored Mobadan, pure in all they seek,

She took the crown her ancient father wore,From opened vaults, with bracelets, torques, and store.

It was a crown of such surpassing worth,None there could price its jewels upon the earth.

She told the envoy: “Priceless is this thing;None else should wear it but that mighty king.

Since I have judged him worthy of its grace,Above a precious son I give him place.”

Her throne had seventy parts; a craftsman’s artCould join them all, then take the whole apart.

Its pieces interlocked in ordered line,With twisted pins to hold the grand design.

Its feet were dragon-headed; gems aglowAdorned it, worth far more than men could know.

Four hundred royal gems adorned the throne,Each set to show the splendor of its stone.

Four hundred rubies, too, were set in place,Their brilliant redness lending it their grace.

Each weighed two mithqals, each a crimson bead,As red in color as pomegranate seed.

Four hundred emeralds, pristine, were seen,Like rainbow light in all their shining green.

The throne filled forty camel-loads; and sheWas vast of heart, like waves upon the sea.

Five hundred ivory pieces then were brought,Whose measure passed the reach of human thought.

Four hundred leopard skins of BarbariWere gathered for the gift, a wealth to see.

A thousand dappled deer skins, spread out wide,With varied patterns, lay there side by side.

A hundred hounds she gave to speed the chase,Outrunning arrows in a rapid race.

Two hundred buffaloes were led before,By servants driving them from royal store.

Four hundred shiz-wood couches, finely made,Were clothed in khazz and splendid silk brocade.

Four hundred boards of aloeswood were brought;Each bore a seal, with golden color wrought.

A hundred high-bred steeds were brought to view,With fine caparisons of splendid hue.

A thousand Indian swords and khanjars thenWere brought, with jowshans, for the fighting men.

Twelve hundred helms and headpieces were brought;She urged her keeper: “Haste in deed and thought.

Count out the gifts; tell Bitlqun not to stay,But be prepared to leave at break of day.”

Next morning raised its banner to the height,And spread across the world its camphor light.

Earth freshened, mountains glowed as resin glows;Palace tabiras rang as morning rose.

Iskandar took his leave without delay,With leave to mount and take the homeward way.

Taynush had all his men their steeds bestride,Then rode to court to stand by Kaydafa’s side.

They bade Kaydafa farewell: “May you stayA living thread in heaven’s bright array!”

They journeyed onward over hill and field,Until Iskandar’s battle camp was revealed.

The camp of that famed Shah before them lay,Whose fortune smiled upon him on his way.

Iskandar left the baggage where trees grew,With running water flowing clear and true.

“Rest here, Taynush, and ease your heart and mind;Then take the wine-cup, leaving care behind.

I will go forward to make good my word,With sound advice to serve what you have heard.”

Iskandar reached his camp; his legions came,With shouts of joy to glorify his name.

They decked his Kayanian crown; all had despaired,And wondered how their missing master fared.

With tongues of praise they fell upon the ground,To see their king secure, alive, and sound.

Iskandar chose a thousand men of fame,All Roman warriors hardened in the flame.

With ox-head gorzes, jowshans, all arrayed,The warriors marched out toward the forest shade.

They formed an iron circle round the wood,To trap Taynush where he securely stood.

Iskandar cried: “Rash man, what seems now right:To stand and fight, or turn and take to flight?”

Repenting now, Taynush was filled with dread,And shook as fearful thoughts assailed his head.

He cried: “High-minded Shah, let grace appear;Choose praise instead of blame while we are here.

Was this the pledge you to my mother swore,That truth should guide your actions evermore?

As to my kinsman Qaydrush, show me grace;Let greatness and true dealing rule this place.”

Iskandar said: “O prince, why lose your mightAnd falter at so small a thing in fright?

But have no fear; from me you shall be freeOf harm, and so shall all your kindred be.

I shall keep faith; it is an evil thingTo break the solemn promise of a king.”

Taynush dismounted, trembling, from his steed,And kissed the earth before the Shah to plead.

The mighty Shah clasped hands again, and nowHe sealed the covenant, their former vow.

He said: “Be of good cheer; dismiss your dread,For no avenging sword shall seek your head.

When on her golden throne your mother sat,I took your hand in mine; remember that.

I said the hand of him who rules the landWould thus be placed by me within your hand.

This very day my promise I complete;A king’s incautious words are not discreet.

