Qobad's Counsel to His Son

He told that famous one: hear my reply, and carry it point by point to the new commander. Tell him: do not seek out the faults of others, except of those you must turn from in shame. Whatever you said was not truly your own words; may your tongue never speak in that way again. Do not say things your enemy will overhear, so that he takes joy in your idle talk. In such matters you lack the wisdom to nourish your mind with knowledge and sense. When you rely on words that bear no fruit, you fill your soul and mind with flaws. One who first calls you a sinner, and only after that calls you world-ruler, must not be allowed to sit beside you, or to lay hands on anything, great or small. From now on, send no such message again, for it makes your enemy rejoice over you. By God, my account is settled and clean; my desire rests upon the next world. By seeking out false faults like these, you will win no glory in the eyes of the great. Now I will bring an answer to all of this, so that you may repeat it before the people. After my death it will remain as a keepsake; speaking the truth is a helper. When I lay before you the full weight of my hardship, you will know that our treasure rose from our suffering. First, what you said about Hormoz was pointless, born of an old longing. Because of a slanderer's words, our father grew furious, and everything was thrown into turmoil. When we learned of his intent, we fled Iran through the dark night, off any road. We searched for a way and escaped, and did not fall into the trap of ruin. For his hostility I bore no guilt; my only path was to flee from the king. I heard that harm had come to my king; the moment my ear caught it, I set out from Bardaa. The guilty Bahram himself, with his army, drew up a battlefield before me. From him too I fled on the day of war, so that I would not fall into his grasp. After that I returned once again, and boldly came forward to fight him. Bahram's onslaught was not a single clash; a whole world stood watching that war. By God's command, increase your goodness, for it is He who guides through both good and bad. When Iran and Turan grew calm again, all of Bahram's efforts came to nothing. When I finished the war with Chubineh, my first act was to charge out to avenge my father. Since Bandavi and Gostahm were my maternal uncles, they had no equals in any land. They laid down their lives before me, one with me in heart and speech, as my own body. Since it was a father's blood and a grief that pierced the liver, we showed no weakness in avenging his blood. We cut off Bandwi's hands and feet, the man who cast the king into a dark grave. When Gostahm vanished from the world, he chose some hidden corner to withdraw to. By our command he was suddenly killed; the head and counsel of those bloodthirsty men was cut short. As for what you spoke about your own affair, about that narrow prison and the loss you suffered, It was so that no evil deed would come from my son, lest evil should then fall upon his own head. In prison there were no chains or hardship for you, no wounds of humiliation, no threat of harm. In those days I did not leave you in disgrace; I placed all my treasure before you. We followed the custom of the kings of old; we were not idle, nor did we act by any other way. The hunt, the polo field, the musicians, everything fitting for great men, You lacked for nothing: not gold, not jewels, not hunting leopards or falcons. There was a palace they had named your prison, and you lived in it in comfort and delight. Then there were also the words of the astrologer who gave us reason to fear you, Saying evil would come from you, just as it now has; yet I did not throw away your star. After that we set a seal upon it and entrusted that talk to Shirin. When my reign had reached thirty six years, amid such pleasant days, No doubt you still remember this affair, though much time has passed over us. A letter came to me from India, and I agreed to what it proposed. It was a letter from the Raja to us, along with jewels and garments of every kind, An Indian sword and a white elephant, and everything else I could wish for in the world, Along with the sword, five robes of gold brocade, each worked with great pains of every kind. There was a letter to you written on silk, and when I saw it, it was in Indian script. I summoned an Indian scribe, eloquent, learned, and keen of memory. When he read that letter out to me, he shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears. In that letter it said: Live in joy, for you are worthy of the golden royal crown. Like the moon of the month of Azar and the day of Dey, you will be lord of the world, a king. When your father's reign has reached thirty eight years, the star will pass in this fashion. A brilliant age of goodness will dawn, when you set the crown of greatness on your head. At that time this prophecy became certain to me; yet I should not have washed the love from my heart. I knew that from your good fortune, from the