Bahram and Khosrow Meet

Bahram and Khosrow came face to face, one with an open look, the other grim. The king of the world sat on an ivory white horse, a hero like Fereydun, with glory and crown. His robe of Chinese gold brocade, with Gorduy riding ahead as his guide. Like Banduy and Gostaham at the king's side, and Khorrad Borzin in his golden helmet. All of them drowned in iron, silver, and gold, no telling the rubies from the golden belts. When Bahram saw the emperor's face, rage drained the color from his cheeks. Then he said to his defiant men: 'This ill-marked son of a whore, rose from lowness and dullness to manhood, grew rich and raised a battlefield. He learned the ways of emperors; soon I will end his rule over the world. Look over his whole army, and see if a single one among them is renowned. I see no war-seeking rider who would dare face me in combat. Now he will see what real men do, the charge of the horse, the sword and battle-mace, the blows of the club and the rain of arrows, the cry of heroes: strike, hold, seize! Not even the war elephant can stand firm when I move forward with my army. At my voice the mountains crumble, the brave lion turns and flees. With my dagger I will cast a spell over the sea, and fill the whole desert with blood.' He spoke and spurred his piebald horse forward; you would think that steed became a flying phoenix. He performed a tight display of skill, and the army was left in awe of him. From the battlefield he rode toward Nahravan, while the fortunate young king still stood before them. A handful of Iranians were with him, all of them girded and ready to fight Khosrow. Khosrow said: 'You defiant men, who can point out Bahram Chubin?' Gorduy said to him: 'Your majesty, look at that man riding the piebald horse. His robe is white, his baldric black, he drives the piebald through the midst of the army.' When the king saw Bahram, he understood both his beginning and his end. He said: 'That tall, smoke-gray one, sitting so proudly on that piebald,' Gorduy said to him: 'Yes, that's the one; he has never thought well of anyone.' The king said: 'If you question that hunchbacked one, he answers your words with harshness. You see the pig-face and the sleepy eyes; you would say his heart is stuffed with rage. Have you ever seen his equal for evil? Nowhere in the world is there such an enemy of God. I see no humility in his head; no one will ever bring him to obedience.' Then he said to Bandwy and Gostahm: I will uncover this whole matter that lies hidden. If the donkey will not come to the load, then bring the heavy load to the donkey. Now that a monstrous demon has beguiled Chubina, how could he still see the road that leads to the lord of the world? Any heart made sick with greed will find the ways of the great displeasing. Chubina has no thought but war; there is no room for justice in his heart. Since so much has been said about going to war, we must look at it carefully, from top to bottom. Who knows who will win the battle, or who will light up the army on the other side? Facing an army arranged like this, and the strife of Bahram, the hero and chief, a grim, fierce man like a fearsome demon, with soldiers who tear like ravening wolves. If we can come to an agreement, I will feel no shame in this affair. I will take the first step and ask; that is better than showing weakness in battle. If I get a measured answer from him, his newfound wrongdoing will grow old and fade. I will grant him a corner of the world and place a debt of gratitude on him for the gift. This war of ours will turn into peace, all our striving on this battlefield. Peace will bring me benefit; wisdom, no doubt, is the fastening of a crown. When a king strikes a bargain, the heart of the wise man is glad of it. Gostahm said to him: O king, may you live in joy as long as time endures. You scatter jewels in your words; you are the wiser, so do whatever must be done. You are full of justice and the servant is a tyrant; you are full of sense and his head is full of wind. When Khosrow heard this, he set out and came, walking proudly, before the army. He greeted Bahram the hero from afar, seeking the moment of battle as if for a feast. He said to Bahram: O proud man, how goes your work on the field of war? You are like an ornament to the court, a treasure to the throne and the crown. A pillar of the army in time of battle, like a shining candle in time of feasting. You are a world-seeking champion and a worshiper of God; may the Sustainer never withdraw His hand from you. I have given thought to your fortune and arranged your affairs well, for your good. I will make you and your army my guests and gladden my soul at the sight of you. I will justly name you commander of Iran and call the Creator to bless you. When Bahram the hero heard these words, he gave rein to his swift steed. From the back of that horse he bowed low before him, and stood there before him for a long while. The rider of the piebald horse answered: I am happy, content, and thriving in my days. May you never see days of greatness; you know nothing of a king's justice or injustice. Whenever this so-called king plays