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THE 

SHAHNiMA  OF  FIRDAUSl 


DONE  INTO  ENGLISH  BY 

ARTHUR  GEORGE  WARNER,  M.A. 

AND 

EDMOND  WARNER,  B.A. 


"•  The  homes  that  are  the  dwellings  of  to-day 
Will  sink  'neath  shower  and  sunshine  to  decay, 
But  storm  and  rain  shall  never  mar  what  I 
Have  built — the  palace  of  my  poetry." 

FlEDAOSf 


VOL.   I 


LONDON 
KEGAN  PAUL,  TRENCH,  TRUBNER  &  CO.  L™ 

DEYDEN   HOUSE,   GERRARD  STREET,   W. 
1905 


The  rights  of  translation  and  of  reproduction  are  reserved 


.  '>  Printed  by  BALLANTYNE,  HANSON  &*  Co. 
At  the  Ballantyne  Press 


(3) 


TRUBNER'S 

ORIENTAL   SERIES. 


TO 

HIS    SISTER 

CAROLINE   WARNER 

THIS    WORK    IS    DEDICATED    BY    HER 
SURVIVING    BROTHER 


PREFACE 

THE  interest  with  which  I  used  to  look  forward  to 
the  publication  of  this  work,  the  preparation  of  which 
afforded  us  innumerable  happy  hours,  has  been 
saddened  for  me  of  late  by  the  death  of  my  elder 
brother  and  senior  partner  in  the  undertaking.  It 
was  begun  some  twenty  years  ago  when  he  was  the 
Incumbent  of  St.  Mary's,  Tothill  Fields,  Westminster, 
and  had  but  scanty  leisure.  It  was  continued  and 
carried  far  toward  completion  in  more  favourable 
circumstances  after  his  presentation  by  the  Grocers' 
Company  to  the  living  of  St.  Mary  le  Bow,  Cheapside, 
in  1887. 

From  early  days  my  brother  was  devoted  to  the 
study  of  Oriental  languages.  His  proficiency  in 
Hebrew  won  him  at  Oxford  the  Pusey  and  Ellerton 
Scholarship  in  1862  and  the  Kennicott  in  1863. 
He  was  also  a  good  Arabic  and  Syriac  scholar. 
During  his  twenty-one  laborious  years  first  as  Curate 
and  then  Incumbent  at  Westminster  he  never ,  I 
think,  forewent  for  long  his  favourite  branch  of  study, 
and  I  may  add  that  we  were  engaged  in  revising  a 
passage  in  our  joint  translation  almost  to  within  an 
hour  of  his  sudden  death  from  a  wholly  unsuspected 
heart- affection  in  April  1903. 

He  is,  I  think,  fondly  remembered  by  many.     Such 


viii  'PREFA  CB 

memories  are  in  the  nature  of  things  but  fleeting ;  but 
the  written  word  remains,  and  I  am  fain  to  hope  that 
by  the  publication  of  this  work  I  may  be  raising  to 
him  an  inconspicuous  perhaps  but  lasting  monument. 

To  the  vast  majority  of  English  readers  the  Shah- 
nama  seems  hardly  to  be  known  even  by  name — a 
fact  not  to  be  wondered  at,  considering  how  few 
references  are  made  to  it  in  current  literature,  and 
that  this  is  actually  the  first  attempt  to  give  the 
subject-matter  of  the  great  Persian  Epic  at  large  in 
English.  It  has  therefore  seemed  desirable  that  the 
translation  should  be  accompanied  by  explanatory 
matter  in  the  forms  of  Introduction,  Note,  and 
Argument.  To  prepare  these  has  fallen  to  my  lot, 
and  I  am  accordingly  responsible  for  the  many  faults 
of  commission  and  omission  that  will  be  only  too 
obvious  to  the  eyes  of  scholars  and  experts  in  this 
branch  of  the  subject.  I  am  also  responsible  with 
my  brother  for  the  translation  generally,  and  for  its 
final  form  throughout.  His  share,  had  he  lived, 
would  have  been  larger  and  more  important  than  mine, 
but  his  untimely  death  will  tend  to  equalise  our 
labours.  On  reviewing  our  work  as  a  whole,  I  venture 
to  hope  that  the  English  reader  will  gain  from  it 
a  very  fairly  correct  idea  of  the  subject-matter  of 
Firdausi's  greatest  achievement,  and  will  at  least  learn 
from  the  Introduction  and  Introductory  Notes  where 
to  turn  for  more  scholarly  and  authoritative  informa- 
tion on  the  subject. 

I  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  the  Delegates 
of  the  Clarendon  Press  for  their  kind  permission  to 


PREFACE  ix 

make  such  illustrative  extracts  as  I  needed  from 
those  volumes  of  the  Sacred  Books  of  the  East  Series 
which  contain  the  translations  of  the  Zandavasta  and 
Pahlavi  Texts  by  the  late  Professor  Darmesteter  and 
the  late  Dr.  E.  W.  West  respectively.  These  transla- 
tions, with  their  introductions  and  notes,  are  most 
valuable  to  the  student  of  the  Shahnama.  I  have 
also  to  thank  my  sister,  Caroline  Warner,  and  my 
nephew,  George  Redston  Warner,  for  occasional  help. 

I  hope  to   publish  our  translation    a  volume  at  a 
time,  as  circumstances  permit. 

EDMOND  WARNER. 

ELTHAM,  February  1905. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

PREFACE  vii 


INTRODUCTION 

CHAPTER  I.  :  LAND  AND  PEOPLE    .        .        .        .        .        .  3 

CHARTER  II.  :  POET  AND  POEM 23 

CHAPTER  III.  :  TEXT  AND  TRANSLATION       ....  76 

LIST  OF  PREVIOUS  TRANSLATORS 87 

ANCIENT  PERSIAN  CALENDAR      '  .        .        .        .        .        .88 

GENEALOGICAL  TABLES '    .  90 

ABBREVIATIONS 93 

NOTE  ON  PRONUNCIATION 95 


THE   SHAHNAMA 

THE  PRELUDE — 

SECT.  PAGK 

1.  Invocation .         .        .  100 

2.  Discourse  in  Praise  of  Wisdom 101 

3.  Of  the  Making  of  the  World 102 

4.  Of  the  Nature  of  Man 104 

5.  Of  the  Nature  of  the  Sun 105 

6.  Of  the  Nature  of  the  Moon 105 

7.  In  Praise  of  the  Prophet  and  his  Companions     .         .  106 

8.  On  the  Compilation  of  the  Shahnaina         .         .         .  108 

9.  Of  the  poet  Dakiki 109 

10.  How  the  present  Book  was  be^un       ....  109 

11.  In  Praise  of  Abu  Mausiir,  Son  of  Muhammad     .         .no 

12.  In  Praise  of  Sultan  Mahmud  j  12 


CONTENTS 


THE   BEGINNING   OF    THE  HISTORY:    THE 
PISHDADIAN   DYNASTY 

GAltfMART  — 

SECT.  PAGE 

1.  The    Greatness     of     Gaiiimart    and    the    Envy    of 

Ahriman         ........     1  1  8 

2.  How  Siyamak  was  slain  by  the  Div      .         .         .        .     1  20 

3.  How  Hiishang  and  Gaiiimart  went  to  fight  the  Black 

Div         .....         .        .        .        .121 

HtJSHANG  - 

1.  The  Accession  of  Hiishang  and  his  civilising  Arts         .     122 

2.  How  the  Feast  of  Sada  was  founded  *    .        .         .         .123 

TAHMfJRAS  — 

i.  Tahmiiras   ascends    the  Throne,   invents    new   Arts, 

subdues  the  Divs,  and  dies      .        .         .        .        .126 

J  AMSHfD  — 

1.  The  Greatness  and  Fall  of  Jamshid      .        .        .         -131 

2.  The  Story  ol  Zahhak  and  his  Father    .        .        .         -135 

3.  How  Iblis  turned  Cook         ......     1  37 

4.  How  the  Fortunes  of  Jamshid  went  to  Wrack      .        .139 

ZAHHAK  — 

1.  The  Evil  Customs  of  Zahhak  and  the  Device  of  Irma'il 

and  Karma'il  ........     145 

2.  How  Zahhak  saw  Faridun  in  a  Dream          .         .         .147 

3.  The  Birth  of  Faridun   .......     150 

4.  How  Faridun  questioned  his  Mother  about  his  Origin      152 

5.  The  Story  of  Zahliak  and  Kawa  the  Smith  .         .         .154 

6.  How  Faridun  went  to  Battle  with  Zahhak   .         .         .     159 

7.  How  Faridun  saw  the  Sisters  of  Jamshid     .         .        .     161 

8.  The  Story  of  Faridun  and  the  Minister  of  Zahhak       .     164 

9.  How  Faridun  bound  Zahhak         .....     166 


1.  How  Faridun  ascended  the  Throne       .        .        .        .174 

2.  How  Faridun  sent  Jandal  to  Yaman     .        .         .         .177 


CONTENTS  xiii 
(contimied) — 

SECT.  PAGE 

3.  How  the  King  of  Yaman  answered  Jandal         .        .  181 

4.  How  the   Sons  of  Faridiin  went  to  the   King    of 

Yaman 183 

5.  How  Sarv  proved  the  Sons  of  Faridun  by  Sorcery      .  184 

6.  How  Faridun  made  Trial  of  his  Sons          .         .         .186 

7.  How  Faridun  divided  the  World  among  his  Sons       .  189 

8.  How  Salm  grew  envious  of  Iraj 189 

9.  How  Salm  and  Tur  sent  a  Message  to  Faridun   .        .  191 

10.  Ho  \v  Faridun  made  Answer  to  his  Sons      .         .         .  193 

11.  How  Iraj  went  to  his  Brothers    .         .         .         .         .197 

12.  How  Iraj  was  slain  by  his  Brothers     .         .         .         .199 

13.  How   Faridun   received   Tidings  of  the   Murder  of 

Iraj 202 

14.  How  a  Daughter  was  Born  to  Iraj       ....  205 

1 5.  The  Birth  of  Miniichihr 206 

1 6.  How  Salm  and  Tur  had  Tidings  of  Miniichihr   .        .  208 

17.  How  Faridun  received  his  Sons'  Message    .        .        .  209 

1 8.  How  Faridun  made  Answer  to  his  Sons      .         .         .211 

19.  How    Faridun    sent    Miniichihr    to    fight    Tur    and 

Salm 215 

20.  How  Minuchihr  attacked  the  Host  of  Tur  .         .         .218 

21.  How  Tur  was  slain  by  Minuchihr       ....  220 

22.  How  Minuchihr  wrote  to  announce  his  Victory  to 

Faridun 221 

23.  How  Karan  took  the  Castle  of  the  Alans    .        .        .  223 

24.  How   Kakwi,   the    Grandson    of   Zahhak,    attacked 

the  Iranians 225 

25.  How  Salm  fled  and  was  slain  by  Minuchihr       .         .  227 

26.  How  the  Head  of  Salm  was  sent  to  Faridun       .         .  229 

27.  The  Death  of  Faridiin 232 

MlNfJCHIHR — 

1.  How  Minuchihr  ascended  the  Throne  and  made  an 

Oration 237 

2.  The  Birth  of  Zal          .         .         .         •         .         .         .  239 

3.  How  Sam  had  a  Dream  touching  the  Case  of  his 

Son        .........  243 

4.  How   Minuchihr  took    Knowledge  of  the  Case  of  * 

Sam  and  Zal 248 


xir  CONTENTS 

MINUCHIHR  (continued) — 

SECT.  PAOB 

5.  How  Zal  went  back  to  Zdbulistan       .         .         .         .251 

6.  How  Sam  gave  the  Kingdom  to  Zal    .         .         .         -253 

7.  How  Zal  visited  Mihrab  of  Kabul       .        .        .        .256 

8.  How  Rudaba  took  Counsel  with  her  Damsels    .          .  259 

9.  How  Rudaba's  Damsels  went  to  see  Zal       .         .         .  263 

10.  How  the  Damsels  returned  to  Rudaba         .         .         .  267 

11.  How  Zal  went  to  Rudaba    .         .         .         .    '     .         .  270 

12.  How  Zal  consulted  the  Archimages  in  the  Matter  of 

Rudaba         ........  273 

13.  How  Zal  wrote  to  Sam  to  explain  the  Case         .         .  275 

14.  How  Sam  consulted  the  Archmages  in  the  Matter  of 

Zal 278 

15.  How  Sindukht  heard  of  the  Case  of  Rudaba       .         .  280 

16.  How   Mihrab   was   made    aware   of  Ids   Daughter's 

Case 284 

17.  How    Minuchihr   heard    of    the    Case   of    Zal   and 

Rudaba 288 

1 8.  How  Sam  came  to  Minuchihr     .....  289 

19.  How  Sam  went  to  fight  with  Mihrab  ....  292 

20.  How  Zal  went  on  a  Mission  to  Minuchihr  .         .         .  295 

21.  How  Mihrab  was  wroth  with  Sindukht       .         .         .  299 

22.  How  Sam  comforted  Sindukht 301 

23.  How  Zal  came  to  Minuchihr  with  Sam's  Letter          .  306 

24.  How  the  Archmages  questioned  Zal    ....  308 

25.  How  Zal  answered  the  Archmages       ....  309 

26.  How    Zal    displayed    his    Accomplishment    before 

Minuchihr 311 

27.  Minuchihr's  Answer  to  Sam's  Letter  .         .         .314 

28.  How  Zal  came  to  Sam 316 

29.  The  Story  of  the  Birth  of  Rustam      ....  320 

30.  How  Sam  came  to  see  Rustam 324 

31.  How  Rustam  slew  the  White  Elephant       .        .        .  327 

32.  How  Rustam  went  to  Mount  Sipand  ....  330 

33.  How  Rustam  wrote  a  Letter  announcing  his  Victory 

to  Zal 332 

34.  The  Letter  of  Zal  to  Sam    .         .  • 334 

'35.  Minuchihr's  last  Counsels  to  .his  Son  ....  335 


CONTENTS  xv 
NAUDAR— 

SECT.  PAGK 

1.  How  Naudar  succeeded  to  the  Throne        .        .         .  339 

2.  How  Pashang  heard  of  the  Death  of  Miniichihr          .  342 

3.  How  Afrasiyab  came  to  the  Land  of  Iran    .         .         .  345 

4.  How  Bdrman  and  Kubad  fought  together  and  how 

Kubdd  was  slain  .......  346 

5.  How  Afrasiyab  fought  with  Naudar  the  second  Time  350 

6.  How  Naudar  fought  with  Afrasiyab  the  third  Time   .  352 

7.  How  Naudar  was  taken  by  Afrasiyab        '.        .        -355 

8.  How  Wisa  found  his  Son  that  had  been  slain     .         .  356 

9.  How  Shamasas  and  Khazarwan  invaded  Zabulistan    .  358 

10.  How  Zal  came  to  help  Mihrab 359 

11.  How  Naudar  was  slain  by  Afrasiyab  ....  362 

12.  How  Zal  had  Tidings  of  the  Death  of  Naudar    .         .  364 

1 3.  How  Ighriras  was  slain  by  his  Brother       .         .         .  367 

ZAV— 

i.  Zav  is  elected  Shah 370 

GARSHASP — 

1.  How  Garshasp  succeeded  to  the  Throne  and  died, 

and  how  Afrasiyab  invaded  Iran     ....  374 

2.  How  Rustain  caught  Rakhsh 378 

3.  How  Zal  led  the  Host  against  Afrasiyab     .        .         .381 

4.  How  Rustam  brought  Kai  Kubad  from  Mount  Alburz  382 

INDEX  .                                                                                     .  3«9 


INTRODUCTION 


ERRATA 


Page  7,  line  25  and  elsewhere,  for  '  Tritd '  and  '  Trait£na '  read  '  Trita ' 

and '  Traitana.' 

Page  9,  line  16  and  elsewhere,  for  '  Azarbij£n '  read  '  Azarbdijdn. ' 
Page  10,  reference  number  2,  after  R  insert  P. 
Page  13,  bottom,  for  'NESH  '  read  '  NSEH.' 
Page  17,  delete  lines  8-10,  and  read  '  from  the  other  side,  we  may  add 

that  Peter  the  Great  gained  temporary  possession  of  Darband 

in  A.D.  1722,  but  it  was  not  finally  annexed  by  Russia  till  A.n. 

1813.' 

Page  19,  reference  number  3,  delete  iii. 
Page  31,  delete  lines  13-16,  and  read  '  that  this  minister  is  referred  to 

on  both  occasions.' 
Page  34,  five  lines  from  bottom,  delete  '  While  I  sat  looking  on '  and 

read  '  While  I  o'erlooked  from  far.' 
Page  37,  line  22,  for  '  Arudi '  read  '  'Arudi.' 
Page  39,  reference  number  i,  delete  §§  i.  and  vii.,  and  read  '  The  too 

spiritual  conception  of  the  Deity  in  §  i.  and  the  references  to 

'All  in  §  vii.' 

Page  43,  note  2,  for  '  fakka '  read  '  fakkd '.' 
Page  62,  after  reference  number  7  insert  DZA,  i.  209. 
Page  68,  line  9,  end,  add    'or   identical  with,'  and  add  to  reference 

number  i,  NIN,  15. 
Page  69,  bottom,  for  '  108 '  read  '  107.' 
Page  71,  line  19,  after  '  Oxus '  insert  '  Caspian.' 
„       „    reference  number  6,  end,  add  '  notes.' 
Page  88,  lines  12  and  26,  for  '  Farvardin '  read  '  Farwardin.' 
Page  89,  line  4,  for  '  Din  '  read  '  Dai.' 
Page  90,  for  '  3  generations  '  read  '  I  generation.' 
Page  92,  read  thus  :  'A  female  descendant  or  relative  =  KAi  KAtis  (12).' 

I 
Siydwush 

Page  106,  line  n,  beginning,  for  'The'  read  '/n.' 

Page  113,  line  18,  add  full  stop  at  end. 

Page  118,  line  4,  for  'mountain  of  the  holy'  read  'Mountain  of  the 

Holy.' 

Page  1 20,  delete  line  I  and  read,  '  How  Siydmak  was  slain  by  the  Div.' 
Page  126,  line  i6,for  'gold'  read  'good.' 
Page  130,  line  n,  after  '  gallery'  put  .  .  . 


ERRATA 

Page  130,  line  23,  for  '  have '  read  '  find,'  and  add  to  reference  4,  WPT. 

i.  142. 

Page  131,  line  15,  for  '  They'  read  '  they.' 
Page  132,  line  n,  add  full  stop  at  end. 
Page  138,  line  29,  delete  '  thou  my  '  and  read  '  any.' 
Page  142,  5  lines  from  bottom,  for  '  downstricken '  read  '  down-stricken.' 

,,       ,,    4  lines  from  bottom,  for  '  Aspik&n '  read  '  Aspikan.' 
Page  143,  line  7,  for  '  i '  read  '  2.' 

,,       ,,    line  15, /or  '2'  read  '3.' 

,,       ,,     line  31,  for  '  3  '  read  '4.' 

,,       ,,    line  33,  for  '4'  read  '  5.' 
Page  175,  line  13,  for  '  He  '  read  '  Be.' 

Page  227,  line  21,  delete  'Slain  by  the  Hand  of  and  read  '  slain  by.' 
Page  239,  line  21,  for  '  made '  read  '  make.' 
Page  293,  add  to  end  of  note,  309,  346. 
Page  307,  line  7  from  bottom,  after  'lasso'  add  'V 
Page  325,  line  1 1,  for  '  Sam '  read  '  Zal.' 

Page  342,  line  3  from  bottom,  for  '  Knowhow  '  read  '  Know  how.' 
Page  351,  side  reference,  read  '259.' 
Page  354,  line  21,  for  '  Guzhdaham '  read  '  Gazhdaham.' 
Page  355,  line  4  from  bottom,  delete  comma  at  end. 
Page  366,  line  12,  delete  'not.' 
Page  381,  line  4  from  bottom,  for  '  plants'  read  '  plans.' 


INTRODUCTION 


CHAPTER   I 

LAND   AND    PEOPLE 

IRAN,  the  chief  scene  of  Firdausi's  Shahnama,  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Steppes,  the  Caspian 
Sea,  and  the  Kiir  and  Rion  rivers,  on  the  south  by 
the  Indian  Ocean,  on  the  east  by  the  valley  of  the 
Indus,  and  on  the  west  by  that  of  the  Tigris  and 
Euphrates,  and  by  the  Persian  Gulf.  At  present  it 
includes  Persia,  Afghanistan,  Baluchistan,  and  small 
portions  of  Russia  and  Turkey. 

It  is  a  lofty  and  for  the  most  part  a  rainless  table- 
land traversed  by  numerous  mountain-ranges  divided 
from  each  other  by  flat  plains  and  falling  away  toward 
the  centre,  which  is  a  desert  white  with  salt  scurf 
or  dun  with  powdery  dust.  The  mountains  are 
highest  round  the  edges  of  the  tableland  and  intercept 
most  of  the  rainfall.  Some  moisture,  however,  finds 
its  way  even  into  the  rainless  region,  where  it  gathers 
during  winter  on  the  higher  hills  in  the  form  of  snow. 
This  snow-water  is  carefully  husbanded,  and  distributed 
by  means  of  underground  water-courses.  The  interior 
is,  however,  drying  up,  and  city,  village,  and  cultivated 
field  are  being  gradually  overwhelmed  in  dust  and 
shifting  sands. 

Possibly    as    late    as    early    historical    times    very 


4  INTRODUCTION 

different  conditions  prevailed.  The  lower  plains  and 
depressions  once  formed  a  series  of  lakes  that 
suggested  the  appearance  of  an  inland  sea,  and  such 
names  as  island,  port,  lighthouse,  &c.,  are  said  to  still 
survive  in  places  as  a  relic  and  indication  of  the  old 
state  of  things,1  while  a  considerable  body  of  water 
is  still  to  be  found  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  central 
depression  on  the  frontier  between  Persia  and  Afghanis- 
tan. This  region  is  now  known  as  Si'stan,  but  in  ancient 
times  was  called  Drangiana  or  the  lake-country,  a 
name  which  survived  much  later  in  its  former  capital 
Zarang,  and  as  "  Zirih  "  is  still  used  in  connection  with 
its  lake. 

From  April  till  late  in  the  autumn  the  sky,  save 
for  an  occasional  thunderstorm  among  the  mountains, 
is  an  unclouded  azure,  in  winter  a  good  deal  of  snow 
falls,  and  in  spring  the  thunderstorms  are  heavy  and 
frequent.  The  air  is,  as  a  rule,  remarkably  healthy, 
but  on  the  borders  of  the  deserts  the  inhabitants 
have  sometimes  to  live  shut  up  for  weeks  together  to 
avoid  the  pestilential  blasts.2 

The  favoured  regions  are  those  that  front  west  and 
north  respectively.  They  are  splendidly  wooded  and 
extremely  fertile,  all  the  ordinary  flowers  and  fruits 
of  Europe  do  well,  while  in  the  district  between  the 
Alburz  Mountains  and  the  Caspian,  and  known  as 
Mazandaran,  the  climate  is  semitropical  and  the 
vegetation  most  luxuriant.  Here  rice,  the  sugar-cane, 
the  vine,  the  orange,  and  the  olive  flourish.3  In  the 
few  watered  valleys  of  the  long  southern  coast  the 
climate  is  tropical  in  character.  The  tamarisk  and 
mimosa  are  largely  represented,  and  here  and  there 
are  groves  of  date-palms. 

1  E.g.,  near  Kasbin,  on  the  road  between  Tihnin  and  Hamad.in,  and  at 
Barchin,  a  village  near  Maibud   to  the  north  of  Yazd.     GHP,  i.  13; 
KA,  ii.  473. 

2  MHP,  ii.  367.  3  DHA,  v.  9. 


INTRODUCTION  5 

The  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  salt-deserts  is 
the  haunt  of  the  wild  ass  or  onager  and  of  the  antelope, 
the  slope  of  the  mountain-ranges  of  the  wild  sheep  or 
argali,  and  their  summit  of  the  wild  goat  or  ibex.  The 
tracts  artificially  reclaimed  and  watered  are  the 
favourite  home  of  the  sandgrouse,  and  the  highlands 
of  the  eagle,  the  vulture,  the  falcon,  the  raven,  the 
crow,  and  the  nightingale — the  bulbul  of  the  poets. 
The  acorns  of  the  western  slopes  attract  the  wild 
swine,  which  in  turn  tempt  the  lion  from  the  reed-beds 
of  the  Tigris  and  the  cover  of  its  tributaries.1  Swine, 
too,  abound  in  Mazandaran  and  afford  food  for  the 
tiger  which  flourishes  there,  the  dense  undergrowth 
and  vegetation  of  that  region  affording  it  as  good 
shelter  as  an  Indian  jungle.2  Here,  too,  are  found 
deer,  buffalo,  swan,  waterfowl,  woodcock,  and  pheasant. 
Speaking  of  the  country  more  generally  we  may  add 
to  this  list  leopards,  wildcats,  wolves,  bears,  hyaenas, 
foxes,  snakes,  scorpions,  vipers,  lizards,  the  partridge, 
and  the  lark.  The  chief  domestic  animals  are  the  ox, 
the  sheep,  especially  the  fat-tailed  variety,  the  horse, 
the  camel,  and  the  mule. 

{ ran  is  a  land  of  sharp  contrasts,  of  intense  heat  and 
cold,  of  sudden  and  abnormal  changes  of  temperature, 
of  dead  level  and  steep  ascent,  of  splendid  fertility  hard 
by  lifeless  desolation,  of  irrigation  and  dust.  Its 
natural  characteristics  find  expression  in  the  ancient 
cosmogony  of  its  people.  We  are  told  that  Urmuzd — 
the  Good  Principle — created  earth  as  a  lovely  plain 
bathed  in  a  mild  perpetual  radiance,  fanned  by  soft 
temperate  airs,  bounteously  provided  with  fresh  sweet 
waters,  and  clad  in  a  smooth  and  harmless  vegetation. 
Here  the  First  Man  and  the  First  Ox  dwelt  in  peace 
and  happiness.  Ahriman — the  Evil  Principle — broke 
into  this  fair  scene  and  all  was  changed.  Gloom 
minged  with  light,  the  seasons'  difference  began,  the 
1  EP,  ii.  30.  2  id.  34. 


6  INTRODUCTION 

seas  turned  salt,  the  streams  dwindled,  the  vegetation 
grew  rough  and  thorny,  dronght  came  and  dust  and 
desert;  mountain-ranges  sprang  up  from  the  plain, 
and  the  man  and  ox  were  stricken  with  disease  and 
died;  but  from  the  body  of  the  former  sprang  the 
first  human  pair  from  whom  all  the  earth  was  over- 
spread, and  from  the  body  of  the  latter  all  other 
harmless,  useful,  and  beautiful  animals,  while  Ahriman 
in  opposition  to  these  created  all  noisome  and  hideous 
insects,  reptiles,  and  creatures  sharp  of  fang  or  claw. 

Let  us  now  turn  from  the  land  to  the  people.  For 
us  there  is  no  occasion  to  discuss  questions  of  race 
from  any  very  modern  standpoint.  For  us  it  is  rather 
what  ethnical  views  obtained  in  ancient  Iran  and 
moulded  its  traditions.  As  to  these  there  is  happily 
little  room  for  doubt,  Darius  Hystaspis,  the  founder 
of  the  Persian  empire  and  the  greatest  of  its  historic 
Shahs,  having  decided  the  matter  for  us.  On  the 
rock  of  Bihistiin  he  recorded  his  great  achievements 
in  a  trilingual  inscription,  the  languages  employed 
being  ancient  Persian,  Babylonian,  and  Scythian.  The 
obvious  explanation  of  his  proceeding  is,  that  he 
recognised  in  the  population  of  his  vast  empire  three 
distinct  races  of  mankind,  and,  regarding  language  as 
distinctive  of  race,  used  it  to  emphasise  that  great 
political  fact.  In  thus  distinguishing  he  followed  a 
true  philological  instinct,  and  his  distinctions  still 
largely  obtain  at  the  present  day.  Each  of  his  three 
languages  represents  a  great  division  of  human  speech. 
His  view,  as  we  shall  see,  agrees  with  the  traditions 
and  legends  of  his  race,  and  if  some  modern  Shah  were 
to  restore  the  empire  of  Darius,  and  wished  to  imitate 
the  example  of  his  great  predecessor,  he  would  still  have 
to  choose  languages  typical  of  the  same  three  divisions. 
In  what  follows,  therefore,  language  is  made  the  basis 
of  classification,  and  the  divisions  thus  classified  are 
commonly  called  the  Indo-European,  the  Semitic,  and 


INTRODUCTION  7 

the  Turanian  respectively.  It  is  with  peoples  of  the 
"first  division  that  we  are  chiefly  concerned,  and  only 
so  far  as  these  came  into  contact  with  peoples  of  the 
other  two  divisions  are  we  concerned  about  the 
latter. 

At  the  dawn  of  history  we  find  peoples  speaking 
languages  which,  theoretically  at  all  events,  may  be 
traced  back  to  one  primitive  tongue,  holding  similar 
religious  notions  and  organised  politically  as  inde- 
pendent self-governing  tribes,  in  possession  of  large 
geographical  areas  both  in  Europe  and  Asia.  They 
thus  fall  into  two  great  divisions — an  European  and  an 
Asiatic — and  are  generally  known  as  the  Indo-European 
race.  The  Asiatic  branch  seems  to  have  occupied  in 
early  times  the  neighbourhoods  of  Balkh,  Harat,  Marv, 
and  possibly. of  Samarkand.  It  described  itself  as 
Aryan  or  noble,  as  opposed  to  all  those  with  whom  it 
came  into  contact,  much  as  the  Greeks  divided  man- 
kind into  Hellenes  and  Barbaroi.  It  was  organised 
into  three  orders  or  castes — priests,  warriors,  and 
husbandmen.  Its  religion  was  a  frank  worship  of 
personified  natural  forces.  Its  priests  were  fire-priests, 
and  fire  was  an  especial  object  of  adoration  along  with 
the  other  beneficent  powers  of  nature — Mitra  or 
Mithra,  Yama  or  Yima,  Trita,  Traitana,  and  others. 
Opposed  to  these  were  the  malignant  spirits  of  drought 
and  darkness,  as,  for  instance,  Azi  or  Azhi,  also  known 
as  Dahaka — the  biter,  the  serpent-fiend.  Water  was 
ever  growing  scarcer,  and  drought  or  plenty  turned  in 
the  imagination  of  a  primitive  people  on  the  struggle  of 
the  good  and  evil  spirits  for  its  possession.  The  former 
appeared  in  the  lightning-flash,  while  the  gloomy  con- 
volutions of  the  thunder-cloud  suggested  the  idea  that 
fiends  in  serpent-form  were  striving  to  carry  off  the 
precious  fluid — the  heavenly  waters  as  distinguished 
from  the  earthly  waters — and  hinder  it  from  descend- 
ing to  the  help  of  man.  The  cloud — the  rain-bringer — 


8  INTRODUCTION 

was  perversely  regarded  as  the  rain-stealer.  The  good 
spirits  hastened  to  the  rescue,  the  lightning-flash  clove 
the  cloud,  and  the  demons  dropped  their  booty.  The 
serpent-fiend  had  to  be  combated  for  other  reasons  too, 
for  his  bite  brought  fever,  disease,  and  death.  Accord- 
ingly the  divine  physician  appeared  side  by  side  with 
the  divine  hero,  Trita  with  Traitana,  and  became,  as 
we  shall  see  later  on,  merged  into  a  single  personality 
in  Iranian  legend.  Sacrifices  were  offered,  and  the 
drink-offering  of  the  juice  of  the  Soma  or  Horn  a  plant 
was  poured  forth.  The  plant  is  usually  identified  as 
being  the  Asclepias  acida  or  Sarcostemma  viminale.1 
The  Aryans  also  worshipped  the  spirits  of  their 
ancestors,  and  were  believers  in  what  is  called  sym- 
pathetic magic.  They  thought  that  injury  done  to 
anything  in  the  remotest  way  connected  with  their 
own  persons  would  affect  themselves  injuriously.  Even 
the  knowledge  of  their  name  might  be  turned  to  their 
hurt,  and  we  shall  find  instances  in  the  poem  of  children 
being  brought  up  unnamed  to  avoid  that  contingency. 

At  a  period  which  cannot  be  put  at  less  than  four 
thousand  years  ago  the  Aryans  themselves  divided,  and 
while  a  portion  descended  to  the  Indus  and  became  the 
dominant  race  in  India,  the  rest  remained  and  gradually 
took  possession  of  all  that  was  habitable  in  the  vast 
region  that  consequently  became  known  as  the  land  of 
the  Aryans  or  Iran.  The  Aryans  thus  became  separated 
into  two  branches — an  Eastern  and  a  Western.  With 
the  former  we  are  but  little  concerned ;  the  legendary 
story  of  the  latter  is  the  theme  of  the  Shahnama. 

Of  these  Western  Aryans  the  two  most  famous 
peoples  have  ever  been  the  Medes  and  Persians. 

1  The  plant  grows  in  the  regions  about  Samarkand  and  Balkh  in  the 
north  and  in  Kirmiln  in  the  south.  The  shoots  were  pounded  in  a 
mortar,  and  water  being  added  a  greenish  liquid  was  produced,  which 
having  been  strained  was  mixed  with  milk  and  barley  or  wild  rice  and 
allowed  to  ferment.  The  product  was  intoxicating.  See  GHP,  i.  36  ; 
DHA,  iv.  53. 


INTRODUCTION  9 

The  Medes,  whose  modern  representatives,  if  any, 
seem  to  be  the  Kurds,  appear  in  ancient  times  to  have 
been  a  loose  confederation  of  kindred  tribes  broken  up 
into  numerous  settlements,  each  under  its  local  head- 
man or  chief.1     They  seem  to  have  had  no  supreme 
political  head  or  king   to  unite   the   race  under  one 
central  authority.     Their  common  bond,  if  any,  was  a 
religious  one  under  their  priests,  the  Magi.     According 
to  their  own  traditions  the  original  seat  of  the  race  was 
Iran-vej,  i.e.,  "  Iranian  seed,"  and   this  has  been  well 
identified  with  the  district  of  Karabagh,  the   ancient 
Arran,  the  'Apiavia  of  the   Greeks,  between   the  Kur 
and  the  Aras,  where  the  Anti-Caucasus  forms  the  true 
north-western   scarp   of  the   tableland    of   Iran.2      In 
historical  times,  however,  we  first  find  the  Medes  in 
possession  of  the  province  of  Aza.rhffi.Ti nr,  to  give  it 
its   ancient   title,  Atropatene.     The  Pers'ians   occupied 
from   time   immemorial   the   country   on   the   eastern 
shores  of  the  Persian  Gulf,  now  represented   by   the 
modern  provinces  of  Farsistan  and  Laristan,  and  were 
ruled  by  kings  of  the  house  of  Achaemenes.     These 
two  peoples,  closely  connected  as  they  were  by  language 
and   race,   became   in   the  days   of   Darius   Hystaspis 
dominant  in  Iran,  and  to  this  domination  the  Medes 
appear  to  have  contributed  the  religious,  the  Persians 
the   political,  element.     Between   the   Medes   and   the 
Persians  lay  in  ancient  times,  as  we  learn  from  Assyrian 
and  Babylonian  records,   other   kindred  peoples — the 
kingdom  of  Elam,  with  its  capital  at  Susa,  some  twenty- 
five  miles  west  of  the  modern  Shuster,  and  the  kingdom 
of  Ellipi,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  modern  Hamadan. 
The  Iranians  as  a  whole  were  bounded  on  the  west  by 
Semitic  and  on  the  north  by  Turanian  peoples.     On  the 
east  they  were  conterminous  with  the  Aryans  of  India, 
and  ultimately  they  came  into  contact  with  the  Western 

1  The  "  kings  of  the  Medes"  of  Jer.  xxv.  25. 

2  DZA,  i.  3  and  notes;  KA,  i.  45. 


io  INTRODUCTION 

Indo-Europeans  as  well,  notably  with  the  Greeks  and 
Romans.  As  the  cosmogony  and  religion  of  the 
Iranians  were  largely  derived  from  their  physical,  so 
was  their  tradition  from  their  ethnical,  environment. 
We  are  concerned  with  all  three,  but  especially  with 
the  last — their  tradition.  The  remainder  of  the  present 
chapter  will  therefore  be  devoted  to  a  brief,  and 
necessarily  dry,  summary  of  their  historical  relations 
with  the  Semites  as  represented  by  the  Assyrians  in 
early  and  the  Arabs  in  later  times,  with  other  Indo- 
European  races  represented  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans 
in  the  west  and  by  the  Hindus  in  the  east,  and  with 
the  Turanians  as  represented  by  the  Kimmerians, 
Scythians,  _Parthians,  Huns  and  Turks,, 

The  Irdnians  and  the  Semites. --In  the  numerous 
contemporary  records  of  the  Assyrians  we  find  many 
references  to  the  Iranians.  The  whole  of  the  western 
frontier  of  f  ran,  from  the  Medes  in  the  north  to  the 
Persians  in  the  south,  seems  to  have  been  subjected  at 
one  point  or  another  to  almost  constant  aggression, 
at  first  by  mere  raids  but  later  on  by  attempts  at 
permanent  conquest,  at  the  hands  of  the  great  warrior- 
monarchs  of  Nineveh — Shalmaneser  II.  (B.C.  858-823),1 
Samas  Rimmon  II.  (B.C.  823-8io),2  Rimmon-nirari  III. 
(B.C.  8IO-/83),3  Tiglath  Pilesar  III.  (B.C.  745-727),* 
Sargon  (B.C.  72 2-705  ),6  Sennacherib  (B.C.  705-68 1),6 
Esarhaddon  I.  (B.C.  68i-668),T  and  Assurbanipal  (B.C. 
66S-626).8  The  attempts  at  permanent  conquest 
date  from  the  reign  of  Sargon.  The  long  reign  of 
Assurbanipal  falls  into  two  periods,  a  former  of  great 
extension  and  conquest,  and  a  latter  when  the  tide 
began  to  turn  and  the  Assyrian  empire,  overstrained 
and  exhausted,  showed  signs  of  decay.  Finally,  in  the 
reign  of  Esarhaddon  II.,  Nineveh  fell  (B.C.  606),  over- 

1  RPNS,  iv.  38-51.  2  R,  i.  11-22.  3  DHA,  ii.  326. 

4  Id.  iii.  3-5.  5  RP,  ix.  3-20.  «  RPNS,  vi.  83-101. 

7  RP,  iii.  103-124.  8  Id.,  ix.  39-64. 


INTRODUCTION  11 

whelmed  by  a  confederacy  which  included  the  Medes. 
Probably  no  empire  was  ever  less  lamented  by  the 
world  at  large,  for  we  have  the  Assyrians'  own  word 
for  it  that  their  warfare  was  attended  with  every 
circumstance  of  cruelty  and  horror.  They  hold  indeed 
a  bad  pre-eminence  in  that  respect  over  all  the  other 
nations  of  antiquity. 

With  the  fall  of  Nineveh  serious  Semitic  aggression 
ceased,  so  far  as  the  Iranians  were  concerned,  till  after 
the  Christian  era  had  begun.  Arabia  was  at  that  epoch 
extremely  prosperous,  and  carried  on  a  vast  caravan 
traffic  in  native  produce  and  imports  from  India  with 
the  west  and  north.  When,  however,  Rome  had 
become  recognised  as  the  centre  of  the  world,  her 
merchants  soon  hit  upon  a  less  circuitous  and  conse- 
quently cheaper  route.  They  started  a  direct  traffic 
between  India  and  the  Red  Sea,  whereby  merchandise, 
instead  of  being  landed  in  Southern  Arabia  and  thence 
conveyed  northwards  by  land,  was  discharged  at 
Arsinoe,  Cleopatris  (Suez),  and  other  Egyptian  ports. 
As  a  result,  Southern  Arabia — the  most  fertile  and 
populous  region  of  the  peninsula — was  ruined,  and  in 
time,  both  there  and  along  the  lines  of  the  old  caravan- 
routes,  only  massive  remains  of  cities,  canals,  dams,  and 
aqueducts  were  left  to  witness  to  a  lost  prosperity.  A 
vast  population  was  thrown  out  of  employment,  and  the 
Arabs  began  to  emigrate  northward  as  early,  it  would 
seem,  as  the  first  century  A.D.  The  Azdites  in  this 
way  founded  the  cities  of  Hira  and  Anbar  on  the 
Euphrates,  and  were  lords  of  Damascus  till  the  days 
of  the  Khalifa  'Umar.  Other  tribes  from  the  south 
settled  in  the  mountains  of  Aja  and  Salma,  to  the 
north  of  Najd  and  Al  Hajaz.  These  Northern  Arabs 
were  divided  in  their  allegiance  between  the  Roman 
and  Sasanian  empires;  and  their  quarrels  among 
themselves,  their  restlessness  and  inconstancy,  made 
them  thorns  in  the  sides  of  both,  and  led  to  many 


12  INTRODUCTION 

difficulties.  The  defeat  of  Julian  by  Sapor  II.  is  said 
to  have  been  largely  due  to  the  defection  of  the  Arab 
allies  of  the  former,  while  on  the  other  hand  the 
western  frontier  of  Iran  was  always  liable  to  be  over- 
run by  them  as  far  north  as  and  including  Azarbijan. 
The  havoc  caused  was  often  great,  and  the  retaliation, 
on  occasions,  ferocious. 

With  the  rise  of  Muhammad  the  Arabs  became 
a  great  religious  and  political  power.  After  his 
death  in  A.D.  632  he  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Abu 
Bakr  anH~T5TnafTin  the  course  of  the  ten  years  of  the 
latter's  rule  Iran  was  conquered  by  his  generals  after 
the  three  great  battles  of  Kadisiyya  and  J  alula  in  A.D. 
637,  and  Nahavand,  A.D.  641.  A  dynasty  of  high  officials 
of  the  Sasanian  empire  still  held  out  and  maintained 
the  ancient  faith  in  the  fastnesses  of  Mazandaran,1  but 
Iran  as  a  whole  was  both  from  a  religious  and  a 
political  point  of  view  submerged.  The  religious 
conquest  proved  to  be  permanent,  but  after  a  time 
national  feeling  began  to  re-assert  itself  against  the 
political,  as  the  following  brief  summary  of  events 
may  serve  to  show.  'Umar  appointed  a  committee 
of  five  to  select  the  next  Khalifa  after  his  death. 
After  long  debate  they  chose  'Uthman,  but  subsequently 
repenting  of  their  choice  three  of  the  five  brought 
about  his  assassination  after  a  reign  of  twelve  years, 
and  nominated  'All  as  Khalifa  (A.D.  656).  'Uthman 
was  of  the  Umayj^ad  family,  and  its  head  Mu'awiya, 
then  governor  of  Syria,  took  up  arms  to  avenge  him. 
Neither  had  any  direct  claim  to  the  Khilafat,  but 
'Ali  was  the  son  of  Muhammad's  uncle  Abu  Talib,  and 
had  married  the  prophet's  daughter  Fatima,  known  as 
"  the  maiden."  Muhammad  had  said  of  him :  "  'Ah' 
is  for  me,  and  I  am  for  him  ;  he  stands  to  me  in  the 
same  rank  as  Aaron  did  to  Moses;  I  am  the  town 
in  which  all  knowledge  is  shut  up,  and  he  is  the  gate 
1  NSEH,  139. 


INTRODUCTION  13 

of  it."  l  'Ali  carne  to  be  regarded  as  associated  in  a  very 
special  way  with  the  prophet,  and  was  known  as  his 
executor  or  mandatary,  and  also  as  the  Lion  of  God,  or 
simply  as  the  Lion.  Mu'awiya,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
the  son  of  one  of  Muhammad's  bitterest  opponents, 
and  had  nothing  but  his  own  abilities  to  recommend 

o 

him.  In  the  heat  of  the  contest  which  ensued  some  of 
'All's  followers  in  their  zeal  for  him  went  too  far.  They 
not  only  claimed  the  Khilafat  for  him  by  divine  right, 
but  actually  denied  that  Abu  Bakr,  'Umar,  and  'Uthman 
had  any  title  to  be  regarded  as  legitimate  Khalifas  at 
all.  This  shocked  and  drew  a  good  many  of  the 
faithful  into  Mu'awiya's  camp,  and  the  two  parties 
became  known  as  Shi'ites  (partisans)  and  Sunnites 
(orthodox).  In  the  event  an  extreme  Muhamrnadan 
"se'ctT Tmown  as  Kharijites  (dissenters),  which  arose  at 
that  time,  denied  the  rights  of  both  candidates, 
advocated  the  bestowal  of  the  Khilafat  on  "  the  best," 
and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  true  course  out 
of  the  difficulty  would  be  to  remove  both.  'Ah'  was 
accordingly  assassinated,  but  Mu'awiya  escaped  and 
became  Khalifa  without  further  dispute.2  The  wrongs 
of  'Ah',  however,  as  many  thought  them,  had  taken  hold 
on  the  popular  mind,  especially  in  Iran,  and  were 
intensified  when  his  son  Husain  —  the  grandson  of 
Muhammad  himself — was  slain  by  Mu'awiya's  son  and 
successor  Yizid,  A.D.  68 1.  The  Umayyads,  whose  chief 
support  lay  in  Syria,  had  necessarily  to  rule  from 
Damascus,  and  this  tended  to  slacken  their  hold  over 
their  Eastern  possessions.  Taking  advantage  of  this 
fact,  and  exploiting  the  feeling  about  'Ah'  to  their  own 
advantage,  the  descendants  of  'Abbas,  one  of  Muham- 
mad's uncles,  gradually  undermined  the  position  of 
the  reigning  house,  till  at  length  in  the  year  A.D.  750, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Persians,  they  supplanted 
the  Umayyads  everywhere  except  in  Spain.  The 

1  OHS,  331.  2  NESH,  80. 


14  INTRODUCTION 

triumph  of  the  'Abbasids  was  a  half  triumph  for 
Persian  nationality,  and  the  fact  was  recognised  by  the 
abandonment  of  Damascus  as  the  seat  of  empire,  and  a 
return  to  the  old  state  of  things  that  had  prevailed 
under  the  Sasanians  by  the  building  of  Baghdad  and 
the  transference  to  it  of  the  seat  of  government. 
Another  triumph  was  won  when,  after  the  death  of 
Harumi'r-Rashid,  his  son  Mamiin,  whose  mother  was 
a  Persian  slave,  overcame  with  Persian  help  his  brother 
Amin,  who  was  supported  by  Syria.  Mamun  was  the 
last  great  'Abbasid  Khalifa  (A.D.  8 1 3-833).  Decline  soon 
followed.  In  A.D.  86 1  the  Khalifa  Mutawakkil  was 
murdered  by  his  own  son,  and  the  'Abbasids  became 
thenceforth  insignificant,  having  little  power  outside 
the  walls  of  Baghdad  and  dependent  chiefly  on  the 
forbearance  of  their  mayors  of  the  palace,  if  the  expres- 
sion may  be  applied  to  Eastern  history,  who  preferred 
to  veil  their  own  supremacy  behind  the  reverence  still 
inspired  by  the  Khalifas  in  their  religious  aspect  as 
Commanders  of  the  Faithful.  In  the  tenth  century  this 
office  was  held  by  the  Dilamids,  who  claimed  descent 
from  the  ancient  Persian  kings  and  were  fervent  Shi'ites. 
They  ruled  over  Western  and  Southern  Iran,  posing 
the  while  as  the  Khalifas'  most  obedient  slaves.  In 
the  north  and  east  the  Samanides,  who  claimed  to 
be  descended  from  the  famous  Iranian  hero  Bahram 
Chubina,  but  were  in  reality  of  Turkman  descent,  were 
supreme.  The  political  supremacy  of  the  Arabs  in 
i ran  was  at  an  end. 

The  Iranians  and  the  Greeks  and  Romans. — The 
historic  strife  between  Persian  and  Greek  is  so  familiar 
to  us  that  it  is  hard  to  realise  that  the  only  portion  of 
it  in  Iranian  legend  that  in  any  way  coincides  with 
authentic  history  is  that  which  deals  with  the  invasion 
of  the  East  by  Alexander  the  Great ;  and  even  this  is 
mostly  based  not  on  native  but  Greek  tradition,  so  modi- 
fied by  Iranian  patriotism  as  to  gloss  over  or  explain 


INTRODUCTION  15 

away  the  great  overthrew  of  the  East  by  the  West. 
A  genuine  native  tradition  dating  from  those  times 
would  be  extremely  interesting,  and  it  is  very  dis- 
appointing not  to  have  it.  Nothing  survives  of 
Alexander  the  Great  in  native  Iranian  legend  except 
a  conviction  that  he  was  one  of  the  great  persecutors 
and  destroyers  of  Zoroastrianism^  This  will  be  referred 
to  later  on,  when  we  have  to  touch  upon  the  preserva- 
tion of  Iranian  tradition  in  general.  It  would  seem  as 
if  the  long  predominance  of  the  Roman  empire  on  the 
stage  of  history  had  obliterated  the  memory  of  most  of 
the  great  events  of  earlier  ages  and  distorted  that  of 
the  rest.  We  should  expect,  however,  that  at  least  the 
Roman  empire  itself  during  its  greatest  period  would 
receive  some  recognition,  especially  an  event  so  glorious 
for  the  East  as  the  overthrow  of  Crassus  at  Carrhae 
(B.C.  53),  but  again  we  are  disappointed.  The  explana- 
tion seems  to  be  that  during  the  whole  period  of  the  rise 
and  greatness  of  Rome,  f  ran  was  under  foreign  domina- 
tion, first  Grecian  and  then  Parthian.  At  all  events 
it  is  not  till  a  native  dynasty  rules  again  in  Iran  that 
we  begin  to  find  common  ground  in  Iranian  and  Roman 
history,  and  this  is  not  till  the  third  century  of  the 
Christian  era.  Till  then  Rome  obliterated  Greece  only 
to  be  ignored  itself  in  all  but  the  name.  Iranian  tradi- 
tion knows  of  Ruin  but  of  nothing  behind  it. 

The  frdnians  and  the  Aryans  of  India. — In  this 
case  the  interest  for  us  is  chiefly  a  religious  one. 
From  the  date  (B.C.  250)  of  the  conversion  of  the 
Indian  king,  Asoka  of  Magadha,  to  Buddhism  that 
faith  began  to  extend  rapidly.  Asoka,  like  all 
sincere  converts,  was  an  enthusiast,  and  in  his  reign 
Buddhism  was  preached  not  only  in  India  itself  but  in 
Eastern  f  ran,  and  even  so  far  west,  it  is  said,  as  the 
shores  of  the  Caspian.1  It  prospered  much  and  con- 
tinued to  hold  its  own  in  Kabulistan  till  A.D.  850, 

1  DHA,  iv,  543  ;    Gray,  "  At  the  Court  of  the  Amir,"  143  ;  HIE,  149. 


16  INTRODUCTION 

when  a  Brahman  dynasty  replaced  the  Buddhist.  It 
was  probably  not  much  before  the  eleventh  century 
of  the  Christian  era  that  Muhammadanism  finally 
triumphed  in  those  regions.1  To  the  Zoroastrian, 
however,  no  less  than  to  the  Muhammadan,  Buddhism 
and  Brahmanism  were  alike  idolatry,  and  this  view  has 
left,  as  we  shall  see,  its  mark  on  Iranian  legend.  The 
fierce  wars  carried  on  against  the  idolaters  of  India  by 
the  Muhammadans  of  Eastern  f  ran  at  the  end  of  the 
tenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century  have 
also  left^  their  mark. 

The  Irdnians  and  Turdnians. — Savage,  barbarous, 
and  uncouth,  the  nations  of  the  North  have  always 
been  notorious  for  the  disgust  and  terror  with  which 
they  have  inspired  the  higher  civilisations  of  the  South. 
The  Turanians  were  little  better  than  the  Assyrians  in 
their  treatment  of  vanquished  foes,  and  decidedly  worse 
in  aspect.  In  the  most  ancient  times  of  which  we  have 
any  record,  the  great  highway  for  these  nations  south- 
ward lay  between  the  Caspian  and  Euxine  Seas.  They 
had  therefore  to  cross  the  barrier  of  the  Caucasus,  which 
is  said  to  be  only  passable,  save  by  expert  Alpine 
climbers,  in  three  places,  one  at  each  end  and  one  near 
the  centre.  Of  these  the  most  practicable  for  large 
bodies  of  men  lay  along  the  flat  shores  of  the  Caspian. 
The  Caucasus  stops  short  of  that  sea,  and  only  one  spur 
of  the  range  running  in  a  north-easterly  direction 
nearly  approaches  it.  Between  this  spur  and  the  sea, 
where  the  passage  is  narrowest,  stands  the  town  of 
Darband.  Here,  according  to  the  legend,  Sikandar,  i.e. 
Alexander  the  Great,  built  a  mighty  barrier  to  restrain 
the  incursions  of  Gog  and  Magog,  i.e.  of  the  Turanians. 
Such  a  wall  extending  across  the  Pass  of  Darband  was 
actually  built  for  that  purpose  by  the  great  Sasanian 
Shah  Niishfrwan,  the  contemporary  of  the  Emperor 
Justinian,  and  those  two  rulers  agreed  to  share  the 
1  EHI,  ii  415,  &c. 


INTRODUCTION  17 

expense  of  preventing  barbarism  from  penetrating  south 
of  the  Caucasus.1  Two  centuries  later,  when  the  Khazars, 
a  Turkish  race  from  what  is  now  Southern  Russia, 
captured  Tiflis  and  wrought  great  havoc,  the  'Abbasid 
Khalifa  Mansiir  erected  defensive  works  and  secured 
the  whole  region  up  to  the  great  mountain-barrier.2 
Coming  down  to  later  times,  and  regarding  the  matter 
from  the  other  side,  we  may  mention  that  one  of  Peter 
the  Great's  first  acts  after  his  accession  to  the  throne 
was  to  make  sure  of  Darband. 

The  first  historical  invasion  by  a  Turanian  race  is 
that  of  the  Kimmerians  of  Homer  and  Herodotus,  the 
Gomer  of  the  Bible  and  the  Gimirra  of  the  Assyrian 
inscriptions,  who  appear  to  have  dwelt  in  early  times 
on  the  Dniester  and  the  Sea  of  Azof,  whence  they  were 
driven  by  the  pressure  of  kindred  races  whom  the 
Assyrians  called  Manda.  Traversing  the  Pass  of  Dar- 
band they  settled  for  a  time  north  of  the  Aras,  where 
undoubtedly  they  must  have  come  into  contact  with 
the  Medes.  Being  still  pressed  upon  from  the  north, 
they  made  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  invade  Assyria 
in  B.C.  677,  and  then  turned  westward  into  Asia  Minor.3 

In  the  wake  of  the  Kimmerian  invasion  came  the 
cause  of  it — the  Sacae  or  Scythians,  who  seem  to  have 
forced  the  line  of  the  Aras,  to  have  overrun  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Medes  and  the  kingdom  of  Ellipi,  and  to 
have  established  as  their  capital  the  famous  city  of 
Ekbatana,  the  modern  Hamadan,  in  what  has  always 
been  known  in  ancient  history  as  Media  Magna.  It 
seems  to  have  been  this  domination  of  the  Sacae  at 
Ekbatana  that  has  been  recorded  for  us  in  history  as 
the  Empire  of  the  Medes.  The  confusion  appears  to 

1  GDF,  v.  87-89.      In  RSM,  352,  this  arrangement  is  said  to  have 
begun  in  the  reigns  of  Yazdagird  II.  and  the  younger  Theodosius. 
The  reader  will  find  a  picture  of  Darband  (Derbent)  and  its  wall  in 
KA,  i.  76. 

2  NSEH,  138. 

3  SHC,  124. 

B 


1 8  INTRODUCTION 

have  arisen  from  the  similarity  between  the  Assyrian 
words  for  Medes  and  nomads  respectively,  the  former 
being  Mada  and  the  latter  Manda,  coupled  with  the  fact 
that  the  Mada  and  Manda  both  formed  part  of  the 
confederation  which,  under  the  leadership  of  Kastarit, 
the  Kyaxares  of  the  Greeks,  overthrew  Nineveh.1  The 
empire  of  the  Manda  at  Ekbatana — the  so-called  Median 
Empire — continued  till  themiddle  of  thesixth  century 
B.C.  It  shared  the  dominion  over  Western  Asia  with 
Babylon  and  Lydia,  and  was  no  doubt  the  cause  of  the 
elaborate  defensive  works  with  which  Nebuchadnezzar, 
mindful  of  the  fate  of  Nineveh,  sought  to  make  his 
capital  impregnable:  it  held  the  overlordship  of 
Western  fran.  In  the  year  B.C.  550,  however,  Cyrus, 
king  of  Elam,  rebelled  against  his  overlord,  Istuvegu  of 
Ekbatana,  the  Astyages  of  the  Greeks,  and  overthrew 
him  in  the  following  year.2  Cyrus  then  subjugated  the 
Persians,  entered  Babylon  in  B.C.  544,  conquered  Asia 
Minor  and  all  the  tableland  of  f  ran,  united  its  tribes  for 
the  first  time  in  history  under  one  government,  and 
became  known  to  TateF  times  as  Cyrus  the  Great.  He 
is  said  to  have  extended  his  conquests  to  the  Jaxartes, 
on  the  borders  of  which  he  erected  fortresses  to  hold 
the  nomad  tribes  in  check,3  and  the  Greek  historians, 
with  the  exception  of  Xenophon,  represent  him  as 
perishing  in  a  war  with  the  Scythians.  The  legend  of 
Cyrus  and  Tomyris,  the  queen  oF  fEe'  Massagetae,  told 
by  Herodotus,  is  well  known.4  Cyrus'  second  successor, 
Darius  Hystaspis,  the  false  Smerdis  being  left  out  of 
the  question,  also  carried  the  war  into  the  enemy's 
country,  and  advanced  beyond  the  Danube  in  B.C.  513, 
though  not  very  successfully,  to  avenge,  as  Herodotus 
tells  us,5  the  Scythian  invasions  which  preceded  the  fall 
of  the  Assyrian  Empire. 

