English
The Tale of Talkhand and Gav
The wakeful hearted Shahuy spoke: You wise old man, so full of heart,
O learned man of quick understanding, take these words to heart from old Shahuy.
In India there was a proud and noble man, with armies, troops, and every kind of might.
His name, Jamhur, was famous everywhere; through his manliness he spread his stride across all lands.
He became such a king over the people of India: wise, alert, and clear of soul.
His realm stretched from Kashmir to the borders of China; everywhere they blessed him for his justice.
By his manhood he held the world in his grip; Sandal was the city where he sat enthroned.
He had the crown, the treasury, and the army; he had the royal seal and the royal cap.
Jamhur was gifted, a seeker of culture, proud with knowledge and honor.
His subjects were happy with him, whether townsfolk or the servants at his court.
He had a wife of his own noble stock, intelligent, skilled, learned, and without flaw.
That good king had a son from her, one so like his father you could hardly tell them apart.
When the father saw this new ruler of the world, at once they named the boy Gav.
Not much time had passed when suddenly the king fell ill.
He gave his last counsel to his wife and men, and handed over a world full of praise for his justice.
Gav was too young for such fortune, too small to bind the crown and belt or take the throne.
The heads of all the nobles were covered with dust of mourning; their hearts were full of grief for Jamhur.
The whole world was filled from end to end with memories of his giving, his feasts, and his justice.
The soldiers and the townsfolk all gathered; woman, child, and man took counsel together.
They said: this small child knows nothing of armies, nor justice, nor anger, nor throne, nor crown.
The whole kingdom will fall into ruin if there is no lofty ruler to lead it.
That king had a brother named Danbar, wise and fit for the throne,
whose renowned name was Mai; he sat in Danbar, delighting every heart.
The experienced elders, one by one seeking a king, turned their faces from Sandal toward Danbar.
The great men from Kashmir to the borders of China blessed him and called him to the kingship.
The proud Mai came from Danbar and set his foot upon the throne of the kings.
He placed Jamhur's very crown upon his head and opened the gates of justice and generosity.
When his affairs were settled, he took Gav's mother in marriage; he raised the boy and cherished him with his life.
The fairy faced woman grew pregnant by Mai, and bore this renowned ruler a son.
He named the boy Talkhand, and filled his soul with love for his child.
This one grew to two years, and Gav to seven; Gav became a bold warrior, splendid and strong.
After some time the mother fell ill, and the woman's heart filled with grief and worry.
Two weeks passed and she died in sorrow; she left the world and handed it to another.
All the people of Sandal wept in grief, their hearts scorched by sorrow for the mother.
They sat a whole month mourning the king, and at month's end the whole army came together.
All the nobles and champions of the city, everyone who had a share of wisdom.
Every kind of talk went round the gathering; then a wise counselor spoke like this:
This woman, who comes from the line of Jamhur, has always kept far from any wrong deed.
She always sought honesty for her husband; she was nothing if not a seeker of justice.
Hers is a lineage shaped for justice, for uprightness and firm foundation.
It is best that this woman be our ruler, so that she remains a keepsake of these great ones.
The assembly was won over by his words, and a messenger was sent to that pure soul:
Take the throne yourself for your two sons; this is a fruitful, unavoidable task.
When a son becomes worthy of the throne, give him greatness, treasure, and an army.
After that, be his teacher as well, his comfort, his minister, and his guide.
At their words the fortunate woman raised the crown high and adorned the throne.
With abundance, goodness, learning, and justice, the whole kingdom rejoiced in her.
She chose two priests of pure judgment, skilled men who had the world beneath their feet.
To them she entrusted her two sons, two young men of noble and wise blood.
They were never apart from them for a moment, made glad by the sight of them.
When the boys grew strong and learned, they became skilled in every branch of knowledge.
From time to time, one apart from the other, they would go to their virtuous mother.
Asking which of us is the more deserving, higher in heart and more suited to rule?
The mother said to both her sons: Let me see in which of you I find true merit,
wisdom, good judgment, restraint and faith, an eloquent, gracious, praised tongue.
Since you both come from royal blood, you need wisdom, modesty, restraint, and justice.
Whenever one went alone to his mother, he too would speak a few such words:
Of us two sons, who should have the country? Who should have the kingship, this throne and crown?
The mother would tell him: the throne is yours; the skill, the judgment, the good fortune are yours.
To the other son she spoke in just the same way, until the matter grew old with repeating.
He gladdened both their hearts with the throne, with treasure and army, with fame and good fortune.
Both grew into manhood and reached their place, but an evil counselor became guide to them both.
Out of envy the two fell into torment; they rose in turmoil, each grasping for crown and treasure.
Their whole homeland was split into halves, and the hearts of good men filled with fear.
Stirred up by the words of that evil counselor, they came crying out before their mother.
