English
The Story Begins
When Khosrow took his place on the ivory throne, he set that heart brightening crown upon his head.
The great ones of the world gathered together, once the king had settled with his counselors.
The chief of the nobles opened his lips and spoke in praise of the generous Giver of good.
He said: may our hearts be full of praise and love for the Maker of the heavens.
From Him comes all good, and every wish rests with Him; through Him we grieve and through Him we rejoice.
From Him come both command and kindness; by His order the sun turns in the sky.
We will not stray from His will or His care, and we count not a single breath outside His command.
On the throne of kingship, whoever rules with justice, his heart will be glad because of that justice.
Whoever plots an evil deed will, in the end, bring that evil upon himself.
Whatever they ask of us, we will answer; we hold this precious day open to every plea.
No one knows the thoughts within a heart, yet my own heart has no room for pettiness.
If a king makes justice his craft, then without doubt everyone will be glad of that justice.
Do not leave today's task for tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow's turn will bring?
The rose garden that blooms today, if you wait to pick it tomorrow, the flower will be of no use.
When you find your body strong, think then of sickness, pain, and harm to come.
So in life keep the day of death in mind; before death we are like the wind and a leaf.
Whenever you grow slack in your work, all your judgment turns unsound.
When envy takes hold of a man's heart, he becomes a sufferer no doctor can cure.
The heart of an idle man who talks too much holds no honor in the eyes of others.
And if desire overpowers wisdom, it will call no witness against its own madness.
The road toward crookedness is nearer to you; the path toward honesty is narrower.
In any task where you might rush ahead, it is better to hold back a little than to act rashly.
If a tongue takes up with lies, it will find no radiance from the turning fortune of the sky.
Speaking crookedly comes from helplessness; and one should weep for the helpless.
When a king first rises from sleep, let him be safe from enemies and in good health.
Wise and free of craving for food; excess in this brings only toil, pain, and greed.
And if the king is just and generous, the world is full of goodness and ease.
But if he bends his justice into wrong, his food becomes bitter and his water turns to blood.
Everyone here in this gathering has heard this raised voice of mine.
Know it well and be fully aware, all of you; may you walk with good fortune all your years.
I have worn the crown of kingship,
and I have nurtured my judgment with justice and wisdom.
Yet I must listen to my minister,
for without him good and bad cannot be told apart.
Whoever comes to this court
must have real business, or they find no way in.
I will not go along with a minister
who hides such matters from me.
My officers who serve at my court,
and my seasoned horsemen from the army,
since we do not withhold their daily due,
their honor and their shame must be watched over.
All should show decency and truth;
there must be no shortcoming in their work.
Every Iranian who
girds himself for service at this court,
will receive wealth and kind words from us,
as long as the servant is wise and modest.
But when a subordinate seeks injustice,
and is neither wise nor loyal to the king,
he must be punished for the wrong he did;
there is no need to grieve over a base man.
Keep your hearts set on the command of pure God,
and do not fear us.
For He is the King over kings,
lord of the world, victorious and sovereign.
He who lights the crown, the sun, and the moon,
and who shows us the path toward justice.
The lord of the world is judge over all judges,
higher than anyone's thought can reach.
He created space, time, and the heavens,
and adorned our souls and hearts with love.
Your hearts were kindled with love for us,
and He sewed shut the enemy's heart and eye against us.
Follow God's counsel and command;
do whatever the covenant requires.
He preserved you until you rose to the high throne;
He is your helper in worship.
All well-being lies in His command,
all goodness rests under His covenant.
From a straw to the seven high heavens,
and the fire, water, and lowly earth as well,
all bear witness to God's existence,
and grant your soul a bond of kinship with Him.
All praise stands under His command,
all worship stands under His covenant.
When Anushiravan finished these words,
a whole world was left in wonder at him.
They all rose to their feet at once,
and offered him fresh words of blessing.
The king of kings summoned the learned,
and spoke of the affairs of the world, one by one.
He divided the realm into four parts,
and named a flourishing city for each.
First he mentioned Khorasan,
and gladdened the hearts of the nobles with it.
Another part was Qom and Isfahan,
which he set as the seat of the great and the mighty.
And of this share was Azarabadegan,
which the noble freemen took as their portion.
From Armenia to the gate of Ardabil, the wise and clear-hearted king measured out the land of Gilan.
The third was Fars, Ahvaz, and the Caspian shore; his realm stretched from the east to the west.
The fourth was Iraq and the land of Rome, such a kingdom and such a flourishing country.
And of these lands, whoever was poor and had to earn by the toil of his own body,
he gave them a full treasure, and a whole world called down blessings upon him.
Of all the kings who came before him, whether their reigns were shorter or longer than his,
they sought their share from what the people sowed and reaped; no one before had gone away empty-handed.
The king's cut was a third, or a quarter; then Qobad came and set the rate at a tenth.
From that tenth he wanted to take even less, striving to raise the lowly to the rank of the great.
But time gave him no chance to do it. Do not feel too safe on the sea with a crocodile near.
The crown, worthy of him, passed to Khosrow, who kept the same one-tenth tax as tribute.
The wise men and nobles gathered, the great ones and the clear-minded priests.
All the rulers assembled; he divided the land and stretched the measuring rope.
They set a poll tax of one dirham each, provided the farmer was not left in distress.
If anyone lacked seed, or had no livestock ready at plowing time,
the cost was covered from the king's treasury; otherwise the land would be left barren and worthless.
There was no talk of taxing what had not been planted; the old customs were now overturned.
On a fruit-bearing vineyard the tax was six dirhams, and the same rate applied to a date grove.
From olives, walnuts, and every fruit tree whose branches bore fruit at the autumn festival,
one dirham for every ten trees came to the treasury; there was no other burden until year's end.
And no one taxed the summer produce of the month of Khordad; it was left untouched.
Whoever had money but was not a farmer felt no worry over toil, sowing, or harvest.
According to their means, from ten dirhams down to four, the tax officer collected from them each year.
No one wronged the peasant; this sum was paid in three installments over the year.
One portion of this tribute was delivered to the king's court every four months.
Scribes and servants of the king were not counted among those who paid this tax.
The poll tax and land tax, whatever their names, were recorded in three ledgers and handed to the priest.
One copy stayed with the treasurer; the minister was the keeper of that record.
Another was to be sent to every province, to every notable and every chief.
The third was taken to the high priest, so the poll tax and all the tributes could be accounted for.
Every task rested on his command: taxes and tribute, the sowing and the harvest.
He scattered watchful agents throughout the world, so that no good or evil could stay hidden from him.