In  the   century  after  the  death  of  Alexander  the 

2  Id.  499.  3  DHA,  v.  22 ;  vi.  103. 

5  Id.  iv.  I. 


INTRODUCTION  19 

Great  the  Parthians,  reinforced  by  another  Turanian 
tribe  known  as  the  Dahae,  rebelled  against  the 
Seleucids  (B.C.  250),  and  became  the  dominant  race  in 
Iran,  till  a  successful  revolt  (A.D.2  26^  placed  the  native 
Sasanian  dynasty  on  the  throne.  During  their  long 
domination  the  Parthians  in  their  turn  suffered  from 
the  incursions  of  kindred  races  from  the  North,  in 
much  the  same  way  as  the  English  settlers  in  Britain 
suffered  from  the  Danes.  The  second  century  before 
the  Christian  era  was  marked  by  great  activity  on  the 
part  of  the  Turanians,  and  the  whole  border  of  fran 
from  the  Hindu  Kush  to  the  Caspian  was  overrun 
by  them.  Two  Parthian  monarchs  in  succession — 
Phraates  II.  and  Artabanus  II. — were  defeated  and 
slain,  and  the  Parthian  Empire  was  only  saved  from 
overthrow  by  Mithridates  II.  Foiled  by  him  the 
Turanians  turned  to  the  East  and  permanently  settled 
in  Eastern  fran,  in  the  region  which  has  ever  since 
been  called  after  one  of  their  peoples,  Sacaestan  or 
Si'stan,  the  stead  or  home  of  the  Sacae  (c.  B.C.  100). 

Another  Turanian  people,  known  as  the  Alans  or  Alani, 
who  first  appear,  it  is  said,1  in  Chinese  annals,  were  on 
the  Volga  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era. 
Pressed  upon  by  the  Huns,  who  had  defeated  them  in  a 
great  battle,  they  overran  Media  and  Armenia,  some  of 
them  finding  their  way  into  the  Caucasus,  where  their 
descendants,  it  is  said,  still  exist.2  Thence  in  A.D.  133, 
at  the  invitation  of  Pharasmanes,  king  of  Iberia,  they 
invaded  Azarbijan  and  Armenia,  ravaged  the  country, 
and  had  to  be  bought  off  by  Vologeses  II.,  the  Parthian 
monarch  of  the  time. 

The  Huns,  who  had  been  instrumental  in  precipitating 
the  Alani  on  Iran,  were  themselves  in  flight  before  other 
hordes.  A  large  contingent  of  them  seized  and  settled 
upon  the  oasis  of  Samarkand  or  Sughd.  Here,  im- 
proved by  long  settlement  both  in  aspect  and  manners,3 

1  GDF,  iii.  315-316,  and  note.  a  Id.  3  Id.  iii,  312. 


20  INTRODUCTION 

they  became  known  as  the  White  Huns;  or  to  the 
Iranians,  who  carried  on  many  wars  with  them,  as  the 
Haitalians. 

Lastly,  in  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  of  the 
Christian  era  the  name  of  the  Turks  begins  to  appear 
in  history.  Spreading  from  Mount  Altai,  or  the  Golden 
Mountain,  in  Central  Asia,  they  extended  themselves 
over  the  northern  half  of  the  continent,  subjugating 
among  other  nations  the  Haitalians.  The  empire  of 
the  Turks  only  lasted  about  two  centuries,1  but  the 
tribes  and  nations  of  which  it  was  composed  were 
spread  over  the  north  of  Asia  from  China  to  the  Oxus 
and  the  Danube,  and  under  the  name  of  Turkmans 
have  proved  a  permanent  menace  to  the  northern 
frontiers  of  Iran. 

The  'Abbasids  soon  learned  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
services  of  Turkman  chiefs  in  the  administration  of 
their  empire.  It  was  thus  that  the  Samanids  first 
rose  to  power  under  the  Khalifa  Mamiin,  only,  as 
we  have  seen,  to  make  themselves  independent  under 
his  degenerate  successors.  About  the  year  A.D.  961 
a  disputed  succession  occurred  among  the  Samanids. 
The  rightful  heir  in  the  direct  line  was  a  boy  only 
eight  years  old,  and  for  that  reason,  as  the  times  were 
troublous,  a  party  among  the  nobles  declared  in  favour 
of  his  uncle,  his  father's  brother.  The  matter  was 
referred  for  settlement  to  the  Samanid  governor  of 
Khurasan — a  man  of  Turkman  descent  named  Alptigm 
— but  before  his  decision  arrived  the  dispute  had  been 
settled  and  Mansur  had  succeeded  to  the  throne. 
Alptigin  had  given  his  decision  in  favour  of  the  uncle, 
and  being  fearful  of  Mansur's  vengeance  he  with- 
drew from  Khurasan  and  carved  himself  out  a  small 
principality  at  Ghazni.  He  died  in  A.D.  969,  and  after 
two  short  reigns  the  troops  elected  Subuktigin  to  be 
their  chief.  He  was  a  Turkman,  had  been  brought  up 
1  GDF,.v.  175 


INTRODUCTION  21 

in  the  household  of  Alptigin,  had  subsequently  acted 
as  his  general,  and  was  a  man  of  great  ability  and 
courage.  He  speedily  enlarged  his  dominions  and 
began  those  raids  into  India  which  became  so  frequent 
in  the  days  of  his  more  famous  son.  In  the  meantime 
the  Samanid  ruler  Mansiir  had  died,  and  his  son,  the 
Amir  Nuh  II.,  was  driven  from  his  capital  at  Bukhara 
by  a  Turkman  invasion  instigated  by  two  of  his  own 
nobles,  who  subsequently,  however,  were  compelled  to 
flee  for  their  lives.  They  appealed  for  aid  to  the 
Dilamids — the  rivals  of  the  Samanids — and  obtained 
it.  On  this  the  Amir  Nuh  II.  himself  appealed  for 
help  to  Subuktigin,  who  marched  to  his  assistance. 
A  great  battle  was  fought  at  Harat,  and  Subuktigin 
gained  a  decisive  victory.  The  Amir  in  his  grati- 
tude bestowed  on  him  the  title  of  Nasiru'd-Din, 
or  Defender  of  the  Faith,  and  on  his  eldest  son 
Mahmud,  who  had  greatly  distinguished  himself,  that 
of  Saifu'd-Daula,  or  Sword  of  the  State,  as  well  as 
the  governorship  of  Khurasan.  This  happened  in  A.D. 
994.  Three  years  later  Subuktigin  died.  He  left  three 
sons,  Mahmud,  Isma'il,  and  Nasr,  and  appointed  Isma'il 
to  succeed  him.  Mahmud  seems  to  have  behaved  well, 
but  after  vain  attempts  at  conciliation  and  compromise 
he  was  compelled  to  assert  himself  against  his  brother, 
who  was  speedily  overthrown  and  ended  his  days  in 
internment  as  a  state-prisoner.  The  other  brother, 
Nasr,  supported  Mahmud.  Shortly  afterwards  the 
Samanid  dynasty  flickered  out  after  the  death  of  the 
Amir  Nuh  II.,  and  in  A.D.  999  Mahmud  formally 
assumed  the  sovereignty,  an  event  which  is  duly 
noted  on  his  coins  by  the  prefix  of  Amir  to  his  own 
titles,  and  the  omission  of  the  name  of  the  Samanid 
overlord  which  previously  had  been  retained  by  the 
rulers  of  Ghazni.1  Mahmud  was  then  twenty-eight 
years  old.  His  career  as  a  great  conqueror  and 

1  EHI,  ii.  479. 


22  INTRODUCTION 

religious  fanatic  is  well  known.  His  domination  ex- 
tended from  the  Punjab  to  the  Tigris,  and  from 
Bukhara  to  the  Indian  Ocean.  He  has,  however, 
another  claim  upon  our  memories.  His  name  was 
to  become  for  ever  associated  with  that  of  the  poet 
of  the  Shahnama  who  had  despaired  in  those  troublous 
times  of  obtaining  any  adequate  royal  patronage  for 
his  long  formed  design  of  moulding  into  song  the  epic 
history  of  his  land  and  people.  It  was  a  moment  of 
high  hopes  for  many,  for  the  young  and  ambitious 
prince,  for  the  ambitious  but  no  longer  youthful  poet, 
and  for  all  who  either  by  birth  or  adoption  had  the 
welfare  of  Iran  at  heart.  The  Arab  yoke  had  been 
shaken  off,  Persian  was  reviving  in  the  literature,  old 
Iranian  names  were  being  resumed,  and  there  seemed 
the  fairest  prospects  for  the  establishment  of  a  third 
Persian  empire  with  Mahmiid  for  its  first  Shah.  It 
is  true  that  religious  differences  remained.  Half  Iran 
was  Shfite  and  the  other  half  Sunnite,1  but  save  for 
that  it  seemed  a  stroke  of  fair  fortune  that  made  the 
great  king  and  the  great  poet  contemporaries. 

1  The   Turkman  element  was  strongly  Sunnite.      Persia    did  not 
become  thoroughly  Shi'ite  till  the  sixteenth  century.     NSEH,  101. 


CHAPTER  II 

POET     AND     POEM 

THE  most  trustworthy  materials  for  the  life  of  Firdausi 
are  to  be  found  in  his  own  personal  references,  there 
being  probably  no  poem  of  considerable  length  in 
which  the  writer  keeps  himself  so  much  in  evidence 
as  Firdausi  does  in  the  Shahnama.  Next  in  authority 
to  his  own  statements  we  must  place  the  account 
given  of  him  by  Nizami-i-'Arudi  of  Samarkand  in 
his  work  entitled  "  Chahar  Makdla,"  i.e.  "  Four  Dis- 
courses." ]  They  are  on  Secretaries,  Poets,  Astrologers, 
and  Physicians  respectively,  and  consist  chiefly  of 
anecdotes.  One  of  these,  in  the  "  Discourse  on  Poets," 
gives  the  valuable  account  of  Firdausi.  Unfortunately 
it  throws  doubt  on  the  authenticity  of  the  extant 
version  of  one  of  his  compositions — the  Satire  on  Sultan 
Mahmiid,  only  a  few  lines  of  which,  if  Nizami  is  to  be 
believed,  can  be  regarded  as  Firdausi's  own.  They 
suffice,  however,  to  indicate  one  good  reason  for  the 
poet's  difference  with  Mahmiid  and  the  general  line 
that  he  took  in  his  literary  revenge,  though  that  Sul- 
tan, it  is  pretty  evident,  never  even  heard  that  the 
poet  had  written  the  Satire  at  all !  In  addition  to  the 
above-mentioned  sources  of  information  there  are  two 
formal  biographies  of  the  poet.  One,  which  dates 
about  A.D.  1425,  was  compiled  by  order  of  Baisinghar 
Khan,  the  grandson  of  Timur  the  Lame,  and  is  prefixed 
to  the  former's  edition  of  the  text  of  the  Shahnama. 
It  is  apparently  based  on  an  older  metrical  life  of  which 

1  BCM. 

23 


24  INTRODUCTION 

it  preserves  some  extracts,  and  is  itself  the  basis  of 
most  of  the  biographical  notices  of  the  poet,  including 
that  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica.  The  other,  which 
dates  about  A.D.  1486,  is  in  Daulat  Shah's  "Lives  of 
the  Poets,  "  and  is  preferred  by  the  writer  of  the  article 
"  Ferdoucy "  in  the  Biographic  Universelle.  Both  are 
used  by  Mohl  in  the  preface  to  his  edition  of  the  text 
and  translation  of  the  Shahnurna,  and  both  are  full  of 
mythical  details. 

Let  us  first  confine  ourselves  to  the  statements  in 
the  poet's  undoubted  writings  and  to  legitimate  deduc- 
tions therefrom.  He  calls  himself  Abu  '1  Kasim,  and 
we  gather,  that  he  was  born  about  A.D.  941.  We 
arrive  at  this  in  the  following  way.  In  the  whole 
Shahnama  there  is  only  one  definite  date — that  on 
which  he  finished  the  poem.  This,  mixing  up  the 
Muhammadan  era  with  the  Zoroastrian  calendar,  he 
tells  us  he  did  on  the  day  of  Ard  in  the  month  of 
Sapandarmad  of  the  year  400  of  the  Hijra.  This  par- 
ticular year,  for  the  Muhammadan  years  are  lunar  and 
vary  accordingly,  began  on  August  25th,  A.D.  1009,  and 
ended  on  the  I4th  day  of  that  month  in  the  year 
following.  Therefore  Firdausi  finished  the  Shahnama 
on  February  25th,  A.D.  1010.  He  gives  his  one  date 
in  the  concluding  lines  of  the  poem,  where  he  also 
says : — 

When  erne  and  seventy  years  had  passed  me  by 
The  heavens  bowed  down  before  my  poetry.1 

This  we  may  fairly  interpret  as  meaning  that  he 
finished  his  work  when  he  was  seventy-one  years  old, 
i.e.  about  sixty-nine,  as  we  reckon,  since  thirty-four 
Muhammadan  years  go  to  about  thirty-three  of  ours. 

The  poet  was  a  Muhammadan  of  the  Shi'ite  sect. 
This  is  clear  from  his  reference  to  'All  in  his  Pre- 
lude.2 

1  C,  2095.  *  In  this  volume  §  7. 


INTRODUCTION  25 

Moreover,  he  was   not    a    strict    Muhammad  an    in 
the  matter  of  wine-drinking : — 

The  time  to  quaff  delicious  wine  is  now, 
For  musky  scents  breathe  from  the  mountain-brow, 
The  air  resoundeth  and  earth  travaileth, 
And  blest  is  he  whose  heart  drink  gladdeneth, 
He  that  hath  wine  and  money,  bread  and  sweets, 
And  can  behead  a  sheep  to  make  him  meats. 
These  have  not  I.     Who  hath  them  well  is  he. 
Oh  !  pity  one  that  is  in  poverty  !  * 

And  again : — 

Bring  tulip-tinted  wine,  0  Hashimi  ! 

From  jars  that  never  need  replenishing. 
Why  seek  I  who  am  deaf  at  sixty-three 

The  world's  grace  and  observance  ? 2 

He  soon  after  has  a  fit  of  repentance : — 

Old  man  whose  years  amount  to  sixty-three  ! 

Shall  wine  be  still  the  burden  of  thy  lay  ? 
Without  a  warning  life  may  end  with  thee  ; 

Think  of  repentance  then,  seek  wisdom's  way. 
May  God  approve  this  slave.     May  he  attain 
In  wisdom  riches  and  in  singing  gain.  3 

He   owned  or  occupied  land ;  at  least   the  following 
passages  suggest  that  conclusion : — 

A  cloud  hath  risen  and  the  moon's  obscured, 

From  that  dark  cloud  a  shower  of  milk  is  poured, 

No  river  plain  or  upland  can  I  spy, 

The  raven's  plumes  are  lost  against  the  sky, 

In  one  unceasing  stream  egg-apples  fall  : 

What  is  high  heaven's  purpose  in  it  all  ? 

No  fire-wood  salted  meat  or  barley-grain 

Are  left  me,  naught  till  harvest  come  again  ! 

Amid  this  gloom,  this  day  of  tax  and  fear, 

When  earth  with  snow  is  like  an  ivory  sphere, 

All  mine  affairs  in  overthrow  will  end 

Unless  my  hand  is  grasped  by  some  good  friend.  * 

1  V,  1630.  2  C,  1457.  3  Id.  1460. 

4  Id.,  1487.    Reading  last  line  with  P. 


26  INTRODUCTION 

And  again : — 

The  hail  this  year  like  death  on  me  hath  come 
Though  death  itself  were  better  than  the  hail, 

And  heaven's  lofty  far  extending  dome 

Hath  caused  my  fuel  sheep  and  wheat  to  fail. ! 

In  some  verses,  complaining  of  the  advance  of  old  age, 
he  alludes  to  a  calamity  that  befell  him  when  he  was 
fifty-eight,  or  it  may  be  that  an  escape  from  drowning, 
which  he  seems  to  have  had  about  that  time,  had  a 
sobering  effect  upon  him.  This  accident  will  be  re- 
ferred to  in  another  connection  later  on.  He  says : — 

Since  I  took  up  the  cup  of  fifty-eight 

The  bier  and  grave,  naught  else,  I  contemplate. 

Ah  !  for  my  sword-like  speech  when  I  was  thirty, 
Those  luscious  days,  musk-scented,  roseate  ! 2 

At  the  age  of  sixty-five  he  lost  his  son : — 

At  sixty-five  'tis  ill  to  catch  at  pelf. 
Oh  !  let  me  read  that  lesson  to  myself 
And  muse  upon  the  passing  of  my  son. 
My  turn  it  was  to  go  yet  he  hath  gone. 

Seven  years  and  thirty  o'er  the  youth  had  sped 
When  he  distasted  of  the  world  and  fled. 

He  hurried  off  alone.     I  stayed  to  see 
The  outcome  of  my  labours. 3 

In  the  year  following  his  son's  death  he  speaks  of 
himself  as  being  much  broken : — 

While  three  score  years  and  five  were  passing  by, 
Like  Spring-winds  o'er  the  desert,  poverty 
And  toil  were  mine  ;  next  year  like  one  bemused 
I  leaned  upon  a  staff,  my  hands  refused 

1  C,  2089.  2  V,  680. 

3  C,  1951- 


INTRODUCTION  27 

The  rein,  my  cheeks  grew  moon-like  pale,  my  beard 
Lost  its  black  hue  and  camphor-like  appeared, 
Mine  upright  stature  bent  as  age  came  on 
And  all  the  lustre  of  mine  eyes  was  gone.1 

He  never  speaks  of  himself  as  having  any  profession 
or  official  position,  but  if  we  may  hazard  a  conjecture  it  is 
that  he  or  his  son  or  both  were  educated  for  the  office  of 
scribe.  He  puts  the  following  glorification  of  that  pro- 
fession into  the  mouth  of  Buzurjmihr,  the  famous  chief 
minister  of  the  still  more  famous  Shah  Nushirwan  : 2- 

Teach  to  thy  son  the  business  of  the  scribe 

That  he  may  be  as  life  to  thee  and  thine, 

And,  as  thou  wouldest  have  thy  toils  bear  fruit, 

Grudge  not  instructors  to  him,  for  this  art 

Will  bring  a  youth  before  the  throne  and  make 

The  undeserving  fortune's  favourite. 

Of  all  professions  'tis  the  most  esteemed, 

Exalting  even  those  of  lowly  birth. 

A  ready  scribe  who  is  a  man  of  rede 

Is  bound  to  sit  e'en  in  the  royal  presence 

And,  if  he  be  a  man  of  diligence, 

Will  have  uncounted  treasure  from  the  Shah, 

While  if  endowed  with  fluency  and  style 

He  will  be  studious  to  improve  himself, 

Use  his  endeavours  to  be  more  concise 

And  put  his  matter  more  attractively. 

The  scribe  hath  need  to  be  a  man  of  wisdom, 

Of  much  endurance  and  good  memory, 

A  man  of  tact,  accustomed  to  Court-ways, 

A  holy  man  whose  tongue  is  mute  for  evil, 

A  man  of  knowledge,  patience,  truthfulness, 

A  man  right  trusty  pious  and  well-favoured. 

If  thus  endowed  he  cometh  to  the  Shah 

He  cannot  choose  but  sit  before  the  throne.3 

However  this  may  be,  from  the  time  when  he  be- 
came his  own  master  he  appears  to  have  devoted  him- 

1  V,  1274. 

2  The  poet  also  represents  this  Sh^h  as  being  highly  indignant  when 
a  wealthy  cordwainer,  in  return  for  valuable  services,  ventures  to  ask 
as  a  favour  that  his  son  may  be  made  a  scribe.     C,  1778. 

3  C,  1676. 


28  INTRODUCTION 

self  to  poetry.     Referring  to   the   completion  of  the 
Shahnama  he  says : — 

My  life  from  youth  to  eld  hath  run  its  course' 
In  hearing  other  and  mine  own  discourse.1 

We  have  already  had  an  allusion  to  his  "  sword-like 
speech  "  when  he  was  thirty,  and  we  know  that  between 
the  ages  of  thirty-five  and  sixty-nine  he  was  occupied 
on  the  Shahmima.  He  tells  us  in  a  passage  that  will 
be  quoted  later  on  that  he  spent  thirty-five  years  on 
that  poem,  i.e.  about  thirty-four  years  as  we  reckon. 
The  prose  materials  for  this,  he  informs  us,  already 
had  been  embodied  in  book-form,2  and  the  idea  of 
turning  them  into  verse  had  suggested  itself  to  the 
poet  Dakiki,  a  young  man  of  brilliant  parts  but  of 
vicious  habits,  who  was  murdered  by  the  hand  of  one 
of  his  own  slaves.3  Dakiki  had  only  just  begun  his 
great  task  when  he  was  cut  off,  but  Firdausi  admits 
his  priority:— 

Although  he  only  rhymed  the  veriest  mite — 
One  thousand  couplets  full  of  feast  and  fight — 
He  was  my  pioneer  and  he  alone 
In  that  he  set  the  Shahs  upon  the  throne. 
From  nobles  honour  and  emolument 
Had  he  ;  his  trouble  was  his  own  ill  bent. 
To  sing  the  praises  of  the  kings  was  his 
And  crown  the  princes  with  his  eulogies.* 

Dakiki  seems  to  have  died  about  A.D.  976,  for 
Firdausi  took  up  the  work  and  it  employed  him  for 
the  next  thirty-four  years  as  we  reckon.  At  first  he 
found  himself  hampered  through  lack  of  the  necessary 
materials.  What  those  were  will  be  explained  later 
on  in  the  present  chapter.  He  made  countless  in- 
quiries and  began  to  despair,  fearing  that  like  Dakiki 
he  should  not  live  to  complete  his  undertaking.  He 

1  C,  2096.         a  See  Prelude,  §  8.         3  Id.  §  9. 
4  V,  1555- 


INTRODUCTION  29 

also  suffered  from  lack  .of  patronage  and  encouragement. 
The  times  were  troublous  and  men's  minds  were  other- 
wise occupied.  At  length  both  the  needful  materials 
and  the  patron  were  vouchsafed  him.  The  former 
were  obtained  for  him  by  a  friend  and  fellow-towns- 
man.1 The  latter  he  found  somewhat  later  in  the 
person  of  Abu  Mansiir  bin  Muhammad,  probably  a 
local  magnate,  who  warmly  encouraged  him  and 
treated  him  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  generosity. 
This,  we  may  venture  to  assume,  was  one  of  the 
happiest  epochs  in  the  poet's  life.  He  was  in  the 
first  flush  of  a  great  and  enduring  enthusiasm ;  the 
means  of  gratifying  it  were  in  his  possession ;  he  held 
the  field,  and  his  material  future  seemed  assured :  his 
noble,  rich,  and  generous  patron  would  see  to  that. 
Alas !  that  patron  died — murdered  like  Dakiki,  but  by 
whom  and  in  what  circumstances  we  know  not.  The 
poet  was  overwhelmed  for  a  time,  but  he  persevered 
and  kept  in  mind  his  patron's  counsel  that  the  Book  of 
Kings  (Shahnama)  when  completed  should  be  dedi- 
cated to  kings.2  In  course  of  time  the  poet  found 
other  patrons,  notably  one  Ahmad  ibn  Muhammad 
of  Chalandshdn,  to  whom  in  A.D.  999  he  dedicated  a 
complete  Shahnama.  Firdausi  was  staying  with 
Ahmad  when  he  had  the  escape  from  drowning  already 
referred  to,  and  he  seems  to  have  been  rescued 
either  by  Ahmad  himself  or  by  Ahmad's  son.  This 
passage  is  not  in  our  printed  texts.3  The  poet,  how- 
ever, had  never  forgotten  the  advice  of  his  former 
patron,  the  beloved  Abu  Mansur,  and  in  this  same  year 
his  opportunity  came.  The  last  king  of  the  Samanid 
dynasty  died  and  Mahmiid  became  supreme  in  Eastern 
Iran.  Henceforth  it  was  to  Mahmiid  that  the  poet 
looked  for  patronage,  and  he  appears  to  have  left 

1  Prelude,  §  10.  2  Id.  §  1 1. 

3  NIN,  23,  24. 


3o  INTRODUCTION 

no  stone  unturned  to  gain  it.  If  adulation  could 
have  achieved  his  end  he  ought  to  have  succeeded. 
The  reader  will  find  a  specimen  in  the  present 
volume.1  Elsewhere  in  another  elaborate  panegyric 
he  says : — 

God  bless  the  Shah,  the  pride  of  crown  and  throne 
And  signet-ring,  bless  him  whose  treasuries  groan 
With  his  munificence  what  while  the  fame 
Of  majesty  is  heightened  by  his  name. 

O'er  all  the  world  one  carpet  hath  been  placed — 
His  token  nevermore  to  be  effaced — 
And  on  it  are  a  cushion  and  a  seat 
For  Fazl,  son  of  Ahmad,  a  man  replete 
With  justice,  prudence,  rede,  and  godly  fear ; 
No  Shah  before  had  such  a  minister. 
In  his  hands  is  the  peace  of  all  the  state 
For  he  is  good  and  chief  of  all  the  great, 
Frank-spoken,  with  clean  hands  and  single  heart ; 
To  serve  God  and  his  sovereign  is  his  part. 
With  this  wise  upright  minister  for  friend 
My  far-extending  labour  reached  its  end. 
I  framed  this  story  of  the  days  of  yore, 
Selected  from  the  book  of  men  of  lore, 
That  it  in  mine  old  age  might  yield  me  fruit, 
Give  me  a  crown  dinars  and  high  repute, 
But  saw  no  bounteous  worldlord  ;  there  was  none 
Who  added  to  the  lustre  of  the  throne. 
I  waited  for  a  patron  patiently — 
One  whose  munificence  required  no  key. 


When  I  was  fifty-eight,  and  when  in  truth 

I  still  felt  young  though  I  had  lost  my  youth, 

A  proclamation  reached  mine  ears  at  last 

Whereat  care  aged  and  all  my  troubles  pass'd. 

It  ran  : — •"  Ye  men  of  name  who  long  to  find 

Some  trace  of  Faridiin  still  left  behind  ! 

See  bright-souled  Faridiin  alive  again 

With  earth  and  time  for  bondslaves.     He  hath  ta'en 

1  Prelude,  §  12. 


INTRODUCTION  31 

The  world  by  justice  and  by  largessings, 
And  is  exalted  o'er  all  other  kings. 
Bright  are  the  records  of  his  earlier  day, 
And  may  he  nourish,  root  and  fruit,  for  aye." 
Now  since  that  proclamation  reached  mine  ear 
I  wish  not  any  other  sound  to  hear ; 
In  his  name  have  I  fashioned  this  my  lay, 
And  may  his  end  be  universal  sway.1 

The  reader  will  note  that  both  in  §  12  of  the 
Prelude  and  in  the  passage  just  quoted  Firdausi 
couples  Mahrmid  and  his  minister  in  eulogy.  As  the 
Prelude  is  retrospective,  we  may  venture  to  assume 
who  that  minister  was,  because  as  it  was  written  last  the 
reference  if  inopportune  would  not  have  been  inserted. 
There  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  in  both  passages  the 
same  minister  is  referred  to — Fazl,  son  of  Ahmad. 

The  passage  from  which  the  above  extracts  are 
taken  is  a  very  important  one.  It  seems  to  have 
been  penned  a  few  years  before  the  completion  of  the 
Shahnama,  for  the  poet  was  over  sixty-five  at  the  time. 
The  extracts  suggest  that  he  had  lately  received  some 
definite  encouragement,  some  promise  of  patronage  or 
reward  from  Mahmiid  or  his  minister  or  both,  where- 
upon he  wrote  this  panegyric  and  prefixed  it  to  the 
section  that  he  had  been  engaged  on  or  had  taken  in 
hand  when  the  announcement  of  Mahmiid's  accession 
first  reached  him.  If  Mahimid,  who  was  of  Turkman 
descent,  had  strong  racial  proclivities,  the  section  in 
point  hardly  seems  to  be  well  chosen,  for  it  tells  of  the 
final  overthrow  of  Afrasiyab,  the  great  protagonist  of 
the  Turkman  race,  at  the  hands  of  the  Iranian  Shdh 
Kai  Khusrau.  Perhaps  Mahmud  had  become  more 
Iranian  than  the  Iranians.  Such  cases  are  not  un- 
known in  history.  At  all  events  we  know  that  his 
minister  Fazl,  son  of  Ahmad,  or  to  give  him  his  full 
title  Abu'l  'Abbas  Fazl  bin  Ahmad,  had  franian 

1  V,  1272-1274. 


32  INTRODUCTION 

leanings,  for  he  changed  the  official  language  for  state 
documents  from  Arabic  to  Persian.  After  -his  fall  his 
successor,  Ahmad  Hasan  Maimandi,  returned  to  the  old 
arrangement.1  At  the  time  when  the  poet  wrote  the 
above  passage  Abii'l  'Abbas  Fazl  must  have  been  at 
the  height  of  his  power,  say  about  A.D.  1 006.  We  are 
told  on  the  authority  of  Al  'Utbi  that  he  was  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  of  book-students,  and  Al  'Utbi, 
who  was  Mahmiid's  secretary,  ought  to  have  known.2 
It  is  very  hard  to  resist  the  inference  that  Abii'l 
'Abbas  Fazl  had  given  the  poet  encouragement,  and 
that  the  latter  looked  to  him  to  secure  a  fitting  re- 
ception by  Mahmud  of  the  poem  when  finished.  The 
poet's  idea  seems  to  have  been  that  the  Shahnama 
was  to  be  regarded  as  Mahmud's  memorial,  while  the 
profits  of  his  great  work  were  to  be  devoted  to  some 
special  object  which  was  to  be  regarded  as  his  own 
memorial : — 

Of  all  the  tilings  that  earn  our  monarch's  praise, 
The  things  of  chiefest  profit  in  his  days, 
This  will  best  serve  to  keep  his  memory  rife 
And  live  as  part  and  parcel  of  his  life, 
And  I  am  hoping  to  live  too  till  I 
Receive  his  gold  that  when  I  come  to  die 
I  too  may  leave  my  monument  with  things 
Drawn  from  the  treasury  of  the  king  of  kings.3 

If  the  poet  put  his  faith  in  Abii'l  'Abbas  Fazl  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  In  the  meantime  we  have 
a  lamentation  over  hopes  deferred,  royal  neglect  which 
may  have  been  intentional  or  merely  unwitting,  and 
active  opposition : — 

|    Six  times  ten  thousand  couplets  there  will  be 
i!   Well  ordered — banishers  of  misery. 
For  thrice  a  thousand  couplets  one  may  look 
In  vain  as  yet  in  any  Persian  book, 
And  if  thou  cancellest  each  faulty  strain 
In  sooth  five  hundred  scarcely  will  remain. 

1  NIN,  25,  note.  2  KUR,  396.  3  V,  1730. 


INTRODUCTION  33 

That  one — a  bounteous  king  and  of  such  worth 

And  lustre  mid  the  monarch  s  of  the  earth — 

Should  disregard  these  histories  is  due 

To  slanderers  and  mine  ill  fortune  too. 

They  have  maligned  my  work,  my  marketing 

Is  spoiled  through  lack  of  favour  with  the  king, 

But  when  the  royal  warrior  shall  read 

My  pleasant  histories  with  all  good  heed 

I  shall  be  gladdened  by  his  treasures  here, 

And  may  no  foeman's  ill  approach  him  near. 

My  book  may  then  recall  me  to  his  mind 

And  I  the  fruitage  of  my  labours  find. 

Be  his  the  crown  and  throne  while  time  shall  run, 

And  may  his  destiny  outshine  the  sun.  1 

At  another  time  he  is  plunged  in  despair  : — 

The  dear  delights  of  earth,  the  sovereign  sway, 
What  boot  they  1    Soon  thy  rule  will  pass  away. 
Blest  is  the  pious  mendicant  and  wise, 
Whose  ears  oft  feel  the  world's  rough  pleasantries, 
For  when  he  passeth  he  will  leave  behind 
A  good  name  and  a  good  conclusion  find. 
His  portion  is  in  Heaven  and  in  God's  sight 
He  will  have  honour.     Such  is  not  iny  plight 
Who  am  in  wretched  case,  calamitous, 
With  all  that  I  possess  sent  Hellward  thus 
Beyond  recall !     No  hope  in  Heaven  I  see, 
My  hand  is  void,  both  worlds  have  ruined  me  ! 2 

In  moments  of  disappointment,  too,  and  at  periods 
probably  years  apart,  the  poet  gives  vent  to  his  feelings 
not  only  in  respect  to  his  own  times  but  even  to 
Mahmiid  himself.  The  expression  of  them  is  put  into 
the  mouths  of  some  of  his  characters,  but  the  prophe- 
cies are  of  the  sound  type  made  after  the  event  and 
evidently  the  poet's  own  handiwork : — 

A  time  is  coming  when  the  world  will  have 
A  king  that  is  devoid  of  understanding, 
A  king  whose  gloomy  spirit  will  work  woe  ; 
The  world  will  darken  'neath  his  tyranny 

1  C,  1998.  2  Id.  1587. 


34  INTRODUCTION 

And  good  will  ne'er  be  found  among  his  treasures. 
He  will  be  ever  gathering  fresh  hosts 
To  win  his  crown  new  fame  but  in  the  end 
This  monarch  and  his  hosts  will  pass  away, 
And  there  will  be  a  change  of  dynasty.1 

And  again : — 

The  warrior  will  despise  the  husbandman, 
High  birth  and  dignity  will  bear  no  fruit ; 
Then  men  will  rob  each  other,  none  will  know 
A  blessing  from  a  curse,  and  secret  dealing 
Prevail  o'er  open,  while  the  hearts  of  men 
Will  turn  to  flint,  sire  will  be  foe  to  son 
And  son  will  scheme  'gainst  sire  ;  a  worthless  slave 
Will  be  the  Shall,  high  birth  and  majesty 
Will  count  for  nothing  ;  no  one  will  be  loyal. 
There  will  be  tyranny  of  soul  and  tongue  ; 
A  mongrel  race — Iranian,  Turkman,  Arab — 
Will  come  to  be  and  talk  in  gibberish.2 

These  passages,  in  Professor  Noldeke's  opinion,3 
clearly  refer  to  Mahmud  and  to  the  circumstances  of 
the  poet's  own  time.  The  latter  occurs  nearly  at  the 
end  of  the  poem,  and  is  put  into  the  mouth  of  the 
commander  of  the  Persian  host  just  before  the  fatal 
battle  of  Kadisiyya,  A.D.  637. 

At  length  the  great  work  is  finished,  but  the  poet's 
mood  is  still  one  of  despondence : — 

When  five  and  sixty  years  had  passed  me  by 
I  viewed  my  work  with  more  anxiety, 
But  as  my  yearning  to  achieve  it  grew 
My  fortune's  star  receded  from  my  view. 
Great  men  and  learned  Persians  had  for  me 
My  work  all  copied  out  gratuitously 
While  I  sat  looking  on,  and  thou  hadst  said 
That  I  was  toiling  for  my  daily  bread. 
Naught  but  their  praises  had  I  for  my  part 
And,  while  they  praised,  I  had  a  broken  heart. 
The  mouths  of  their  old  money-bags  were  tied, 

1  C,  1294.  2  Id.  2064.  3  NIN,  26. 


INTRODUCTION  35 

Whereat  mine  ardent  heart  was  mortified. 

'AH  Dilam  and  'bu  Dulaf  these  two 

Helped  me  to  bear  mine  undertaking  thro'  ; 

Theae  ardent  souls,  my  fellow  townsmen,  they 

Were  kind  and  sped  my  work  in  every  way. 

Ha'iy  son  of  Kutib,  a  Persian  he, 

Would  not  take  from  me  and  withhold  my  fee, 

But  furnished  gold  and  silver,  clothes  and  meat ; 

From  him  I  got  incitement,  wings  and  feet. 

Taxation,  root  and  branch,  I  know  not,  I 

Loll  on  my  quilt  at  ease.     When  seventy 

And  one  years  of  my  life  had  passed  me  by 

The  heavens  bowed  down  before  my  poetry. 

For  five  and  thirty  years  I  bore  much  pain 

Here  in  this  Wayside  Inn  in  hope  of  gain, 

But  all  the  five  and  thirty  years  thus  past 

Naught  helped  ;  men  gave  my  travail  to  the  blast, 

And  my  hopes  too  have  gone  for  evermore 

Now  that  mine  age  hath  almost  reached  fourscore. 

For  ever  lusty  be  Mahmud  the  king, 

His  heart  still  glad,  his  head  still  flourishing. 

Him  both  in  public  and  in  private  I 

Have  praised  so  that  my  words  will  never  die. 

Of  praises  from  the  great  I  had  my  store, 

The  praises  that  I  give  to  him  are  more. 

For  ever  may  he  live,  this  prudent  king, 

And  see  his  undertakings  prospering. 

I  have  bequeathed  as  his  memorial 

This  book,  six  times  ten  thousand  lines  in  all.  * 

There  are  other  references  by  the  poet  to  his  work 
and  his  hopes  concerning  it,  but  it  is  believed  that  the 
most  important  passages  have  now  been  set  forth.  If 
then  we  had  no  other  sources  of  information  than 
these,  what  should  we  gather  from  them  ?  That  the 
poet  in  the  prime  of  life  succeeded  to  the  work  and 
materials  of  Dakiki,  and  laboured  at  his  task  for  many 
years  under  various  patrons  but  not  receiving  such 
recognition  as  in  his  own  opinion  his  deserts  merited ; 

1  C,  2095.     The  readings  of  the  names   of  the   poet's  friends  are 
taken  from  Nizdmi's  quotation  of  this  passage.    BCM,  79. 


36  INTRODUCTION 

that  he  thought  he  saw  his  opportunity  in  the  accession 
of  Mahmud  and  did  his  best  to  avail  himself  of  it ; 
that  he  received  some  encouragement  if  not  from  the 
Sultan  himself  at  least  from  Abii'l  'Abbas  Fazl,  the 
chief  minister,  and  achieved  his  task  early  in  A.D. 
i  o  i  o ;  that  for  some  years  before  that  date  there  had 
been  opposition  to  him  at  Court,  his  work  vilified 
and  his  character  misrepresented ;  that  these  intrigues 
ultimately  prevailed,  and  that  he  never  received  the 
reward  for  his  labours  that  a  perhaps  somewhat  too 
fervid  temperament  had  led  him  to  hope  for  or  expect ; 
that  for  years  after  the  completion  of  the  poem  he 
still  hoped  on,  was  nearly  eighty  when  he  finally 
despaired,  but  to  the  last  continued  to  praise  Mahmud. 
Now  if  we  seek  to  look  further  into  the  causes  of 
Firdausi's  disappointment  we  have  at  hand  a  plausible 
and  even  probable  explanation,  but  one  for  which  we 
have,  at  present  at  all  events,  no  direct  evidence.  Just 
about  the  time  when  the  Shahnama  was  completed 
Mahmud's  chief  minister,  Abii'l  'Abbas  Fazl,  fell  into 
disgrace.  He  had  once  been  in  the  service  of  the 
Samanids,  but  when  Mahmud  became  governor  of 
Khurasan  in  A.D.  994,  his  father,  Subuktagin,  applied 
to  the  Samdnid  prince,  Nuh  bin  Mansur,  for  the 
services  of  Abii'l  'Abbas  on  behalf  of  his  son.  Ac- 
cordingly he  became  the  steward  of  Mahmud's  house- 
hold at  Nishapur,  and,  after  Mahmud's  accession, 
chief  minister.  He  is  said  to  have  made  use  of  his 
position  to  enrich  himself,  and  his  administration  is 
stated  to  have  been  so  oppressive  that  Khurasan  was 
devastated  and  depopulated,  but  this  of  course  need 
not  be  taken  too  literally.  The  Sultan,  however, 
became  concerned  with  regard  to  the  diminution  of 
the  levies  and  the  falling  off  in  the  revenue,  and 
remonstrated  with  Abii'l  'Abbas,  who  threatened  to 
resign.  In  A.D.  i  o  1 1 ,  after  long  negotiations,  the 
Sultan,  enraged  at  his  conduct,  imposed  a  fine  of 


INTRODUCTION  37 

100,000  dinars  upon  him,  and,  as  he  still  deferred 
payment,  had  him  imprisoned  and  put  to  the  torture. 
His  enemies  availed  themselves  of  his  disgrace,  and 
of  the  Sultan's  displeasure  and  absence  on  one  of  his 
numerous  campaigns,  to  have  the  fallen  minister  done 
to  death  in  A.D.  IOI3.1 

The  suggestion  then  is  that  the  poet  lost  his  chance 
owing  to  the  troubles  in  which  the  minister  became 
involved  just  about  the  time  when  the  Shahnama 
would  be  ready  for  presentation  to  Mahiniid ;  and 
when  we  picture  to  ourselves  the  remorseless  intrigues 
of  an  Oriental  court — intrigues  sticking  at  no  atrocity 
and  shrinking  from  no  meanness — we  can  well  imagine 
that  if  the  unfortunate  minister  really  had  taken  an 
interest  in  the  poet's  work,  there  would  not  be  wanting 
those  who  would  only  be  too  willing  out  of  mere  spite 
to  strike  at  the  patron  through  the  poet. 

However  this  may  be,  the  latter,  indignant  at  the 
treatment  he  had  undergone,  or  smarting  under  the 
sense  of  unmerited  neglect,  set  about  writing  a  Satire 
on  Sultan  Mahmiid,  of  which,  according  to  Nizami-i- 
Arudi,  only  the  following  five  couplets  survived  in  his 
days.  They  run  as  follows  : — 

"  Yon  prater  hath  grown  old,"  they  flung  at  me, 
"  In  love  toward  the  Prophet  and  'AH." 
That  love,  if  I  shall  speak  of  it,  implies 
Five  score  Mahmuds  for  me  to  patronise. 
The  slave-girl's  brat  is  but  a  worthless  thing 
Although  its  father  came  to  be  a  king. 
Had  e'er  the  Shah  a  turn  for  goodness  shown 
He  would  have  seated  me  upon  the  throne. 
Because  his  kindred  is  of  mean  estate 
He  cannot  bear  to  hear  about  the  great. 

In  the  extant  version  of  the  Satire  that  we  follow,2 
which  consists  of  102  couplets,  the  above  couplets 

1  KUR,  396.    Cf.  too  EHI,  ii.  486 ;  iv.  148. 
2  C,  63. 


38  INTRODUCTION 

appear  not  in  this  order  but  separately  as  the  1 1  th, 
27th,  83rd,  y2nd,  and  76th  respectively,  with  some 
differences  of  reading.  Here  they  read  rather  discon- 
nectedly, but  have  an  appropriate  context  in  the 
extant  version  of  the  Satire.  We  learn  from  them 
that  one  of  the  charges  brought  against  the  poet  was 
that  he  was  a  heretic  of  the  sect  of  the  Shi'ites,  and 
this  may  have  weighed  with  the  orthodox  Mahmud. 
The  poet  for  his  part  develops  the  old  taunt  of  the 
slave  who  became  a  Shah.  If  now  we  turn  to  the 
extant  version  of  the  Satire,  and  accept  it  as  genuine 
in  spite  of  what  Nizami  says,  we  get  additional  and 
interesting  information.  The  poet  speaks  of  himself 
as  Firdausi  of  Tus.  Tus  was  formerly  a  city  of  much 
importance  in  Khurasan,  and  its  ruins  are  still  to  be 
seen  some  seventeen  miles  N.N.W.  of  Mashad.  He 
tells  us  that  he  spent  thirty  years  over  the  Shalinama, 
that  it  was  presented  to  Mahmud,  who  had  promised 
a  worthy  but  gave  him  a  very  inadequate  reward — 
little  more  than  one-seventh  of  what  he  expected— 
and  that  he  publicly  gave  away  the  whole  of  it  to  a 
street  sherbet-seller  in  payment  for  a  drink.  He  also 
informs  us  that  Mahmud  threatened  to  have  him 
trampled  to  death  by  elephants,  and  he  ends  by 
cursing  the  Sultan. 

We  now  pass  on  to  what  Nizami  has  to  tell  us 
more  than  a  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  the 
poet. 

Abu'l  Kasim  Firdausi  was  one  of  the  landed  pro- 
prietors of  Tus.  He  was  a  native  of  a  village  called 
Bazh,  which  formed  part  of  one  of  the  quarters,  dis- 
tricts, or  suburbs  of  the  city.  He  was  a  man  of 
importance  and  of  independent  means,  which  were 
derived  from  the  income  of  his  land.  He  had  one 
daughter,  and  the  sole  object  of  his  labours  on  the 
Shahnama  was  to  obtain  the  funds  necessary  to  pro- 
vide her  with  a  dowry.  When  he  had  completed  the 


INTRODUCTION  39 

work  it  was  transcribed  by  'Ali  Dilam  and  recited  by 
Abu  Dulaf.  He  was  much  in  favour  with  Ha'iy,  son 
of  Kutiba,  the  governor  of  the  city,  who  treated  him 
with  all  consideration  in  the  matter  of  taxation. 

'Ali  Dilam  transcribed  the  Shahnama  in  seven 
volumes,  and  Firdausi  set  off  for  Ghazni  with  Abu 
Dulaf.  Ahmad  Hasan  Maimandi,  Mahmiid's  chief 
minister,  befriended  him,  and  the  poem  was  duly 
presented  to  the  Sultan,  who  accepted  it.  The 
minister,  however,  had  enemies,  who  pointed  out  that 
Firdausi  was  a  heretic,  as  some  of  the  verses  in  his 
Prelude  to  the  Shahnama  showed,1  and  the  result  was 
that  the  poet  got  much  less  than  he  expected.  He 
went  to  the  bath  in  deep  chagrin,  and  on  coming  out 
divided  the  sum  that  he  had  received  between  the 
bath-man  and  a  sherbet-seller  of  whom  he  had  bought 
a  drink.  Then  fearing  the  wrath  of  Mahmud  he  fled  to 
Harat,  where  he  lay  hidden  for  six  months.  Mahmud 
sent  messengers  after  him  to  Tus,  but  not  finding  him 
they  turned  back,  on  which  the  poet  ventured  to  go 
there  himself,  taking  the  Shdhnama  with  him.2  Thence 
he  journeyed  on  to  Tabaristan,  whose  ruler  treated 
him  kindly.  There  Firdausi  wrote  his  Satire  on 
Mahmud,  read  it  to  the  chief,  and  offered  to  dedicate 
the  Shahnama  to  him  instead  of  to  the  Sultan.  The 
chief  of  Tabaristan,  however,  was  himself  one  of 
Mahmud's  vassals,  and  he  persuaded  the  poet  to  let 
the  dedication  stand,  and  bought  the  Satire  of  him 
for  one  hundred  thousand  drachms — a  thousand  for 
each  couplet.  He  then  destroyed  it,  and  Firdausi 
himself  destroyed  his  own  rough  copy,  only  five  verses 
remaining  extant — the  five  already  given.  We  here 
append  our  version  of  the  Satire.  Assuming  that  it 

1  §§  i  and  7. 

2  If  Mahmtid  was  really  seriously  offended  with  Firdausi  it  seems 
strange  that  the  latter's  estate  at  Tus  was  not  confiscated  on  this 
occasion. 


40  INTRODUCTION 

is  in  essentials  the  poet's  handiwork  the  reader  pro- 
bably will  agree  with  the  prudent  chief  of  Tabaristan 
in  his  opinion  that  the  sooner  it  was  suppressed 
the  better. 


SATIRE  ON  SULTAN  MAHMUD. 

Ho  !  Shah  Mahmud  who  hast  as  victor  trod 

The  climes!  if  man  thou  fearest  not  fear  God, 

For  there  were  many  Shahs  ere  thou  hadst  birth 

Who  all  were  crowned  monarchs  of  the  earth 

And  all  of  them  pre-eminent  o'er  thee 

In  treasure,  host,  throne,  crown,  and  dignity. 

They  did  no  act  that  was  not  good  and  right, 

Went  not  about  to  swindle  and  to  spite, 

Dealt  with  their  subjects  justly  and  were  naught 

If  not  God's  worshippers.     They  only  sought 

From  time  an  honoured  name  and  thus  to  gain 

An  honoured  end  ;  but  all  good  folk  disdain    - 

Shahs  that  are  bound  in  filthy  lucre's  chain. 

What  though  the  kingship  of  the  world  is  thine, 

Dost  ask  what  boot  these  whirling  words  of  mine  ? 

Thou  hast  not  seen  my  heart  in  its  fierce  mood, 

Thou  reck'st  not  of  my  sword  a-drip  with  blood 

But  term'st  me  faithless,  heretic  !     I  am 

A  lion,  and  thou  callest  me  a  ram  ! 

"  Yon  ribald  hath  grown  old,"  men  flung  at  me, 

"  In  love  toward  the  Prophet  and  'All." 

But  is  there,  tell  me  this,  one  viler  yet 

Than  he  whose  heart  against  'AH  is  set  ? 

These  two  I  serve  till  Resurrection-morn 

E'en  if  the  Shah  should  have  my  body  torn 

Asunder.     I  will  love  these  two  kings  though 

The  Shah's  sword  be  above,  my  head  below. 

I  serve  the  Prophet's  slaves,  the  dust  revere 

Upon  His  mandatary's J  foot.     No  fear 

Have  I  for  all  thy  threats  : — "  Thou  shalt  be  brayed 

By  elephants  and  have  thy  body  made 

A  river  Nile,"  for  mine  enlightened  mind 

Place  for  the  love  of  these  two  souls  shall  find 


'AH. 


INTRODUCTfON  41- 

Within  my  heart.     What  said  the  inspired  Lord 

Of  bidding  and  forbidding— Heaven's  own  word  ? 

"I  am  the  City  of  the  Doctrine,  he 

That  is  the  gateway  to  it  is  'All." 

I  witness  that  His  heart  is  in  that  word 

As  though,  as  thou  may'st  say,  His  voice  I  heard. 

If  thou  bast  mind  and  wit  and  rede  to  hand 

By  Prophet  and  'All  take  up  thy  stand. 

If  ill  result  to  thee  mine  is  the  breach  ; 

Thus  is  it,  and  I  practise  what  I  preach. 

Thus  have  I  done  from  birth,  thus  will  I  die  ;  c-  64 

The  dust  upon  the  Lion's l  foot  am  I. 

What  others  say  can  make  no  difference 

To  me  ;  I  never  speak  but  in  this  sense, 

And  if  the  Shah  adopt  another  strain 

His  wisdom  weigheth  not  one  barley-grain. 

When  God  shall  set  the  Prophet  and  'Ali 

On  royal  thrones  I,  if  my  poetry 

Came  from  my  love  to  them,  shall  in  the  skies 

Have  five-score  like  Mahmiid  to  patronise. 

While  earth  remaineth  it  will  have  its  lords, 

And  all  that  wear  the  crown  shall  hear  these  words  : — 

"Firdausi — I  of  Tiis— your  friend,  disclaim 

Mahmud  as  patron.     I  wrote  in  the  name 

Of  the  Prophet  and  'Ali ;  for  their  sake  I 

Have  pierced  so  many  gems  of  fantasy." 

So  long  as  there  was  no  Firdausi  here 
The  fortune  of  this  world  of  ours  was  sere, 
Yet  on  this  tale  of  mine  thou  wouldst  not  look 
Misled  by  one  who  vilified  my  book, 
But  may  all  those  that  vilified  my  strain 
Expect  revolving  heaven's  help  in  vain. 

These  stories  of  the  sovereigns  of  old 
Had  I  in  mine  own  charming  language  told, 
And  when  my  years  had  almost  reached  fourscore 
My  hopes  were  scattered  to  the  wind.     I  bore 
Here  in  this  Wayside  Inn  the  toil  so  long 
Because  I  hoped  for  treasure  through  my  song  * 
Of  sixty  thousand  noble  couplets  spent 
On  warlike  topics,  and  their  argument 
The  lasso,  scimitar,  artillery, 
The  battle-axe,  the  falchion  brandished  high, 

J  'Ali. 


42 


INTRODUCTION 


The  casque,  the  mail,  the  charger's  armature, 
The  wilderness,  the  ocean,  stream  and  shore, 
Wolf,  dragon,  elephant,  and  crocodile, 
Pard,  lion,  and  'Afrit,  the  cunning  wile 
Of  Ghiil,  the  sorcery  of  divs  whose  cries 
Reached  heaven,  the  heroes  famed  for  enterprise 
Upon  the  day  of  battle  (these  I  sing), 
The  heroes  combating  and  glorying, 
Men  too  of  no  mean  rank  or  name  obscure 
But  such  as  Salm  Afrasiyab  and  Tiir, 
Shah  Faridun  and  Kai  Kubad  and  fell 
Zahhak  the  tyrant  and  the  infidel, 
Garshasp  and  Sam  whom  Nariman  the  bold 
Begot — world-paladins  of  mighty  mould — 
Hiishang  and  Tahmuras  the  Div  that  bound, 
With  Minuchihr,  Jamshid  that  Shah  renowned, 
Kaus  and  Kai  Khusrau  with  crown  upon 
His  head,  and  Rustam,  and  that  famous  one 
Of  brazen  form,1  Giidarz  and  his  delight — 
His  eighty  sons,  those  Lions  of  the  fight 
And  horsemen  of  the  plain — great  Shah  Luhrasp, 
Zaiir  the  captain  of  the  host,  Gushtasp, 
Jamasp  who  shone  among  the  host  on  high 
More  brightly  than  the  sun  doth  in  the  sky, 
Dara  son  of  Darab,  Bah  man,  the  great 
Sikandar — chief  of  all  that  ruled  the  state — 
Withal  too  Shah  Ardshir,  Shapur  his  son, 
Bahrain  and  Nushirwan  the  virtuous  one. 
Such  is  the  famous  and  exalted  throng 
That  I  have  made  the  subject  of  my  song, 
All  dead  for  ages  but  my  poetry 
Hath  caused  their  names  to  live  again,  for  I 
Have  raised  these  dead,  as  Jesus  did,  and  made 
Their  names  live,  one  and  all,  and  I  have  laid 
A  servitude  upon  myself  for  thee, 
O  king  !  to  keep  thy  name  in  memory. 
The  homes  that  are  the  dwellings  of  to-day 
Will  sink  'neath  shower  and  sunshine  to  decay, 
But  storm  and  rain  shall  never  mar  what  I 
Have  built — the  palace  of  niy  poetry. 
This  story  shall  be  read  by  every  one 
Possessed  of  wisdom  while  the  ages  run ; 


1  Asfandiydr. 


INTRODUCTION  33 

But  that  was  not  thy  promised  recompense, 

Nor  did  I  hope  reward  in  such  a  sense. 

A  slanderer  (my  curse  upon  his  head  !) 

Extracted  evil  out  of  what  I  said 

For  good,  destroyed  my  credit  with  the  king 

And  made  my  glowing  coal  a  frigid  thing. 

If  thou~Ea3st  been  a  judge  of  honest  ways, 

And  hadst  bestowed  a  thought  upon  my  lays, 

Thou  wouldst  have  said  that  I  have  paid  my  dues — 

The  talent  that  was  given  me  to  use — 

In  full.     My  words  have  made  the  world  to  grow 

Like  Paradise.     Before  me  none  could  sow 

The  seed  of  words.     Unnumbered  folk  no  doubt 

Flung  them  in  countless  multitudes  about, 

But,  though  they  were  so  many,  up  to  nou- 

No  one  hath  ever  mentioned  them,  I  trow. 

For  thirty  years  exceeding  toil  I  bore 

And  made  the  Persians  live  in  Persian  lore. 

Unless  the  worldlord  had  close-fisted  grown 

I  should  have  had  a  seat  upon  the  throne ; 

He  would  have  placed  me  there,  but  common  sense 

Hath  never  been  the  monarch's  excellence. 

Had  he  himself  been  royal  by  descent 

He  would  have  heeded  royal  precedent, 

For,  had  his  sire  been  Shah,  he  would  ere  now 

Have  set  a  crown  of  gold  upon  my  brow, 

Or  had  his  mother  been  a  lady  I 

Had  stood  in  gold  and  silver  coin  knee-high  ; 

But  since  his  kindred  are  of  mean  estate 

He  cannot  bear  to  hear  about  the  great. 

The  bounty  of  this  Shah  of  high  degree 

Hath  altered  nine  times  nine  to  four  times  three  ! l 

The  travail  of  this  Book  of  Kings  I  bore 

For  thirty  years  that  from  his  treasury's  store 

The  Shah  might  recompense  me,  set  me  free 

From  worldly  needs  and  give  me  high  degree 

Among  my  peers.     He  oped  his  treasury's  door 

And  gave  a  sherbet-seller's  2  fee,  not  more, 

1  Mohl,  who  has  a  slightly  different  text,  translates  "  rien  et  moins  que 
rien,"  which  he  admits  to  be  pure  conjecture.     To  us  it  seems  a  reference 
to  the  amount  expected  and  the  amount  received  by  the  poet. 

2  In  the  original  a  "  fakka  "-seller.      "  Fakka  "  seems  to  have  been 
barley-water  flavoured  with  raisins,  or  else  some  sort  of  beer.     Cf.  the 
Greek  0oOcr/ca  (Latin  posca,  sour  wine). 


44  INTRODUCTION 

On  whom  I  spent  it  in  the  public  way — 

A  fit  recipient  of  such  royal  pay  ! 

A  king  devoid  of  honour,  sense  of  right, 

And  faith  as  this  is,  is  not  worth  a  mite. 

The  slave-girl's  brat  is  but  a  worthless  thing 

Although  it  may  be  fathered  by  a  king. 

To  raise  the  vile  that  good  from  them  may  flow 

Is  but  to  lose  our  thread's  end  when  we  sew 

Or  put  a  viper  in  our  pouch  to  grow. 