They asked: which of us is the worthier, more patient in facing good and ill?
The wise woman answered them: consult a sage, be of one mind with a counselor.
First you must sit calmly together and, in peace and goodwill, seek the outcome.
After that, gather the renowned nobles of the city, everyone who has a share of good judgment.
One by one we will speak with an advisor; haste in such a matter is not good.
Whoever seeks the crown and the throne needs wisdom, judgment, treasure, and an army.
When a tyrant rules as king, he fills the world with grief and ruin.
The noble Gav spoke to his mother: do not rush this question along with the times.
If the country takes no glory from me, still do not twist your judgment with a lie.
Hand the treasure and army to Talkhand; I am his younger brother and wish him well.
And if in years and wisdom I am the elder, I too am born of Jamhur's line, a warrior.
Tell him not to make hard work of things through ignorance, in pursuit of crown and throne.
The mother said to him: do not be harsh; you must speak your words with thought.
Whoever sits upon the throne of kingship must gird his waist and keep his two hands open.
He must keep his pure soul from wickedness and hand the path of reason over to knowledge.
He must be wary of the enemy in war and guard his share of honor and disgrace.
The Lord of sun and moon will call him to account for the justice or injustice done to city and army.
If even a gnat suffers wrong from the king, his soul will remain in hell, grieving.
The world is darker than a black night; a king needs a heart finer than a hair,
one that frees soul and body from evil and knows that crookedness brings no reward.
When he sets the crown upon his head on the throne of justice, a whole world rejoices in that justice.
In the end the bed is of brick and dust, whether he burns down there in the grave.
From this dynasty came King Jamhur, whose judgment was far from wicked deeds.
He did not die at an evil hour; he died and left the world to his younger brother.
From Danbar came the proud Mai, a young man, clear of heart and pure in judgment.
All the people of Sandal came before her, their hearts filled with blood, seeking a king.
She came and sat upon the royal throne, her waist tightly girded, her two hands open.
She said: 'They asked me here, and we joined together, so that nothing would stay hidden in silence.'
'If you are the elder brother, you are also greater in wisdom and reason.'
'Act in such a way that you do not put your soul through suffering for the sake of pride, crown, and treasure.'
'If I choose one of you, the other's heart will turn to hatred against me.'
'Do not spill blood for a crown and a treasure, for this passing house of the world stays with no one.'
When Talkhand heard his mother's counsel, her words brought him no benefit.
He said to his mother: 'Out of favoritism, you keep passing judgment in favor of Gav.'
'If my brother is older than me in years, not everyone who is older is better.'
'In this army of mine there are many men, and beside them he is like a vulture reaching for the sky.'
'Men who never seek a throne or an army, neither throne, nor crown, nor treasure, nor royal cap.'
'If our father died in the days of his youth, he handed the throne of greatness to no one.'
'I see your heart leaning toward Gav, intent on making him the leader.'
'I would sooner make people out of clay than let my father's name be lost.'
His mother swore a solemn oath: 'I renounce the deep blue dome of heaven.'
'If I ever wished for this desire, or dressed my heart in it before God,'
'Think nothing but good of these words; do not grow harsh against the turning of the sky.'
'To whomever it wishes, it gives good fortune; look, trust no one but God.'
'I have offered whatever counsel came to me; if my counsel is of no use to you,'
'See what is best and do it in this matter, and make my counsel provision for your soul.'
After that she called together all the wise, and laid out all her counsel before them.
She brought the keys to the treasury of the two kings, who had been learned and devout,
and she revealed what was hidden before the seasoned and the great.
She divided it all among them fairly, granting the full wish of both her sons.
Then Gav spoke this way to Talkhand: 'You good-hearted, renowned, and new-found friend,'
'I have heard that Jamhur, for some time, was higher than us in years and in wisdom.'
'Your father, that precious man of fine nature, never once desired the throne before him.'
'He never felt shame at being the younger, and never sought superiority over his elders.'
'See whether so just a Lord would approve that I should gird myself in service before the younger one.'
Your mother spoke nothing but justice; why should your heart delight in cruelty?
Let us call in some of the great ones from the army, wise men who have traveled the world and know it well.
When we have heard the words of the learned, we will trust their judgment and their counsel.
They left their mother's hall with this talk, their hearts full of the search for answers.
The two young men agreed on this: that afterward, from the champions and warriors,
we will hear the words of the wise and the pure, and follow whatever they judge best.
For from them we learned knowledge, and through wisdom we kindled light in our hearts.
Two wise counselors came to guide them, and every kind of opinion passed between them.
One wise man wanted Gav to be the king, for Gav was the elder ruling in Sandali.
The other, who had been Talkhand's teacher, was also a man of wisdom and sound mind.
This one argued against that, and that against this, until the two chiefs took up enmity.
