English
The Wisdom of Ardeshir
Now listen to the wisdom of Ardeshir, and learn each lesson one by one.
He labored, set a good and just order in place, and spread love and justice everywhere.
When he needed more troops at court, he sent guides out in every direction.
So that no man who had a son would let him grow up without a skill.
The boy would learn horsemanship and the ways of war, the mace, the bow, and the arrow of poplar wood.
When a child rose through effort into manhood, he was flawless when it came to giving of himself.
From across the land they came to the king's court, to that renowned royal hall.
Their names were entered and reviewed in his registry, which adorned his palace and his hall.
When war came, the fresh young man would ride out from court alongside the champion.
One of the wise priests, from among the experienced, who watched over the affairs of the world,
over every thousand men one inspector was set, who kept watch over each one's conduct.
Whoever proved weak in battle, or came to the fight unfit,
he wrote a report to the king of kings about both the unskilled and the true warriors.
When the king read the letter, he seated the messenger before him.
He dressed the skilled man in a robe of honor and gave from the treasury whatever was most precious.
But when he looked upon the unskilled one, he no longer girded him for war.
So his army grew until its vast expanse blotted out the very stars.
Any man among them who gave good counsel had his head raised high above the gathering.
For whoever sought the king's approval washed the ground with the blood of the brave.
He would receive a robe of honor from me, the king, and his name would live on in the world.
He filled the whole world with his army; he became the shepherd, and the fighters his flock.
He kept experienced men in his offices and never left any task to the ignorant.
They valued eloquence and fine handwriting; a man mastered even the placing of a single dot.
When such a man offered guiding words, the king of kings increased his daily pay.
Anyone whose writing and learning fell short never entered the office of King Ardeshir.
They were sent off to the officials for lesser work; only the true scribe remained with the king.
King Ardeshir was a keen judge of men; when he saw a scribe at court,
he told the writer to fill up the treasury, and by his counsel he scattered away his troubles.
Through him the city and the army thrive, and so do the subjects who cry out for justice.
The scribes are like the very bond of my soul; they are all rulers over my hidden affairs.
When an official set out to govern a province, the king would tell him to treat money with care.
You must not sell people off for gold, for this world is a passing inn that stays with no one.
Seek only honesty and wisdom; let greed and madness stay far from you.
Do not favor your relatives and kin over others; the troops I have given you are enough of an ally.
Give money to the poor each month, but hand nothing to the man who means harm.
If you keep the land prosperous through justice, you too will thrive, glad in that justice.
But if even one poor man sleeps in fear, you are selling his life for silver and gold.
Whoever came to the king's court, whether on worthy business or seeking justice,
the king's trusted men would question him, asking about the conduct of his officials:
which of them dealt justly and which seized people's goods, and who among them lay awake in grief.
And also who the learned men of the city were, and who among them was weakened by poverty.
And who was fit to serve at the royal court, an experienced elder or a devout, righteous man.
The king of kings would say: may no one be left happy without my support, at the cost of my toil.
Unless he is a man of knowledge who keeps learning; what is finer than a wise and seasoned man?
He wanted all who had seen the world, and the young who were pleasing and patient.
Young men who are wise and eager to learn deserve to sit in the place of elders.
When his army marched off to war somewhere, he made wisdom, good judgment, and patience its companions.
He would choose an envoy, a scribe, wise, learned, and quick to remember.
He gave a message, courteous and smooth, so that the war would not begin in injustice.
The envoy would go to the enemy so as to learn the secret hidden beneath his shirt.
If the enemy had sense, he listened to reason; he would meet evil's grief and pain by turning away from evil.
For that he received the king's robe of honor, a covenant, a charter, and a jeweled earring.
But if there was defiance in his head, hatred in his heart, and boiling blood in his liver,
the king gave money to the whole army so that not a single soldier would be downcast.
He would choose a renowned commander, wise, alert, and seeking calm,
and a proper, capable scribe to guard the army from doing injustice.
After that, a man mounted on an elephant's back would go, his cry carrying two miles:
he would call out: O renowned warriors, everyone who has heart, honor, and a name to protect,
no harm must come to any poor person, even if that person has fame and wealth.
At every stop, take what you need and give in return, and treat those beneath you with gratitude.
Never lay a hand on another's property, if you truly worship God.
Whoever turns his back and flees from the enemy will face harsh days from then on.
Whether the grave awaits him or chains wear away his neck and shoulders,
his name is struck from the rolls of honor: his food is dust, and his path leads into the dark earth.
