English
The Battle of the Khaqan of China with the Hephthalites
The noble old landholder spoke like this:
remember every word you hear from him.
Among the famous men of glory and justice,
among warriors of high lineage and splendor,
there was no greater lord than the Khaqan of China,
none in all the world surpassing Khosrow.
From China all the way to the banks of the Oxus,
men praised him and blessed his justice.
That commander, with his army, treasure, and crown,
held the region of Chaj along the Golzariyun river.
Khosrow's fame spread across the world,
scattered among the great lords:
his courage, his wisdom, his royal glory,
his greatness and the ways of a king of kings.
The wise Khaqan, in that age,
sought friendship with the king.
For some time he sat with his counselors;
all the notables gathered together.
He looked for a way to secure that friendship,
and sought advice from his priests and sages.
Then he prepared countless gifts,
all chosen as befitting a king's court:
Chinese horses and Chinese brocade,
thrones and crowns, swords and signet rings.
He loaded onto camels the rarest treasures
of every kind to be found in China.
For the ceremonial offering, he ordered his treasurer
to bring thirty thousand Chinese gold coins.
He brought them and joined them to the gifts,
and loaded the rest of the camels with more gold.
He chose an eloquent man from among the notables,
wise and well traveled through the world.
He ordered a scribe to come before him
to write a letter from the Khaqan on silk.
They wrote it in the manner of Chinese painting,
to the king, with a hundred thousand blessings.
The envoy's road ran through Hephthalite land,
a road lined all the way with swords and maces.
From Sughd all the way to the Oxus, an army
stood in ranks under the Hephthalite king.
The hero named Ghatfar was their leader,
renowned among them in battle.
When he learned of the Khaqan of China's move,
and of the gifts to the king of the earth,
he summoned the seasoned men of his army
and laid out the whole matter before them.
Ghatfar spoke to his proud chieftains:
'Our fortune has turned against us.'
'If the king of Iran and the Khaqan of China
make peace and bless each other from the heart,'
'this friendship spells danger for us;
by it our own city will be laid to ruin.'
'We must launch a raid
and clear the world of this envoy.'
He chose a famous man from the army,
a proud warrior, just as was fitting.
He gave over all the treasure to be plundered,
the camels and the finely adorned horses.
They cut off the envoy's head and cast it down;
not a single Chinese Turkish rider escaped.
When word reached the Khan of China, his heart filled with pain and his head with vengeance.
He marched his army from Qajghar Bashi; not one famous warrior was left in China or Khotan.
Of the kin of Arjasp and Afrasiab, not a single man rested or slept.
They all set out together for the Gulzariun River, every head full of rage and every heart full of blood.
The commander of the Khan's army was Sanja; he raised dust from the earth up to the sky.
From the surging of the horsemen at Chach, the waters of the Gulzariun turned red as blood.
When Ghatfar learned of these tidings, that the Khan of China had laid such foundations,
he chose an army from the Hephthalites so vast that the sun vanished from the world.
From Balkh, Shughnan, Amuy and Zam he summoned weapons, troops, and treasures of coin.
From Suman, Termez and Wisagird an army rose up, dust from every direction.
From mountain and desert, from sand and stony ground, the host swarmed like ants and locusts.
When the Khan crossed the river at Berk, you would think the sky was raining swords.
He gathered his troops at Mai and Margh; the sun went black like the wing of a falcon.
From so many spears and dark blue blades, and the flashing of banners of every kind,
Bukhara was full of dust and maces, for it was the camp of the Hephthalite king.
Ghatfar advanced with an army like a mountain, a host he had drawn together from the Hephthalites.
When the armies pressed in close from every side, so tight that they closed off the wind's own road,
with the flashing of the chieftains' swords and the swinging of heavy maces,
you would think iron had grown a tongue, and the air had made itself the interpreter of the mace.
A wind rose up and a black dust; the light left the sun and the moon.
The people of Kushan and Sughd gathered, children, men, and women with faces wet with tears,
wondering how that battlefield would turn out, and to whom the turning sun and moon would grant victory.
For a whole week those warring armies had faced one another head to head.
Everywhere the slain lay heaped up; from blood the earth and stones had turned crimson.
From so many spears, maces, clubs and swords, you would think stones were raining from the clouds.
The sun was hidden within the dust; the flying eagle's eyes were filled with grit.
On the eighth day the tide turned against Ghatfar; the world went black like a lapis night.
A defeat fell upon the Hephthalites, a defeat that would not be mended for years.
They saw no way out, and each of them who survived called the name of God in his heart.
The wounded lay scattered on every side; the whole frontier was full of the slain and the captured.
They kept fighting, this side against that, and never had we seen such stubborn resistance.
That army seemed not to be human at all; you could hardly bear to look at them.
In face they were all demons and beasts, in heart far removed from any thought of good or evil.
From javelin and spear, from mace and sword, you would think they knew no way to flee.
They all had the faces of dragons, and lifted their spears up into the clouds.
Their claws were like a leopard's; you would say their hearts never grew tired of war.
They took no saddle from their horses; they slept and lay right there on the snow.
Their mounts fed only on thorns, and while one rider slept, two stayed awake.
We have no power to withstand the Khan of China; we must cross into the land of Iran.
If it happens that Ghatfar obeys, and binds his belt in service to Kasra,
he will hand over the city of the Hephthalites to him and forget his mace and battle-club.
Otherwise, from the line of Khoshnavaz we will choose a proud and mighty warrior,
one who will be glad to serve Nushirvan, so that through him old fortune grows young again.
Tell him of the deeds of the Khan of China, and a whole world will call down blessings on him,
for he has glory, stature, generosity, and wisdom, and his wisdom nurtures what is just.
He has laid tribute and tax on the Caesars; no one has the strength or force to stand against him.
The Hephthalites, child and man and woman, all gathered together on this single decision.
There was a lord of Chaghan of noble birth, a world-seeker full of knowledge, generosity, and justice,
wise, and his name was Faghanish; he had his own treasury and his own army.
The nobles of the Hephthalites and the Khan of China called down blessings on him as king.
Then word reached the great king that the Khan had become a mighty and renowned figure,
and of the Hephthalites and the heroes of that assembly, that defeat had come upon them from the Khan,
and of the king of Chaghan, who with new fortune had come and taken his seat upon a new throne.
The king of the world sat lost in thought at the report of his alert scouts.
He arranged a place to sit in his palace, and the king-serving heroes came forward.
Along with the high priest of priests, Ardeshir, and men like Shapur and Yazdgerd the scribe,
and the wise men who showed the way, they all sat together before the king's throne.
Kasra spoke thus: O wise ones, you who have traveled the world and seen its affairs, my counselors,
I have received unwelcome news, words that are ugly and of no benefit,
about the Hephthalites, the Turks, and the Khan of China, and about those frontier lords of the land of Turan.
Countless armies gathered together, from Chach, from China, from the Turks, and from Khotan.
For a full week the Hephthalites, the Turks, and the Chinese never lifted a single saddle from their horses.
In the end the Hephthalites were beaten back; two thirds of them lay wounded or dead.
And this despite the fame of the Hephthalites, a whole world bristling with maces and clubs.
It is astonishing that defeat fell upon them. May no commander ever be so poor in judgment.
Had Ghatfar possessed a name worth having and sound counsel, the turning heaven would not have driven that army from its ground.
When the land of the Hephthalites was thrown into turmoil, they sought out someone from the line of Bahram Gur.
They set up a new king in a new fashion and hailed him on the throne with praise.
The Khan has settled there beyond Chach, holding his head high with army, treasure, and crown.
Kinsmen of Arjasp and Afrasiab, they dream of nothing but seizing the land of Iran.
Emboldened by the defeat of Ghatfar's army, the Khan lifts his head up to the sun.
It would be fitting if we did not agree, lest the Khan tell himself such a tale:
That the land is now his kingdom, the land that once gave the Chinese their backing and support.
All their subjects suffer under them, having handed over their women, men, and wealth.