I am Iskandar; I was then the same,When pleasant tales concealed my royal name.

Kaydafa knew whose hand you held that day:The king’s own hand within your fingers lay.”

Then Caesar bade his men arrange his seatBeneath a tree that scattered blossoms sweet.

They spread the board with wine and music loud,To banish sorrow from the royal crowd.

The Shah gave him royal robes, rich display,From Rum and Chin and Pahlavi array.

His comrades gained both silver and bright gold,With caps and belts befitting rank and mold.

“Do not stay here,” he said, “but take your way;This wood lies far; it is no place to stay.

Tell wise Kaydafa, ruler, keen of sight,Whose counsel sees the course of action right:

‘I shall keep faith as long as I draw breath;My soul loves you and yours until my death.’”

The Shah marched to the country of the wise,To see the Brahmans under open skies.

He wished to learn their ancient holy rite,From men devoted to the inward light.

The Brahmans heard the tidings from the plain,That Shah Iskandar led his battle train.

Down from the heights those devotees then came,And gathered when they heard Iskandar’s name.

The sages wrote then to the foreign king,To state the humble message they would bring.

The letter opened with a blessing’s phrase:Invoking God to bless the Shah’s long days.

“May triumph crown the great Shah’s earthly reign,And wisdom, power, and greatness be his gain.

God has bestowed on you the earth’s expanse,Wherever your great banners may advance.

Brave king, what seek you in our meager land,The dwelling of a poor, devoted band?

If wealth has drawn you to our barren ground,Then wisdom in your counsel is not found.

Our wealth is patience, knowledge of the wise;Through knowledge joy within our spirits lies.

No one can steal our patience from us here;Nor need our knowledge give men cause for fear.

You will but see a naked band today,Dispersed by wind and snow along the way.

If you remain here long, the grasses’ seedWill be the food on which you too must feed.”

The envoy came, a girdle round him tied,Of roots of grass, and stood at Caesar’s side.

The Shah received the letter from his hand,And chose to bring no sorrow to their land.

He left his legions waiting on the plain,And rode with Rum’s philosophers in train.

They heard, and came to meet him on the way,Each stepping forth to greet the Shah that day.

They brought him humble gifts from open field,For they had neither gold nor harvest yield.

They blessed that noble monarch of the earth,And praised his lofty spirit and his worth.

Iskandar saw their faces, heard their speech,And listened to the voices raised by each.

They ran with bodies naked, head to toe;Their souls held knowledge, though no robes to show.

With grass for clothing, seeds their only fare,They lived at ease, secure from war and care.

They ate and slept on plain and mountain height,And wandered naked in the open light.

Their food was fruit and seeds from mountain ground,The plants that on the slopes grew all around.

The plains were full of game; the plants they soughtGave food and covering the earth had brought.

He asked them how they slept and what they ate,Of peaceful ease and life’s not troubled state.

“What share have you of all the world holds dear,Who live without a trace of dread or fear?”

A sage replied: “O king of far-flung lands,We speak of neither shame nor fighting bands.

We need no clothes or food of costly kind,Nor sumptuous bedding to content the mind.

Since man is born into his nakedness,He should not boast of luxury of dress.

And naked he returns at last to clay,With fear and care besetting every way.

Earth is our couch, and heaven is our gown;We watch till death shall come to lay us down.

How fiercely proud and grasping men seek gain,Though nothing won is worth such toil and pain.

For when one leaves this fleeting house of clay,His treasure and his rank must fall away.

But virtue follows where his footsteps go,When rank and glory vanish here below.”

Iskandar asked: “Which numbers more down here:The things concealed, or those that plain appear?

The living, or the dead, whose wants are stilled,Who have no further needs to be fulfilled?”

The sage replied: “O Shah, count all the dead;A hundred thousand, from whom life has fled.

Among those thousands, not one lives to tell;How blessed is he who is not cast in hell!

The living too must die and meet their doom;One goes, another follows to the tomb.”

The Shah inquired: “Which stretches farther wide,The lands beneath us or the ocean tide?”

The Brahman answered: “Water cloaks earth’s face,And keeps the land within its broad embrace.”

He asked: “Who wakes from sleep, and who does wrongAmong earth’s creatures as they move along?

They move and live awhile yet cannot sayWhat they are doing in the world each day.”

The Brahman answered: “Pure of heart and keen,O chief who seeks the truths that lie unseen,

The guiltiest is he whose mind is blind,Who feeds on hate and greed against mankind.