He filled the whole face of the earth with justice; wherever there was ruin, he made it flourish.
Great and small slept peacefully in the open field; the lamb and the wolf came to drink side by side.
He ordered a letter written in the Pahlavi tongue: you will find it pleasing when you hear it from me.
At the head of the letter, first and foremost, stood: the King of Kings, Kasra, worshipper of God.
On the day of Bahram, in the month of Khordad, whom God granted a crown and a share of the world.
A fruitful branch of the tree of Qobad, who placed the crown of greatness upon his head.
To the officers of tribute and taxes, the servants worthy of glory and the crown.
Boundless greetings from us to you; when skill is joined to noble birth, so much the better.
When we open our first words, let us begin by praising the Creator of the world.
Know the wise and clear-sighted person to be the one who gives thanks to the Maker of the universe.
Such a one knows that God has no need of us, and that every secret lies open before Him.
Whenever He grants someone honor and pride, He first grants them freedom from want.
He gave me the command, yet He is the true Judge; He is forever higher than every height.
Kingship befits God alone; the Lord is one. No one has any role but to serve.
From the heart of the earth up to the lofty sphere, from the heavens down to the dark, wretched dust,
even the footprint of an ant bears witness for itself: we are the servants, and He is the King.
He commanded us to nothing but honesty, for it is the demon who brings crookedness and flaw.
If, from this fleeting inn of a world, I had wanted nothing but gardens, palaces, and treasure,
my heart would still have sought only justice and love, and a bright, wakeful face for every task.
Now the whole surface of the earth, from the east clear to the west,
the pure God has granted to me as my kingdom, from the shining sun down to the dark dust.
We must bring nothing but justice and love, even if for some task we must show a stern face.
An ill-meaning shepherd and a vast plain leave the sheep abandoned to the wolf.
It must never happen that upon our subjects, our landholders and our devout believers,
on dry land in the dust, or on a ship at sea, in the bright day or at the hour of sleep,
or upon the merchants of wet goods and dry, dealers in coin, in lustrous pearls and musk,
the shining sun should ever pour down upon them anything but justice and love from the curve of the sky.
In this way it has passed down through lineage and blood: the son receives the crown from the father.
There was nothing in the world but justice and goodness;
seen and unseen were one and the same.
We set a tax upon the face of the earth,
like a tree of tribute to sustain the ivory throne.
When this decree is brought before you,
may your god Ohrmazd bless and prosper you.
Whoever overcharges by even a single coin
shall be counted, for that instant, among the tyrants.
By the God who granted me crown and glory,
I swear I will cut such a man in two with a saw.
And beyond this the Creator's own punishment awaits;
let no evil eye ever set to work here.
Keep this decree and its custom always before you,
and never turn away from this blessed practice of ours.
Every four months collect one portion of it,
with justice and with blessing.
Wherever locusts have done their harm,
or the sun's blaze has scorched the plowed ground,
or where the searing wind from the high heavens
has brought ruin upon the crops,
and where no rain has fallen at the New Year,
so the once green plain has turned sad with drought,
do not demand tribute from that land and its people,
for the spring clouds withheld their rain from them.
For the scattered seed and the toil they spent,
give the farmers something from the treasury.
As for land that has no owner,
no man, no kin or connection to tend it,
that ground must never be left to ruin,
for it lies in the shadow of the King of Iran.
For a slanderer would seize on this as shame,
finding such a pretext in his grasp.
Do not hold back from the treasury whatever is needed,
for God has made me free of all want.
When land lies ruined within my realm,
the shadow of my glory cannot fall upon it.
Any man given charge of such an affair,
if he treats this hard duty with contempt,
I will hang him alive on the spot,
whether he stands high or low in rank.
The great men who served the former kings
followed a different practice in this matter.
Good and evil rested with the officials,
and the world lay at the mercy of the horsemen.
They deceived reason and made it blind;
they were never satisfied with piling up gold.
God has given me a treasury, and the landed nobles an army;
I have no wish to keep my eye on coins.
Your task is to keep the world in order
and to honor the worth of the well-born man.
Dearer to me than his own life is my enemy,
the one who covets my kingdom and my throne.
A commander who sells human beings for gold
shall not pass through this royal court.
This court will honor only the man
who holds to justice, love, custom, and the right way.
When my clear-minded officials
gather at the high priest's council of judgment,
if a single man's lie comes to light there,
from then on he will hold no favor with us.
I have no love for the oppressor; a leopard and a cruel man are one and the same to me.
Whoever seeks the path of God washes his darkened soul clean in the water of wisdom.
In this court he will rise high, and among the wise priests he will be honored.
From the seed a man sows for God, the joyful reward of paradise is his due.
For we have no need of wealth that leaves the soul diminished under a curse.
If a king feeds on the skin of the poor, his own flesh is surely nourished by their hide.
A leopard is better than a ruler like that, who has no shame, no rule, no faith.
The door of honesty stands open to us; why should we knock in vain at the door of corruption?
Give a man justice in private, so that word of it may reach us.
It is displeasing in the sight of God, and no one is honored for it in this court.
The blessing of God and of us belongs to the one whose very fabric is woven of justice and love.
If a ruler is just, he will endure long in the world.
People will bless forever the king who keeps the land flourishing.
Of all the kings who held throne and crown, rich in treasure and in armies,
none was more just than Nushirvan, may his soul stay forever young.
None surpassed him in wisdom, on the throne, in justice, and in courage.
He had a chief priest named Babak, alert, wise of heart, and content.
He gave him charge of the muster and the army, and ordered that before the king's gate,
a place be prepared, broad and lofty, its top rising higher than the peak of a shining mountain.
He spread a royal carpet upon it, and everyone who had a task took his seat.
From Babak's assembly a cry went up, and all turned their ears to listen at once.
It said: 'You renowned, battle tested warriors, mount your horses, all of you.'
One by one they rode toward the king's gate, iron helmets upon their heads.
Clad in mail, with ox headed maces, each man who sought his pay from the king,
the army came to Babak's hall, and the sky turned black with the horsemen's dust.
When Babak had looked over all the troops, he did not see the banner and the crowned head of Kasra.
He rode his horse down from the hall and ordered them to return to their places.
This day too passed as the turning heavens went by, and the shining sun showed its face again.
A cry rose up from the king's gate: 'You mace bearers of the army of Iran,'
'come, all of you with weapons, bow, and lasso, to Babak's assembly, and be honored.'
They marched out with spears, helmets, and armor, and the army's dust rose up to the clouds.
Babak looked across the army, but the king's glory and majesty were nowhere to be seen.