What do you all see now in this matter? What shall we do about the Turks and the Khan of China?
The wise nobles rose to their feet and prepared their answer to him.
With one voice they all praised him: 'O king of good fortune and pure faith,
the whole land of the Hephthalites is devilish; they are two faced and enemies of this land.
Whatever evil befalls them, they deserve it; and from the king a good and just word is fitting.
Even if there were no old grudge or grievance against them, there is still the blood of that noble, freeborn king.
They killed Piruz all at once, a sovereign who was the lamp of the world.
May they never know a single day of joy, for justice never springs from injustice.
Such is the retribution of the just: the evildoer's own evil comes down upon his head.
If the king should speak of the Khan, saying he keeps in his heart an ancient grudge and grief,
it is fitting, for as a kinsman of Afrasiab, ill-taught by his line, his two eyes are full of tears of spite.
And now that he has won, he has grown bold; if you fear him, that would be no surprise.
But of the Hephthalites and Ghatfar's army, give them no thought and grieve not over them.
As for the kinsmen of Arjasp and Afrasiab, and the Khan who has settled on the far side of the river,
settle their affair with a clear and steady soul; you are the proud, head-held-high king of the world.
From you soul and reason take their light. Blessed is the one who nourishes the soul.'
You are wiser than the whole assembly; you need no sage or counselor.
The crown and throne of the world suit you, for you have glory, greatness, wisdom, and good fortune.
If the king marches toward Khorasan, this kingdom will be left in fear.
As soon as our land is seen without a king, at any moment an army may come from Rome.
They will take revenge on the Iranians, and nothing will be left of the land of Iran.
No one has ever set foot on Iran's soil, nor spoken ill of this kingdom.
If the king's mind is set on vengeance and war, even the sea dragon grows tame before him.
When the ruler heard the Iranians speak of feasting, of quarrel, and of battle,
no one had any desire for the dust of combat; they had grown used to feasting and ease.
The king, the master of the world, understood what lay in the hearts of the wise.
He answered thus: I give thanks to God, of whom I am in awe in both worlds,
for these men have sought only sleep and food; they have forgotten the dust of war.
Ease and the banquet hall have weighed you down, so that you turn your heads away from the battlefield.
Whoever endures hardship will find comfort; from the body's toil he brings back treasure.
By God's strength, at the start of the month we shall all prepare ourselves for the road.
I will lead an army toward Khorasan and summon troops from every land.
I will cleanse the world of evil men, and with justice and generosity make the realm anew.
All the nobles fell silent, then with apology sang his praise:
O victorious king, full of glory and justice, may the age rejoice in the sight of you.
We nobles are all your servants; we bow our heads to your command and counsel.
Whenever you order us to battle, the king will see no idleness in us.
After that, when he sat down with his counselor, the great men and Kasra gathered together.
Things went on this way until the new moon rose, and he took his seat upon the new throne.
You would say a cup of yellow ruby had been set upon a veil of deep blue.
When they saw the moonlike face of the king, a cry of joy rose from the royal court.
When the shining lamp lifted its head above the mountain, the earth became like a golden bow.
The blare of the war trumpets rang out, and the bronze bells were fastened on the elephants.
Wave upon wave the troops came to the camp, and the drummers set out on the road.
Yazdgerd the scribe went to the court, together with the counselor, the priest Ardeshir.
They wrote letters to every land, to every noble and every chief.
The king has marched with his army for battle; do not, you lesser ones, prepare a feast.
He sent a letter to the Khaqan of China, and praised him with his complaint as well.
He led out an army from Ctesiphon so vast that no land was left uncovered, save the sea itself.
From mountain to mountain the ground was one solid mass of soldiers, the world ruler's banner planted at the center.
He led one army toward Gorgan, so great that the sun vanished from the world.
For a while he rested, hunting, roaming through the mountains and the meadows.
The Khaqan was in Sogdia while the king took counsel with his army at Gorgan.
With the kinsmen of Arjasp and Afrasiab, all Sogdia had become like a sea of water.
The Khaqan kept saying: the earth cannot hold my army, nor bear the weight of my crown.
From here we will march our troops toward Iran, and from Iran onto the plain of the brave.
We will carry all the soil of Iran back to China, and bring the Arabs into this faith of ours.
I will let no one keep a crown or throne, no royal seat, nothing of fortune's throne.
For a while he went on with such talk, that world seeker, with his war hungry army.
Until news came of the king, that he had set out from Iran in glory.
And with that triumphant fortune and full power, he had spread his army from sea to sea.
When the Khaqan learned this, he faltered; the road to battle grew short.
He sat down to think with his advisor, and the great men of the army gathered.
The Khaqan's commander said to the minister: this news cannot be dismissed or hidden.
I have heard that Kasra has reached Gorgan and spread his troops across the whole face of the land.
Surely he has no news of us, or else his mind is empty of good judgment.
From China to the Oxus, the army is mine; the world lies beneath the glory of my crown.
I must go out to fight him; let iron armor smother both my name and my shame.
He imagines there is no path except through him, as if no other king exists in this age.
Now let him learn what a warrior I am; I will go before him with the horsemen of China.
A wise man spoke to the Khaqan of China, saying: O ruler of the earth,
do not think of war with the king of Iran; do not throw your kingdom and your army to the wind.
No king seeks to take his place unless his heart and judgment have gone dark.
For no king matches his glory upon the throne; even the moon in the sky is not as bright as his face.
He demands tribute from India and from Rome, from every place of treasure and prosperous soil.
He is master of the crown, worthy of the throne, a world ruler, watchful, and blessed with victorious fortune.
When the Khan heard the priest's words, he laid the foundation of a fitting plan.
He said to his wise, path-seeking counselor: what does a wise man think best here?
Two matters lie before us that cannot be avoided; it is foolish to sit silent about them.
One of them, in the end, brings only hardship; there is nothing better than scattering treasure for it.
From gold coins come no clothing and no food, nor any shelter on the day of shame and battle.
What a man needs is safety, food, clothing, and fine bedding.
Anyone who lives in fear of misfortune should count money as cheap and keep himself at ease.
From the army he chose ten eloquent men, who knew how to speak and how to listen wisely.
He wrote a letter full of praise, its Chinese phrasing as fine as figured Chinese silk.
Those ten wise, well-spoken riders set out secretly toward the king.
When word reached Kasra, he adorned the royal hall.
He ordered the curtain drawn aside and let them pass gladly through his court.
All ten came before the king with the letter, gifts, and offerings.
When the world-ruler saw them he welcomed them, asked after the Khan, and seated them.
They bowed their heads to the ground before him and delivered the message of the Khan of China.
The envoy set before the scribe a letter written on silk in Chinese.
The scribe began at once to read the letter, and the whole assembly was left in wonder.
The letter opened first with praise, of the Creator to the king of the earth.
Then it displayed to the king its greatness: high standing, treasure, army, arms, and majesty.
The third point was this: that the emperor of China calls me the maker of order in the world.
Without my even wishing it he gave me his daughter; his army seeks nothing but my will.
And as for the gift the king had sent, which the Hephthalites seized along the road,
for that grievance I marched out from the city of Chaj, to take treasure and crown from Ghatfar.
I advanced in such a way from Golzariyun that the waters of the Oxus ran red as rubies with blood.
When the news reached Machin and China, we called down blessings on the one who brought it,
for the king's victory and courage, his wisdom, his modesty, and his good sense.
In our hearts we felt only friendship, seeking to bind ourselves to the king of the world.
When Kasra heard that letter and its words, its account of his greatness, manhood, and worth,
they gave the envoys lodging, praised them greatly, and treated them with honor.
Whenever the cupbearer set out the feast and wine, the king would summon the envoys.
For a whole month they stayed near the king, at the palace of feasting and at the hunting grounds.
One day he set up a court in the open plain; the air grew dark with the dust of galloping riders.
All the border chiefs wore golden belts, the men of Baluch and Gilan carried golden shields.