If  thou  shalt  plant  a  tree  of  nauseous  fruit 

In  Paradise  itself  and  drench  the  root, 

When  moisture  is  required,  from  Heaven's  own  rill 

Of  purest  honey,  the  old  nature  still 

Will  show  itself  at  last ;  thou  wilt  procure 

Fruit  no  less  nauseous  than  the  fmit  before. 

If  by  perfumers'  .stalls  thy  steps  are  bent 

Thy  clothing  will  catch  somewhat  of  the  scent, 

And  if  thou  visitest  a  charcoal  Jack 

Thou  wilt  get  naught  from  him  that  is  not  black. 

That  miscreants  should  do  ill  is  no  strange  case ; 

Hope  nothing  then  from  one  whose  birth  is  base, 

For  none  can  furbish  off  the  gloom  of  night, 

And  washing  will  not  make  an  Ethiop  white. 

To  look  for  good  from  an  ill  stock  to  rise 

Is  but  to  throw  the  dust  in  one's  own  eyes. 

The  worldlord,  if  an  honoured  name  he  bore, 

Would  have  esteemed  right  dear  this  branch  of  lore 

And  listened  to  such  various  tales  as  these 

Of  ancient  ways  and  royal  usages, 

Would  not  have  met  my  wishes  with  disdain 

Or  let  the  labour  of  my  life  be  vain. 

I  have  a  purpose  in  these  lofty  rhymes — 
The  Shah  perchance  will  be  advised  betimes, 
Will  recognise  what  words  are,  will  pay  heed 
To  this  his  hoary  old  adviser's  rede, 
Do  to  no  other  poets  wrong  henceforth 
But  hold  his  reputation  something  worth, 
For  men  will  quote  till  Resurrection-morn 
The  injured  poet's  recompense  of  scorn. 

A  suppliant  at  the  Court  of  God  most  high 
I  shall  throw  dust  upon  my  head  and  cry  : — 
"  Lord,  cause  Thy  faithful  servant's  heart  to  dwell 
In  light,  and  burn  this  miscreant's  soul  in  Hell." 


INTRODUCTION  45 

Before  resuming  our  summary  of  Nizarni's  account 
we  should  mention  that  later  on  the  indomitable  poet 
wrote  his  second  great  poem,  "  Yusuf  and  Zulikha." 
This  work  is  still  extant  in  MS.,  and  a  printed  edition 
is  understood  to  be  in  preparation.     He  tells  us  in  his 
Introduction   that  he   wrote   it  at  the   suggestion    of 
a  high  official  of  the  Dilamids  with  a  view  of  dedi- 
cating   it    to    the  ruling  Dilamid   prince.     The   poet 
seems  to  have  quitted  Tabaristan,  where  a  prolonged 
stay  might  have  been  not  without  risk  both  to  himself 
and  to  his  friendly  entertainer,  and  to  have  journeyed 
further    to    the    west,    where    beyond    the    reach    of 
Mahmud's  wrath  (if  Mahmiid  really  concerned  him- 
self  about   the   matter  at   all)   he   wrote   the   above- 
mentioned    work.1       Ultimately   he    returned    to    his 
native  city  of  Tiis,  and  we  may  conclude  this  account 
of  the  calamity  of  an  author  by  summarising  the  rest 
of  what  Nizami  has  to  tell  us.     He  no  doubt  gives  us, 
as   he  professes  to  do,  the  received   tradition  of  the 
time.      Sultan  Mahmiid,  induced  by   the  representa- 
tions  of  his  chief  minister  (Hasan  Maimandi  ?)  ulti- 
mately repented   of  his  treatment   of  the  poet.     He 
accordingly  gave  directions  that  sixty  thousand  dinars' 
worth  of  indigo  should  be  carried  to  Firdausi  at  Tiis 
with    a    suitable    apology.     This   was    done    and    the 
indigo   arrived   safely,   but   as  the  caravan  that  bore 
it  entered   by  one  gate  the  poet's  corpse  was  being 
borne  out  to  burial  by  another,  outside  which  was  a 
garden  belonging  to  him,  and  there  he  was  interred, 
because  in  the  orthodox  view  of  a  local  preacher  he 
was  a  heretic,  and  therefore  must  not  be  suffered  to 
lie  in  the  Musulinan  Cemetery.      He  left  a  daughter 
— a  high-spirited    lady — who   refused  to   accept    the 
Sultan's  gift,  and  the  money  was   therefore  spent  in 
repairing  the  hostelry  of  Chaha,  on  the  road  between 
Marv  and  Nishapiir.     The  poet  seems   to  have  died 

1  NIN,  27. 


46  INTRODUCTION 

A.D.  1020-1021,  at  the  age  of  about  eighty.  Nizami 
visited  his  tomb,  A.D.  1116-1117. 

It  has  not  seemed  necessary  to  the  present  writer 
to  enter  more  fully  into  the  interesting  subject  of  the 
poet's  biography.  The  reader  will  find  ampler  details 
in  Professor  Noldeke's  invaluable  "  Iranische  National- 
epos,"  and  in  Professor  Browne's  most  useful  translation 
of  Nizami,  both  of  which  works  are  obtainable  in  a 
convenient  form.  It  is  not  worth  while  to  reproduce 
here  the  accounts  of  later  biographers — those  men- 
tioned at  the  beginning  of  the  present  chapter — and 
of  other  writers.  Some  of  their  anecdotes  will,  how- 
ever, be  inserted  in  appropriate  places  in  the  course 
of  this  translation.  A  word  of  warning  should  be 
added.  The  present  writer  has  confined  himself, 
except  where  otherwise  stated,  to  the  figures  given, 
as  to  the  poet's  age,  &c.,  in  the  two  texts  from  which 
our  translation  of  the  Shahnama  has  been  made. 
They  seem  to  be  generally  consistent,  but  other  MSS. 
give  other  figures,  and  if  their  readings  are  adopted 
other  conclusions  naturally  follow. 

The  present  writer,  as  far  as  he  is  concerned,  would 
gladly  terminate  the  history  of  the  writing  and  re- 
ception of  the  Shahnama  at  the  point  where  the  poet 
himself  left  it  in  concluding  that  work ;  at  all  events 
pains  has  been  taken  to  distinguish  Firdausi's  own  ac- 
count from  that  given  by  others.  It  only  remains  to 
add  that  late  in  life  when  writing  "  Yiisuf  and  Zulikha  " 
he  affected  to  condemn  his  greatest  achievement  as 
a  pack  of  idle  tales.  Old  age,  disappointment,  and 
other  circumstances  may  well  have  contributed  to 
warp  his  judgment,  but  we  cannot  doubt  that  in  his 
heart  of  hearts  he  was  as  conscious  of  what  con- 
stituted his  best  title  to  fame  as  when  he  penned  the 
concluding  words  of  the  Shdhnama : — 

I  shall  live  on,  the  seed  of  words  have  I 

Flung  broad-cast,  and  henceforth  I  shall  not  die. 


INTRODUCTION  47 

The    Shdhnama   of   Firdausi    is  one    of   the   great       >/ 
epic  poems   of  tHcT  world.     The    author   has  left   on          j 
record  that  it  originally  consisted  of  sixty  thousand     .     JL  ( 
couplets.      All   existing    MSS.,    however,    even   when     \A 
eked  out  by  obvious  interpolations,  fall  short  of  that 
number,  by  several  thousand.     Part  has  therefore  been 
lost  or  else  the  poet  spoke  in  round  numbers.     At  all 
events  enough  remains,  and  to  all  appearance  pretty 
much  as  he  wrote  it.     The  authorship,  so  far  as  the 
present  writer  is  aware,  has  never  been  disputed. 

The  poem  is  in  rhymed  couplets,  and  its  metre — 
the  typical  heroic  metre  of  the  language  in  which  it  is 
written — may  thus  be  indicated  : — 

Such  a  line  as 

The  Pharaohs  of  Egypt,  the  Cresars  of  Rome, 

represents  the  metre  of  the  original. 

The  poet  wrote  in  almost  pure  Persian.  The  ad- 
mixture of  Arabic  is  slight,  and  in  all  probability 
would  be  slighter  if  we  had  the  Shahnama  precisely 
as  Firdausi  left  it.  Some  Arabic  the  poet  was  bound 
to  use — terms,  for  instance,  in  connection  with  his 
religion — but  copyists,  it  seems  probable,  are  respon- 
sible for  most  of  the  rest. 

The  poet's  theme  is  the  story  of  his  fatherland  and 
folk,  from  the  Creation  to  the  Muhammadan  conquest, 
set  forth  in  the  form  of  a  metrical  chronicle.  His 
subject-matter  he  derived  from  many  sources,  mythical, 
religious,  historical,  and  popular — a  classification  which 
•  of  course  involves  many  cross-divisions. 

His  method,  as  might  be  expected,  differs  widely  from 
Homer's.  The  contrast  is  in  fact  striking.  Homer 
effectually  hides  his  own  personality.  He  plunges  into 
the  middle  of  his  subject,  and  makes  the  period  of 
his  action  as  brief  as  possible.  Selecting  one  central 


48  INTRODUCTION 

motive  he  weaves  round  it  only  so  much  of  the 
subject-matter  at  his  disposal  as  he  can  employ  with 
tolerable  consistency.  His  web  is  closely  woven,  and 
the  workmanship  so  exquisite  that  comparatively  few 
indications  are  left  to  betray  the  nature  of  the  raw 
material. 

Firdausi,  on  the  other  hand,  takes  us  into  his  con- 
fidence from  the  first.  In  direct  violation  of  the 
Horatian  precept  he  begins  from  Leda's  egg  and 
earlier,  and  the  period  of  his  action  extends  over 
thousands  of  years.  He  uses  all  the  epic  material, 
good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  on  which  he  can  lay  hands. 
His  web  is  open-work  and  its  design  unsymmetrical. 
He  makes  no  secret  of  his  method,  but  tells  us  what 
his  materials  are  and  how  he  obtained  them.  He 
shows  us  in  fact  his  loom  in  action,  and  calls  our 
attention  to  the  bright,  many-coloured  threads  of 
myth,  romance,  and  history  which  are  being  woven 
therein. 

It  will  be  readily  understood  that  the  method  of 
the  Eastern  poet  leads  to  inconsistencies  and  difficulties, 
chronological  and  otherwise,  for  which  the  reader 
should  be  prepared.  He  will  find,  for  instance,  in  the 
mythical  portions  of  the  poem  at  least,  the  chief 
heroes  living  on  through  successive  ages;  described 
as  old  and  yet  fighting  with  all  the  vigour  of  early 
manhood ;  dropping  out  of  sight  and  apparently 
forgotten  only  to  reappear  in  their  pristine  vigour 
later  on.  The  explanation  is  twofold.  In  the  first 
place  several  of  the  characters  of  the  poem  were 
originally  divine  or  semi-divine  beings,  and  though 
introduced  to  us  as  human  have  in  some  cases  not 
wholly  lost  their  superhuman  attributes.  And  in  the 
second  place  the  popular  mythology  was  not,  and  was 
not  designed  to  be,  consistent.  It  told  legends  of  the 
same  hero,  assigning  them  to  different  reigns,  ages, 
and  localities.  A  Western  poet  would  have  taken 


INTRODUCTION  49 

them  all  and  forced  as  much  as  suited  him  into  the 
mould  of  a  brief  action ;  the  Eastern  poet  takes  them 
at  full  length,  and  inserts  them  where  he  finds  them, 
wholly  regardless  of  the  fact  that  by  so  doing  he 
extends  life  far  beyond  the  span  of  mortals. 

The  poem  is  divided  into  reigns.  Of  these  there 
are  forty-nine,  and  they  with  one  dynasty,  which  is 
reckoned  as  a  single  reign,  make  up  the  fifty  heads 
under  which  the  subject-matter  of  the  poem  is  dis- 
posed. The  reigns  are  those  of  the  mythic  or  historic 
Shahs  or  kings  of  Persia,  who  are  divided  into  four 
dynasties :  I.  The  Pishdadian,  of  ten  Shahs,  and  lasting 
2441  years.  II.  The  Kaidnian,  of  ten  Shahs,  and  last- 
ing 732  years.  III.  The  Ashkdnian,  which  is  reckoned 
as  one  reign,  lasting  200  years.  IV.  The  Sdsdnian,  of 
twenty-nine  Shahs,  and  lasting  501  years.  The  space 
of  time  covered  is  therefore  3874  years. 

The  poem  may  also  be  divided  into  two  periods — 
a  mythic  and  a  historic.  This  distinction  is  based  not 
so  much  on  the  nature  of  the  subject-matter  as  on  the 
names  of  the  chief  characters.  At  a  certain  point  in 
the  poem  the  names  cease  to  be  mythic  and  become 
historic.  The  Mythic  Period  extends  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  narrative  down  to  the  reigns  of  the  last 
two  Shahs  of  the  Kaidnian  dynasty.  These  and  the 
remainder  of  the  poem  form  the  Historic  Period.  The 
Shahs  in  question  are  Dard,  son  of  Ddrab,  better  known 
as  Darius  Codomanus,  and  Sikandar — Alexander  the 
Great. 

The  chief  characters  of  the  poem  are  : — 

I.  The  personified  powers  of  good  and  evil.  The 
religion  of  the  ancient  Persians,  from  which  they  became 
converted  to  Muhammadanism,  was  that  known  as  Fire- 
worship,  Dualism,  or  Zoroastrianism.  These  may  be 
taken  to  represent  roughly  three  aspects  of  its  growth 
and  development.  It  was  called  Fire-worship  from  its 
chief  visible  object  of  adoration — a  very  ancient  cult ; 

D 


50  INTRODUCTION 

Dualism  from  its  chief  tenet — the  belief  that  the 
universe  owed  its  existing  form  to  the  opposing 
creations  and  ceaseless  conflicts  of  two  supernatural 
beings,  a  good  and  an  evil,  Urmuzd  and  Ahriman ; l  and 
Zoroastrianism  from  its  legendary  prophet,  who  may 
be  taken  to  typify  its  priestly  or  ceremonial  element. 
Urmuzd  and  Ahriman  pervade  the  whole  poem,  and 
all  that  happens  for  good  or  ill  is  attributed  either 
directly  or  indirectly  to  the  one  or  the  other.  They 
are  assumed  to  be  constantly  engaged  in  strife  with 
each  other,  and  especially  on  the  battlefield  of  the 
world,  where  the  struggle  is  carried  on  chiefly  by  means 
of  the  forces,  principalities,  and  powers  which  they 
have  called  into  being,  or  whose  actions  they  inspire. 

If  the  poet  had  confined  himself  to  the  use  of  the 
names  Urmuzd  and  Ahriman  this  antagonism  would 
have  been  much  more  marked.  He  was  probably 
placed,  however,  in  a  very  difficult  position,  not  only  as 
a  Muhammadan  himself  but  also  as  a  poet  eager  for 
recognition  at  the  hands  of  a  fanatically  Muhammadan 
Sultan.  The  result  is  a  compromise.  He  seldom 
uses  the  word  Urmuzd,  but  in  its  place  such  terms 
as  Maker  of  the  world,  World-lord,  the  All-mighty, 
the  righteous  Judge  or  simply  God,  but  hardly  ever 
the  Muhammadan  Allah.  On  the  other  hand  he 
employs  the  expression  Ahriman  with  great  frequency, 
often  substituting  for  it,  however,  the  word  Div,  which 
may  be  rendered  Fiend,  and  occasionally  the  name  of 
the  Muhammadan  evil  principle  Ibh's.  Practically  his 
conception  of  the  good  principle  is  Muhammadan  in 
all  but  the  name,  while  his  evil  principle  is  no  longer 
the  formidable  Zoroastrian  Ahriman,  but  approximates 

1  There  is  a  tendency  among  modern  Zoroastrians  and  some  scholars 
to  modify  or  even  deny  the  dualism,  but  to  do  this  is  to  deprive  Zoro- 
istrianism  of  its  most  characteristic  feature,  and  its  best  title  to  be 
considered  one  of  the  great  religions  of  the  world.  See  DFKHP,  ii. 
187;  HEP,  303-305. 


INTRODUCTION  51 

rather  to  the  Muhamrnadan  Ibli's,  or  to  the  Devil  of 
the  Bible.  This  being  premised,  however,  it  is  pro- 
posed to  retain  the  expressions  Urmuzd  and  Ahriman 
in  the  Introduction,  as  being  on  the  whole  the  most 
suitable  and  convenient,  and  of  course  in  the  poem 
itself  wherever  they  occur. 

II.  The  Shahs  and  other  kings  or  heroes.  These, 
so  far  as  they  are  historical,  may  be  left  to  speak  for 
themselves,  but  those  that  are  mythical  need  a  word 
of  explanation.  The  dualistic  conception  of  the 
universe,  while  it  tended  to  exalt  Urmuzd  and  Ahriman, 
did  so  at  the  expense  of  the  other  deities  of  the  ancient 
nature-worship  who  gradually  became  grouped  in  in- 
ferior capacities,  according  to  the  popular  conceptions 
of  them,  round  one  or  other  of  the  two  great  principles, 
the  beneficent  round  Urmuzd  and  the  maleficent 
round  Ahriman.  In  the  course  of  time  many  of  them 
came  to  be  regarded  as  ancient  earthly  rulers  and 
heroes,  and  as  such  they  are  represented  in  the  poem, 
the  good  for  the  most  part  as  Iranian  and  the 
evil  as  those  of  other  races.  All  the  chief  mythical 
characters  were  once  themselves  gods  or  demigods,  or 
were  credited  with  such  ancestors  in  tradition. 

Direct  supernatural  agency  is,  however,  infrequent 
in  the  Shahnama.  On  one  side  we  have  Urmnzd,  who 
sometimes  intervenes  by  his  messenger  and  agent  the 
angel  Suriish,  and  on  the  other  Ahriman,  who  acts  by 
means  of  his  instruments  the  divs,  or  his  adherents 
the  warlocks  and  witches.  We  have  instances  of  white 
magic  as  well  as  of  black.  The  fabulous  Si'murgh  too — 
a  bird  somewhat  resembling  the  roc  of  the  "Arabian 
Nights,"  but  endowed  with  wisdom  and  articulate  speech 
— plays  an  important  part.  Dreams,  especially  those  in 
which  the  dead  appear,  are  regarded  as  veridical,  and 
the  evil  eye  is  much  dreaded.  Presentiments  are  held 
to  be  authentic,  and  use  is  made  of  amulets,  elixirs, 
and  divining-cups.  The  most  potent  agent  throughout 


52  INTRODUCTION 

is  destiny,  which  is  represented  as  God's  purpose  with 
respect  to  man  as  revealed  in  the  heavens  by  the 
aspects  of  the  stars  and  planets.  There  is  no  more 
impressive  picture  in  the  poem  than  that  which  the 
poet  gives  us  of  the  remorseless  process  of  the  sky, 
whose  revolutions  gradually  grind  down  the  strongest, 
and  fill  the  vulgar  with  amaze  at  what  they  term  the 
turns  of  fortune.  To  the  sage  and  reader  of  the  stars, 
however,  the  future  is  spread  out  like  a  book,  and 
the  astrologer,  with  his  planispheres,  astrolabes,  calcula- 
tions of  nativities,  and  predictions  generally,  plays  a 
considerable  part  in  the  poem.  Destiny,  as  repre- 
sented to  us  by  the  poet,  is  made  up  of  two  distinct 
elements  which  he  does  not  attempt  to  reconcile — the 
Muhammadan  and  the  Zoroastrian.  The  former  may 
be  summed  up  for  the  reader  in  two  texts  from  the 
Bible : — "  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else.  I 
form  the  light,  and  create  darkness;  I  make  peace, 
and  create  evil;  I  am  the  Lord,  that  doeth  all  these 
things ; " l  and  "  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of 
God,  and  shall  we  not  receive  evil  ? " 2 

The  Zoroastrian  conception  is  entirely  different. 
Urmuzd  and  Ahriman  are  as  distinct  as  light  from 
darkness,  and  a  hard  and  fast  line  is  drawn  between 
good  and  evil,  whether  physical  or  moral.  Light, 
immortality,  health,  and  all  that  is  good  in  the  worlds 
of  mind  and  matter  proceed  from  Urmuzd ;  darkness, 
death,  disease,  and  all  that  is  evil  from  Ahriman. 
Urmuzd  created  man  and  fashioned  the  twelve  houses 
of  the  heavens  that  they  might  pour  down  their 
kindly  influence  upon  him  ;  Ahriman  broke  into  the 
creation  of  Urmuzd  and  created  the  planets  to  run 
counter  to  the  stars  and  cross  their  purposes.  Destiny, 
therefore,  from  this  point  of  view,  being  the  resultant 
of  two  opposing  forces,  is  an  extremely  logical  deduc- 
tion well  borne  out  by  the  events  of  history  and  the 

1  Isaiah  xlv.  7.  2  Job  ii.  10. 


INTRODUCTION  53 

incidents  of  life  to  an  Eastern  eye,  but  corresponds 
rather  to  what  we  should  call  fortune  than  to  absolute 
fate.  The  Zoroastrian  view,  which  is  that  of  the  poet's 
authorities,  predominates  over  the  Muhammadan,  which  / 
is  that  of  his  religion.  The  practical  result  is  that  in/ 
the  poem  the  sky  is  looked  upon  as  the  ultimate 
arbiter  of  human  affairs,  and  often  as  acting  wantonly 
and  capriciously  with  the  ruthlessness  of  a  celestial 
Juggernaut.  Yet  the  poet  and  his  characters  never 
fail  to  appeal  to  destiny  proper  on  occasions  when  it 
suits  them  so  to  do,  he  to  justify  the  ways  of  God  to 
man,  and  they  to  make  excuse  for  evil  done  or  the 
doing  of  it.  "  It  was  so  decreed,"  pleads  the  evil- 
doer ;  "  And  so  was  the  penalty,"  replies  the  avenger. 
At  other  times  again  the  poet  seems  to  hold  that  all  is 
hopeless  confusion,  and  that  we  cannot  tell  head  from 
tail  or  top  from  bottom. 

The  leading  motive  of  the  Shahnama,  so  far  as  it 
can  be  said  to  have  one,  is  Ahriman's  envy  of  man 
— the  creation  of  Urmuzd.  The  first  attempt  of  the 
evil  principle  to  destroy  mankind  once  for  all,  in  the 
person  of  their  great  progenitor,  having  failed,  his  next 
is  to  seduce  them  from  their  allegiance  to  their  Creator, 
and  in  this  he  is  largely  successful;  race  becomes 
opposed  to  race,  the  faithful  followers  of  Urmuzd  are 
persecuted  by  the  perverts  of  Ahriman,  and  recurring 
acts  of  provocation  or  revenge  form  a  series  of 
subsidiary  motives  which  serve  to  keep  alive  the 
ancient  feud.  These  are  most  prominent  in  the 
earlier  portion  of  the  Mythic  period,  towards  the  end  of 
which  a  new  motive  is  introduced  by  the  advent  of 
the  great  prophet  of  Urmuzd — Zarduhsht  or  Zoroaster. 
Side  by  side  with  this  outward  visible  struggle  there 
is  the  inward  invisible  one  going  on  in  the  mind  of 
the  individual.  This  is  more  insisted  on  in  the 
Historic  period  where  the  moral  aspects  of  the  struggle 
are  discoursed  on  at  large,  and  the  deadly  sins  are 


54  INTRODUCTION 

personified  in  accordance  to  Zoroastrian  theology  as 
divs  or  fiends  in  the  service  of  Ahriman,  who  strive  to 
get  the  mastery  over  the  soul  of  man. 

The  historical  relations  of  the  Iranians  with  other 
Indo-European  peoples,  with  the  Semites  and  with 
the  Turanians,  as  sketched  briefly  in  the  previous  chapter, 
are  indicated  in  the  poem  by  the  mythical  legends  of 
Zahhak  and  of  the  three  sons  of  Faridun  and  their 
descendants.  Zahhak  represents  the  idolatrous  element 
in  the  poem,  and  therefore  the  Semites  in  particular, 
who  were  the  most  idolatrous  race  with  whom  the 
Iranians  came  into  contact.  The  Assyrians  were 
notoriously  idolatrous,  and  so  were  the  Arabs  up  to 
the  days  of  Muhammad.  In  the  poem  all  idol- 
worshippers,  whether  of  Semitic  race  or  not,  are 
regarded  as  descendants  of  Zahhiik.  The  eldest  son 
of  Faridun — Salm — represents  the  western  division 
of  the  Indo-European  race,  the  second  son  Tiir  the 
Turanian,  and  the  youngest  son  traj  the  Western 
Aryan  or  Iranian.  The  legendary  accounts  in  the 
poem  of  Zahhak's  conquest  of  fran,  of  his  overthrow 
by  Faridun,  of  the  partition  of  the  world  by  the  latter 
between  his  three  sons,  of  the  murder  of  Iraj  by  his 
two  elder  brothers,  and  of  the  great  feud  which  thus 
originated,  really  set  forth  the  historical  relations  of 
three  of  the  great  races  of  mankind  as  seen,  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  descendants  of  Iraj,  through  the 
haze  of  myth  and  legend.  As  to  the  comparative 
importance  of  these  relations  to  the  frdnians,  native 
tradition  has  no  hesitation  in  assigning  the  first  place 
to  the  representatives  of  Tur,  the  second  to  those  of 
Zahhak,  and  the  third  to  those  of  Salm ;  and  accord- 
ingly in  the  poem  the  struggles  of  the  Iranians  with 
the  Turanians  occupy  more  space  than  those  with  all 
other  races  combined.  Yet  the  bitterest  feud  is  with 
Zahh&k.  In  other  cases  it  is  a  family  quarrel,  but 
Zahhak  is  of  another  stock — a  man  forbid.  However, 


INTRODUCTION  55 

all  the  greatest  heroes  of  the  poem  spring  from  unions 
between  members  of  races  thus  antagonistic.  The 
three  sons  of  Faridun  marry  the  daughters  of  an  Arab 
king,  and  their  supposed  descendants  are  therefore  of 
mixed  race.  Rustain  is  from  Zahhak  upon  his 
mother's  side.  Siyawush  and  Kai  Khusrau  both  have 
Turanian  mothers.  Asfandiyar  and  Sikandar  have 
Human  mothers.1 

We  have  also  to  note  that,  according  to  Iranian 
tradition,  Urmuzd  did  not  leave  himself  altogether 
without  witness  even  in  the  lands  and  peoples  most 

f 

given  over  to  Ahriman.  In  the  case  of  the  Arabs  we 
have  the  dynasty  of  Al  Munzir,  which  is  always  repre- 
sented as  being  friendly  to  the  Iranians.  This  dynasty 
ruled  at  Hira.  In  the  case  of  the  Hindus  we  have 
the  dynasty  of  Kaid,  which  is  always  kindly  and  help- 
ful. In  the  case  of  the  Turanians  the  tendency  to 
goodwill  is  very  marked  in  some  of  the  characters. 
One  of  Afrasiyab's  own  brothers  becomes  an  arrant 
traitor  in  his  zeal  for  the  Iranian  interest,  and  suffers 
for  it  at  the  hand  of  his  justly  indignant  sovereign. 
The  most  striking  instance,  however,  is  that  of  the 
great  and  good  Piran,  Afrasiyab's  cousin,  counsellor,  and 
commander-in-chief.  Though  his  loyalty  to  his  own 
master  is  absolutely  stainless  and  unimpeached,  he 
always  shows  himself  most  friendly  and  generous  to 
the  Iranians,  striving  for  peace  and  for  a  better  under- 
standing between  the  two  races.  He  lives  to  see  his 
honest  endeavours  foiled  and  his  well-meant  counsels 
turn  out  ill,  but  his  honesty  is  so  transparent  and 
recognised  that  even  the  fierce  tyrant  whom  he  serves, 

1  History  and  legend  alike  throw  considerable  doubt  on  the  paternity 
of  Alexander  the  Great  (Sikandar).  Iranian  patriotism  avails  itself  of 
this  fact  to  explain  that  Philip  married  his  daughter  to  SMb.  Ddrdb, 
that  Ddrdb  took  a  dislike  to  her  and  sent  her  back  to  her  father,  at 
whose  court  she  gave  birth  to  Alexander,  who  was  brought  up  as  Philip's 
own  son.  Iranian  amour  propre  is  thus  saved,  as  the  great  conqueror 
is  made  out  to  be  an  Iranian  himself — the  eldest  born  of  Sh£h  D.irdb. 


56  INTRODUCTION 

and  who  suffers  most  for  having  followed  his  advice,  has 
hardly  a  word  to  say  against  him,  and  he  only  gives  up 
the  leadership  of  the  host  with  death.  It  is  a  well  paid 
compliment  by  the  poet  to  the  Turkman  race.  It  was 
no  doubt  his  own  contribution  toward  a  good  under- 
standing, and  happily  he  could  not  foresee  the  horrors 
which  the  eleventh  and  subsequent  centuries  held  in 
store  for  Iran  at  the  hands  of  the  nations  of  the  North. 
For  the  preservation  of  the  subject-matter  of  the 
Shahnama  we  are  chiefly  indebted  to  two  of  the 
classes  into  which  Firdausi  tells  us  ancient  franian 
society  was  divided — the  priestly  class  and  the  agri- 
cultural class  —  in  other  words  the  Magi  and  the 
Dihkans.  The  Magi  were  the  priests  of  the  true 
Medes  or  Madd,  among  whom  they  formed  a  caste  or 
tribe.  Originally  fire-priests,  as  their  own  name  for 
themselves — Athravans,  literally  "  fire-men  " — shows,1 
they  became  closely  associated  with,  even  if  they  did 
not  originate,  the  Dualism  and  Zoroastrianism  of 
later  times.  Antiquity,  which  liberally  credited  them 
with  all  the  attributes  of  ancient  priesthood,  knew 
them  as  the  Magi — the  great  or  mighty,2  and  later 
ages  are  indebted  to  them  for  the  potent  words 
"  magic "  and  "  magician."  In  their  historical  seat 
in  Atropatene,  or  in  the  modern  form  of  the  word 
Azarbijan  (which  has  been  variously  explained  to  mean 
the  land  of  the  seed,  of  the  descent  of,  or  that  guards 
the  fire),  and  still  more  in  their  legendary  home  in 
Karabagh,  they  dwelt  in  the  neighbourhood  of  scenes 
of  natural  marvel.  Earthquakes  are  frequent  there, 
mud-volcanoes,  hot  springs,  and  naphtha  wells  abound. 
Flames  issuing  from  clefts  in  the  rocks  have  been 
ablaze  from  time  immemorial,  and  in  autumn  the  ex- 
halations from  the  soil  form  a  phosphorescence  that  at 
night  wraps  whole  districts  in  sheets  of  harmless  flame. 
Even  in  parts  of  the  Caspian  the  vapours  bubble  up, 

1  DZA,  i.  li,  ist  ed.  2  Skeat,  Etym.  Diet.,  s.v. 


INTRODUCTION  57 

may  be  ignited  and  will  go  on  burning,  over  several 
square  yards  of  water  till  a  gust  of  wind  extinguishes 
them.  The  scene  from  all  accounts  is  at  times  suffi- 
ciently impressive  even  to  the  modern  eye,  and  we 
can  easily  imagine  what  fire  in  its  purest  form  and 
highest  expression — clear,  smokeless,  lambent  flames, 
burning  on  unfed  apparently  and  self-sustaining 
century  after  century — must  have  been  to  the  un- 
rationalistic  gaze  of  primitive  antiquity.  In  the 
presence  of  those  flames  all  other  fires  must  have 
seemed  but  "broken  lights."  Elsewhere  they  were 
hard  to  kindle,  needed  constant  care,  and  were 
dimmed  by  smoke  and  vapours,  but  here  they  burned 
as  in  the  Burning  Bush.  It  was  no  wonder  that  the 
place  came  to  be  looked  upon  as  "  Holy  Ground,"  and 
that  a  Cult  of  Fire  grew  up  there  in  the  dim  and 
distant  past.  We  can  well  imagine  too  how  famous 
the  priesthood  of  such  a  Cult  would  become  amid 
such  surroundings.  The  priest  of  ancient  times  was 
the  man  of  letters,  the  sage,  the  leech,  the  astro- 
loger and  the  man  of  occult  lore  and  grammarye, 
and  this  priesthood  dwelt  in  a  region  which  is  not 
even  now  robbed  of  all  its  ancient  glamour  by  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  scene  of  the  greatest  petroleum 
industry  in  the  world.  Here  Prometheus  stole  the 
fire  from  heaven  and  paid  the  penalty  in  some 
Caucasian  gorge.  Along  it  from  north  to  south 
lay  a  great  highway  of  the  nations,  across  it  from 
east  to  west  ran  one  of  the  great  trade  routes,  and 
the  riches  of  India  were  borne  from  Kdbul  to  Balkh, 
from  Balkh  down  the  Oxus  to  the  Caspian,1  and  thence 
through  the  land  of  Medea  and  of  the  Golden  Fleece 
to  the  Euxine  and  the  west.  It  is  of  course  impossible 
to  affirm  that  so  widespread  a  cult  as  Fire-worship 
had  its  origin  in  one  particular  locality,  but  we  shall 

1  The  Oxus  in  ancient  times  flowed  into  the  Caspian  instead  of  into 
the  Aral  Sea  as  at  present. 


58  INTRODUCTION 

be  safe  in  stating  that  here  was  a  most  important 
centre  of  it,  and  in  claiming  for  its  priests  a  pro- 
portionate status  and  sanctity.1  We  have  already 
seen  that  f  ran  is  a  land  of  sharp  contrasts  of  physical 
good  and  evil.  There  the  kindly  reticences  and  con- 
cealments of  nature,  the  blue  haze  of  distance  and 
the  melting  of  line  into  line,  are  absent,  there  is  no 
neutral  territory,  no  common  meeting-ground ;  all  is 
clear,  sharp,  well  defined  and  recognisable  beyond  the 
possibility  of  mistake  and  at  a  glance  as  good  or  evil. 
In  the  regions  south  of  the  Caucasus  these  contrasts 
are  accentuated,  and  there,  it  would  seem,  grew  up 
Dualism  suggested  and  justified  by  its  surroundings. 

The  doctrines  of  the  Magi,  which  it  is  beyond 
our  scope  to  enter  into  except  incidentally  and  by 
way  of  illustration,  appear  in  early  times  to  have 
been  restricted,  if  not  to  the  Magi  themselves,  at  all 
events  to  the  Medes  whose  priests  they  were.  It  was 
not  until  nearly  the  end  of  the  sixth  century  before 
the  Christian  era  and  after  the  suicide  of  Cambyses, 
the  son  of  Cyrus  the  Great,  that  the  Magi  first  became 
supreme  in  the  vast  empire  which  the  latter  had 
founded,  for  now  we  have  evidence  that  neither  he 
nor  his  son  was  the  enthusiastic  proselytiser  of  Zoro- 
astrianism,  that  they  were  both  formerly  supposed  to 
be,  but  at  most  tolerated  it  along  with  the  other 
faiths  of  their  world-wide  empire.2  After  the  death 
of  Cambyses,  however,  the  Magi  rose  to  power  in  the 
person  of  the  Magus  Gaumata — the  false  Smerdis  of 
the  Greeks — who  seized  the  vacant  throne  and  began, 
as  we  learn  from  the  inscriptions  of  Darius  Hystaspis, 
his  slayer  and  successor,  to  overthrow  the  temples  of 

1  For  an  account  of  the  natural  phenomena  of  these  regions  see  KA, 
i.  44,  and  Marvin,  "  The  Region  of  the  Eternal  Fire,"  ch.  xi.,  where  many 
interesting  passages  are  collected.     The  phenomena  are  most  striking 
to  the  north  of  Karabagh  at  Baku,  the  peninsula  of  Apsheron  and  the 
island  of  Sviatoi  (Holy  Island)  lying  off  it. 

2  SHC,  497. 


INTRODUCTION  59 

the  gods  in  his  iconoclast  zeal.1  As  Darius  further 
informs  us  that  he  restored  these  temples,  and  also 
at  the  same  time  describes  himself  as  a  worshipper 
of  Urmuzd,2  we  may  assume  that  it  was  in  the  course 
of  his  reign  that  Zoroastrianism  became  the  state- 
religion  of  the  Persian  empire.  He  also  appears  about  / 
B.C.  505  to  have  adopted  the  Zoroastrian  calendar  in 
the  place  of  the  old  Persian  one  that  he  had  used  up 
till  then,  and  this  fact  goes  to  support  the  assumption 
made  above.3  The  Magophonia  or  slaughter  of  the 
Magi  mentioned  by  Herodotus,4  which  has  sometimes 
been  adduced  as  a  proof  that  they  could  not  have 
been  supreme  in  Persia  so  early  as  the  times  of  Darius 
Hystaspis,5  is  not  really  opposed  to  this  view.  It  is 
pretty  evident  that  the  Magophonia  was  not  aimed 
against  the  Magi  in  general,  but  was  merely  an  annual 
celebration  of  the  overthrow  of  one  particular  Magus — 
the  impostor  and  usurper  Gaumata — and  his  personal 
followers.6  Whether  the  Magi,  in  spite  of  the  high 
position  they  had  gained,  ever  succeeded  in  making  their 
doctrines  popular  with  the  masses  of  the  first  Persian 
empire  may  well  be  doubted.  One  at  least  of  the 
successors  of  Darius — Artaxerxes  II.  (B.C.  404-361) — 
seems  to  have  relapsed  into  something  very  like  idol- 
atry/ and  with  the  conquest  of  Persia  by  Alexander 
the  Great  the  power  of  the  Magi  waned  for  a  time. 

Rightly   or   wrongly    Zoroastrian    tradition   couples  r" 
Alexander  with  Zahhdk  and  Afrdsiyab  as  one  of  the 
three  arch  enemies  of  the    faith.8     With  the    intro- 

1  RP,  vii.  89-92.  2  Id.  3  WPT,  v.  xliv. 

4  Herod,  iii.  79.  5  RSM,  636,  note. 

6  DHA,  v.  194.  7  DZA,  ii.  53. 

8  Id.  i.  xlviii.  This  notion  seems  to  have  been  firmly  fixed  in  the 
minds  of  the  faithful.  We  are  told  that  in  the  year  A.D.  1511  Zoroas- 
trians  resident  in  Persia  wrote  to  co-religionists  in  India  a  letter  in 
which  they  stated  "  that  never  since  the  rule  of  Kaiomars  had  they 
suffered  more  than  what  they  were  then  undergoing.  In  sooth,  they 
declared  that  they  were  more  oppressed  than  their  race  had  ever  been 
at  the  hands  of  the  tyrants  Zohak,  Afrasiab,  Tur  and  Alexander." 
DFKHP,  i.  56. 


60  INTRODUCTION 

duction  of  Greek  ideas,  Greek  science  and  Greek 
polytheism,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  bulk  of 
the  population  relapsed  into  idolatry,  if  indeed  it 
had  ever  emerged.  During  the  next  five  centuries 
the  Magi  must  have  had  much  ado  to  keep  alive  the 
doctrines,  ritual,  and  sacred  traditions  of  their  faith. 
The  seductions  of  Greek  civilisation  were  followed  by 
the  brutalities  of  Parthian  barbarism,  and  any  modifi- 
cation of  these  was,  during  the  first  centuries  at  all 
events  of  Parthian  rule,  in  the  direction  of  Greek 
culture.  The  Parthian  monarchs  describe  themselves 
as  philhellenic  on  their  coins.  The  Magi,  however, 
were  well  equipped  .for  the  struggle.  They  had  a 
great  reputation.  They  held  a  faith  in  many  respects 
much  in  advance  of  their  times,  and  one  too  that 
found  its  justification  in  the  strange  natural  pheno- 
mena and  sharp  contrasts  of  physical  good  and  evil 
that  characterise  fran.  They  had  kept  alive  too,  at 
a  time  when  ancient  Persian  was  passing  into  rapid 
phonetic  decay,  the  ancient  language  of  their  race — 
the  Median — with  its  inflections  and  archaisms,  as 
will  appear  later  on.  Lastly,  they  were  a  priesthood 
practising  the  peculiar  custom  of  Khvaituk-das,  or 
next  of  kin  marriage,  which,  though  most  repugnant 
to  the  sentiments  of  mankind  at  large,  must  certainly 
have  tended  to  preserve  their  faith  from  the  dangerous 
external  and  foreign  influences  which  an  indiscrimi- 
nate practice  of  marriage  would  have  entailed.  That 
the  Magi  practised  Khvaitiik-das  in  the  days  of  the 
Parthian  monarchy  we  may  learn  from  Catullus.1 
The  three  principal  seats  of  the  Magi  seem  to  have 
been  at  Shiz,  Rai,  and  Balkh.  Shiz,  the  Persian  Gazn, 

1  Nascatur  Magus  ex  Gelli  matrisque  nefando 

conjugio,  et  discat  Persicum  haruspicium. 
Nam  Magus  ex  matre  et  gnato  gignatur  oportet, 
si  vera  est  Persarum  impia  relligio. 

Carmen,  Ixxxix.,  ed.  C.  H.  Weise. 
For  Khvaitdk-das  see  WPT,  ii.  389.     Cf.  GHP,  i.  89. 


INTRODUCTION  6r 

is  to  be  looked  for  at  Takht-i-Sulaiman  near  the 
southern  frontier  of  Azarbijan.  It  contained  the 
famous  fire-temple  of  Azarakhsh,  which  appears  to  be 
a  contraction  of  Azar-i -Zarduhsht,  or  the  fire  of 
Zarduhsht,  who  is  sTipposed  to  have  instituted  it.  To 
this  temple  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Shahs  of  Persia 
in  pre  -  Muhammadan  times  to  make  pilgrimages 
afoot.1  Rai,  which  was  near  Tihran,  seems  to  have 
been  the  centre  of  a  priestly  principality  of  great 
antiquity,  whose  priest  -  prince  was  known  as  the 
Zarduhsht.  It  was  finally  destroyed  by  the  Muham- 
madans.2  Balkh  was  the  scene  of  Zarduhsht  or 
Zoroaster's  most  successful  missionary  effort,  which 
led  to  the  conversion  of  Shah  Gushtasj)._  Here,  too, 
the  prophet  is  said  to  have  beerf  slain  when  the  city 
was  taken  by  the  Turanian  king  Arjasp.  Internal 
evidence  seems  to  show  that  Firdausi  used  traditions 
emanating  from  each  of  the  above  centres  in  the 
Shahnama. 

Of  the  early  literature  of  the  Magi  we  can  only 
assume  that  the  theogonies  or  sacred  hymns  which 
they  chanted  in  the  days  of  Herodotus3  were  such 
as  we  find  in  their  extant  scriptures,  just  as  we  find 
the  peculiar  rites  and  ceremonies,  which  he  describes 
as  being  practised  by  them,4  still  in  operation  at  a 
much  later  date.  The  tradition  with  regard  to  the 
literature  is  as  follows:  The  original  scriptures  were 
revealed  to  Zoroaster  by  Urrnuzd.  Zoroaster  preached 
them  to  Shah  Gushtasp,  whose  capital  was  at  Balkh. 
Gushtasp  ordered  the  original  to  be  deposited  in  the 
treasury  of  Shapigdn  and  copies  to  be  made  and  dis- 
seminated, one  of  which  was  laid  up  in  the  fortress 
of  documents.  When  "  the  evil  destined  villain 
Alexander"  invaded  fran  the  copy  in  the  fortress 
of  documents  was  burnt ;  that  in  the  treasury  of 

1  DZA,  i.  xlix,  ist  ed.  2  Id.  xlviii. 

3  Herod,  i.  132.  4  Id,  140. 


62  INTRODUCTION 

Shapigan  fell  into  Alexander's  hands  and  was  trans- 
lated by  his  command  into  Greek.1  King  Valkash 
ordered  a  collection  to  be  made  of  the  scriptures, 
which  in  his  days  existed  in'  Iran  in  a  scattered  state 
owing  to  the  disruption  caused  by  the  Macedonian 
conquest.2  Ardshir,  the  son  of  Papak,  who  overthrew 
the  Parthians  and  restored  the  Iranian  monarchy,  also 
made  a  collection  of  the  scriptures.  He  employed 
for  that  purpose  the  high-priest  Tausar,  who  repro- 
duced a  similitude  of  the  original  as  it  had  existed 
in  the  treasury  of  Shapigan.3  Shdpur,  the  son  of 
Ardshir,  made  a  collection  of  writings  of  a  non-re- 
ligious character  dealing  with  medicine,  astronomy, 
and  other  scientific  subjects  that  had  been  scattered 
among  the  Hindus  and  Riirnans,  and  ordered  them  to 
be  incorporated  with  what  had  already  been  brought 
together,  which  was  done.4  Shapiir,  the  son  of 
Hurmuzd,  instituted  a  tribunal  for  the  determination 
of  all  points  of  disputed  doctrine.  These  points 
were  settled  by  ordeal,  and  thenceforth  the  Shah 
proclaimed  and  insisted  on  uniformity.6 

With  regard  to  this  account  legend  places  the  birth- 
place and  home  of  Zoroaster  in  iran-vej.6  Here  on 
the  Mountain  of  the  Holy  Questions  he  met  Urmuzd 
face  to  face,  and  received  from  him  in  a  series  of  dia- 
logues the  tenets  of  the  faith.  Here  too  the  prophet 
was  assailed  by  the  demon  Buiti  sent  by  Ahriman,  and 
subsequently  tempted  by  the  latter  in  person.  Both 
were,  however,  worsted,  and  Zoroaster  began  his  mission- 
ary career.7  His  great  success  seems  to  have  been  at 
Balkh,  one  of  the  chief  centres  of  Aryan  civilisation. 
This  we  may  interpret  as  meaning  that  Zoroastrianism 
spread  from  West  to  East  along  the  line  of  the  great 
trade-route.  The  extant  portions  of  the  Zoroastrian 

1  WPT,  iv.  xxxi.  2  Id.  413.  3  Id.  xxxi. 

4  Id.  414.  8  Id.  6  DZA,  i.  3,  notes. 

7  WPT,  i.  141. 


INTRODUCTION  63 

scriptures  have  many  allusions  to  Balkh  and  Eastern 
Iran  generally,  and  in  the  later  part  of  the  Mythic 
period  of  the  poem  the  scene  is  shifted  thither. 
With  regard  to  Alexander  the  Great  the  legend  is 
that  he  burnt  these  scriptures,  which  were  written 
on  twelve  thousand  ox-lube's-  ni.  Persepolis.1  During 
the  domination  of  the  Parthians  fran  was  broken  up 
into  a  number  of  small  tributary  principalities  under 
native  chiefs,  some  of  whom  seem  to  have  main- 
tained a  Magian  priesthood  and  sacred  fires  of  their 
own.2 

It  is  possible  that  it  may  have  been  the  rise  of 
local  Zoroastrian  cults  with  divergent  doctrines  and 
ritual  that  led  King  Valkash,  in  his  capacity  of  over- 
lord, to  make  a  collection  of  the  scriptures  with  a 
view  to  the  establishment  of  a  canon  and  uniformity. 
Valkash  himself  has  been  well  identified  with  the 
Parthian  king  Vologeses  I.  (A.D.  50-78),  whose 
brother  Tiridates  is  known  to  have  been  a  Magus.3 
A  letter  written  by  Tausar  to  explain  and  justify  his 
proceedings  in  regard  to  the  reform  of  the  faith  is 
still  in  existence.4  Ardshir,  the  son  of  Papak,  who 
employed  him,  was  fhe  first  Shah  (A.D.  226—240)  of 
the  Sdsanian  dynasty  and  was  himself  a  Magus.5 
The  legendary  destruction  of  the  original  scriptures 
was  of  course  the  excuse  for  adding  to  the  canon  in 
the  reign  of  Shapur  I.  (A.D.  240-271)  by  restoring 
to  their  proper  place  the  translations  made  under 
Alexander.  With  Shapur  II.  (A.D.  309-379)  about 
A.D.  330  the  canon  was  traditionally  closed,6  but 
as  a  matter  of  fact  there  was  some  amount  of 
addition  and  revision  as  late  as  Chosroes  I.  (A.D. 
531-579),  after  the  disturbance  to  the  faith  caused 
by  Mazdak.7 

The   language  of  the    scriptures  is  commonly  but 

1  D7  '.,  i.  xliii.  2  Id.  xliv.  3  Id.  xxxix. 

4  Jd.  xli.  6  Id.  6  Id.  xlvii.  »  WPT,  iv.  xlii. 


64  INTRODUCTION 

incorrectly  known  as  Zend.  It  seems  almost  certain 
that  really  it  should  be  known  as  Median.1  Zend, 
i.e.  Median,  as  preserved  in  its  scriptures,  and  ancient 
Persian,  as  preserved  in  the  inscriptions  of  the 
Achaemenids,  are  two  sister-languages  collaterally  re- 
Tated  TcPSanscrit.  How  and  when  Zend  became  ex- 
tinct, whether  it  still  survives  in  a  modified  form  in 
some  modern  dialect  such  as  the  Kurd,  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  yet  determined ;  but  the  existence  of  the 
Zandavasta  indicates  that  it  remained  known  to  and 
used  by  the  Magi  in  its  inflectional  form  long  after 
its  sister-language  the  Persian  had  lost  most  of  its 
inflections  and  had  become  greatly  simplified.  Zend 
may  thus  be  regarded  as  being  during  the  five  cen- 
turies and  a  half  which  elapsed  between  the  death 
of  Darius  Codomanus  and  the  accession  of  Ardshir 
Papakan  the  sacred  language  of  the  Magi — one  known 
only  to  themselves  and  holding  with  them  very  much 
the  same  position  as  Sanscrit  did  among  the  Brahmans 
of  India.  During  this  period  ancient  Persian  was 
itself  being  converted  into  middle  Persian  or  Pahlavi.2 
Pahlavi,  it  should  be  explained,  is  the  same  word  as 
Parthian,  and  in  this  connection  means  not  the  lan- 
guage spoken  by  the  Parthians  themselves,  but  that 
used  under  their  rule  by  their  Persian  or  Iranian 

1  "  La  comparison,"  says  the  late  Professor  Darmesteter  in  the  work 
in  which  he  seems  to  have  expressed  his  clearest  views  on  the  subject, 
"  des  textes  avesteens  avec  ce  que  les  anciens  nous  disent  des  croyances 
et  des  pratiques  des  Mages  prouve  que  1'Avesta  nous  pre"sente  la  croy- 
ance   des   Mages  du   temps   d'He"rodote,   d'Aristote,   de  Theopompe  ; 
d'autre  part,  les  anciens  sont  unanimes  a   entendre  par  Mages  les 
pretres  de  la  Medie.     II  suit  de  la,  par  le  temoignage  externe  des 
classiques  joint  au  temoignage  intrinseque  des  livres  zends  et  de  la 
tradition  native,  que  1'Avesta  est  1'oeuvre  des  Mages,  que  le  zend  est  la 
langue  de  la  Medie  ancienne,  et  que  1'on  aurait  le  droit  de  remplacer 
le  nom  impropre  de  langue  zende  par  le  terme  de  langue  me'dique." 
DEI,  i.  12.* 

2  WPT,  i.  xi. 

*  The  italics  are  Professor  Darmesteter's. 


INTRODUCTION 


65 


subjects.1  To  the  people  at  large  in  Sasanian  times 
the  language  in  which  the  inscriptions  of  Darius 
Hystaspis  and  his  successors  had  been  written, 
and  that  of  the  Zoroastrian  scriptures  compiled  by 
Tausar  and  others,  were  alike  unintelligible.  It  ac- 
cordingly became  the  custom  in  making  copies  to 
append  a  Pahlavi  version,  paraphrase,  or  comment  on 
the  original  text.  The  scriptures  themselves  were 
known  as  the  Avasta,  and  all  comments  thereon, 
whether  in  the  original  language  or  in  Pahlavi,  were 
known  as  the  Zend  or  Zand.  The  chief  Zand  was 
of  course  the  Pahlavi  version  of  the  Avasta,  and  the 
two  combined  became  known  as  the  Avasta  and  Zand, 
or  more  commonly  as  the  Zandavasta.2  Like  the 
Bible  it  preserved  in  a  literary  form  all  that  survived 
in  the  traditions  of  a  race,  and  these  were  grouped 
round  and  told  in  connection  with  a  line  or  lines  of 
demigods  or  heroes,  whose  names  show  that  they 
were  originally  those  of  the  beneficent  and  maleficent 
impersonations  of  the  ancient  nature-worship  of  the 
Aryan  people,  before  it  broke  up  into  its  Indian  and 
Iranian  divisions.  The  names  referred  to  are  common 
in  a  somewhat  altered  form  both  to  the  Zandavasta 
and  to  the  ancient  Sanscrit  hymns  of  India — the 
Vedas.3  We  may  regard  the  traditions  of  the  Zan- 
davasta as  essentially  Magian ;  they  were  destined, 
however,  to  undergo  a  remarkable  development  and 
expansion  in  other  hands. 

The  triumph  of  Zoroastrianism,  the  translation  of 
the  Zandavasta  into  Pahlavi,  i.e.  into  the  vernacular, 
and  the  consequent  diffusion  of  the  traditions  of  the 
Magi  throughout  Iran  occurred  at  an  epoch  when  five 
and  a  half  centuries  of  alien  rule  (B.C.  33I-A.D.  226) 

1  WPT,  i.  xii.    Persians  of  all  times  seem  always  to  have  known  their 
own  language  as  Parsi.     DEI,  i.  38. 

2  DZA,  i.  xxxi,  note  2. 

3  See  for  instance  DHA,  v.  chapters  5  and  10. 

E 


-\ 


66  INTRODUCTION 

had  obliterated  all  but  the  vaguest  reminiscences  of 
the  first  Persian  empire  and  the  house  of  Achaemenes. 
The  consequence  was  that  the  mythical  demigods  of 
the  Zandavasta  came  to  be  regarded  in  Sasanian  times 
as  the  historic  Shahs  of  the  Iranian  race.  These  and 
"what  was  recorded  of  them  in  the  Zandavasta  formed 
a  convenient  epic  framework  whereon  to  hang  legends 
of  Assyrian  oppression,  Arab  raids,  Turanian  invasions, 
wars  with  the  West,  the  deeds  of  national  or  local 
heroes,  and  all  the  miscellaneous  products  of  popular 
tradition  and  imagination.  The  development  of  the 
legends  of  the  Zandavasta  accordingly  went  on  apace, 
and  the  chief  agents  in  the  process  were  the  Dihkdns. 
This  was  the  name  given  to  the  rural  landowners  of 
Iran.  Firdausi  himself  seems  to  have  been  the  son 
of  a  Dihkan.  All  the  world  over  the  rural  popula- 
tions are  the  depositories  of  national  tradition.  A 
notable  instance  occurred  only  so  long  ago  as  the  last 
century  when  Dr.  Elias  Lonnrot,  after  years  of  wander- 
ing among  the  remotest  districts  of  Finland,  dwelling 
with  the  peasantry  and  taking  down  from  their  lips 
all  that  they  knew  of  their  popular  songs,  ultimately 
succeeded  in  collecting  nearly  twenty-three  thousand 
verses  which,  arranged  by  him  and  divided  into  fifty 
runes,  now  form  the  national  Finnish  epic  known  as 
the  Kalewala.1  Much  the  same  process  went  on  in 
Iran  at  an  earlier  date.  Traditions  based  on  the  Zanda- 
vasta were  recited  in  the  halls  of  the  chiefs,  at  village 
festivals  and  at  street-corners — a  custom  still  obtaining 
in  Persia — till  in  time  the  word  Dihkan  came  to  have 
a  well  recognised  secondary  meaning — that  of  pro- 
fessional story-teller,  rustic  bard,  or  wandering  minstrel. 
In  the  course  of  the  Sasanian  dynasty  these  traditions 
were  collected  and  put  into  writing.  The  result  was 
variously  known  as  the  Bastan,  Khudai,  and  Shah 
Nama,  with  the  respective  meanings  of  History  of 

1  Ency.  Brit.  ix.  219. 


INTRODUCTION  67 

the  Past,  of  the  Lords,  and  of  the  Kings.  In 
Baisinghar  Khan's  Preface  already  referred  to  there 
is  an  account  of  the  Bastan-naina  which  may  thus 
be  summarised.  Shah  Niishirwan  collected  the  tradi- 
tions and  deposited  the  MSS.  in  his  library. 
Yazdagird,  the  last  of  the  Sasanians,  employed  the 
Dihkan  Danishwar  to  catalogue  and  supplement  these 
histories  and  arrange  them  in  chronological  order  from 
the  reign  of  Gaiiimart  to  that  of  Khusrau  Parwiz. 
At  the  time  of  the  Muharnmadan  conquest  of  Persia 
they  were  sent  to  'Umar,  the  commander  of  the  faith- 
ful, who  had  them  translated  and  only  partially 
approved  of  their  contents.  In  the  general  division 
of  the  Persian  spoil  the  books  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Abyssinians,  who  presented  them  to  King  Jasha, 
who  had  them  translated  and  highly  commended 
them.  They  became  well  known  in  his  dominions 
and  in  Hind,  whence  they  were  brought  by  Ya'kiib 
Lais,  who  commanded  Abii  Mansiir,  son  of  Abdu'r- 
Razzak,  to  transcribe  into  Persian  what  Danishwar 
the  Dihkan  had  told  in  Pahlavi,  and  complete  the 
history  from  the  time  of  Khusrau  Parwiz  to  the  end 
of  the  reign  of  Yazdagird.  Abu  Mansiir  instructed 
an  officer  of  his  father's,  Su'iid,  son  of  Mansiir  Alma- 
'mari,  in  conjunction  with  four  others — Taj,  son  of 
Khurasan!  of  Harat,  Yazdandad,  son  of  Shapiir  of 
Sistan,  Mahwi,  son  of  Khurshid  of  Nishapiir,  and 
Shadan,  son  of  Barzin1  of  Tiis — to  undertake  the 
task.  When  the  house  of  the  Sdmanids  came  into 
power  they  took  the  greatest  interest  in  the  work 
thus  translated,  and  entrusted  it  to  the  poet  Dakiki 
to  put  into  verse.  When  he  had  written  one  or  two 
thousand  couplets  he  was  murdered  by  his  slave,  and 
thus  the  matter  remained  till  the  days  of  Mahmiid, 
who  encouraged  Firdausi  to  complete  the  work. 