at ruling, only a wretched man will stand by his side. I have plotted your fate; I have already twisted the loop of the lasso for you. Soon I will raise a tall gallows and bind both your hands in the bend of my noose. I will hang you from that fitting gallows; you will taste from me the bitterness of these days. When Khosrow heard Bahram's answer, his face went pale as a yellow flower. He answered: You ingrate, no man who knows God speaks like this. When a guest comes to your table from afar, you hurl insults in the middle of the feast. This is not the way of kings, nor of proud, high-riding warriors. Neither Arab nor Persian ever acted so, count back three hundred years a hundred times over. A wise man is ashamed of such conduct; do not circle around the door of ingratitude. When your guest greets you with words of blessing, is this how you answer him, like a demon? I fear an evil day awaits you, when I will see you bewildered by your own choices. Your only remedy lies in the hand of that King who lives forever and is the true ruler. You are a sinner against God and an ingrate: your body deserves blame, your heart should be in dread. Since you keep calling me the Alan king, you must reckon me lesser in birth. As if I were unworthy of kingship, as if the crown of majesty did not suit me. With Khosrow as my grandfather and Hormoz as my father, whom do you know more deserving than me? Bahram said to him: You ill-fated one, in speech and in deed you are like the witless. You began by speaking of the guest; your nature and your old tale betray you. What business have you with the words of kings? You are neither a wise man nor a fighting horseman. You were the Alan king; now you are a lowly thing, less even than the slave of slaves. You are the most guilty man in the world: no true king, no worthy chief among the great. They hailed me king with blessings; I will not let you set foot on this ground. And another thing: you said I was ill-starred, that kingship and lordship do not suit me. I said that, you unfit king, because I wish you may never sit in the seat of power. For the Iranians are your enemies; they will strive to tear you out by the root. They will strip the skin and sinew from your body and then throw your bones to the dogs. Khosrow said to him: You evildoer, why have you turned so fierce and arrogant? Ugly speech is a flaw in a man; from the very start this was your nature. Bright reason has been cut off from your mind. Happy is the famous man who nurtures wisdom. Any demon whose time draws near lets his tongue run long with talk. I would not want a champion like you to be ruined and left helpless by his own rashness. It would be fitting if you drove the anger from your heart, stopped boiling, and put a spell on your sharpness. Remember the just Creator; build your reason on that remembrance. You carry a mountain inside you, which, if you looked, would be higher than Bistun. If a true king had come from you, the barren thorn tree would have borne fruit. Your heart is full of thoughts of lordship; let us see what God's will decrees. I do not know who taught you this evil in your very being, this creed of yours so fit for a devil. Whoever speaks these words to you is seeking your death with his speech. He spoke, then dismounted from his ivory white steed and lifted the priceless crown from his head. He wept and turned his face toward the sun, filling his heart with hope in God. He said: O bright and just One, the tree of hope bears its fruit through you. You know who stands before this servant of yours, one for whom the crown itself must weep in shame. From there he moved swiftly to the place of prayer, sharing his secret with the pure Judge. If this kingship is destined to slip from the royal line, so that I never gird my waist for it, then I will be a servant at the fire temple; I will ask for no food but the milk of wild beasts. I will keep no gold or silver in my treasury; at the hour of worship I will wear coarse wool. But if this kingship is truly mine, devout, secure, just, and true, then make my army victorious; do not give my crown and throne to this servant. If I win my heart's desire, this crown and horse, I will bring them swiftly before the fire of Azargoshasp. This armband, this necklace, and these earrings, this golden robe adorned with jewels, and nineteen sacks of yellow gold coins I will scatter beneath this deep blue dome of sky. To the servants of the fire I will give ten thousand silver coins, once I become king of the world. Of Bahram's men, whoever is taken captive, if someone brings him prisoner before me, I will make the blessed fire a place of worship and gladden the hearts of the priests and the fire keepers. He said this and rose from the dust to his feet, the wronged one who spoke only the truth. He came from the place of prayer like the wind and raised his voice to Bahram Chubina, saying: O hellish slave of a savage demon, reason is far from you, and far too are custom and glory. A cruel demon, full of rage and force, has blinded your eyes like this. Instead of wisdom you found fury and spite; now you have won the praise of demons. A thornfield