They all came to that court, the attendants gathered close around the king.
They brought some three hundred elephants in golden trappings, and swords in golden sheaths.
The flash of blade, javelin, and spear, as if gold had been fused into iron.
The elephants' backs were dressed in fine brocade, with turquoise thrones the color of the Nile.
The ground was full of clamor, the air full of tumult; even the sharpest ears went deaf.
Envoys from Barda, India, and Rome, from every ruler of every prosperous land.
From the plain of the lance wielding horsemen they all set out toward the king.
It showed the Chinese who holds true kingship, who rules from the sun down to the fish beneath the earth.
The air filled with the swirling dust of riders, the ground filled with the tools of war.
On the plain they set up a field of combat, and the war riders came charging.
With mace and blade, with arrow and bow, the proud warriors circled for a time.
The whole plain was javelin throwers and lancers, foot soldiers on one side, horsemen on the other.
For the envoys from every country, from every famous name and every noble lord,
the king's army and equipment were astonishing, as were his face, his name, and his voice.
The envoys said to one another in secret: this king who holds his head so high,
he seeks excellence and never turns his rein aside; he wields the spearhead as if it were his own body.
If the king had shown us his own skill, each of us would carry the memory of it.
So that when each returned to his own king, he would have a story to bring back with him,
and he would say: neither old nor young have ever seen a king like Nushirvan.
Everything they said in secret they later told to the king of the world.
Then the king ordered the treasurer to bring the tools of war onto the plain.
He brought the padded coat, the helmet, and the mail, and ordered the knots untied.
The strong man laid them out; not one of them could lift his armor from the ground.
That same helmet, coat, and mace, nothing but his own chest and shoulders could bear them up.
There was no archer in the army like him, nor any famous warrior so fierce in battle.
He rode into the field like a raging elephant, an ox headed mace in his hand.
Beneath him a swift stepping horse, and the whole gathering stood amazed at his stature.
The trumpets roared and wailed, and from the backs of the elephants came the clang of bells.
Drummers went ahead striking their cymbals; the ground groaned beneath the hooves of the horses.
The king of kings, in helmet, mail, and spear, turned left and right, wheeling and swerving with the reins.
The envoys cried out their praise, and one by one they lowered their heads to the ground.
The king of the world came in from the field to his palace; one by one they went in with their hopes.
He commanded the scribe to come before him, along with Ardashir, the chief of the priests.
On the parchment the writer set down the royal letter, writing it in the Pahlavi tongue.
When the pen had washed its two faces in fragrant ink, it began the letter first with praise.
Praise to the just one who created the heavens, who made height and swiftness and love.
We are all his servants and he is the king; wisdom bears witness to his power.
No breath is drawn except by his command; without him no ant treads a step upon the earth.
I asked of him that our greeting might be carried to the Khaqan of China.
First, as for what you said about the Hephthalites, how they girded themselves for evil,
how in their injustice they recklessly shed blood, and hanged themselves in the trap they had set.
Even if a wrongdoer has the strength of a lion, he must not grow bold against God.
Since they took the path of the leopard, you triumphed over them in battle.
And next, as for what you said of your treasure and army, of the might of the Faghfur, and throne, and crown,
one who tells tales of his own greatness, no wise man will ever agree with him.
You have not seen a great throne, nor a crown; the army and the land of Chaj amazed you.
Such talk suits a man who has never seen treasure, nor an army, nor war, nor hardship.
The great ones of the world have seen me; those who have not seen me have heard of me,
how I do not count the sea of China as mere water, and how the mountain turns to rubble when I move against it.
The whole earth lies beneath my treasure's sway; wherever there is water and soil, it is my labor.
Third, since you have sought friendship, and adorned your heart with a bond to us,
you seek a feast, and I have no wish for war; no wise man ever seeks war at a feast.
And further, a wise man never seeks combat with a man of great renown,
especially one who has made war himself, who does not hesitate when the time to fight has come,
who has seen much on the day of battle, and needs no teacher when it is time to fight.
In the fierce fight one must keep his heart as calm as when he sits with crown and throne.
May the Creator of the world be your friend; may your crown and signet ring stay bright.
They set the letter beneath the king's seal, and that royal figure arranged his crown and throne.
In the manner of kings they prepared robes of honor, and summoned the envoy before him.
Whatever else was in his heart to send as a message, he added to the words of the letter as well.
With grace they departed from the king's hall, and set off on the road, full of praise.
Then they arrived before the Khan of China, every tongue full of blessings.
The world-experienced Khan cleared the place, and the guide came up to his throne.
He called all the envoys before him, and spoke many words about Kasra.
First about his wisdom, knowledge, and judgment, about his speech, his appearance, and his stature.
Then he asked how large his army was, and which of them held the signet ring and the crown.
About his justice and injustice, about his realm, and about his army, treasure, and diadem.
The eloquent envoy opened his tongue, and recalled before him all that he had seen.
He said to the Khan of China: O ruler, do not hold him as this humble subject.
During the time we stayed at his side, glad of heart and with fresh faces,
in the hall of battle and on the hunting field, we never saw a ruler like him.
He is tall as a cypress and has the strength of an elephant, and in generosity he is like the Nile.
On the throne he is the sky of loyalty; on the battlefield he is a crocodile of disaster.
If he grows fierce, he roars like a thundercloud, and at his voice even the lion is tamed.
And when he drinks wine with a gentle voice, he wins hearts with warm words.
A blessed cypress seated on throne and dais, a fruitful branch of a beautiful tree.
The whole city of Iran is his army; they are all servants who wear his crown.
When he sets up his court in the open plain, that army will not fit within the world.
All the mace-bearers full of splendor and glory, all the attendants wearing golden belts.
With elephants, tall thrones, and ivory seats, with royal chairs, bracelets, torques, and crowns,
no one can count the number of his ceremonies, no one in the world but a just ruler.
If his enemy became a mountain of iron, before his wrath its eye would narrow like a needle's eye.
Anyone who grows weary of his life turns fierce and goes to war with him.
When the Khan of China heard those words, he wilted and grew pale as a yellow flower.
At those words his heart was torn in two, and his mind filled with dread from worry.
Full of thought he sat with his counselors, and spoke thus to the renowned assembly:
O wise ones, what is the way of this matter? Who is it that has left me troubled and wounded with this pain?
It would be wrong for a victory won in war to turn every good name into disgrace.
They summoned wise counselors of every kind; they debated back and forth and set matters in order.
The Khan said: This is the way, that we send people to the king.
Let us take the lead through wise planning, make peace with the king, and become his kin.
Behind our curtains we have many daughters, each a crown upon the heads of noble women.
Let us give one, in his name, to the great king, and so put an end to worry over his affairs.
Once we are bound to him through blood, no one will lead him toward doing us harm.
With this there is pride and honor; without it, only war and reckless games.
The nobles approved the king's counsel; with one voice they said: This is the way.
From the army he chose three men of worth, men who could speak, understand, and take back an answer.
He opened the treasury of gold and said: Why should jewels stay hidden away?
Whether for honor and guarding against shame, or for giving gifts, waging war, and pressing on.
He prepared a gift such that no one in the world, neither low nor high, had ever seen.
He called before him a world-wise scribe and poured out to him all that was in his heart.
First he gave praise to the Creator, the powerful, the wise, the sustainer of all.
Lord of Saturn, the sun, and the moon; lord of victory and of power.
He asks nothing of his servant but honesty, and seeks no flaw within justice.
From Him be greetings upon the king of Persia, lord of the sword, the mace, and the helmet.
Lord of wisdom, the crown, and the throne, who has won desire and fortune from the Victorious One.
Let the world-ruler of royal descent know, the wise one of weight, culture, and generosity,
that people gain worth through other people, however great and lofty they may be.
My wise envoys, who were near to my household,
when they came from that court to this court, they spoke a while about the king,
of his justice, his wisdom, and his fortune, of his crown, his glory, and his throne.