1  C   has    Sulaiman    son   of  Nfirin  —  a  mistake    or    misprint.      Cf. 
NT,  xxv. 


68  INTRODUCTION 

As  Baisinghar  Khan's  preface  dates  from  the  first 
quarter  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  contains  much 
that  is  obviously  romantic,  it  is  needful  to  receive  the 
above  account  with  all  caution.  Even  when  we  have 
rejected  the  story  of  King  Jasha  and  the  Abyssinians 
we  are  still  confronted  by  a  chronological  impossi- 
bility. Ya'kiib,  the  son  of  Lais  the  coppersmith,  died 
in  A.D.  878.  Abu  Mansiir,  who  had  the  work  of 
the  Dihkan  Danishwar  translated,  was  a  brother  of 
Muhammad,  son  of  Abdu'r-Razzak,  and  this  Muham- 
mad was  prince  of  Tiis  in  the  middle  of  the  tenth 
century,1  in  the  days  when  Firdausi  was  growing 
up.  Ya'kiib  and  Abu  Mansiir  were  therefore  not 
contemporaries.  Ya'kiib  had  worked  in  his  father's 
shop  as  a  youth,  he  then  became  a  robber-chief, 
and  finally  fought  his  way  to  what  was  practically 
the  lordship  of  Iran.  As  a  native  of  Sistan,  the 
home  of  a  race  whose  warlike  proclivities  were 
symbolised  in  the  legendary  exploits  and  character 
of  the  national  hero  of  Iran,  Rustam,  or  as  the  founder 
of  a  new  dynasty,  for  political  reasons  he  may  have 
taken  an  interest  in  the  old  traditions ;  but  he  could 
not  have  commissioned  Abii  Mansiir  to  do  the  work 
for  him,  and  it  will  be  safer  to  dismiss  the  notion 
that  he  interested  himself  in  the  compilation  of  the 
Dihkan  Danishwar  as  highly  problematical.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  statement  in  Baisinghar  Khan's  pre- 
face that  Abii  Mansiir  did  have  a  Shahnama  compiled 
is  confirmed  by  the  learned  Abii  Raihan  Muhammad  bin 
'Ahmad  Albiriini  (A.D.  973—1048)  in  his  "  Chronology 
of  Ancient  Nations."2  Again  we  may  be  somewhat 
sceptical  as  to  whether  a  Dihkan  named  Danishwar 
ever  existed,  but  we  may  concede  that  the  ancient 
traditions  were  collected  and  edited  by  some  learned 
(danishwar)  Dihkdn  and  indeed  by  many  such. 

1  NT,  xxiv. 
2  Eng.  trans,  by  Dr.  E.  Sachau,  119. 


INTRODUCTION  69 

The  names  of  the  five  men  employed  by  Abu 
Mansiir  are  all  Persian,  and  the  men  themselves  were 
in  all  probability  Magi,  for  none  but  they  would  be 
likely  to  know  Pahlavi  in  the  tenth  century.  One  of 
the  five,  Shadan  son  of  Barzin,  is  mentioned  by  Fir- 
dausi as  his  authority  for  the  story  of  the  introduction 
into  Persia  of  Bidpai's  Fables  in  the  reign  of  Nushir- 
wan.1  Dakfki,  the  poet  who  was  first  entrusted  with 
the  task  of  versifying  the  Shahnama,  was  a  fire- 
worshipper,  as  four  lines  of  his  bear  witness : — 

"  Of  all  of  this  world's  good  and  ill 
Four  things  Dakiki  chooseth  still — 
Girl's  ruby  lips,  the  sound  of  lyre, 
The  blood-red  wine,  the  Faith  of  Fire." 

Firdausi  tells  us  in  his  Prelude,  §  10,  that  when  on 
Dakiki's  murder  he  determined  to  carry  on  the  work 
himself  he  had  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  needful 
materials  for  the  purpose,  and  was  for  a  while  non- 
plussed by  want  of  them.  His  statement  seems  to 
require  some  explanation,  for,  in  addition  to  the  con- 
siderable Pahlavi  literature  then  extant,  the  collections 
made  by  learned  Dihkans  had  been  translated  into 
Arabic,  and  were  obtainable  in  numerous  histories  in 
that  language.  Albiriini  tells  us  that  the  poet  Abii- 
'Ali  Muhammad  bin  'Ahmad  Albalkhi  in  his  Shahnama 
refers  to  the  authors  of  five  such  separate  histories  as 
his  authorities.2  If,  however,  we  accept  Noldeke's 
view  that  Firdausi,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  assertions 
to  the  contrary,  knew  no  Pahlavi,  was  as  good  as 
ignorant  of  Arabic,  and  used  only  authorities  written 
in  the  Persian  of  his  own  day,3  we  can  understand  his 
difficulty  about  his  materials.  He  could  make  no 
progress  till  he  had  obtained  a  copy  of  Abu  Mansiir's 
Shahnama,  perhaps  the  identical  copy  used  by  Dakiki. 
The  poet  in  fact  seems  to  speak  of  his  Pahlavi 

1  C,  1746.  2  Eng.  trans.,  p.  108.  3  NT,  xxiii. 


70  INTRODUCTION 

authorities  as  we  might  speak  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures, 
meaning  the  Old  Testament,  though  we  may  know 
them  only  in  the  English  version.  His  chief  authority 
was  doubtless  the  Shahnama  of  AbuMansur,  which  as 
we  have  seen  had  been  translated  into  modern  Persian 
directly  from  Pahlavi  originals.  He  also  used,  as  it 
would  seem,  translations  into  modern  Persian  of 
Arabic  histories  themselves  translated  from  Pahlavi 
originals.  Certain  passages  in  the  Shahnama,  where 
Iblis  is  substituted  for  Ahriman  as  the  name  of  the 
evil  principle,  may  be  attributed  with  confidence  to 
such  secondary  authorities.  Pahlavi  originals l  and 
Arabic  versions  have  alike  disappeared,  and  the  Shah- 
nama of  Firdausi,  which  alone  survives  of  all  the  many 
Shahnamas  that  once  existed,  has  now  become  the 
principal  storehouse  of  Iranian  legend,  and  the  leading 
authority  on  the  subject.  The  Sbahnama  of  Firdausi 
then  is  a  true  epic,  not  a  great  poet  s  invention,  and 
the  proof  is  to  be  found  in  the  nature  of  his  subject- 
matter  and  in  his  own  words.  He  expressly  disclaims 
all  originality,  telling  us  that  the  tale  had  all  been  told 
before,  and  that  all  the  fruit  that  had  fallen  in  the 
garden  of  knowledge  had  been  already  garnered.  His 
share  was  to  mould  into  song  the  epos  of  his  native 
land,  scorning  no  tale,  however  lowly,  and  putting  the 
best  and  purest  interpretation  on  all  that  he  found.2 

1  With  a  few  exceptions  which  will  come  up  for  notice  in  due  course. 

2  The  Zandavasta  as  we  possess  it  is  a  Bible  in  ruins.    Of  the  twenty- 
one  Nasks  or  Books  of  which  it  is  said  to  have  consisted  only  two  are 
extant  in  their  entirety,  and  these  two  are  precisely  those  which  the 
Magi  would  know  best — the  law  of  ceremonial  observances,  and  the 
hymns  and  litanies  most  frequently  used  in  public  worship.     In  addi- 
tion we  have  fragments  of  most  of  the  others,  and  certain  summaries, 
paraphrases,  and  comments  on  them  in  Pahlavi  which  enable  us  to 
form  a  fair  notion  of  the  general  contents  of  the  Zandavasta  as  a 
whole.     Thus  the  Dinkard  or  "  Acts  of  the  Faith  "  contains  a  summary 
of  nineteen  of  the  twenty-one  Nasks,  while  the  Bundahish  or  "  Original 
Creation  "  preserves  for  us  the  account  of  the  creation  as  it  was  told 
in  the  lost  Dstmddd  Nask  or  "  Creatures  produced." 


INTRODUCTION  71 

The  cosmogony  of  the  poem  assumes  the  earth  to 
be  flat  and  to  be  supported  on  the  horns  of  a  bull 
which  stood  on  the  back  of  a  fish  which  swam  in  the 
great  ocean.1  The  earth  was  environed  by  the  gigantic 
Alburz  Mountains  which  reached  to  heaven.2  The 
range  was  pierced  by  1 80  apertures  in  the  East,  and 
1 80  in  the  West.  Through  these  the  sun  made  its 
daily  entrance  and  exit,  travelling  round  the  outside 
during  the  night  from  the  West  back  to  the  East.3 
The  apertures  were  intended  to  account  for  the  changes 
of  place  in  the  rising  and  the  setting  of  the  sun 
throughout  the  year.  The  earth  was  divided  into 
Seven  Climes,  the  central  being  fran,  which  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  other  six  and  was  as  large  as  all 
the  rest  put  together.  It  was  divided  from  them 
by  vast  mountain  ranges.*  The  Central  Clime  was 
also  surrounded  by  the  Eastern  equivalent  of  the 
Homeric  Oceanus  or  Ocean-stream,  for  the  Indus, 
Oxus,  Aras,  Euxine,  Bosphorus,  Sea  of  Marmora, 
Dardanelles,  Nile,  and  Indian  Ocean  were  regarded 
as  a  chain  of  rivers,  lakes,  gulfs,  and  seas  all  in 
connection  with  each  other.5  This  confusion,  especi- 
ally as  regards  the  Oxus  and  the  Aras,  frequently 
seems  to  have  misled  the  poet  himself.  He  was  a 
native  of  Eastern  Iran,  and  naturally  supposed  that 
the  river  so  constantly  referred  to  in  the  poem  as 
the  boundary  between  fran  and  Tiiran  was  the  Oxus. 
He  shaped  matters  accordingly,  but  it  can  hardly  be 
doubted  that  the  river  of  his  authorities  was  the 
Aras.6  The  substitution  of  Aras  for  Oxus  throws  a 
flood  of  light  upon  the  wars,  campaigns,  and  political 
relations  recorded  in  the  Shahnama,  especially  during 
the  first  and  longest  portion  of  the  Mythic  Period. 

1  Cf.  Lane,  "  Arabian  Nights,"    i.   19,  note  2,  and  Nicholas,  "  Le 
Quatrains  de  Kheyam,"  168,  and  note. 

2  WPT,  i.  35.    "  *  Id.  22.  4  Id.  32-33 
5  WPT,  i.  77,  and  notes.          6  DZA,  i.  4 ;  WPT,  i.  80. 


72  INTRODUCTION 

The  position  of  the  Medes  on  the  Aras  explains 
how  the  incursions  into  Azarbijan  of  the  Assyrians 
in  early,  and  of  the  Arabs  in  later,  times  came  to  be 
embodied  in  the  story,  how  we  come  to  have  the 
wars  with  the  Turanians  brought  so  prominently 
before  us,  why  the  arch-enemy  Afrasiyab  is  recorded 
to  have  been  taken  prisoner  in  lake  Urumiah,  and 
why  the  writer  of  the  Armenian  history  who  passes 
under  the  name  of  Moses  of  Chorene  couples  the  two 
great  enemies  of  the  Medes  hi  his  account  of  Persian 
fable : — "  Quid  autem  tibi  sunt  voluptati  viles  ac  vanae 
de  Byraspe  Astyage  fabulae  ?  "  Byrasp  or  Biwarasp 
is  the  Pahlavi  term  for  Zahhak.  Astyages  was  the 
great  Turanian  king  of  Ekbatana  and  sometime  over- 
lord of  Cyrus.  The  vast  spaces  and  regions  of  the 
Oxus  have  always  been  a  difficulty  to  the  student  of 
the  Shahnama,  but  substitute  the  comparatively  narrow 
area  between  the  Caspian  and  the  Euxine  and  much 
is  explained.2 

Thus  far  Firdausi  follows  the  old  Iranian  cosmogony. 
In  the  case  of  the  heavens  he  rejects  it ;  and  its  four 
heavens  of  the  Stars,  of  the  Moon,  of  the  Sun,  and  of 
the  Endless  Lights,  become  nine  in  the  poem — those 
of  the  seven  planets,  of  the  angels,  and  of  the  throne 
of  God.  These  heavens  were  supposed  to  be  crystal- 
line spheres  with  independent  motions  and  fitting  one 
inside  another  like  Chinese  boxes.  The  seven  planets 
are  the  Sun,  Moon,  Mercury,  Mars,  Venus,  Jupiter,  and 
Saturn. 

Firdausi  took  his  imagery  chiefly  from  the  ancient 
cosmogony,  or  from  the  natural  features  of  his  native 
land.  A  Shah's  dominion  extends  from  the  Moon  to 
the  Fish,  or  all  the  Seven  Climes  obey  him.  Armies 
stretch  from  mountain  to  mountain,  or  from  sea  to  sea. 
The  warriors'  heads  touch  the  Sun  or  Saturn.  The 

1  Mosis  Chorenensis,  ed.  Whiston,  77. 

2  DZA,  i.  Introd.  1. 


INTRODUCTION  73 

warriors  themselves  are,  or  are  like,  mountains,  lions, 
elephants,  leopards,  and  crocodiles,  they  level  the  hills 
with  their  battle-cries,  and  pierce  with  their  spears 
the  hearts  of  flints.  Their  palaces  and  castles  bar  the 
eagle's  flight,  rise  above  the  clouds  or  hold  converse 
with  the  stars.  Troops  throng  like  locusts  and  ants, 
and  even  gnats  can  find  no  room  to  pass  them.  In 
battle  the  field  or  even  the  whole  world  is  a  sea  or 
stream  of  gore.  A  tiger  bestrides  an  elephant  and 
brandishes  a  crocodile,  which  being  interpreted  means 
that  a  cavalier  waves  his  sword.  Swords  too  are,  or 
are  like,  diamonds ;  while  spears  turn  the  earth  to  a 
reed-bed.  One  horse  is  so  keen  of  sight  that  it  can  see 
an  ant's  foot  on  black  cloth  at  night  two  leagues  away. 
Kapid  motion  is  compared  to  fire  or  to  its  spirit 
Azargashasp,  who  is  often  an  equivalent  for  the 
lightning,  to  wind,  smoke,  or  dust,  the  last  being  the 
commonest  figure  in  the  poem.  The  reader,  like  the 
poet,  will  find  it  ubiquitous,  and  will  not  fail  to  notice  in 
the  accounts  of  marches,  battlefields,  and  single  combats, 
&c.,  that  the  sky,  sun,  moon,  &c.,  are  said  to  grow  like 
indigo  or  ebony,  or  to  become  veiled  or  to  turn  dark 
at  noonday,  &c.  The  allusion  is  to  the  dust.  To  say 
that  the  air  darkened  is  often  merely  another  way  of 
saying  that  the  dust  rose ;  and  both,  and  kindred  ex- 
pressions, are  in  constant  use  to  indicate  that  hosts 
or  individuals  have  set  forth  on  some  expedition, 
are  approaching  or  engaging  in  battle,  &c.  Opposed 
to  the  dust — the  enemy,  is  water — the  friend.  "  Where 
land  and  water  are  my  treasure  is,"  says  one  of  the 
Shahs  in  the  poem,  and  the  poet  compares  the  joy 
of  having  one's  work  approved  by  the  wise  to  that  of 
seeing  plenty  of  water  in  one's  own  canal.  Conse- 
quently it  is  not  the  blue  but  the  cloudy  sky  that 
delights  the  Persian  eye,  and  spring,  with  its  clouds 
and  thunder- showers,  flowers,  and  verdure,  is  the 
favourite  season.  "  The  hand  of  Mahrmid,"  says  the 


74  INTRODUCTION 

poet,  "  is  like  a  cloud  in  spring."  Perpetual  spring 
is  the  Persian's  notion  of  a  perfect  climate.  A  king 
adorns  his  rose-garden  like  spring,  i.e.  he  summons 
all  his  great  men  about  him  and  holds  a  court. 
The  Persian  year  began  with  the  spring,  and  the 
beginning  of  the  New  Year  was  a  season  of  rejoicing. 
The  cheek  in  joy  or  health  is  like  the  rose,  tulip, 
pomegranate,  or  Judas-tree  blossoms,  in  fear  or  passion 
like  those  of  jasmine  or  fenugreek,  or  as  colourless 
as  sandarach,  the  transparent  gum  of  the  Callitris 
Quadrivalvis,  of  which  pounce  is  made.  In  passion, 
too,  or  fear,  the  body  shakes  like  a  willow-tree,  the 
heart  and  liver  become  full  of  blood,  the  veins  throb 
and  the  blood  itself  boils.  The  narcissus  bedews  the 
rose  when  beauty  weeps.  Stature  is  like  the  cypress, 
which  is  also  the  tree  of  the  burial-ground,  the  tree 
of  posthumous  fame,  or  like  the  teak.  In  old  age 
the  straight-stemmed  cypress  stoops.  A  youth  of 
promise  is  a  sapling  bearing  its  first  fruits.  To 
take  any  important  step  is  to  plant  a  tree  it  may 
be  of  revenge  or  of  some  prudent  act  of  policy, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  tree  will  according  to  circum- 
stances turn  out  to  be  either  gems  or  colocynth.  The 
poet  is  fond  of  moralising  on  life,  its  transient  nature 
and  vicissitudes.  His  favourite  figure  for  the  former  is 
the  wayside  caravanserai  or  inn  where  as  pilgrims  or 
travellers  we  sojourn  for  a  brief  space,  and  then 
departing  yield  our  room  to  others ;  for  the  latter  he 
appeals  to  the  configuration  of  his  native  land — the 
apparently  endless  alternation  of  ascent  and  descent 
with  which  all  who  have  sojourned  in  those  parts  are 
well  acquainted — or  by  a  bolder  flight  describes  how 
a  man  is  raised  to  Saturn  or  the  Pleiades  only  to  be 
flung  into  the  ditch  or  to  the  Fish — the  mythological 
one  referred  to  above. 

Like  other   poets  Firdausi   suffered  from   the  con- 
straint of  rhyme.     When  for  instance  we  find  "  Balkh  " 


INTRODUCTION  75 

at  the  end  of  one  hemistich  of  a  couplet,  "  talkh"  is 
pretty  certain  to  be  at  the  end  of  the  other,  and  as 
"  talkh  "  means  "  bitter"  the  sense  of  such  passages  is 
apt  to  be  strained.  Similarly  the  changes  are  rung  with 
great  frequency  on  the  words  "  nil  "  (indigo  or  the  Nile), 
"mil"  (a  mile),  and  "pil"  (an  elephant)  as  verse- 
endings.  The  first  of  these  three  words  is  one  of  the 
translator's  "  thorns  in  the  flesh,"  the  poet  using  it  in 
so  many  different  connections  that  it  is  impossible  to 
tind  a  formula  of  explanation  that  will  cover  them  all. 
Relief  from  an  English  point  of  view  is  sometimes  ob- 
tained by  substituting,  with  Mohl,  "  blue  sea  "  for  "  River 
Nile,"  but  the  best  antidote,  as  Firdausi  would  say,  for 
the  bane  of  the  word  is  Butler's  couplet : — 

"For  rhyme  the  rudder  is  of  verses, 
With  which,  like  ships,  they  steer  their  courses." 

In  other  words,  the  poet  uses  "  nil  "  for  the  sound  more 
often  than  for  the  sense,  and  translator  and  reader 
alike  must  take  the  consequence ;  but  they  are  at  all 
events  exonerated  from  seeking  in  such  passages  for 
some  recondite  meaning  which  Firdausi  himself  never 
intended  to  convey. 


CHAPTER    III 

TEXT     AND     TRANSLATION 

UP  to  the  beginning  of  last  century  the  Shahnama 
existed  in  MS.  only.  Since  then  five  more  or  less 
complete  editions  have  appeared  in  print : — 

i.  In  1808  Dr  Lumsden  undertook  to  superintend 
an  edition  of  the  poem,  one  volume  of  which  was 
published  at  Calcutta  in  1 8 1 1 ,  but  the  publication 
went  no  further.  This  edition  will  be  referred  to 
as  L. 

ii.  In  1829  Turner  Macan,  who  must  always 
hold  the  place  of  honour  among  the  editors  of  the 
poem,  after  devoted  labour  in  collation  of  MSS., 
published  at  Calcutta  in  four  volumes  the  first  and 
only  complete  edition,  the  earlier  portion  of  the  text 
being  based  on  that  of  L.  This  edition  will  be  referred 
to  as  C. 

iii.  In  1838  Jules  Mohl  published  the  first  volume 
of  his  most  sumptuous  edition  at  the  expense  of  the 
French  government.  Six  volumes  have  appeared ; 
but  the  work  was  never  finished  owing  to  the  death  of 
the  editor.  This  edition  is  based  on  an  independent 
collation  of  MSS.,  and  includes  a  French  prose  transla- 
tion as  well  as  the  Persian  text.1  This  edition  will  be 
referred  to  as  P. 

iv.  In  1850  a  complete  lithographed  edition  in  one 
volume  folio,  edited  by  Muhammad  Mahdi,  a  native  of 

1  It  should  be  added  that  the  French  translation  has  been  completed 
by  M.  Bar  bier  de  Meynard  from  the  text  of  C,  and  the  whole  transla- 
tion has  been  published  separately  by  the  late  Madame  Mohl. 

76 


INTRODUCTION  77 

Ispahan,  was  published  at  Tihrdn.  The  text  is  a  re- 
print of  that  of  C,  with  occasional  variations,  *  some  of 
which  are  of  value.  This  edition  will  be  referred  to 
as  T. 

v.  In  1 877  J.  A.  Vullers  published  the  first  volume 
of  his  edition,  and  two  other  volumes  have  since 
appeared.  The  publication  of  the  third  volume 
was  interrupted  by  the  lamented  death  of  the  editor, 
but  has  since  been  completed  from  the  materials 
left  by  him  by  Samuel  Lindauer.  Even  thus  the 
edition  contains  only  about  the  first  half  of  the  entire 
poem.  This  edition  is  based  on  the  collation  of  the 
texts  of  C  and  P,  with  occasional  readings  from  L 
and  T,  and  other  sources.  This  edition  will  be  referred 
to  as  V. 

The  only  complete  European  translations  of  the 
Shahnama  hitherto  published  are  the  French  one 
above  mentioned  and  an  Italian  one  in  verse  by 
Signer  Pizzi.  Translations  and  summaries  of  portions 
of  the  poem  have  appeared  in  English  and  German. 
The  indulgence  both  of  the  Persian  scholar  and  of 
the  English  reader  is  asked  on  behalf  of  this  the  first 
English  translation  of  the  poem  as  a  whole  in  view 
of  the  magnitude  and  difficulty  of  the  undertaking. 
Our  prime  object  has  been  to  produce  a  clear  and 
intelligible  rendering,  and  with  this  end  in  view  we 
have  found  it  needful  to  dispense  with  certain  re- 
dundances in  the  original.  All  these  probably  may  be 
grouped  under  the  following  heads — variant,  corrupt, 
and  spurious  passages;  repetitions,  tautologies,  and 
platitudes ;  and  idiomatic  and  grammatical  construc- 
tions that  proved  intractable.  Those  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  original  will  readily  understand 
what  these  omissions  amount  to ;  those  unacquainted 
with  it  may  easily  find  out  by  comparing  our  version 
with  that  of  M.  Mohl.  Both  will,  we  think,  admit 
that  we  have  left  the  fable  absolutely  intact,  that 


78  INTRODUCTION 

we  have  scrupulously  avoided  cutting  to  the  quick 
and  have  done  nothing  to  forfeit  our  claim  to  call 
this  the  first  complete  English  translation  of  the 
Shahnama. 

Our  version  is  metrical,  partly  rhymed  and  partly 
unrhymed.  The  rhymed  portion  consists  of  preludes, 
apologues,  sayings  of  wise  men,  songs,  terminal  coup- 
lets, passages  in  which  the  poet  speaks  in  his  own 
person,  and  some  others  that  seemed  to  lend  them- 
selves to  such  treatment.  These  form  a  very  small 
part  of  the  whole,  and  are  generally  line  for  line  with 
the  original,  though  couplets  or  hemistichs  may  be 
sometimes  inverted  for  convenience  in  rendering.  We 
have  changed  the  metre  occasionally  partly  for  the 
sake  of  variety,  partly  to  suit  the  character  of  different 
passages,  and  partly  for  our  own  refreshment  and 
amusement.  The  reader  should,  however,  clearly 
understand  that  a  change  of  metres  implies  no  cor- 
responding change  in  the  original,  of  which  the  metre 
is  the  same  throughout. 

The  unrhymed  portion,  which  forms  the  bulk  of 
the  translation,  and  does  not  aspire  to  the  dignity  of 
being  called  blank  verse,  is  more  condensed  than  the 
rhymed,  though  the  proportion  of  English  to  Persian 
is  constantly  varying ;  sometimes  a  whole  couplet  in 
the  original  is  best  expressed  by  a  single  line  in  the 
translation;  sometimes  a  line  and  a  half,  two  lines  or 
more  in  the  translation  go  to  the  couplet  in  the 
original.  The  average  may  be  roughly  stated  as  three 
English  lines  to  two  Persian  couplets.  The  result  of 
these  various  economies  is  that  our  translation  is  some 
twenty-five  per  cent,  shorter  than  otherwise  it  would 
have  been. 

We  have  followed  the  text  of  V  as  far  as  it  goes, 
silently  incorporating  with  it  all  the  changes  and 
additions  made  by  the  editor  himself  in  his  notes 
and  in  his  Apparatus  Criticus  at  the  end  of  his  first 


INTRODUCTION  79 

volume,  subject  of  course  to  the  heads  of  omissions 
stated  above  and  to  the  occasional  adoption  of  read- 
ings from  other  texts.  These,  we  hope,  we  have  in- 
variably noted. 

When  the  text  of  V  failed  us  Ave  fell  back  upon 
that  of  C,  as  to  which  we  reserve  any  remarks  that 
we  may  find  it  necessary  to  make  till  the  volume  of 
our  translation  is  reached  in  which  the  change  of  text 
occurs. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  called  to  the  follow- 
ing points : — 

1.  It   is  hoped   that  the   Introduction   may   prove 
sufficient  for  those  who  wish  to  read  the  Shahnama 
in  its  English  dress  but  have  no  previous  acquaintance 
with  the   subject.     They  will   find   notes  prefixed   to 
the  principal  divisions  of  the  poem,  but  it  has  been 
thought  desirable  to  avoid  footnotes,  as  far  as  possible, 
to  the  translation  itself. 

2.  The  passages  that  need  the  most  constant  eluci- 
dation are  those  of  a  descriptive,  figurative,  or  meta- 
phorical  character.     An   attempt   has  been   made  to 
explain    the    principal  of   these    once   for   all   in   the 
previous   chapter.     Such   passages  often   might   have 
been  made  self-explanatory  by  a  sufficient  sacrifice  of 
the  imagery  of  the  original.     It  has  seemed   to   us, 
however,  better  to  say  that  the  Shah  dropped  the  ball 
into    the    cup1    or    bestowed    the    kettledrums    upon 
some  one,  than  that  the  Shdh  gave  the  signal  for  the 
host  to  move  or  appointed  some  one  commander-in- 
chief. 

3.  The  structure  of  the   Persian   language  is  very 
loose  grammatically.     One  form,  for  instance,  stands 
for  he,  she,  and  it.     For  the  sake  of  clearness  we  have 
often   substituted    the   noun    for    the    pronoun.       Of 

1  The  cup  was  attached  to  the  side  of  the  elephant  on  which  the 
Shdh  or  commander-in-chief  rode.  Both  cup  and  ball  were  made  of 
what  we  should  call  bell-metal. 


8o  INTRODUCTION 

course  this  involves  a  certain  amount  of  interpreta- 
tion, and  differences  of  opinion  in  some  cases  legiti- 
mately may  exist  as  to  who  or  what  the  person  or 
thing  referred  to  may  be.  On  the  other  hand,  we 
often  find  a  noun  where  in  English  we  should  use  a 
pronoun,  and  we  have  constantly  made  the  substitu- 
tion in  passages  where  no  doubt  can  arise  in  the 
reader's  mind.  Again  the  couplet-form  in  which  the 
poem  is  written  has  a  tendency  to  break  it  up  into 
a  succession  of  short  sentences,  and  this,  added  to  the 
above-mentioned  use  of  the  noun  where  we  should 
naturally  use  the  pronoun  and  to  the  paucity  of  con- 
necting particles,  frequently  makes  the  transition  from 
sentence  to  sentence  somewhat  abrupt  and  the  line 
of  thought  difficult  to  follow.  Often  we  have  carried 
on  sentences  by  the  addition  of  connecting  particles 
which  are  not  in  the  original. 

4.  We   desire    to    make    some   explanations   with 
regard  to  certain  important  words  in  the  original. 

Bdj  and  Zamzam.  By  these  terms  is  known  a 
certain  practice  of  Zoroastrians  which  may  be  para- 
phrased in  English  as  "  taking  prayer  inwardly." 
Before  eating,  washing,  &c.,  it  is  customary  to  mutter 
the  beginning  of  some  sacred  formula,  to  carry  through 
the  operation  in  complete  silence,  and  then  to  utter 
the  rest  of  the  formula  aloud.1  We  have  employed 
such  expressions  as  "  muttering  "or  "  muttered  prayer  " 
to  describe  the  practice.  It  is  sometimes  used  as 
a  pretext  for  obtaining  a  few  moments'  private  con- 
versation. 

Barsam.  This  was  formerly  a  bundle  of  twigs,  but 
now  of  metal  wires  varying  in  number  according  to 
circumstances,  held  in  the  hand  during  the  perform- 
ance of  certain  religious  rites  of  the  Zoroastrians.2 
The  practice  is  clearly  referred  to  in  Ezekiel  viii.  16, 
1 7.  We  translate  "  Barsam  "  by  "  the  sacred  twigs." 

1  WPT,  ii.  134.  2  HEP,  397,  &c. 


INTRODUCTION  81 

Dakhma.  Firdausi  does  not  use  this  word  in  its 
proper  sense — that  in  which  it  is  still  used  by  the 
Parsis  at  the  present  day — but  in  that  of  mausoleum, 
charnel,  or  charnel-house,  and  we  have  so  translated  it.1 

Dihk&n.  The  general  sense  of  this  word  is  that  of 
countryman  as  distinguished  from  townsman.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  fact  that  the  rural  class  in  fran  as 
elsewhere  were  the  chief  repositories  of  the  traditions 
and  folklore  of  their  native  land,  which  were  handed 
down  orally  and  recited  at  local  gatherings  by  those 
best  qualified  for  the  task,  the  word  came  to  have  the 
secondary  meaning  of  bard  or  minstrel,  and  we  have 
rendered  it  according  to  its  first  or  secondary  meaning 
as  the  sense  of  the  passage  required. 

Dindr  and  Diram.  Of  these  the  dinar  was  a  gold 
and  the  diram  a  silver  coin.  The  Attic  drachma  was 
made  the  basis  of  his  monetary  system  by  Alexander 
the  Great,  and  Persia  possessed  no  native  gold  coinage 
till  more  than  five  centuries  later.  It  then  obtained 
one  by  accident.  By  the  terms  of  peace  between 
Ardawan  (Artabanus),  the  last  Parthian  monarch,  and 
the  Emperor  Macrinus,  after  the  great  battle  of  Nisibis 
hi  A.D.  217,  the  latter  agreed  to  pay  to  the  former 
an  indemnity  of  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of 
our  money.  The  sum  seems  to  have  been  chiefly 
paid  in  aurei.  Consequently  when  Ardshir  Papakan 
(Artaxerxes)  became  the  first  Shah  of  the  new  native 
Persian  (Sasanian)  dynasty  in  A.D.  226  he  found  the 
country  flooded  with  two  distinct  coinages  with  no 
recognised  relation  between  them  except  the  rough 
and  ready  one  of  commerce.  He  seems  to  have 
left  matters  to  settle  themselves,  and  in  his  own 
coinage  followed  the  type  of  the  aureus  for  his  gold 
coins  and  that  of  the  drachma  for  his  silver.2  The 

1  A  full  account  of  the  Dakhma  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word  will 
be  found  in  DFKHP,  i.  192-213. 

2  RSM,  69. 

F 


82  INTRODUCTION 

expression  "dindrs  and  dirams"  is  one  frequently 
met  with  in  the  poem,  and  as  it  is  rather  an  in- 
convenient one  metrically  we  have  substituted  the 
older  form  "  drachm  "  for  "  diram." 

Div.  We  retain  this  word  as  in  the  original. 
When  spelt  with  a  capital  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  equiva- 
lent to  Ahriman  or  Iblis,  except  in  the  collocations 
"Black  Div"  and  "White  Div."  When  spelt  with 
a  small  letter  it  may  mean  either  a  demon  or  a 
member  of  some  savage  or  outlandish  tribe.1 

Farr.  The  "  farr "  was  regarded  as  the  special 
divine  endowment  of  the  Iranian  race — the  favoured 
people  of  Urmuzd — and  as  an  object  of  envy  or  ambi- 
tion to  the  neighbouring  peoples.  It  was  regarded  in 
the  Zandavasta  as  something  material,  that  could  be 
sought,  seized,  and  carried  off,  and  even  in  the  Shahnama 
we  find  a  few  occasions  when  it  assumes  a  visible 
form.  Each  of  the  three  primitive  castes  into  which 
the'  Iranians  were  divided  had  its  own  special  tl  farr," 
while  the  Shah  united  all  three  in  his  own  person,  and 
the  possession  of  the  threefold  "  farr "  constituted 
his  title  to  the  throne.  There  is  an  instance  in  the 
present  volume  where  after  the  death  of  a  Shah  his 
two  sons  are  both  passed  over  in  the  succession  as  not 
being  possessed  of  the  "  farr."  Firdausi,  it  should  be 
noted,  gives  himself  great  latitude  in  the  use  of  this 
and  many  other  expressions,  but  wherever  the  word 
appears  to  be  used  in  its  correct  sense  we  render  it 
by  "  Grace  "  or  "  Glory." 

Farsang.  The  farsang  is  a  measure  of  length,  and 
we  have  always  translated  it  as  "  league,"  although  it 
is  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  longer  than  our 
English  league. 

Khil'at.  The  word  properly  means  a  robe  bestowed 
by  a  ruler  from  his  own  wardrobe  on  some  one  as  a 
sign  of  special  favour.  As  it  was  accompanied  bj 

1  Cf.  the  Chinese  expression  "  foreign  devils." 


INTRODUCTION  83 

other  gifts  it  came  to  mean  gifts  generally  when 
bestowed  by  the  ruler  on  a  subject.  We  usually  trans- 
late the  word  as  "  robe  of  honour." 

Maiddn.  This  word  properly  means  a  level  piece 
of  ground  attached  to  palaces  or  cities  and  used  for 
purposes  of  exercise  or  pastime.  Hence  it  comes  to 
mean  any  level  stretch  of  country,  the  space  between 
two  hostile  hosts  on  which  opposing  champions  would 
ride  out  and  contend,  a  battlefield,  park,  &c.  We 
have  adopted  various  translations  of  the  word  to  express 
these  various  meanings. 

Miibid.  The  word  properly  means  a  chief  priest  of 
the  Magi,  but  is  often  merely  equivalent  to  "  sage," 
and  is  sometimes  used  of  priests  of  other  religious 
denominations.  When  used  in  its  proper  sense  we 
translate  it  by  "archmage"  or  "  archimage,"  when 
used  generally  by  "  priest."  The  expression  "  miibid-i 
miibi-dan,"  i.e.  chief  of  the  miibids,  we  always  trans- 
late by  "  high  priest." 

Pahlavi  and  Pahlavdn.  The  first  of  these  two  words 
has  been  already  explained.1  We  render  it  by  such 
phrases  as  "  olden  tongue,"  &c.  The  second  is  applied 
by  Firdausi  to  all  his  chief  Iranian  characters  other 
than  the  Shahs,  for  the  Pahlavan  was  essentially  a 
subject.  The  chief  Pahlavdn  was  the  protagonist  or 
champion  of  the  race  for  the  time  being  but  not 
necessarily  commander-in- chief.  Sometimes  he  was 
kept  in  reserve  as  a  last  resort  when  matters  were 
going  very  badly.  The  office  was  hereditary  in  the 
heroic  family  of  Garshasp,  and  Rustam,  with  whom  its 
mythic  glory  becomes  extinct,  was  its  chief  exponent. 
We  translate  by  "  paladin." 

Pari.  It  is  hard  to  realise  that  this  word,  which  in 
Arab  lips  would  become  "  Fari,"  is  not  connected  with 
"  fairy,"  but  it  appears  that  for  the  etymology  of  the 
latter  we  must  go  to  the  Latin  "  Fata."  In  meaning, 

1  p.  64. 


84  INTRODUCTION 

however,  our  "  fairy  "  and  "  fay  "  are  the  nearest  English 
equivalents,  and  we  have  so  rendered  the  word. 

Sardparda. — We  translate  this  word  by  "  camp  en- 
closure." The  saraparda  was  a  screen  of  canvas  or 
other  material  encircling  an  encampment. 

5.  Some   of  the  chief  characters  in  the   poem  are 
known    in    the    original    by    several    titles.     Zal,    the 
father  of  Rustam,  is   also  called   Zal-i-Zar,   Dastan-i- 
Zand,  Dastan-i-Sam,  or  simply  Dastan ;  Rustam  him- 
self is  frequently  referred  to  as  the  son  of  Zdl,  the 
Elephant-bodied,  the  Matchless,    &c.,    and    there    are 
other  instances   of  duplicate  names.     To   follow   the 
original    in   this   respect   would   involve    the    English 
reader  in  hopeless  confusion,  and  we  have   therefore 
in  such  cases  selected  one  name  for  a  character  and 
kept  to  it,  or  if  we  employ  a  duplicate  we  only  do  it 
in  such  a  context  that  no  doubt  is  possible  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  person  referred  to. 

Again,  the  poet  uses  the  word  Shah  in  a  very  wide 
connection,  but  we  employ  it  only  when  one  of  the  forty- 
nine  rulers  of  Iran  or  the  Sultan  Mahmiid  is  referred 
to.  Where  the  word  is  applied  to  others  than  the 
above  we  translate  it  by  king  or  monarch,  &c.  We 
have  carried  out  the  same  principle  in  other  cases 
where  it  seemed  to  us  that  obscurity  might  arise. 
The  above  are  merely  given  as  instances. 

6.  With  regard  to  the  spelling  of  proper  names  we 
have  followed  the  original  with  a  few  exceptions.     We 
have  kept  Caesar  instead  of  Kaisar,  Riiman  instead  of 
Riimi,  Indian  instead  of  Hindi,  and  there  may  be  a 
few  more  instances.1 

For  Khakan  we  invariably  substitute  the  shorter 
form  Khan,  as  the  expression  "  the  Khdkdn  of  Chin " 
is  inconvenient  metrically. 

1  In  the  transliteration  of  proper  names  the  best  rule  seems  to  be 
to  retain  the  thoroughly  familiar  in  their  familiar  forms.  For  the 
English  reader  "Caesar  said"  is  better  than  "  Kaisar  said,"  or,  more 
correctly,  "  Qaisar  said." 


INTRODUCTION  85 

In  the  Persian  the  letter  k  in  the  word  Kabul  for 
instance  is  a  different  letter  from  that  beginning  the 
name  of  the  hero  Karan,  which  in  accord  to  present 
usage  should  be  spelt  Qaran.  Similarly  the  z  in  the 
word  Zabul  is  a  different  letter  from  that  in  Azargashasp, 
but  we  thought  that  on  the  whole  it  was  better  not  to 
make  such  distinctions. 

7.  In  cases  in  which  it  seemed  to  us  that  ambiguity 
might  arise  we  have  spelt  words  used  metaphorically 
with  a  capital  letter. 

8.  Those  who   desire   to   compare    our    translation 
with  the  original  will  find  on  the  pages  of  the  former 
references  to  the  corresponding   pages   of  the  latter. 
For    instance,  V.    233    against    a    line    indicates    the 
beginning    of   that    page    in   Vullers'   edition    of   the 
text. 

9.  A    note    on    pronunciation    will    be    found    im- 
mediately preceding  the  translation  in  each  volume. 

i  o.  The  headings  of  the  reigns,  parts,  and  sections 
are  reprinted  at  the  end  of  the  volume  to  serve  as  a 
Table  of  Contents. 

1 1 .  A  list   of  some  previous  translations,  the  old 
Persian  calendar,  some  genealogical  tables,  and  a  note 
on  abbreviations  are  appended. 

1 2.  Finally   we    have   to    ask    our   readers  not   to 
judge,  and  in  all  probability  condemn,  this  work  on  the 
strength  of  its  first  few  pages.     The  Prelude  and  the 
initial   reigns    are    most    difficult    to    make   anything 
of   in    a    translation.     This    is    not  wholly   our    own 
fault.     The  poet  himself,  as  readers  of  the   original 
will  bear  witness,  labours  heavily,  embarrassed  perhaps 
by  the  character  of  his  subject-matter.     "  The  poem," 
says  Professor  Noldeke,  "  does  not  obtain  real  life  till 
the  reign  of  Jamshid. "       In  spite  of  the  heroic  tale  of 
Kawa  the  smith,  and   the  pathetic  misadventure  of 
Iraj,  and  much  else  that  is  both  curious  and  interest- 

*  NIN/37. 


86  INTRODUCTION 

ing,  we  should  be  inclined  to  put  the  beginning  of 
the  "real  life"  later  still.  At  all  events  the  reader 
will  find  the  poem  growing  in  interest  reign  by 
reign  till  poet  and  poein  appear  at  their  best  in 
the  charming  tale  which  fills  for  us  the  reign  of 
Minuchihr. 


PREVIOUS   TRANSLATORS   OF  THE 
SHiHNAMA 

FRENCH. 
MOHL,  already  referred  to,  p.  76. 

ITALIAN. 

Pizzi,  Firdusi.  II  Libro  dei  Eei.  Vols.  i.-viii.  Torino,  1886- 
1888.  [This  is  a  complete  metrical  translation  with  an  elaborate 
Introduction.] 

GERMAN. 

GORRES,  Das  Heldenbuch  von  Iran  aus  den  Schah  Nameh  des 
Firdusi.  Berlin,  1820.  [The  translation  extends  from  the  beginning 
of  the  history  to  the  death  of  Rustani.  It  has  a  long  and  strange 
Introduction  and  a  quaint  map  of  the  scene  of  the  Shahnama.j 

SCHACK,  Heldensagen  von  Firdausi.  Berlin,  1865.  [The  transla- 
tion extends  from  Faridun  to  the  death  of  Rustam.] 

RUCKERT,  Firdosi's  Konigsbuch.  Sage  i.-xxvi.  Berlin,  1890- 
1895.  [This  extends  as  far  as  Rustam  and  Suhrab.] 

ENGLISH. 

JONES,  Commentarii  poeseos  Asiaticae.  London,  1774.  [In  this 
work  some  passages  from  the  Shahnama  are  translated  for  the  first 
time  into  an  European  language.] 

CHAMPION,  The  Poems  of  Ferdosi.  Calcutta,  1785.  [The  transla- 
tion extends  from  the  beginning  of  the  history  to  the  birth  of 
Rustam.] 

ATKINSON,  Soordb.  Calcutta,  1814.  TheShdh  Nameh  translated 
and  abridged  in  prose  and  verse.  London,  1832.  [This  work  gives 
a  summary  of  the  history,  with  short  passages  of  translation  inter- 
spersed, up  to  the  death  of  Sikandar  (Alexander  the  Great).] 

WESTON,  Episodes  of  the  Schah-nameh  of  Ferdosee.     1815. 

ROBERTSON,  Roostum  Zeboolah  and  Sohrab.    1829. 

87 


THE  CALENDAR 


THE  old  Persian  year  was  solar  and  began  at  the 
vernal  equinox.  It  consisted  of  365  days  divided 
into  12  months  of  30  days  each,  the  five  extra  days 
being  added  after  the  completion  of  the  twelfth  month 
to  fill  up  the  time  till  the  sun  should  re-enter  Aries, 
and  spring  and  the  new  year  begin  on  the  2 1  st  of 
March.  Each  day  of  the  month  had  its  special  genius 
presiding  over  it,  after  whom  it  was  named,  thus:— 


Day  i.  Urmuzd. 

„  2.  Bah  man. 

„  3.  Ardibihisht. 

„  4.  Sharivar. 

„  5.  Sapandarmad. 

„  6.  Khurdad. 

„  7.  Murdad. 

,  8.  Dai  pa  Adar. 

„  9.  Adar. 

„  10.  Aban. 

„  ii.  Khurshid. 

„  12.  Mah. 

»  13-  Tir. 

„  14.  Gush. 

„  15.  Dai  pa  Mihr. 


Day  1 6.  Mihr. 

17.  Surush. 

1 8.  Rashn. 

19.  Farvardin. 

20.  Bahrain. 

21.  Ram. 

22.  Bad. 

23.  Dai  pa  Din. 

24.  Din. 

25.  Ard. 

26.  Ashtad. 

27.  Asman. 

28.  Zamiyad. 

29.  Mahraspand. 

30.  Anairdn. 


Of  these  thirty  genii  twelve  were  chosen   to  give 
their  names  to  the  months  as  well,  thus: — 


PRING 


SUMMER 


[Farvardin 
-|  Ardibihisht  . 
[Khurdad  .     . 
[Tir       .     .     . 

.     .     March  21     1 
.     .     April  20 
.     .     May  20 
June  19 

,o  April  19. 
,   May  19. 
,   June  1  8. 
,  July  1  8. 
,   August  17. 
,   September  16 

J  Murdad    .     . 
[Sharivar   .     . 

.     .     July  19 
.     .     August  1  8 

INTRODUCTION  89 

(Mihr September  17  to  October  16. 

AUTUMN     .  -JAban October  17         ,   November  15. 


[Adar    ...     .     .     .  November  16 

[Din      :    .     .     .     .  December  r 6 

WINTER     .  4  3ahman    ....  January  1 5 

(Sapandarmad     .     .  February  14 


December  15. 
January  14. 
February  13. 
,   March  15. 


Thus  the  day  Sapandarmad  of  the  month  Khurdad 
would  be  equivalent  to  May  24th,  and  the  day  Khurdad 
of  the  month  Sapandarmad  to  February  ipth. 

Time  was  reckoned  by  days  and  nights,  not  by  nights 
and  days  as  among  the  Jews  and  Muhammadans. 

The  twenty-four  hours  of  the  day  and  night  were 
divided  into  eight  watches  of  three  hours  each. 


INTRODUCTION 


GENEALOGICAL   TABLE    OF   THE   PISHDiDIANS 

(ACCOKDING   TO    THE    SHAHNAMA.) 
G  AIU  MART  (i). 

Siyamak. 
HtJSHANQ  (2). 

TAHMURAS  (3). 


Mardas. 


JAMSHID  (4). 


Shahrinaz=ZAHHAK  (5)=Arnawaz. 


Several  generations. 
Abtin=Faranak. 


1  genera-       3  genera-          Barmaiun.  Kataiun.  Shahrinaz^FARfDUN  (6)=Arnawaz. 
tion.  tions.  \/ 

? 

Pashang. 


Kakwi.  Mihr4b=Sindukht. 

Rudaba=Zal. 

« 

R  us  tarn. 


Salm.       Tfir.  fraj. 

Daughter  =  Son.     Pashang = A  daughter. 
Karkwi.  MINUCHIHR  (7). 

NAUDAR  (8). 


Tua. 


Gustahain. 


Tahmasp. 


ZAV 


(9)- 


GARSHASP  (10) 


INTRODUCTION 


GENEALOGICAL   TABLE    OF    THE    PISHDADIANS. 
(ACCORDING  TO  THE  BUNDAHISH.) 

Gaiumart. 
Mashya. 


Siyamak. 
I 

Fravak. 


HtisHANG  (i). 

I 

Yanghad. 

I 

Vivanghau. 


Taz. 

Virafshang. 
Zain  gav. 


J  AMSHID  (3).    Spitfir.    Narsih.    TAHMURAS  (2).  Mardas. 

11  generations.  ZAHHAK  (4). 


Barmaiun.         Kataiun.         FARID^N  (5). 


Iraj. 


Yanfdar.        Anastokh.        Guzhak  d. 
10  generations. 
MIN6CHIHR  (6). 

I 

NAUDAR  (7). 

Agaimashvak. 

ZAV  (8). 


Tur. 


Duraushasp. 


Turak. 

Zadshain. 

Athrat. 

(TABSHASP  (9). 


Salm. 


THE    KINGS    AND    HEEOES    OF 

(SHA'HNAMA   AND    BUNDAHISH    COMBINED.) 

(6). 


T6B. 


Diiraushasp. 

Spaenyasp. 

Turak. 


PASHANW, 


Wisa. 


Aghriras.     AFRAsiyAB.     Garsiwaz.     Kulbad.     Nastihan.     Pilsam.     Lahhfik. 

Farshidward.  H6man.   Barman.       Piran. 

A  female  de- 
scendant or 
relative=KAi  KAtis  (12). 


Pashang  Jahn. 


A  daughter 
=  Tazhav. 


Ruin.    Gurdgir. 


Surkha. 


Farangis=Siyawush  =  Janra  d.    Ruin 


Kurakhan. 


KAI  KHUSRAU    Fanid. 
(13). 


The  race  becomes  extinct. 


C. — Macau's  edition  of  the  Shahnama. 
L. — Lumsden's  do. 

P.— Mold's  do. 

T.— Tihrfin  do. 

V.— Vullers'  do. 

BAN.  A  plain  and  literal  translation  of  the  Arabian  Nights' 
Entertainments,  now  entitled  the  Book  of  a  Thousand 
Nights  and  a  Night,  &c.  By  Richard  F.  Burton. 

BCM.  The  Chahar  Maqala  ("Four  Discourses")  of  Nidhami-i- 
'Arudi-i-Samarqandi.  Translated  into  English  by 
Edward  G.  Browne,  M.A.,  M.B. 

DEI.         J.  Darmesteter,  Etudes  Iraniennes. 

DFKHP.  History  of  the  Parsis.    By  Dosabhai  Framji  Karaka,  C.S.I. 

DHA.  The  History  of  Antiquity.  From  the  German  of  Professor 
Max  Duncker.  By  the  late  Evelyn  Abbott,  M.A. 

DZA.  Professor  Darmesteter's  Trans,  of  the  Zandavasta  in  the 
Sacred  Books  of  the  East.  Reference  to  Parts 1  and 
pages. 

EP.  Eastern  Persia,  an  Account  of  the  Journeys  of  the  Persian 

Boundary  Commission,  1870-71-72. 

EHI.  The  History  of  India  as  told  by  its  own  Historians.  By 
Sir  H.  M.  Elliot,  K.C.B. 

GDF.  The  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  By  Edward  Gibbon,  Esq.  With  Notes  by 
Dean  Milman  and  M.  Guizot.  Edited,  with  additional 
Notes,  by  William  Smith,  LL.D. 

GHP.        Histoiie  des  Perses  par  le  Comte  de  Gobineau. 

1  The  second  edition  of  Part   I.   is   referred  to   unless   otherwise 
specified. 

93 


94  INTRODUCTION 

HEP.  Essays  on  the  Sacred  Language,  Writings,  and  Religion 
of  the  Parsis.  By  Martin  Haug,  Ph.D.  Edited  and 
enlarged  by  E.  W."  West,  Ph.D. 

HHR.  Historical  Researches.  By  A.  H.  L.  Heeren.  English 
Translation. 

HIE.  The  Indian  Empire.  By  W.  W.  Hunter,  C.S.I.,  C.I.E., 
LL.D. 

KA.  Asia.     By  A.  H.  Keane,  F.R.G.S. 

KUR.  Kitab-i-Yamini  of  Al  Utbi.  Translated  by  the  Rev. 
James  Reynolds,  B.A. 

MHP.        History  of  Persia.     By  Sir  John  Malcolm,  G.C.B. 
MLM.       The  Life  of  Muhammad.     By  William  Muir,  Esq. 

MZA.  Rev.  L.  H.  Mills'  Trans,  of  the  Zaudavasta  in  the  Sacred 
Books  of  the  East.  Reference  to  Part  and  pages. 

NIN.         Das  Iranische  Nationalepos  von  Theodor  Noldeke. 

NSEH.  Sketches  from  Eastern  History.  By  Theodor  Noldeke. 
English  Translation. 

NT.  Geschichte  der  Perser  und  Araber  zur  Zeit  der  Sasaniden. 

Aus  der  Arabischen  Chronik  des  Tabari  Ubersetzt  und 
mit  Ausfiihrlichen  Erlauterungen  und  Erganzungen 
Versehn  von  Th.  Noldeke. 

OHS.  The  History  of  the  Saracens.  By  Simon  Ockley.  Fourth 
Edition. 

RFGM.  The  Five  Great  Monarchies  of  the  Ancient  Eastern 
World.  By  George  Rawlinson,  M.A. 

RK.  The  Koran  translated  from  the  Arabic.     By  J.  M.  Rod- 

well.     Second  Edition. 

RP.  Records  of  the  Past.     First  Series. 

RPNS.  Do.  Second  Series. 

RSM.  The  Seventh  Great  Oriental  Monarchy.  By  George 
Rawlinson,  M.A. 

SHC.  The  "Higher  Criticism"  and  the  Verdict  of  the  Monu- 
ments. By  the  Rev.  A.  H.  Sayce. 

WPT.  Dr.  E.  W.  West's  Trans,  of  the  Pahlavi  Texts  in  thefSacred 
Books  of  the  East.  Reference  to  Parts  and  pages. 


NOTE   ON   PRONUNCIATION 

d  as  in  "  water."  1 

I  as  in  "pique." 

•ft  as  in  "  rude." 

a  as  in  "  servant." 

i  as  in  "sin." 

u  as  oo  in  "  foot." 

ai  as  i  in  "  time." 

au  as  ou  in  "  cloud." 

g  is  always  hard  as  in  "give." 

Jch  as  ch  in  the  German  "  buch." 

zh  as  2  in  "azure." 


1  Therefore  "  S£m,"  the  name  of  the  father  of  Z£l,  should  be  pro- 
nounced "  Saum." 


THE   SHAHNAMA 


THE    PRELUDE 


ARGUMENT 

The  poet,  after  invoking  the  name  of  God  and  praising  Him  and 
His  wisdom,  discourses  of  the  world,  of  man,  of  the  sun  and  moon, 
of  the  Prophet  and  his  companions,  of  the  compilation  of  the 
Shahnama,  of  the  poet  Dakikf,  and  of  his  own  labours  in  con- 
nection with  the  poem,  concluding  with  the  praises  of  his  patrons. 


NOTE 

§  5.  We  read  in  the  Zandavasta :  "  It  (the  sky)  looks  like  a 
palace,  that  stands  built  of  a  heavenly  substance,  firmly  estab- 
lished, with  ends  that  lie  afar,  shining  with  its  body  of  ruby  over 
the  three-thirds  (of  the  earth)."1 

§  7.  For  'AH  see  p.  1 2.  Muhammadans  are  divided  into  many 
sects.  Muhammad  is  referred  to  as  the  lord  of  the  sacred  law, 
i.e.  the  Kuran,  of  stream,  milk,  &c.  We  read  there :  "  A  picture 
of  the  Paradise  which  is  promised  to  the  God-fearing !  Therein 
are  rivers  of  water  which  corrupt  not ;  and  rivers  of  milk  whose 
taste  changeth  not  ;  and  rivers  of  wine  delicious  to  those  that 
quaff  it ;  and  rivers  of  honey  clarified:  and  therein  are  all  kinds 
of  fruit  for  them,  and  forgiveness  from  their  lord." 2 

§  10.  The  name  of  Firdausi's  friend  who  procured  for  him  the 
Shahnama  of  Abu  Mansur  (see  pp.  67-69)  is  said  to  have  been 
Muhammad  Lashkari.3 

§  n.  Abu  Mansur,  son  of  Muhammad,  may  have  been  the  son 
of  the  Muhammad,  son  of  Abdu'r-Razzak,  who  had  the  prose 
Shahnama  compiled  (see  p.  68),  if  the  heading  can  be  trusted. 

§  12.  Abu'l  Kasim,  i.e.  Firdausi  himself.  The  conquest  of  Kanniij 
took  place  after  the  completion  of  the  Shahnama  and  in  days 

i  DZA,  ii.  1 80.  2  RK,  419.  3  C,  Persian  Preface,  23. 

99 


ioo  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf 

when  Firdausi  was  in  exile.  The  mention  of  Kannuj  appears 
to  be  a  flattering  anticipation  of  events  on  the  poet's  part.1 

The  "  trusty  minister "  was  no  doubt  Abii'l  'Abbas  Fazl. 

"  The  gardens  of  Irani  "  were  said  to  have  been  built  by  Shaddad, 
son  of  Ad,  that  he  might  anticipate  on  earth  the  joys  promised 
him  in  Paradise  by  the  prophet  Hud.  After  toil  extending  over 
centuries  the  work  was  completed,  but  as  Shaddad  was  on  the 
point  of  entering  into  possession,  he  and  all  his  host  were  slain 
by  a  voice  from  heaven.2 

Nasiru'd-Din,  i.e.  Subuktigin  (see  p.  20). 

Nasr,  Mahmud's  youngest  brother,  acted  as  commander-in-chief, 
and  governed  the  province  of  Nishapur.  After  some  years  of 
successful  administration  he  was  recalled  to  court  and  served  his 
brother  in  various  capacities.  He  was  a  patron  of  learning  and 
died  young.3 

"  The  prince  of  Tus  "  appears  to  have  been  Arslan  Jazib,  one 
of  Sultan  Mahmud's  most  famous  generals. 


In  the  Name  of  God  the  Merciful,  the  Pitiful 

IN  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  both  wisdom  and  mind, 

To  nothing  sublimer  can  thought  be  applied, 
The  Lord  of  whatever  is  named  or  assigned 
A  place,  the  Sustainer  of  all  and  the  Guide, 
The  Lord  of  Saturn  and  the  turning  sky, 
Who  causeth  Venus,  Sun,  and  Moon  to  shine, 
Who  is  above  conception,  name,  or  sign, 
The  Artist  of  the  heaven's  jewelry ! 
Him  thou  canst  see  not  though  thy  sight  thou  strain, 
For  thought  itself  will  struggle  to  attain 
To  One  above  all  name  and  place  in  vain, 
Since  mind  and  wisdom  fail  to  penetrate 
Beyond  our  elements,  but  operate 
On  matters  that  the  senses  render  plain. 