looked to you like a city; a patch of hell seemed a garden. The lamp of reason died before your eyes and stole the light from your heart and soul. It was nothing but deceitful sorcery that showed you a descent as if it were a summit. Today you reach your hand toward a branch whose leaves are poison and whose fruit is bitter gall. Your lineage never sought such a thing; a seeker of it earns no blessing. God did not grant you this glory and rank; you don't recall Gorgin son of Milad. You wretched, unjust man, do not set your hopes on things that can never be. A crab has no eagle's wings; no eagle can fly above the sun. By the pure God, by the throne and crown: if I ever catch you without your army, if I strike you down with a cold blast, I won't even bother to trouble you with the dust of battle. We have heard enough harsh words; we turn our backs and trust in the Victorious One. If I am not worthy of kingship, then let me never live as another man's subject. Bahram answered him back: You witless, foul, demon-serving man, your father was that world-ruling, faith-loving man who never breathed a cold word against anyone. You did not honor such a man; you cast him from his throne in disgrace. And after that you claim you'll rule the world, that you'll be wise and watchful? You are impure, an enemy of God; from good you reap nothing but harm. Even if Hormozd was unjust, and time and earth cried out against him, you are his son, and it is not fitting for you to become king over Iran and Turan. You deserve neither life nor throne; a grave is enough for you, so far are you from fortune. I will seek vengeance for Hormozd, and beyond that, I will be the sovereign of Iran. Now retell me this old tale that once was agreed upon by the righteous: that you would brand the eyes of kings, and command whoever brands them too. After that you will find that kingship is mine, from the sun to the constellation of the Fish it is mine. Khosrow said to him: God forbid that a slave should rejoice in a father's grief. It was written thus, and what was, was; why heap word upon word? You are fashioning kingship for yourself, but if death comes to you, you'll find no shroud. With these borrowed horses and battle armor, you will never rise to a royal crown. No home, no house, no land, no lineage: just a king who is all empty wind. With this army, these possessions, and a false name, you will never bring luster to the royal throne. Before you there were warriors, world-seekers wielding heavy maces. They did not seek the crown, for they were of lower rank and unworthy of throne and diadem. Every moment you lift your head in anger, and the water of rage rises to your eyes. Ill intent boils within your body, and time will turn against you in fury every hour. The ruler of the world created kingship from justice, and also from merit and noble descent. He grants it to the one most worthy: the wisest, and the one who does the least harm. The king of the Alans had adopted me as a son; how has my conduct ever wronged you? Now God has given me the throne of kings, greatness, and the crown of majesty. I received this from the God of the world, who knows all that is seen and hidden, by the leave of King Hormoz, who kept his father's crown as a keepsake, by the will of those renowned and gifted sages, the great ones and the seasoned, tested chiefs, by the faith that aged, wise Zoroaster brought down from paradise. The prophet came and gave it to Lohrasp, who then received it and passed it to Goshtasp. Everyone who has caused us hardship, and everyone from whom we have gained treasure, all alike are under my protection, whether they are my enemies or my well-wishers. I will be a king over both women and children, and I will call no one noble except the righteous. From any city in the world that has fallen to ruin, to any place where a poor man lies hidden, I will make the poor man rich, and gather together my scattered people. I will turn every thornfield into a paradise, filled with people, livestock, and crops. I will leave one good deed in the world, so that my name is not forgotten after my death. Let us come and weigh our hearts on the scale, measure ourselves and put strength to the test of our arms. Since Hormoz was a world-ruler and just, the earth and the age were glad because of him. Without doubt the son received the throne from the father; he gained crown and belt, and fortune too. You, sinful and deceiving man, who first sought battle against Hormoz, no evil was done except by your command, or through your trickery, cunning, and schemes. If God wills, in vengeance for the king I will turn the bright sun black over your head. Now, who else is fit for the crown? If I am not worthy of it, then who is? Bahram said to him: 'You brave man, the fitting outcome is that kingship be stripped from you.' When Ardashir was born of Babak's daughter, the days of Parthian rule and dominion ended. It was only after Ardashir killed Ardavan that he grew strong and the throne fell into his grasp. Now that some five hundred years have passed, the crown of the Sasanians has gone cold. Now the throne and the diadem belong to our day; our