Such a longing arose in me that, through your splendor, I might rest in the shadow of your wing.
Nothing is more precious than one's heart's blood, and a gifted child is one with the heart.
One who is pure and modest, gentle in nature, lovelier and more worthy to behold,
let him ask her of me, if she pleases him; surely this will prove to his benefit.
Then the border of Persia and China will not stand apart, and praise of us will grow throughout the world.
So they wrote it all on Chinese silk and carried it, sealed, before the vizier.
The Khan chose three eloquent, noble men from among his own kin.
They set out from that lofty court toward Iran, to the honored king.
When Kasra heard, he adorned his crown and took his place on the royal throne of ivory.
The three noble and clever men reached the foot of the high throne.
They brought three bags each holding about thirty thousand gold coins and laid them out before him,
with gold and silver and Chinese silk, brighter than the sky spread over the earth.
When the envoys were seated, they offered their blessings in the Chinese tongue.
The king's minister at once prepared a lodging worthy of them.
The heavens turned through one more night; when the shining sun rose over the mountain,
the victorious king sat upon his throne and set a crown of rubies on his head.
He ordered the priest and the counselor, and the famed assembly came before him.
He said: let them bring that letter written on silk and set it before the scribe.
All the nobles sat in a circle, and Yazdgerd stepped gracefully before the king.
When the letter was read to the king of Iran, the whole assembly was left in wonder,
at all the courtesy, the apology, and the praise that showed in the Khan of China's words.
All the proud and devout men began to praise the sovereign.
They said: thanks to God, and in him is our refuge, that no other king has sat upon such a high seat,
in the victory and majesty and glory of the king, in the goodness, gentleness, and alliance of the king.
All your enemies are your servants, and if any are lesser, they bow their heads before you.
All the fear was of that army of Chaj, of the Khan who held both treasure and crown.
By the king's glory he has become a well-wisher and now seeks a path to draw close to the king.
Whoever among heroes possesses wisdom cultivates ease of body and honesty.
When the Khan knew he could not match the king's power, he sought a way to ally with him.
There should be no delay in this matter, for no one finds shame in an alliance with him.
From China to Bukhara the armies are his, and all the chiefs are his well-wishers.
When the king heard the words of those wise men, the great ones and the clear-hearted priests,
they cleared the hall of strangers and seated the envoy before him.
The king of kings honored them greatly and gave them seats near the throne.
They delivered the ruler's message and pressed their case with firm words.
When the king heard those warm words from the Chinese nobles, he answered in a gentle voice.
He answered like this: The Khan of China is a great man, wise and worthy of praise.
He seeks a bond through his child; he wants to clear the face of friendship of any stain.
Anyone whose soul holds wisdom looks at all matters with the eye of reason.
Let us prepare, and set this fortunate plan in motion; whatever he has said, we will answer.
Now it should be that the Khan of China gladdens our heart with the finest choice.
I will send someone who has wisdom, to inspect his private chambers from end to end.
He should choose the one with the greatest name, the one most dear to the Khan of China.
He should see what her mother is like, whether her lineage springs from royal blood.
When he has done what we have described, and given the matter its rightful bond,
The envoys offered praise, saying the Khan of China is delighted with the king.
For his veiled, secluded women would not hide their faces from the gaze of such a man.
The king of kings heard their words, and his old days felt fresh again.
He summoned the scribe of letters, and spoke at length about the Khan.
He ordered a reply to be written, choice words, auspicious ones, set down on the page.
First he gave praise to the Creator, the victorious ruler of the world, the Nurturer.
By His command the world stands firm; He alone guides us toward good and evil.
Whomever He wishes to honor, He lifts from the depths to the lofty heavens.
Another He leaves trapped in bad fortune, when the Creator wills no good for him.
For every good thing I know I owe Him thanks; and if I do wrong, my heart is filled with dread of Him.
Let there be no life in my body if I ever strip away fear and hope of Him.
This envoy arrived with blessings, bearing the warm words of the Khan of China.
I heard all he said about a marriage bond, about the pure ones he keeps hidden away.
My heart was gladdened by your bond, and above all by your sheltered daughter.
So now I have sent a wise man, one whose very soul is bound to reason.
He will come and speak all my thoughts, from the beginning of this bond to its end.
May your body and soul be always full of honor; may your heart be glad and your back warmed by our support.
When the scribe's pen had done its work, he prepared the paper and wrote it out.
As soon as the ink of the pen had dried, they pressed upon it a seal of musk.
The king bestowed on them a robe of honor so fine it left the whole army amazed.
Wise, generous Kasra chose the man whose name was Mehran Setad.
A hundred riders from among the famous Persians, eloquent, worthy, and renowned.
Khosrow said this to Mehran-Setad: go with joy and victory, in love and justice.
You must have a persuasive tongue and shrewd mind; let wisdom guide you, and do not seek to wound any heart.
First observe his household closely; you must know its good and bad exactly.
Do not let the polish of a lovely face, its glory and adornment, deceive you.
Behind his curtain are many daughters, each with splendor, stature, and a crown.
A servant's daughter will not do, even if her father is the king himself.
Look for the one who has modesty and honor, whose mother is of royal, noble blood.
A granddaughter of the world-ruling Faghfur of China, born of the line of the great Khan of China.
If she is noble in both body and lineage, the world will rejoice in her, and she in it.
When Mehran-Setad heard this from the king, he showered praise upon the crown and throne.
He set out from the world-illuminating throne on an auspicious day, under a fortunate sign.
Word reached the Khan of China that the king had sent Mehran-Setad and an army.
When he came before the Khan of China, he kissed the ground and offered his blessings.
When the ruler saw him, he welcomed him and prepared a place of honor for him.
The Khan grew thoughtful over this matter and went toward the queen's chambers.
He spoke of Nushin-Ravan's affairs and made much mention of his treasury and army.
He told her: this King Nushin-Ravan is young, alert, and his fortune is new.
We must give him one of our daughters, one who will raise our honor through him.
Behind your curtain you have one daughter who wears a crown above all noblewomen.
I have such love for her that I long never to take my eyes from her face.
There are also four among the attendants, servant girls and devoted, sharp-witted maids.
I will give him one of them, and so free myself from war and endless talk.
The queen said to him: no one in the world can match your judgment.
In this way he passed one night in sleep, until the sun rose over the mountains.
He came to the court of Mehran-Setad, went up to his seat, and handed over the letter.
When the Khan of China read that letter, he smiled at the pact and at his own good choice.
He gave him the key to the chambers and said: go and see whom you find hidden within.
Four attendants went along with him, ones the Khan trusted completely.
When Mehran-Setad heard those words, he took the key and went with the trusted ones.
He opened the chamber and they went inside; the servants told their tales.
They said: the one you see now is so lovely that star, sun, and wind have never beheld her equal.
The private hall was decked out like paradise, full of moon-faced beauties, sunlike splendor, and riches.
Five fairy-faced maidens sat upon the seat, crowns on their heads and treasure spread beneath them.
All but the Khatun's own daughter, who wore no crown, no bracelet, no torque, and no jewels.
An old plain robe covered her; only a cap of natural musk sat on her head.
There was no painted adornment on her cheeks, nothing but the beauty God himself had given her.
She was like a cypress crowned with a new moon, and that fresh moon glowed with her face.
When Mehran-Setad looked her over, he saw no one to compare with her.
The clear-sighted, noble-minded man understood that the Khan and Khatun were far from justice.
With clever words and a turn of speech he hid his true intent, and his hidden anger grew sharp.
He told the servant: near the king there is plenty of bracelets, crowns, and thrones.
I choose this one, who wears no crown or ornament, for her worth only increases without them.
I came through hardship to find the best, not for the silk brocade of China.
The Khatun said to him: old man, you have not said a single pleasing word.
You should choose the one with glory, beauty, and wisdom, radiant of heart and full-grown,
tall as a cypress, cheeks like spring, one who knows how to serve a king.