1  Kannuj  seems  to  have  been  taken  in  A.D.  1019.     EHI,  ii.  457. 

2  BAN,  iv.  113.  3  KUK,  484. 


THE  PRELUDE  101 

None  then  can  praise  God  as  He  is.     Observe 

Thy  duty :  'tis  to  gird  thyself  to  serve. 

He  weigheth  mind  and  wisdom ;  should  He  be 

Encompassed  by  a  thought  that  He  hath  weighed  ? 
Can  He  be  praised  by  such  machinery 

As  this,  with  mind  or  soul  or  reason's  aid  ? 
Confess  His  being  but  affirm  no  more, 
Adore  Him  and  all  other  ways  ignore,  V.  2 

Observing  His  commands.     Thy  source  of  might 

Is  knowledge ;  thus  old  hearts  grow  young  again, 
But  things  above  the  Veil  surpass  in  height 

All  words :  God's  essence  is  beyond  our  ken. 


§2 
Discourse  in  Praise  of  Wisdom 

Speak,  sage  !  the  praise  of  wisdom  and  rejoice 
The  hearts  of  those  that  hearken  to  thy  voice, 
As  God's  best  gift  to  thee  extol  the  worth 

Of  wisdom,  which  will  comfort  thee  and  guide, 
And  lead  thee  by  the  hand  in  heaven  and  earth. 

Both  joy  and  grief,  and  gain  and  loss,  betide 
Therefrom,  and  when  it  is  eclipsed  the  sane 

Know  not  of  happiness  one  moment  more. 

Thus  saith  the  wise  and  virtuous  man  of  lore 
Lest  sages  search  his  words  for  fruit  in  vain : — 
"  What  man  soever  spurneth  wisdom's  rede 
Will  by  so  doing  make  his  own  heart  bleed ; 
The  prudent  speak  of  him  as  one  possessed, 
And  '  he  is  not  of  us '  his  kin  protest." 
In  both  worlds  wisdom  recommendeth  thee 

When  gyves  are  on  the  ankles  of  the  mad ; 
It  is  the  mind's  eye ;  if  thou  dost  not  see 

Therewith  thy  journey  through  this  world  is  sad. 


102  THE  SH  AH  NAM  A  OF  F1RDAUSI 

It  was  the  first  created  thing,  and  still 
Presideth  o'er  the  mind  and  faculty 
Of  praise— praise  offered  by  tongue,  ear,  and  eye, 

All  causes  it  may  be  of  good  or  ill. 

To  praise  both  mind  and  wisdom  who  would  dare  ? 
And  if  I  venture,  who  would  hear  me  through  ? 
Since  then,  O  man  of  wisdom  !  thou  canst  do 

J>To  good  by  words  hereon,  proceed,  declare 
V.  3  Creation's  process.     God  created  thee 

To  know  appearance  and  reality. 

Let  wisdom  be  thy  minister  to  fend 

Thy  mind  from  all  that  self-respect  should  shun, 

Learn  by  the  words  of  sages  how  to  wend 

Thy  way,  roam  earth,  converse  with  every  one ; 

And  when  thou  hearest  any  man  of  lore 

Discourse,  sleep  not,  increase  thy  wisdom's  store ; 

But  mark,  while  gazing  at  the  boughs  of  speech, 

How  much  the  roots  thereof  are  out  of  reach. 


§3 
Of  the  Making  of  the  World 

The  first  thing  needful  for  thee  is  to  know 

The  sum  of  primal  elements  which  He, 
Who  maketh  all  things,  made  from  naught  to  show 

The  greatness  of  His  own  supremacy. 
Those  elements  are  fourfold ;  at  their  birth 

No  time  elapsed  and  labour  had  no  share ; 

Fire  shone  above,  and  in  the  midst  were  air 
And  water ;  underneath  was  dusky  earth. 
Fire  was  the  first  its  virtue  to  unfold ; 

About  it  moisture  ceased  and  dryness  came  ; 


THE  PRELUDE  103 

Then  fire  where'er  it  failed  made  way  for  cold, 

And  moisture  followed  cold. 

Even  so  the  frame 
Of  this  our  Wayside  Hostelry  was  made. 

When  these  four  primal  elements  combined, 

They  wrought,  each  on  the  rest,  till  every  kind 
Of  products  as  we  see  them  was  displayed. 
The  turning  vault  of  heaven  showed  its  face, 

Exhibiting  new  wonders  day  by  day, 

The  Seven  Planets  then  began  their  sway 
In  yon  Twelve  Houses ;  each  one  took  its  place, 
Foreboding  good  and  ill,  and  giving  fit 
Return  to  every  one  that  hath  the  wit 
To  read.     The  heavens,  fettered  sphere  to  sphere, 

Moved  as  their  making  to  completion  came, 
And  then  this  earth,  with  mountain,  desert,  mere, 

And  upland,  shone  as  'twere  a  lamp  aflame. 
The  mountains  reared  themselves,  the  streams  gushed 

out, 

While  from  the  soil  the  herbs  began  to  sprout. 
Our  earth  was  not  vouchsafed  a  lofty  stead ; 

Obscurity  and  gloom  prevailed  around, 
But  stars  displayed  their  wonders  overhead  V.  4 

And  light  grew  more  abundant  on  the  ground  ; 
Then  fire  arose  and  water  sank,  the  sun 
About  the  world  its  course  began  to  run. 
The  herbage  and  the  various  kinds  of  trees 
Grew  up  as  fortune  would.     No  faculties 
Have   they   but  growth.     Thus  fixed   they   were   the 

prey 

Of  all  the  animals  that  passed,  while  they, 
The  roamers,  aim  at  safety,  nourishment, 
And  rest ;  with  such  a  life  they  are  content. 
With  sluggish  wits  and  tongues  that  never  spake, 
They  browse  upon  the  briar  and  the  brake, 


104  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  USI 

Acknowledging  no  end  as  wrong  or  right 
And  not  required  to  offer  reverence 

To  Him  who,  having  wisdom,  justice,  might, 
Hath  not  withheld  one  single  excellence. 


§4 
Of  the  Nature  of  Man 

A  farther  step — man  cometh  into  sight ; 

Locks  had  been  made ;  he  was  the  key  of  each. 
With  head  erect  and  cypresslike  in  height, 

Submiss  to  wisdom  and  endowed  with  speech, 
Possessed  of  knowledge,  wisdom,  reasoning, 
He  ruleth  other  creatures  as  their  king. 
Observe  awhile  with  wisdom  for  thy  guide  : 

Doth  "  man  "  imply  one  nature,  one  alone  ? 
Thou  know'st  it  may  be  but  the  feeble  side 

Of  mortal  man,  wherein  no  trace  is  shown 
Of  aught  beyond,  and  yet  two  worlds  agree — 
A  mighty  partnership — to  furnish  thee. 
By  nature  first,  in  order  last,  art  thou ; 

Hold  not  thyself  then  lightly.     I  have  known 
Shrewd  men  speak  otherwise,  but  who  shall  trow 

The  secrets  that  pertain  to  God  alone  ? 
Look  to  the  end,  act  ever  rightfully 
And  toil,  since  sloth  and  knowledge  ne'er  agree ; 
But  if  thou  wouldst  escape  calamity, 
V.  5  In  both  worlds  from  the  net  of  bale  be  freed 

And  in  God's  sight  a  righteous  man  indeed, 
Then  to  yon  swiftly  turning  dome  thy  gaze 

Direct,  that  cause  of  anguish  and  relief, 
A  dome  not  fretted  by  the  lapse  of  days 

And  unaffected  by  our  joy  or  grief; 


THE  PRELUDE  105 


It  stayeth  not  to  rest  but  turneth  still, 
Not  perishing  like  us  but  undecayed : 
There  both  the  term  and  process  are  displayed, 

There  are  revealed  to  thee  both  good  and  ill. 


§5 
Of  the  Nature  of  the  Sun 

Of  ruby  is  yon  azure  dome,  not  made 

Of  air  and  water,  dust  and  smoke ;  'tis  all 
With  lamp  and  torch  in  many  a  spot  arrayed 

Like  gardens  for  the  New  Year's  festival. 
Within  the  dome  a  gladdening  Gem  behold 

Revolving ;  thence  the  light  of  day  is  spread, 
And  every  morning  like  a  shield  of  gold 

It  raiseth  from  the  East  its  shining  head ; 
The  earth  is  clad  in  robes  of  spreading  light, 
The  sun  declineth  and  there  cometh  night ; 
Day  ne'er  o'ertaketh  night,  nor  night  the  day, 
Most  regular  in  all  their  movements  they. 
O  thou  my  Sun !  hast  thou  for  me  no  ray  ? 


Of  the  Nature  of  the  Moon 

Though  night  be  dark  there  is  a  light  assured : 
See  that  thou  use  it  not  unworthily. 

Two  days  and  nights  its  features  are  obscured, 
Worn  soothly  by  revolving ;  presently 

Tis  seen  again  but  pallid,  thin,  and  backed, 

Like  one  who  by  the  pangs  of  love  is  racked. 


ro6 

V.  6  Then  if  the  gazer  far  away  secure 

A  glimpse  thereof,  'tis  quickly  lost  to  sight ; 
But  on  the  following  eve  it  seemeth  more 

And  yieldeth  unto  thee  a  larger  light. 

In  fourteen  days  it  waxeth  full  and  bright, 
In  fourteen  waneth  till  its  course  is  run, 

Diminishing  as  night  succeedeth  night 
And  drawing  nearer  to  the  blazing  sun. 
Such  was  the  nature  given  by  God's  decree 
And  will  be,  while  the  moon  itself  shall  be. 


§7 
The  Praise  of  the  Prophet  and  his  Companions 

The  Faith  and  knowledge  trusty  guides  are  they, 
And  'tis  for  thee  to  seek  Salvation's  way ; 
If  thou  wouldst  have  thy  heart  not  sad,  not  see 
Thy  spirit  wretched  through  eternity, 
To  take  the  Prophet's  teaching  be  thy  part, 
There  wash  away  the  darkness  of  thy  heart. 
What  was  it  that  He  said,  the  inspired  Lord, 
Of  bidding  and  forbidding — Heaven's  own  word  ? 
"  I  am  the  City  of  the  Doctrine,  he 
That  is  the  gateway  to  it  is  'All." 
I  witness  that  His  heart  is  in  that  word 
As  though,  as  thou  mayst  say,  His  voice  I  heard. 
Regard  then  each  companion  and  'Ali 
As  those  that  gave  the  Faith  stability ; 
These  are  the  moons,  the  Prophet  is  the  sun ; 
With  them  in  union  is  the  way  to  run. 
Slave  of  the  Prophet's  slaves  with  praise  I  greet 
The  dust  upon  his  mandatary's  feet, 
v.  7  What  others  say  to  me  is  no  concern, 

This  is  my  way,  from  this  I  never  turn. 


THE  PRELUDE  107 

The  sage  regardeth  as  a  sea  this  world, 

A  sea  whose  waves  are  driven  by  the  blast ; 

There  seventy  gallant  ships  go  sailing  past, 
Each  with  her  canvas  every  stitch  unfurled. 
One  stately  vessel  is  in  bridal  gear, 
As  beauteous  as  the  eye  of  chanticleer. 
Muhammad  and  'Ali  are  there  within 
That  stately  vessel,  they  and  all  their  kin. 
The  sage  beholding  from  afar  that  sea 
Of  viewless  shore  and  depth,  and  ware  that  he 

Must  face  the  waves  where  all  must  drown,  "  If  I 
Shall  go  down  with  Muhammad  and  'AH," 

He  saith,  "  I  sink  in  goodly  company, 
And  surely  He  will  rescue  me  from  ill, 

Who  is  of  standard,  crown,  and  throne  the  Lord, 
The  Lord  of  wine,  of  honey,  and  of  rill, 

Of  founts  of  milk  and  floods  which  spread  abroad." 
If  on  the  other  world  thou  fix  thine  eyes 

Keep  close  beside  the  Prophet  and  'Ali, 

And,  should  ill  follow,  lay  the  blame  on  me, 
Who  take  myself  the  course  that  I  advise. 
In  this  Faith  was  I  born,  in  this  will  die ; 
The  dust  upon  the  Lion's  foot  am  I. 
Thy  heart,  if  prone  to  err,  is  thine  own  foe, 
And  can  the  world  more  abject  miscreants  know 
Than  haters  of  'All,  for  born  in  shame 
Are  they,  and  destined  to  eternal  flame  ? 

Take  not  this  world  in  jest,  but  walk  with  those 

Whose  steps  are  right ;  right  as  thine  end  propose 
If  thou  wouldst  be  with  men  of  glorious  name. 
Why  do  I  talk  so  long  ?     I  fail  to  see 
A  limit  to  my  theme's  fertility. 


io8 


THE  SHAH  NAM  A   OF  FIRDAUSt 


V.  8 


§8 
On  the  Compilation  of  the  Shdhndma 

All  have  gone  sweeping  in  the  garth  of  lore 
And  what  I  tell  hath  all  been  told  before, 
But  though  upon  a  fruit-tree  I  obtain 

No  place,  and  purpose  not  to  climb,  still  he 

That  sheltereth  beneath  a  lofty  tree 
Will  from  its  shadow  some  protection  gain  ; 
A  footing  on  the  boughs  too  I  may  find 

Of  yonder  shady  cypress  after  all 
For  having  left  this  history  behind 

Of  famous  kings  as  my  memorial. 
Deem  not  these  legends  lying  fantasy, 

As  if  the  world  were  always  in  one  stay, 

For  most  accord  with  sense,  or  anyway 
Contain  a  moral. 

In  the  days  gone  by 
There  was  an  Epic  Cycle  spread  broadcast 
Among  the  learned  archmages,  and  at  last 
A  certain  paladin,  of  rustic  birth, 
A  man  of  courage,  wisdom,  rank,  and  worth, 
An  antiquary,  one  who  ransacked  earth 

For  any  legends  of  the  ages  past, 
Intent  on  learning  what  might  yet  be  known, 

Called  hoar  archmages  out  of  every  clime, 
To  ask  about  the  annals  of  the  throne, 

The  famed  successful  heroes  of  old  time, 
What  men  were  doing  in  those  days  that  we 
Inherit  such  a  world  of  misery, 
And  how  each  day  beneath  auspicious  skies 
They  carried  out  some  daring  enterprise. 
The  archmages  told  their  legendary  store, 

How  this  world  fared  and  what  kings  undertook, 


THE  PRELUDE  109 

And  as  he  listened  to  the  men  of  lore 

He  laid  the  basis  of  the  famous  book, 
Which  now  remaineth  his  memorial, 
Amid  the  plaudits  both  of  great  and  small. 


Of  the  poet  Dakiki 

Now,  when  the  readers  of  the  book  had  brought 

The  stories  into  vogue,  all  hearts  were  caught, 

At  least  among  the  men  of  parts  and  thought. 

A  brilliant  youth  well  skilled  in  poetry  v-  9 

Arose,  of  ardent  mind  and  eloquent ; 
"  I  will  retell  these  tales  in  verse,"  said  he, 

And  every  one  rejoiced  at  his  intent ; 
But  vicious  habits  were  his  friends,  though  we 

Should  hold  all  vices  foes  that  we  should  dread, 
And  death,  approaching  unexpectedly, 

Imposed  its  gloomy  helmet  on  his  head. 
He  gave  his  life  to  vice,  and  earth  ne'er  gave 

Him  true  enjoyment  for  a  single  day 

While  fortune  quickly  turned  its  face  away : 
He  perished  by  the  hand  of  his  own  slave. 
Departing  thus  he  left  those  tales  of  yore 
Untold ;  their  wakened  fortune  slept  once  more. 
O  God  !  forgive  his  faults,  and  in  Thy  grace 
Assign  him  at  the  last  an  honoured  place. 

§  IO 
How  the  present  Book  was  begun 

Mine  ardent  heart  turned,  when  Dakiki  fell, 
Spontaneously  toward  the  Iranian  throne ; 

"  If  I  can  get  the  book  I  will  retell," 

I  said,  "  the  tales  in  language  of  mine  own." 


OI 

ff] 


'i  10  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  PIRDA  USt 

I  asked  of  persons  more  than  I  can  say, 
For  I  was  fearful  as  time  passed  away 
That  life  would  not  suffice,  but  that  I  too 
_Should  leave  the  work  for  other  hands  to  do. 
There  was  besides  a  dearth  of  patronage 

For  such  a  work ;  there  was  no  purchaser. 
It  was  a  time  of  war,  a  straitened  age 

For  those  who  had  petitions  to  prefer. 
Much  time  elapsed.     I  still  concealed  from  all 
My  secret  purpose,  for  I  could  not  see 
One  who  was  worthy  to  partake  with  me 
This  enterprise.     What  in  this  world  can  be 
More  excellent  than  noble  words  ?     Men  call 
Down  blessings  on  them,  men  both  great  and  small. 
Good  words  had  God  vouchsafed  not  to  provide, 
How  had  the  Prophet  ever  been  our  guide  ? 
V.  10         I  had  a  dear  friend  in  the  city,  thou 

Hadst  said :  "  They  twain  have  but  one  skin."  One  day 
He  said  :  "  I  like  thy  scheme ;  pursue  thy  way ; 
Thy  feet  are  hi  the  right  direction  now. 
I  undertake  for  my  part  to  procure 

This  ancient  Persian  book ;  but  be  not  slack. 
Of  youth  and  eloquence  thou  hast  a  store, 

Thy  speech  possesseth  too  the  ancient  smack. 
The  stories  of  our  kings  afresh  relate, 
And  raise  thy  reputation  with  the  great." 
He  brought  the  volume  to  me  and  anon 
The  darkness  of  my  gloomy  soul  was  gone. 


In  Praise  of  Abu  Mansur,  Son  of  Muhammad 

When  I  obtained  the  volume  a  grandee 
Of  noble  lineage  and  conspicuous  worth, 
Still  in  his  youth,  a  paladin  by  birth, 


THE  PRELUDE  in 

Possessing  prudence,  wit,  and  energy, 
A  lord  of  counsel  and  of  modesty, 

To  hear  whose  gentle  accents  was  my  joy, 

Said  unto  me :  "  What  means  can  I  employ 
To  make  thee  give  thy  life  to  poetry  ? 
I  will  do  all  and  hide  thy  poverty." 
He  used  to  tender  me  as  one  would  tend 

Ripe  apples,  lest  a  breath  of  wind  should  spoil ; 
Thus  through  that  noble  and  kind-hearted  friend 

I  soared  to  Saturn  from  our  grimy  soil. 
In  his  eyes  gold  and  silver  were  as  dust 

While  rank    gained    lustre.      Earth    seemed  vile 

indeed 
Before  him.     He  was  brave  and  one  to  trust, 

And  Avhen  he  perished  was  as  in  a  mead 
A  lofty  cypress  levelled  by  a  gust. 
I  see  no  trace  of  him  alive  or  dead ; 
By  murderous  Crocodiles  his  life  was  sped. 
Woe  for  that  girdle  and  that  girdlestead, 
That  royal  mien,  that  high  imperial  head  ! 
Bereft  of  him  my  heart's  hopes  ceased  to  be, 
My  spirit  quivered  like  a  willow-tree ; 

But  I  bethink  me,  to  redress  this  woe,  V.  n 

Of  counsel  which  to  that  great  prince  I  owe ; 
He  said :  "  This  Tale  of  Kings,  if  'tis  thy  fate     .' 
To  tell  it,  to  the  great  king  dedicate." 
Those  words  gave  solace  to  my  heart ;  there  came 

«/ 

Thereto  a  sense  of  gladness  and  content ; 
I  took  in  hand  my  story  in  the  name 

Of  him  who  is  o'er  kings  pre-eminent, 
The  lord  of  earth,  the  lord  of  crown  and  throne, 
Whose     conquering     fortune     sleep     hath     never 
known. 


U2  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

§12 
The  Praise  of  Sultan  Mahmud 

Ne'er,  since  the  making  of  the  world  was  done, 

Hath  such  a  king  been  seen  by  human  eye ; 
The  crown  above  his  throne  is  like  the  sun, 

And  maketh  earth  as  bright  as  ivory. 
How  canst  thou  say :  "  It  is  the  sun  indeed  "  ? 
From  him  by  far  more  glorious  rays  proceed. 
Abii'l  Kasim  !  this  all-victorious  one 
Hath  set  his  throne  yet  higher  than  the  sun  ! 
His  are  the  rays  which  illustrate  the  sky, 

His  is  the  Grace  which  openeth  afar 

Yon  mines  of  gold. 

Awoke  my  slumbering  star. 
Ideas  poured  through  my  brain  tumultuously. 
Methought :  "  The  time  for  speaking  in  good  sooth 
Hath  come,  the  outworn  age  regaineth  youth." 

By  thoughts  of  this  great  monarch  occupied 
I  fell  asleep  one  night  with  lips  all  praise, 

While  my  free  heart,  although  my  lips  were  tied, 

Shone  in  the  dark.     Then  I  beheld  in  sleep 

A  dazzling  lustre  rising  from  the  deep 
And  making  by  the  brightness  of  its  rays 

The  gloom  of  earth  like  glittering  gems.     The  waste 
Grew  like  brocade  beneath  that  radiant  light, 

And  in  the  midst  a  turquoise  throne  was  placed. 
Upon  the  throne  there  sat  a  moon-like  king 
With  on  his  head  a  crown  for  covering. 
His  army  stretched  two  miles.     To  left  there  were 

Seven  hundred  elephants  in  all  their  might. 
v.  12        Before  him  stood  a  trusty  minister 

To  guide  him  to  the  Faith  and  to  do  right. 


THE  PRELUDE  113 

By  that  Shah's  Grace,  by  all  those  troops  outspread 
And  mighty  elephants  my  head  was  dazed, 
And  as  upon  his  royal  face  I  gazed 
To  that  illustrious  company  I  said : — 
"  Is  this  the  sky  and  moon,  or  throne  and  crown  ? 
Are  these  his  soldiers  or  the  stars  come  down  ? " 
One  answered :  "  Tis  the  king  of  Rum  and  Ind, 
King  from  Kanniij  e'en  to  the  river  Sind, 
While  in  Tiiran  and  in  f  ran  men  give 
As  slaves  obedience  to  his  will  and  live 
Thereby.     With  justice  decked  he  earth  and  now, 
That  done,  hath  set  the  crown  upon  his  brow. 
Mahmud    the  worldlord,   the    great    Shah,  doth 

bring 

Together  sheep  and  wolf  for  watering. 
The  monarchs  from  Kashmir  down  to  the  sea 
Of  Chin  are  instant  in  his  eulogy, 

And  children  yet  within  their  cots  proclaim 
With  lips  unweaned  as  their  first  word  his  name 
Do  thou  too  tell  his  praise,  for  thou  canst  speak, 
And  through  him  everlasting  glory  seek. 
All  do  his  bidding  and  keep  fealty." 
When  I  awakened  to  my  feet  I  sprang, 
Oh  !  what  a  while  that  night  his  praise  I  sang ! 
No  drachms  had  I  but  poured  my  soul,  and  cried 
To-  mine  own  heart :  "  My  dream  is  justified. 
For  his  renown  is  patent  far  and  wide." 
Then  praise  to  him  who  praiseth  the  Most  High 
For  sleepless  fortune,  crown,  and  signet-ring. 
His  glory  maketh  earth  like  garths  in  Spring 
With  flower-painted  soil  and  cloudy  sky — 
A  sky  whence  in  their  season  showers  come 
And  make  the  world  a  garden  of  Iram. 
What  good  is  in  Iran  his  justice  giveth, 
His  name  alone  is  heard  where  any  liveth. 

H 


ii4  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

A  bounteous  Heaven  at  banquets  thou  wilt  find, 

A  sharp-clawed  Dragon  in  the  fray  meanwhile ; 
He  is  an  elephant,  hath  Gabriel's  mind, 

Hands  like  a  winter-cloud,  heart  like  the  Nile. 
v-  '3  When  he  is  wroth,  opposing  fortune's  might 

Is,  as  dinars  are,  worthless  in  his  sight ; 
To  boast  of  crown  and  hoard  is  not  his  part, 
And  war  and  travail  darken  not  his  heart. 
All  those  who  are  among  his  fosterlings, 

Freeborn  or  otherwise,  but  noble  still, 
Devoted  lieges  of  the  king  of  kings, 

With  loins  girt  ready  to  perform  his  will, 
Have  each  a  province  under  their  control, 
Each  hath  his  name  inscribed  on  every  roll. 
The  foremost  is  his  brother,  who  in  years 
Is  younger,  but  in  courage  hath  no  peers ; 
They  who  are  courtiers  of  his  Grace  acquire 

Joy  in  the  shadow  of  the  age's  king, 
For  he  who  hath  Nasiru'd-Din  for  sire 

Hath  round  his  throne  the  Pleiads  in  a  ring, 
And  is  the  lord  of  prowess,  rede,  and  might 
In  whom  the  nobles,  one  and  all,  delight. 
Next  is  the  prince  of  Tus,  a  valiant  lord 

Who  mocketh  lions  in  the  battle-tide, 
And  lavisheth  what  fortune  may  accord 

To  him,  desiring  honour,  naught  beside. 
He  leadeth  men  to  God ;  his  prayer  is  still 
That  the  Shah's  head  may  be  preserved  from  ill. 
May  earth  ne'er  see  that  royal  head  go  down, 

And  may  the  Shah  rejoice  for  ever  thus, 
Possessing  health  of  body,  throne,  and  crown, 

Unpained,  untroubled,  and  victorious. 

Now  to  the  opening  of  my  work  once  more 
To  tell  the  tales  of  famous  kings  of  yore. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  HISTORY 

I 
THE    PISHDlDIAN    DYNASTY 


ARGUMENT 

The  poet  tells  the  history  of  the  first  ten  Shajis  of  Iran,  describes 
the  progress  of  the  world  from  barbarism  to  culture,  and  the 
invention  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  finally  how  the  Grace 
departed  from  the  Pishdadian  Dynasty  through  the  unworthiness 
and  degeneracy  of  its  representatives. 


NOTE 

The  word  Pishdadian,  the  name  given  to  the  Shahs  of  the  first 
Iranian  Dynasty,  means  those  of  the  old  law  or  original  dispensa- 
tion. Zoroastrianism  was  built  upon  an  older  foundation  of 
nature-worship,  to  which  it  bears  some  such  relation  as  the  New 
Testament  bears  to  the  Old.  One  of  the  gods  of  the  elder  faith — 
Ahura,  the  Asura  of  India — became  the  supreme  deity,  Ahura 
Mazda,  of  the  new  dispensation,  and  the  Urmuzd  of  the  Shahnama. 
Accordingly  Gaiiimart,  the  first  Shah  in  the  poem,  is  expressly 
recognised  in  the  Zandavasta,  as  the  first  worshipper  of  Urmuzd.1 
Hushang,  the  second  Shah,  institutes  the  worship  of  fire — a 
characteristic  feature  of  Zoroastrianism.  Urmuzd  in  the  Zanda- 
vasta makes  a  covenant  with  Yima,  the  fourth  Shah,  and  tries  to 
persuade  him  to  undertake  the  part  of  lawgiver  afterwards  taken 
by  Zoroaster,  but  Yima  through  modesty  declines. 

Zoroastrianism  therefore  in  a  sense  existed  before  Zoroaster, 
with  whose  advent  the  Zandavasta  ends  ;  hence  there  is  less 
anachronism  than  might  be  supposed  in  the  allusions,  often  made 
in  the  earlier  parts  of  the  poem,  to  fire-worship,  the  Zandavasta, 
and  similar  matters.  Zoroaster  was  the  first  recipient  of  tht> 
complete  revelation. 

]  DZA,  ii.  200. 


I 

GAltfMART 

HE   REIGNED   FOR  THIRTY   YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

Gaiiimart,  the  first  Shah  and  the  first  ruler  of  the  world,  incurs 
the  envy  of  Ahriman,  who  sends  a  host  of  divs  to  attack  him, 
commanded  by  the  Black  Div — the  son  of  Ahriman.  Siyamak, 
the  son  of  Gaiumart,  with  an  army  encounters  the  Black  Div 
and  is  slain,  but  is  avenged  by  his  son  Hiishang,  who  succeeds  to 
the  throne  on  the  death  of  his  grandfather. 

NOTE 

The  poet  in  his  account  of  Gaiumart  omits  much  Zoroastrian 
lore.  In  the  Bundahish  Urmuzd  is  represented  as  first  creating 
two  beings — the  representatives  of  mankind,  and  of  the  animals 
and  plants,  respectively.  These  were  Gaiumart  and  the  Primeval 
Ox.  For  three  thousand  years  they  lived  happily  and  unmolested 
in  the  world  of  Urmuzd.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period 
Ahriman  assailed  the  creation  of  Urmuzd,  and  slew  both  the  Ox 
and  Gaiumart ;  but  the  latter  survived  the  former  by  thirty  years, 
which  became  the  duration  of  the  reign  of  the  first  Shah  in  the 
poem.  The  Ox  in  dying  gave  origin  to  the  plants  and  animals, 
and  Gaiumart  to  the  first  human  couple — Mashya l  and  Mashyoi — 
who  in  turn  produced  offspring  among  which  was  Siyamak,  who 
is  represented  as  the  son  of  Gaiumart  in  the  Shahmima.  In  the 
poem,  too,  the  attack  on  Gaiumart  is  made  indirectly  by  means 
of  the  Black  Div,  not  directly  by  Ahriman  as  in  the  Bundahish. 
The  reader  may  be  reminded  that  the  Bundahish  is  a  Pahlavi 
version  of  the  lost  book  of  the  Zandavasta  known  as  the  Damdad 
or  "  races  produced." 


I.e.  man.     DZA,  i.  Iviii. 

"7 


ii8  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Gaiumart  is  stated  to  have  made  his  home 
upon  a  mountain.  Mountains  were  looked  upon  as  sacred  places 
in  old  times  as  being  nearer  heaven.  Urmuzd  reveals  the  Zanda- 
vasta  to  Zoroaster  on  the  mountain  of  the  holy  Questions.1  In 
the  division  of  mankind  into  castes  in  the  reign  of  Jamshid  the 
mountains  are  specially  set  apart  for  the  priests.  The  mother 
of  Faridun  with  her  infant  son  takes  refuge  with  a  holy  hermit 
who  dwells  on  Mount  Alburz,  and  there  too  Kai  Kubad,  the 
founder  of  the  Kaianian  Dynasty,  receives  the  news  of  his  election 
to  the  throne. 


§1 

The  Greatness  of  Gaiumart  and  the  Envy  of  Ahriman 

What  saith  the  rustic  bard  ?     Who  first  designed 
To  gain  the  crown  of  power  among  mankind  ? 
V.  14  Who  placed  the  diadem  upon  his  brow  ? 

The  record  of  those  days  hath  perished  now 
Unless  one,  having  borne  in  memory 
Tales  told  by  sire  to  son,  declare  to  thee 
Who  was  the  first  to  use  the  royal  style 
And  stood  the  head  of  all  the  mighty  file. 
He  who  compiled  the  ancient  legendary, 
And  tales  of  paladins,  saith  Gaiumart 
Invented  crown  and  throne,  and  was  a  Shah. 
This  order,  Grace,  and  lustre  came  to  earth 
When  Sol  was  dominant  in  Aries 
And  shone  so  brightly  that  the  world  grew  young. 
!  Its  lord  was  Gaiumart,  who  dwelt  at  first 
'  Upon  a  mountain ;  thence  his  throne  and  fortune 
Rose.     He  and  all  his  troop  wore  leopard-skins, 
And  under  him  the  arts  of  life  began, 
For  food  and  dress  were  in  their  infancy. 

1  Introd.  p.  62. 


GAIUMART  119 

He  reigned  o'er  all  the  earth  for  thirty  years, 
In  goodness  like  a  sun  upon  the  throne, 
And  as  a  full  moon  o'er  a  lofty  cypress 
So  shone  he  from  the  seat  of  king  of  kings. 
The  cattle  and  the  divers  beasts  of  prey 
Grew  tame  before  him ;  men  stood  not  erect 
Before  his  throne  but  bent,  as  though  in  prayer, 
Awed  by  the  splendour  of  his  high  estate, 
And  thence  received  their  Faith. 

He  had  a  son 

Named  Siyamak,  ambitious  like  his  sire, 
A  youth  well  favoured,  skilled,  and  fortunate, 
His  father's  Life,  whose  joy  was  gazing  on  him, 
That  fruitful  offshoot  of  the  ancient  stem. 
That  Life  the  father  cherished  tenderly, 
And  wept  for  love,  consumed  by  dread  of  parting. 
Thus     time    passed    onward     and    the    kingdom 

prospered, 

For  Gaiumart  had  not  an  enemy  V.  i  - 

Except,  in  secret,  wicked  Ahriman, 
Who  led  by  envy  sought  the  upper  hand. 
He  had  a  son  too,  like  a  savage  wolf 
Grown  fearless,  and  a  host  of  warriors. 
The  son  assembled  these  and  sought  his  sire, 
Resolved  to  win  the  great  Shah's  throne  and  crown, 
Whose  fortune  joined  with  that  of  Siyamak 
Made  the  world  black  to  him.     He  told  his  purpose 
To  every  one  and  filled  the  world  with  clamour ; 
But  who  told  Gaiumart  about  the  foe  ? 
The  blest  Suriish  appeared  in  fairy-form, 
Bedight  with  leopard-skin,  and  told  the  king 
The  projects  that  his  foes  were  harbouring. 


120  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSl 

§2 

How  Siydmak  was  Slain  by  the  Hand  of  the  Div 

News  of  that  foul  dfv's  acts  reached  Siyamak, 

Who  listened  eagerly ;  his  heart  seethed  up 

With  rage.     He  gathered  troops,  arrayed  himself 

In  leopard-skin,  for  mail  was  yet  unworn, 

And  went  to  fight.     When  host  met  host  he  came 

In  front  unarmed  to  grapple  with  the  son 

Of  Ahriman.     That  horrible  Black  Dfv 

Clutched  at,  bent  down  that  prince  of  lofty  stature 

And  rent  him  open.     Thus  died  Siydmak 

By  that  foul  hand  and  left  the  army  chiefless. 

When  Gaiumart  heard  this  the  world  turned  black 
To  him,  he  left  his  throne,  he  wailed  aloud 
And  tore  his  face  and  body  with  his  nails  ; 
v.  16         His  cheeks  were  smirched  with  blood,  his  heart  was 

broken, 

And  life  grew  sombre.     All  the  soldiers  wept, 
Consumed  upon  the  flames  of  woe,  and  wailed 
As  clad  in  turquoise-coloured  garb  they  stood 
Before  the  portal  of  the  Shah.     All  cheeks 
Were  wine-red,  for  all  eyes  shed  tears  of  blood. 
Birds,  timid  beasts  and  fierce,  flocked  to  the  mountain 
With  doleful  cries  in  anguish,  and  dust  rose 
Before  the  court-gate  of  the  mighty  Shah. 

When  one  year  had  passed  thus  the  blest  Surush 
Was  sent  by  God  ;  he  greeted  Gaiumart 
And  said :  "  Lament  no  more,  control  thyself, 
Do  as  I  bid,  collect  thy  troops  and  turn 
Thy  foemen  into  dust,  relieve  earth's  surface 
Of  that  vile  div  and  thine  own  heart  of  vengeance." 


GAIJjMART  121 

The  famous  Shah  looked  up  and  cursed  his  foes, 
Then,  calling  by  the  highest  of  all  names 
Upon  his  God,  he  wiped  his  tears  away 
And  prosecuted  vengeance  night  and  day. 


§3 
How  HusJiang  and  Gaitimart  went  to  Fight  the  Black  Dw 

The  blessed  Siyamak  had  left  a  son, 

His  grandsire's  minister,  a  prince  by  name 

Hiishang — a  name  implying  sense  and  wisdom. 

It  was  the  lost  restored  and  fondly  cherished, 

And  therefore  being  set  on  war  the  Shah 

Sent  for  the  prince  and  frankly  told  him  all : — 

"  I  mean  to  gather  troops  and  raise  the  war-cry, 

But  thou  being  young  shalt  lead  for  I  am  spent."         V.  17 

He  raised  a  host  of  fairies,  lions,  pards, 
And  raveners,  as  wolves  and  fearless  tigers, 
But  took  the  rear,  his  grandson  led  the  host. 

The  Black  Di'v  though  in  terror  raised  the  dust 
To  heaven,  but  his  claws  were  hanging  slack 
Frayed  by  the  roaring  beasts.     Hushang  saw  this 
And  putting  forth  his  hands  like  lion's  paws 
Made  earth  too  narrow  for  the  lusty  div, 
Then  flayed  him,  lopping  off  his  monstrous  head, 
And  trampled  him  in  scorn  thus  flayed  and  shent. 

The  days  of  Gaiumart  had  reached  their  close 
When  he  achieved  this  vengeance  on  his  foes ; 
He  passed  away,  the  world  was  for  his  heir, 
But  see  who  hath  had  glory  to  compare 
With  his  !     He  owned  this  tricky  world  and  made 
The  path  of  gain  his  path,  and  yet  he  stayed 
Not  to  enjoy,  for  like  a  story  done 
Is  this  world :  good  and  ill  abide  with  none. 


II 

HtfSHANG 

HE    REIGNED    FORTY    YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

Hushang  succeeds  his  grandfather  Gaiumart  as  Shah.  He  is 
a  great  culture-hero,  and  invents  the  arts  of  working  in  metals, 
irrigation,  agriculture,  &c.  He  introduces  the  use  of  domestic 
animals  and  discovers  fire.  He  institutes  its  worship,  and  founds 
the  feast  of  Sada. 

NOTE 

Hushang — the  Haoshyangha  of  the  Zandavasta — is,  according  to 
the  older  authorities,  the  first  Shah  of  the  Pishdadian  dynasty, 
and  the  grandson,  not  the  son,  of  Siyamak.  Siyamak  and  his 
wife  Nashak  produced  a  pair  named  Fravak  and  Fravakain,  who 
produced  in  their  turn  fifteen  pairs.  Of  these,  nine  pairs  pro- 
ceeded on  the  back  of  the  ox  Sarsaok  through  the  ocean — the 
chain  of  rivers,  lakes,  seas,  and  gulfs  surrounding  the  central 
clime  in  the  old  cosmogony — to  the  other  six  climes  and  stayed 
there,  while  the  other  six  pairs,  of  whom  Hushang  and  his  wife 
Giizhak  were  one,  remained  to  people  the  central  clime  within 
which  Iran  is  situated.1 

.  §    I 

The  Accession  of  Hushang  and  his  civilising  Arts 

Hushang,  a  just  and  prudent  sovereign, 
V.  1 8  Assumed  his  grandsire's  crown.     For  forty  years 

Heaven  turned  above  him.     He  was  just  and  wise. 

i  WPT,  i.  58. 

122 


HUSH  AN  G  123 

He  said :  "  I  lord  it  o'er  the  seven  climes, 
Victorious  everywhere.     My  word  is  law, 
I  practise  bounteousness  and  equity ; 
So  hath  God  willed." 

He  civilised  the  world, 

And  filled  the  surface  of  the  earth  with  justice. 
He  was  the  first  to  deal  with  minerals 
And  win  the  iron  from  the  rock  by  craft. 
He  gained  more  knowledge  and,  inventing  smithing, 
Made  axes,  saws,  and  mattocks.     Next  he  turned 
To  irrigation  by  canals  and  ducts ; 
Grace  made  the  labour  short.     As  knowledge  grew 
Men  sowed  and  reaped  and  planted.     Each  produced 
The  loaf  whereof  he  ate,  and  kept  his  station. 
Till  then  men  lived  on  fruit  in  poor  estate 
And  clad  themselves  in  leaves.     Religious  rites 
Existed,  Gaiuinart  had  worshipped  God. 
Hiishang  first  showed  the  fire  within  the  stone, 
And  thence  through  all  the  world  its  radiance  shone. 


§2 
How  the  Feast  of  Sada  icas  Founded 

One  day  he  reached  a  mountain  with  his  men 

And  saw  afar  a  long  swift  dusky  form 

With  eyes  like  pools  of  blood  and  jaws  whose  smoke        v.  19 

Bedimmed  the  world.     Hiishang  the  wary  seized 

A  stone,  advanced  and  hurled  it  royally. 

The  world-consuming  worm  escaped,  the  stone 

Struck  on  a  larger,  and  they  both  were  shivered. 

Sparks  issued  and  the  centres  flashed.     The  fire 

Came  from  its  stony  hiding-place  again 

When  iron  knocked.     The  worldlord  offered  praise 

For  such  a  radiant  gift.     He  made  of  fire 

A  cynosure.     "  This  lustre  is  divine," 

He  said,  "  and  thou  if  wise  must  worship  it." 


124  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSl 

That  night  he  made  a  mighty  blaze,  he  stood 
1  Around  it  with  his  men  and  held  the  feast 
Called  Sada ;  that  bright  festival  rernaineth 
As  his  memorial,  and  may  earth  see 
More  royal  benefactors  like  to  him. 

By  Grace  and  kingly  power  domesticating 
Ox,  ass,  and  sheep  he  turned  them  to  good  use. 
"  Pair  them,"  he  said,  "  use  them  for  toil,  enjoy 
Their  produce,  and  provide  therewith  your  taxes.' 

He  slew  the  furry  rovers  for  their  skins, 
Such  as  the  squirrel,  ermine,  fox,  and  sable, 
So  sleek  of  hair ;  the  rovers  clothed  the  talkers, 
v.  20  He  gave,  spent  freely,  and  enjoyed  the  fruit, 

Then  passing  took  naught  with  him  but  repute. 
In  life  no  little  share  of  toil  had  he 
In  musings  past  all  count  and  grammarye, 
And  when  a  better  life  was  his  elsewhere 
He  left  the  throne  of  greatness  to  his  heir. 
The  time  that  fortune  gave  him  did  not  last 
For  long,  Hiishang,  the  wise  and  prudent,  passed. 
To  thee  too  this  world  will  not  give  its  love, 
Nor  will  it  from  its  face  the  veil  remove. 


Ill 

TAHMtlEAS 

TAHMtfRAS,    THE    BINDER    OF    THE 
REIGNED  THIRTY  YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

Tahmuras,  the  son  of  Hushang,  continues  his  father's  work  as  a 
culture-hero,  in  the  domestication  of  animals,  the  invention  of 
weaving,  &c.,  conquers  and  enslaves  Ahriman,  and  defeats  the 
divs,  whose  lives  he  spares  on  condition  that  they  shall  teach 
him  the  art  of  writing. 

NOTE 

According  to  the  Bundahish,  Tahmuras — the  Takhma  Urupa 
of  the  Zandavasta — was  the  great  grandson  of  Hushang,  and  the 
brother  of  Jamshid,  who,  however,  is  represented  as  his  son  in 
the  poem.  The  legend  of  the  binding  of  Ahriman  by  Tahmuras 
is  several  times  mentioned  in  the  Zandavasta,  where  he  is  re- 
presented as  praying  that  he  may  conquer  all  demons  and 
men,  all  sorcerers  and  fairies,  and  ride  Ahriman,  turned  into 
the  shape  of  a  horse,  all  around  the  earth  for  thirty  years.1  From 
other  sources  we  learn  that  Ahriman,  while  kept  as  a  charger 
by  Tahmuras,  persuaded  the  tatter's  wife  to  reveal  her  husband's 
secrets,  and  acting  on  the  information  thus  gained  threw  off 
Tahmuras  and  swallowed  him  while  he  was  riding  down  Mount 
Alburz.  Yim  (Jamshid),  hearing  of  his  brother's  misfortune,  suc- 
ceeded in  dragging  the  corpse  from  the  entrails  of  the  fiend,  and 
thus  restored  the  culture  of  the  world  which  had  perished  with 
Tahmuras.2 

1  DZA,  ii.  252,  292. 

2  Id.  252,  note.     WPT.  iii.  60,  and  note. 

125 


126  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

The  reader  will  note  the  reappearance  of  the  Black  Div  in  this 
reign  after  his  apparently  complete  destruction  by  Hushang.  The 
explanation  of  course  is  that  the  aim  of  the  poet  is  to  follow 
his  authorities,  not  to  make  consistent  stories.  He  is  here  deal- 
ing with  another  legend,  so  the  Black  Div  reappears.1 


Tahmdras  ascends  the  Throne,  invents  new  Arts,  subdues 
the  Divs,  and  dies 

Hushang  possessed  a  wise  and  noble  son 
Hight  Tahmuras — the  Binder  of  the  Dfv — 
Who  took  the  throne  and  girt  his  loins  to  rule, 
Then  called  the  archmages  and  in  gracious  words 
Said :  "  Throne  and  palace,  crown  and  mace  and  cap 
Are  mine  to-day,  and  when  my  rede  hath  purged 
The  world  a  mountain-top  shall.be  my  footstool. 
I  will  restrain  the  Div,  will  reign  supreme, 
And  use  the  useful  for  the  common  gold." 

He  sheared  the  flocks,  and  men  began  to  spin ; 
He  thus  invented  clothes  and  draperies. 
He  chose  the  swiftest  quadrupeds  and  made  them 
To  feed  on  barley,  grass,  and  hay ;  he  noted 
v  21  The  shyest  of  the  beasts  of  prey,  and  chose 

The  jackal  and  the  cheetah,  luring  them 
From  hill  and  plain,  and  taught  them  to  obey  him. 
Among  the  well-armed  birds  he  chose  the  hawk 
And  noble  falcon,  and  began  to  tame  them 
\    While  men  looked  on  amazed.     His  orders  were 
To  rear  the  birds  and  speak  to  them  with  kindness. 
He  brought  the  cocks  and  hens  to  crow  at  drumbeat,2 
And  turned  all  hidden  properties  to  use. 
He  said :  "  Address  your  prayers  and  praise  to  Him 
Who  made  the  world,  and  us  to  rule  the  beasts : 
Praise  be  to  Him,  for  He  directed  us." 

1  See  Introd.  p.  48. 

2  The  drum  beaten  outside  palaces  in  the  East  at  dawn. 


TAHMURAS  127 

He  had  a  famed  and  honest  minister 
By  name  Shidasp,  an  upright  man  who  took 
No  step  unless  toward  justice.     Through  the  day 
He  fasted,  through  the  night  he  prayed,  and  lived 
In  charity  with  all.     The  Shah's  good  fortune 
Was  his  sole  wealth,  ill  doers  he  restrained 
And  taught  the  Shah  all  good,  acknowledging 
No  rank  but  excellence  till  Tahmiiras, 
Purged  of  his  faults  and  glorious  with  the  Grace, 
Bound  Ahriman  with  spells  and  rode  him  horsewise 
At  whiles  around  the  world.     Thereat  the  divs 
Rebelled  and  held  a  conclave,  for  their  throne 
Of  gold  was  void.     When  Tahmuras  was  ware  v.  22 

He  was  enraged  and  spoiled  their  trafficking, 
Girt  him  with  Grace  and  took  his  massive  mace. 
Then  all  the  divs  and  warlocks  sallied  forth — 
A  huge  magician  host.     The  Black  Div  led  them 
And  vapoured,  while  their  shouts  affronted  heaven. 
It  darkened,  earth  turned  sable  and  all  eyes 
Grew  dim.     The  illustrious  worldlord  Tahmuras 
Advanced  girt  up  for  battle  and  revenge. 
There  were  the  roar  of  flame  and  reek  of  divs, 
Here  were  the  warriors  of  the  lord  of  earth, 
Who  ranked  his  troops  and  speedily  prevailed, 
For  of  the  foe  he  bound  the  most  by  spells 
And  quelled  the  others  with  his  massive  mace. 
The  captives  bound  and  stricken  begged  their  lives. 
"  Destroy  us  not,"  they  said,  "  and  we  will  teach  thee 
A  new  and  fruitful  art." 

He  gave  them  quarter 

To  learn  their  secret.     When  they  were  released 
They  had  to  serve  him,  lit  his  mind  with  knowledge 
And  taught  him  how  to  write  some  thirty  scripts 
Such  as  the  Human,  Persian,  Arabic, 
Sughdi,  Chini,  and  Pahlavi,  and  thus 
Delineate  sounds.     How  many  better  arts 


128  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf 

Explored  he  in  a  reign  of  thirty  years, 

Yet  passed  away  !    His  time  of  life  was  spent 

And  all  his  toils  became  his  monument. 

O  world !  caress  not  those  whom  thou  wilt  soon 

Cut  off,  for  such  caressing  is  no  boon ; 

Thou  raisest  one  to  very  heaven  on  high, 

Then  biddest  him  in  sorry  dust  to  lie. 


IV 

JAMSHfD 

HE   REIGNED   SEVEN   HUNDRED  YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

Jamshid  succeeds  his  father  Tahmuras  as  Shah,  and  becomes  the 
greatest  and  most  famous  of  the  culture-heroes.  He  continues 
the  work  of  his  predecessors,  makes  additions  of  his  own,  and 
introduces  the  luxuries  and  refinements  of  life.  He  divides  man- 
kind into  four  castes  or  classes.  He  travels  over  the  world,  and 
is  the  first  to  cross  the  sea  in  ships.  He  aspires  to  the  dominion 
of  the  air,  obtains  it,  and  lives  in  ever  closer  communion  with  God. 
Ahriman  is  rendered  powerless  for  ill,  disease  and  death  cease, 
and  the  world  passes  through  the  Golden  Age.  At  length,  spoiled 
by  success,  Jamshid  comes  to  think  himself  God,  and  orders  that 
divine  honours  shall  be  paid  to  himself  alone.  The  Grace  of  God 
abandons  him.  Ahriman  is  unchained  and  incites  Zahhak,  who  has 
become  his  instrument,  to  make  war  on  Jamshid,  and  the  latter 
is  slain. 


on,  \ 

ign    ! 


NOTE 

Jamshid,  as  we  have  already  seen,  is  the  brother,  not  the  son 
of  Tahmuras  in  the  older  form  of  the  legends.  With  the  reign 
of  Jamshid  the  Vedas,  Zandavasta,  and  Shahnama  meet  on  common 
ground.  In  the  Vedas  Manu  and  Yama  are  the  twin  sons  o 
Vivasvat,  the  bright  or  shining  one,  i.e.  the  sun.  Manu  is  the 
progenitor  and  lawgiver  of  the  Aryan  race  and  Yama  is  a  god.1 
In  the  Zandavasta  Yima  is  the  son  of  Vivanghat,  is  the  Iranian 
Noah,  has  a  covenant  with  God,  and  is  offered  by  Him  the  post 
afterwards  accepted  by  Zoroaster.  In  the  legend  of  the  building 

i  DHA,  iv.  31. 

129  1 


130  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf 

of  his  Var,  or  underground  palace,  in  anticipation  of  the  Flood,  we 
have  the  origin  of  Firdausi's  account  of  the  architectural  achieve- 
ments of  Jamshid :  "  Then  Yima  said  within  himself :  '  How  shall 
I  manage  to  make  that  Vara  which  Ahura  Mazda  has  commanded 
me  to  make?'  And  Ahura  Mazda  said  unto  Yima:  '0  fair 
Yima,  son  of  Vivanghat !  Crush  the  earth  with  a  stamp  of 
thy  heel,  and  then  knead  it  with  thy  hands,  as  the  potter  does 
when  kneading  the  potter's  clay.  .  .  .'  And  Yima  made  a  Vara, 
long  as  a  riding-ground,  on  every  side  of  the  square.  .  .  .  There 
he  established  dwelling-places,  consisting  of  a  house  with  a  balcony, 
a  courtyard,  and  a  gallery.  In  the  largest  part  of  the  place  he 
made  nine  streets,  six  in  the  middle  part,  three  in  the  smallest." l 

He  is  described  as  "  the  bright  Yima,  the  good  shepherd  .  .  . 
he  ruled  over  the  seven  Karshvares  (Climes)  of  the  earth,  over 
the  Daevas  (demons)  and  men.  .  .  .  He  who  took  from  the  Daevas 
both  riches  and  welfare,  both  fatness  and  flocks,  both  weal  and 
Glory.  In  whose  reign  both  aliments  (food  and  drink)  were 
never  failing  for  feeding  creatures,  flocks  and  men  were  undying, 
waters  and  plants  were  undrying ;  in  whose  reign  there  was 
neither  cold  wind  nor  hot  wind,  neither  old  age  nor  death,  nor 
envy  made  by  the  Daevas,  in  the  times  before  his  lie,  before  he 
began  to  have  delight  in  words  of  falsehood  and  untruth.  But 
when  he  began  to  have  delight  in  words  of  falsehood  and  untruth, 
the  Glory  was  seen  to  flee  away  from  him  in  the  shape  of  a  bird. 
When  his  Glory  had  disappeared,  then  the  great  Yima  .  .  .  the 
good  shepherd,  trembled  and  was  in  sorrow  before  his  foes ;  he 
was  confounded,  and  laid  him  down  on  the  ground.'"'2  Elsewhere  his 
being  sawn  asunder  is  mentioned,  the  act  not  being  referred  directly 
to  Zahhak  but  to  Spityura,  " he  who  sawed  Yima  in  twain."3 

Spityura  was  a  brother  of  Yima's.  He  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Shahnama  ;  but  the  enmity  between  brothers,  so  characteristic  of 
Eastern  life,  crops  up  again  and  again  in  the  poem.  Thus  the 
two  brothers  of  Faridun  envy  and  try  to  murder  him,  and  the 
incident  recurs  with  more  disastrous  results  in  the  case  of  Faridun's 
own  sons. 

The  division  into  castes  also  appears  in  the  Zandavasta,  where 
both  the  three  and  the  four  castes  are  mentioned,  and  the  first 
three  are  there  stated  to  have  been  instituted  by  Zoroaster,  who 
placed  his  three  earthly  sons  at  the  head  of  them.4  In  the  poem 
they  are  the  institution  of  his  great  predecessor  Jamshid. 

Jamshid  is  a  contraction  of  Yima  and  Khshaeta  (king).5 

1  DZA,  i.  1 8.  a  Id.  ii.  293.  3  Id.  297. 

4  Id.  201,  and  see  MZA,  iii.  265.  5  HEP,  277. 


JAMSHtD  131 

For  Iblis,  see  Introduction,  p.  70. 

Zahhak  will  be  dealt  with  under  his  proper  head ;  but  it  may 
be  pointed  out  with  regard  to  the  strange  story  of  his  second  fall, 
owing  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  that  in  the  Bundahish  Mashya 
and  Mashyoi — the  original  human  pair — who  apparently  at  first 
lived  entirely  on  water,  are  incited  to  partake  of  stronger  meats 
owing  to  their  relish  for  the  weaker  sorts  being  taken  from  them 
by  the  demons.1 

Elsewhere  in  the  same  work  we  read :  "  On  the  nature  of 
the  resurrection  and  future  existence  it  says  in  revelation,  that, 
whereas  Mashya  and  Mashyoi  .  .  .  first  fed  upon  water,  then 
plants,  then  milk,  and  then  meat,  men  also  when  their  time  of 
death  has  come,  first  desist  from  eating  meat,  then  milk,  then 
from  bread,  till  when  they  shall  die  they  always  feed  upon  water. 
So,  likewise,  in  the  millennium.  .  .  .  They  will  desist  from  meat 
food,  and  eat  vegetables  and  milk ;  afterwards  they  abstain  from 
milk  food  and  abstain  from  vegetable  food,  and  are  feeding  on 
water;  and  for  ten  years  before  Soshyans  comes  they  remain 
without  food,  and  do  not  die." 2 

Soshyans  is  the  third  of  the  divine  sons  of  Zoroaster,  and  the 
Messiah  of  Zoroastrianism.  There  is  plenty  in  the  above  extract 
to  account  for  such  a  legend  as  that  of  the  text. 


§1 

The  Greatness  and  Fall  of  Jamshid 

Jamshid,  the  mighty  son  of  Tahmiiras,  V.  23 

Full  of  his  father's  maxims,  girt  himself, 

Succeeded  to  his  glorious  father's  throne, 

And  wore  in  kingly  wise  the  crown  of  gold. 

His  girdle  was  the  Grace  of  king  of  kings, 

And  all  the  world  obeyed  him,  contests  ceased, 

The  age  had  rest,  and  bird  and  div  and  fairy 

Were  his  to  bid,  the  world  took  added  lustre, 

Through  him  the  throne  of  Shahs  was  glorified. 

"  Mine  is  the  Grace,"  he  said,  "  I  am  both  king 

And  archimage,  1  will  restrain  ill-doers 

And  make  for  souls  a  path  toward  the  light." 

i  WPT,  i.  54,  55.  2  Id.  120. 


132  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

He  first  wrought  arms  and  oped  for  warriors 
The  door  of  fame.     His  Grace  made  iron  yield ; 
He  fashioned  it  to  helmets,  hauberks,  breastplates, 
And  coats  of  armour  both  for  man  and  horse. 
His  ardent  mind  achieved  the  work  and  made 
Good  store  in  fifty  years.     Another  fifty 
He  spent  on  raiment  fit  for  fight  or  feast ; 
And  made  of  spun  and  floss  silk,  hair  and  cotton, 
Fine  fabrics,  cloth  of  hair  and  rich  brocade. 
He  taught  to  spin  and  weave,  and  when  the  stuffs 
Were  made  he  showed  men  how  to  full  and  sew  them 
Then  to  the  joy  of  all  he  founded  castes 
For  every  craft ;  it  took  him  fifty  years. 
Distinguishing  one  caste  as  sacerdotal 
To  be  employed  in  sacred  offices, 
He  separated  it  from  other  folk 
And  made  its  place  of  service  on  the  mountains 
That  God  might  be  adored  in  quietude. 
Arrayed  for  battle  on  the  other  hand 
Were  those  who  formed  the  military  caste ; 
They  were  the  lion-men  inured  to  war—- 
The Lights  of  armies  and  of  provinces — 
Whose  office  was  to  guard  the  royal  throne 
And  vindicate  the  nation's  name  for  valour. 
The  third  caste  was  the  agricultural, 
/  All  independent  tillers  of  the  soil, 
I  The  sowers  and  the  reapers— men  whom  none 
Upbraideth  when  they  eat.     Though  clothed  in  rags, 
The  wearers  are  not  slaves,  and  sounds  of  chiding 
Reach  not  their  ears.     They  are  free  men  and  labour 
Upon  the  soil  safe  from  dispute  and  contest. 
What  said  the  noble  man  and  eloquent  ? 
"  'Tis  idleness  that  maketh  freemen  slaves." 
,   The  fourth  caste  was  the  artizans.     They  live 
By  doing  handiwork — a  turbulent  crew, 


JAMSHlD  133 

Who  being  always  busied  with  their  craft 

Are  given  much  to  thought.     Jamshid  thus  spent 

Another  fifty  years  and  did  much  good, 

For  each  man  learnt  his  place  and  others'  too. 

