English
The Crowning of Shiruy
When Shiruy sat on the throne of splendor, he set on his head that royal crown of ambition.
The spokesmen of the Persians came forward and called down the ancient blessing of kings upon him.
Each of them said aloud: 'You skilled and honored monarch,
just as God has granted you the crown, so you sit in peace upon the ivory throne.
May the world remain with your children, and likewise with your kin and your line.'
Qobad answered them thus: 'May you always be victorious and glad.
We will never be evildoers forever; how good is justice paired with a gracious heart.
We will hold the world in safety, and cut off every devilish deed.'
My most pressing task before all others, since my glory and kinship are the greater,
is to send a message to my father, and speak to him this matter point by point.
Because of the ugly deed that he has done, such a fate has now come before us.
Let him beg God's pardon for his sin, and turn again toward faith and the right path.
Then I will attend to the affairs of the world, and strive for justice, both open and hidden.
We will do good in return for the good-doer, and never break the heart of the poor man.
I need two men, generous and eloquent, who remember well the deeds of old.
He asked that gathering: 'Whose task is this? Who among the Persians is pure and clear-eyed?'
The noble men all pointed with their eyes to the two elders, hoping they would take no offense.
Shiruy understood whom the Persians would choose, the purest from among them all.
They were Ashtad and old Khorrad Barzin, two wise, eloquent, and retentive men.
He said to them: 'You wise ones, world-seasoned and accomplished leaders,
do not treat the world's business as a burden, for from hardship the proud man gains his treasure.'
The two learned men rose reluctantly, their lashes brimming with tears.
Then Khorrad Barzin and Ashtaghshasp, obeying the command, both mounted their horses.
He said to them: 'Now, wholeheartedly, you must take the road to Ctesiphon.
Carry a message to my father, remembering the words entirely, point by point.
Tell him: this guilt was not ours, nor did the Persians hold this authority.
You met with God's punishment because you turned your face away from goodness.
For one thing, a pure-born son does not rashly spill his father's blood from his body.
Nor is it acceptable that anyone should tell such a tale before him.
And for another, the world is full of your treasure, and your affliction has reached every land.'
You did not stop even at this, but filled the hearts of honest people with pain.
The third wrong: so many brave men and horsemen, all the famous ones of Iran,
found no joy in their own children, nor in their homeland and their pure kin.
One fled toward China, another toward Rome; they were scattered across every border and land.
Another matter: what the Caesar did for you, and how he grieved on your behalf in every way.
He gave you an army and gave you his daughter too, along with treasure and much wealth beside it.
He asked for the cross of the Messiah to be sent to Rome, so that his land might become happy and thriving.
What good was your treasure against the cross of Jesus? The Caesar was well pleased with the exchange.
You seized the goods of the helpless; through their curses, evil turned back upon you.
Know that what came to you came from God; reflect now on those ugly deeds of yours.
For the evil you did, you made me your excuse; I was made the first threshold of your talk.
By God, this sin was never mine; I never sought the ruin of the royal throne.
Now seek pardon for all of this, and say so to these famous men of Iran.
For every wrong you did, turn to God, for He is the guide to what is good.
Perhaps He will be the one to take your hand through the sufferings you must endure.
Another matter: you had sixteen children whose nights and days passed in prison.
At your gate no one slept safe from you; out of fear of you, they lived in hiding.
When these two men heard his message, they left with hearts full of grief and pain.
In this state, all the way to the land of Ctesiphon, their eyes were full of tears and their hearts full of blood.
Golinush was seated at the gate; you would say the earth around him seethed with commotion.
His whole army stood ready, every one of them, swords drawn and fully equipped.
With armor and helmets, their belts girded tight, and Arab horses draped in battle mail.
For war he held a mace of steel, his heart all fire and storm.
When these two wise men, Khorrad Barzin and Ashtagushasp, dismounted from their horses,
Golinush leapt to his feet at once, glad at the sight of them.
He seated them in the place that was fitting and, being a famous lord, welcomed them warmly.
The eloquent Khorrad Barzin spoke first, washing his tongue with the water of boldness.