Yet you pick a child not yet grown; you are not sound of judgment.
Mehran-Setad answered: if the Khan turns his head from justice,
let him know that the king who rules the world will call me too a man of impure judgment.
I prefer this one, who without an ivory throne wears no bracelet, torque, or crown at all.
If your nobles do not agree with this choice, then at your command I will return home.
The Khan considered his words and marveled at his judgment and his conduct.
He knew that this old man of pure mind was great and fit for delicate matters.
The wise man sat down with his counselor, and the royal hall emptied of the gathering.
When the seating place had cleared, they came forward with the Roman astronomical table in hand.
The astrologers and the seasoned men, all who were leaders among them,
he ordered every one who bore a seal to work out together the reckoning of the heavens.
The mobed studied the stars concerning the Khan's deed and the bond with the king.
At last he said: O king, do not trouble your heart with any evil thought.
This affair will end only in good; the wise never surrender the world to an enemy's counsel.
Such is the secret of the high heavens, and the turning of the favorable stars.
From this daughter of the Khan and the line of the Shah, a king worthy of the throne will come.
Kings will praise him, and so will the gifted, proud nobles of China.
When the Khan heard this his heart grew glad, and the queen, radiant as the sun, smiled.
Once they had settled the matter in their hearts, they seated the envoy before them.
They said what needed to be said about the queen's child, until now kept hidden.
Mehran Setad accepted it on the father's behalf, in the name of the victorious king of kings.
The Khan agreed with fairness to give in marriage the one born of the queen's own blood.
The servants came bearing offerings, and joyfully approached the sovereign.
After that came a treasure, adorned, and within it wealth of every kind.
Of gold coins and jewels, torques and crowns, turquoise seals and thrones of ivory.
Another chest of Indian aloewood set in gold, with many kinds of gems woven upon it.
With each a royal crown, a hundred horses and a hundred mules, saddled and laden.
Camels loaded with Chinese silk, and the horses' backs decked out with saddles.
Forty of them in gold-embroidered silk, with emeralds stitched into the gold.
A hundred camels loaded with rich fabrics, and three hundred servants brought forth.
So it went until everyone had mounted, in Chinese fashion, each with a banner in hand.
The fortunate Khan gave the order that a throne be set upon the elephant's back.
Upon it were woven bars of silver and gold, and within the bars, gems of every kind.
A shining banner of Chinese silk, so dense the fabric hid the ground beneath it.
A hundred men lifted it from its place, raising it from the plain up toward the sky.
He decked a litter with silk and gold, and inside it flawless, untouched jewels.
Three hundred moon-faced handmaids set out, glad of heart and eager for the road.
He sent his child to the Shah, and an army went along the way with her.
Fifty servants and forty attendants passed by with joyful hearts.
When that was done, the scribe arrived and brought musk, rosewater, and silk.
He wrote a letter, brief and elegant, full of ornament, fragrance, color, and design.
First he praised the Creator, the world's keeper, watchful and all-seeing.
That whatever He shapes into being, that is the very course His servants must follow.
The king of Iran is the crown upon my head; my bond with him is not merely for a daughter's sake.
For all that I have heard from the wise, from the great and the clear-hearted priests,
of the king's glory, greatness, and majestic throne, I sought only his goodwill and his alliance.
For nowhere in the world does a ruler as just as he gird himself for the task.
In courage, in victory, in power, in glory, in strength, in throne and crown,
in generosity and knowledge, in judgment and wisdom, the faith of God itself nurtures him.
So now I send my own world-seeing daughter to King Kasra, according to my custom.
I have instructed her to be like a servant, to do as fits behind the royal curtain,
to gain wisdom from his glory and culture, to learn his ways and his manner.
May fortune and wisdom be your guides; may greatness and knowledge be your pillar.
They set the seal upon the Chinese musk, gave it to the envoy, and blessed him.
He chose a robe of honor for Mehran Setad, one so splendid that no one could recall
any of the world's great men ever giving such a gift to an envoy, openly or in secret.
He gave gifts to his companions too, gladdening them with gold coins and musk.
The daughter set off with her treasure, with adorned riders and elephants.
On they went to the bank of the Oxus, while blood streamed from his heart through his lashes.
He waited until they had crossed the river and set foot on dry land on the far side.
He turned back from the Oxus with a heart full of blood, sharing in the pain of parting from his child.
When word came of Mehran Setad, everyone rewarded the messenger who brought the good news.
One by one they called down blessings on the king of Iran and the lord of China.
With glad hearts, with gifts and offerings, all of them loving, all of them friends.
They hung festive decorations through the city and along the road, and scattered coins over the king's throne.
From Amuy along the desert road to Merv, the whole ground was patterned like a pheasant's feathers.
So it went until she reached Bastam and Gorgan; you would think the earth had never seen the sky.
So great were the decorations they hung over city and plain, along the road the army passed,
that from all Iran, child and man and woman gathered to line the road of the Chinese idol-fair princess.
From the rooftops they showered jewels upon them, and strewed saffron and coins beneath their feet.
Basins of perfume were poured out, and the world filled with the sound of drums and horns.
The horses' manes were drenched with musk and wine, and sugar mixed with coins was scattered underfoot.
From the endless sound of flute and harp and lute, there was no place on earth for rest or sleep.
When the idol-fair bride entered the king's chamber, Kasra looked into her curtained litter.
A slender cypress of the faith, her face like the moon, an amber-dark crown set upon that moon.
A crown like musk-black chain mail, its jewels strung knot upon knot.
Knots tied from strands and twisted tight, woven one into another as if by magic.
Like a ring of fragrant perfume upon a rose, and beneath the ring the planet Jupiter shone.
King Nushirvan stood dazzled before her, calling the name of God again and again.
The king chose a place worthy of her, and they adorned a throne fit for the moon.
When word reached the Khan of China of Iran and of the king of the land of Iran,
and of the joy his daughter had found, he grew glad and cheerful at this bond.
He gave up Sughd, Samarkand, and Chach, and sent a crown to Qajghar Bashi.
When that army withdrew from these cities, the king dispatched governors to rule them.
The world was filled with Nushirvan's justice; old and young slept safe upon the open plain.
One by one they sang his praise, from every corner, blessing the king of the earth.
All raised their hands to heaven, saying: O Maker of all place and time,
keep this justice with King Kasra, and turn the ill of fortune away from his life.
For by his majesty and his throne in the world, evil vanished, both open and hidden.
When the Khan reached Gorgan to hunt, no one saw his face at ease again.
Sleep and food deserted the horsemen of China; not a rider took the saddle from his horse.
Three hundred thousand Turks scattered; nowhere was there any effort to fight.
No bow needed to be strung; there was no one left here, neither Chinese nor Khan.
Such was the glory and grandeur of the royal line, hunting the raging lion for sport,
for his name and the king's star were one: throne and fortune traveled together.
After that the nobles gathered, from the Oxus to the cities of Chach and Khotan.
They said: these spacious cities, full of gardens and squares and halls and palaces,
from Chach and Barak to Samarkand and Sughd, much of it lay in ruins, home only to the owl.
Chaghan and Suman and Khottal and Balkh, their days had turned dark and bitter for all.
Bukhara and Khwarazm and Amuy and Zam, I remember much of them with pain and grief,
from the tyranny and suffering of Afrasiyab, no one had a place to rest or sleep.
When Kaykhosrow came, we were saved from him, and the whole world found rest from that torment.
After that, when Arjasp grew strong, these borderlands again filled with pain and harm.
When Goshtasp came from Iran to fight, Arjasp found nowhere to make a stand.
The world found rest from his deeds, and may fate never favor him again.
After that, when Narsi became commander, all the cities were filled with grief.
When Shapur, son of Hormozd, took the throne, Narsi could no longer tell his head from his feet.
The world turned toward justice and safety, and the hand of evil was bound from wickedness.
When the Khan seized the world from Yazdgerd, with a swift hand he stirred up dust and turmoil.