He  bade  the  foul  divs  temper  earth  with  water 

And  taught  them  how  to  fashion  moulds  for  bricks. 

They  laid  foundations  first  with  stones  and  lime, 

Then  raised  thereon  by  rules  of  art  such  structures 

As  hot  baths,  lofty  halls,  and  sanctuaries.  V.  25 

He  searched  among  the  rocks  for  stones  whose  lustre 

Attracted  him  and  came  on  many  a  jewel, 

As  rubies,  amber,  silver,  gold.     Jamshid 

Unlocked    their    doors    and   brought    them   forth   by 

spells. 

He  introduced  the  scents  that  men  enjoy 
As  camphor,  genuine  musk,  gum  Benjamin, 
Sweet  aloe,  ambergris,  and  bright  rosewater. 
Next  leechcraft  and  the  healing  of  the  sick, 
The  means  of  health,  the  course  of  maladies 
Were  secrets  opened  by  Jamshid :  the  world 
Hath  seen  no  other  such  discoverer. 
He  crossed  the  sea  in  ships.     For  fifty  years 
His  wisdom  brought  to  light  the  properties 
Of  things.     These  works  achieved,  Jamshid  ambitioned 
Rank  loftier  still,  and  by  his  royal  Grace 
Made  him  a  throne,  with  what  a  wealth  of  gems 
Inlaid  1  which  when  he  willed  the  divs  took  up 
And  bare  from  earth  to  heaven.     There  the  Shah, 
Whose  word  was  law,  sat  sunlike  in  mid  air. 
The  world  assembled  round  his  throne  in  wonder 
At  his  resplendent  fortune,  while  on  him 
The  people  scattered  jewels,  and  bestowed 
Upon  the  day  the  name  of  New  Year's  Day,  <_^ 

The  first  of  Farwardin  and  of  the  year, 
When  limbs  repose  from  labour,  hearts  from  strife. 


134  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

V.  26         The  noble  chieftains  held  a  festival, 

Called  for  the  goblet,  wine,  and  minstrelsy, 
And  ever  since  that  time  that  glorious  day 
Remaineth  the  memorial  of  that  Shah. 

Thus  things  continued  for  three  centuries, 
And  all  the  while  men  never  looked  on  death ; 
They  wotted  not  of  travail  or  of  ill, 
And  divs  like  slaves  were  girt  to  do  them  service ; 
Men  hearkened  to  Jamshid  with  both  their  ears, 
Sweet  voices  filled  the  world  with  melody, 
And  thus  till  many  years  had  come  and  gone 
The  royal  Grace  shone  brightly  from  the  Shah : 
His  ends  had  been  attained,  the  world  reposed, 
And  still  new  revelations  came  from  God, 
Men  saw  but  goodness  in  their  king,  the  earth 
Served  him,  he  reigned — a  monarch  with  the  Grace. 

One  day  contemplating  the  throne  of  power 
He  deemed  that  he  was  peerless.     He  knew  God, 
But  acted  frowardly  and  turned  aside 
In  his  ingratitude.     He  summoned  all 
The  chiefs,  and  what  a  wealth  of  words  he  used  ! 
"  The  world  is  mine,  I  found  its  properties, 
The  royal  throne  hath  seen  no  king  like  me, 
For  I  have  decked  the  world  with  excellence 
And  fashioned  earth  according  to  my  will. 
From  me  derive  your  provand,  ease,  and  sleep, 
Your  raiment  and  your  pleasure.     Mine  are  greatness 

V.  27         And  diadem  and  sovereignty.     Who  saith 
That  there  is  any  great  king  save  myself  ? 
Leechcraft  hath  cured  the  world,  disease  and  death 
Are  stayed.     Though  kings  are  many  who  but  I 
Saved  men  from  death  ?     Ye  owe  me  sense  and  life : 
They  who  adore  me  not  are  Ahrimans. 
So  now  that  ye  perceive  what  I  have  done 
All  hail  me  as  the  Maker  of  the  world." 


JAMSHID  135 

i 

Thereat   the   archmages  hung    their  heads,   per- 
plexed 

To  answer  and  God's  Grace  departed  from  him, 
The  world  was  filled  with  din,  the  Court  deserted, 
None  who  desired  renown  stayed  in  his  presence. 
For  three  and  twenty  years  the  empty  portal 
Told  of  the  crime  that  equalled  him  with  God, 
Brought  on  disaster  and  o'erturned  the  state. 
How  saith  the  seer,  the  man  of  Grace  and  wisdom  ? 
"  King  though   thou    art    serve   God.      Great   fears 

oppress 
The  heart  that  is  devoid  of  thankfulness." 

Day  darkened  to  Jamshid,  he  lost  the  Grace 
That  lighteneth  the  world,  and  though  with  tears 
Of  blood  he  sought  for  pardon  Grace  was  not, 
And  dread  of  coming  evil  was  his  lot. 


The  Story  of  ZahJidk  and  his  Father 

One  of  the  desert  spear-armed  Bedouins 

Of  noble  birth  then  lived — a  virtuous  king,  V.  28 

Just,  highborn,  generous,  and  hight  Mardas, 

Who  sought  his  God  with  reverence  and  sighs, 

He  kept  a  thousand  head  of  all  milch  cattle, 

Goats,  camels,  sheep,  and  kine — a  gentle  breed — 

With  Arab  steeds,  all  timid  beauties  they, 

And  grudged  the  milk  to  none.     He  had  a  son 

Whom  much  he  loved — Zahhak,  a  gallant  prince,    ' 

But  hasty.     People  called  him  Biwarasp. 

Ten  thousand  is  "  biwar  "  in  ancient  Persian, 

And  he  possessed  ten  thousand  Arab  steeds 

With  golden  equipage — a  famous  stud. 

Most  of  his  days  and  nights  he  spent  on  horseback 


136  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf      - 

Engaged  in  superintendence  not  in  war. 

One  day  Iblis  approached  him  as  a  friend 
And  led  his  wits  astray.     The  youth  gave  ear 
With  pleasure  and  all  unsuspectingly 
Gave  to  Iblis  heart,  reason,  and  pure  soul, 
I  And  heaped  the  dust  on  his  own  head.    Ibh's 
'  Exulted  seeing  that  the  youth  was  snared 
And  gulled  the  simpleton  with  specious  words, 
Thus  saying :  "  I  could  tell  thee  many  things 
Known  to  myself  alone." 

The  youth  made  answer : — 
"  Tell  me  at  once,  my  worthy  monitor  ! " 
V.  29  Iblls  replied  :    "  First  promise,  then  my  story.1' 

The  guileless  youth  swore  as  Iblis  dictated  : — 
"  Thy  secret  shall  be  kept,  thy  bidding  done." 

Then  said  Iblis  :  "  Great  prince  !  shall  any  rule 
Here  but  thyself  ?     What  profiteth  a  sire 
With  such  a  son  ?     Now  hearken  to  my  rede : 
The  lifetime  of  this  ancient  potentate 
Continueth,  thou  art  shelved.     Seize  on  his  court 
And  goods.     His  place  will  suit  thee,  thou  shalt  be 
King  of  the  world  if  thou  durst  do  my  bidding." 

Zarhhak  looked  grave  ;  to  shed  his  sire's  blood  grieved 

him. 

He  said :  "  Not  so,  suggest  some  other  course : 
This  cannot  be." 

"  Then  thou,"  Ibh's  rejoined, 
"  Art  perjured  and  wilt  still  be  despicable, 
Thy  father  honoured." 

Thus  he  snared  the  Arab, 
Who  asked  :  "  What  must  I  do  ?     I  will  obey." 

Iblis  replied  :  "  Leave  me  to  scheme.     Thy  head 
Shall  touch  the  sun.     I  only  ask  thy  silence ; 
No  help  need  I,  myself  am  competent, 
But  keep  the  sword  of  speech  within  the  scabbard." 


JAMSH1D  137 

Now  in  the  palace  was  a  jocund  garth, 
And  thither  used  Mardas  to  go  at  dawn 
To  bathe  him  ere  he  prayed,  without  a  slave 
To  light  him  on  his  way,     The  wicked  Div, 
Intent  on  ill,  dug  in  the  garden-path 

A  deep  pit,  masked  and  made  it  good  with  boughs.          V.  30 
Ere  dawn  the  Arab  chieftain  hied  him  thither 
And,  as  he  reached  the  pit,  his  fortunes  fell ; 
That  good  man  tumbled,  broke  his  back,  and  died. 
He  ne'er  had  breathed  a  cold  breath  on  his  son, 
But  cherished  him  and  lavished  treasure  on  him, 
Yet  that  abandoned  youth  respected  not 
His  father,  but  conspired  to  shed  his  blood. 

I  heard  a  sage  once  say :  "  Though  fierce  in  strife 
No  son  will  dare  to  take  his  father's  life ; 
If  such  a  crime  should  seem  to  be  implied, 
Seek  for  the  reason  on  the  mother's  side." 

Vile  and  unjust  Zahhak  thus  seized  the  throne, 
Assumed  the  Arabs'  crown  and  governed  them 
For  good  or  ill. 

Iblis  encouraged  thus 

Began  again  and  said :  "  Since  tfhou  hast  turned 
To  me,  and  gained  thy  heart's  desire,  come  pledge  me 
Thy  word  once  more  to  do  as  I  require ; 
And  then  thy  realm  shall  spread  throughout  the  world, 
Birds,  beasts,  and  fishes  shall  be  all  thine  own." 

When  this  was  said  he  set  about  to  use, 
Most  marvellous  !  another  kind  of  ruse. 


§3 
How  Iblis  turned  Cook 

Then  as  a  youth  well  spoken,  clean,  and  clever,  v.  31 

Iblis  went  to  Zahhak  with  fawning  words, 


138  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUS1 

"  Let  me,"  he  said,  "  who  am  a  noted  cook, 
Find  favour  with  the  king." 

By  appetite 

Seduced,  Zahhak  received  and  welcomed  him, 
So  that  the  monarch's  faithful  minister 
Gave  to  Iblis  the  royal  kitchen's  key. 
Foods  then  were  few,  men  did  not  kill  to  eat 
But  lived  on  vegetals  of  all  earth's  produce ; 
So  evil-doing  Ahriman  designed 
To  slaughter  animals  for  food,  and  served 
Both  bird  and  beast.     He  fed  the  king  on  blood 
To  make  him  lion-fierce,  and  like  a  slave 
Obeyed  him.     First  he  fed  his  lord  on  yelk 
To  make  him  strong ;  he  liked  the  flavour  much 
And  praised  Iblis,  who  said :  "  Illustrious  monarch  ! 
For  ever  live !     To-morrow  I  will  serve  thee 
So  as  to  please  thee  well." 

All  night  he  mused 

What  strange  repast  to  proffer  on  the  morrow, 
And  when  the  azure  vault  brought  back  again 
The  golden  Gem  he  hopefully  presented 
A  meal  of  partridges  and  silver  pheasants. 
V.  32         The  Arab  monarch  ate  and  his  small  wits 

Were  lost  in  admiration.     On  the  third  day 

Iblis  served  lamb  and  fowl,  and  on  the  fourth 

A  chine  of  veal  with  saffron  and  rosewater, 

Musk  and  old  wine.     Zahhak  when  he  had  tasted, 

In  wonder  at  his  cook's  ability, 

Said  :  "  Worthy  friend  !  ask  thou  my  recompense." 

He  answered :  "  Live,  0  king  !  in  wealth  and  power. 
My  heart  is  thine,  thy  favour  my  soul's  food ; 
Yet  would  I  ask  one  boon  above  my  station : 
'Tis  leave  to  kiss  and  lay  my  face  and  eyes 
Upon  thy  shoulders." 

Off  his  guard  Zahhak 
Replied :  "  I  grant  it ;  it  may  do  thee  grace." 


JAMSHID  139 

Iblis  received  permission,  kissed  and  vanished. 
A  marvel  followed — from  the  monarch's  shoulders 
Grew  two  black  snakes.     Distraught  he  sought  a  cure 
And  in  the  end  excised  them,  but  they  grew 
Again !  oh  strange  !  like  branches  from  a  tree. 
The  ablest  leeches  gave  advice  in  turn 
And  used  their  curious  arts  but  all  in  vain. 
At  length  Iblis  himself  came  hurrying 
Dight  as  a  leech.     "  This  was  thy  destiny," 
He  said ;  "  cut  not  the  snakes  but  let  them  live. 
Give  them  men's  brains  and  gorge  them  till  they  sleep,  v.  33 
It  is  the  only  means,  such  food  may  kill  them." 

The  purpose  of  the  foul  Div  shrewdly  scan : 
Had  he  conceived  perchance  a  secret  plan 
To  rid  the  world  of  all  the  race  of  man  ? 


§4 
How  the  Fortunes  of  JamsMd  went  to   Wrack 

Thereafter  tumult,  combating  and  strife 

Arose  throughout  Iran,  the  bright  day  gloomed 

And  men  renounced  Jainshid,  who  when  his  Grace 

Was  darkened  turned  to  folly  and  perverseness. 

Pretenders  started  up,  on  every  march 

The  disaffected  nobles  levied  troops 

And  strove.     Some  set  forth  for  Arabia, 

For  they  had  heard :  "  There  is  a  monarch  there — 

An  awe-inspiring  king  of  dragon-visage." 

Thus  all  the  discontented  cavaliers 

Went  to  Zahhak  and  offered  fealty, 

Saluting  him  as  monarch  of  Iran. 

The  king  of  dragon-visage  came  like  wind 

And  donned  the  Iranian  crown,  collected  troops — 

The  bravest  of  Arabia  and  /ran — 


140  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USt 

And  having  seized  the  throne  of  Shah  Jamshid 
Slipped  on  the  world  as  'twere  a  finger-ring. 
Thus  fell  Jamshid.     Pressed  by  the  world's  new  lord 
He  fled,  surrendering  crown,  throne  and  treasure, 
Host,  power  and  diadem.     The  world  turned  black 
34         To  him,  he  disappeared  and  yielded  all. 
He  was  in  hiding  for  a  century, 
But  in  the  hundredth  year  the  impious  Shah 
Appeared  one  day  beside  the  sea  of  Chin. 
Zahhak  clutched  him  forthwith,  gave  him  small  respite, 
And  sawing  him  asunder  freed  the  world 
From  him  and  from  the  fear  that  he  inspired. 
Long  was  he  hidden  from  the  Dragon's  breath, 
But  there  was  no  escaping  in  the  end, 
For  fortune  whirled  him  like  a  yellow  straw 
And  both  his  throne  and  greatness  passed  away. 
What  better  Shah  was  ever  on  the  throne, 
And  yet  what  profit  could  he  call  his  own 
From  all  his  toils  ?     His  seven  centuries 
Brought  him  great  blessings  and  calamities. 
What  need  hast  thou  then  for  a  length  of  years  ? 

The  world  will  keep  its  secrets  though  for  food 

It  give  thee  sweets  and  honeycomb,  and  rude 
Ungentle  voices  banish  from  thine  ears. 
Wilt  thou  then  say :  "  Its  love  is  spent  on  me, 

In  every  look  affection  is  expressed  ? " 
Wilt  thou  confide  therein  caressingly 

And  tell  it  all  the  secrets  of  thy  breast  ? 
'Twill  play  with  thee  a  pretty  game  indeed 
Anon,  and  cause  thy  wretched  heart  to  bleed. 
My  heart  is  weary  of  this  Wayside  Inn : 
O  God !  release  me  soon  from  toil  therein. 


V 
ZAHHiK 

HE    REIGNED   A   THOUSAND    YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

With  the  accession  of  Zahhak  evil  becomes  triumphant  every- 
where. He  practises  and  encourages  black  arts,  idolatry,  and 
human  sacrifice.  He  has  a  warning  dream  concerning  his  destined 
conqueror  Faridun,  whom  he  strives  in  vain  to  capture.  At  length 
the  people,  driven  to  exasperation  by  Zahhak,  revolt  to  Faridun  at 
the  instigation  of  Kawa  the  smith.  Faridun  and  Zahhak  meet, 
and  the  latter  is  taken  prisoner. 


NOTE 

Zahhak,  as  we  have  already  seen,1  was  originally  an  evil  spirit  of 
the  Indo-Iranian  nature-worship.  In  the  Zandavasta  he  still  occa- 
sionally appears  in  his  character  of  water-stealer.  "  Zarathustra 
asked  Ardvi  Sura  Anahita "  (Anaitis,  the  good  genius  of  the 
waters):  " '  O  Ardvi  Sura  Anahita !  With  what  manner  of  sacrifice 
shall  I  worship  thee  ?  ...  So  that  Mazda  (Urmuzd)  may  make 
thee  run  down  (to  the  earth),  so  that  he  may  not  make  thee  run 
up  into  the  heavens,  above  the  sun ;  and  that  the  Serpent  may 
not  injure  thee.' " 2 

More  generally,  however,  he  is  represented  as  a  fiend,  created 
by  Ahriman  to  vex  the  Iranian  race,  and  carry  off  the  light  of 
sovereignty  ;  while  in  the  Shahnama  he  loses  to  a  great  extent  his 
supernatural  character,  and  is,  as  already  has  been  pointed  out,3 
the  protagonist  of  the  Semitic  race  in  their  dealings  with  the 

1  Introd.  p.  7.  2  DZA,  ii.  74.  3  Introd.  p.  54. 


142  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

people  of  Iran.  He  is  accordingly  represented  as  a  native  of 
Arabia,  to  have  invaded  Iran,  and  to  have  had  his  capital  at  a  city 
which  is  perhaps  best  identified  with  Babylon.  We  read  in  the 
Zandavasta :  "  To  her  (i.e.  Anaitis)  did  Azi  Dahaka  (Zahhak),  the 
three-mouthed,  offer  up  a  sacrifice  in  the  land  of  Bawri,  with  a 
hundred  male  horses,  a  thousand  oxen,  and  ten  thousand  lambs. 
He  begged  of  her  a  boon,  saying :  '  Grant  me  this  boon,  O  good, 
most  beneficent  Ardvi  Sura  Anahita !  that  I  may  make  all  the 
seven  Karshvares  (Climes)  of  the  earth  empty  of  men.3  Ardvi  Sura 
Anahita  did  not  grant  him  that  boon.  ...  To  her  did  Thraetaona 
(Faridiin),  the  heir  of  the  valiant  Athwya  clan,  offer  up  a  sacrifice 
.  .  .  saying :  '  Grant  me  this,  O  good,  most  beneficent  Ardvi  Sura 
Anahita !  that  I  may  overcome  Azi  Dahaka,  the  three-mouthed,  the 
three-headed,  the  six-eyed  .  .  .  that  demon,  baleful  to  the  world  .  .  . 
that  Angra  Mainyu  (Ahriman)  created  against  the  material  world, 
to  destroy  the  world  of  the  good  principle  ;  and  that  I  may  deliver 
his  two  wives,  Savanghava/f  (Shahrinaz)  and  Erenava&  (Arnawaz), 
who  are  the  fairest  of  body  amongst  women,  and  the  most 
wonderful  creatures  in  the  world.'  " l 

Zahhak's  palace  is  called  in  the  Zandavasta  Kvirinta,  which  may 
mean  in  the  A vasta  language  "a  stork."  There  is  a  legend  that 
the  palace  was  in  the  form  of  that  bird.2 

We  learn  from  the  Dinkard  that  the  legend  of  Zahhak  was 
contained  in  the  Xitradarf  and  S&dkar  Nasks  of  the  Zandavasta. 
The  latter  Nask  contained  information  "  About  the  smiting  by 
Fredun,  for  the  sake  of  killing  Dahak  ;  the  striking  of  his  club 
upon  the  nape  of  the  neck,  the  heart,  and  even  the  skull ;  and 
Dahak's  not  dying  from  that  beating.  Then  smiting  him  with  a 
sword,  and  the  formation  of  noxious  creatures  of  many  kinds, 
from  the  body  of  Dahak,  at  the  first,  second,  and  third  blow. 
The  exclamation  of  the  creator  Auharmazd  to  Frcdun  thus :  '  Thou 
shouldst  not  cut  him  who  is  Dahak,  because  if  thou  shouldst  cut 
him,  Dahak  would  be  making  this  earth  full  of  serpents,  toads, 
scorpions,  lizards,  tortoises,  and  frogs  ; '  with  the  mode  of  binding 
him  with  awful  fetters,  in  the  most  grievous  punishment  of  con- 
finement. This,  too,  that  when  Az-i  Dahak  was  bound,  the  report 
of  the  same  proceeded  thus  through  all  the  regions,  which  are 
seven,  that  downstricken  is  Az-i  Dahak,  but  he  who  smote  him 
is  FretMn  the  Aspikan,  the  exalted  and  mighty  .  .  .  and  those 
which  are  evil  do  not  mention  Az,  nor  demand  the  virtuous 
maiden  with  importunity,  nor  even  coveted  wealth.  This,  too, 
that  when  information  came  to  him  of  women  or  property,  that 


1  DZA,  ii.  60-62  and  notes.  2  Id.  253  and  note. 


ZAHHAK  143 

seemed  to  him  desirable  to  possess,  they  were  then  admitted  by 
him  into  a  golden  cage." l 

Zahhak  is  looked  upon  in  the  Shahnama  as  exemplifying  in  his 
own  person  all  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  non-Aryan  peoples 
with  whom  the  Iranians  came  in  contact — idolatry,  black  arts, 
serpent-worship,  and  human  sacrifice.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  as 
is  pointed  out  by  Fergusson,1  that  serpent-worship  seems  always 
to  have  been  accompanied  by  human  sacrifice.  He  also  appears 
to  consider  that  the  former  was  essentially  Turanian,  not  Aryan 
or  Semitic,  and  he  points  out  that  in  the  bas-relief  at  Nakhs-i- 
Rustam,  in  which  Urmuzd  is  represented  as  bestowing  the  crown 
on  Ardshlr  Papakan,  the  first  Shah  of  the  Sasanian  dynasty,  the 
god  is  seated  on  a  horse,  and  beneath  his  feet  lies  Ardawan,  the 
last  king  of  the  Parthian  dynasty,  with  two  serpents  round  his 
head.2 

In  the  Shahnama,  however,  Zahhak  is  essentially  Semitic,  and 
his  reign  of  a  thousand  years  may  be  taken  as  typifying  that 
race  in  their  relations  to  the  Iranians  from  the  earliest  tradi- 
tions of  Assyrian  oppression  to  the  political  overlordship  of  the 
Khalifas  of  Baghdad  in  the  poet's  own  days. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  Zahhak  is  not  slain  by  Faridun  but 
imprisoned — a  point  indicative  of  his  supernatural  character  ;  and 
also  that  the  legend  of  Kawa  the  smith  is,  as  one  would  naturally 
expect,  a  West  Iranian  tradition,  as  shown  by  its  association  with 
the  city  of  Ispahan.  The  historical  flag  of  the  Persian  empire, 
known  as  the  flag  of  Kawa,  the  traditional  origin  of  which  will  be 
found  in  the  text,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Muhammadans  at 
the  battle  of  Kadisiyya,  A.D.  637.  The  natives  of  the  town  of 
Damawand,  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  mountain  of  that 
name,  still  celebrate  a  feast,  called  "  Id-i-Kurdi,"  or  the  Kurds' 
Holiday,  to  commemorate  the  death  of  Zahhak,3  while  a  cyclopean 
terrace  in  the  neighbourhood  is  pointed  out  as  the  place  where, 
in  accord  to  Eastern  usage,  his  drums  were  beaten  at  dawn.4 

Zahhak's  minister,  Kundrav,  has  had  a  strange  eventful  mytho- 
logical history.  In  the  Vedas  he  appears  as  Gandhava,  the  divine 
guardian  of  the  Soma — the  sacred  drink-offering,  the  Homa  of 
Iran.  In  the  Zandavasta  he  is  a  monstrous  fiend  or  monster 
known  as  Gandarewa  or  Gandarep,  the  slaying  of  whom  was  one 

1  WPT,  iv.  27,  214. 

2  "Tree  and  Serpent  Worship,"  p.  3,  2nd  ed.  1873. 

3  Id.  pp.  42-44. 

4  Morier,  "  A  Second  Journey  through  Persia,"  p.  357. 

5  GHP,  i.  31. 


144  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

of  the  great  feats  of  the  ancient  Iranian  hero  Garshasp.1  In  the 
Shahnama  he  is  represented  as  a  human  being — the  factotum 
of  Zahhak.  The  two  are  a  good  illustration  of  the  relationship 
that  exists  between  Indian  and  Iranian  mythology,  between  the 
Vedas  and  the  Zandavasta,  and  of  the  genesis  of  the  legends  of 
the  Shahnama. 

Some  readers  may  like  to  see  the  version  of  the  legend  of 
Zahhak  as  given  in  the  Armenian  History  attributed  to  Moses 
of  Chorene,  which  though  subsequent  to  his  time  is  probably 
centuries  anterior  to  the  Shahnama,  and  shows  that  the  legend 
was  known  in  all  its  essential  features  long  before  Firdausi's 
days.  It  runs  thus  in  Whiston's  Latin  version  of  the  original : — 

"Quid  autem  tibi  sunt  voluptati  viles  ac  vanae  de  Byraspe 
Astyage '  fabulae  ?  aut  cur  nobis  ineptos  atque  insulsos,  ac  rationis 
expertes  Persarum  sermones,  laborem  imponis  explicandi,  nempe 
de  primo  ejus  benefacto  malefico,  Daemoniisque  ei  ministrantibus, 
utque  errorem  &  falsitatem  frustrari  non  potuerit,  ac  super 
humerorum  osculatione,  unde  Draconum  ortus  fuit,  ac  deinde 
flagitii  frequentia  homines  per  ventris  usum  perdidit  ;  utque 
Rhodanes  3  quidem  postea  catenis  eum  aeneis  constrinxerit,  atque 
in  montem,  qui  vocatur  Dembavendus,  abduxerit  ...  is  qui 
scelera  machinabatur,  domi  eum  forisque  sine  suspicione  erudire 
solebat,  in  Byraspis  humeris  caput  reponens,  ac  maleficas  artes 
in  aurem  inculcans,  unde  in  fabulis  narrant,  puerum  Satanae, 
ministrum  ei  fuisse,  ej  usque  voluntati  obsecundasse ;  utque  etiam 
subinde,  quasi  praemium  ab  eo  postulans,  humeros  ejus  oscu- 
laretur.  Caeterum  quod  narrant,  Dracones  pullulasse,  sive  ipsum 
Byraspem  in  Draconen  prorsus  mutatum  fuisse,  ita  res  se  habet. 
Quippe  cum  immanem  hominum  numerum  Daemoniis  ille  immolare 
coepisset,  indignabunda  multitude  ab  eo  tandem  abalienata  fuit, 
isque  igitur  communi  omnium  consensu  pulsus,  ad  montem  supra 
memoratum  confugit.  Ibi,  cum  acrius  premeretur,  sua  eum  caterva 
deseruit,  qua  re  confisi,  qui  eum  persecuti  erant,  dies  aliquot  in 
iis  locis  residerunt.  At  Byraspes,  cohortem  dispersam  cogens,  ad 
inopinantes  impetum  facit  (sic)  magmimque  attulit  detrimentum  ; 
sed  vicit  tandem  multitude,  &  Byraspes  se  in  fugam  contulit, 
quern  comprehensum  prope  eum  montem  peremerunt,  atque  in 
magnam  sulphuris  foveam  conjecerunt."  4 

For  the  mythological  account  of  Abtin,  the  father  of  Faridiin, 
see  the  introductory  note  to  the  next  reign.  His  legend  up 

1  See  introductory  note  to  the  next  reign. 

2  See  Introd.  p.  72.  3  I.e.  Faridun. 
4  Mosis  Chorenensis,  ed.  Whiston,  77-80. 


ZAHHAK  145 

to  the  point  where  it  is  taken  up  in  the  Shahnama  may  be  briefly 
summarised  as  follows.  He  was  the  head  of  a  family  of  Persian 
landowners  or  thanes  who  dwelt  in  the  Alburz  range  to  the 
south  of  the  Caspian  and  claimed  to  be  descended  from  Jamshid. 
He  began  the  war  of  independence  against  Zahhak,  but  after 
some  success  was  forced  to  take  refuge  with  the  remnant  of 
his  adherents  at  the  court  of  the  king  of  Ghilan,  who  received 
him  kindly,  but,  fearing  the  vengeance  of  Zahhak,  subsequently 
furnished  him  with  ships  and  provisions,  and  dismissed  him  to 
seek  his  fortune  elsewhere.  After  a  month's  voyage  on  the 
Caspian  Abtin  arrived  at  the  court  of  the  king  of  the  Scythians, 
whose  daughter  Faranak  fell  in  love  with  him.  Incidents  similar 
to  those  in  the  story  of  Zal  and  Rudaba  in  the  present  volume 
followed.  In  the  end  Abtin  married  Faranak,  by  whom  he  had 
two  sons,  and  lived  happily  and  in  high  favour  with  his  father- 
in-law.  He  could  not  rest,  however.  In  dream  after  dream  he 
was  incited  to  resume  the  war  of  independence  against  Zahhak, 
and  at  length,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  his  father-in-law,  set 
sail  with  wife,  family,  and  adherents,  and  after  various  adventures 
landed  near  Amul  in  Mazandaran,  where  he  made  his  home  in 
the  surrounding  forests.  Here  he  gathered  a  band  of  followers 
and  resumed  his  guerilla  warfare  against  Zahhak,  in  the  midst 
of  which  Faridiin  was  born,  the  birth  being  heralded  by  many 
prodigies.  At  this  point  the  Shahnama  takes  up  the  story.1 


The  Evil  Customs  of  Zahhak  and  the  Device 
of  Irrnd'il  and  Karmd'il 

Zahhak  sat  on  the  throne  a  thousand  years  V.  35 

Obeyed  by  all  the  world.     Through  that  long  time 
The  customs  of  the  wise  were  out  of  vogue, 
The  lusts  of  madmen  flourished  everywhere, 
All  virtue  was  despised,  black  art  esteemed, 
Right  lost  to  sight,  disaster  manifest ; 
While  divs  accomplished  their  fell  purposes 
And  no  man  spake  of  good  unless  by  stealth.    I 

1  The  above  is  summarised  from  GHP,  i.  171,  211,  &c. 

K 


146  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USt 

Two  sisters  of  Jainshid,  their  sex's  crown, 
Were  brought  out  trembling  like  a  willow-leaf. 
Of  those  two  ladies  visaged  like  the  moon 
The  names  were  Shahrinaz  and  Arnawaz. 
Men  bore  them  to  the  palace  of  Zahhak 
And  gave  them  over  to  the  dragon  king, 
Who  educated  them  in  evil  ways 
And  taught  them  sorcery  and  necromancy. 
The  only  teaching  that  he  knew  was  bad — 
To  massacre,  to  pillage,  and  to  burn. 

Each  night  two  youths  of  high  or  lowly  birth 
Were  taken  to  the  palace  by  the  cook, 
Who  having  slaughtered  them  took  out  their  brains 
To  feed  the  snakes  and  ease  the  monarch's  anguish. 
Now  in  the  realm  were  two  good  high-born  Persians — 
The  pious  Irma'il  and  Karrna'il 
The  prescient.     Talking  of  the  lawless  Shah, 
Of  his  retainers  and  those  hideous  meals, 
One  said :  "  By  cookery  we  might  approach 
The  Shah,  and  by  our  wits  devise  a  scheme 
V.  36         To  rescue  one  from  each  pair  doomed  to  death." 

They  went  and  learned  that  art.     The  clever  twain 
Became  the  monarch's  cooks  and  joyed  in  secret. 
The  time  for  shedding  blood  and  taking  life 
Came,  and  some  murderous  minions  of  the  Shah 
Dragged  to  the  cooks  with  violence  two  youths 
And  flung  them,  prone.     The  livers  of  the  cooks 
Ached,  their  eyes  filled  with  blood,  their  hearts  with  wrath, 
And  each  glanced  at  the  other  as  he  thought 
Of  such  an  outrage  by  the  Shah.     They  slew 
One  of  the  youths  and  thought  it  best  to  mingle 
His  precious  brains  with  sheep's  and  spare  the  other, 
To  whom  they  said :  "  Make  shift  to  hide  thyself, 
Approach  not  any  dwelling-place  of  man, 
Thine  are  the  wastes  and  heights." 


ZAHHAK  147 

A  worthless  head 

Thus  fed  the  serpents,  and  in  every  month 
The  cooks  preserved  from  slaughter  thirty  youths. 
And  when  the  number  reached  two  hundred  saved 
Provided  them,  the  donors  all  unknown, 
With  sheep  and  goats,  and  sent  them  desertward. 
Thus  sprang  the  Kurds,  who  know  no  settled  home, 
But  dwell  in  woollen  tents  and  fear  not  God. 
Zahhak  was  wont,  such  was  his  evil  nature, 
To  choose  him  one  among  his  warriors 
And  slay  him  for  conspiring  with  the  divs. 
Moreover,  all  the  lovely  noble  maidens 
Secluded  in  their  bowers,  not  tanged  of  tongues, 
He  took  for  handmaids.     Not  a  jot  had  he  V.  37 

Of  faith,  king's  uses,  or  morality. 


§2 
How  Zahhak  saw  Faridtin  in  a  Dream 

Observe  God's  dealings  with  Zahhak  when  he 
Had  forty  years  to  live.     One  longsome  night 
He  slumbered  in  the  arms  of  Arnawaz, 
And  saw  a  vision  of  three  warriors — 
Boughs  of  the  tree  of  kings.     The  youngest  one, 
Who  held  the  middle  place,  was  cypress  tall, 
In  face,  in  armour,  and  in  mien  a  king. 
He  rushed  with  ox-head  mace  to  fight  Zahhak, 
Smote  him  upon  the  head,  stripped  off'  his  skin, 
And  used  it  as  a  rope  to  bind  his  hands 
Firm  as  a  rock,1  placed  on  his  neck  a  yoke, 
Then  casting  earth  and  dust  upon  his  head 

1  Cf.  Keresdspa's  account  of  his  treatment  of  Gandarep.     See  intro- 
ductory note  to  Faridun. 


148  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSt 

Dragged  him  before  the  crowd  in  shame  and  anguish 
Toward  Mount  Damawand. 

The  tyrant  writhed : 

Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  His  liver  split  with  fright." 
He  yelled.     The  palace  of  the  hundred  columns 
Shook,  and  the  sun-faced  ladies  left  their  couches, 
While  Arnawaz  said  to  him  :  "  Shah  !  what  was  it  ? 
Confide  in  me ;  thou  wast  asleep  in  peace 
At  home  !    What  saw'st  thou  ?    Say  what  came  to  thee  ? 
The  world  is  at  thy  will,  beast,  div,  and  man 
V.  38         Watch  o'er  thee  and  the  seven  climes  are  thine — 

All  'twixt  the  moon  and  Fish.1     What  made  thee  start  ? 
0  master  of  the  world  !     Oh  !  answer  me." 

The  chief  replied :  "  I  may  not  tell,  or  else 
Ye  will  despair  my  life." 

Then  Arnawaz : — 

"  Be  pleased  to  tell  us  ;  we  perchance  may  find 
A  cure,  no  ill  is  irremediable." 

He  told  them  every  whit,  then  said  the  Fair : — 
"  Neglect  it  not  but  seek  a  remedy. 
Thy  throne's  seat  is  the  signet  of  the  age, 
Thy  famous  fortune  brighteneth  the  world, 
Beneath  thy  finger-ring  thou  hast  the  earth 
With  all  its  fairies,  divs,  beasts,  fowls,  and  men. 
Call  both  the  archmages  and  astrologers — 
The  wisest  of  each  realm — and  tell  them  all. 
See  if  the  hand  that  threateneth  thy  life 
Is  that  of  fairy,  div,  or  man.     This  known 
Act  vigorously ;  quail  not  before  thy  foes." 

The  lady's"  counsel  pleased  the  Shah. 

Night  then 

Was  dark  as  raven's  plumes,  but  when  at  length 
The  Lamp  showed  o'er  the  hills,  and  thou  hadst  said, 
"  Strewed  yellow  gems  upon  the  azure  vault," 

1  See  Introd.  p.  71. 


ZAHHAK  149 

Zahhak  brought  archimages  shrewd  of  heart 

And  told  to  them  the  dream  that  pierced  his  liver. 

He  said :  "  Expound  this  dream  without  delay,  V.  39 

And  make  my  soul  a  pathway  toward  the  light." 

He  asked  them  privily  about  the  future, 
Demanding :  "  What  will  be  my  latter  end, 
And  who  succeed  me  ?     Tell  or  hide  your  heads 
In  shame." 

They  talked  together  sad  at  heart, 
With  parched  lips  and  with  sallow  countenances : 
They  said :  "  If  we  tell  truly  what  is  fated 
We  shall  be  tortured,  haply  lose  our  lives ; 
And  if  we  do  not  act  straightforwardly 
As  well  wash  hands  of  life." 

None  dared  to  speak : 
Their  fortune  was  in  jeopardy  three  days. 
Upon  the  fourth  the  Shah  was  wroth,  exclaiming : — 
"  Foretell  the  future  or  be  hung  alive." 

They  drooped  their  heads,  their  hearts  were   rent, 

their  eyes 

Wept  tears  of  blood.     Among  them  was  a  man, 
Wise,  honest,  prescient,  by  name^Zirak — 
The  chief  of  all  the  band  of  archimages. 
Concerned  but  fearless  he  addressed  Zahhak : — 
"  Indulge  no  vapouring  for  none  is  born 
Except  to  die.     There  have  been  kings  ere  thee 
Fit  for  the  throne  of  power.     Both  griefs  and  joys 
Enough  they  reckoned  up  yet  their  time  came. 
If  thou  wert  standing  there —  an  iron  wall — 
Yon  heaven  would  grind  thee,  thou  wouldst  not  endure. 
One  will  hereafter  take  thy  throne  and  fling 
Thy  fortune  to  the  ground.     His  name  is  Faridun, 
And  he  will  be  a  royal  heaven  to  earth. 

As  yet  he  is  not  born,  thy  time  of  woe  V.  40 

Hath  not  arrived,  but  when  his  honoured  mother 
Hath  borne  him  he  will  be  a  fruitful  tree. 


ISO  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

At  man's  estate  his  head  will  reach  the  moon 

And  he  will  seek  thy  belt,  crown,  throne,  and  casque. 

In  stature  a  tall  cypress,  he  will  shoulder 

A  mace  of  steel,  will  smite  thy  head  therewith 

And  drag  thee  from  the  palace  to  the  street 

In  bonds." 

"  Why  bind  me,"  said  the  impious  king, 
"  In  vengeance  ? " 

Then  Zirak :  "  Wert  thou  but  wise  .  . 
But  all  make  pretexts  for  injurious  acts. 
Thy  hand  will  slay  his  father  and  that  wrong 
Will  fill  the  son's  brains  with  revengeful  thoughts : 
Besides  the  nurse  of  this  young  atheling — 
The  cow,  Birmaya  hight — will  perish  too 
By  thy  hand  ;  so  in  vengeance  he  will  brandish 
An  ox-head  mace." 

Zahhak  heard  anxiously, 

And  swooned  upon  his  throne.     The  noble  archmage 
Turned  him  and  fled  away  in  dread  of  ill. 
The  Shah  recovered  and  resumed  his  seat. 
He  diligently  sought  throughout  the  world 
For  traces  faint  or  clear  of  Faridun ; 
No  food,  no  slumber,  or  repose  took  he, 
His  daylight  turned  to  lapislazuli. 


S3 
The  Birth  of  Faridiin 

Years  passed  away,  calamity  approached 
The  dragon-king,  the  blessed  Faridiin 
Was  born,  the  fashion  of  the  world  was  changed. 
Of  cypress  height  he  shone  forth  with  the  Grace 
Of  kings  of  kings  which  erst  Jamshid  possessed, 


ZAHHAK  151 

Was  like  the  sun,  as  needful  as  the  rain 

To  earth  and  fit  as  knowledge  to  the  mind ; 

Revolving  heaven  loved  him  tenderly.  V.  41 

Then  lived  the  cow  Birmaya,  chief  of  kine, 
Born  with  a  coat  all  bright  and  peacock-hued. 
The  wise,  the  archmages,  and  astrologers 
Collected  round  her ;  none  had  seen  or  heard 
Of  such  a  cow  before. 

Meanwhile  Zahhak 

Was  searching  everywhere,  and  filling  earth 
With  hue  and  cry,  till  Faridiin  became 
A  source  of  danger  to  his  sire  Abtin, 
Who  fled  for  life  but  to  the  Lion's  toils, 
For  certain  of  the  followers  of  Zahhak, 
That  impious  monarch,  met  Abtm  one  day, 
Seized  him  and  bore  him,  like  a  cheetah  bound, 
Before  the  Shah,  who  had  him  put  to  death. 

When  Faridiin's  wise  mother  Faranak, 
A  glorious  dame  devoted  to  her  child, 
Perceived  her  husband's  evil  fate  she  fled ; 
And  came  heart-broken  weeping  to  the  field 
Wherein  the  beautiful  Birmaya  was. 
Still  shedding  drops  of  blood  she  bade  the  hind : — 
"  Protect  this  suckling  for  me,  be  a  father 
To  him,  and  give  him  milk  of  yon  fair  cow. 
Ask  what  thou  wilt,  e'en  to  my  soul  'tis  thine." 

The  hind  replied :  "  I  will  perform  thy  bidding 
And  be  as  'twere  a  slave  before  thy  child." 

Then  Faranak  resigned  the  babe  to  him,  v.  42 

With  all  instructions  that  were  requisite, 
And  that  wise  guardian  like  a  father  fed 
The  child  for  three  years  with  Birmaya' s  rnilk ; 
But  as  Zahhak  ne'er  wearied  of  the  search, 
And  as  the  cow  was  talked  of  everywhere, 
The  mother  hasted  to  the  field  again 


152  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDAUSI 

And  spake  thus  to  the  guardian  of  her  child : — 
"  A  prudent  thought — a  thought  inspired  by  God- 
Hath  risen  in  iny  heart.     What  we  must  do 
Is  this — there  is  no  remedy,  my  son 
And  my  dear  life  are  one — I  must  abandon 
This  land  of  sorcerers,  depart  unmarked 
To  Hindustan  and  bear  him  to  Alburz." 

Then  like  a  roe  or  one  who  rideth  post 
She  took  the  young  child  to  that  lofty  mountain 
Where  dwelt  a  devotee  dead  to  the  world, 
To  whom  she  said :  "  I  am,  O  holy  one  ! 
A  woeful  woman  from  f  ran.     Know  thou 
That  this  my  noble  son  will  be  hereafter 
The  leader  of  his  people,  will  discrown 
Zahhak  and  tread  his  girdle  in  the  dust. 
Take  thou  this  child  and  father  him  with  care." 

The  good  man  took  her  child  and  never  breathed 
One  cold  breath  on  him. 

When  the  rumour  reached 
Zahhak  about  the  cow  and  field  he  went, 
Like  some  mad  elephant,  and  slew  Birmaya, 
With  all  the  other  cattle  that  he  saw 
Within  the  field,  and  harried  all  the  land. 
He  went  next  to  the  home  of  Faridun, 
Searched  it,  but  all  in  vain,  for  none  was  found, 
And  burned  the  lofty  palace  to  the  ground. 


§4 
How  Faridun  questioned  his  Mother  about  his  Origin 

V.  43  Now  Faridun,  when  twice  eight  years  had  passed, 

Sought  out  his  mother  on  the  plain  and  said : — 
"  Disclose  thy  secret,  say  who  is  my  father, 


ZAHHAK  153 

What  is  my  lineage,  whom  shall  I  declare 
Myself  in  public  ?     Let  me  have  the  truth." 

She  said :  "  I  will  tell  all,  my  noble  boy  ! 
Within  Iran  erewhile  lived  one  Abtin, 
Of  royal  race,  discerning  mind,  wise,  brave, 
And  inoffensive,  sprung  from  Tahinuras ; 
Abtin  knew  all  the  pedigree.     Thy  sire 
And  my  dear  spouse  was  he  ;  my  days  were  dark 
When  we  were  parted.     Now  Zahhak  the  warlock 
Stretched  from  fran  his  hand  against  thy  life, 
But  I  concealed  thee.     Oh  !  what  woeful  days 
I  passed  while  that  brave  youth — thy  father — forfeited 
His  own  sweet  life  for  thee !     Now  on  Zahhak 
The    warlock's    shoulders    grew    two    snakes    which 

sucked 

The  life-breath  of  Iran,  and  thy  sire's  brains 
Were  taken  from  his  head  to  feed  them.     I 
In  course  of  time  came  on  an  open  pasture, 
As  yet  unknown  to  fame,  and  there  beheld 
A  cow  like  jocund  spring,  well  shaped  and  coloured 
From  head  to  foot :  before  her  sat  her  herd 
Upon  his  heels  as  one  before  a  king. 

I  put  thee  in  his  charge.     For  long  he  nursed  thee          v.  44 
Upon  his  breast,  the  cow  of  peacock-hues 
Supplying  thee  with  milk  that  made  thee  thrive 
Like  some  bold  crocodile,  until  the  tidings 
Of  cow  and  meadow  reached  the  Shah,  and  then 
I  bare  thee  from  the  pasture  in  all  haste 
And  fled  Iran  and  home  and  family. 
He  came  and  slew  the  noble,  tender  nurse 
That  could  not  speak  to  thee,  then  sent  the  dust 
Up  from  our  home  and  turned  it  to  ditch." 

The  prince,  enraged  thereat,  mused  on  revenge, 
And  said  with  aching  heart  and  knitted  brows : — 
"  The  lion  groweth  brave  by  venturing, 


3  54  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  US1 

And  since  the  sorcerer  hath  done  his  part 

Mine  is  to  take  my  scimitar  and  lay 

His  palace  in  the  dust ;  such  is  God's  will." 

She  said :  "  This  is  not  well ;  thou  canst  not  stand 
Alone  against  the  world.     He  hath  the  crown 
And  throne,  and  troops  at  his  command,  who  come 
From  all  the  realm  to  battle  when  he  willeth, 
A  hundred  thousand  strong.     View  not  the  world 
With  boyish  eyes ;  the  laws  of  blood-revenge 
Demand  it  not.     Drunk  with  the  wine  of  youth 
Men  think  themselves  the  only  ones  on  earth 
And  vapour,  but  be  thy  days  mirth  and  joy. 
Do  thou,  my  son !  bear  this  advice  in  mind, 
Give  all  words  save  thy  mother's  to  the  wind." 


N  c 

The  Story  of  Zahhdk  and  Kdwa  the  Smith 

Zahhak  had  "  Faridiin  "  upon  his  lips 
v.  45  Both  day  and  night,  his  lofty  stature  bent 

Beneath  the  terrors  of  his  heart  until 
One  day,  when  sitting  on  the  ivory  throne 
And  wearing  on  his  head  the  turquoise  crown, 
He  called  the  notables  from  every  province 
To  firm  the  bases  of  his  sovereignty, 
And  said  to  them :  "  Good,  wise,  illustrious  men ! 
I  have,  as  sages  wot,  an  enemy 
Concealed,  and  I  through  fear  of  ill  to  come 
Despise  not  such  though  weak.     I  therefore  need 
A  larger  host — men,  dfvs,  and  fairies  too — 
And  ask  your  aid,  for  rumours  trouble  me ; 
80  sign  me  now  a  scroll  to  this  effect : — 
'  Our  monarch  soweth  naught  but  seeds  of  good, 
He  ever  speaketh  truth  and  wrongeth  none.' " 


ZAHHAK  155 

Those  upright  men  both  young  and  old  subscribed 
Their  names  upon  the  Dragon's  document, 
Against  their  wills,  because  they  feared  the  Shah. 
Just  then  was  heard  outside  the  palace-gate 
The  voice  of  one  that  clamoured  for  redress. 
They  called  him  in  before  the  Shah  and  set  him 
Among  the  paladins.     Zahhak  in  dudgeon 
Said :  "  Tell  us  who  hath  wronged  thee." 

Then  the  man 

Smote  on  his  head  before  the  Shah  and  cried : — 
"  0  Shah  !  my  name  is  Kawa  and  I  sue 
For  justice.     Do  me  right.     I  come  in  haste 
Accusing  thee  in  bitterness  of  soul ; 

An  act  of  justice  will  enhance  thy  greatness.  v.  46 

I  have  had  many  an  outrage  at  thy  hands, 
For  thou  hast  stabbed  my  heart  unceasingly, 
And  if  the  outrages  had  not  thy  sanction 
Why  hath  my  son  been  taken  ?     I  had  once 
In  this  world  eighteen  sons  :  but  one  is  left ! 
Have  mercy !     Look  on  me  this  once  !     My  liver 
Is  ever  burning !     What  is  mine  offence, 
O  Shah  ?     Oh,  say  !     If  I  have  not  offended 
Seek  not  occasion  'gainst  the  innocent, 
Regard  my  plight  and  save  thyself  from  woe. 
My  back  is  bent  with  length  of  years,  despair 
Hath  seized  my  heart,  my  head  is  all  distraught, 
My  youth  is  gone,  my  children  are  no  more, 
And  children  are  the  nearest  kin  on  earth. 
Oppression  hath  a  middle  and  an  end, 
And  pretext  ever.     Tell  me  what  is  thine 
For  wronging  me  and  ruining  my  life. 
A  smith  am  I,  an  inoffensive  man, 
Upon  whose  head  the  Shah  is  pouring  fire, 
And  thou  art  he,  and,  though  of  dragon-form, 
Must  still  do  justice  in  this  cause  of  mine. 


156  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

Since  thou  dost  rule  the  seven  provinces 
Why  should  the  toil  and  hardship  all  be  ours  ? 
We  have  accounts  to  settle — thou  and  I— 
And  all  will  be  aghast  if  they  shall  show 
That  this  my  son  hath  perished  in  his  turn 
With  all  the  rest  to  feed  those  snakes  of  thine." 

The  monarch  listened  and  was  sore  amazed. 
They  set  the  young  man  free  and  strove  to  win 
The  father  by  fair  words,  but  when  Zahhak 
Bade  him  subscribe  the  scroll  he  read  it  through 
And  shouted  to  the  ancients  of  the  realm : — 
v.  47         "  Confederates  of  the  Div  with  impious  hearts  ! 
Ye  set  your  faces  hellward  and  have  yielded 
To  that  man's  bidding.     I  will  not  subscribe, 
Or  ever  give  the  Shah  another  thought." 

He  shouted,  rose  in  fury,  rent  the  scroll 
And  trampled  it ;  then  with  his  noble  son 
In  front  of  him  went  raving  to  the  street. 
But  all  the  courtiers  blessed  the  Shah  and  said : — 
"  Illustrious  king  of  earth  !  may  no  cold  blast 
From  heaven  pass  o'er  thee  on  the  day  of  battle. 
Why  was  this  insolent  Kawa  countenanced 
As  though  a  friend  of  thine  ?     He  tore  the  scroll, 
Refusing  to  obey  thee,  and  is  gone 
Bent  on  revenge  and  leagued,  as  thou  wouldst  say, 
With  Faridiin !     A  viler  deed  than  this 
We  never  saw  and  marvel  such  should  be." 

He  answered  quickly :  "  I  will  tell  you  wonders. 
When  Kawa  entered  and  I  heard  his  cries, 
A  mount  of  iron  seemed  to  rise  betwixt  us ; 

\^' 

And  when  he  beat  his  head  a  strange  sensation 
Convulsed  me.     How  'twill  end  I  cannot  tell ; 
The  secrets  of  the  sky  are  known  to  none." 

When  Kawa  left  the  presence  of  the  Shah, 
A  crowd  assembled  in  the  market-place. 


ZAHHAK  157 

And  still  he  shouted,  crying  out  for  aid 

And  urging  all  to  stand  upon  their  rights. 

He  took  a  leathern  apron,  such  as  smiths 

Wear  to  protect  their  legs  while  at  the  forge, 

Stuck  it  upon  a  spear's  point  and  forthwith 

Throughout  the  market  dust  began  to  rise. 

He  passed  along  with  spear  in  hand  exclaiming : — 

"  Ye  men  of  name !    Ye  worshippers  of  God ! 

Whoe'er  would  'scape  the  fetters  of  Zahhak  v.  48 

Let  him  resort  with  me  to  Faridun 

And  shadow  in  his  Grace.     Come  ye  to  him  ; 

The  ruler  here  is  Ahriman — God's  foe." 

So  that  poor  leather,  worthless  as  it  was, 
Discriminated  friends  and  enemies. 
He  took  the  lead,  and  many  valiant  men 
Resorted  to  him ;  he  rebelled  and  went 
To  Faridun.     When  he  arrived  shouts  rose. 
He  entered  the  new  prince's  court,  who  marked 
The  apron  on  the  spear  and  hailed  the  omen. 
He  decked  the  apron  with  brocade  of  Hiim 
Of  jewelled  patterns  on  a  golden  ground, 
Placed  on  the  spearpoint  a  full  moon — a  token 
Portending  gloriously — and  having  draped  it 
With  yellow,  red,  and  violet,  he  named  it 
The  Kawian  flag.     Thenceforth  when  any  Shah 
Acceded  to  the  throne,  and  donned  the  crown, 
He  hung  the  worthless  apron  of  the  smith 
With  still  more  jewels,  sumptuous  brocade, 
And  painted  silk  of  Chin.     It  thus  fell  out 
That  Kawa's  standard  grew  to  be  a  sun 
Amid  the  gloom  of  night,  and  cheered  all  hearts. 

Time  passed  and  still  the  world  maintained  its  secret. 
When  Faridun  saw  matters  thus,  and  all  men 
Submiss  to  vile  Zahhak,  he  came  to  Faranak 
With  girded  loins,  crowned  with  a  royal  casque, 


158  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

And  said :  "  I  go  to  battle,  but  do  thou 
Devote  thyself  to  prayer.     The  Maker  ruleth. 
In  weal  and  woe  alike  clasp  hands  to  Him." 

With  tears  and  bleeding  heart  she  cried :  "  0  God ! 
My  trust  hath  been  in  Thee.     Turn  from  my  son 
V.  49  The  onslaughts  of  the  wicked  on  his  life, 

And  rid  the  world  of  these  infatuates." 

Then  Faridun  gat  ready  with  despatch 
And  secrecy.     He  had  two  brothers,  both 
Of  noble  birth  and  older  than  himself, 
Hight  Kaiiimish  and  prosperous  Purmaya. 
He  said  to  them :  "  Live,  gallant  hearts !  in  joy. 
Revolving  heaven  bringeth  naught  but  good ; 
The  crown  of  power  is  coming  back  to  us. 
Provide  me  cunning  smiths  and  let  them  make  me 
A  massive  mace." 

They  sought  the  smiths'  bazar 
In  haste,  whence  all  the  aspiring  craftsmen  went 
To  Faridun,  who  taking  compasses 
Showed  to  the  smiths  the  pattern,  tracing  it 
Upon  the  ground.     It  had  a  buffalo's  head. 
They  took  the  work  in  hand,  and  having  wrought 
A  massive  mace  they  bore  it  to  the  hero. 
It  shone  as  brightly  as  the  noonday  sun, 
And  Faridun,  approving  of  the  work, 
Bestowed  upon  the  makers  raiment,  gold, 
And  silver,  holding  out  to  them  beside 
Bright  hopes  and  promise  of  advancement,  saying : — 
"  If  I  shall  lay  the  Dragon  in  the  dust 
I  will  not  leave  the  dust  upon  your  heads, 
But  justify  the  entire  world,  since  I 
Have  Him  in  mind  who  judgeth  righteously." 


ZAHHAK  159 


How  Faridun  went  to  Battle  with  Zahhdk 

With  head  raised  o'er  the  sun  he  girt  his  loins 
For  vengeance  for  his  father,  and  set  forth 
Upon  the  day  Khurdad  right  joyfully 
With  favouring  stars  and  splendid  auguries. 

The  troops  assembled  at  his  gate,  his  throne 
Was  lifted  to  the  clouds.     The  first  to  go 
Were  baggage  and  provisions  for  the  army  v.  50 

On  buffaloes  and  high-necked  elephants. 
Purrnaya  rode  with  Kaiamish  beside 
The  Shah,  like  younger  brothers  and  true  friends. 
He  went  like  wind  from  stage  to  stage ;  revenge 
Was  in  his  head  and  justice  in  his  heart. 

The  warriors  on  their  Arab  chargers  reached 
A  spot  where  people  dwelt  who  worshipped  God, 
And  Faridun  dismounting  greeted  them. 
When  night  was  darkening  one  in  friendly  guise 
Approached  him,  walking  with  a  measured  tread, 
With  musky  hair  descending  to  the  feet 
And  favoured  like  a  maid  of  Paradise. 
It  was  Suriish,  who  came  thence  to  advise 
The  king  of  good  and  ill,  came  like  a  fairy 
And  taught  him  privily  the  magic  art, 
That  he  might  know  the  key  of  every  lock 
And  by  his  spells  bring  hidden  things  to  light ; 
While  Faridun,  perceiving  that  the  work 
Was  God's  not  Ahriman's  or  come  of  evil, 
Flushed  like  a  cercis-bloom  and  joyed  to  see 
How  lusty  he  and  his  young  fortune  were. 