He said: For today, in kindness and justice, all of you go back victorious and glad.
On the third day a call went up: You renowned men of glory and wisdom,
let no single horseman from the army come without helmet and battle armor,
and pass through this court, inspecting the review ground and the great hall.
Whoever is honored with a crown, with glory, greatness, and a lofty throne,
let him know that in the review there is no favoritism, no speaking with fear or bashfulness.
When the king of kings, Kasra, gave ear, the call went out from Babak's assembly.
Kasra laughed, called for his helmet, and raised the great banner straight up.
The king strode into Babak's assembly, an iron cap set upon his head.
He let a Roman mail coat hang from his helmet, its rings knotted tight all over.
A mace shaped like an ox head in his grip, an arrow of poplar wood fixed at his belt.
A bow on his arm, a lasso on the saddle, and a golden belt bound around his waist.
He spurred the horse and pressed with his thighs, lifting the heavy mace to his shoulder.
He worked the reins a little, left and right, and displayed his horseman's gear to Babak.
Babak looked and was pleased; the king of kings seemed magnificent to him.
He said to him: My king, may you live forever, and may wisdom be provision for your soul.
You have adorned the face of the land with justice; such justice we will remember from you.
It was boldness of your servant to say this, yet it is fitting that you not turn your face from justice.
Wheel the reins once again to the right, in the way that befits your skill.
Once more Kasra spurred the horse, left and right, like a bolt of sacred fire.
Babak watched and was struck with wonder; again and again he praised the Creator of the world.
A thousand horsemen and two thousand strokes of the ball, and none among them could match these four.
The king added more coins to his pay, and a cheer rose up from the court:
Bring on the horse of the chief of warriors, the renowned rider, the sovereign king.
Nushin Ravan laughed long, for the fortune was young and the king was young.
When Babak rose from the king's assembly, he came before the honored royal presence.
He said to him: O great sovereign, if today I, your servant, grew bold and overreached,
it was all honesty and justice in my heart; let the king not remember any harshness from me.
I speak bluntly because I am honest; blessed is the one who never sought harshness for its own sake.
The king said to him: wise man, never stray from the path of honesty.
When you spare and pamper your own body, you break the heart of truth itself.
For this your worth grew greater in my eyes, and my heart turned toward my own reflection:
How, in the ranks of honor and battle, are we to raise the dust of the fight?
The noble one answered the king this way: no one has ever seen a signet ring and crown so new,
and no painter's image has ever shown a hand and rein like yours in any palace, my king.
May the high heavens turn to your desire; may your heart be glad and your body unharmed.
Nushirvan spoke to the priest this way: under our justice the old grow young again.
In this world nothing should remain from a king except the memory of his fairness.
Why hoard this treasure and endure days of toil, binding the soul to this fleeting inn of a world?
Since you will not rest here forever, you must graze and roam while you can.
I was full of worry about the state of the world, and I kept my thoughts hidden.
For the royal crown has its enemies, and the demon lurks all around it.
I told myself: I will gather armies from every side, summon warriors from every land.
An army does not muster without treasure; and from lack of brave men, even treasure brings grief.
If harm should reach the poor because of it, then the heart must give up this desire.
I kept turning the secret over in my heart, and when the thought rose up before my reason,
I turned to the champions and the nobles, and to the counsel of clear-minded, wise men.
I wrote a letter to every land, to every famous and self-willed lord:
let all of you who have sense and wisdom, and are raising a young son,
send him to the field equipped for war, to seek honor and reputation near us.
It must not be that on high ground or low he fails to know the grip, the rein, and the stirrup.
With mace, sword, arrow, and bow he must learn how to grapple with an ill-wisher.
A young man without skill is a wretched thing, even if he is the son of Arash himself.
The proclamation went out to every land, and money was carried to every chief.
The coin lingered forty days, then the men set out from their cities equipped for war.
Once they had drawn their gold from the treasury, they spent their days in joy.
So now the face of the world is fully manned; I have made ready and wait for battle to come.
My equipment and my army are greater than those of the kings before me, and my fortune and my judgment are greater too.
When the wise priest heard the king's words, he showered praise on the crown and the throne.
When the sun revealed its shining face, the turning sky opened its garden of light.
That mass of yellow blossom appeared, and the two dark tresses of night vanished away.
The young king, blessed and bright of heart, took his seat upon Nushinravan's throne.
A whole world turned its face toward the court, everyone on earth who sought a way to him.
A cry went up from the royal court: let anyone who seeks the path of justice
come to Nushinravan's court, the king's lips smiling, his fortune young.
Then the king spoke aloud: seek no friend but the pure God.
For He is the sustainer and the guide; He takes your hand in both worlds.
Never fear the throne and the crown; this court stands open to everyone.
Whoever comes by day or by night, do not keep your lips sealed from speaking.
Whether we are drinking wine among our company, or sitting quietly with a counselor,
at polo or out on the hunting field, the road to reach us is open to you.
Asleep or awake, in hardship or in ease, let no one be turned away from this court.
Let no one go to sleep resentful of me, until all their wishes have been granted.
My heart grows glad and bright only when I put an end to the suffering of the oppressed.
Let it never be that among my officials, or my soldiers and my attendants,
anyone sleeps with a grieving heart, for their pain would bring harm upon me.
Even words spoken in secret, the Creator of the world will ask me to account for them.
Whatever remains of the tribute and tax that the priest has recorded in our ledger,
no more gold or silver will be demanded of you; from now on do not sleep in fear of me.
A cry of blessing rose up from the palace, and the shining face of the earth stirred with joy.
May Nushinravan live in glory, year after year upon the imperial throne.
May the throne and the seat never be left empty of you, nor this famous royal crown.
They departed in joy and delight, and the face of the earth became like the garden of paradise.
In the whole world you saw no one downcast; from the clouds came rain at just the right time.
The world became like a joyful paradise; the rain in the air sowed tulips on the ground.
Field and door and garden glowed like lamps; the garden shone like the sun, the meadow like the moon.
Then word reached Rome and India that the face of Iran had turned to fine Roman silk.
Like the shining moon, the king adorned the land with justice and with his army.
No one could count that army, except perhaps the famous king himself.
All of them glad at heart and ready for battle, all of them warriors mindful of honor and shame.
The heart of every country's king was dazzled; before Nushirvan their own judgment seemed dim.
Envoys came from India and China, and all sang the king's praises.
They saw they had no strength to stand against him, so paying tribute and taxes felt easy to them.
They all showed their submission and asked for many purses of gold and gifts to send.
With maces of gold and crowns of gold, the envoys set out on their road.