If you would know this truth, regard your state,And judge the restless hunger grown so great.

All earth is yours; you speak as though the skyWere your own kin, revolving there on high.

Yet still you scheme for more, still seek to claimBlack earth’s own marrow in your grasping aim.

Your soul desires hell; may this adviceTurn you from such a habit and its price.”

The Shah inquired: “Who rules our souls, and staysBeside us as we walk in crooked ways?”

The Brahman said: “Greed is the king within,The source of hatred and the home of sin.”

“What is this wealth,” the king inquired, “we keep,For whose increase a man has cause to weep?”

The Brahman said: “Both Greed and Need take hold;Two wretched fiends, they breed a hundredfold.

One’s lips are dry because his share is slight;The other’s plenty steals his sleep at night.

Both pass their days in anguish; blessed is heWhose soul accepts what wisdom lets him see.”

Iskandar’s face grew pale to hear him speak,And yellow as the bloom of fenugreek.

His yellow cheeks were wet with tears of pain;His smiling face grew troubled by the strain.

The Shah then asked: “What would you have me do?What need have you that I can meet for you?

I shall not grudge my treasure for your sake,Nor shrink from any pains that I must take.”

One said: “Deliver us from age and death,To keep the vigor of our mortal breath.”

“No plea avails with death,” the Shah replied;“No man escapes when death stands at his side.

Though you were iron, you would find no wayTo flee the dragon’s claws upon that day.

However long the days of youth may run,They cannot keep old age from anyone.”

The Brahman said: “Wise Shah, death has no cure;No plague is worse than age we must endure.

Why strive to win the world with all your power,And vainly breathe the scent of poison-flower?

Your suffering remains when life is done;Your foes receive the wealth your toil has won.

To bear such toil for others’ wealth and ruleShows little wisdom; it befits a fool.

White hair is death’s first herald sent to man;Why hope for life beyond your measured span?”

The shrewd Shah said, “If any man could fleeThe will of God, that man would surely be

Myself, if schemes against the turning skyCould grant the means His portion to defy.

No learned sage, no warrior in the field,Can shun His law or make His judgment yield.

Those slain in war with me, whose fortune’s dayWas overturned, their harsh stars’ helpless prey,

Deserved their suffering and their blood’s outflow;No tyrant can escape the destined blow.

God chastened them for leaving wisdom’s path;And on that day they bore His righteous wrath.

No man escapes the will of God on high,Or finds excuse when time decrees we die.”

Iskandar gave them gifts from all his store;They had but little greed to ask for more.

He left without inflicting harm that day;From there Iskandar westward made his way,

He left the Brahmans’ land; a sea lay wideAnd deep before him, boundless on each side.

Like women, men had veils about each face,With scents and colored garments in that place.

Not Arabic, nor Pahlavi would do;Nor Turk, Chin, Khosravi; their speech none knew.

They lived on fish beside the western shore;No road could bring supplies or other store.

Iskandar stood astonished at the sight,And called upon Yazdan of power and might.

A mountain rose, still wet, before their eyes,Fresh from the sea, as yellow as sunrise.

The Shah sought out a swift ship, keen to viewWith his own eyes the marvel in the blue.

One sage addressed him: “Do not go, O king;The deep is not your path to seek this thing.

Stay here; let someone of small learning goAnd see the marvel that the waters show.”

Thirty Romans and Iranians came aboardThe boat prepared at bidding of their lord.

That mountain was a yellow fish; they drewStill closer to obtain a clearer view.

It swiftly took their ship beneath the flow,And vanished from their sight in depths below.

The legions stood astonished where they came,And every man invoked the Maker’s name.

The Roman said: “No wealth with knowledge vies;The wise, like me, above the mighty rise.

Had the Shah ventured into that dark snare,His legions would have borne a weight of care.”

He led his legions onward from that shore;Another stretch of water lay before.

Around the water reeds like forests rose;Each thick as plane-tree trunks in ordered rows.

Each reed was more than two rash broad below,And forty rash in height its stem would grow.

Their houses all were built of wood and reed,With reeds beneath to serve foundations’ need.

They could not linger in that reedy place,Nor drink the brine, but left at rapid pace.

At length a deep and shining lake appeared;Its honeyed water every spirit cheered.

The fragrant soil breathed musk on every side;They ate their fill and slept beside the tide.

