English
Part 10: The Merchant in Disguise
When the bright sun had turned across the dome of the sky, and its buyer had passed on from the market of light,
his two sisters left the hall and went out to the street, wailing, water jars balanced on their shoulders.
They came to Esfandiar, their eyes wet with tears, humbled and covered in dust.
When Esfandiar saw this strange sight, he hid his face from the two sisters.
His heart filled with dread at their plight, and he covered his face beneath a coarse cloak.
The two of them came close to him, two streams of bloody tears running down their cheeks.
In their helplessness they began to plead with that renowned man they took for a merchant.
One sister said to him, 'Caravan-leader, tell us: from where did you first set out with your caravan?
May your days and nights be blessed, and may all the great ones be your servants.
What news do you have of Iran, of Goshtasp and Esfandiar, O famous warrior?
Here we are, two daughters of a king, held captive in the hands of a graceless tyrant,
bare-headed, bare-footed, carrying water on our shoulders, while our father sleeps easy and content, day and night.
We run naked before the crowd; happy is the one whose body a shroud will cover.
We will weep awhile with tears of blood; be a physician to us in this pain.
If you have any news of our city, know that in this land our poison has turned to remedy.'
From beneath the cloak he let out such a cry that the two daughters trembled with fear:
'May Esfandiar be wiped from the earth, and everyone in the world who ever remembered him.
May no one ever see crown and belt worn by that unjust man Goshtasp again.
Can't you see I am only a peddler, struggling just to feed myself?'
When the fortunate Homay heard his voice, she recognized him, and her heart returned to its place.
When the sister knew his voice, she hid his secret within herself.
With her heart so branded by grief, she stayed before him, shedding tears from both eyes down her cheeks.
Her garment torn, her feet in the dust, her soul full of dread and terror of Arjasp.
The pure-minded warrior knew that Homay had recognized him.
Swiftly he uncovered his face, his eyes brimming, his heart full of blood, his face bright as the sun.
He was amazed at the ways of the world; he grew grim and bit his lip.
He said to them, 'For these few days, keep your lips sealed shut, both of you.
I have not come here for war; I have come, through hardship, for the sake of honor and disgrace.
The one whose daughter must haul water while her brother grieves and her father sleeps in comfort,
let his father be the sky and his mother the earth; I will not bless such a fate.'
Then the young man rose from the hut and came running to Arjasp.
He said to him, 'King, may you be fortunate; ruler of the world, may you live forever.
There was a deep sea along this road that the merchant knew nothing about.
A fierce crosswind rose from the sea, one the sailor said he could not recall the like of.
On the ship we were all wretched and weeping, our lives and bodies scorched with terror.
I made a vow to the one just God that if I escaped the sea's peril,
I would hold a feast in every land where there was a ruler to receive it.
I would give to beggars, little and much, and honor the poor man.
Now let my king honor me and make my name known today through this request.
Which of the proud heroes of the army are close to the honored king of the world?
I have arranged to make them my guests, and with this act to gladden my soul.'
When Arjasp heard this he was pleased, and the foolish man's head filled with vanity.
He ordered that whoever was most honored and most renowned in the army that day
should go as guests to Khorrad's hall, and if there was wine, drink themselves fully drunk.
The young man said to him, 'King, noble one, wise ruler, priest above all priests,
my house is cramped and its rooftop is high; let us go up onto the fortress rampart, most honored one.
It is the month of Mehr; I will light a fire and cheer the hearts of the famous ones with wine.'
Arjasp said to him, 'Take whatever path you wish; within your hall, the host is king.'
The joyful warrior came in haste and heaped great piles of wood onto the roof.
They slaughtered horses and many lambs and hauled them all up onto the fortress roof.
From the wood piled on the fortress rampart, the face of the sky vanished in the smoke.
He kept bringing wine, and when all that had been drunk, the cupbearer himself was carried off.
All the famous ones went off drunk, each with a sprig of narcissus in his hand from the wine.