shining rise of your throne, My share would be nothing but pain and sorrow, while this throne of kingship and its treasure would become yours. Out of mercy, faith, kinship, and love, I did not let that letter darken my face. When I had read it, I entrusted it to Shirin, and turned every kind of thought over in my mind. It is with her, together with your horoscope; no one knows a word more or less of that matter. If you wish to see it, ask for it, and judge for yourself what is more and what is less. I am certain that once you see it you will regret, and turn from these deeds toward a remedy. Then there is what you said about prison and chains, that some harm came to people from me. So it has been, as long as the world has turned: the way of the great, of kings, and of noble counsel. If you do not understand, ask the high priest; he will make this matter fresh and clear to you. For whoever is an enemy of God, his life in this world is corrupt. In our prison there were only demons, from whom good people were crying out in torment. Since spilling blood was never my habit, nor grappling with such grim work, I kept the wicked in prison instead, and did not lightly permit harm to others. Many people said that these are enemies, of evil stock and truly devilish. But since I kept the thought of God before me, I let such words pass and paid them no mind. Now I have heard that you set free the one who was worse than a dragon. By this wrong you became a sinner before God; in your words and deeds you turned to evil. Now that you are king, act with a clear head; where you lack knowledge, take a wise man as your ally. Show no mercy to anyone who brings suffering, however much hope of treasure comes from him. For the one from whom you see nothing in this world but harm, what is less fitting for him than chains? Then there is what you said about wealth; you have hidden away your wisdom and good judgment. We asked no one for anything but tribute and tax, from all who had the means to pay it. I received that crown and throne from God, and endured great hardship for its sake. The just and truthful Creator of the world willed that the times should turn another way. I am not sullen at his will; I do not seek to add to what he chooses to take away. We sought the contentment of the Just One; I saw no path to escape effort through mere giving. When the Creator of the world questions me, I will tell him all, both open and hidden. He will ask, he who is wiser than you, and more able in every matter of good and evil. These very guilty ones who stand before you are neither your caretakers nor your kin. Whatever they say of me from now on, this crowd will make you the object of their suspicion. They are all slaves to silver and gold, nothing more; they will come to no one's aid. Your heart is at ease because of them, while my own faults are left in need of cleansing. This talk of yours makes no sense; no one has ever profited from the evil you have spoken. But I, for my own sake, wish that someone would read out that ancient chronicle, so that it may remain a memorial in the world, and a solace to the wise. After us, whoever reads our words will understand what our worth once was. From Bartas to China we led our armies, and set a commander over every land. We launched our raids against our enemies, and no one dared to lift his head against us. When the enemy was scattered from the world, all our treasure was piled up in one place. Every region worked for our profit; so many gems were hauled up from the sea that the divers grew weary of the hauling. The plains, the sea, and the mountains were all mine. When the treasury of silver coins was spread wide, the sacks were also filled with fresh gold dinars, with rubies and with royal gems, and with gold-embroidered gear and garments. When our crown had ruled for twenty-six years, our treasuries overflowed with every kind of jewel. I minted a new coinage of silver, and turned all toward joy and lordship. In that year, when I called for a count of the tribute, the tax in dinars reached a hundred thousand. Pandavosi laid it out in heaps, all of it Persian Pandavosi leather. In every sack there were twelve thousand royal dinars, poured out and counted. This apart from the tribute and gold of India, apart from the lands of Rome and of the sorcerers, apart from the tribute and levy of every country, from every famous man and every lord, apart from the customary gifts of Nowruz and Mehr, and the horses and the fair-faced servants, apart from armor and helmet, mace and sword; none of these did anyone withhold from us. apart from musk and camphor, silk and sable, black and white, and tawny furs. Everyone who was our subject sent such tributes on their fierce camels, racing toward our court; no one turned his neck away from our path. From every quarter we bore great hardship, so that this kind of treasure might be amassed. Then there was the Green Treasure and the Bride Treasure, which we kept for the day of homage. We spoke much of its fame, and in