Then from the lake rose snakes; the woods aroundPoured flame-red scorpions out upon the ground.

The world grew black; the sleepers woke in pain;Their world closed in about them on that plain.

Both learned men and valiant chiefs had died;Their corpses lay together far and wide.

A hundred boars charged forth, their long tusks shown,Each hard and sharp as gleaming diamond stone.

From the other side came lions none could face;Each larger than an ox, they stalked the place.

The legions drew aside from that dread mere,And set the reeds aflame as beasts drew near.

They slew so many beasts along the way;Their heaped-up bodies blocked the road that day.

From there the sunlike Shah pushed on, and pressedTo reach Habash, and would not pause to rest.

The ground was raven-black with men whose eyesShone bright as lamps beneath the open skies.

A mighty army stood before his train,Their powerful bodies naked on the plain.

They saw afar the army’s dust arise,And raised above the troops their battle cries.

In thousands upon thousands came their might,Until the monarch’s eyes grew dark as night.

They rushed toward Iskandar through the throng,And slew brave warriors as they pressed along.

They carried bones as spearpoints in the fight,And drove them through men’s bodies, left and right.

The Shah then sent the order through his force;They took their arms for battle, man and horse.

Unclothed, the men of Habash joined the fray;The lion-hearted troops gave way to dismay.

Then flashed the monarch’s mail, the spears advanced, And through the naked throng their iron glanced.

The royal blades cut down the frantic train; The survivors broke and fled across the plain.

Like Chin’s great rolling sea, the field lay red;So deep the blood that pooled from those now dead.

When heaps of fallen covered all the ground, They piled up brush and burned the dead around.

At night the kargadan’s loud cry rang clear;Iskandar donned his helm and armored gear.

One, greater than an elephant, came through,Its head crowned with a horn of darkest blue.

It slew full many chiefs upon the field;Though charged again, it never turned to yield.

At last, their arrows pierced the monster’s hide;That iron mount, which seized great elephants, died.

He praised the World-Maker’s celestial grace, And marched his army swiftly from the place.

Then swiftly he marched on, invoking stillThe name of God, who judges good and ill.

He reached the Narm-Pawyawn, where his searching eyesBeheld an army of enormous size.

No horse or armor, sword or gorz was seen;Each stood as tall as cypress, straight and lean.

They roared like rattling thunder through the air,Like Divs, and with their bodies wholly bare.

They showered stones as fiercely as a blastThat strips the autumn trees as it goes past.

The Roman legions pressed with sword and bow;Bright day seemed black amid the battle’s flow.

When few Narm-Pawyawn still remained that day,He rested, then his legions marched away.

He led his legions onward through the land,And reached a boundless city, broad and grand.

All gladly came to meet him as he went,With open hearts, from need free and content.

They brought him carpets, garments richly made,And ample food before the king was laid.

Iskandar greeted them with noble grace,And honored each according to his place.

They pitched his royal tent upon the plain;No city quarters housed his marching train.

He saw a mountain thrust its head on high,Among the stars, as though to draw the sky.

Few were the people on that rocky height,And not a soul remained there through the night.

He asked: “Which path is safe for us to tread?How shall my army through these heights be led?”

They blessed him, saying: “Shah of earth, renowned,May praise and blessing compass you around!

Across this mountain runs a track to ride,If you could pass it with someone to guide.

A dragon dwells beyond the mountain’s height,Whose venom saps the wolf and wastes its might.

No army dares to cross that mountain’s face;Its poisonous smoke climbs to the moon’s high place.

Great flames erupt from its enormous maw,Its twin locks trap the elephants they draw.

It eats five oxen every single night;Our whole town lacks the strength to face its might.

We seek the cattle, then, by fear oppressed,Bear them to feed it on the rocky crest.

Lest it should cross the mountain to our side,And swallow us in groups, we thus provide.”

One of the Shah’s men paid what he would need,And brought five oxen for the dragon’s feed.

He killed the oxen, stripped their hides with care,And from them shaped the craft to set his snare.

He stuffed the hides with naphtha mixed with bane,And hastened toward the dragon’s dread domain.

He bade them lift the hides at his command,And pass the heavy burden hand to hand.

When Shah Iskandar neared the dragon’s den,It seemed a hanging cloud to all his men.

Its tongue was blue, its eyes were red as blood,And from its mouth the flame poured in a flood.

They cast the cattle from the mountain’s crown,And watched the dragon as the hides fell down.