Two thrones had been set up in the hall, and the two fortunate ones sat upon them.
The two bold counselors stood at the right, each demanding his share of the world.
They summoned all the nobles and seated them left and right in the hall.
The wise ones spoke out: 'You proud and manly men,
you who remember the customs of the fathers of these noble, fortunate lords,
which of these two virtuous young men do you want as your king; who do you judge worthy?'
The priests, the great ones, and the clear-hearted sages fell silent, at a loss.
The two young men sat on their two thrones, and the two fortunate wise men had spoken.
Both townsfolk and soldiers understood that from this matter war and judgment would come.
The whole kingdom would be split in two, and the wise would be left in suffering and fear.
One from the gathering raised his head, spoke aloud, and stood up.
'What can we say about the two counselors of the two kings that would be of any use?
Tomorrow let us hold an assembly and speak with one another, each face to face.
Then let us send messages one by one, so that perhaps the kings may find their wish.'
They left the hall grumbling and grim, lips full of complaint and souls full of grief.
They said this matter had turned troublesome and had slipped beyond the grasp of experienced men.
'We have never seen two brothers as two kings, with two ill-willed counselors at the court.'
They passed one night with frowning faces, until the sun raised its head above the mountain.
All the great ones of the city set out at once, everyone who had a stake in the affair.
Word spread through every corner of Sandali, and all kinds of talk went back and forth, restlessly.
Among the nobles, some favored Gav, while others pointed the way toward Talhand.
Tongues grew weary of their arguments; they never came to one mind or joined as one group.
That great gathering scattered apart, soldiers and townsfolk, each man for himself.
One sent a message toward Talhand, filling his tongue with curses against Gav.
Another went to Gav with mace and sword, saying, 'For the king I will not spare my life.'
The land of Sandali fell into chaos, in place of all that goodwill and unity.
The wise say: in a single house, if there are two commands, nothing stays in order.
Then news reached Talhand and Gav that every district now had its own leader,
that people would ruin the whole city out of passion; kings should never allow such a thing.
That news left them full of dread, and they kept watch by night and day.
It happened one day that the two young kings went out, without army or champion.
They opened their tongues against each other, their faces creased and their heads full of war.
Gav said to Talhand: 'Brother, do not do this; our quarrel has gone past all bounds.
My dear, do not stubbornly chase what the wise will not even look upon.
You heard how, as long as Jamhur lived, his brother was like a servant to him.
He died and I was left, small and belittled; the throne cannot be handed to a mere child.
The world was full of good from his wisdom; no one dared seek to take his place.
His brother was to him like soul to body, and the assembly summoned him to the throne.
If I had been worthy of the throne, no one would have set eyes on us in rivalry.
Let us walk the way of the kings of the world, and hear good and bad from the wise.
I am older than you in years and in wisdom; you claim that though younger, you are the better man.
Do no wrong, do not seek the royal throne, do not fill the land's face with endless dispute.'
Then Talhand answered thus: 'No one has won greatness through trickery.
I received this crown and throne from our father; I reaped from the seed that he had sown.
From now on I will guard the whole kingdom, its treasure and its army, with my sword.
Say no more about Jamhur or about us; if you feel so secure, then fight for the throne.'
They returned with their heads full of war, and made ready for battle within the city.
Soldiers and townsfolk, all bent on war, turned their faces toward the kings' courts.
One group sided with Talhand, while another's heart pointed the way to Gav.
A great cry rose up at the gate of each king; there was no room for either of them in that city.
Talkhand was the first to prepare for war; his brave warriors wasted no time in fighting.
He threw open his father's treasuries and gave helmets and armor to every soldier.
The whole city was filled with fear from end to end, and the heart of every wise man was split in two,
wondering how the turning of the heavens would go, and which of these two great men time would raise up.
The whole land learned of these two kings, and troops came flooding in from every direction.
Talkhand put on his armor first and washed his hands, ready to shed blood.
Gav too brought out his mail and helmet, saying farewell to his father's spirit.
In that fury they set off from their places and made ready the backs of the elephants.
They set saddles on the elephants' humps; you would think the earth itself was seeking a path.
The whole plain rang with bells and Indian chimes, and every ear was filled with the wail of trumpets.
The two young kings came to the battlefield, both driven onward by the hunger for more.
The sky was dazed by that battleground, and eyes went dark from the dust of the armies.
The roar of the drums rose up, and from both sides came the sound of brass horns.
The right and left wings were drawn up in order; you would think the whole earth had become a mountain.
The two armies stretched their ranks over two leagues, with the two proud kings on the backs of elephants.
A gleaming banner stood raised over each one: one bore the image of a tiger, the other a phoenix.
In front marched the foot soldiers, spearmen and shield-bearers, fit for the work of war.