He said to Golinush: the fortunate Kavad has calmly set the crown of the Kayanids upon his head.
Iran, Turan, and Rome all have word that Shiruy sits upon the imperial throne.
So why do you keep this armor, helmet, coat of mail, and bow? Whom do you suspect?
Golinush said: 'You worldly, seasoned man, may all your labors turn out as you wish.'
'You cared for my delicate body when my only shirt was made of iron.'
'For such kindness I bless you, and I will scatter jewels at your feet as you deserve.'
'From you comes nothing but fine words. May the sun keep and protect you.'
'Tell me the business you have come on, and after that ask what you will of me.'
He answered: 'The fortunate Qobad gave me several messages for the king.'
'If you wish, I will repeat them all, the message of the world's ruler, shepherd of the people.'
Golinush said: 'This worthy man knows how to recall every word.'
'But Qobad, king of Iran, gave me much counsel and advice about this:'
'Do not agree, day or night, to let anyone open his lips before the king,'
'unless you hear his words first, whether he speaks in Persian or in Pahlavi.'
Ashtad said: 'O happy one, I carry no secret message.'
'It is a message that brings the harvest of the sword and lays the heads of the proud low.'
'Now request an audience from the king for me, so that I may deliver his message.'
Golinush heard this and sprang to his feet, breaking through all the barriers at once.
He went to the king with his hands folded, as a servant should, arms crossed in respect.
He said: 'My king, may you live long, and may your heart never be dimmed by sorrow.'
When Ashtad and Kharrad Barzin brought a message to the king from that court,
Khosrow laughed and said aloud: 'This plan of yours does not match good sense.'
'If he is the sovereign, then who am I, and for what am I here in this cramped prison,'
'that you must ask my leave for an audience, whether you speak crookedly or straight?'
Golinush came to the warriors and repeated what the commander had said.
'Now go in with your hands folded on your chests; speak, and listen to what he says.'
The two wise men of pure speech covered their faces with Chinese cloth.
When they saw him, they bowed low before him and remained so for a long while.
The king sat on a great tapestry throne, its whole surface woven with sheep and wolves,
worked all over with gold and jewels, each thread twined into the next.
His cushion lay upon yellow brocade, and behind his back a seat of lapis blue.
A firm quince in his hand, he sat grim and downcast in his place.
When he saw those two worthy men, rich in wisdom above all others,
He roused himself from that sleep and set his mind at ease,
and called on the Creator of the world to be his ally.
That noble guide laid the crown by his pillow,
so that he could question it about both roads ahead.
The good guide slipped gently off those two cushions;
quietly it rolled and slid down from the resting place.
It kept slipping this way past the great royal canopy,
until at last it came to rest upon the ground.
Ashtad hurried over and lifted it up,
brushed the dust from it and raised it high.
The king turned his face away from Ashtad,
not wishing to see the color and scent of that good thing again.
They set the crown back on the royal canopy,
and these two men remained standing before it.
The famous king grew heavy with thought over that crown,
for in it he saw no favorable sign at all.
At once he lifted his face toward the sky
and said: O Judge who speaks only truth,
who can raise up the one you cast down,
and who can rejoin the one you have broken apart?
Now that the bright fortune of my house has faded,
grief has come, for its light has passed away.
He said to Ashtad: whatever message you carry
from that mean-spirited, ugly-hearted boy,
and from those ill-wishers who lack all wisdom,
and being without wisdom, are wholly without peace,
and from that scattered, broken army,
those anxious servants with darkened hearts,
fortune is about to leave this dynasty;
no one in this bloodline will remain happy.
The crown and throne will pass to the unworthy;
this royal tree will be ruined.
No greatness will remain for my son,
nor for my family, kin, and all my ties.
All friends will turn into pure enemies,
speaking evil of this house and wishing it harm.
This crown has made the hidden plain to see:
that without you the royal throne stands empty.
Now tell me every word you have heard;
to me his message is worth less than a stream of ditch water.
These two men opened their mouths to speak,
and a cold, twisting sigh rose up from them.