The moment those brave hands released their hold,The dragon swallowed them as down they rolled.

When skin and flesh had filled its monstrous frame,The poison spread through every limb like flame.

It pierced its entrails, boring through with bane,And opened up a passage to its brain.

It dashed its heavy head against the rock,And kept on beating, shock succeeding shock.

The legions showered arrows on its hide,Until that mountain terror fell and died.

They left the dragon’s body where it lay,And swiftly led the legions on their way.

He brought his legions to another height,That left the warriors wondering at the sight.

So high it rose, the eye could scarcely traceIts summit, like a sword blade set in space.

A golden throne stood gleaming on the crest,Far from the throng, in solitude at rest.

An old man lay there, dead upon the throne;His Glory seemed to shine though life had flown.

Brocade was drawn across him, richly spread;A crown of varied gems adorned his head.

Around him silver gleamed and gold shone bright;No one could gain access to that high site.

Whoever scaled the summit seeking gold,To take some treasure from the dead man’s hold,

Would tremble there in terror, lose his breath,And vanish on that very spot in death.

Iskandar climbed the mountain’s utmost height,To view the corpse enthroned before his sight.

A voice cried: “Shah, through many a changing day,You long have walked the world upon your way.

You emptied royal thrones and raised your headTo heaven’s height through all the life you led.

You ruined many friends and foes while here;The hour has come to leave this earthly sphere.”

His face shone like a lamp at what he heard;He left the height, his heart scarred by the word.

On marching with his chiefs of Roman fame,To Harum’s city Shah Iskandar came.

The city’s women ruled it, fierce and bold,Who let no stranger pass within their hold.

Their right breasts kept a woman’s rounded line,Like pomegranates under silk so fine.

Their left sides seemed like men’s in war array,Who put on jowshans for the battle day.

The Shah approached Harum with all his band,The Roman nobles riding at his hand.

He wrote a letter with due form and grace,As well became a man of noble race.

He wrote: “From Iran’s Shah and Rum’s, we writeTo those who hold Harum in royal might.

First praise the Maker of the heavens above,The source of bounty, justice, and of love.

Whoever bears a wise and thoughtful mind,And journeys through the life to him assigned,

Has heard what we have done in every land,And knows how high we raised our sovereign hand.

Whoever from my order turns his headShall find no couch but dark earth for his bed.

I wish no place in all the world to lieBeyond the reach of my enquiring eye.

If I approach, my purpose is no fight;My heart seeks peace and feasting with delight.

If you have any sage of subtle mind,The wisest clerk or scholar you can find,

Let him read out this letter to the great,The honored ones who hold your highest state.

Prepare yourselves to meet my royal train,For none shall suffer who comes to the plain.”

He bade a Roman scholar bear the sheet,To take it to Harum, its chiefs to greet.

He found fair women thronging every street,But not a single townsman did he meet.

Many women came out beyond the gate,Upon the plain, to see the Roman’s state.

The counselors assembled in a ring,To read the letter of the western king.

A city sage read through each written line,And understood the monarch’s whole design.

They sat and wrote an answer, firm and clear:“O Shah, may life and fortune crown you here!

We sat your envoy down before our seat,And read your letter, every word complete.

You spoke of kings, of triumphs manifold,And ancient battles, which your words have told.

But if you march against our city walls,No earth shows where the tread of horses falls.

Our districts stretch beyond all measured bound,Ten thousand women in each ward are found.

All night in battle armor we remain;Our growing numbers bring us mounting strain.

Not one of us has ever been a bride;We are veiled maidens, with no man beside.

Whichever way you seek our native ground,A deep and sweeping water must be found.

When one among us chooses married life,We see no more the face of such a wife.

Across the deep sea she must make her way,In wind and snow, or on a pleasant day.

If she brings forth a daughter, fair and bright,Who loves perfume and color with delight,

She keeps her dwelling in her mother’s home,And breathes the air beneath that distant dome.

But if the girl is proud, of warrior mold,They send her back to Harum’s native fold.

If she gives birth to sons, they must remain;We let no son above us women reign.

Ten thousand maidens watch the river’s side,As virgins, at their posts they there abide.

When one of us kills a man in the fight,A mighty man, we honor her for might.

A golden crown upon her head shall lie;Her throne we raise as high as Gemini.

And thirty thousand maidens wear the gold,With earrings that are splendid to behold.