Then Bahram Gur, ruler of the world, arrived, and the Khan was filled with pain and dread because of him.
Through his justice the cities became like paradise, and all that was ugly and foul was swept away.
In the time of Piruz, it was Khushnavaz who filled the world with pain, fever, and burning.
May Faghanish, his son, cease to exist, nor his kin, nor his throne, nor his royal seat.
Now the ruler Khosrow has accepted our land, and our worth has grown precious.
May this remain his forever, the whole world to him like the body and its head.
So that now the earth may see justice from him, we will suffer no more, nor spill blood.
After that, from the Hephthalites, the Turks, and Khotan, they gathered at the river Golzariun.
Wherever there was a learned priest, a pure, wise, and deeply knowing chief,
every elder who was a counselor, they all assembled from among the Turks.
The whole army agreed on this plan: to come before the king bearing gifts.
When they reached Nushirvan, they came all of one heart and one voice.
The crowd at the king's court grew so dense that they blocked the path even to an ant and a gnat.
They all laid their heads upon the ground and all called down blessings upon the king.
They said: O king, we are your servants; by your command we live in this world.
We are all proud with the gear of war; on the plain we can tear a leopard's hide.
The king of kings accepted their offering, and they were wholly saved from the cruelty of fortune.
Faghanish was their leader in front, and behind him an army fresh for battle.
When the king was pleased with these warriors, he came to the court of the chief of audiences.
He asked them much and treated them with kindness, and arranged lodging for them in every quarter.
After that, the God-worshiping king of kings came down from his seat to the ground.
He offered praise to the Creator: O you who are higher than the turning of time,
you gave me glory, culture, and wisdom; you are the guide toward all that is good.
Whoever comes to know of me from now on will no longer seek the crown of kingship.
The lesser folk carry out all the work, and no one dares to make war.
The birds in the mountains, the fish in the water, they seek no sleep while I lie resting.
Every beast, tame and wild, stands guard over me; the great ones of the world are my servants.
Whoever you choose is not despised; there is no ruler of the world but you.
Give me strength, so that in all the world not even a wounded ant may lose its sleep because of me.
So he wept long before God: behold, what king in the world is like this?
He rose from his place of prayer to the throne, and they made ready to leave Gorgan.
The blast of the war horn rang out, and from the court came the sound of the bronze drum.
The army mounted and loaded its baggage, and remembered God's gift of good fortune.
From gold coins and brocade, crowns and belts, from the treasure of silver, and of pearls and gems,
from horses and veiled women and crowns, and the turquoise litter and the ivory throne,
the attendants mounted their saddles, idol fair servants of every kind.
He sent everything toward Ctesiphon, the Chinese harem leading the way.
On an auspicious day, under a favorable sky, the servants set out around her.
Mehran Setad was the chief of the priests; he went with the harem of the Khan's line.
The treasure and baggage went toward Ctesiphon; not one of the warriors remained behind.
All the pure noble heroes of the freeborn came toward Azerbaijan.
An army came from every land, a host from Gilan and from the Deylamites.
From the Baluch mountains and the plain of Soruch, the warriors of Kuch came marching proudly.
All of them pure of heart, with gifts and offerings, before the royal pavilion of the king.
The great king came to that city so that he might cut short the wolf's claw against the sheep.
By the glory of Khosrow, ruler of the world, the very heavens changed in both vengeance and love.
In whatever city his army passed, it harmed no crop along the way.
No one demanded bread or water from another; each prepared his own place to sleep along the road.
In this way he traveled around the world, looking at every plain and open field.
He saw the whole world full of crops, its fields and plains full of cattle and sheep.
On land that had never been cultivated, they saw no sown seed nor any harvest.
Khosrow looked and found it fruitful; in every home he found children.
The tree branches bowed with the weight of fruit, through the glory of the ruler of watchful fortune.
They reached a halting place near the king, and the emissary of Caesar arrived on the road.
Along with gifts and robes and silver and gold, with belts of Roman and Chinese brocade.
The offering spread across the ground was so vast that Rome had never sent such tribute.
They filled ten oxhides with gold coins, and three years of tribute and tax were sent.
From Caesar came a letter with the offerings, written and addressed to the famous king.
They seated the messenger before them, the king looked on, and the letter was read to him.
It carried many gentle messages about the things that had been sent ahead.
Saying: from now on we will send even more, for this was tax, and tribute is owed as well.
The king accepted from the one who had suffered, and sent it all straight to the treasury.
Then the king rose from his throne onto his horse and rode toward the temple of Azargoshasb.
When from afar he saw the place of worship, his face vanished behind the tears in his eyes.
He dismounted, the sacred barsom bundle in hand, and prayed under his breath with sealed lips.
Before the fire he began his praises, offering his devotion to the Creator of the world.
All the surplus gold and jewels he had brought he handed over entirely to the fire's keeper.
He scattered silver and gold among the priests, and gave them all robes along with gems.
All the priests grew wealthy through him, and went before the fire, giving thanks.
Under their breath they chanted blessings upon that just ruler of the earth.
From there he came toward Ctesiphon; with so many troops the land became like Bisotun.
From all the wealth that was scattered about, the country was filled with gold and coin.
From that city he set out for Mada'in, for the keys to the treasuries lay there.
He had Mehran Setad drive before him the Rose Garden of China and its forty masters.
When Khosrow came back to his own throne, proud and hand in hand with his good fortune,
the world became adorned like a paradise, full of justice and goodness and abundance.
Kings gave up their fighting, their tyranny and bloodshed everywhere.
The world filled with divine glory; it was as if two hands had been bound from evil.
No one knew of plundering or raiding, or of reaching a hand toward wickedness again.
A whole world came under the king's command, turning from crookedness and darkness to the right path.
If someone dropped coins along the road, the thief would flee from that wealth.
From brocade and gold coin, on land and sea, in bright daylight and in time of sleep,
letters went out to every country, to every notable and every chief,
to the merchants of the Turks and of China, of the Slavs, and to every land alike.
From so many pods of musk and Chinese silk, from the finery of the West and the perfumes of India,
Iran became like a joyful paradise; its very dust turned to amber, its bricks to gold.
A whole world turned its face toward Iran, freed from hardship and from quarrel.
The air itself seemed to weep rosewater; people rested, free from pain and the need for doctors.
Rain fell on the flowers in its proper season; the farming was never spoiled by the rain.
The world grew green and full of cattle; valley and plain were roses, and roses on the rooftops.
The rivers all swelled like seas, and the rosebush in the garden rose like the Pleiades.
In Iran they taught the languages, and lit up souls with knowledge.
Merchants from every land and border, from the Turks, from China, from the Slavs, from the West,
began to praise their guide and king; the cattle thrived and multiplied on the grass.
Whoever had a share of knowledge stood among the speakers at the king's gate.
The judges, the priests, and the honored wise; the ill-intentioned trembled in fear of harm.
When the world's sun adorned the sky, a cry would rise from the royal court:
You who serve the king of the world, keep no evil hidden in a single soul.
Whoever has suffered hardship in his labor, and has not received reward to match his toil,
let them all tell the master of audiences, so that he claims the wage owed from the one who owes it.
And if a creditor comes down the road demanding coins from a man who has nothing,
the empty-handed must not be made to suffer; the treasurer shall settle the debt from the treasury.
Anyone who looks upon another man's wife, when his accuser comes to the king's court,
sees nothing but the pit and the high gallows: the arrow with the gallows, the chains with the pit.
And if a horse is found loose somewhere, so that the landowner drives it from his herd,
they shed its blood over that farmland; the one who caused the harm takes only the meat.
Its rider is left on foot, without his horse, and goes to the fire temple to seek pardon.
His rank is erased, his name struck from the registers, and his mansion is brought down to the ground.
There is no crime greater or lesser than this; lowest of all is whoever did evil before.
That king will not agree to any of it; at his gate he wants none but honest men.
Whoever does not approve of this way of ours, let him never be at our court.