Gav looked out over that field of war and saw the air like the back of a fighting leopard.
The dust hungry for blood and the whole plain running red, and everywhere the spear was the only guide.
However much his heart burned with grief for Talkhand, his brother's rage sealed shut the two eyes of reason.
Gav chose an eloquent man, one who was a leader among the nobles,
and said: Go to Talkhand and tell him not to seek an unjust war against your own brother.
Every drop of blood that is spilled here, you will be answerable for it in the next world.
Open your ear to good counsel; do not be deceived by the words of slanderers.
It must not be that from this battle we leave only disgrace as our memory in the world,
so that this land of India is laid waste and becomes the lair of leopards and lions.
Turn away from this fighting and clashing, from spilling blood recklessly and unjustly.
Gladden my heart with this peace, and free your neck from the debt owed to wisdom.
From this border all the way to the sea of China, take as much land as you wish.
We will hold our love for you as dear as life, and set the crown upon your head.
We will hand over the kingship like a gift of treasure, for this throne and crown are not worth the suffering.
But if all you seek is injustice, scattering the gathered flock,
you will be blamed in this world, and questioned for it in the next.
Do not set your mind on injustice, brother, for injustice cannot stand beside justice.
When the messenger reached Talkhand, he came bearing the king's words like counsel.
Talkhand answered: Tell him not to keep making so many excuses to avoid the war.
I do not call you brother, nor friend. You are neither the marrow nor the skin of our line.
You will lay the whole kingdom to ruin when you send your brave men off to battle.
All the ill-wishers are on your side; on the day of battle your fortune will be with them.
Before God, too, you are the guilty one: of evil name, evil nature, and evil ways.
For the blood that will be shed hereafter in this feud, you will bear the curse and I the blessing.
And as for your saying, we will hand over the crown, this borderland, and this ivory throne,
that whenever you rule, you will grant me a province and give me aid,
I would rather no life were left in my body than cast my eyes upon the king's crown.
Now I have drawn up the ranks for war; the air has turned to brocade stitched with gold.
From arrows, javelins, and spearpoints, no wild ass can now tell saddle from rein.
On the battlefield I will scatter heads, and set all his army wailing.
I will bring my troops into battle in such a way that even a warring leopard grows sick of the fight.
They will bring Gav to me with his hands bound, and his army will see itself broken on every side,
so that none of the subjects will ever again put on battle armor against their king.
When the wise man heard this answer, he came back and recounted it word by word.
Gav's heart grew heavy at the answer, for Talkhand's reply showed no reason at all.
Full of worry, he called the sage before him and spoke much about the reply.
He said to him: You who seek wisdom, tell me a way out of this.
The whole plain is blood, heads without bodies; the passage of souls is now in God's hands.
It must not be that from this war an evil fate is left behind for us.
The sage said to him: My king, you have no need of a teacher to give you counsel.
But if you truly seek my word: do not be harsh in fighting your brother.
Send to him a keen messenger, dignified, wise, and soft of speech.
You should send a message to him, in the hope that he may be calmed from this war.
Give him all the treasure won without toil; choose your brother's life over gold.
Since the crown and signet ring are yours, do not quarrel with him over money.
I have studied the turning of the heavens: his time will end very soon.
Among the seven wandering stars in the sky, I found not one that shows him favor or love.
He will be destroyed on this very field of battle; you need not make this matter so hard for yourself.
Only, do not let the lure of kingship, the throne and the crown, turn his troubled heart to summon an army.
Whatever else he wants, horses or treasure, give it, so that his spirit is not left in pain.
If you are a true king and blessed with good fortune, you are the stronger in the workings of fate.
The king heard these words from the wise man, and once again laid a fresh plan.
His face wet with tears of grief for his brother, he chose a fortunate, smooth-spoken envoy.
He told him: Gav, go before Talkhand and say to him that Gav is full of pain and sorrow.
From this cycle of combat and this warfare, he begs of the just Creator
that He may turn awareness and love in your heart, that you may recoil from war with your brother.
There is a wise man beside you, one who lights up your darkened soul.
Ask him, by the reckoning of the ten, the two and the seven, how this unjust affair will turn out.
However fierce and bold you may be, you cannot escape the turning of the heavens.
All around us are enemies; the world is full of treacherous people.
The king of Kashmir and the emperor of China, from whom the earth has grown too narrow for us.
We will be condemned by both sides, and by the famous warriors who seek strife.
For they will say: for the sake of a throne and crown, why did Talkhand and Gav make a battlefield?
Are they not of one blood, are they not both of pure, noble birth?
If you come from your army to my side, you will make my darkened soul shine.
Gold, fine silk, horses and treasure, I will share with you; I will not let you remain in hardship.
From my own hand you will receive the realm, the signet and the crown, the armlet and the ivory throne.