For in her grasp a mighty warrior’s frameWas brought to dust, his pride reduced to shame.

You are a famous man of high renown;Bring not a sudden shadow on your crown.

Lest people say, ‘With women you engaged,Then fled the very battle you had waged.’

Such shame would last as long as earth shall stay,And never lose its sting or fade away.

Why would you come with Rum’s famed men, and standTo view the borders of our ancient land?

If truth and kindness travel at your side,Then joy and goodness shall with you abide.

We shall bring forth such warriors to your sight,That sun and moon grow dark beneath their might.”

A woman envoy journeyed with the sheet,To lay the answer at Iskandar’s feet.

She wore a crown and robes of royal grace,With ten fair riders matching her in pace.

The Shah sent forward horsemen to the plain,To welcome her before his battle train.

She gave the scroll to Caesar for review,And spoke her nation’s message, clear and true.

Iskandar read the scroll, then gave commandTo one discreet and wise to speak as planned.

He sent this word: “May wisdom be the guideOf human thought, and at its heart abide.

No king remains beneath the turning skyNor noble name that stands in honor high,

Who does not bow before my sovereign hand,Though great and fortunate within his land.

Both camphor dust and black earth count the same;Feast, too, and battle have an equal claim.

I have not hastened here to wage a fight,Tabiras, elephants, to show my might.

My force is such, its horses’ countless feetWear plain and mountain down beneath their beat.

I wish to see your city yet agreeThat you may choose instead to come to me.

When we have met, I shall depart this place,And lead my legions on at measured pace.

I shall see customs, splendor, grace, and force,Your bearing and your skill upon the horse.

In private I shall ask you women howYou bear young, with no men among you now.

If death is here, from whom does increase flow?The answer to this thing I wish to know.”

The envoy went and spoke the monarch’s will,And laid his hidden questions out with skill.

The nobles met in council to debate,And weighed his words concerning their estate.

“We chose two thousand women, wise and keen,Whose knowledge and whose wit are plainly seen.

Each hundred shall bring forth ten crowns of gold,All set with gems, delightful to behold.

Two hundred crowns in all shall deck our train,Fit for the Shah who holds the world in rein.

We weighed each crown with all its gems in place:Three ratls apiece, heaped up before our face.

We shall go forth to meet him on the road,When word arrives that he nears our abode.

For tidings of his wisdom reached our ear,And of his noble qualities, so clear.”

The envoy brought the message to the king,With words where wisdom spoke in everything.

Iskandar led his legions on that day,Still wondering at the women and their way.

He traveled for two stages through the land,Until a sudden storm engulfed his band.

The heavy snowdrifts leveled every hill,And many footmen perished in the chill.

Two further stages through the cold he crossed,And neared the city Naft, still in the frost.

A cloud of black smoke rose above the road;As if on fire, the marching legions strode.

Their armor burned each noble rider’s frame;Beneath their horses’ shoes the ground took flame.

They reached a city, where before their sightThe people stood as dark as deepest night.

Their lips hung low, their jutting jaws were set,Both black as pitch and dark as polished jet.

Their eyes were blood-red; from their mouths there cameThe leaping tongues of fierce and burning flame.

They brought their elephants and treasures bright,As gifts to set before the men of might.

They said: “The wind and snow that brought you woeWere sent by us to deal that harmful blow.

No traveler has ever passed this way;We have seen none but you and yours today.”

The Shah then merrily crossed the open plain,And sought the women’s city with his train.

Two thousand women crossed the waters clear,With crowns and earrings bright as they drew near.

They reached a grove where streams ran clear and bright,A place of leafy joy and sheer delight.

They spread provisions out upon the green,With figured tapestries of royal sheen.

When Caesar reached the gates of their domain,They flocked to meet him from the open plain.

They brought him crowns, fine clothes, and jewels bright,With perfumes and rich colors to delight.

He took their gifts, and with a welcome sweet,In that glad hour, he gave to each a seat.

At dawn through Harum’s streets he made his way,And viewed the structures raised in proud array.

He questioned them, and every answer weighed,And till he understood them all, he stayed.

He viewed the sea, then onward led his quest,And marched his Roman legions to the west.

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.

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.

He marched one month along the weary way;Both Shah and legions suffered day by day.

At length he reached a mountain high and grand,Where neither man nor beast possessed the land.

Its rocky peak, with lapis splendor, shone,Above the mountain, blue as azure stone.