One day the ruler sat down in joy and granted audience to the learned nobles.
He spoke smiling, his face open; Bozorgmehr took his seat upon the throne.
He offered praise to the Creator, the victorious Lord and Sustainer.
He said: You judge with a fresh, bright face, whom no foul tongue can ever touch.
Blessed king of kings, ever victorious, ruler full of wisdom and noble worth.
I have written a few words in Pahlavi on the royal parchment and paper.
I gave them to the treasurer to keep, so that in time the king might read them.
For I saw that this ancient dome of the sky will never open its lips to reveal its secret.
If a man rises from the throne of feasting and takes his life in his own hand for battle,
and clears the earth of its enemies, he grows safe from the torment of demons.
He becomes king over the whole world and finds all things scattered at his command.
When he wishes, his means grow vast; he builds rose gardens, orchards, arenas, and palaces.
He piles up treasure, gathers children about him, and counts many days chasing his desires.
He brings together armies and wealth, and his palace and hall are adorned.
And if instead the poor man suffers, he too drags name and treasure from every side,
yet all that he heaps up out of pretense will not last beyond a hundred years.
It turns to dust, his toil bears no fruit, and all his treasure passes to his enemy.
No child remains, no throne, no crown, no royal hall, no treasure, and no army.
When you hear of his striving and his empty pride, no one in the world will keep his memory.
But when time passes over deeds like these, a good name is left behind as a keepsake.
In this world only two things endure forever; whatever else there is, stays with no one.
Fine speech and good deeds never grow old as long as the world holds its sands.
Such is the turning of the age; blessed is the man of modesty and restraint.
O king, do no wrong while you can help it, above all the wrong that shames the soul.
Choose harmlessness and usefulness, for that is the way of culture, custom, and faith.
A few words are left from me as a memory; I think they will never grow old.
When the bright-hearted king had spoken, he asked for many more of these words.
He said to him: fortunate one, who is the man whose heart is glad and free of cold sighs?
He answered: the one who is without guilt, whom the demon has never led astray.
He asked him about crookedness and the demon's path, and about the way of the world's Creator, lord of the universe.
He told him: God's command is the best, for in both worlds it brings true wisdom.
Seeking to rise above it is the demon's path, which is the enemy of every worshiper.
Blessed in this world is the man who keeps his word, whose whole being is surrounded by purity and modesty.
When a person's soul stands guard over the body, life comes easily to them.
Generosity and honesty stay with them; they do not knock at the door of crookedness and lack.
Whatever brings good to the body, the soul's own light shines on after death.
From these two, generosity and honesty, they hold nothing back, whether the sheath or the sword is called for.
The one who rules over their own wisdom does not lead the soul down the path of desire.
Do not listen to a person who is all arrogance, for their acts stay wicked even when their soul seems bright.
When such a person is exposed and passes to the other world, here too they remain, stuck in pain.
Beyond this, know as base the one who feels no gratitude to the pure God.
They begrudge the body its own share, and out of greed they shut their mouth to pleasures.
For the soul, knowledge is the true portion, yet they neither know it nor listen to anyone wise.
Kasra asked: among the lowly, who is it that holds the thoughts of the noble?
The answer came: the one who is wiser is also more capable of pursuing desire.
'Who then is the wise one?' asked the king. 'Knowledge is a hidden treasure within a person.'
The reply: the wise one is he who, at the command of the demon, does not turn away from the path of the Lord of the world.
There are ten demons, strong as lions, who drag the soul and reason down beneath them.
Kasra asked him: what are these ten demons, over whom wisdom must weep?
He answered: greed and need are two demons, mighty and overbearing.
Next are anger, envy, shame, and spite, along with the slanderer, the two-faced, and the impious.
The tenth is the one who gives no thanks to anyone for a kindness and does not know God.
The king said: among these ten cursed and harmful ones, which demon is the most powerful?
He answered Kasra: greed is a tyrant demon that endures a long time.
It is never seen content; all its scheming is for more and more.
Need is the one you see, from sorrow and pain, going blind, its face turned yellow.
Beyond this, O king, is the demon of envy, an ailment that no physician can cure.
If someone in the world lives free of harm, its sharp bite makes envy's own soul suffer.
Then there is the demon of shame, full of strife, its claws always sharpened for evil.
Another is the demon of spite, full of rage and turmoil; in its anger it strips a person of good sense.
It brings neither compassion nor love; it is a grim, ill-natured demon with a scowling face.
Another is the slandering demon, who knows nothing but lies and never speaks an enlightening word.
That leaves the gossip and the two-faced demon, its heart cut off from the fear of the Lord of the world.
It sows hatred and war between two people, and works to shatter every bond between them.
The other demon is ignorant and ungrateful, neither wise nor able to recognize what is good.
Judgment and shame mean little to him; in his eyes good and evil are one and the same.
Then the king asked the sage: how does one wage war against the demon within the heart?
What has the Lord of the world given to His servant that can cut short the demon's hand?
He answered: it is the hand of wisdom that rises above the deeds of the evil ones.
May wisdom be the guide of your soul, for the road ahead of you is long.
Wisdom is armor against the swords of demons; through it the heart and soul of the knowing shine bright.
Wisdom holds the memory of past words, and nourishes the spirit with knowledge.
And if a person has what we call good character, his heart will feel no fear of the demon.
The world is pleasant to a good-natured heart; it does not chase after every desire.
Now I will speak enduring words that guide the heart toward joy.
The wise and hopeful person always sees nothing but happiness in his days.
He never thinks of doing evil, not for a moment; he takes the straight path and never bends the bow.
Next, whoever is content with what he owns will not strain his body with toil and greed.
One who does not fix his gaze on treasure and coin spends all his days in comfort.
Then there is faith: to worship God alone, through hardship, through wealth, and through respect for others.
His head never turns from God's command; evil is not woven into his nature.
Of the same kind is restraint, for such a person will not sell the path of God for anything.
The king said: of these ten, which is the ruler that shows the way toward good?
He answered: the path of wisdom surpasses every other knowledge without doubt.
And good character, by which a person keeps his honor intact all year long.
Among these virtues, I found contentment of body to be the firmest jewel against the turns of fate.
From these comes a calmer hope, one at rest from suffering and more worthy.
But among these traits I saw greed as pure torment, for it is never satisfied by any treasure.
The king said: which of the virtues is best, the one that makes the seeker great?
He answered: whoever does not stray from the path lives with a body free of guilt.
He will gain from the world all his wishes and a good name: a fine end, peace, and fulfillment.
The renowned warrior asked him: of these ten, which one is the leader?
He answered in a gentle voice, with warm and knowing words.
Wisdom seeks nothing beyond itself; without a doubt, wisdom surpasses skill.
Then the elder asked the wise man: which culture in a person is the best?
He answered: knowledge is best, and the wise person is himself the moon over the world.
For the wise do not crave riches for their standing; they keep themselves far from suffering.
The king asked about his foe's strength: how do you mean to seek your power?
He answered: bad conduct is the enemy of a clear soul and of wisdom.
Then the just king asked the wise man: which is better, culture or noble birth?
The guide answered him: culture stands above noble lineage.
Birth without merit is wretched, worthless, and weak; through culture the soul stays sound.
He asked him: what cleanses the soul, and what makes the body's talents worth praising?
I will now tell you every one of these sayings, if you will take them all to heart, point by point.
Wisdom is a robe of honor given by God; it lies beyond anxious thought and far from evil.
The skilled person who is dazzled by himself, let his skill be left aside and not accepted.
That same gracious, self-possessed person is never worthless in the eyes of the wise.
If a wise person gathers generosity, knowledge, good manners, and justice together with good birth,
he keeps taking greatness, abundance, and honesty, and strips away every bad trait.
After that, Kasra asked him: O renowned man who seeks culture,
does greatness come through effort or through fortune, that a ruler wins crown and throne by it?
He answered: fortune and skill are like a matched pair, joined to each other.
