The Persians Send an Envoy to Mundhir

When the Persians learned what had happened, one by one they rushed to find a remedy. Worn out completely by that suffering, they gathered together as one group. They said: this business has gone beyond all limits, with the pressure from Rome, from India, and the riders of the plains. Now we must devise some plan, and set our hearts and minds free of this trouble. They sought out a priestly envoy, an eloquent, clear-sighted, and noble man. The name of that hero was Javanuy, a great scribe and a skilled speaker. They sent him to go to Mundhir, to speak and to listen to what he had to say. He was to tell Mundhir: O exalted one, may the whole world stand in need of your name. You are the guardian of Iran and its fires; everywhere you are the support of the brave. Now that this throne is without a king and without a crown, and the borderlands are speckled with blood like a partridge's feathers, We said you would be the lord of the frontier, for from you we saw this land's true worth. But now the plunder is yours, and the shedding of blood, the pillage and the fighting everywhere. You were not an evildoer before this; you used to fear curses and reproach. Look at this, so it may seem right to you; in your old age let this prove useful to you. Above you there is another Judge, one higher than the thoughts of even the highest. The envoy should say what he has seen, and also the words he has heard from the wise. The learned Javanuy left the presence of the chiefs and set out toward the plain of the spearmen. He spoke to Mundhir and delivered the letter, recalling the words of the Persians. The Arab king heard his words, but did not open his lips to give any answer. He said this instead: O wise seeker of solutions, take these words to the great king himself. Say what you told me to Bahram Shah; when you seek an answer, he will show you the way. He sent a distinguished man along with him, and Javanuy went to the king's court. When the wise man saw Bahram, he called on the Creator's name in praise. At that height and stature, those shoulders and that neck, the clear-sighted man stood amazed. It was as if wine dripped from his face, and the scent of musk rose from his hair. The eloquent man lost his composure and his wits; his whole message slipped from his mind. Bahram realized that he was dazzled, that his eyes and heart had gone dark from the sight. He questioned him at length and treated him kindly, and graciously seated him upon the throne. When the man grew at ease, the king asked him why he had troubled himself with the journey from Iran. He sent along with him a shrewd man to take him back to Mundhir. Bahram said: tell Mundhir to write a reply to that letter, an answer to those auspicious words. And after that, see what message he has; hear his full answer from him. Javanuy came and spoke the words, and Mundhir's face brightened at his counsel. When he heard the message from that eloquent man, he set down the foundation of a reply to that letter. He said to Javanuy: O wise one, whoever does evil receives his punishment. I have heard all the message you delivered, and the greetings from those noble men. Say this to them: the wrong lay in what they did at the start, when they had to seek out this pointless war. The great king Bahram Gur is here now, full of glory and majesty and with an army. You dragged him out like a snake from its hole, and pulled the hem of your own robe through blood. If I had been your counselor, no harm would have fallen upon the Persians. Javanuy had seen the great king's face and had heard some words from him too. He had asked whether he was fit for the throne, for greatness and victory and good fortune. When he heard such words from Mundhir, he laid the foundation of a clear-minded thought. He answered thus: O exalted one, whose wisdom makes you independent of everyone, if the Persians have lost their wisdom, and many of the nobles have been killed, I am now an old seeker of honor; if you will listen, let me speak my mind. You must go to the great king Bahram Gur, calmly, without battle or uproar. Come to the land of Iran with hunting cheetahs and hawks, just as a proud king would come. Listening to the words of the Persians surely can bring no harm from such a move. You too should say what is fitting, showing wisdom and staying far from folly. Keep your spirit far from evil counsel, and turn away from taunts and reproach. When Mundhir heard this, he gave him a gift; someone made the man from the flourishing city glad.