A yellow-gemmed house crowned the mountain height,With crystal lamps throughout its chambers bright.

Within the house a spring of salt arose,Set in the center of that strange repose.

A single red gem shed a crimson glow,Its core as dark as feathers of a crow.

Its lamplight played upon the water bright,And made the whole house shine with sunlight’s might.

Beside the spring two golden seats were spread;Upon them lay a luckless figure, dead.

A silent corpse lay stretched upon the gold:A human body with a boar’s head, cold.

His couch was camphor, cool as winter’s night,Beneath a brocade mantle, rich and bright.

Whoever went to take a thing away,Or trod the ground on which that body lay,

Would shake until his strength was overthrown,And die in trembling on that fatal stone.

A sudden cry rose from the salty deep: “O soul of endless greed, no longer sweep

Across the earth! Draw rein, your wandering cease; The hour draws near that robs your crown of peace.

Your span of life is short; the end draws near;Your royal throne shall lack its monarch here.”

Iskandar quailed and wheeled his horse in dread,And came like smoke to camp, nor stayed, but sped.

He led his legions swiftly on the way,And called upon God’s name throughout the day.

He took the desert road from mountain ground,With grief and thoughts of life within him bound.

He rode in grief, his eyes with weeping red;His troops behind him, with his guide ahead.

At last, they reached a city’s welcome wall,Where human voices cheered them, one and all.

The land was like a garden green and bright,Its people’s hearts were filled with glad delight.

The worthy city chiefs came in array,And showered gold and gems upon his way.

They cried: “O Shah, how fortunate the hourThat brings us here your banners and your power.

No army yet has ever reached our gate,Nor has a king’s name reached us in this state.

Our souls are yours; may you remain secure,With body healthy and with spirit pure.”

Iskandar’s heart grew glad at what they said,He rested from the march his troops had led.

He asked: “What wonder opens to our view,Within these borders where the world is new?”

The guides replied: “O king of honest mind,A greater wonder you shall never find.

Two trunks grow upward from the selfsame ground,Whose matching branches speak with human sound.

One trunk is female and the other male;With hue and fragrance, each can tell its tale.

At night the fragrant female branches sayTheir words; the male speaks with the light of day.”

Iskandar went, with Roman riders pairedWith chiefs of that same land, who came and shared

The sight. He asked: “When will its voice be heard?”The guide replied: “Attend the speaking word.

When nine divisions of the daylight end,The fortunate shall hear its voice ascend.”

The Shah inquired: “What further sights remain,If we pursue this road across the plain?”

The guide replied: “No further path is known;This is the end of every earthly zone.”

Then they set forward through the heavy heat,With Romans riding where its branches meet.

The ground steamed in the heat along the way;The skins of savage beasts upon it lay.

He asked: “Whose skins are these that lie around?Who tore these beasts and spread them on the ground?”

The guide replied: “The tree has servants here;They feed on beasts when need for food draws near.”

When sunbeams reached the center of the sky,A dreadful cry came echoing on high.

It echoed through the leaves with mournful tone,And chilled the monarch’s heart as cold as stone.

He asked the guide: “What does this tree declare?Its fearful accents tremble in the air.”

The guide replied: “Why does Iskandar strayThrough all these lands and seek a further way?

When fourteen years have marked his royal reign,He must depart his throne and great domain.”

Iskandar wept blood, overcome by woe;Till midnight came, no words from him would flow.

Then spoke the female branches through the shade,Again he sought his learned guide for aid.

“What does this other branch declare?” he said.The man disclosed its secret, filled with dread:

“The female branch speaks of your greed for fame:Why wound your soul for earthly power and name?

Your greed is roaming through the world’s wide lands,And hurting men, while kings die at your hands.

Your life is short; do not consume your daysIn darkness, pressed by troubles on your ways.”

The great king asked: “Inquire if I shall beIn Rum when that grim day comes round to me.

Shall my dear mother see me yet alive,And lift my veil the day that I arrive?”

The speaking tree replied: “Cut short your stay;Bind up your baggage; make your onward way.

Your mother, kin, and women veiled shall waitIn Rum, but never see you at their gate.

Death soon shall find you in an alien land, And rip the royal scepter from your hand.

Weary of you shall grow your star and crown; In sorrow shall your fortune tumble down.”

He left the tree, his restless heart distressed, As though a bitter sword had pierced his breast.