The  cooks  prepared  a  feast — a  noble  banquet, 
One  fit  for  mighty  men.     Now  Faridun, 
The  drinking  done,  being  heavy  sought  repose. 


160  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

His  brothers,  seeing  that  God  sped  his  cause. 
And  that  his  fortune  slumbered  not,  departed 
Without  delay  to  compass  his  destruction. 
There  was  above  their  heads  a  lofty  cliff' 
And  underneath  the  Shah  slept  peacefully. 
His  two  abandoned  brothers  scaled  the  height 
That  night  unseen,  and  scrupling  at  no  crime 
Set  loose  a  mighty  crag  upon  the  brow 
To  fall  directly  on  their  brother's  head, 
v.  5 1         And  kill  him  in  his  sleep.     The  crashing  crag, 
For  God  so  ordered,  roused  the  slumber.er, 
Who  by  his  magic  art  arrested  it  ' 
In  mid  career :  it  stopped  dead.     Faridun 
Went  on  his  way  but  kept  the  matter  secret. 
In  front  marched  Kawa  with  the  Kawian  standard, 
Soon  to  become  the  ensign  of  the  realm. 
Thus  Faridun  advanced,  as  one  who  sought 
A  diadem,  toward  the  Arwand,  or  call  it, 
As  Arabs  do,  the  Dijla,  if  thou  knowest  not 
The  ancient  tongue.     He  marched  another  stage 
And  came  upon  the  Dijla,  at  Baghdad. 
On  drawing  near  he  sent  to  greet  the  guard 
And  said :  "  Despatch  to  this  side  instantly 
Your  boats  and  vessels,  bear  me  across  with  all 
Mine  army  and  let  none  be  left  behind." 

The  river-guard  sent  not  his  boats  nor  came 
At  Faridun's  behest,  but  made  reply : — 
«      "  The  Shah  gave  privy  orders :  '  Launch  no  boat 
Without  a  passport  under  mine  own  seal.' " 

The  prince,  enraged  and  fearless  of  the  stream, 
Girt  like  a  king  and  bent  upon  revenge, 
Plunged  with  his  rose-red  charger  in  the  flood, 
v.  52         With  one  accord  his  comrades  girt  themselves, 

Turned  toward  the  stream,  and  on  their  brave,  fleet 
steeds 


ZAHHAK  161 

Plunged  over  saddle-back.     The  warriors'  heads 
Reeled  while  their  swift  steeds  struggled  with  the  tide, 
And  with  their  necks  emerging  seemed  to  be 
The  phantom  cohort  of  a  dream.     The  warriors 
Reached  the  dry  land  undamped  in  their  revenge 
And  set  their  faces  toward  Bait  al  Mukaddas. 

This  men  called  when  they  used  the  ancient  tongue 
Gang-i-Dizhukht  ;  to-day  'tis  known  among 
The  Arabs  as  "  The  Holy  Place."     The  fair 
Tall  palace  of  Zahhak  was  builded  there. 

When  they  approached  the  city  that  they  sought, 
And  Faridun  beheld  it  a  mile  off, 
He  saw  a  pile  whose  building  towered  o'er  Saturn, 
So  that  thou  wouldst  have  said  :  "  'Twill  catch  the  stars  !  " 
It  shone  like  Jupiter  in  heaven  ;  the  place 
Appeared  all  peace  and  love  and  happiness. 
The  hero  recognised  that  seat  of  power 
And  springlike  beauty  as  the  Dragon's  dwelling, 
And  said  :  "  The  man  who  reared  a  pile  like  that 
From  dust  I  fear  me  cottoneth  with  the  world, 
But  still  'tis  better  to  press  on  than  tarry." 

This  said  he  grasped  his  massive  mace  and  gave 
His  fleet  steed  rein,  and  thou  hadst  said  :  "  A  flame 
Shot  up  before  the  guards." 

He  entered  riding  —  v.  53 

An  inexperienced  but  valiant  youth, 
Who  called  upon  the  name  of  God  —  while  they 
That  were  on  guard  fled  from  him  in  dismay. 


§7 
How  Faridun  saw  the  Sisters  of  Jamshid 

Then  Faridun  o'erthrew  the  talisman, 

Raised  heaven-high  by  Zahhak,  because  he  saw 

That  it  was  not  of  God,  with  massive  mace 

L 


162  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USf 

Laid  low  the  sorcerers  within  the  palace — 
All  fierce  and  notable  divs — and  set  himself 
Upon  the  enchanter's  throne.     This  done  he  took 
Possession  of  the  royal  crown  and  palace, 
But  though  he  searched  he  failed  to  find  Zahhak. 
Then  from  the  women's  bower  he  brought  two  Idols 
Sun-faced,  dark-eyed  ;  he  had  them  bathed,  he  purged 
The  darkness  of  their  minds  by  teaching  them 
,  The  way  of  God  and  made  them  wholly  clean ; 
For  idol-worshippers  had  brought  them  up 
And  they  were  dazed  in  mind  like  drunken  folk. 
Then  while  the  tears  from  their  bright  eyes  bedewed 
Their  rosy  cheeks  those  sisters  of  Jamshid 
Said  thus  to  Faridun :  "  Mayst  thou  be  young 
Till  earth  is  old !    What  star  was  this  of  thine, 

0  favoured  one !    What  tree  bore  thee  as  fruit, 
Who  venturest  inside  the  Lion's  lair 

So  hardily,  thou  mighty  man  of  valour  ? 
What  anguish  and  what  bale  have  we  endured 
All  through  this  dragon-shouldered  Ahriman  ! 
V.  54         Oh  !  what  a  miserable  world  for  us 
Did  this  infatuated  sorcerer  make  ! 
Yet  saw  we  never  here  a  man  so  hardy, 
Bold,  and  ambitious  as  to  think  that  he 
Could  take  the  throne." 

He  answered :  "  Throne  and  fortune 
Abide  with  none.     My  sire  was  fortune's  favourite, 
But  still  Zahhak  seized  on  him  in  f  ran 
And  slew  him  cruelly,  so  I  have  set 
My  face  against  Zahhak's  throne  in  revenge. 
He  slew  the  cow  Birmaya  too — my  nurse, 
A  very  gem  of  beauty.     What  could  he, 
That  villain,  gain  by  slaughtering  that  dumb  beast  ? 
Now  I  am  ready  and  I  purpose  war ; 

1  came  not  from  Iran  to  bring  him  pardon, 


ZAHHAK  163 

Or  good  will,  but  to  brain  him  in  revenge 
With  this  ox-headed  mace." 

When  Arnawaz 

Heard  this  she  guessed  the  secret,  and  replied  :— 
"  Then  thou  art  Faridun  the  Shah  and  wilt 
Abolish  necromacy  and  black  art, 
For  thou  art  fated  to  destroy  Zahhak : 
The  binding  of  thy  loins  will  loose  the  world. 
We  twain,  pure,  modest,  and  of  royal  seed, 
Submitted  only  through  the  fear  of  death, 
Else  would  we  ever  sleep  or  wake,  0  king  ! 
Beside  a  serpent-spouse  ? " 

Then  Faridun  :— 

"  If  heaven  over  us  shall  do  me  right 
I  will  cut  off  this  Dragon  from  the  earth, 
And  purge  the  world  of  its  impurity. 
Now  speak  the  truth  at  once  and  tell  me  where 
That  vile  one  is." 

Those  fair  dames  told  him  all ; 
They  thought :  "  The  Dragon's  head  will  meet  the 

shears," 

And  said :  "  He  went  to  Hindustan  to  practise 
Some  spell-work  in  that  land  of  sorcerers. 
He  will  cut  off  a  thousand  innocent  heads,  V.  55 

For  he  is  terror-struck  at  evil  fortune, 
Because  a  seer  hath  said :  '  Earth  will  be  void 
Of  thee,  for  Faridun  will  seize  thy  throne 
And  thy  prosperity  wither  in  a  moment.' 
Struck  by  the  words  his  heart  is  all  aflame, 
And  life  affbrdeth  him  no  happiness. 
Now    is    he    slaughtering    beasts    and    men    and 

women 

To  make  a  bath  of  blood  and  thus  defeat 
That  prophecy.     Those  serpents  on  his  shoulders 
Keep  him  in  long  and  sore  disquietude. 


1 64  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

From  clime  to  clime  he  roveth,  for  the  snakes 
Give  him  no  rest.     'Tis  time  for  his  return, 
But  place  there  is  not." 

Stricken  to  the  heart 
That  lovely  pair  revealed  the  mystery : 
The  exalted  chieftain  listened  eagerly. 

§8 

The  Story  of  Faridun  and  the  Minister  of  Zahhdk 

Zahhak  while  absent  left  in  charge  of  all 
A  man  of  wealth,  who  served  him  like  a  slave, 
So  that  his  master  marvelled  at  his  zeal, 
One  named  Kundrav,  because  he  used  to  limp 1 
Before  the  unjust  king.     He  came  in  haste 
And  saw  within  the  hall  a  stranger  crowned, 
Reposing  on  the  throne,  in  person  like 
A  cypress  over  which  the  full  moon  shineth, 
On  one  side  Shahrinaz  the  cypress-slim, 
Upon  the  other  moon-faced  Arnawaz. 
The  city  swarmed  with  soldiers,  and  a  guard 
Stood  ready  armed  before  the  palace-gate. 
All  undismayed,  not  asking  what  it  meant, 
Kundrav  approached  with  lowly  reverence, 
Then  offered  homage,  saying :  "  Live,  O  king  ! 
V.  56  While  time  shall  last.     Blest  be  thy  sitting  here 

In  Grace,  for  thou  deservest  sovereignty. 
The  seven  climes  be  thine  and  be  thy  head 
Above  the  rain-clouds." 

Being  bid  approach 

He  told  the  Shah  the  secrets  of  his  office 
And  was  commanded  :  "  Serve  a  royal  feast, 
Let  wine  be  brought,  call  minstrels  fit  to  hear, 

1  Firdausi's  etymology  must  not  be  relied  upon.     See  the  introduc- 
tory note  to  this  reign. 


ZAHHAK  165 

To  cheer  me  at  the  banquet,  fill  the  goblet, 
Spread  out  the  board,  and  summon  worthy  guests." 

Kundrav  obeyed  and  brought  bright  wine  and  minstrels, 
And  noble  guests  whose  birth  entitled  them. 
So  Faridun  quaffed  wine  and  chose  the  lays 
And  held  that  night  a  worthy  festival. 

Kundrav  at  dawn  left  the  new  prince  in  haste 
And  on  a  swift  steed  sought  Zahhak.     Arrived 
He  told  the  things  that  he  had  seen  and  heard  : — 
"  O  king  of  chiefs !  the  token  of  thy  fall 
Hath  come,  three  men  of  noble  mien  arrived 
With  troops ;  the  youngest  of  the  three,  in  height 
A  cypress  and  a  king  in  face,  is  placed 
Between  the  other  two  and  hath  precedence. 
His  mace  is  like  a  mountain-crag  and  shineth 
Amid  the  host.     He  entered  thine  abode 
On  horseback,  and  the  others  rode  with  him — 
A  noble  pair.     He  went  and  sat  upon 
The  royal  throne  and  broke  thy  charms  and  spells. 
As  for  the  di'vs  and  warriors  in  thy  palace 
He  struck  their  heads  off  as  he  rode  along  V.  57 

And  mingled  brains  and  blood  ! " 

Zahhak  replied : — 
"  'Tis  well,  guests  should  enjoy  themselves." 

Kundrav 

Retorted :   "  One  that  hath  an  ox-head  mace  ! 
Beware  of  such  in  coining  and  in  going ; 
Besides,  he  sitteth  boldly  on  thy  couch, 
Eraseth  from  the  crown  and  belt  thy  name, 
And  maketh  thine  ungrateful  folk  his  own : 
If  such  a  guest  thou  knowest  know  him  such." 

Zahhak  said  :  "  Trouble  not,  it  bodeth  well 
When  guests  are  at  their  ease." 

Kundrav  replied : — 
"  Yea,  I  have  heard  so  ;  hear  thou  my  rejoinder : 


166  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

If  this  great  man  be  any  guest  of  thine 

What  business  hath  he  in  thy  women's  bower  ? 

He  sitteth  with  the  sisters  of  Jamshid 

The  worldlord,  taking  counsel,  while  this  hand 

Is  toying  with  the  cheek  of  Shahrinaz 

And  that  with  Arnawaz'  carnelian  lip. 

At  night  he  doth  still  worse  and  pilloweth 

His  head  on  nmsk !    What  musk  ?    The  locks  of  Moons 

Who  ever  were  the  idols  of  thy  heart." 

Zahhak,  wolf-savage,  wished  that  he  were  dead. 
With  foul  abuse  he  sternly  hoarsely  threatened 
That  luckless  one  :  "  No  more  shalt  thou  have  charge 
Of  any  house  of  mine." 

Kundrav  replied  : — 

"  Henceforth,  0  king !  I  deem  thy  fortune  shent. 
How  shouldst  thou  make  me  ruler  in  the  city, 
Or  give  me  even  minstrels'  work,  when  thou 
Hast  lost  the  throne  of  power  ?     For  like  a  hair 
From  dough  hast  thou  departed  from  the  throne 
Of  sovereignty.     Think,  sire  !  what  thou  wilt  do. 
V.  58         Have  thine  own  interests  no  concern  for  thee  ? 
They  ne'er  before  were  in  such  jeopardy." 


How  Faridun  bound  Zahhdh 

Roused  by  that  talk  Zahhak  resolved  to  act, 

And  bade  his  keen-eyed  roadsters  to  be  saddled. 

Now  as  he  neared  the  city  by  a  byway 

With  valiant  divs  and  warriors,  and  saw 

His  palace-roofs  and  gate  he  vowed  revenge. 

The  troops  of  Faridun  received  the  tidings 

And  flocked  to  meet  him.     Leaping  from  their  steeds 

They  struggled  hand  to  hand.     The  citizens, 


ZAHHAK  167 

Such  as  were  warlike,  manned  the  roofs  and  gates 

For  Faridiin  ;  Zahhak  had  maddened  them. 

Bricks  from  the  walls,  stones  from  the  roofs,  with  swords 

And  poplar  arrows  in  the  street,  were  plied 

As  thick  as  hail ;  no  place  was  left  to  stand. 

The  mountains  echoed  with  the  chieftains'  shouts, 

Earth  trembled  neath  the  chargers'  tramping  hoofs, 

A  cloud  of  black  dust  gathered,  and  the  flints 

Were  pierced  by  javelins.     From  the  Fane  of  Fire 

One  shouted :  "  If  some  wild  beast  had  been  Shah, 

We — young  and  old — had  served  him  loyally, 

But  not  that  foul  Zahhak  with  dragon-shoulders." 

The  warriors  and  citizens  were  blent 
Together  as  they  fought — a  mass  of  men. 
O'er  that  bright  city  rose  a  cloud  of  dust 
That  turned  the  sun  to  lapislazuli. 

Anon  Zahhak  alone  in  jealous  fear  V.  59 

Approached  the  palace,  mailed,  that  none  might  know 

him. 

Armed  with  a  lasso  sixty  cubits  long 
He  scaled  the  lofty  edifice  in  haste 
And  saw  beneath  him  dark-eyed  Shahrinaz, 
Who  toyed  bewitchingly  with  Faridiin. 
Her  cheeks  were  like  the  day,  her  locks  like  night, 
Her  lips  were  opened  to  revile  Zahhak, 
Who  recognised  therein  the  act  of  God — 
A  clutch  of  evil  not  to  be  evaded — 
And  with  his  brain  inflamed  by  jealousy 
Dropped  one  end  of  the  lasso  to  the  court 
And  so  slid  down  from  that  high  roof,  regardless 
Of  throne  and  precious  life.     As  he  descended 
He  drew  a  keen-edged  poniard  from  its  sheath, 
Told  not  his  purpose  or  his  name,  but  clutched 
The  steel-blue  dagger  in  his  hand,  athirst 
For  blood — the  blood  of  those  two  beauteous  dames. 


V.  6o 


168  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

His  feet  no  sooner  rested  on  the  ground 
Than  Faridun  rushed  on  him  like  the  wind 
And  beat  his  helm  in  with  the  ox-head  mace. 
"  Strike  not,"  cried  blest  Surush,  who  hurried  thither, 
"  His  time   hath   not  yet  come,   but  bind   him   van- 
quished 

Firm  as  a  rock  and  bear  him  to  some  gorge, 
Where  friends  and  kinsmen  will  not  come  to  him." 

When  Faridun  heard  that  he  tarried  not, 
But  gat  a  lasso  made  of  lion's  hide 
And  bound  Zahhak  around  the  arms  and  waist 
With  bonds  that  no  huge  elephant  could  snap, 
Then  sitting  on  Zahhak's  own  golden  throne 
Determined  all  the  evil  usages 
And  made  a  proclamation  at  the  gate : — 
"  Ye  citizens  possessed  of  Grace  and  wisdom  ! 
Disarm  and  follow  but  one  path  to  fame, 
For  citizens  and  soldiers  may  not  seek 
A  common  excellence ;  this  hath  his  craft 
And  that  his  mace  ;  their  spheres  are  evident 
And,  if  confounded,  earth  will  be  so  too. 
Depart  rejoicing,  each  one  to  his  work, 
And  live  and  prosper  long,  because  the  foul  one, 
Whose  acts  brought  terror  on  the  world,  is  bound." 

Men  hearkened  to  the  great  redoubted  Shah. 
Then  all  the  leading,  wealthy  citizens 
Drew  near  with  gladness  bringing  offerings 
And  heartily  accepted  Faridun, 
Who  graciously  received  them  and  discreetly 
Gave  each  his  rank's  due,  counselled  them  at  large, 
And  offered  up  his  prayers  and  thanks  to  God, 
Then  said :  "  The  realm  is  mine,  your  fortune's  star 
Is  bright,  for  me  alone  did  God  send  forth 
From  Mount  Alburz  by  Grace,  and  for  your  sakes, 
To  set  the  world  free  from  the  Dragon's  bane. 


ZAHHAK  169 

Blest  as  we  are  by  Him  who  giveth  good 

We  ought  to  walk  toward  good  upon  His  paths. 

As  king  I  may  not  tarry  in  one  place, 

Else  would  I  pass  with  you  a  length  of  days." 

The  nobles  kissed  the  ground.     Anon  the  din 
Of  drums  rose  from  the  gate  whereon  all  eyes 
Were  fixed,  the  people  yelled  against  the  man, 
Whose  days  were  almost  sped :  "  Bring  forth  the  Dragon 
Bound  in  the  lasso's  coils  as  he  deserveth." 

The  troops  withdrew  no  wealthier  than  they  came, 
And  took  Zahhak,  bound  shamefully  and  flung 
In  wretched  plight  upon  a  camel's  back 
On  this  wise  to  Shirkhan.     Call  this  world  old l 
Or  ever  thou  shalt  hear  this  story  told. 
What  changes  numberless  have  passed  and  still 
Must  pass  hereafter  over. plain  and  hill ! 

Thus  fortune's  favourite  bore  Zahhak  toward  V.  61 

Shirkhan,  and  driving  him  among  the  mountains 
Was  purposing  to  cast  him  headlong  down, 
When  carne  the  blest  Sunish  and  whispered  thus 
The  prince  in  friendly  wise :  "  Convey  the  captive 
Thus  to  Mount  Dainawand  with  speed,  and  take 
No  escort,  or  but  what  thy  safety  needeth." 

He  bore  Zahhak  as  one  that  rideth  post 
And  fettered  him  upon  Mount  Dainawand ; 
So  when  new  bonds  were  added  to  the  old, 
And  fate  had  not  another  ill  in  store, 
The  glory  of  Zahhak  became  like  dust 
And  earth  was  cleansed  from  his  abominations, 
He  was  removed  from  kindred  and  from  friends, 
And  bonds  alone  were  left  him  in  the  mountains, 
Where  Faridun  chose  out  a  narrow  gorge — 
A  chasm  which  he  had  marked  of  viewless  depth — 

1  In  the  Persian,  "  Shirkhdn,"  with  one  letter  changed,  would  mean 
"  call  old." 


And  having  studded  it  with  heavy  nails, 
Whereon  the  brain  might  chafe,  secured  Zahhak, 
Bound  by  the  hands  upon  a  crag,  that  so 
His  anguish  might  endure.     Thus  was  he  left 
To  hang :  his  heart's  blood  trickled  to  the  ground. 

Come  let  us,  lest  we  tread  the  world  for  ill, 
Be  on  attaining  every  good  intent ; 

No  good  or  evil  will  endure  but  still 
Good  furnisheth  the  better  monument. 

A  lofty  palace,  wealth  of  every  kind, 
Will  not  avail ;  thy  monument  on  earth 

Will  be  the  reputation  left  behind 
And  therefore  deem  it  not  of  little  worth. 

No  angel  was  the  glorious  Faridiin, 
Not  musk  and  ambergris  ;  he  strove  to  win 

By  justice  and  beneficence  the  boon 
Of  greatness  :  be  a  Faridiin  therein. 
By  godlike  travail  undertaken  he 
First  cleansed  the  world  from  its  iniquity. 
The  binding  of  Zahhak,  that  loathly  one 
Devoid  of  justice,  was  the  chief  deed  done, 
v.  62  He  next  avenged  the  murder  of  Abtin, 

Caused  all  the  world  to  recognise  his  sway, 
And  lastly  purged  the  surface  of  earth  clean 

Of  madmen,  and  took  miscreants'  power  away, 
.O  world  !  how  loveless  and  malign  art  thou 

To  breed  the  quarry  and  then  hunt  it  down  ! 
Lo  !  where  is  Faridiin  the  valiant  now, 

Who  took  away  from  old  Zahhak  the  crown  ? 
Upon  this  earth  five  hundred  years  he  reigned 

And  then  departing  left  an  empty  throne ; 
Bequeathing  earth  to  others,  he  retained 

Of  all  that  he  possessed  regret  alone. 
So  is  it  with  us  whether  great  or  small 
And  sheep  or  shepherd,  'tis  the  same  with  all. 


VI 


HIS   REIGN   WAS   FIVE   HUNDRED   YEARS 


ARGUMENT 

Faridiin,  when  firmly  established  on  the  throne,  marries  his  three 
sonstothethree  daughters  of  Sarv,  king  of  Yaman,arid  subsequently 
dividing  the  earth  into  three  parts  gives  one  to  each  of  his  sons. 
The  two  elder,  becoming  envious  of  the  youngest,  murder  him,  and 
are  themselves  slain  by  the  grandson  of  their  murdered  brother, 
Miniichihr,  who  succeeds  to  the  throne  after  the  death  of  Faridun. 


NOTE 

In  the  Vedas  we  find  the  expression  Tritd  Aptya.  Trita  is  the 
name  of  a  semi-divine  personage,  who  is  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  healing  by  the  gods.  Aptya  may  be  a  proper  name,  a  patrony- 
mic, or  mere  epithet.  The  fact  that  it  is  found  in  connection  with 
other  names  besides  Trita'  s  rather  points  to  the  last.  We  also 
find  in  the  Vedas  a  hero  named  Traitana,  who  is  recorded  to  have 
slain  a  giant.  Trita  and  Traitana,  who  were  probably  quite  distinct 
personages  originally,  appear  to  have  become  confused  together 
even  in  the  Vedas  themselves,  the  exploits  of  each  were  attributed 
to  the  other  also,  and  the  confusion  was  handed  down  to  later 
times.  Thus  we  find  Trita  struggling  with  the  storm-fiend  for 
the  possession  of  the  waters,1  and  Traitana  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  healing.  In  the  Zandavasta,  Trita  Aptya  and  Traitana  become 
three  personages  —  Thrita,  Athwya,  and  Thraetaona  respectively. 
Thrita  is  there  represented  as  the  first  healer,  and  also  as  the 
third  who  offered  the  drink-offering  of  the  Haoma.  The  word 
Sama  is  also  associated  with  him,  a  word  which  is  said  to  mean 

1  See  Introd.  p.  7. 

171 


172  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf 

"  appeaser,"  with  reference  apparently  to  his  medical  powers.  The 
priest  and  medicine-man  were  one  originally.  In  reward  for 
offering  the  Haoma  two  sons  were  born  to  Thrita,  of  whom  one 
was  the  hero  Keresaspa.  Athwya  is  represented  as  being  the 
second  to  offer  the  Haoma,  and  as  a  reward  for  so  doing  a  son 
is  born  to  him  too — Thraetaona,  whose  double  character  as  hero 
and  physician  is  clearly  indicated.  He  is  described  as  the  smiter 
of  the  dragon  Dahaka,  and  is  also  worshipped  in  his  capacity  as 
healer  to  avert  or  cure  sickness.  The  word  Sama,  originally  an 
epithet  applied  to  Thrita,  became  applied  to  his  son  Keresaspa  as 
a  patronymic.  He  is  thus  described  as  Sama  Keresaspa,  and  a 
special  epithet  is  bestowed  on  him  sometimes  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  titles — that  of  Narimanau,  "  the  manly  minded." 

He  is  described  in  the  Zandavasta  as  "  the  holy  Keresaspa,  the 
Sama,  the  club-bearer  with  plaited  hair,1  .  .  .  the  manly-hearted 
Keresaspa  ...  he  who  was  the  sturdiest  of  the  men  of  strength, 
next  to  Zarathu.stra,  for  his  manly  courage.  For  Manly  Courage 
clave  unto  him.  .  .  .  Manly  Courage^  firm  of  foot,  unsleeping, 
quick  to  rise,  and  fully  awake,  that  clave  unto  Keresaspa."  2  Short 
accounts  of  his  exploits  occur  in  the  Zandavasta,3  but  the  fullest 
are  found  in  a  Pahlavi  version  of  the  fourteenth  Fargard  of  the 
lost  (S'M&ar  Nask.  It  appears  that  Keresaspa,  great  as  he  was 
as  a  hero,  fell  a  victim  to  the  wiles  of  one  of  Ahriman's  evil 
creations — the  Pairika  Knathaiti,  who  we  are  told  "clave  unto 
Keresaspa."4  The  Pairika  is  the  Pari,  our  Peri  or  Fairy,  and" 
symbolises  idolatry  in  Zoroastrian  mythology.5  Keresaspa  there- 
fore neglected  the  worship  of  fire  and  became  an  idolater.  For 
this  he  was  cast  into  hell,  where  he  remained  till  Urmuzd,  having 
heard  him  commended  by  Zoroaster,  summoned  him,  and  he  pleaded 
to  be  released  in  consideration  of  the  good  works  achieved  by  him 
while  on  earth.  He  urged  that  he  slew  the  serpent  Srovbar, 
"which  was  swallowing  horses  and  swallowing  men,  and  its  teeth 
were  as  long  as  my  arm,  its  ear  was  as  large  as  fourteen  blankets, 
its  eye  was  as  large  as  a  wheel,  and  its  horn  was  as  much  as  Dahak  8 
in  height.  And  I  was  running  as  much  as  half  a  day  on  its  back, 
till  its  head  was  smitten  by  me  at  the  neck  with  a  club  made  for 
my  hand,  and  it  was  slain  outright  by  me  ...  by  me  Gandarep r 
was  slain  outright,  by  whom  twelve  districts  were  devoured  at 
once.  When  I  looked  among  the  teeth  of  Gandarep,  dead  men 
were  sticking  among  his  teeth  ;  and  my  beard  was  seized  by  him, 

1  DZA,  ii.  223.  2  Id.  295.  s  Id. 

4  Id.  i.  6.  5  Id.,  note.  6  i.e.  Zahhak. 

7  See  introductory  note  to  Zahhdk. 


173 

and  I  dragged  him  out  of  the  sea  ;  nine  days  and  nights  the 
conflict  was  maintained  by  us  in  the  sea,  and  then  I  became  more 
powerful  than  Gandarep.  The  sole  of  Gandarep's  foot  was  also 
seized  by  me,  and  the  skin  was  flayed  oft'  up  to  his  head,  and 
with  it  the  hands  and  feet  of  Gandarep  were  bound  .  .  .  and 
Gandarep  was  taken  arid  slain  by  me  .  .  .  Grant  me,  O  Auha?'- 
m&zd  !  heaven  or  the  supreme  heaven  !  for  I  have  slain  the  high- 
waymen who  were  so  big  in  body  that,  when  they  were  walking, 
people  considered  in  this  way,  that  '  below  them  are  the  stars  and 
moon,  and  below  them  moves  the  sun  at  dawn,  and  the  water  of 
the  sea  reaches  up  to  their  knees.'  And  I  reached  up  to  their 
legs,  and  they  were  smitten  on  the  legs  by  me ;  they  fell,  and  the 
hills  on  the  earth  were  shattered  by  them."  Keresaspa  went  on 
to  tell  how  the  demons  urged  on  the  wind  to  attack  him,  how  it 
came  on  in  its  strength,  uprooting  every  shrub,  and  tree,  and 
reducing  earth  to  powder  in  its  path,  and  how  he  withstood  it 
and  prevailed.  He  finally  pleaded  that  when,  in  the  fulness  of 
time,  Zahhak  shall  escape  from  the  fetters  wherewith  Faridun 
bound  him  to  Mount  Damawand,  and  threaten  the  world  with 
destruction,  he  (Keresaspa)  alone  can  conquer  and  finally  destroy 
that  evil  spirit.  Urmuzd,  in  consideration  for  the  outraged  spirit 
of  fire,  long  remained  obdurate  to  the  pleadings  of  Keresaspa, 
though  supported  by  those  of  Zoroaster  himself  and  others,  but 
finally  yielded,  and  Keresaspa  was  admitted  into  heaven.1 

With  regard  to  the  final  destruction  of  Zahhak  by  Keresaspa  we 
find  information  in  the  Bundahish  and  in  the  Bahman  Yast. 
Combining  the  accounts  given,  we  learn  that  Keresaspa  obtained 
immortality  while  on  earth,  but  that  owing  to  his  slighting  fire- 
worship  he  was  wounded  by  a  Turk  named  Nihav,  and  fell  asleep 
in  the  valley  of  Pishin  in  Kabulistan.  He  is  there  watched  over 
by  the  divine  glory,  and  by  the  guardian  spirits  of  the  righteous 
till  the  epoch  when  the  powers  of  evil  shall  rally  for  the  last 
great  struggle  against  good,  and  Ahriman  summon  Zahhak  from 
Mount  Damawand.  Zahhak  will  rush  forth  freed  from  the  fetters 
of  Faridun,  first  apparently  swallow  Ahriman  himself,  and  then  a 
third  of  mankind,  cattle,  sheep,  and  other  creatures  of  Urmuzd, 
smite  the  water,  fire,  and  vegetation,  and  commit  grievous  sin. 
Then  the  water,  the  fire,  and  vegetation  will  lament  before 
Urmuzd  and.  pray  that  Faridun  may  be  revived  to  slay  Zahhak, 
else  fire  declares  that  it  will  not  heat,  and  water  that  it  will  not 
'  flow.  Then  Urmuzd  will  bid  Suriish  and  another  angel  to  rouse 
Keresaspa  the  Saman.  They  will  go  to  him  and  call  him  thrice. 

1  WPT,  ii.  369-382. 


174  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSt 

At  the  fourth  summons  he  will  wake  and  go  forth  to  encounter 
Zahhak,  smite  him  on  the  head  with  the  famous  club,  and  slay 
him.  All  evil,  sin,  and  misery  will  cease,  and  the  era  of  eternal 
happiness  'begin.1 

In  the  Shahnama,  Thrita,  Athwya,  Thraetaona,  and  Sama 
Keresaspa  Narimanau  reappear  under  changed  aspects.  Thrita 
and  Thraetaona  coalesce  into  Faridun,  while  Athwya  becomes 
Abtin,  the  father  of  Faridun.  Sama  Keresaspa  Narimanau  splits 
up  into  several  personalities — Sam,  the  grandfather,  and  Nariman, 
the  great  grandfather,  of  Rustam,  Garshasp,  a  more  remote 
ancestor  of  his,  perhaps  Garshasp,  the  hero  mentioned  in  the 
present  reign,  and  possibly  Garshasp,  the  tenth  Shah.  In  the 
case  of  Sam  and  Nariman  the  epithets  and  patronymics  of  earlier 
times  become  the  names  of  heroes  of  later  ages.2 

The  three  sons  of  Faridun — Salm,  Tur,  and  Iraj — appear  in  the 
Zandavasta  as  Sairima,  Tura,  and  Airyu  respectively.  Firdausi 
seems  to  derive  the  first,  of  course  wrongly,  from  the  Arabic 
" salamat,"  "safety." 3  Tur  may  be  connected  with  an  Aryan  root 
"tu"  meaning  "to  swell,  to  grow  great  or  strong."  Iraj  is  the 
same  word  as  Aryan  and  means  "  noble." 

For  the  ethnical  significance  of  the  names,  see  Introd.  p.  54. 


§1 
How  Faridun  ascended  the  Throne 

When  Faridun  attained  his  wish,  and  reigned 
Supreme  on  earth,  he  ordered  crown  and  throne 
According  to  the  usance  of  old  times 
Within  the  palace  of  the  king  of  kings ; 
And  on  the  first  of  Mihr,  a  blessed  day, 
Set  on  his  head  the  royal  diadem. 

1  WPT,  i.  119,233-235. 

2  For  the  subject-matter  of  the  above  cf.  HEP,  277,  278 ;  DZA,  i. 
225  ;  MZA,  iii.  233  ;  WPT,  ii.  369. 

3  In  the  oldest  Pahlavi — that  of  the  inscriptions — the  letters  r  and  I 
were  represented  by  distinct  signs,  but  in  the  later  Pahlavi — that  of 
the  manuscripts — the  same  sign  stood  for  both  letters  ;  it  is  easy  to 
understand  the  confusion  that  resulted,  especially  in  the  case  of  proper 
names.    See  DEI,  i.  19. 


FARIDfjN  175 

In  those  days,  apprehensive  of  no  evil, 

All  men  began  to  tread  the  path  of  God, 

Abstaining  from  contention  and  observing 

A  feast  inaugurated  royally. 

Then  sages  sat  rejoicing  and  each  held 

A  ruby  goblet,  then  the  wine  was  bright, 

The  new  Shah's  face  was  bright  and  all  the  world 

Itself  was  brightened  as  that  month  began. 

He  bade  men  kindle  bonfires  and  the  people  v.  63 

Burned  ambergris  and  saffron  ;  thus  he  founded 

Mihrgan.1     That  time  of  rest  and  festival 

Began  with  him,  and  his  memorial 

Is  still  the  month  of  Mihr.     He  banished  then 

All  grief  and  labour  from  the  minds  of  men. 

He  dedicated  not  a  single  day 

To  evil  in  five  centuries  of  sway, 

But  yet  the  world  remained  not  his.     Then  shun 

Ambition  and  escape  from  grief,  my  son ! 

Note  well  that  this  world  is  no  property, 

And  small  contentment  wilt  thou  gain  thereby. 

Now  Faranak  yet  knew  not  that  her  child 
Had  come  to  be  the  Shah,  or  that  Zahhak 
Had  lost  the  throne  and  that  his  power  was  ended. 
At  length  news  of  the  happy  youth  arrived 
And  of  his  being  crowned.     She  bathed  herself 
And  prostrate  in  God's  presence  offered  thanks 
Because  of  this  most  happy  turn  of  fortune, 
And  uttered  maledictions  on  Zahhak ; 
Then  to  all  those  who  were  in  poverty 
And  strove  to  hide  it  she  afforded  aid, 
But  kept  alike  their  secret  and  her  own. 
She  spent  a  week  on  alms  till  paupers  failed ; 
Another  week  she  feasted  all  the  nobles, 
Bedecked  her  house  as  it  had  been  a  garden 

1  A  feast  held  on  the  i6th  of  Mihr  and  the  five  following  days. 


;i7.6  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSl 

And  there  received  her  guests.     She  "then  unlocked 
The  portal  of  her  secret  hoards,  brought  forth 
The  various  treasures  that  she  had  amassed, 
And  purposed  to  distribute  all  her  store. 
It  seemed  the  time  to  ope  the  treasury, 
For  drachms  were  trifles  since  her  son  was  Shah. 
She  made  no  stint  of  robes  and  royal  jewels, 
Arabian  steeds  with  headstalls  wrought  of  gold, 
v.  64         Habergeons,  helmets,  double-headed  darts, 

Swords,  crowns  and  belts.     Intent  upon  her  son 

She  placed  her  wealth  on  camels  and  despatched  it 

With  praises  on  her  tongue.     The  king  of  earth 

Beheld,  accepted  it,  and  blessed  his  mother. 

The  leaders  of  the  army  when  apprised 

Sped  to  the  monarch  of  the  world  and  cried : — 

"  Victorious  Shah  and  worshipper  of  God, 

To  whom  be  praise  !  may  He  give  praise  to  thee. 

Thus  may  thy  fortune  grow  from  day  to  day, 

Thus  may  the  fortunes  of  thy  foes  be  shent, 

May  heaven  make  thee  still  victorious 

And  mayst  thou  still  be  gracious  and  august." 

The  wise  came  to  the  Shah  from  their  retreats 
And   poured   before    his    throne    gold   mixed   with 

gems ; 

The  nobles  too  from  all  his  provinces 
At  that  hocktide  assembled  at  his  gate, 
Where  all  invoked  God's  blessing  on  the  crown, 
The  throne,  the  diadem,  and  signet-ring. 
With  hands  upstretched  they  prayed  right  heartily : — 
"  May  such  joy  last,  the  Shah  bear  fruit  for  ever." 
As  time  went  on  he  journeyed  round  the  world, 
Examining  its  sights  and  mysteries, 
Marked  each  injustice  and  all  wasted  lands, 
Bound  evil  hands,  with  bonds  of  kindliness — 
A  policy  that  well  beseemeth  kings — 


FARID&N  177 

Bedecked  the  world  like  Paradise,  and  raised 
Instead  of  grass  the  cypress  and  the  rose-tree. 
He  reached  Tainmisha,  passing  by  Amul,1 
And  built  a  seat  there  in  the  famous  chace : 
Kus  is  the  modern  title  of  the  place. 


§2 
How  Farvlun  sent  Jandal  to   Yaman 

Now  fifty  years  had  passed,  and  by  good  fortune  v.  65 

He  had  three  noble  sons  fit  for  the  crown, 

Of  royal  birth,  as  tall  as  cypresses, 

With  cheeks  like  spring,  in  all  points  like  their  father. 

Two  were  the  stainless  sons  of  Shahrinaz, 

The  youngest  fair-cheeked  Arnawaz  had  borne ; 

And  though  they  could  outpace  an  elephant 

Their  father  in  his  love  had  named  them  not. 

In  time  the  Shah  perceived  them  fit  to  rule 

And  called  Jandal,  a  noble  counsellor, 

In  everything  devoted  to  his  lord, 

And  said :  "  Go  round  the  world,  select  three  maidens 

Of  noble  lineage  worthy  of  my  sons, 

In  beauty  fit  to  be  affined  to  me 

And  named  not  by  their  sire  for  fear  of  talk, 

Three  sisters  in  full  blood  with  fairy  faces, 

Unstained,  of  royal  race,  so  much  alike 

In  height  and  looks  that  folk  can  scarce  discern 

Betwixt  them." 

Having  heard  he  undertook 
The  fair  emprise,  for  he  was  shrewd  and  upright, 
Of  plausible  address  and  full  of  tact. 
He  left  1  ran  with  certain  of  his  friends 
To  make  inquiries  and  receive  reports. 

1  In  Mdzandaran. 

M 


i  ?8  THE  SHAH  NAM  A   OF  FIRDAUSI 

Then  when  he  heard  of  any  chief  with  daughters 
He  sought  to  learn  about  them  privily, 
Yet  could  not  find  among  the  wealthy  thanes 
One  fit  to  be  affined  to  Faridun. 

v.  66         This  shrewd  and  holy  man  at  length  reached  Sarv— 
The  monarch  of  Yaman — with  whom  he  found 
The  object  of  his  search — three  maidens  such 
As  Faridun  required.     With  stately  step, 
As  'twere  a  pheasant  pacing  toward  a  rose, 
He  came  to  Sarv,  and  having  kissed  the  ground 
Explained  his  coming,  praised  the  king  and  said : — 
"  For  ever  live,  exalted  sovereign, 
Thou  ceaseless  lustre  of  the  crown  and  throne  !" 

The  king  said :  "  Be  thy  praise  in  every  mouth. 
What  is  thy  message  ?     What  are  thy  commands  ? 
Art  thou  ambassador  or  principal  ? " 

Jandal  replied :  "  May  every  joy  be  thine, 
And  ever  far  from  thee  the  hand  of  ill. 
I  come  as  some  poor  heathen  to  convey 
A  message  from  f  ran.     Great  Faridun 
Saluteth  thee  by  me.     Thou  ask'st  my  business : 
I  answer :  Mighty  Faridun  applaudeth  thee, 
And  great  are  they  whom  he  despiseth  not. 
He  said :  '  Say  to  the  monarch  of  Yaman : — 
So  long  as  musk  hath  scent  perfume  the  throne, 
Be  thy  griefs  scattered  and  thy  wealth  amassed, 
And  ever,  king  of  Arabs  !  mayst  thou  be 
Safeguarded  by  the  stars  from  all  mishap. 
What  thing  is  there  more  sweet  than  life  and  children  ? 
Yea,  they  are  sweeter  than  all  else  beside, 
For  none  is  dearer  than  a  child,  that  bond 
Is  as  no  other  bond.     If  any  man 
Hath  three  eyes  I  possess  them  in  my  sons, 
But  know  that  they  are  better  still  than  eyes 
For  those  that  look  on  them  give  thanks.     What  said 


FARtDtfN  179 

The  sage  when  he  defined  a  proper  league  ? 

' "  I  ne'er  ally  myself  but  with  iny  betters." 

A  sage  intent  on  good  will  seek  his  friends 

Among  his  peers,  men  may  be  fortunate 

But  inonarchs  are  not  well  without  a  host. 

My  realm  is  prosperous,  I  have  treasure,  might,  V.  67 

And  daring,  with  three  sons  who  well  deserve 

To  reign — wise,  men  of  knowledge  and  of  prowess, 

Without  a  want  or  wish  unsatisfied. 

For  these  three  princes  in  domestic  life 

I  need  three  consorts  of  a  royal  race, 

And  I  have  news  (whereon  I  send  in  haste) 

By  means  of  mine  informants  that  thou  hast 

Among  the  ladies  that  are  in  thy  bower, 

O  honour-loving  king  !  three  maiden  daughters 

As  yet  unnamed,  whereat  my  heart  rejoiced, 

For  my  three  sons  of  course  are  nameless  still. 

'Twere  surely  well  for  us  to  intermingle 

These  precious  gems  of  two  varieties, 

Three  virtuous  maids  with  three  aspiring  princes, 

Fit  joined  to  fit,  no  room  for  scandal  there.' 

Such  is  his  message ;  think  of  thy  reply." 

The  monarch  of  Yam  an  drooped  like  the  jasmine 
When  out  of  water,  thinking :  "  If  these  Moons 
Are  taken  from  me,  and  I  see  them  not 
About  my  couch,  my  day  will  turn  to  night. 
No  need  to  answer  yet ;  I  Avill  consult 
With  those  who  share  with  me  the  consequence." 

He  first  assigned  the  ambassador  a  lodging, 
Then  having  closed  the  audience  sat  and  pondered. 

The  monarch  summoned  from  the  Bedouins 
Full  many  a  chieftain  well  approved  in  war, 
And  made  the  matter  manifest  to  all : — 
"  I  have  as  only  issue  of  my  wedlock  V.  68 

Three  Lights  that  are  resplendent  in  mine  eyes, 


i8o  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

And  Faridiin  hath  sent  an  embassage 

To  spread  a  goodly  snare  before  my  feet ; 

He  would  deprive  me  of  these  Eyes  of  mine, 

And  I  would  fain  consult  thereon  with  you. 

The  ambassador  saith  thus :  '  Thus  saith  the  Shah  :— 

"  I  have  three  princes  who  adorn  my  throne 

And  seek  for  favour  and  affinity 

With  thee  by  marriage  with  thy  virtuous  daughters."  ' 

If  I  shall  answer,  '  Yes,'  and  mean  it  not, 

'Twill  be  a  lie ;  to  lie  is  not  for  kings ; 

If  I  shall  acquiesce  in  his  request 

My  heart  will  be  on  fire,  my  face  all  tears ; 

And  if  I  shall  refuse  my  heart  will  feel 

His  vengeance — not  a  matter  for  a  jest 

From  one  who  is  the  monarch  of  the  world ; 

And  travellers  too  have  heard  of  what  Zahhak 

Hath  suffered  from  him.     Now  advise  me  well." 

The  veteran  valiant  chiefs  thus  made  reply : — 
"  We  disapprove  of  veering  to  each  gust. 
Be  Faridiin  however  great  a  king 
No  earringed  slaves  are  we,  but  say  our  say 
And  take  the  consequence.     'Tis  ours  to  handle 
The  bridle  and  the  lance ;  we  make  the  earth 
A  winefat  with  our  swords,  we  make  the  air 
A  reed-bed  with  our  spears.     If  thy  three  children 
Are  held  so  dear  unlock  thy  treasury 
And  shut  thy  lips ;  or,  if  thou  wilt  use  craft, 
But  fearest  Faridun,  make  such  demands 
That  none  shall  ever  hear  the  like  again." 

The  king  heard  while  the  chieftains  said  their  say, 
But  felt  no  less  uncertain  of  his  way. 


FARfDUN  181 

S  3 
How  the  King  of  Yaman  ansicered  Jandal 

At  length  he  called  the  Shah's  ambassador  v.  69 

And  spake  to  him  at  large  in  gracious  words : — 

"  I  am  the  servant  of  thy  lord ;  in  all 

That  he  commandeth  me  will  I  obey. 

Thus  say  to  him  :  '  Exalted  as  thou  art, 

Still  thy  three  sons  are  precious  unto  thee ; 

And  kings  esteem  their  own  sons  very  precious 

When  they  are  such  as  ornament  the  throne. 

I  grant  what  thou  hast  said,  I  too  have  children 

And  judge  by  them ;  yet  if  the  mighty  Shah 

Were  to  require  mine  eyes  of  me,  or  ask 

The  kingdom  of  Yaman  and  desert-tribes, 

It  were  of  lesser  moment  than  for  me 

To  never  look  upon  my  children  more ; 

Still  if  the  Shah  wish  this  I  may  not  walk 

Save  as  he  biddeth  me,  and  my  three  children, 

If  so  he  will,  shall  cease  to  be  my  kin ; 

But  when  shall  I  behold  those  princely  sons 

Who  are  the  lustre  of  thy  crown  and  throne  ? 

Let  those  blithe  youths  come  hither  and  illume 

My  gloomy  soul;  to  see  them  will  rejoice 

My  heart,  and  I  will  contemplate  their  shrewdness ; 

Then  I  will  give  to  them  my  three  bright  Eyes 

According  to  our  customs.     Furthermore, 

When  I  perceive  that  they  are  upright  men, 

I  will  join  hand  in  hand  in  league  with  them, 

And  whensoe'er  the  Shah  would  see  his  sons 

They  shall  return.' " 

Jandal,  the  sweet-voiced  speaker 
On  hearing  kissed  the  throne  with  reverence, 


1 82  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Then  uttering  praises  hied  him  to  his  lord, 
v.  70         To  whom  he  told  what  he  had  said  and  heard. 
The  monarch  bade  his  sons  attend,  he  spake 
About  the  mission  of  Jandal,  and  said : — 
"  The  monarch  of  Yaman  is  king  of  peoples, 
Sarv  is  a  cypress  throwing  lengthy  shadows. 
He  hath  three  daughters — pearls  as  yet  unpierced — 
Who  are  his  crown,  for  he  hath  not  a  son. 
Before  all  three  of  them  Suriish  would  kiss 
The  ground,  I  ween,  if  he  might  have  such  brides. 
These  I  demanded  of  their  sire  for  you 
And  took  such  order  as  becometh  us. 
Your  duty  now  will  be  to  go  to  him, 
But  be  discreet  in  all  things  small  and  great. 
Be  complaisant  but  guarded  therewithal, 
Heed  what  he  saith  and  answer  courteously. 
If  he  consulteth  you  advise  him  well. 
Now  hearken  to  my  words  and  ye  shall  prosper: 
Among  the  peoples  none  can  equal  Sarv, 
For  he  is  fluent,  ardent,  shrewd,  and  pure. 
Allow  him  not  to  find  you  off  your  guard, 
For  wise  men  work  with  subtilty.     The  first  day 
He  will  assign  you  chief  seats  at  a  feast, 
Bring  forth  three  sun-faced  maids  like  garths  in  spring. 
All  full  of  grace,  of  colour,  and  perfume, 
And  seat  them  on  the  throne,  these  Cypresses 
v.  71         In  height  and  in  appearance  so  alike 

That  none  could  tell  their  order  as  to  age. 

Now  of  these  three  the  youngest  will  walk  first, 

The  eldest  last,  the  other  in  the  midst. 

The  king  will  place  the  youngest  maid  beside 

The  eldest  youth,  beside  the  youngest  prince 

The  eldest  maid,  and  pair  the  mid  in  age. 

Know,  for  'tis  worth  your  while,  that  he  will  ask : — 

'  How  range  ye  in  respect  of  age  these  damsels  ? ' 


FARIDtJN  183 

Reply :  '  The  youngest  hath  the  highest  place, 
The  eldest  hath  a  place  below  her  rank, 
The  raid  in  age  is  placed  as  she  should  be, 
And  thou  hast  failed  in  this  attempt  of  thine.' " 
The  pure  and  high-born  three  paid  all  regard 
To  what  their  father  said,  and  left  his  presence 
Fulfilled  with  wisdom  and  with  artifice. 
How  should  the  sons  by  such  a  father  taught 
Be  ill  advised  or  indiscreet  in  aught  ? 


§4 

How  the  Sons  of  Faridun  went  to  the  King  of  Yaman 

They  summoned  archimages  and  made  ready ; 

Their  retinue  was  like  the  starry  sky, 

All  men  of  name  with  sunlike  countenances. 

Sarv,  hearing  of  their  coming,  decked  his  host 

Like  pheasant's  plumes,  and  sent  to  welcome  them  v.  72 

A.  goodly  band  of  kinsfolk  and  of  magnates. 

As  those  three  noble  princes  reached  Yaman 

Both  men  and  women  met  them  on  their  way, 

Bestrewing  saffron  mixed  with  precious  jewels 

And  mingling  musk  with  Avine.     The  horses'  manes 

Were  drenched  therewith,  and  underneath  their  feet 

Gold  coins  were  flung.     A  palace  was  prepared 

Like  Paradise  itself;  they  overlaid 

The  bricks  with  gold  and  silver ;  all  the  hangings 

Were  of  brocade  of  Rum — a  mass  of  wealth. 

There  Sarv  disposed  his  guests  and  by  the  morn 

Had  put  them  at  their  ease.     He  brought  his  daughters, 

As  Faridun  had  said,  out  of  their  bowers, 

Like  shining  moons  too  dazzling  for  the  eye, 

And  ranged  them  just  as  Farfdiin  foretold. 


184  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Sarv  asked  the  eldest  prince :  "  Which  is  the  youngest 
Of  these  three  Stars,  which  is  the  mid  in  age, 
And  which  the  eldest  ?     Thus  distinguish  them." 
They  answered  as  they  had  been  taught,  and  so 
Sewed  up  the  eyelids  of  his  craft,  while  he 
And  all  his  warriors  were  lost  in  wonder. 
He  saw  that  his  inversion  naught  availed 
And  answered,  "  Yea,"  and  paired  the  pairs  aright. 
The  introduction  ended  in  betrothal. 
The  three  princesses,  blushing  for  their  father, 
Went  from  the  presence  of  the  three  young  princes 
In  sweet  confusion,  blushes  on  their  cheek 
And  many  a  word  of  tenderness  to  speak. 


How  Sarv  proved  the  Sons  of  Faridun  by  Sorcery 

v.  73         Then  Sarv  assembled  boon-companions 

And  passed  the  day  with  minstrels,  wine,  and  talk, 

But  his  three  sons-in-law — the  sons  of  Faridun — 

Drank  not  except  to  him.     When  wine  prevailed, 

And  sleep  and  rest  were  needed,  Sarv  bade  set 

Some  couches  by  a  fountain  of  rose-water, 

And  there  the  three  illustrious  athelings 

Slept  in  a  garden  in  a  bower  of  roses, 

Which  scattered  blossoms  o'er  them,  but  meanwhile 

The  sorcerer-king  had  thought  of  a  device : 

He  left  the  royal  pleasance  and  prepared 

His  spells.     He  brought  a  frost  and  mighty  blast 

To  slay  the  princes ;  over  hill  and  plain 

It  froze  so  sharply  that  the  crows  grew  numb. 

The  arch-enchanter  Farfdun's  three  sons 

Leapt  from  their  couches  at  the  grievous  cold ; 


FARtDtiN  185 

And  by  the  Grace  of  God  and  their  own  skill, 
By  kingly  magic  and  their  hardihood, 
Opposed  the  spell  and  kept  the  frost  away. 
Now  when  the  sun  shone  o'er  the  mountain-tops, 
Sarv,  anxious  to  know  all,  approached  in  haste 
His  three  exalted  sons-in-law  in  hope 
To  find  their  cheeks  like  lapislazuli, 
Congealed  with  frost,  and  their  emprise  defeated, 
So  that  his  daughters  might  remain  to  him 
As  his  memorial ;  such  was  his  hope, 
But  sun  and  moon  were  adverse  to  his  wishes, 
For  he  beheld  three  princes  like  new  moons 
Fresh-seated  on  their  royal  thrones,  and  knew 
That  spells  had  failed  him  and  his  time  was  lost. 
He  gave  an  audience ;  all  the  chiefs  attended.  v.  74 

He  opened  and  brought  forth  his  ancient  treasures, 
Disclosing  what  had  been  secreted  long, 
And  brought  too  and  committed  to  their  lords 
Three  maids  sun-cheeked,  like  garths  of  Paradise 
(No  archimage  ere  planted  pines  like  them), 
With  crowns  and  trinkets,  ignorant  of  pain, 
Unless  it  be  a  pain  to  plait  the  hair : 
They  were  three  new  Moons  and  three  warrior- 
kings. 

He  thought  with  bitterness :  "  The  fault  is  mine, 
Not  Faridiin's,  and  may  I  never  hear 
Of  female  issue  from  this  royal  stock ; 
He  hath  a  lucky  star  who  hath  not  daughters, 
But  he  who  hath  them  hath  no  star  to  shine." 
Then  to  the  assembled  sages :  "  Kings  may  well 
Wed  Moons.     Bear  witness  all !  that  I  have  given 
My  three  Eyes  to  these  men  in  lawful  marriage, 
To  hold  them  dear  as  their  own  eyes  are  dear, 
And   limn   them   like   their   own    lives   on    their 
hearts." 


186  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

He  uttered  this  aloud  and  then  he  bound 
On  many  vigorous  camels'  lusty  backs 
The  baggage  of  the  brides.     Yaman  was  bright 
With  gems.     The  daughters'  litters  moved  hi  file 
With  parasols  and  riches  tit  for  kings. 
Sarv  ordered  everything  and  said  farewell. 
Thus  did  the  youths  set  out  upon  their  way 
To  Faridun  with  hearts  alert  and  gay. 


How  Faridun  made  Trial  of  his  Sons 

v.  75  When  tidings  that  the  princes  had  returned 

Reached  Faridun  he  went  to  meet  them,  longing, 
By  trial  of  their  characters,  to  end 
His  boding  fears,  so  changed  him  to  a  dragon — 
One,  thou  wouldst  say,  no  lion  could  escape — 
Which  hissed  and  bellowed  with  its  jaws  aflame. 
As  soon  as  he  perceived  his  three  sons  near, 
Like  sombre  mountains  in  a  cloud  of  dust, 
He  too  threw  dust  about  and  made  it  fly, 
While  earth  re-echoed  with  his  bellowings. 
He  rushed  in  fury  toward  his  eldest  son, 
That  prince  of  many  virtues,  who  exclaimed : — 
"  No  man  of  sense  and  wisdom  thinketh  good 
To  fight  with  dragons." 

Then  he  showed  his  back 
And  fled.     The  father  turned  toward  the  next, 
His  second  son,  who  when  he  saw  the  dragon 
Strung  up  his  bow  and  drew  it,  saying  thus : — 
"  When  fight  is  toward,  what  matter  if  the  foe 
Be  roaring  lion  or  brave  cavalier  ?  " 

But  when  the  youngest  son  came  up  he  looked 
Upon  the  dragon  and  cried  out :  "  Avaunt ! 
Thou  art  a  leopard :  ware  the  lions'  path ! 


FARIDtfN  187 

If  e'er  the  name  of  Faridiin  hath  reached 
Thine  ears  contend  not  with  us,  for  we  three 
Are  sons  of  his,  and  every  one  of  us 
A  wielder  of  the  mace,  and  warrior. 
Unless  thou  turnest  from  thy  waywardness 
I  will  discrown  thee  of  thy  loathly  face." 