They came to the court of the world's king, the great ones arriving with tribute and taxes.
The audience hall was arrayed like paradise, so full of servants, purses, and offerings.
Time passed like this for a while, and the heavens turned kindly toward the king of Iran.
Wise Khosrow made this decision: to set out from that borderland and move about.
To travel around the joyful world and uncover its hidden secrets.
He struck the war drum and led his army out; the moon and sun were dazzled at the sight.
So many figures and troops, so much silver and gold, belts of gold and shields of gold.
You would think no gold was left in the mines, no lustrous pearls or jewels remained.
At ease he marched toward Khorasan, leading his army in the manner of the Sasanians.
In every prosperous land he passed through, he pitched his pavilion and tents on the plain.
When the sound of the trumpet rose, a herald would step forward on his feet.
Crying: You subjects of the king of the world, whoever holds some grievance against us in secret,
Do not sleep in fear of the king; do not let worry darken your hearts with evil thoughts.
In this way he led his army to Gorgan, bringing the crown and throne of the great.
Know that there was no lack of justice; a king needs excellence, wisdom, and noble lineage.
From Gorgan they went to Sari and Amol, arriving in the season of the nightingale's song.
Gate and plain were all thick forest around him, while the heart of Iran's king was full of thought.
From the plain he climbed a high mountain, mounted on an Arabian bay horse.
He looked at the mountain top and those woodlands: he saw flowers, hyacinth, water, and game.
He said: O radiant Creator, ruler of the world, victorious and nurturing Lord,
You are the maker of the sun and moon, the one who opens and shows the way.
You created the world with such joy that from the sky the earth is not distinct.
Whoever worships anyone but you is sending his own soul to hell.
That is why Fereydun, the worshipper of God, made his dwelling in this woodland.
A speaker said to him: O just king, if there were no crossing here for the Turks,
our hearts would never be empty of joy, living in this rich and splendid land.
We cannot even raise our heads, so much killing, plunder, and raiding there is.
Nothing is left, great or small: not birds, not people, not cattle.
The only way harm reaches the army of Iran from one land to another is through here.
Long before this there was fighting and war; the Turks' passage was by the road of Khwarazm.
Now the hardship suffered by the landholders and the free, the Persian-born of this soil and region,
does not lessen but keeps growing; so now show us your mercy.
There would be no place like this city in the world, if we could share in your justice.
The same Fereydun, worshipper of God, never stretched his hand toward us with evil.
If the king, in his lofty wisdom, sees fit, let him build here and close the enemy's road.
Tears rained from the king's two eyes when he heard the words of the one who cried for help.
Then the ruler said to his minister: this hard task has become an easy matter to me.
It is not right that after this we roam and graze at ease, or nurse ourselves for the sake of the crown,
the Lord of the world would not approve our tyranny: that we live in joy while the farmer lives in grief.
Such mountains and these wide plains are all fit for gardens, fields, and palaces,
full of cattle, game, and flowing water; the soul is dazzled just to see them.
We will not let this land be ruined, or the cities of Iran be plundered.
Neither by kingship, nor by wisdom, nor by manliness would such a thing be fitting.
No one will bless us if the soil of Iran lies in ruin.
He ordered his minister to bring, from India and Rome, wherever there was a prosperous land,
the most skilled and discerning people from every country; choose the masters you find best.
Raise a high wall out of the water, its breadth wide and its height ten lassos' lengths.
With stone and mortar it must be built up from the depth of the water to the height of the sun.
Once we make a barrier of this kind, no harm from the enemy will reach Iran.
Let no one suffer hardship over this: give whatever they ask and open the treasury.
The tiller, the landholder, and the man of noble birth must not be hurt in the name of justice.
An old priest set about that work and raised a wall along the whole wilderness.
They set upon it a great iron gate, and the whole flock was safe from the fear of wolves.
He set guardians over the whole land, and once he felt secure, he marched his army out of the plain.
From the sea he took the road toward the Alans and found a borderland ruined and left idle.
He told his nobles, 'It is a shame that the soil of Iran should lie in ruins.'
'We must not agree to a situation where the enemy tells such tales about us.'
From the army he chose an envoy, eloquent and wise, just as the task required.
He said to him, 'Set out from here at dawn, and say to these border chiefs' army:'
'From the reports of my scouts I have heard every word that passed, open and hidden,'
'that you said: What fear have we of Kasra? What is Iran to us but a fistful of dust?'
'The desert is wide and its mountains are high; our army is master of the arrow, the mace, and the lasso.'
'We are all fighters from a foreign land; neither our troops nor our commander belong to this house.'
'Now we have come before you; we have pitched our pavilion, our throne, and our tents.'
'The pass and the cave are your places of ambush; the plain, the soil, the mountain, and the earth are yours.'
The envoy came and delivered these words, that the lord of Iran had made his foundations firm.
The army of the Alans gathered together, their great men, their sages, and their counselors.
An army whose trade was raiding, and who gave little thought to noble conduct.
Because of them the cities of Iran lived in terror; no one was left with clothing, gold, or silver.
Woman and man, with child and cattle, would flee to the open plain; nothing was left in place.
The envoy delivered the message of the king of the world to them, everything, open and hidden.
The faces of the notables grew dark, and their hearts were stunned at the name of Nushirvan.
The great men and warriors of that border set out, bringing heavy tribute and taxes.
All manner of cloth, captives, silver and gold, and many precious horses.
Those among them who were elders, eloquent men and lovers of knowledge,
all came before Nushirvan, shaken and trembling over what had passed.
When they reached the royal pavilion with their gifts and offerings,
they cried out and rolled in the dust, their eyes full of dust and their hearts full of blood.
When wisdom sits in confidence with a brave man, there is no need for shame or pleading.
The alert king took pity on them and forgave every past offense at once.
He ordered that wherever things lay in ruins, becoming lairs for leopards and lions,
they should quickly raise a city there, with room within it for planting and harvesting.
and a high rampart around it, so that no harm could come from the enemy.
They told the famous king: 'We are your servants, wearing the earrings of slaves.'
'We will raise up, just as the king has ordered, a fortress and a renowned residence.'
From that place the king marched his army; he went to India and stayed a while.
By his command everyone came before him, each one seeking to save his own life.
From the Indian sea for two miles there was money, along with gifts and horses and elephants.
All the nobles came before the king, coming from that region with sincere and loyal hearts.
Khosrow greeted them and treated them kindly, and gave each a rank fitting his worth.
He returned from that place with a glad heart, and a world full of horses, elephants, and troops.