There is no shame in a brother's love, unless your only desire is for war.
If you will not heed my counsel through and through, in the end you will regret this evil.
The envoy came like a rushing wind to Talkhand, whose spirit was dark.
He said all he had been told, and added more, about kingship, treasure, gold and goods.
When Talkhand heard his speech, his wisdom, his judgment and his bearing
Since the heavens held a different secret, the brother's message of reconciliation went nowhere.
He answered like this: tell Gav that no schemer should ever escape his reward.
May your tongue be cut off by a cruel sword, and your body burned in the priest's fire.
I heard all your empty words; I see no profit coming from your trickster's marketplace.
How can you hand me the treasury and the throne? Who are you anyway in this great assembly?
The power, the treasure, and the kingship are mine; from the sun down to the fish beneath the water, all is mine.
It seems your time has come, since such grand, far reaching schemes have filled your head.
The armies stand facing each other across two miles, ready for the clash of warriors and the charge of elephants.
Array your troops and bring on the battle; you came for war, so why the thought of delay?
Now you will feel such a blow from me that you will be left counting the stars of your final days.
You know nothing but spells, snares, and deceit, now that you have seen your fortune sliding downhill.
Far from wisdom and far from the crown and throne, no lucky knowledge ever called your name.
The envoy returned, his head full of wind, and repeated the king's whole answer.
So it went until dark night showed its face; the messenger kept coming and going between them.
They dismounted there on the battlefield and dug a trench in front of the army.
The scouts kept circling around the plain, and in this way the calm of night passed by.
When the sun raised its head from the sign of the Lion, the earth turned to the likeness of a sea of water.
The sun spread out a yellow veil and laid it over the deep blue land.
The trumpets rose in an uproar, and the beat of the drums answered from both royal camps.
The banners of the two kings came into view; the armies drew up their right and left wings.
Two proud kings stood at the center, and before each king stood a wise counselor.
Gav ordered his wise counselor to give the command aloud to the vanguard:
Hold the banners upright, every one, and keep the gleaming blades drawn.
Let no one set foot ahead of the champions; no foot soldier should move from his place.
Anyone who acts rashly on the day of battle is neither wise nor a man of steady nerve.
Let me see how Talkhand, with this army, will advance onto the field.
Nothing happens but by the will of the pure God, from the shining sun down to the dark earth.
I tried counsel and I tried love again and again, but none of it did any good.
If our army wins, and the turning of sun and moon grants me victory,
do not spill blood for the sake of plunder, for you already have a treasury full and adorned.
And if there is any hero in this army who would drive his horse hard toward the center of the line,
when he finds Talkhand in battle, they must not so much as let dust settle on him.
Offering prayers, with belts drawn tight, they must advance before the raging war-elephant.
A shout went up: We obey; by your command we will make our very souls ready.
From the other side, before his army, Talkhand spoke to the guardians of his throne:
If it turns out that we are the victors, and the turning stars bear good fruit,
we will draw all our swords for vengeance; we take refuge in God and hold our breath.
When you find Gav, you must not kill him, nor speak a single harsh word to him.
Pull him down from that furious elephant's back and bring him to me with both hands bound.
At once the blare of the trumpet rose from the entrance of the royal pavilion.
Mountain and sea filled with the sound; you would think the turning sky had reversed its course.
From the sheer roar and the crack of axes, no one could tell the earth's foot from its head.
Because of the glittering arrowheads and eagle-feather shafts, the sun drew in its skirts and hid.
The ground became like a sea of blood; plain and valley lay drowned beneath it.
The two princes, both kings, drove their two raging elephants out from the army's heart.
A cry rose from Talkhand and Gav: Keep clear of the wind of my javelin!
Do not raise your hand against your brother in this fight; at the sound of my voice, hold your place.
This one said that to that one, and that one the same to this, while the whole earth turned into a sea of blood.
The dagger-wielding warriors circled around the battlefield.
From the blows of the two kings, those two hungry for strife, blood and brains ran together into a stream.
So it went until the sun wheeled off from the dome of heaven, and the fighting passed all measure.
A cry rose from the plain, the voice of Gav: You warriors and fresh young champions,
whoever seeks mercy from us, do not hold any grudge against him in battle.
So that my brother may come to fear the fight; when he is left alone, he will not delay.
Many of the heroes begged for quarter; many were killed in the thick of the fray.
When Talkhand was left alone on his elephant, Gav called out to him several times:
Go, my brother, to your own palace; look upon your hall and your council.
You will hardly find a single living body left of that famous gathering of swordsmen.
Know every good deed as coming from God, and while you live, give thanks to Him,
for you have walked away from the battle alive; this is no time for scheming, nor a day to linger.
When Talkhand heard his brother's voice, he twisted with shame and his face flushed red.
