English
Part Two: Bahram's Mercy and Justice
Next day, when the sun rose, the mountains glowed and sleep drained away.
This group came to Mundhir, for King Bahram was displeased with them.
They said: plead for us before the king, so he may forgive what we have done.
For under Yazdgerd's cruelty we were so wretched that the blood froze in the veins of the great.
From all his ugly words and deeds, from his injustice, his pain, his torment,
our hearts grew cold toward Bahram, since through the king himself we had suffered so.
Mundhir went and softened the king, laying warm and earnest words before him.
He forgave them, however great their guilt, for the king was noble of nature and just.
He adorned the royal palace, and all the great ones came together there.
When the place of honor was made ready, they seated each one worthy of it.
Everywhere they spread out feasting tables, and called for wine, harps, and musicians.
On the second day another company came; the commander never tired of the feasting.
The third day was celebration, wine, and joy; sorrow was far from the world king's palace.
He said: consider what Numan and Mundhir have done for me, these two pure and noble men.
All the nobles called down blessings upon that flourishing plain and its valiant men.
After that the king opened his treasury and decked the throne with gold coins and brocade.
With horses, spears, and battle armor, with helmets and jewels of every color,
he handed it all over to Numan and Mundhir; Javanuy went and counted it out to them.
No one could measure the scale of his giving, nor match the greatness of his effort.
He gave many gifts to the Arabs too; they left the royal palace rejoicing.
Then he brought out royal robes of honor, along with a horse and Pahlavi garments.
They gave them to the prince, honored him, and seated him on the fortunate throne.
The King of Kings then turned to Narsi; he came down from his throne to a lower seat.
Narsi was his brother, of one heart and one voice with him, that renowned young man, younger than he.
He made him commander over his army, so the realm might be kept in good order.
He entrusted the whole army to Narsi, and by his generosity carried off the kingship.
He opened the treasury and gave out pay; his troops grew glad with the gold coins.
Then he commanded that Gushasp the scribe come before the welcoming king,
a man who was learned in that age and held the reckoning of the world in his grasp.
Watchful Javanuy was there with him, for he kept the count of the coins.
As for the arrears still owed by the Iranians, he ordered them wiped away entirely.
The learned scribes went into the record office, going, for the sake of the money, high as Saturn.
All the arrears owed across the whole world they gathered up, one and all.
When they reckoned it, ninety and three times over, the debt in Iran came to thousands upon thousands of coins.
He forgave it all and set the ledgers on fire; the whole land of Iran rejoiced at him.
When everyone learned of this, all called down blessings on him again and again.
They all went together to the fire temple, to the halls of Nowruz and the Sadeh feast.
They scattered musk upon the fire and called down blessings on Bahram.
After that he ordered his scouts to travel all around the world,
to seek out those Yazdgerd had driven away and gather them into a single city,
so that the king's decree might go out, calling the noble ones back.
He sent robes of honor to every lord and granted each a province to match his rank.
Every chief priest, mobad, and march-warden who heard Bahram speak in this way
came, all of them, to the king's court, open-hearted and full of goodwill.
He ordered that whoever sought justice should turn toward the chief of the mobads.
When his command went out into the world, a herald stood at the gate and cried aloud:
O subjects of the watchful king, be far from sorrow and far from wrongdoing.
From now on, bless the one who keeps the land flourishing through justice.
In this world take refuge in God and God alone, for He is the sustainer and the helper.
Whoever chooses our command and does not turn his head from our judgment and covenant,
on him we will heap ever more kindness, and drive spite and greed out of our heart.
But whoever flees from justice, we will hang him up for punishment.
If the Creator grants us strength, and time turns to our heart's desire,
then these good works will only increase, and you will have cause to praise us.
At his words, all the land of Iran went about glad-hearted and fresh of face.
When his kingship was set in order, joy grew greater and sorrow diminished.
All day his work was the hunt, and then horses, the field, polo mallet, and ball.