fortune rides with victory. When we look at your face and your luck, your army, your crown, and your throne, I will strike at this Sasanian rule like an enraged lion turned savage. I will erase all their names from the record and trample down the Sasanian throne. Greatness truly belongs to the Parthians, if a wise man will hear the truth. Khosrow answered him this way: You empty man, hungry only for a fight, if kingship is to pass from the line of the Kayanids, who in the world are you to take it? All the men of Rey are by their very nature two faced, and stripped of decency. First a small force came from Rey and joined the army of Alexander. They tied themselves to the Romans and seized the Kayanid throne by surprise. It was the foul hearted Mahiyar of Rey through whom the line of Esfandiyar was darkened. After that the Iranians girded themselves one by one for revenge. The Creator of the world was not pleased, and through those men harm came to Iran. Then the sustaining Judge set the Kayanid crown upon Ardashir's head. He was worthy of the Kayanid crown, even though he had no treasure or gold. Now the fame of those renowned men has passed away, and all our talk is only wind. Now who is worthy of lordship? Who should rule the world anew? Bahram said to him: It is I, the warrior, who will tear the Kayanids up by the root. Khosrow replied with the old tale that the wise recall from ancient days: One must never hand the weapon of greatness to a fool who lacks reason and the right way, for when you ask for it back it will not return, since the man who holds it grows drunk on it. What did that wise man of sweet speech say? If you set the baseless in a fixed place, in the end it brings you pain and sorrow; do not linger at the door of the ungrateful. You grew bold, sharp tongued, and haughty; from a bad root has come your bad conduct. I made you commander of the proud warriors; you became chief over the lands of the Kushans. On that silver throne, with that royal seal, your head grew drunk and you turned from the right path. Now the name Chubineh has become Bahram's own, and that silver throne has become your snare. You mean to rise to that throne, high as the moon; from a mere commander you would become king. No wise man ever spoke this way; I say a demon has become your partner. Bahram said to him: you evil-doer, nothing suits you but reproach. You do not keep the covenant of God, and you call this royal seat unworthy. You put a brand of shame on the eyes of the king of the world; how could such words ever stay hidden? All your friends are your enemies now; in speech they are with you, but in heart with me. In this cause the Khaqan is my ally, along with the armies in Iran and China. I will strip the greatness from Persia's grasp; I will not let the name of Kay survive after this. I will raise up justice throughout the world; I will renew the customs of royal celebration. I come from the famous line of Arash; when I make war, I quench even the rebel's fire. I am the grandson of Gorgin the world-seeker; I am that sharp fire, that Borzin's flame. Sava Shah's plan for Iran was this: that neither throne, nor seal, nor crown should remain. He would level every fire-temple to the ground; neither Nowruz nor the Sadeh feast would survive. All Iranians were bound in slavery until I girded myself for battle in this land. If you cannot count that willful horde, go and count it: four hundred times a thousand. Twelve hundred war elephants, so many you would say there was no room to stand on the road. That great army broke and fled, and I roared after them like a mighty demon. Know this: no man without skill in this world can idly claim the seat of the great. The scent of the crown rises from my helmet; the ivory throne comes to me by my dagger. If even a single gnat took up a feud with you, it would drag you from your throne to the bare ground. Khosrow said to him: you of ill-omened step, why not recall Gorgin and let it go? He lived in the world and had no throne; he had no greatness, no seat of power, no fortune. No one in the world knew his name; he was low-born among the great. The worthy Mehran Setad came and pointed out your name to the king of the age. He lifted you from your dark dust so high that the days of your low past vanished from your eyes. He gave you treasure, weapons, and an army, and the banner of the great hero, shining like the moon. It was not God's will that the Turks of China should bring the land of Iran to ruin. You were his helper in that war, and so your crown rose to the high clouds. When the Keeper of the turning heavens willed that this king's affairs should go well, you set yourself up on this pretext, though you have never known true prosperity or greatness. If this kingdom is destined to slip from the royal line of Kayan, why do you bother tightening your belt for it? The world needs an Alexander to darken the fortunes of great kings. With your demon's face, your color of dust, may you find no place in this world except in the grave. It was through your wrongdoing and your deeds that the day turned dark for the king of Iran. You stamped your own name on the coins; you