Laying the Foundation of the Book

When my bright heart turned away from that poet, it turned instead toward the throne of the world's king. I resolved to take this story in hand and, out of an old record, bring it to life in my own words. I asked countless people about it, and I grew afraid of the turning of the times. What if I were not given enough time, and had to hand the work over to someone else? And besides, no treasure stayed loyal to me, and no one was willing to pay for such labor. So for a while I let it be, and kept my words hidden away. The whole age was full of war; the world had grown narrow for those who searched for anything. Yet what is better in the world than good words, in the eyes of the fortunate great who weigh speech? If speech had not come to us from God, how would the Prophet have been our guide? In my city I had one kind friend; you would say we shared a single skin. He said to me: this plan of yours is fine, your steps are turning toward the good. I have this book written in Pahlavi; I will bring it to you so you never rest idle. You have an eloquent tongue and your youth; you have the gift for telling heroic tales. Go, retell this book of kings, and by this earn yourself honor among the great. When he brought this book to me, it lit up this darkened soul of mine.