On the road, word reached the king that the land had turned dark from the Baluchis.
From so much killing and plunder and raiding, and casting the earth beneath the flood.
The ruin from the Gilanis is even greater than this; blessings scattered before their curses.
The heart of Nushirvan grew sorrowful; grief mingled with his joy.
He said to the Iranians: 'The Alans and India have grown soft as silk from fear of our sword.'
'We will not be content with only our own realm; we hunt the lion even as it recoils from the sheep.'
A speaker said to him: 'O king, in the garden there is no rose without the wound of a thorn.'
'Any borderland exists only with hardship; treasure is gathered so that it may be spent.'
'The noble Ardeshir struggled with the matter of the Baluchis, working with seasoned, wise advisors.'
'Neither magic nor trickery helped, nor chains, nor toil, nor battle and war.'
Though these words were unavoidably true, Ardeshir had kept them hidden within himself.
The king was enraged by the landholder's words, and set out along the road toward the Baluchis.
When he drew near that borderland and its mountains, he surrounded it with his host.
The army closed in around it in such a way that from the crowd they blocked even the path of the wind.
From the foot of the mountain to the face of the cliffs, the troops were like ants and locusts.
A herald went round the whole army; a cry rose from cave and mountain and plain.
That whoever they found in that settlement, whether little children or brave men bearing swords.
And even if the gathering were small, not a single one should be allowed to escape.
When the army learned of the king's fury, horsemen and foot soldiers blocked every road.
Of them, neither many nor few remained; no woman, no fighting man, no child was left.
They put them all to the sword, inflicting cruelty and enduring hardship.
The king of the world was freed of that trouble; no Baluchi remained, open or hidden.
Things had come to this: their flocks on the mountain
were left untended, abandoned to roam free.
No shepherd walked behind the sheep
across the plains or up the high peaks.
They left all their belongings behind, worthless now,
and took the valleys and mountains for their homes.
From there he marched toward Gilan,
when trouble broke out from Gil and Daylam.
From the sea to the mountain peaks were troops:
the air full of banners, the earth full of men.
The army spread around Gilan
until the light of sun and moon was dimmed.
He gave this order: from here, young and old,
let not one sheep nor one wolf survive.
The mountains and plains were so heaped with the slain
that blood ran across the whole face of the land.
From so much killing, looting, and burning
rose the cries and wails of men and women.
On every side lay a pile of the dead;
the grass was smeared with brains and skulls.
All those of Gilan who were warriors,
sharp, wise, and steady in judgment,
bound their own hands, every one of them,
their women behind and small children in front.
They came crying out to the king,
their clothes torn, their heads covered in dust.
They gathered there before the court,
all with hands bound and bodies wounded,
saying, 'We have turned back from this evil ruler,
perhaps the king will grow kind toward us.'
'If the king's heart is still bitter against Gilan,
we will cut our own heads from our bodies with our hands.'
'Perhaps the king's heart will be satisfied
when he sees a pile of severed heads.'
When so much lament rose from the court,
and the king heard those voices,
the king of the world took pity on them;
the past was buried deep within his heart.
He demanded two hundred hostages from Gil and Daylam,
so that after this none would take an evil path.
He left one commander among them,
and once matters were settled, he led his army on.
From Gilan he marched toward Ctesiphon;
he could see neither the number nor the edge of his troops.
On the road, from afar, a boundless army
of lancers came into view.
A rider came swift as dust
from the dense host, then dismounted on foot.
He climbed down from his horse and spoke:
'This is Mundhir, come from Arabia.'
'He has come hoping to see the king,
and to kiss the dust of the palace gate.'
The king of kings said, 'If he comes, he is welcome;
let him know this house is his own.'
The messenger kissed the ground,
went back, and repeated all he had heard.
When Mundhir heard what the king had said,
he pressed his face to the dust of the earth.
At once he came before the king,
and all the nobles opened a path for him.
The king greeted him and was glad; seeing him added light to his eyes.
Worldly, experienced Mundhir spoke, mentioning Rome and Caesar.
He said: if you are the king of Iran, you are the one who guards the backs of the brave.
Why should the Romans hold sovereignty and ride as masters across the plain of horsemen?
If a king sits on Caesar's throne, it is only right that he be proud and supreme.
What would you decree, noble king, so that you no longer see us come to you crying for justice?
When our desert horsemen face the Roman riders, their armor turns useless.
At Mundhir's words the king grew furious that Caesar was raising his crown so high.
He chose an eloquent man from the army, one who would understand and grasp their speech.
He told him: go from here to Rome, and do not rest in any settled land along the way.
Tell Caesar: if you have no wisdom, your own thinking will bring punishment upon your head.
If a battle-lion charges at a wild ass, it turns the beast's lair into a den and the water to brine.
If you gain justice from Mundhir, that is enough, for his seat is above everyone else's.
Learn to tell your left hand from your right; once you do, it is fair to seek your borders.
For I am the bestower of lands and kingdoms; in this world I am the proud and supreme one.
I do only what is fitting for me to do, and I let no ill wind blow against him.
You reach out in vengeance against the Arabs; look inward at yourself in secret first.
And more: that kingdom is mine, from the bull that bears the earth to the back of the fish beneath it.
If I send an army to Rome, your steel sword will turn to wax.
The envoy set out from Nushinravan, moving like a raging wind.
He came to Caesar and delivered the message; the worthless Caesar recoiled from justice.
He gave no answer but deceit, seeing only the descent that follows every height.
He said: from feeble-minded Mundhir believe only what makes sense.
If Mundhir cries out in vain, his complaining only swells this way.
And even so, if from the plain of the spearmen no one rises up from end to end,
we will spread wide the land that lies before us and turn that waterless desert into a sea.
The envoy heard this and returned like the wind, recalling every word he had heard.
Kesra flew into a rage and told his minister: wisdom is no companion to Caesar's mind.
I will show him whose the command is, whose it is to conquer the world, to make war and treaties,
to rise in greatness and lift the head high, to kill, to plunder, and to raid.
The drunk man feels regret only when, at night, he thrusts both hands into the fire.
He ordered the trumpets sounded, and the army rose up from every quarter.
The drums roared from the royal court; the earth turned pitch black, the air like ebony.
From that renowned host he chose thirty thousand sword-wielding horsemen.
He handed that great army to Mundhir and commanded him to march from the plain of the lancers,
to raise an army against the warriors of Rome and set that land and country aflame.
Saying: though I am your king, in this quarrel I am also your ally and support.
Let us first send him a smooth-tongued envoy, bearing a letter to him.