the end we named it the Wind-Brought treasure. For twenty-six years and on to thirty-eight, fortune's wheel turned only as we wished. All the nobles lived in comfort, while every ill-wisher was gripped by fear. But the moment I heard of your command, the world turned sour because of your pact. No one keeps any peace in this world; there is nothing left to choose but silence. You keep filling the world with harm, doing work that is full of pain and useless. Those wounded people close to you could become dark nights of ruin against your fortune. They will give your throne to the wind, so that you find no joy in the world. If a wise man had been near you, your dark soul would have grown bright. Giving brings no loss to anyone; a treasure that reaches the deserving is well spent. O son of few days and little wisdom, worry has stolen the peace from your soul. Know that this treasure of mine is your support; the age now lies wholly in your grasp. It is also the adornment of kingship; a world without money falls into ruin. A king without money turns cruel; the empty handed man has neither wit nor skill. He has no means to be generous, and the nobles call him king only in mockery. If your wealth reaches the enemy, it is like an idol falling into the Brahmin's hand. The one who once worshipped God turns away, and your name and voice grow worthless to him. When you are without treasure the army will not stay, and your subjects will not call you king. A dog is best kept begging for bread; feed it full and it becomes an enemy to your life. As for what you said about the army, that you settled and disciplined them in their own lands, out of ignorance this cannot be approved; you cannot tell the road of gain from harm. This is my answer: it was through my toil that this famous treasure of mine was gathered. I took cities from foreigners and crushed all the enemies together. So that we might sit in peace on the throne of ease, without pain, without heat and torment. I scattered horsemen along the borders, and now from the worthless, worth has appeared. If you call the army back from every side, the ill wisher will find his road open. For Iran is like a garden fresh in spring, where the flower of fortune always blooms. Full of narcissus, pomegranate, apple, and quince, until the orchard is emptied of its people. Then they tear out every sweet herb by the root and break all the branches of pomegranate and quince. The army and its weapons are the garden's wall; its fence is the spears, its thorns the lances. If you foolishly throw down the garden wall, what is garden, plain, sea, or meadow then? See that you do not throw down its wall, and do not break the heart and back of the Iranians. For after that comes plunder and raiding, the cry of horsemen and the drawing of vengeance. Do not put the women, children, and homeland of the Iranians in the reach of any evil design. If you let a year pass by like this, the wise will call you a fool. I have heard that you, though you are great, give everyone what they do not deserve. Know this: the just king Qobad recorded this advice in a letter. Whoever hands his weapons to his enemy is handing himself over to be killed. For when he needs them back in a crisis, the ill-wisher will use them to fight him. Another thing: the message you sent from Caesar called me two-faced and self-serving. Those words were not your own idea; they were what your teacher put in your mouth. You say he kept faith and I broke it, but how would you know loyalty from betrayal? In answer to that, you feeble-minded wretch, I will say only what fits the matter. You make the claim and you are your own witness; no wise man would allow such a thing. When Caesar washed the dust of trouble from his face, he sought a hero like Parviz for a son-in-law. Anyone who does not walk the world in evil carries wisdom within his mind. I knew Bahram had girded himself for war, and the Iranians had joined with him. A Roman army cannot be broken; sand cannot wear down a mountain. In that battle God was my ally, and the world's whole host meant nothing to me. The Iranians heard what happened; you too should hear the truth from them. There was something I had to do as well for Niyatus on the day of battle. Out of kindness and decency I acted, and I have reckoned his reward day by day. Zad-e-Farrokh will tell you the same: do not look at the world with young, careless eyes. Goshasp, who was our treasurer, and that same pure priest, our counselor, know that from our treasury there were a hundred thousand purses which I gave to the Romans as a keepsake. To Niyatus I gave a thousand beads of red ruby, fit for earrings. Each bead weighed a thousand, when I counted the treasure by weight. There were a hundred choice, lustrous pearls, in which no expert could find a single flaw. For each casket, the jeweler who appraised them would set a price of fifty thousand coins. A hundred precious horses, fifty of them saddled, all picked from our own stables. Fifty others draped in brocade, swift as