He returned from the battlefield to the meadow, and troops gathered around him from every side.
He opened his treasury and distributed pay; his army grew prosperous, content, and glad.
Anyone he saw as worthy of a robe of honor, he dressed in a manner fitting their rank.
When his army was made rich with gold, the warrior's heart was freed from sorrow.
He sent a message to Gav: 'You who have grown so fond of the throne,
you think you have escaped me unharmed; don't lull your heart with idol worshippers' spells.
You will suddenly be consumed by fire, your soul pierced, your eyes sewn shut in death.'
When Gav heard that harsh message, his heart was washed clean of brotherly love.
That speech filled his heart with grief; he said to his wise counselor, 'Look at this strange thing.'
The sage said to him, 'O king, you are the heir to your father's throne.
You are wiser than those who seek knowledge, and stronger than all who wear the crown.
This is my certainty, and I have told the king: by the turning sun and the shining moon,
this proud man, until he is destroyed, will keep writhing like a snake through this dark earth.
In your reply, do not speak harshly to him; seek reconciliation and treat him with respect.
If he makes war, we will make war too, for he acts in haste while we act with patience.'
The commander called the messenger before him and spoke to him with many kind words.
He said, 'Go and tell my brother: don't keep seeking such harshness and rage.
Harshness does not become a king; our father was renowned, and you are famed.
I am certain that, from my counsel, you will not turn away or break our bond.
But because it is my wish that you remain renowned and honor seeking,
I will tell you all that is in my heart, the words my soul inclines toward.
Turn your head away from bad advice, toward ease, sound judgment, and the path of wisdom.
Speak only justly, my brother, for the world from end to end is trickery and wind.
Reach toward righteousness, and all that exists, of treasure and of men who serve the king,
I will send to you, every last bit, so your ill-thinking soul may see
that in my heart there is nothing but justice; may no one live who does not wish you joy.
This is my resolve in the message I have sent, if you, my elder, will heed your own good.'
But if your mind holds nothing but war, and you have no will for kindness or ties,
then I will now raise an army for battle, an army that will need a whole country to hold it.
Let us leave this settled land of ours and lead the whole army down to the sea.
Let us dig a trench around our forces and block the road against these warriors.
Let us channel water from the sea into the trench and hurl ourselves swiftly into it, heart and soul.
So that whoever suffers defeat will find no path of escape past the trench.
Whoever fights and wins on this ground, we will spill blood here in this narrow place.
Let us take the whole army captive instead; let us not resort to sword and arrow.
The messenger turned back and came like the wind, and repeated to Talkhand all that Gav had said.
When Talkhand heard the words of Gav, he summoned every leader of the army.
He ordered them called before him and seated each in the place he deserved.
He told them all of Gav's reply and unveiled every secret from its hiding place.
He said to the army: this is a new kind of war, this plan of Gav's, to fight by the sea.
What do you see? What counsel shall we take to answer his scheme fittingly?
If you wish to stand as one with me, do not turn even a little from what is just.
If I seek battle, what matter sea or mountain, so long as the army stands together in the fight?
If you are my allies in war, the leopard will not fear the fox's cry.
Whoever seeks a great name will win great fortune from the world.
A world-conqueror slain with honor is better than a living man whose enemy rejoices over him.
Whoever fights fiercely in battle does so only to gain some benefit.
From me you shall receive great wealth, servants, and fine adorned horses.
From Kashmir to the shores of the China sea, in every city they praise us.
I will grant all the cities to the army, once the command, crown, and throne are mine.
In reply, all the nobles before him laid their faces one by one upon the dust.
Saying: we seek renown and you are our king; now you shall see how fortune turns.
A great clamor rose from Talkhand's court, and the whole country stirred with the army's uproar.
They led the whole army toward the sea, and after that Gav's forces appeared.
The two kings, who bore each other such hatred, made camp facing one another.
They dug a trench all around, and when it was deep they let the water pour in.
The two armies drew up their ranks face to face, the riders all with foam upon their lips.
Each arrayed its left wing and its right, and drew the baggage train close to the sea.
The two great kings, full of pain and hatred, set two saddles upon the backs of elephants.
Each took his place at the heart of his own force, and each drew up his own army for battle.
The earth turned pitch black and the sky went violet, from the endless spears and silken banners.
The air grew ebony dark with the dust of the troops, and rang with the wailing of horns and drums.
You would think the sea itself was boiling, with crocodiles thrashing in the blood within it.
From the blows of axe and mace and blade, a dark cloud rose up out of that sea.
When the sun drew its skirt across the sky, it grew so dark that no one could see anyone else.
You would think the sky was raining down swords, planting tulips of blood in the soil.
The world became so choked with the fallen that even the vulture could not fly across it.
One group lay in trenches full of blood, others with heads cut off, flung face down.