He told the commander: do not be slack, yet do not rush ahead too eagerly either.
Always keep war elephants at the front of the army, and scatter scouts for four miles around.
First, circle around your own troops, when the day of honor and battle comes upon you.
Say to the army: who exactly are these men who have gathered on this battlefield?
For every hundred horsemen of theirs, throw down one of ours; even so, a hundred are few against one of us.
All of you, young and old alike, I will reward with robes of honor from Ardashir.
When both sides send their cavalry charging, the fighting champions must not be reckless.
It must not happen that the center is left empty, no matter how large the army is.
Arrange it so that the warriors of the right wing all fight together with the left.
And likewise the left wing with the right, all fighting, their hearts fixed on the baggage lines.
The troops of the center must hold their place; no one is to pull his foot from the center ground.
But if their center begins to give way, then advance with your army from the center yourself.
When you win, shed no one's blood, for the vile enemy is already in flight.
When any of the enemy asks for mercy, grant him mercy and hold no grudge.
When you see the enemy's back over some plunder, do not chase them off, but do not leave your ground either.
You must never feel safe from an ambush; enemy troops may lurk at any gate or open field.
The moment you feel secure from the enemy, you stop listening to anyone's warnings.
Give the spoils to the one who sought the fight, who bravely washed his heart clean of his sweet life.
Whoever becomes your captive, bring him without fail to this royal court.
For their sake I will raise a whole city on a land that was once a thicket of thorns.
Turn from none of these counsels in any way, if you wish to live free of pain and grief.
In victory, lean toward God, for He will surely be your guide.
From any place a messenger comes, whether Turk, Roman, or a noble free man,
the border-lord kept himself informed about him; he never treated such matters lightly.
The lodging along his road was made ready, and the governor had seen to that task.
For clothing and for food, and even for bedding, he never left the guest in need.
When the officer got word of the news, learning what had come to pass before the king,
a proud courier and a skilled scribe would set off toward King Ardeshir.
So that the troops could welcome the envoy, they would prepare the throne of the victorious king.
The attendants would line up on every side, all of them in robes stitched with gold.
He would call the messenger before him and seat him near the throne.
He would question him about all his secrets, about good and bad, his name and reputation,
about justice and injustice, about his land, its customs, its king, and its army.
He would take him to his hall as befits an envoy, and arrange everything that was needed.
Then he would invite him to a feast of wine and place him on a golden throne.
He would take him along to the hunt, where a countless army would gather.
For his departure, as one does for an envoy, he would prepare a royal robe of honor.
Then he sent wise priests to every region, gentle men, clear-hearted and shrewd,
so that they built up towns in every direction and set aside a treasury for this too,
so that anyone who was homeless, without means, or a stranger left out by fortune,
and so that the common people would grow numerous, would be given food and a place to live.
From this a good name spread through the world, both in the open and in secret.
There was no king in the world like him; after his death there was no keepsake left behind.
I am the very one who keeps his name alive; may nothing but goodness be the end of his story.
He kept much of his business secret, and stationed informers everywhere.
If a man of means became destitute, the king would come to know of it.
As was fitting, he would set that man's affairs right, so his fortunes would not stay so dim.
Fertile land and a place to settle, and the loyal service of the common folk,
he arranged things as they needed to be, and let his methods be known to no one.
He gave the empty-handed plenty of means, and gladdened every heart with it.
He handed the children over to teachers when they reached the right age for it.
In every quarter there was a school, and there too a place for the fire worshippers.
He left no one in want, though he kept his own hardships hidden.
He would go to the field at early dawn, and anyone seeking justice could come to him.
In dispensing justice he showed no favor to anyone, whether a lowly servant or his own son in need.
Whether humble or great, in his eyes his judgment was never clouded by shadow.
With his justice he brought the whole world to prosperity, and he gladdened the hearts of those beneath him.
When a ruler is paired with justice, time cannot conceal anything from him.
He would send wise, alert, and observant agents across the world.
Wherever there was ruined land, or wherever water ran scarce in the rivers,
he would lift the taxes from that region, and never let anyone's land be treated with contempt.
If a farmer had fallen into poverty, his affairs slipping from plenty toward ruin,
he would give him tools and livestock from the treasury, so the man would not be swept off his feet.
Listen to the words of the wise, my king: keep the world flourishing in this way.
If you want to be free of trouble, and to fill your treasury without harm or hardship,
choose to do no harm to those beneath you, and you will earn everyone's blessing for your justice.