the wind across the plain. I sent all this to Caesar, and along with the gifts I sent him blessings. As for the cross of the Messiah you spoke of, some old piece of wood thrown into a treasury, it brought me neither gain nor loss; you only heard talk of it from a Christian. I was amazed that a Caesar, a proud and famous man, with wise men all around him, philosophers and priests alike, should ask why God calls that slain man divine, that dry, ruined piece of wood. If that gallows were truly the work of God, it would be the very source of Ohrmazd himself. It would suddenly rise from our treasury; the Messiah became him, though he no longer exists in the world. Then you said: apologize, repent now and seek the path of God. His answer was this: may the tongue, heart, hands and feet of Qobad fall to pieces. God set the crown upon my head; I accepted it and was glad of the crown. When He asked it back, I gave it to God; I do not know why there is a tongue in your mouth. I speak to God, not to a child who cannot tell the slightest good from evil. I have accepted all of God's doings; I have tasted much of its bitterness and turmoil. I held the throne for thirty eight years; among the kings none was my equal. The One who gave this world can give another; He lays no debt upon me. I bless this kingship: may the earth flourish through the wise. When God is our friend and rescuer, no one's curse can reach us. Tell that ugly, ignorant boy that our honor has now grown dark. May you be forever farewelled; let our concern be only with the wise. And you, dear envoys, eloquent and worthy free men, receive my farewell too; say nothing but what you have heard. I bless the whole world from end to end, though I saw it only as a passing place. Everyone born of a mother must die, from Kaykhosrow back to Kayqobad. Like Hushang, Tahmuras and Jamshid, from whom came both dread and hope, who commanded demon, beast and prey; when his bright day ended he passed and died. The blessed Fereydun, who cleared both the seen and hidden evil from the world, who bound the hands of the Arab Zahhak against wickedness, could not with all his courage escape the grip of time. Like Arash, who could shoot an arrow for miles, like the victorious, lion-taking Qaran, and Qobad, who came down from Mount Alborz and became lord of the world through his valor with the people, who built a house of crystal glass and filled the world with tales about it. Its images were all set in pearls, its door made of shining ruby. And Siyavash, that noble and gracious hero, whom the scribe of fate cut down in the days of his youth. Where is the one who toiled to raise the fortress of Gang, yet from all that toil gained no treasure at all? Where are Rostam son of Zal, and Esfandiar, whose stories linger with us as their only memorial? Or Gudarz and his seventy chosen sons, riders of the field, lions of vengeance? Or King Goshtasp, who embraced the good faith, and through him our royal glory was renewed? Or Jamasp, who in reading the turning heavens shone brighter than the wheeling sun? All those great and learned men, warriors on horseback, and champions of courage, are gone. One surpassed the other in skill, one was older in years than the next. They emptied out this wide world and left behind their fields, their halls, and their palaces. Among the kings I too had no equal, even if I did not reach great length of years. I handed the world over, its good and its bad, keeping nothing that might one day serve me. We crossed many a hard road, we cleared many an enemy from our path. Every land is filled with my treasure; wherever there is water and soil, there is my labor. When the world ends this way for me, the hopes of the great grow dim. Not even to my own son will the throne remain; the throne will slip away, and his fortune will end. A soul-taking angel will come, and I will tell it: take my life gently. Crossing over will be like the Chinvat Bridge, with only flowers beneath my feet. Let us cleanse our hearts bright with repentance and make harmlessness our armor. True are the words of the wise, the world-seasoned and pure of understanding: that when a fortune once awake begins to decline, dread will come from every side. When the good days pass a man by, wisdom will not call them back. This is my message to the world, to the lowly and to the great alike: Farewell to you all, and be glad; do not remember me for any wrong. When Eshtad and the herald Khorrad Borzin heard the message of that leader, the hearts of both wise men were pierced as if by arrows, and at once they struck their heads with their hands. They regretted the words they carried and beat their own faces in grief. The clothes on their chests were torn to shreds, and the heads of both sages were covered in dust. Weeping, they left his presence, their souls full of pain and their heads full of sorrow. These two men went to Shiruy, faces creased with grief and hearts full of pain. One by one they delivered the king's message to the brainless, helpless Shiruy.