The sea rose up in waves from the wind, and the army poured in, wave upon wave.
The whole plain was brains and liver and hearts, and every horseshoe was caked with mud of blood.
Talkhand looked out from the back of his elephant and saw the ground like the waters of the Nile.
The whole tide turned against Talkhand; he grew desperate for a path and for water.
Between the wind, the scorching sun, and the sharp sword, he found neither rest nor any way to flee.
On that golden saddle he slumped and died, and the whole kingdom of India passed to Gav.
People set both eyes on wanting more, yet it is having too little that fills the heart with grief and rage.
Neither the one nor the other lasts, wise man; choose only what brings joy in this world.
However much toil may pile up treasure, all the treasure of the world is not worth the toil.
When Gav looked out from the center of his army, he did not see the banner of the new commander.
He sent a rider off to the elephant's back, to search everywhere, mile after mile.
To find that bright ruby-red banner, the one that turned the horsemen's faces pale.
Where has it gone, that the fury of battle has died down? Perhaps the dust has only dimmed my eyes.
The rider went and searched from end to end, but nowhere saw the banner of that famous chief.
He found the whole center in an uproar of talk, the kingdom's horsemen all seeking their king.
The messenger turned back and returned like the wind, and told Gav everything he had learned.
The commander climbed down from the elephant's back and walked two miles on foot, weeping.
He came and found Talkhand dead, and saw the army's spirit wilted with grief.
He looked him over from head to foot, but found no torn skin, no wound anywhere on his body.
Crying out, he tore the flesh from his own arms, and sat down beside him, mournful and broken.
He kept saying, bitterly: young warrior, you have gone, your soul full of pain and wounded.
It was the turning of an evil star that killed you; otherwise no harsh wind ever touched you.
You turned your head away from your teachers; you went, and left your mother heartbroken.
I gave you plenty of good advice, but my counsel never did you any good.
When the wise Gav arrived at that place, he found the world seeking Talkhand lying dead.
His brother wept and filled with grief, while the riders cried out across that wide plain.
Wailing, he threw himself down before Gav, saying in sorrow: O new lord of the world.
Then the wise man readied his counsel; he said to Gav: O high king,
What use is this weeping and mourning? So it went, and this was destined to happen.
You owe one thanks to the Creator of the world: that Talkhand did not die by your hand.
I had told the king everything that would come, reading it from Saturn, Mars, the sun, and the moon:
that this young man would struggle so hard in war that he would bring his own fate down upon himself.
Now Talkhand's affair has scattered like the wind; through folly and rashness he has passed away.
There is an army out there, so full of pain and anger, and every one of them is watching you.
Compose yourself, and give us calm; grant your reason's wish through a peaceful heart.
For when an army sees its king full of grief and weeping, walking on foot along the road,
his honor sinks in the eyes of his troops, and the low become bold against him.
A king is like a cup of rosewater: a single speck of dust can ruin it all.
He listened to the wise counsel of the sage, and a loud cry rose up from the army:
that this army is no longer separate from you; may blessings be upon both these men and those.
Take us all, pure of heart, into your protection, and keep us as a remembrance of that noble spirit.
After that, when he called the learned men together, he shed much heart's blood down his lashes.
The counsel he had given to Talkhand, and what he had heard from him, he told them all.
He made a coffin like a throne of ivory, of gold, turquoise, and fine teak.
He covered his face with Chinese silk; so passed that famous, renowned lord of India.
With pitch and tar, with camphor and musk, they sealed the coffin tight and dry.
From that place he marched the army swiftly, halting little on the road or at the way stations.
When the kings had chosen the field of battle, their mother lost all sleep, rest, and appetite.
She always kept a lookout on the road, passing her days in bitterness.
When the army's dust rose along the road, the keen-eyed woman gazed out from her watchtower.
The lookout kept watching for two miles, hoping to catch sight of Talkhand's crown and his elephant.
From the heights Gav's banner appeared, and his troops spread across the whole face of the land.
But no rider came into view from among the army; a scout was sent out from the watchpost.
Word came that the army had crossed the mountain by this side, Gav and all who formed his ranks.
There was no sign of Talkhand, no elephant, no banner, none of those famed men in their golden shoes.
Blood poured from his mother's lashes; again and again she beat her head against the wall.
For after this the news had reached the mother that the royal glory had gone dark,
that King Talkhand had died there in the saddle, and had left the throne of kingship to Gav.
She tore her clothes and clawed at her face, and had the treasurer set fire to the treasury.
His mother rushed raging into his palace, her head drenched in blood.
She burned the whole palace and the crown of greatness, and after that kindled a towering fire,
meaning to burn her own body in the custom of India, to make plain by that grief the faith of India.
When the news of the mother reached Gav, he spurred that swift horse into motion.