Perhaps then no harm will come to you, and you will be pleased with me over Rome and Caesar.
He summoned a scribe from the court and ordered a letter written to Caesar.
From Nushirvan, the king of fortunate lineage, world-conqueror and heir of Kaykubad,
to Caesar, the proud lord of Rome, guardian of that border and prosperous land.
He began the letter with praise, for true greatness is sought from God alone,
the Lord of the turning sun and moon, from whom come victory and power.
Whoever strays from the way of the wheeling heavens, whether he seeks war, or justice and kindness,
if you are Caesar, master of Rome, do not press your judgment further against the Arabs.
If you seek a lamb from the claws of the wolf, that is a false hope and a great trouble.
And if you send an army against Mundhir, I will leave you neither army, nor crown, nor throne.
If any subject of mine acts with arrogance, he will feel the sword's reproach from me.
Do not measure out a single span of that land with your foot, if you wish the treaty to stand.
But if you ignore these words, I will ignore them too, and trample your head and throne beneath my horse's hooves.
The blessing of the Lord of the crown and might be upon the one who does not stir up strife through injustice.
They set the king's seal upon the letter and chose a rider from that court,
one who was, as needed, sharp-tongued, worldly-wise, brave, and bright of mind.
The envoy came with the king's letter before the renowned Caesar.
He greeted him and handed over the letter, and recalled to him the will of Khosrow.
Caesar heard his words and read the letter; he writhed and was left in astonishment.
At Khosrow's proud words the man's brow filled with frowns and his face turned pale.
He called for a scribe and wrote a reply, laying bare in it both the good and the ugly.
When he dipped the pen's tip in dark ink, he first offered praise to the Creator.
The painter who raised the high heavens, from whom come strife and peace and love.
In this world He crowns one man as king, and sets another to stand before him with a servant's belt.
If the turning sky itself is yours, then even the head of Jupiter bows to your command.
Look into the records: the people of Rome never once paid tribute to the line of Iranian kings.
If you are a monarch, I am no lesser man; I too have a crown, a throne, and an army.
Why should I swallow so much insult out of fear of your marching elephants and beating drums?
Now I demand tribute and tax from you, for I have the strength to make war on Rome.
They plundered our goods for a time; that old wrong we no longer raise against them.
From the plain we will send lancer horsemen to raise dust from one horizon to the other.
It was not Nushiravan who made the sun, though he took the keys of the turning heavens.
No man among the great can summon him, yet he gets all he desires in this world.
He gave the envoy no answer at all; in his anger, no thought of Khosrow crossed his mind.
When he sealed the letter he said: the cross and Christ stand beside you.
The envoy spoke no word to him; he saw only a grim face, and returned grim himself.
He came like the wind to the city of Iran and repeated all the Caesar's words.
When the king read that letter, he raged against the turning of fate.
He summoned all the priests and wise men and spoke with them at length about that letter.
For three days he took counsel with them, and with the army-breaking champions.
On the fourth day the king's decision was set: to march his army to war against the Caesar.
From the gate rose the wail of the ox-horn trumpet, the blaring of pipes and the great brass drums.
There was no rest, no delay in him; he sought war for the sake of justice.
He gathered the troops, loaded the baggage, and remembered the goodness God had given him.
Such a cloud of dust rose up you would think the heavens had smeared their face with a sea of pitch.
It covered the face of the earth with horseshoes; the whole sky turned crimson as silk.
There was no room on the ground even for a gnat, no path in the air even for the wind.
From the riders' armor and the dust of the elephants, the earth became like the river Nile.
The world-ruler moved on with the banner of Kaveh, wearing his crown and golden shoes.
Their clamor carried for two miles; at the head of the army marched the drums and elephants.
Nobles rode before and behind, moving on all the way to Azerbaijan.
When his eyes fell on the fire temple of Azargoshasp, he dismounted from afar and left his horse behind.
He rose in the proper way from the clean counsel,
and washed his two cheeks with the water of his eyes.
He entered the fire temple with tribute,
and held there the festival of Sadeh at the threshold.
He ordered the book of the Zend and Avesta,
and the priest recited it aloud, correctly.
The chief priest and the herbad rolled in the dust before him,
all of them tearing the hems of their robes.
The nobles scattered jewels over him,
and murmuring, they chanted their blessings.
As he drew nearer, he began to pray,
and set to praising the Maker of the world.
He asked of Him victory and power,
and that his heart be shown the road toward justice.
He gave gifts to the worshippers,
and wherever he saw the poor, gave to them too.
He pitched a tent before the fire temple,
and the army drew up its ranks on every side.
He called the wise scribe before him,
and spoke with him of the necessary matters.
He ordered a letter, full of blessings,
to the frontier lords of the land of Iran:
Be reverent and stay watchful;
guard the army against the enemy.
Every border chief and commander, whoever you are,
all of you seek justice for those beneath you.
Keep the army at whatever strength is needed,
so that no ill-wisher may find a way in.
Until someone sees my banner,
no one should sleep too easy in his safety.
When he set out from the fire temple toward Rome,
news of him spread across the whole land.
Whoever chose obedience came forward to meet him;
others vanished from that region and country.
The worldly-wise came in great numbers
to the king with gifts and offerings.
In every land and region where he halted,
messages and greetings arrived from every side.
Wherever in the world he led his army,
nothing appeared but feasting and joy.
It was such that every night a thousand of the warriors
came to the king's banquet.
As the battle drew near, he made his preparations,
and began to hand out coin to the troops.
The commander was Shiruy son of Bahram,
who was measured and calm in war.
He gave the left wing of the army to Farhad,
and reminded him of much good counsel.
He set the victorious Ostad over the right wing,
and Goshasb, the world-seeker, at the head of the baggage train.
In the center stood Arvand Mehran on his feet,
for in the place of vengeance he kept his heart steady.
He gave the vanguard to Hormozd Khorrad,
and spoke with him at length of injustice and justice.
Scouts went out in every direction,
so that nothing would stay hidden from him.
He summoned the seasoned men from the army,
and delivered much good advice and counsel.
He said this: this boundless army
is made of both the lowly and the noble.
If anyone strays from my path, or acts on his own will without my counsel,
if he brings harm to the poor, or even to the great who hold treasures,
if he tramples a farmer's crop underfoot, or breaks ranks and moves before the army,
if he raids an orchard keeper's fruit, or does any shameful deed,
I swear by God, who granted me the crown and the strength, the Lord of Saturn, Mars, and the Sun,
that I will cut him in two with my sword, even if the tale should rise into the clouds.
I stand at the vanguard before the troops; I am the world-seeker, the heart and mainstay of the host.