wanted to wipe me from the earth. You are the very source of evil in the world, the highest rung among those who stray from the true path. Every drop of blood that has been spilled in the world will hang upon your neck in the world to come. On a dark night you will not find in sleep the peace you seek by day in the sunlight. You wretched, tyrannical man, do not spend all your days in crookedness. Think of pleasing God; make wisdom and truth your practice. For all this passes by, for you and me alike; time counts out the breaths we have left. Who says crookedness is better than honesty? Why have you decked your heart out with crookedness? If you obey, everything you want will be yours; you can even have a share of this very kingship. Live happily in this world, at ease, and far from suspicion and evil. And when you leave this passing lodging of a world, you will not suffer torment when you return. We must not add to this or take away from it, for Zoroaster says in the Zand: Whoever turns away from the pure faith holds in his heart no fear or awe of God. For a year he must be counseled; and if the counsel does him no good, he must be put to death by the king's command, his guilty body thrown out on the road. When a man turns treacherous against the king of the world, he must be killed at once. Without doubt they will spill your blood for this same misguided grasping after the throne. Your life now is joyless, and if you pass on, your place will be the fire. And if you linger on in this same manner, dragging your head away from the king and from God's justice, you will come to regret this course of yours, your ugly words and your deeds. You are the sick one, and counsel is your cure; let me speak, so you may be made whole. But if desire and envy have overpowered your heart, say the word and I will bring another physician. Your physician is counsel, your medicine is wisdom, so that they may wash the greed for the crown from your heart. In your triumph you have grown this arrogant, and the thought of treasure has made you rebellious. You have heard how Zahhak turned ungrateful, and filled the world with terror through demons and sorcery. When the hearts of the great were filled with grief because of him, what did blessed Fereydun do to him? Your whole army are my servants; alive or dead, they belong to me. They caught a small gleam of light from you, and so they turned their heads away from justice. Once I reveal my own treasure openly, I will fill the hearts of these fighters with loyalty and calm. When you defeated the Saveh Shah, the whole army resolved on one thing: that they would never again taste defeat, since they had grown gorged and drunk on plunder. It should not be that these bold, fearless warriors meet their ruin at my hands. You want a heavy army to go to war, all of them famous men and heroes, so that the land of Iran is emptied of them, and defeat comes crashing onto the throne of kings. Tell me: who was king in the days of Arash? Perhaps this argument between us can end there. Bahram said to him: in those days the king was Manuchehr, with his crown and his army. Khosrow said to him: you evil-hearted man, since you know he was the king of the world, do you not know that Arash was his servant, bowing his head to his command and his will? Bahram said to him: by rights, you of the seed of Sasan are of low birth, for Sasan was a shepherd, son of a shepherd; wasn't it Babak who handed him the shepherding? Khosrow said to him: you wicked schemer, you did not rise in stature from the seed of Sasan. Your words are lies from start to finish; twisting the truth is no skill. You come from vile, rootless stock; it was not through the seed of Sasan that you earned your bread. Bahram said to him: in all the world, the shepherd cannot be hidden away in Sasan's line. Khosrow told him: Dara died, but he did not hand the crown of greatness to Sasan. If fortune was lost, where did the bloodline go? No justice ever comes from unjust talk. With this wit, this judgment, and this glory, you are actually seeking the throne of the King of Kings! He spoke, laughed, and turned away from him, setting his face toward his own army. Among the Khaqan's men were three fierce Turks, savage as wolves, who had said to Bahram: on the day of battle, for the sake of glory, whether alive or dead, we will bring the king's tall body to you before the army. One of them, a rider who was foul, bold, hot-tempered, and reckless, came riding, spoiling for a fight and grim, a lasso on his arm, its noose looped and ready. As he drew nearer to the ivory-white horse, he kept reaching toward that precious crown. He hurled the twisted lasso, and the crown atop the king's head fell into its snare. Gostaham struck the lasso with a blade, and so the king's head came to no harm. The brave Banduy strung his bow tight and with an arrow stole the daylight from the sky. He said to that ill-tempered Turk, Bahram: may you have no grave but the dark earth. Who told you to test yourself in battle against the king? Did you not see me standing before him? Then he went back to his own camp, his soul full of pain, his body worn with grief.