Just as body and soul are companions and mates, the body plain to see and the soul hidden away.
The body is a person's outer garment, if wakeful fortune backs his effort.
Greatness is not achieved by effort alone, unless good fortune is his guide.
And besides, this world is a tale and a wind, like a dream the sleeper keeps in memory.
When he wakes, he sees nothing with his eyes, whether he dreamed of good or of pain and anger.
He opened another question from what was hidden, and asked the sage: who is the praiseworthy one?
He answered: the king who adorns the throne and gains his power from fortune,
if he is just and of good name, he wins his wish through his words and his deeds.
He asked him: in this world, who is the wretched one, ill-fated and of no use?
He answered: the vile pauper, who gains neither his desire nor a joyful paradise.
He asked and said: who is the unlucky one, who must forever weep from pain?
He answered: a wise man is one whose face turns pale from any evil deed.
He asked him: who is truly content, and who craves ever more of worldly things?
He answered: it is the one who feels no attachment to this turning wheel of the sky.
He said to him: what suits us best? He replied: to be more patient and unhurried.
He asked: who is the calm and steady one, and for whom should we weep over the hasty?
He answered: watch the fault-finder, see whether he can turn his head away from idle talk.
In him lie modesty and composure, skill, sound judgment, and worthiness.
The famous king asked him: among all people, who is worthy of hope?
He said: the one who strives the most, whose two ears listen most eagerly for knowledge.
The king of the world asked him about hidden knowledge of good and evil.
He answered: much that passes for knowledge is crooked and hollow at its core.
They only tell us the grave is our resting place; I do not know what to say of the other world.
Kasra said to him: which city is prosperous, and what share do we take from it?
He answered: a flourishing land stands upright through the justice of its ruler.
Kasra asked: who is the most alert, most admirable, most clear-headed of men?
Tell me who in the world is such that his knowledge raises his honor.
He answered: the aged sage who keeps in memory what experience has taught him.
Kasra asked: to whom belongs true joy, whose back stays straight with happiness?
He answered: whoever is safe from fear and has gold and silver at hand.
He said to him: for what are we praised, and who is admired in everyone's eyes?
He answered: the one whose need has covered over his envy, his shame, and his greed.
The one who keeps no hidden envy or spite is the one the world admires.
The king asked the patient man who wears endurance like a crown on his head.
He said: it is the one who, though he fell into despair, kept his darkened mind bright as the sun.
And also the one who counts his days and sets his hand to a great undertaking.
He said to him: whose heart holds the most grief, so that sorrow makes him weary of his own life?
He answered: the one who has fallen from the throne and lost all hope in his fortune.
The lofty king asked him: which of us carries a heart full of pain?
He said: the one who has no wisdom, and the rich man whom fate has denied a child.
The king asked about the grieving heart of one who sits in warmth, safe and unharmed.
He said to the wise, devout man: what fool becomes a king over people?
He asked: who is the most hopeless of all among those who hold power and a good name?
He answered: the one who falls from a great office and is left broken and wretched.
King Nushirvan asked him: you learned man of bright soul,
who do you know that lives without fame or ornament, yet is a man of love and mercy?
He replied: the man burdened with sin, the guilty pauper who has no means.
He asked: tell me truly, who most regrets what has passed?
He answered: it is he who wears the dark helmet, the king, on the day of his death.
His heart fills with regret and dread, for his soul was ungrateful to God.
And also the one who did many good deeds for such ungrateful people.
He asked: you who have gained wisdom, with virtues woven one into another,
what do you know that benefits the body and is precious in everyone's heart?
He answered: the sick man, whose heart seeks nothing but joy.
When his days are spent in pain, his only wish is to be well again.
He asked: of all desires, which is the greatest? Make it clear, good-natured man.
He said: when a man rises high, his only wish becomes freedom from need.
And when, free of need, he is also healthy, he should seek nothing but his heart's desire.
Then he said to his guide: what worry weighs most on the heart?
He answered: there are three matters a wise, path-seeking man must reckon with.
The first: he worries about a bad day, that harm may reach him though he is guiltless.
He fears the work of a deceiving friend, who wants his very marrow, blood, and skin.
The third: the unjust ruler who forces hard labor from the working man.
How fine the turning of time becomes with a wise and instructive man,
a bright world and a just king; you will find no greater gift from the heavens.
He asked him about faith and about truth, the kind kept far from any flaw.
He said: my king, cling to a faith in which the remembrance of God is never broken,
keep clear of crookedness and the devil's road; fear the world's keeper and the lord of the universe.
Have both ears open to God's command, and let no one raise a cry against it.
Then he asked him about the king who rules over the devout:
which of them is the fortunate victor, worthy of the throne in this world?
He said: the one who acts with justice has wisdom, good judgment, modesty, and skill.
The king asked him about old friends, those who share the same corner and speak with one voice.
He answered: from a friend, generosity and fair dealing are good.
He wishes you no harm for another's sake; in hardship he is your companion and comes to your aid.
Kosra asked: who is the closest friend, the one who is as one with you, marrow and skin?
He answered: from a good heart no separation comes, except from someone whose heart is heartless.
And also the one who is more caring, better in his deeds, and more helpful.
He asked: who is the greatest enemy, the one who bears the most ill will toward you?
He answered: the arrogant man, who deserves much reproach.
And likewise the one gripped by harsh greed, his face all wrinkled, his fist clenched tight.
He asked: who is a friend forever, one who will weep from the pain of parting?
He answered: a good deed will never want to be parted from a good companion.
He asked: what resembles the everlasting, the thing that never grows less even when spent?
He answered: a man's true partner in goodness; it does not fade, nor burn, nor fear pain.
He said: this is the wise soul, the one that has power over its desires.
The king said: master of kindness, what is wider than the sky?
He answered: a king with a giving hand, and next, the heart of a man who worships God.
He asked: what is more beautiful, the thing that makes the wise man hold his head high?
He answered: O king, never give your treasure to the unworthy.
When you do a kindness to the ungrateful, you are casting a dry brick into water.
He asked: what is the pain that lessens a man's greed for treasure?
He answered: O king, may your heart forever be like early spring.
The servant of a bad tempered king, from suffering, wants neither body, nor life, nor riches.
He asked: what wonder have you seen so great that nothing greater can be measured?
Bozorgmehr said to the king: the whole workings of the heavens are a wonder.
We see one man with power, his crown reaching the dark clouds,
who cannot tell his left hand from his right, who knows nothing of gain or loss in giving.
Yet one turn of the high sky, and the stars foretell how and how much.
The heavens guide him only into hardship; everything turns to misfortune for him.
The king asked: what do you know as heaviest? He answered: the weight of sin.
He asked which deeds stand highest among all, both in what is said and what is done.
And which are marked by shame and blame, so that anyone who commits them is judged evil.
He answered thus: harshness from a king, and oppressing innocent people.
A rich man who stints on food, who grudges giving clothing and care.
Women who have no sense of shame, who cannot speak with a gentle voice.
Also good men who turn violent, and poor men who grow arrogant.
A lie is colorless, ugly, and low, whether it comes from a scoundrel or a king.
In this world, what can be said of goodness, that is both open and hidden at once?
The knowing man makes it his armor, and brightens his soul with it.
He answered thus: whoever strives for it finds nothing in the world but praise.
And whoever is grateful to God is a wise man who recognizes goodness.
Kesra said to him: what deed is best to do, and what is best left undone, by a king or a great man?
What is best to keep our hands from, and what is best to grasp and hold onto?
What is better than commanding and possessing, or than leaving a man in contempt?
In answer he said: hold back your anger, and close your eyes to the faults of the innocent.
And keep your soul awake, and strive in your affairs as far as you can.
Lay down malice, take up hope, and your soul will shine like the sun.
How much pleasure can you find in sin? Throw the pleasure away and keep far from sin.
Thanks to the Lord of the sun and moon, for I have been freed from Bozorgmehr and the king.
Since this troubling matter has reached its end, now you should speak of chess.