I guard the elephants, the army, and the baggage, sometimes at the center, sometimes on the right flank.
By land or across the watery sea, I seek no rest or sleep while in battle.
There was a herald named Roshnavad, who kept the king's words fixed in his memory.
He came running, circled the whole army, and passed by every tent and pavilion.
He cried out: 'You boundless army, this is the command of the watchful king:
if anyone acts by anything other than justice, love, and wisdom, and casts an eye upon the dark earth,
they will spill his blood on that dark soil, once he steps outside the command of God.'
But the king did not grow at ease with the herald's cry, by bright day or by dark-hued night.
He would ride around the army on the road, keeping watch over both good and evil.
He stayed aware of the affairs of the world, and left neither good nor bad to go slighted.
For any soldier who died bravely along the way, he had a tomb built in that very place.
If silver and gold were left behind by him, his cap, bow, lasso, and belt,
the good and the bad of it were buried with the dead in the earth; nothing was better than a man laid in the grave.
A whole world marveled at him, that Nushinravan had risen to such greatness.
Wherever battle arose, he brought his judgment, his good sense, and his patience.
He would choose a truthful envoy to go to the enemy and seek a remedy.
If the enemy found their way to justice, the wise king did them no wrong himself.
But if they sought war, he came to war, coming in his fury like a bold crocodile.
He gave their whole land and their crops to plunder; he sought the world with justice and the sword.
The king's judgment was like the sun that shines upon the wet and the dry along its path,
and denies its light to no one when the clouds drift clear of the turning sky.
To it belong both the dust and the sand, both color and scent, both the lustrous pearl and the stream's flowing water.
His radiance and greatness came from no one else; he alone was heart-brightening and generous.
This was the king of kings' strength and glory; he held the whole world sheltered beneath his wing.
War and generosity were like a game to him, and he was so free of any need from others.
If a lion and an elephant came against him, he would not carry the fight beyond a single day.
An army that came before his forces armed with helmet and coat of mail, ready for battle,
whether slain or bound and wailing, ended up in the prisons of the victorious king.
So it went until he reached that city, the fortress whose name was Shorab.
He saw a tower raised into the sky, full of men and instruments of war and music.
Its foundations sunk in deep water on solid rock, its ramparts reaching into the clouds.
The army circled the fortress but found no way in to its gate anywhere.
He set up catapults on all four sides, and that priestly stronghold's wall came crashing down.
A doomsday clamor rose from every side of the fort; they could find no path or place to flee.
By the time the bright sun had turned across the dome of sky, that fortress wall had become like flat open plain.
The shout of horsemen and the dust of the army, with smoke and fire, rose up to the moon.
The whole fort was heads without bodies, and their headless bodies lay in another place.
The cry for mercy and the wailing of women rose up like the beating strokes of drummers.
Among them, everyone who was of high standing, weighty in treasure and in valor,
they bound onto elephants and loaded up, while the clamor and pleas for mercy rose.
He spared no one in the hour of battle, nor any hoard of gold at the feasting table.
Then he led his army away from that place, and along the road another fortress appeared,
one that held the Caesar's treasure locked within, and its keeper was a wealthy man.
Its name was 'the Pride of Rome,' and in the end it fell to Khosrow.
The watchful king looked upon that fortress while his army had not yet reached it.
He ordered them to rain down arrows, to make the sky like spring hail.
Not one crowned commander was left in the garrison; only thorns remained on that land, east and west.
He gave over all the Caesar's treasure to plunder, and handed his troops purses of gold and crowns.
He raised a doomsday uproar in that city, and everyone took to the road in flight.
A cry rose from child and man and woman; old and young alike gathered together.
They came before the noble king, crying out and begging for justice.
saying: 'The command, the rule, and the treasure are all yours; in Rome the war and the hardship are yours to decide.'
'With our very lives we beg your protection; we are the servants of your glorious crown.'
Then he ordered that they not be killed either, and he pardoned them and gave them many gifts.
From there he marched his army onward, past the splendor of Rome and beyond.
A messenger, bringing word from the scouts, came before the king of the world.
He said the Caesar had sent an army ahead, drawn from his famous men and champions.
At its head marched a mighty warrior, and every man in battle was like a wolf.
In Roman they called him Farforius, a proud horseman with trumpet and war drum.
When this was said before the watchful king, the dust of an army appeared in the distance.
The king of the world laughed and said, 'This is no secret to us.'
'We prepared for this battle long ago, and cleared our minds of every worry.'
The crowned king brought froth to his lips, and ordered the ranks drawn up.
One army advanced against the other, and the road was choked with dust and wind.
A famed host gathered together, proud champions who wield the sword.
All of them belted tight for war: the great, the wise, and the noble.
They had steeped their blades in blood, blades sharp enough to slice through cloud.
The army needed no longer a moment than a leopard needs to seize its prey from a height.
On every side there was a mound of slaughtered Romans; the rest, wounded, had fled the fight.
Farforius left the battle wounded, his banner torn, his war drum overturned.
The Iranian horsemen were like leopards on a plain where a wild ram falls into their grip.
Then they charged after the Romans and cleared the gates and fields of them.
So they pressed on, ready for war, with spear and mace and dagger in hand.
He led the army onto a plain, and another fortification came into view.
It was a fortress with troops, trumpet, and drum, a place they called Qaliniyus.
Its walls rose higher than an eagle's flight, and a moat full of water ran around it.
A wide city surrounded it, full of halls, gardens, arenas, and palaces.
Within it was a large Roman force, all famous men, eager for battle.
The king was two leagues ahead; the world turned black with the dust of the army.
A roar rose up from Qaliniyus, so loud that the sound of the drums grew faint.
The king looked into that city, and every moment its army grew larger.
From the gates they made ready for war, and hurled down arrows and vessels of fire.
When the shining sun turned pale and set, one part of the turning sky went deep blue.
Barely anything was left of that fortress wall; the whole city was leveled with the ground.
A cry rose from the king's court: You famous ones of the army of Iran!
Leave this city, every one of you, and go out into the open plain under cover of dark.
If any cry of a woman or an old man, or any looting, uproar, or violent seizing,
reaches my ears in the dark of night, if a single man opens his lips in complaint of harm,
then at once the one who causes that cry will be seen with his skin stuffed full of straw.
When the sun raised its blade out of Cancer, the toil wore away and sleep melted off.
The drum sounded from the king's court, and the nobles set out on the road.
From that fortress and that city, men and women gathered at Khosrow's court.
They said: No warrior horseman remains here; no man of name is left in this city.