He came and held her tightly to his chest, his lashes full of blood, and began to plead.
He said to her: 'Dear mother, listen, for we are innocent of this war.
Neither I nor my companions killed him; let no warrior in this gathering think so.
For could anyone have spoken a harsh word before him? It was the turning of the evil star that killed him.'
The mother said to him: 'You evil doer, reproach will come to you from the high heavens.
You kill a brother for the sake of crown and throne; no one will call you good hearted or fortunate.'
He answered thus: 'Dear mother, you should not think ill of me.
Be calm, and let me show you what happened on the battlefield, the doings of the king and the army.
Who dared face him seeking battle? Who would ever have this quarrel in his mind?
By the Creator who made justice and love, who made night and day and the turning sky,
from now on may these eyes never see love or the throne, no horse, no mace, no seat, no crown,
unless I make this matter plain and fill your bitter heart with gentleness.
His time had run out at someone else's hand, a fate no one can escape,
for who in this world finds escape from death, even if he sheathes his life in a steel helmet?
That shining candle guttered out, and in this world no one counts even one breath as safe.
And if, once I show you, you are still not calmed, then by the Sustainer who holds all desire,
I will burn myself before you in the fire, for the sake of the one who thinks ill of me.'
When the mother heard Gav's words, she grieved for his height and his noble stature.
His mother said to him: Show me the way; explain how King Talkhand died atop his elephant.
So that this whole matter becomes clear to me, and my heart, full of fire, may find some ease.
Gav went to his own hall, brimming with grief, and summoned the wise, world seeing sage before him.
He told him all that had passed with his mother, who was tormented as though on burning coals.
The two sat down together to take counsel, Gav and the wise man, with no crowd around them.
The sage told him: You of noble nature, this wish of ours cannot be set right so simply.
From every side let us call the young and old, wherever there is a renowned and sharp minded man.
From Kashmir, from Dambar, from Marv and Ma, and from those quick witted seekers of counsel.
From the sea, from the trench, and from the battleground, let us lay it before the man who seeks the way.
Gav scattered horsemen in every direction, to any place where a leading priest might be.
One and all they came to the king's court, to that celebrated royal hall.
The world's ruler sat down with the priests, the great ones, the wise hearted and the discerning.
The sage described that battlefield, how the fighting of war and armies had unfolded.
Of the sea, the trench, and the pool of water, one by one they told it to the keen minded.
None of them slept for a single dark night, nor did they open their lips to one another.
When the sound of the drum rose from the field, the seasoned sages called for ebony wood.
Two men of worth and good nature built a board with four sides.
Modeled on that trench and battlefield, with the face of an army arrayed upon it.
On that board they carved a hundred squares, and he ranked the fighting army in a line.
Then two armies of teak and ivory, two proud kings with their elephants and crowns.
He saw in it the foot soldier and the rider, all set out in the array of battle.
Of the horses, the elephants, and the king's minister, the warrior who launches his horse against the host.
All the pieces were shaped by the rule of war, one swift and moving, another slow to act.
The king took his place, arraying the center of the army, and on one side the wise, well wishing minister.
Beside the king, on either flank, two elephants, elephants gone dusty and dark as indigo.
Two camels set to stand upon the elephant's side, and on them two of pure judgment mounted.
Beneath the camel, two horses and two men, who seek the fray on the day of battle.
The warriors, the two rooks, stood on the two flanks of the two ranks, foam of heart's blood on their lips.
The foot soldier would advance from front and rear, wherever there was need for rescue in the fight.
When it had crossed to the head of the battlefield, it would sit at the king's side, like the minister.
The counselor could move only one square as well; it never stepped ahead of the king.
The proud elephant moved three squares, surveying the whole battlefield from two miles off.
The camel too moved three squares, rushing and charging across the field of war.
No one advanced against the vengeful rook; it raced across the entire battleground.
Each piece moved within its own domain, and none went more or less than its allotted step.
Whenever someone saw the king in danger, they cried out: 'O king, turn aside.'
Then they blocked every path to the king: rook, knight, counselor, elephant, and all the ranks.
The king looked in all four directions and saw the army closing in, brow furrowed with menace.
Knights and trenches hemmed him in, the ranks pressing left and right, front and back.
Worn by hardship and thirst, the king was checkmated; such was the fate the turning heavens dealt him.
This was the wish behind the chess of Talkhand, and behind that noble, kind hearted king Gav.
The mother watched the game, her heart full of blood in grief for King Talkhand.
Day and night she sat, filled with pain and anger, her two eyes fixed upon the game of chess.
All her desire and thought were bound to chess, her soul still tormented by Talkhand.
She wept tears of blood without end, and chess was the only physician for that wound.
So it went on through her wanderings and days, until at last her time on earth was done.
Now this tale has reached its end for me, just as I heard it told in ancient days.