When he reached camp, the city’s chiefs withdrew;Within the town they gathered tribute due.

They made their offerings ready in that place,Then hurried to the Shah with eager pace.

They brought a jowshan, huge, both long and wide,Bright indigo, vast as an elephant’s hide.

Two elephant tusks, five rash in length, they bore;To lift those burdens taxed their strength the more.

They brought fine jowshans, costly cloth to show,Rich brocade gleaming in its silken glow.

A hundred golden eggs were laid in line,Each filled with gold, a treasure rich and fine.

Each egg weighed sixty mann upon the scale,By diram weight, as measures told the tale.

A golden kargadan was brought to view,And flashed with gems of every brilliant hue.

He took their gifts, though sorrow pierced him through,And shed his tears of blood as he withdrew.

He led his legions into Chin, then choseA stage at which to halt and seek repose.

He ordered then a scribe to draft a scroll,From Iskandar, who held towns in control.

He bade the scribe use menace and appeal,Then fold the finished letter for its seal.

As envoy went the Shah; to share the ride,He chose a wise, free man to take his side.

With him in heart and word this man agreed,To say: “Do this,” or “Do not do that deed.”

He left his captain with the troops behind,And took five Romans, wise, of searching mind.

When tidings reached Faghfoor that envoys came,He sent a force to honor Caesar’s name.

Iskandar crossed in splendor through the plain,To meet the ruler of the eastern reign.

Iskandar reached the mighty court and sawIts chosen ranks, which filled his heart with awe.

He passed the vestibule to meet the king,While troubled thoughts within his heart took wing.

He hastened up and bowed before the throne,Then sat a long while in the hall of stone.

Faghfoor received him with a gracious face,And lodged the envoy in a splendid place.

When morning’s lamp arose above the height,They brought a mount with golden breast-gear bright.

They summoned then the envoy to draw near,To speak the message that the king should hear.

Iskandar spoke, then gave the scroll in hand,And told the words of Caesar’s full command:

“From Rum’s great Shah, the lord of every realm,Whom kings acclaim, to him who holds the helm

In Chin, Faghfoor.” The letter then began:“Praise to the World-Creator, Lord of man,

From us, His servants, praise to Him who guides,Sustains, and makes good flourish on all sides.

To Chin this royal charge we hereby give:In flourishing abundance let it live.

Do not prepare to meet us in the fray;Through war, great Foor was brought to his last day.

So, Dara, once the monarch of the earth,And Faryan Tazi, chiefs of mighty worth.

From Khavar to Bakhtar, no lord or landAttempts to pass beyond our firm command.

The heavens cannot count my marching train,Nor sun nor Venus counts them on the plain.

If you defy the orders I have sent,Your self and realm shall suffer punishment.

Send tribute when you read this royal scroll;Do not seek evil’s harm to flesh and soul.

If you will come and stand before my face,I shall preserve your throne and royal place.

But if you will not stand before your lord,Then send such treasures as you can afford.

Send golden wares, the gems that Chin can yield,And horses with the swords that warriors wield.

Send clothing, curtains, and an ivory throne,Rich brocade, torques, and crowns from all you own.

Send all you find of these into my store,If you would keep my troubles from your door.

Turn back my legions from their onward way,Lest treasure, throne, and crown become their prey.”

The lord of Chin was angered by his claim,Then chose to hold his peace and curb the flame.

He smiled: “Your Shah has heaven for his guide;The sky itself stands firmly at his side.

Describe his face and stature, tell me true,His valor and his speech, as known to you.”

The envoy said: “No king can match his fame;No man on earth can bear so great a name.

In courage, bounty, giving, and in thought,He passes all that any mind has caught.

A cypress tall, an elephant in might;His bounty flows like the Nile, vast and bright.

His tongue is like a keen-edged blade of steel;His gentle words make eagles downward wheel.”

Faghfoor heard this and pondered what he knew;Within his heart another purpose grew.

He called for wine and ordered food prepared;A garden hall was dressed for what they shared.

They drank until night covered all the land,Till wine left all their senses past command.

The lord of Chin then spoke with courtesy:“May Jupiter your king’s companion be.

When light returns, we write our answer through,And make the day auspicious, meeting you.”

Half-drunk, Iskandar left the royal hall;A toranj in his hand, he passed them all.

When from the Lion’s sign the sun shone bright,The turning heavens overthrew the night.