The innocent have all been killed or wounded; the time has come for the king to show mercy.
Women, small children, the young and the old, it does not befit God's justice that they be captives.
The fortress, wall, and city became such that afterward nothing was seen but a thornfield.
Since Caesar was the guilty one, who are we? What weight do we hold at Qalinus?
The king had pity on those Romans; the guilty were spared, and so were the innocent.
Much treasure was left in their hands, and from there too the king marched his army on.
Everyone who was fit for battle they bound upon elephants and loaded as cargo.
Word reached Antioch about the king, that he had come on the road with elephants and army.
A countless force moved toward that city, brave Romans and valiant men.
For three days the king held back, so that the fighting would not be unjust.
On the fourth, the army poured in like a mountain, the brave of Iran in company after company.
The horsemen of Rome all went out to fight for their women, children, treasure, and land.
The whole army entered the city, until there was not even room for a foot on the ground.
Three heavy battles were fought in three days; on the fourth, when the world-lighting sun blazed,
that flourishing frontier land was taken, and no warrior horseman was left in Rome.
The great ones who held throne and crown, and those who were Caesar's treasurers,
handed the treasure over to the world-ruling king; the treasure fell into his grasp, since he had endured the toil.
The king sent the captives and Caesar's treasure off along the road toward Ctesiphon.
And every one of them who had been a fighter they bound and set upon the backs of elephants.
He saw the ground gleaming brighter than the moon in the sky, and the king rode all around that city.
So many gardens, fields, and running streams; the world, grown old, was made fresh once more.
The king said to his wise men: 'Is this Antioch, or is it early spring?'
Whoever has never seen a joyful paradise, here its dust is musk and its bricks are gold.
Its trees are of ruby, its water rosewater; its earth the heavens, its sky the sun.
We must look upon this new land, and may the whole territory of Rome flourish.
Anushirvan ordered a city built, with running waters inside it,
shining like a lamp, in the likeness of Antioch, full of rose gardens, palaces, fields, and orchards.
The nobles, bright of heart and content, named it 'The Ornament of the King.'
That Ornament of the King became like joyful spring, a paradise full of color, scent, and beauty.
The captives who had been bound from those cities, their hands and feet worn out by heavy chains,
he ordered their bonds removed, and let them settle freely in those cities.
He said: 'This newly built place, with all its gardens, orchards, and dwellings,
we have made so that each person, to their liking, may have a home worthy of their name.'
He gave wealth to everyone, and the land was adorned like a paradise.
So crowded were the streets, alleys, and marketplace, you would say no path was left upon the ground.
A talkative shoemaker came forward and said: 'O unjust king,
in Callinicum my house had a mound of earth before my doorstep.
This Ornament of the King brings me no gain, for there is no mound before my gate.'
He ordered that at the ill-starred man's door they cut down a few flourishing trees.
The king chose a Christian man and gave him command, treasury, and crown.
He said to him: 'This Ornament of the King is yours; the strangers and this new dwelling are yours.'
'Be like a fruit-bearing tree; be a father at times, and at times like a son.'
'Adorn yourself with generosity and do not be miserly; speak measured words on every matter.'
The king led his army out of Antioch and left the world-wise Christian as its guardian.
Then news came from Farfuriyus, telling what had happened at Callinicum.
He said to Caesar: 'The army has come, Kasra the world-ruler, with elephants and his throne.'
'The troops are as vast as sea and mountain; the very earth grows weary from the dust of their horses.'
Caesar turned back from his own resolve and summoned the wise nobles before him.
His heart filled with dread of Anushirvan; he took counsel day and night, through all three watches.
The wise man told him: 'This is no sound plan, for you have no footing against Kasra in battle.'
They will lift the soil from this thriving land, and the Caesar's work will sink into the grave.
A feeble tongue in a poet and a weak judgment bring nothing but hardship upon a kingdom.
When Caesar heard this, his heart was stunned; his hopes against Nushinravan turned dark.
He chose from among the philosophers of Rome one who was eloquent, wise, and of clean lineage.
Sixty men came forth from the priests, and they nominated them to go to Khosrow.
He sent a message to the king, and the noble ones set out on the road.
With their learned Mehras at the head, old in wisdom yet a young commander.
A treasure of every kind was laid before them, its full count and measure reckoned out.
Much pleading, counsel, and fine speech, and regret for the words spoken long ago.
He sent them off with heavy tribute and tax, and hostages from his kin and champions.
When Mehras heard Caesar's words, the key to that evil lock appeared.
They came near to Nushinravan, their tongues honed sharp as diamonds along with their spirits.
When Mehras reached Khosrow's presence, he offered a blessing in the Roman tongue.
You would have said that from his keenness and honesty a star rose out of his sleeve.
He said to Khosrow: O king, do not hold the world in such lofty pride.
Now Rome and Iran both stand empty for you; every land is worthless and without culture.
Whenever Caesar is not in Rome, this land and realm is not worth a single gnat.
All benefit comes from people; when a man is lost, humanity itself is lost.
If this upheaval is sought for the sake of something by which respect and knowledge have been diminished,
then I have now brought all the treasure of Rome, for a bright spirit is better than treasure and land.
When the king heard these words from him, his heart grew glad as a garden in spring.
He accepted all that had been brought, whether a purse of gold or captives taken.
He began to praise the envoys and to add still more to those kindnesses.
He said to him: O man of bright wisdom, no one who nurtures wisdom is ever led away captive.
Even if all the soil of Rome turned to gold, you would weigh heavier than that crown-bearing land.
They imposed tribute and tax upon Rome: scattered gold coins, ten hides of an ox in measure.
From that place they heard the wail of the horn and the sound of the brazen trumpet.
The vigilant world-ruler marched his army, came to Syria, and stayed there a while.
He brought back so many weapons and troops, so many captives, purses, crowns, and thrones,
that the back of the earth was bent low under the elephants and the treasuries of silver coin.
When he decided it was time to leave that borderland,
he handed his post over to Shirouy son of Bahram.
He told him: collect this tribute from Caesar,
and never grow slack about it, day or month.
Shirouy kissed the ground before him
and kept praising his king.
He said: stay alert and fortunate,
so this royal tree may yield its fruit through your justice.
The drums sounded from the king's court,
and the army's banner set out toward Jordan.
The world ruler Khosrow was like the sun;
the world both feared him and set its hopes on him.
This is how the sun of the sky moves:
with a sword in one hand and kindness in the other.
He shows no mercy at the moment of anger,
and no anger clouds his eyes on the day of giving.
Such was that king of royal blood,
who had adorned the world with justice.