The  glorious  Faridiin  thus  heard  and  saw, 
And  having  proved  their  mettle  disappeared. 
He  went  away  but  came  back  as  their  sire  V.  76 

With  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance  befitting, 
With  kettledrums  and  huge  fierce  elephants 
And  bearing  in  his  hand  the  ox-head  mace. 
The  leaders  of  the  host  were  at  his  back, 
And  all  the  world  was  his.     The  noble  princes 
Dismounted  when  they  saw  the  Shah,  they  ran 
To  him  and  kissed  the  ground,  dazed  at  the  din 
Made  by  the  elephants  and  kettledrums. 
The  father  grasped  their  hands  and  welcomed  them, 
Each  to  his  proper  place.     On  his  return 
He  prayed  and  offered  up  much  thanks  to  God — 
The  Author  of  his  weal  and  of  his  woe — 
Then  summoned  his  three  sons  and  seating  them 
Upon  the  throne  of  majesty  spake  thus  : — 
"  That  loathly  dragon  which  would  scorch  the  world 
Was  your  own  father,  who  desired  to  prove 
Your  mettle,  and  this  known  returned  with  joy. 
Now  in  my  wisdom  I  have  chosen  fit  names 
For  you.     Thou  art  the  eldest,  be  thou  Salm 
And   have    thy   wish   on    earth — thou    soughtest 

safety 

And  didst  not  shun  to  flee  the  monster's  maw. 
The  rash  man  who  despiseth  elephants 
Or  lions — call  him  frantic  and  not  brave. 
My  second  son,  who  from  the  first  showed  fight, 
Whose  courage  is  more  ardent  than  a  flame, 


i88  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Him  name  we  Tiir — a  lion  brave  ;  not  even 
A  mighty  elephant  could  vanquish  him. 
To  dare  is  all  the  virtues  in  his  case, 
For  no  faint  heart  is  master  of  a  throne. 
The  youngest  is  a  man  of  sleight  and  fight, 
One  that  can  bide  his  time  and  yet  be  prompt. 
He  chose  the  middle  course  'twixt  dust  and  flame, 
The  prudent  man's.     Brave,  young,  and  sensible 
v.  77         He  must  alone  be  praised.     Be  he  fraj, 
And  may  his  end  be  all  supremacy, 
Because  at  first  he  was  not  choleric, 
But  at  the  time  of  stress  his  courage  grew. 
I  open  now  my  lips  with  joy  to  name 
These  Arab  dames  with  fairy. countenances." 

He  named  the  wife  of  Salm,  Arzii ; l  the  wife 
Of  Tiir,  Mah-i-Azada  Khu ;  the  wife 
Of  blest  Iraj,  Sahf,  to  whom  Canopus 
Was  but  a  slave  in  beauty.     Afterwards 
He  brought  a  catalogue  embracing  all 
The  stars  within  the  circling  sphere  of  heaven, 
Whose  aspects  readers  of  the  stars  had  taken, 
Spread  it  before  him  and  observed  the  fortunes 
Of  his  illustrious  sons.     Salm's  horoscope 
Was  Jupiter  in  Sagittarius. 
Next  came  the  horoscope  of  glorious  Tiir — 
The  Sun  ascendant  in  the  Lion's  House — 
A  presage  brave  ;  but  when  the  Shah  observed 
The  horoscope  of  blest  f  raj  he  found 
The  Moon  in  Cancer ;  thus  the  stars  revealed 
A  destiny  of  strife  and  woe.     The  Shah 
Was  sorely  troubled,  with  a  deep  cold  sigh 
Perceived  that  heaven  loved  not  his  bright-souled  son, 
And  as  he  mused  thereon  he  could  not  be 
But  filled  with  thoughts  of  grave  anxiety. 

1  Arzti  means  Desire  ;  Mdh-i-Azslda  KM,  Moon  of  noble-nature ;  and 
Sahi,  Stately. 


FARID&N  189 


How  FariJun  divided  the   Wwld  among  his  Sons 

These  secrets  known,  the  Shah  divided  earth 

And   made    three    realms :  he  joined    Rum  with   the 

West, 

Tiiran  with  Chin,  Arabia  with  Iran. 

He  first  took  thought  for  Salm  and  gave  him  Rum          v 
And  all  the  West,  commanding  him  to  lead 
An  army  thither ;  so  Salm  took  the  throne, 
And  all  the  West  saluted  him  as  lord. 
Next  Faridiin  assigned  Tiiran  to  Tur 
To  rule  the  Turkmans  and  the  land  of  Chin, 
Providing  troops  ;  Tur  led  his  army  forth, 
Arrived,  assumed  the  seat  of  sovereignty, 
Girt  up  his  loins  and  opened  wide  his  hands. 
The  nobles  showered  upon  him  precious  stones, 
And  all  Tiiran  hailed  him  as  king,     f  raj 
Came  last,  the  sire  selected  all  Iran 
For  him.     This  with  Arabia  and  the  throne 
Of  majesty  and  crown  of  chiefs  he  gave, 
Perceiving  that  Iraj  deserved  to  rule. 
How  all  the  princes,  prudent,  wise,  and  shrewd, 
All-hailed  him  as  the  master  of  Iran ! 
As  rnarchlords  thus  these  men  of  noble  birth 
Acceded  to  their  thrones  in  peace  and  mirth. 


How  Salm  grew  Envious  of  Iraj 

Much  time  rolled  on,  while  fate  reserved  its  secrets, 

Till  wise  Shah  Faridiin  was  worn  with  age 

And  strewed  with  dust  the  Garden  of  his  Spring. 


I9P  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

This  is  the  common  lot  of  all  mankind — 
Man's  strength  is  weakness  when  he  groweth  old. 
Then  gloom  began  to  gather  in  the  state, 
The  princes  of  the  realm  waxed  turbulent. 
Immersed  in  greed  Salm  changed  in  heart  and  mind, 
v.  79         He  sat  in  conclave,  for  he  much  misliked 
His  sire's  apportionment,  which  gave  fraj 
The  throne  of  gold.     In  rancour  and  with  froAvns 
He  hurried  off  a  camel-post,  an  envoy, 
To  give  this  message  to  the  king  of  Chin : — 
"  Live  ever  glad  and  happy  !     Know,  great  king 
Of  Turkmans  and  of  Chin  !  that  our  shrewd  hearts 
Did  ill  to  acquiesce  when  we  were  wronged : 
Though  we  are  cypress-tall  our  souls  are  base. 
Mark  with  discerning  heart  this  tale  of  mine  ; 
None  such   hath   reached    thee  from   the  days  of 

old:- 

Three  sons  were  we  who  graced  our  father's  throne, 
And  now  the  youngest  hath  the  chiefest  place  ! 
Since  I  am  first  in  wisdom  and  in  years 
Such  fortune  doth  befit  my  signet-ring, 
While  if  crown,  throne,  and  diadem  should  pass 
From  me,  0  king !  should  they  not  deck  thyself? 
Shall  both  of  us  continue  thus  aggrieved 
By  that  injustice  which  our  father  did 
In  giving  to  fraj  fran,  Yaman, 
And  Araby  ;  the  West  and  Rum  to  me ; 
To  thee  the  wastes  of  Turkestan  and  Chin  ? 
The  youngest  hath  Iran  ;  I  cannot  brook 
This  settlement ;  thy  father  must  be  mad." 

The  message  filled  Tiir's  brainless  head  with  wind, 
And  savage  as  a  lion  he  replied  : — 
"  Heed  well  my  words  and  tell  them  to  thy  lord : — 
'  It  was  when  we  were  youths,  0  most  just  king ! 
That  we  were  cheated  by  our  father  thus. 


FARfDUN  191 

This  is  a  tree  which  his  own  hands  have  set ; 

The  fruit  is  blood,  the  leafage  colocynth ; 

So  let  us  meet  and  parley  as  to  this,  V.  So 

Fix  on  our  course  of  action  and  raise  troops.'  " 

Now  when  the  envoy  brought  this  answer  back 
The  face  of  that  veiled  secret  was  laid  bare, 
This  brother  caine  from  Chin  and  that  from  Rum, 
And,  poison  being  mixed  with  honey  thus, 
They  met  together  to  deliberate 
The  matter  both  in  council  and  in  state. 


How  Salm  and  Tdr  sent  a  Message  to  Farldun 

They  chose  a  priest,  a  shrewd,  bright,  heedful  man 

And  plausible,  and  then  excluding  strangers 

Concerted  plans.     Salm  put  their  case  in  words, 

Washed  off  all  filial  reverence  from  his  eyes, 

And  thus  addressed  the  envoy :  "  Hence  away, 

In  spite  of  dust  and  tempest,  swift  as  wind 

To  Farfdiin  and  heed  not  aught  beside. 

On  reaching  him  greet  him  in  both  our  names 

And  say :  '  In  heaven  and  earth  the  fear  of  God 

Should  equally  prevail,  the  young  may  hope 

To  see  old  age,  but  hoar  hairs  turn  not  black. 

By  long  abiding  in  this  straitened  place 

Thou  straitenest  the  long  home  for  thyself. 

All-holy  God  bestowed  the  world  upon  thee 

From  yonder  bright  sun  unto  sombre  earth, 

Yet  didst  thou  choose  to  act  in  mere  caprice,  v.  Si 

Not  heeding  His  commands,  and  to  entreat 

Thy  sons  with  scath  and  fraud  instead  of  justice; 

For  thou  hadst  three,  wise,  brave,  and  youths  no  longer, 


192  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

And  though  no  excellence  appeared  in  one 

So  that  the  others  should  bow  down  to  him, 

Yet  one  thou  blastedst  with  a  dragon's  breath, 

Another's  head  thou  raisedst  to  the  clouds  ; 

On  one  thine  eyes  reposed  with  joy,  and  he 

Now  hath  the  crown  and  is  beside  thy  couch, 

While  we  who  are  as  good  as  he  by  birth 

Are  deemed  unworthy  of  the  royal  throne. 

O  upright  judge  and  monarch  of  the  world  ! 

May  justice  such  as  this  be  never  blessed ! 

If  then  his  worthless  head  shall  be  discrowned, 

Earth  rescued  from  his  sway,  and  thou  wilt  give  him 

Some  corner  of  the  world  where  he  may  sit 

Like  us  in  anguish  and  oblivion — well : 

Else  will  we  bring  the  Turkman  cavaliers 

And  eager  warriors  of  Rum  and  Chin — 

An  army  of  the  wielders  of  the  mace — 

In  vengeance  on  Iran  and  on  fraj.'" 

The  priest  at  this  harsh  message  kissed  the  ground, 
Then  turned  and  mounted  swift  as  wind-borne  flame. 
When  he  approached  the  court  of  Faridun 
And  marked  the  cloud-capt  buildings  from  afar, 
Which  stretched  from  range  to  range,  while  at  the  gate 
Chiefs  sat  and  those  of  highest  rank  behind 
The  curtain,  on  the  one  side  pards  and  lions 
Chained,  on  the  other  fierce  war-elephants, 
While  from  that  noble  band  of  warriors 
The  noise  that  rose  was  like  a  lion's  roar, 
V.  82         "  It  must  be  heaven,"  he  thought,  "  and  not  a  court : 
The  troops  around  it  are  a  fairy  host ! " 

The  wary  watchman  went  and  told  the  Shah : — 
"  A  man  of  noble  mien  and  high  estate 
Hath  come  as  envoy  to  the  Shah." 

He  bade 
His  servants  raise  the  curtain  and  bring  in 


FARIDUN  193 

The  envoy,  when  dismounted,  to  the  court, 

Who  when  he  saw  the  face  of  Faridiin, 

Saw  how  the  Shah  engrossed  all  eyes  and  hearts, 

His  stature  cypress-like,  his  face  a  sun, 

His  hair  like  camphor  and  his  rose-red  cheeks, 

His  smiling  lips,  his  modest  countenance, 

And  royal  mouth,  which  uttered  gracious  words, 

Did  reverence  and  wore  the  ground  with  kisses. 

The  Shah  commanded  him  to  rise  and  sit 

Upon  the  seat  of  honour  due  to  him, 

Then  asked  him  first  about  the  noble  pair : — 

"Enjoy  they  health  and  happiness?"  and  next 

About  himself:  "Art  weary  with  long  travel 

O'er  hill  and  plain  ? " 

He  answered :  "  Noble  Shah  ! 
May  none  behold  the  world  without  thee  !  Those 
Of  whom  thou  speakest  are  as  thou  wouldst  wish, 
And  live  but  by  thy  name.     Thy  slave  am  I, 
Albeit  all  unworthy  and  impure. 
The  message  that  I  bring  to  thee  is  harsh 
And  sent  in  anger  by  no  fault  of  mine, 
But  if  my  lord  commandeth  I  will  tell 
The  message  sent  by  two  imprudent  youths." 

The  Shah  commanded  him  to  speak  and  heard 
The  embassage  delivered  word  by  word. 


§  10 
How  Faridun  made  Answer  to  his  Sons 

When  he  had  heard,  the  Shah's  brain  seethed  with 

anger. 

"  O  man  of  prudence ! "  thus  he  made  reply, 
"  Thou  needest  no  excuse,  for  I  have  eyes  V.  83 

And  have  discerned  this  for  myself  already. 

N 


194  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSf 

Tell  mine  unholy  and  abandoned  sons — 
This  pair  of  Ahrimans  with  dregs  of  brains : — 
'  'Tis  well  that  ye  reveal  your  natures  thus 
And  send  a  greeting  worthy  of  yourselves ; 
For  if  your  brains  are  empty  of  my  teaching, 
And  ye  have  no  idea  what  wisdom  is, 
Not  fearing  God,  ye  could  not  well  do  other. 
My  hair  was  once  as  black  as  pitch,  my  stature 
Was  cypress-tall,  my  face  was  like  the  moon. 
The  sky  which  hath  bent  down  this  back  of  mine 
Is  yet  unfallen  and  revolveth  still : 
So  time  will  bend  you  too,  and  even  that 
Which  bendeth  you  itself  will  not  endure. 
Now  by  the  highest  name  of  holy  God, 
By  yon  bright  sun,  and  by  the  teeming  ground, 
By  throne,  by  crown,  by  Venus  and  the  moon, 
I  never  cast  an  evil  look  upon  you. 
I  called  the  sages  into  conference, 
The  archimages  and  astrologers ; 
Abundant  time  was  spent  therein  that  so 
We  might  divide  the  earth  with  equity ; 
I  had  no  object  but  to  deal  with  fairness ; 
There  was  no  knavery  from  first  to  last ; 
My  secret  motive  was  the  fear  of  God, 
My  longing  to  fulfil  all  righteousness ; 
Since  earth  was  given  to  me  full  of  men 
It  was  no  wish  of  mine  to  scatter  them  ; 
I  said :  "  On  each  of  my  three  lucky  Eyes 
Will  I  bestow  a  populous  dominion." 
If  Ahriman  hath  now  seduced  your  hearts 
From  mine  advice  to  dark  and  crooked  ways, 
Consider  if  the  Omnipotent  will  look 
With  approbation  on  this  deed  of  yours. 
V.  s4  One  proverb  will  I  speak  if  ye  will  hear  :— 

"  The  crop  that  ye  have  sown  that  shall  ye  reap." 


FARtDUN  195 

He  that  instructed  me  was  wont  to  say : — 

"  Our  other  home  is  that  which  will  endure." 

But  your  lusts  sit  where  reason  should  be  throned. 

Why  are  ye  thus  confederate  with  the  Div  ? 

I  fear  that  in  that  Dragon's  clutch  your  bodies 

And  souls  will  part.     Now  that  I  leave  the  world 

It  is  no  time  for  wrath  and  bitterness ; 

Yet  thus  he  saith — the  man  consumed  with  years, 

Who  had  three  sons,  three  men  of  noble  birth : — 

By  hearts  released  from  passions  dust  is  held 

As  precious  as  the  Avealth  of  king  of  kings ; 

But  whoso  selleth  brother  for  the  dust 

Men  rightly  say  that  he  was  bastard-born. 

The  world  hath  seen  and  will  see  men  like  you 

In  plenty ;  but  it  cottoneth  to  none. 

Now  if  ye  know  aught  of  avail  with  God 

To  save  you  on  the  Day  of  Reckoning, 

Seek  that,  make  it  the  provand  for  the  way 

And  be  less  careful  for  the  things  of  earth  ! ' ' 

The  envoy  hearing  kissed  the  ground  and  went ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said  :  "  His  way-mate  is  the  wind." 
The  envoy  being  gone  the  Shah  resumed 
His  seat,  then  called  his  noble  son  t raj 
And  told  both  what  had  chanced  and  what  might 

be:— 

"  Those  sons  of  mine  with  hearts  intent  on  war 
Have  set  themselves  against  us  from  the  West. 
Their  stars  dispose  them  to  delight  in  ill ; 
Besides  their  troughs  are  in  two  provinces, 
Whose  fruit  is  savagery.     They  will  enact 
The  brother's  part  while  thou  shalt  wear  the  crown, 
And  when  thy  ruddy  face  is  pale  in  death 
Will  shun  thy  pillow.     If  thou  puttest  love 
Before  the  sword  thy  head  will  ache  with  strife, 
For  from  both  corners  of  the  world  my  sons 


196  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSf 

V.  85  Have  shown  their  real  intent.     If  thou  wouldst 

fight 

Make  ready,  ope  the  treasury,  bind  the  baggage ; 
Secure  the  cup  while  thou  art  breaking  fast, 
For  if  not  they  will  sup  on  thee,  my  son  ! 
Thou  needst  not  earthly  helpers,  thine  allies 
Are  truth  and  innocence." 

The  good  Iraj 

Gazed  on  that  loving  Shah,  his  glorious  sire, 
And  said :  "  My  lord  !  consider  how  time  passeth 
Like  wind  above  us.     Why  should  wise  men  fret  ? 
It  withereth  the  cheek  of  cercis-bloom, 
It  darkeneth  the  radiant  spirit's  eyes ; 
It  is  at  first  a  gain  and  then  a  pain, 
And  when  the  pain  is  done  we  pass  away. 
Since  then  our  couch  is  dust,  our  pillow  brick, 
Why  plant  to-day  a  tree  whose  roots  will  ever 
Be  drinking  blood,  whose  fruit  will  be  revenge  ? 
The  earth  hath  seen  and  will  see  many  lords 
With  scimitar  and  throne  and  signet-ring 
Like  us ;  but  they  who  wore  the  crown  of  old 
Made  not  a  habit  of  revenge.     I  too, 
The  king  permitting,  will  not  live  in  ill. 
I  want  not  crown  and  throne.     I  will  approach 
My  brothers  in  all  haste  and  unattended, 
And  say :  '  My  lords,  dear  as  my  soul  and  body ! 
Forbear  your  anger  and  abandon  strife : 
Strife  is  unlovely  in  religious  men. 
Why  set  your  hopes  so  much  upon  this  world  ? 
How  ill  it  used  Jamshid  who  passed  away 
At  last,  and  lost  the  crown  and  throne  and  girdle  ! 
And  you  and  I  at  length  must  share  his  lot. 
Live  we  in  joy  together  and  thus  safe 

V.  86  From  foes.'     I  will  convert  their  vengeful  hearts : 

What  better  vengeance  can  I  take  than  that  ? " 

I 


FARIDUN  197 

The  Shall  replied :  "  Thy  brethren,  my  wise  son  ! 
Are  set  on  fight  while  thou  wouldst  have  a  feast. 
I  cannot  but  recall  this  saw  to  mind  : — 
'  It  is  no  marvel  if  the  moon  is  bright.' 
An  answer  such  as  thine  becometh  well 
Thy  virtuous  self;  thou  art  for  brotherhood 
And  love,  but  doth  a  prudent  man  expose 
His  priceless  life  and  head  to  dragon's  breath, 
Since  naught  but  biting  venom  cometh  thence 
By  nature  ?     Yet,  if  such  be  thy  resolve, 
Take  order  for  thy  going  and  set  forth. 
Select  a  retinue  among  the  troops 
To  go  with  thee,  and  I  will  write  a  letter, 
With  sorrow  in  my  heart,  to  those  two  men. 
Oh !  may  thy  safe  return  rejoice  my  sight, 
For  when  I  look  on  thee  my  soul  is  bright." 


How  fray  went  to  his  Brothers 

The  great  Shah  wrote  a  letter  to  the  lord 

Of  all  the  West  and  to  the  king  of  Chin, 

Wherein  he  offered  first  his  praise  to  God 

Who  is  and  will  be  to  eternity, 

And  then  went  on :  "  This  letter  of  good  counsel 

Is  for  two  Suns  at  their  meridian, 

Two  men  of  weight  and  courage,  kings  of  earth, 

One  monarch  of  the  West,  the  other  of  Chin, 

From  him  who  hath  surveyed  the  world  throughout, 

To  whom  mysterious  things  have  been  disclosed, 

Who  brandisheth  the  sword  and  massive  mace, 

Who  addeth  lustre  unto  famous  crowns, 

Who  turneth  into  night  the  light  of  day, 

Who  openeth  the  hoards  of  hope  and  fear, 


198  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USl 

V.  87  To  whom  all  labours  have  grown  easy,  one 

In  whom  all  splendour  hath  displayed  itself. 
I  do  not  ask  of  you  your  diadems, 
Your  hoarded  treasures,  thrones,  or  palaces : 
My  wish  is,  after  all  my  weary  toils, 
That  my  three  sons  should  dwell  in  peace  and  love. 
The  brother  as  to  whom  your  hearts  are  sore 
(Though  none  hath  felt  a  chilling  breath  from  him) 
Doth  come  in  haste  because  of  your  chagrin, 
And  of  his  eagerness  to  see  you  both. 
He  hath  resigned  his  kingship  for  your  sakes — 
An  action  worthy  of  the  noblest  men — 
And  taking  to  the  saddle  from  the  throne 
Hath  girt  his  loins  that  he  may  do  you  service. 
Now  since  he  is  the  youngest  of  the  three 
He  hath  a  right  to  love  and  tenderness. 
Hold  him  in  honour,  and  repent  yourselves  ; 
As  I  have  fed  his  body  feed  his  soul, 
And  after  he  hath  been  with  you  awhile 
Send  my  beloved  one  back  to  me." 

They  sealed 

The  letter  with  the  signet  of  the  Shah. 
I  raj  set  forth  with  such  attendants  only, 
Both  young  and  old,  as  were  imperative ; 
And  Salm  and  Tur,  when  he  was  drawing  nigh, 
Unwitting  of  their  dark  design,  led  forth 
The  troops  to  meet  him  as  their  custom  was. 
When  they  beheld  their  brother's  face  of  love 
They  showed  to  him  an  altered  countenance, 
And  bent  on  quarrel  gave  the  peaceful  one 
A  greeting  but  jiot  such  as  he  desired. 
Two  hearts  were  full  of  vengeance,  one  was  calm  : 
Thus  all  three  brothers  sought  their  royal  tents. 

The  troops  saw,  as  they  looked  upon  iraj, 
That  he  was  worthy  of  the  throne  and  crown, 


FA  RID  UN  199 

And  could  not  rest  because  the  love  of  him 

Possessed  their  hearts  e'en  as  his  face  their  eyes ; 

And  when,  dispersing,  mate  went  off  with  mate, 

Their  talk  in  private  was  about  1  raj  : — 

"  This  is  the  one  to  be  the  king  of  kings  !  V.  88 

May  none  beside  him  have  the  crown  of  might." 

Salm  from  apart  was  spying  on  the  troops, 
Their  doings  made  him  heavy,  and  he  sought 
His  royal  tent  with  a  revengeful  heart, 
With  liver  full  of  blood,  and  frowning  brows. 
He  had  the  enclosure  cleared  while  he  and  Tiir 
Sat  with  their  counsellors,  and  talked  at  large 
Of  kingship,  crown,  and  all  the  provinces ; 
And  in  the  midst  thereof  Salm  said  to  Tiir : 
"  Why  have  the  soldiers  scattered  into  groups  ? 
Didst  thou  not  mark  how,  when  we  were  returning, 
The  soldiers  as  they  passed  along  the  road 
Could  not  refrain  from  looking  at  1  raj  ? 
Our  troops  when  they  came  back  were  altered  men. 
He  turned  my  heart  to  gloom,  thoughts  thronged,  I  saw 
That  henceforth  they  would  wish  no  Shah  but  him. 
Unless  thou  shalt  uproot  him  thou  wilt  fall 
From  thine  exalted  throne  beneath  his  feet." 

In  such  a  mind  they  closed  the  interview 
And  spent  the  night  devising  what  to  do. 


3  I2 
How  Iraj  was  Slain  by  his  Brothers 

Now  when  the  veil  was  lifted  from  the  sun, 
As  morning  dawned  and  slumber  passed  away, 
The  hearts  of  that  insensate  pair  were  eager 
To  do  their  deed  of  shame ;  they  proudly  strode 
Toward  their  royal  brother's  tent.     Iraj, 
Who  saw  them  coming,  met  them  tenderly. 


200  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USl 

v.  8;         They  went  with  him  inside  the  tent.     The  talk 
Kan  on  the  why  and  wherefore  of  his  coming. 
Tur  said  to  him :  "  Since  thou  art  youngest  born 
Why  shouldst  thou  take  the  crown  of  power?     Must 

thou 

Possess  the  throne  of  princes  and  i ran 
While  I  am  bondslave  at  the  Turkman's  gate  ? 
Thine  eldest  brother  chafeth  in  the  West 
While  thou  art  crowned  and  walkest  over  treasure, 
For  thus  did  our  aspiring  sire  apportion 
The  world  in  favour  of  his  youngest  son." 
Iraj  made  answer  in  a  holier  strain  :— 
"  0  mighty  chieftain,  lover  of  renown  ! 
Seek  peace  if  thou  wouldst  have  thy  heart  at  ease. 
I  do  not  want  the  royal  crown  or  throne, 
The  style  of  monarch  or  the  Iranian  host ; 
I  do  not  want  Iran,  the  West,  or  Chin, 
The  kingship  or  the  broad  expanse  of  earth. 
When  majesty  produceth  naught  but  strife 
One  needs  must  weep  o'er  such  supremacy. 
Although  thou  ridest  on  the  heaven  above, 
L  A  brick  will  be  thy  pillow  in  the  end. 
For  my  part,  though  the  master  of  Iran, 
I  am  aweary  both  of  crown  and  throne, 
And  yield  to  you  the  diadem  and  signet, 
So  hate  me  not ;  there  is  no  feud  between  us, 
No  heart  need  ache  through  me.     I  will  not  have 
The  world  against  your  will,  and  though  I  dwell 
Far  from  your  ken  I  ever  act  as  younger : 
My  Faith  is  naught  without  humanity." 

Tur  heard  the  words  and  little  heeded  them, 
But,  angry  that  f  raj  should  speak  and  caring 
No  jot  for  peace,  he  rose  up  with  a  cry 
And  then  advancing  suddenly,  and  grasping 
The  massive  seat  of  gold,  he  smote  Iraj, 


FARiDUN  201 

Who  pleaded  for  his  life :  "  Hast  thou  no  fear 

Of  God,  nor  any  reverence  for  thy  sire  ?  Y-  9° 

Is  this  indeed  thy  purpose  ?     Slay  me  not, 

For  in  the  end  my  blood  will  be  required. 

Be  not  thou  reckoned  with  the  murderers, 

And  henceforth  thou  shalt  find  no  trace  of  me. 

• — » 

Canst  thou  approve  and  reconcile  these  twain — 

To  be  a  murderer  and  live  thyself? 

Oh  !  hurt  not  e'en  the  poor  grain-dragging  ant, 

For  it  hath  life,  and  sweet  life  is  a  joy.1 

I  will  choose  some  retreat  and  earn  my  bread ; 

Why  gird  thy  loins  to  take  a  brother's  life  ? 

Why  set  on  fire  our  aged  father's  heart  ? 

Wouldst  have  the  world  ?     Thou  hast  it.     Shed  not 

blood : 
Provoke  not  God,  the  Ruler  of  the  world." 

Tiir  heard  him  speak  but  answered  not  a  word  : 
His  heart  was  full,  his  head  was  vapouring. 
He  drew  a  dagger  from  his  boot,  he  robed 
Iraj  in  blood,  and  with  the  keen  bright  blade 
Entrenched  the  royal  breast.     The  lofty  Cypress 
Fell,  the  imperial  girdlestead  was  broken, 
The  blood  ran  down  that  face  of  cercis-bloom, 
And  thus  the  young  illustrious  monarch  died ! 
Tiir  with  his  dagger  cut  the  prince's  head 
From  the  elephantine  form  and  all  was  over. 

0  world !  since  thou  hadst  nursed  him  tenderly 
Yet  didst  not  spare  his  life  at  last,  I  wis 

Not  who  thy  secret  favourites  may  be, 
But  needs  must  weep  for  such  an  act  as  this. 

1  The  poet  puts  his  own  protest  into  the  mouth  of  Iraj  against  the 
ancient  Zoroastrian  custom  of  killing  ants  at  sight  as  being  the  crea- 
tion of  Ahriman.     "The  celebrated  high-priest  of  the  Parsis,  the  late 
Moola  Firooz,  entered  these  lines  into  his  Pand  Namdh,*  which  may 
betoken  better  days  for  the  wise  little  creature."     DZA,  i.  171. 

*  i.e.  Book  of  counsels. 


202  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  USI 

Thou  too,  O  man  distracted  and  distraught, 
Whose  heart  the  world  hath  seared  and  caused  to  bleed  ! 

If,  as  with  these,  revenge  is  in  thy  thought 
,    Take  warning  by  these  persecutors'  deed. 

They  filled  the  head  with  umsk  and  ambergris 
And  sent  it  to  the  aged  world-divider 

v.  91         With  these  words  :  "  Look  upon  thy  darling's  head — 
The  inheritor  of  our  forefathers'  crown — 
And  give  it  crown  or  throne  as  pleaseth  thee." 

The  royal  and  far-shadowing  Tree  had  fallen, 
And  those  two  miscreants  went  their  way  in  spleen, 
One  unto  Rum,  the  other  unto  Chin. 


How  Faridun  received  Tidings  of  the  Murder  of  fraj 

The  eyes  of  Faridun  were  on  the  road, 

Both  host  and  crown  were  longing  for  the  prince ; 

But  when  the  time  arrived  for  his  return 

How  did  the  tidings  reach  his  father  first  ? 

He  had  prepared  the  prince  a  turquoise  throne 

And  added  jewels  to  his  crown.     The  people 

Were  all  in  readiness  to  welcome  him 

And  called  for  wine  and  song  and  minstrelsy. 

They  brought  out  drums  and  stately  elephants, 

And  put  up  decorations  everywhere 

Throughout  his  province.     While  the  Shah  and  troops 

Were  busied  thus  a  cloud  of  dust  appeared, 

And  from  its  midst  a  dromedary  ridden 

By  one  in  grief  who  uttered  bitter  cries ; 

He  bore  a  golden  casket,  and  therein 

The  prince's  head  enwrapped  in  painted  silk. 

The  good  man  came  with  woeful  countenance 

To  Faridun  and  wailed  aloud.     They  raised 

The  golden  casket's  lid  (for  every  one 


FARIDUN  203 

Believed  the  words  of  him  who  bore  it  wild) 

And  taking  out  the  painted  silk  beheld 

Within  the  severed  head  of  prince  Iraj. 

Down  from  his  steed  fell  Faridiin,  the  troops 

All  rent  their  clothes,  their  looks  were  black,  their  eyes 

Blanched  with  their  horror,  for  the  spectacle 

Was  other  far  than  that  they  hoped  to  see. 

Since  in  this  wise  the  young  king  came  again 
The  troops  that  went  to  meet  him  thus  returned — 
Their  banners  rent,  their  kettledrums  reversed, 
The  warriors'  cheeks  like  ebony,  the  tymbals 
And  faces  of  the  elephants  all  blackened,  v.  92 

The  prince's  Arabs  splashed  with  indigo. 
Both  Shah  and  warriors  fared  alike  on  foot, 
Their  heads  all  dust  ;•  the  paladins  in  anguish 
Bewailed  that  noble  man  and  tore  their  arms. 

Be  on  thy  guard  as  touching  this  world's  love  ; 
A  bow  is  useless  if  it  be  not  bent. 

The  process  of  the  turning  sky  above 
Is,  favouring  first,  to  plunder  in  the  event. 

'Twill  countenance  an  open  enemy 
While  those  who  seek  its  favour  are  denied. 

One  goodly  counsel  I  address  to  thee : 
Let  no  love  for  it  in  thy  heart  abide. 

The  troops  heart-seared,  the  Shah  with  cries  "  Alas  ! 
Alas ! "  went  toward  the  garden  of  Iraj 
Where  he  delighted  to  hold  festival 
On  any  royal  anniversary. 
The  monarch  entered  bearing  his  son's  head, 
Beheld  the  hauzes l  and  the  cypresses, 

1  "  Behind  the  state  apartments  is  a  beautiful  and  luxuriant  garden , 
cooled  by  magnificent  hauzes,  or  ornamental  ponds,  with  stone  edges, 
which  keep  the  water  about  a  foot  above  the  level  of  the  ground  ;  as 
the  water  always  gently  overflows  these  edges,  a  sleepy  murmur  is 
produced,  and  the  air  is  cooled  by  the  large  evaporating  surface." — 
"  Persia  as  it  Is,"  p.  31,  by  C.  J.  Wills,  M.D. 


204  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USf 

The  trees  a-bloom,  the  willows  and  the  quinces, 

Saw  too  and  strewed  dark  dust  upon  the  throne 

Imperial  but  unprinced  and  lustreless 

While  up  to  Saturn  rose  the  soldiers'  wail. 

He  cried  "  Alas !  Alas  ! "  plucked  out  his  hair, 

He  poured  down  tears,  he  tore  his  face  and  girt 

Around  his  loins  a  rope  besmirched  with  blood. 

He  fired  the  house  wherein  f  raj  had  dwelt, 

Destroyed  the  rose-beds,  burnt  the  cypress-trees 

And  closed  up  once  for  all  the  eye  of  joy. 

He  placed  the  prince's  head  upon  his  breast, 

And    said   with   head    turned    God-ward :    "  Righteous 

Judge ! 

Look  down  upon  this  murdered  innocent, 
Whose  severed  head  is  here  before  me  now, 
While  foreign  lions  have  devoured  his  body. 
V.  93         Do  Thou  so  burn  up  those  two  miscreants'  hearts 
That  they  may  never  see  a  bright  day  more. 
So  pierce  and  sear  the  livers  of  them  both 
That  even  beasts  of  prey  shall  pity  them. 
Oh  !  grant  me,  Thou  that  judgest  righteously ! 
So  long  a  respite  from  the  day  of  death 
That  I  may  see  descended  from  t raj 
One  born  to  fame,  and  girded  to  avenge. 
Let  him  behead  those  two  injurious  men 
As  they  beheaded  him  who  wronged  them  not, 
And  when  I  have  beheld  it  let  me  go 
Where  earth  shall  take  the  measure  of  my  height." 

He  wept  thus  many  days  and  bitterly. 
His  pillow  was  the  dust,  his  bed  the  ground 
Until  the  herbage  grew  about  his  breast 
And  both  those  lustrous  eyes  of  his  were  dimmed. 
He  gave  no  audience,  but  without  surcease 
Cried  out  with  bitterness :  "  O  gallant  youth  ! 
No  wearer  of  a  crown  hath  ever  died 


FARIDIJN  205 

As  thou  hast  died,  thou  famous  warrior ! 
Thou  wast  beheaded  by  vile  Ahriman ; 
The  maw  of  lions  was  thy  winding-sheet." 

Wails,  sobs,  and  cries  robbed  e'en  the  beasts  of  sleep, 
While  men  and  women  gathered  into  crowds 
In  every  province,  weeping  and  heart-broken. 
How  many  days  they  sat  in  their  distress — 
A  death  in  life  of  utter  hopelessness ! 


§  !4 
How  a  Daughter  was  Born  to  Iraj 

A  while  passed  and  the  Shah  went  in  to  view 

1  raj's  bower,  inspected  it  and  marked 

The  moon-faced  beauties  who  resided  there. 

He  saw  a  slave  of  lovely  countenance, 

Whose  name  was  Mah  Afrid.     f raj  had  loved  her,  v.  94 

And  fate  decreed  that  she  should  bear  him  fruit. 

The  Shah  rejoiced  because  she  was  with  child, 

Which  gave  him  hope  of  vengeance  for  his  son, 

But  when  her  time  was  come  she  bore  a  daughter, 

And  hope  deferred  hung  heavy  on  the  Shah. 

He  nursed  the  babe  with  joy  and  tenderness, 

And  all  the  folk  began  to  cherish  her 

As  she  increased  in  stature  and  in  charms. 

Thou  wouldst  have  said  to  her  the  tulip-cheeked  : — 

"  Thou  art  fraj  himself  from  head  to  foot." 

When  she  was  old  enough  to  wed — a  Pleiad 

In  countenance  with  hair  as  black  as  pitch — 

Her  grandsire  chose  Pashang  to  be  her  spouse : 

Pashang  was  brother's  son  to  Faridiin, 

Descended  from  a  noble  ancestry, 

A  hero  of  the  seed  of  Shah  Jamshid, 

Meet  for  the  kingship,  diadem,  and  throne  ; 

And  in  this  way  no  little  time  passed  on. 


206  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USf 

§15 

The  Birth  of  Minucltihr 

Mark  what  a  wonder  yon  blue  vault  revealed 

When  nine  months  had  elapsed !     That  virtuous  dame 

Brought  forth  a  son  fit  for  the  crown  and  throne, 

Who  from  his  tender  mother's  womb  was  brought 

Without  delay  before  the  mighty  Shah. 

The  bearer  said :  "  0  master  of  the  crown ! 

Let  all  thy  heart  be  joy :  behold  fraj  ! " 

The  world-divider's  lips  were  full  of  smiles ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  His  own  f  raj  doth  live." 
He  clasped  the  noble  child  and  prayed  the  Almighty : — 
"  Oh !  would  that  I  might  have  mine  eyes  again, 
Y-  95         That  God  would  show  to  me  this  infant's  face." 

He  prayed  so  earnestly  that  God  vouchsafed 
To  give  his  sight  back.     When  with  open  eyes 
He  gazed  on  that  new-comer's  face  he  cried : 
"  Be  this  day  blest  and  our  foes'  hearts  plucked  out ! " 

He  brought  bright  wine  and  splendid  cups  and  called 
That  babe  of  open  visage  Mimichihr,1 
And  said :  "  From  two  pure  parents  there  hath  come 
A  proper  branch  to  fruit." 

He  reared  the  babe 

So  tenderly  that  not  a  breath  passed  o'er  him. 
The  slave  that  carried  him  upon  her  breast 
Trod  not  the  ground,  for  underneath  her  feet 
The  purest  musk  was  strewn,  and  as  she  walked 
A  sunshade  of  brocade  was  o'er  her  head. 
Years  passed,  no  ill  befell  him  from  the  stars ; 
"  Meanwhile  the  famous  monarch  taught  the  child 
All  those  accomplishments  that  kings  require. 

1  The  word  here  translated  "  open  visage  "  is  "  mansichihr."    For  the 
true  meaning  of  Minuchihr  see  introductory  note  to  the  next  reign. 


FARlDtiN  207 

When  Faridiin  had  got  back  sight  and  heart, 

And  all  the  world  was  talking  of  the  boy, 

His  grandsire  gave  to  him  a  golden  throne, 

A  princely  turquoise  crown,  a  massive  mace 

And  treasury-key  with  thrones,  torques,  casques,  and 
girdles, 

A  bright-hued  tent-enclosure  of  brocade 

With  tents  of  leopard-skin,  such  Arab  steeds 

With  golden  furniture,  such  Indian  scimitars 

With  golden  sheaths,  such  store  of  casques  and  breast- 
plates, 

With  buttoned  hauberks  made  in  Rum  and  bows 

From  Chach  and  poplar  shafts  and  shields  from  Chin 

And  double-headed  javelins  of  war  ! 

Thus  Faridiin  bestowed  his  hard- won  treasures,  v.  96 

Convinced  that  Mimichihr  was  well  deserving, 

And  felt  his  own  heart  full  of  love  for  him. 

He  summoned  all  his  paladins  and  nobles, 

Who  came  intent  on  vengeance  for  Iraj, 

And  offered  homage,  showering  emeralds 

Upon  his  crown.     On  that  great  new-made  feast 

The  sheep  and  wolf  walked  side  by  side  on  earth. 

The  leaders  were  Karan,  the  son  of  Kawa, 

The  chief  Shirwi,  the  fierce  and  lion-like, 

Garshasp  the  noble  swordsman,  Sam  the  champion, 

The  son  of  Nariman;  Kubad,  Kishwad, — 

He  of  the  golden  helm — and  many  more 

Illustrious  men, — the  safeguards  of  the  world — 

And  when  the  work  of  gathering  troops  was  done 

The  Shah's  head  towered  over  every  one. 


208  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDAUSI 


How  Salrn  and  Tar  had  Tidings  of  Minuchihr 

When  those  two  miscreants  Salm  and  Tiir  had  heard : — 
"  The  throne  of  king  of  kings  is  bright  again," 
They  feared  their  star  would  sink  and  sat  together 
In  anxious  thought ;  those  wretches'  day  was  darkened 
And  they  resolved  to  send  to  ask  forgiveness. 
They  chose  a  man  persuasive,  wise,  and  modest, 
To  whom  they  made  a  passionate  appeal, 
And  fearful  of  a  downfall  opened  wide 
V.  97         The  treasury  of  the  West.     From  that  old  hoard 

They  chose  a  crown  of  gold.    They  housed  the  elephants. 

What  wagons  did  they  fill  with  musk  and  ambergris, 

Brocade,  dinars,  and  precious  furs  and  silks ! 

On  high-necked  elephants  the  embassage 

Went  from  the  West  in  state  toward  Iran. 

The  courtiers  added  tokens  of  regard, 

And  when  there  was  as  much  as  heart  could  wish 

The  envoy  came  prepared  to  start.     The  kings 

Gave  him  this  embassy  to  Faridiin, 

Invoking  first  of  all  the  name  of  God : — 

"  May  valiant  Faridiin  for  ever  live 

On  whom  God  hath  bestowed  the  royal  Grace, 

Be  his  head  flourishing,  his  person  loved, 

His  genius  higher  than  heaven !     I  present 

A  case  committed  to  me  by  two  slaves 

At  this  high  portal  of  the  king  of  kings. 

Know  that  two  ill-disposed  and  lawless  men, 

Whose  eyes  are  wet  with  shame  before  their  sire, 

Repentant,  seared  at  heart,  and  much  to  blame, 

Now  seek  how  best  they  may  excuse  themselves ; 

Till  now  they  had  no  hope  of  being  heard. 


FARIDUN  209 

What  do  they  say  ?   Their  words,  wise  Shah !  are  these: — 

'  Let  him  that  did  the  evil  bear  the  brunt, 

And  live  in  pain  of  heart  and  self-reproach 

As  we  are  doing  now,  O  noble  Shah  ! 

Thus  was  it  written  down  for  us  by  fate 

And  by  decree  of  fate  the  sequel  came ; 

E'en  world-consuming  lions  and  fierce  dragons 

Escape  not  from  the  net  of  destiny. 

Again — the  foul  Div  bade  us  put  aside 

All  terror  of  the  Worldlord  from  our  hearts, 

He  took  possession  of  two  wise  men's  brains, 

And  mightily  prevailed  against  us  both ; 

And  now  our  hope  is  that  perchance  the  Shah 

May  yet  forgive  us,  and  impute  the  wrong 

To  ignorance  in  us,  next  to  high  heaven 

That  is  at  once  our  shelter  and  our  scath,  V. 

And  thirdly  to  the  Div  that  in  our  midst 

Is  girded  runner-like  to  work  us  ill, 

Now,  if  the  great  king's  head  no  longer  harboureth 

Revenge  on  us,  our  good  faith  shall  be  evident. 

Let  him  send  Miniichihr  and,  as  an  escort, 

A  mighty  army  to  his  suppliants, 

With  this  intent  that  we  may  stand  as  slaves 

Before  him  dutifully  ;  thus  our  tears 

May  wash^the  tree  that  springeth  of  revenge, 

Our  offering  shall  be  our  tears  and  groans, 

And  when  he  groweth  up  our  hoards  and  thrones.' " 

§17 
How  Faridun  received  his  Sons'  Message 

Charged  with  these  words,  and  doubting  what  would 

follow, 

The  envoy  reached  the  portal  of  the  Shah 
With  treasures  of  all  kinds  on  elephants. 

o 


210  THE  SH  AH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

When  Farfdiin  was  told  he  gave  command 
To  spread  brocade  of  Rum  upon  the  throne 
Of  king  of  kings  and  have  the  royal  crown 
Prepared,  then  took  his  seat  as  he  had  been 
An  upright  cypress  'neath  a  full-orbed  moon 
In  fitting  state  with  crown  and  torque  and  ear- 
rings. 

Blest  Miniichihr  sat  by  him  crowned,  the  nobles 
Stood  ranked  in  double  file  in  robes  of  gold, 
With  golden  mace  and  girdle,  making  earth 
Another  sun.     On  one  side  pards  and  lions 
Were  chained,  on  the  other  huge  war-elephants. 
Then  from  the  palace  issued  bold  Shapiir 
To  introduce  Salmis  envoy,  who  on  seeing 
The  palace-gate  alighted  and  ran  forward. 
V.  99  As  soon  as  he  drew  near  to  Faridun 

And  saw  the  diadem  and  lofty  throne, 
He  bent  until  his  visage  touched  the  ground. 
The  noble  Shah,  the  monarch  of  the  world, 
Bade  him  be  seated  on  a  golden  seat. 
He  did  obeisance  to  the  Shah  and  said : — 
"  0  glory  of  the  crown  and  throne  and  signet ! 
Thy  throne's  steps  make  the  earth  a  rosary, 
And  thy  fair  fortune  brighteneth  the  age. 
We  serve  the  dust  that  is  beneath  thy  feet 
And  only  live  since  thou  wilt  have  it  so." 

These  praises  caused  the  Shah's  face  to  relax, 
Whereat  the  envoy  spake  of  clemency 
With  great  craft,  and  the  Shah  gave  ear  to  him 
While  he  repeated  those  two  murderers'  words, 
Endeavouring  to  keep  the  truth  concealed 
And  make  excuses  for  their  wickedness, 
Inviting  Miniichihr  to  visit  them 
When  they  would  wait  upon  him  as  his  slaves, 
Give  him  the  crown  and  throne  of  majesty 


FARIDUN  211 

And  purchase  back  from  him  Iraj's  blood 
With  wealth,  brocade,  dinars,  and  jewelry. 
The  monarch  heard  the  speech  and  answered  it ; 
Like  key  to  lock  so  did  the  answer  fit. 

§  18 

How  Faridun  made  Answer  to  his  Sons 

The  Shah,  when  he  had  heard  the  message  sent 

By  his  two  wicked  sons,  said  to  the  envoy  : — 

"  Canst  thou  conceal  the  sun,  and  clearer  still 

Are  shown  the  secrets  of  those  miscreants'  hearts  ? 

I  have  heard  all  thy  words ;  now  mark  mine  answer. 

Tell  those  two  shameless  and  unholy  men,  v  I00 

Unrighteous,  ill-affectioned,  and  impure, 

That  their  vain  words  avail  them  not,  and  I 

Have  also  something  that  I  fain  would  say  :— 

'  If  thus  your  love  for  Mimichihr  hath  grown 

Where  is  the  body  of  his  famous  sire — 

Iraj  ?     The  maw  of  wild  beasts  hideth  it, 

His  head  is  in  a  narrow  casket  laid, 

And  they  who  made  a  riddance  of  f  raj 

Now  seek  to  shed  the  blood  of  Mimichihr  ! 

Ye  shall  not  see  his  face  but  with  an  army 

And  with  a  casque  of  steel  upon  his  head, 

With  mace  and  Kawian  standard  while  the  earth 

Is  darkened  by  his  horses'  trampling  hoofs ; 

With  leaders  like  Karan,  who  loveth  fight, 

Shapiir — the  valiant  backbone  of  the  host — 

And  by  his  side  Shidiish  the  warrior, 

Shirwf  the  lion-strong  as  pioneer, 

King  Taliman,  and  Sarv,  king  of  Yainan, 

To  head  the  forces  and  direct  the  war ; 

And  we  will  drench  with  blood,  both  leaf  and  fruit, 

The  tree  sprung  out  of  vengeance  for  fraj. 


212  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

No  one  hath  sought  revenge  for  him  as  yet 
Because  I  saw  the  back  of  fortune  bent : 
It  seemed  not  good  to  me  to  lay  my  hands 
In  battle  on  mine  own  two  sons ;  but  now 
From  that  same  Tree  which  enemies  have  felled 
A  fruitful  Offshoot  hath  sprung  up ;  for  like 
An  angry  lion  Minuchihr  shall  come, 
With  loins  girt  ready  to  avenge  his  sire, 
Together  with  the  leaders  of  the  troops — 
Such  chiefs  as  Sam  the  son  of  Nariman, 
Garshasp,  son  of  Jamshid — and  hosts  to  reach 
From  hill  to  hill,  and  trample  down  the  world.' 
Next  for  their  pleading  that  '  the  Shah  must  wash 
His  heart  from  vengeance,  and  forgive  our  crime, 
Because  the  sky  so  turned  o'er  us  that  wisdom 
Was  troubled,  and  affection's  seat  obscured  : ' 
I  have  heard  all  the  unavailing  plea, 
And  now  that  patience  is  fordone  I  answer : — 
'  No  man  that  soweth  seed  of  violence 
Shall  see  good  days  or  jocund  Paradise. 
V.  ioi        If  ye  are  pardoned  by  All-holy  God 

What  need  ye  fear  about  a  brother's  blood  ? 

The  wise  esteem  the  self-excuser  guilty. 

Revere  ye  not  the  glorious  Lord  of  all  ? 

Your   hearts   are   black,   your    tongues   speak   glozing 

words ; 

He  will  requite  you  for  it  in  both  worlds. 
And  thirdly,  since  ye  sent  an  ivory  throne 
And  torquoise  crown  on  mighty  elephants, 
With  purses  full  of  divers-coloured  gems, 
Am  I  to  balk  revenge,  to  wash  away 
The  blood  and  sell  the  prince's  head  for  gold  ? 
Nay !  perish  first  throne,  diadem,  and  Grace ! 
Worse  than  a  dragon's  offspring  is  the  man 
l^  Who  taketh  money  for  a  priceless  head. 


FARIDUN  213 

Shall  any  sa,y  :  "  The  sire  in  his  old  age 
Is  putting  price  upon  his  son's  dear  life  ? " 
As  for  these  gifts  of  yours — I  need  them  not. 
But  wherefore  utter  I  so  many  words  ? 
Your  hoary-headed  sire  will  not  ungird 
The  loins  of  his  revenge  while  life  endureth.' 
Thy  message  have  I  heard.     Hear  my  reply, 
Retain  it  every  whit  and  get  thee  gone." 

The  messenger  grew  pale  at  this  dread  speech 
And  at  the  bearing  of  prince  Mimichihr, 
Leapt  up  in  fear  and  mounted  instantly. 
The  noble,  youthful  envoy  shrewdly  saw : — 
"  Revolving  heaven  in  no  long  time  will  furrow 
The  visages  of  Tiir  and  Salm." 

He  sped 

Like  rushing  wind,  his  head  full  of  the  message, 
His  heart  of  bodings.     When  he  saw  the  West, 
With  camp-enclosures  stretched  upon  the  plain, 
He  made  his  way  toward  Salm's  pavilion 
Of  painted  silk  with  other  tents  around,  V.  102 

Where  sat  both  kings  in  conclave.     Word  was  passed : — 
"  The  envoy  hath  returned." 

The  chamberlain 

Approached  and  took  him  to  the  royal  presence. 
They  had  a  special  seat  prepared  for  him 
And  asked  for  tidings  of  the  new-made  Shah, 
Of  crown  and  throne  and  of  Shah  Faridun, 
His  host,  his  warriors,  and  his  dominions, 
And  of  the  aspect  of  the  turning  sky : — 
"  What  favour  showeth  it  to  Mimichihr  ? 
Who  are  the  nobles  ?     Who  is  minister  ? 
What    treasures    have    they  ?      Who    hath    charge 

thereof  ? " 

The  envoy  said :  "  The  portal  of  the  Shah 
Beholdeth  that  which  bright  spring  seeth  not, 


214  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDAUSI 

For  'tis  the  jocund  Spring  of  Paradise 

Where  ground  is  ambergris  and  bricks  are  gold. 

The  roof  above  his  palace  is  a  heaven, 

And  Paradise  is  in  his  smiling  face. 

When  I  approached  his  lofty  residence 

Its  roof  was  telling  secrets  to  the  stars. 

On  this  hand  there  were  lions,  and  on  that 

Were  elephants.     The  world  itself  was  placed 

Beneath  his  throne.     Upon  his  elephants 

Were  seats  of  gold,  and  round  the  lions'  necks 

Were  jewelled  torques.     The  tymbal-players  stood 

Before  the  elephants  while  trumpets  blared. 

Thou  wouldst  have  said :  '  The  precincts  seethe,  earth 

shouteth 

To  heaven.'     I  came  before  that  well-loved  Shah, 
And  saw  a  lofty  turquoise  throne  where  sat 
V.  103       A  monarch  like  a  moon.     Upon  his  head 
He  wore  a  sparkling  ruby  coronet. 
His  hair  was  white  as  camphor,  and  his  cheeks 
Were  like  the  petals  of  the  rose.     His  heart 
Is  full  of  clemency,  his  speech  is  kind ; 
He  is  the  hope  and  fear  of  all  the  world. 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  '  Jamshid  doth  live  again.' 
A  Shoot  from  that  tall  Cypress — Mimichihr, 
Like  Tahmuras,  the  Binder  of  the  Div, 
Sat  on  the  Shah's  right  hand :  thou  wouldst  have  said : — 
'  He  is  the  heart  and  soul  of  that  great  Shah.' 
There  Kawa  stood,  the  skilled  among  the  smiths, 
With  one  before  him  well  beseen  in  war — 
His  son,  Karan  by  name,  the  warrior, 
The  watchful  chief,  the  conqueror  of  hosts ; 
The  minister — Sarv,  monarch  of  Yaman, 
The  treasurer — victorious  Garshasp, 
Were  there.     The  sum  within  the  treasuries 
Appeareth  not.     None  ever  saw  such  greatness. 


FARIDUN  215 

Around  the  palace  were  two  lines  of  troops 

With  golden  maces  and  with  golden  helms. 

Before  them  there  were  leaders  like  Karan, 

The  son  of  Kawa,  that  experienced  captain, 

And  warriors — ravening  Lions  like  Shirwi, 

And  bold  Shapur,  the  elephantine  chief. 

When  on  the  elephants  they  bind  the  drums  v.  104 

The  air  becometh  ebon  with  the  dust. 

If  these  men  come  to  fight  us  hill  and  plain 

Will  be  confounded ;  these  men  have  revenge 

At  heart ;  their  faces  frown ;  they  purpose  war." 

The  envoy  having  further  told  the  message 
Of  Faridun,  those  tyrants'  hearts  grew  sore, 
Their  faces  blue  as  lapislazuli. 
They  sat  consulting,  but  had  naught  determined 
When  Tur  spake  thus :  "  Farewell  to  peace  and  joy ! 
We  must  not  let  this  hardy  lion's  whelp 
Grow  bold  and  sharp  of  fang.     Will  such  a  youth 
Lack  prowess,  being  taught  by  Faridun  ? 
When  grandson  communeth  with  grandsire  thus 
Some  devilry  is  sure  to  come  of  it. 
Prepare  we  then  for  war  and  that  with  speed." 

They  hurried  out  their  cavalry  and  mustered 
Troops  from  the  West  and  Chin,  whence  hubbub  rose 
And  all  flocked  to  the  kings — a  multitude 
Whose  star  of  fortune  was  no  longer  young. 
Two  hosts  empanoplied  marched  on  t ran 
With  mighty  elephants,  much  precious  store, 
And  those  two  murderers  intent  on  war. 


§  19 
How  Faridun  sent  Minuchihr  to  fight  Tur  and  Salm 

The  Shah  was  told,  "  A  host  hath  crossed  Jihim," 
And  bade  prince  Minuchihr  to  pass  the  frontier 


216  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

v.  105       Toward  the  desert,  thus  advising  him : — 
"  A  youth  predestined  to  be  fortunate 
May  happen  to  ensnare  a  mountain-sheep 
While  hunters  are  before  and  pards  behind ; 
But  having  patience,  prudence,  sense,  and  wits, 
He  will  take  savage  lions  in  his  toils, 
And  now  my  foes  in  these  my  closing  days 
I  would  chastise,  and  wield  a  sword  of  fire." 

"  Great  Shah ! "  said  Hinuchihr,  "may  fate  keep  ill 
For  any  foe  that  cometh  to  attack  thee ; 
May  he  betray  himself  both  soul  and  body. 
Lo !  I  will  don  a  coat  of  Human  mail 
To  leave  no  part  exposed,  and  then  in  quest 
Of  vengeance  on  the  battlefield  will  send 
The  dust  of  yon  host  sunward.     None  of  them 
Hold  I  a  man :  dare  they  contend  with  me  ? " 
He  ordered  that  Karan,  who  loved  the  fray, 
Should  cross  the  frontier  to  the  desert,  taking 
The  camp-enclosure  and  the  imperial  standard. 
Then  as  troop  followed  troop  the  hills  and  plains 
Heaved  like  the  sea,  the  day  was  dark  with  dust. 
And  thou  hadst  said :  "  The  sun  is  azure-dim." 
A  clamour  rose  enough  to  deafen  ears 
Though  keen,  the  neighing  of  the  Arab  steeds 
Rose  high  above  the  tymbals'  din.     Two  lines 
Of  mighty  elephants  stretched  from  the  camp 
For  two  miles,  sixty  carried  seats  of  gold 
Inlaid  with  gems,  three  hundred  bore  the  baggage, 

V.  106       Three  hundred  were  in  iron  panoply 
That  hid  all  but  their  eyes. 

They  left  Tammfsha 

And  bore  the  camp-enclosure  to  the  waste. 
Karan  the  avenger  was  the  general, 
The  host  three  hundred  thousand  cavaliers. 
The  men  of  name  marched  mailed,  with  massive  maces, 


FARIDUN 


217 


All  bold  as  angry  lions  and  all  girded 

For  vengeance  for  1  raj  ;  their  steel-blue  swords 

Were  in  their  hands  and  Kawa's  standard  led  them. 

Then  Minuchihr  with  him  who  loved  the  fray,1 

Karan,  went  from  the  forest  of  Narwan, 

Reviewed  and  ranged  his  host  on  those  broad  plains. 

He  gave  the  army's  left  wing  to  Garshasp ; 

Upon  the  right  was  brave  Sam  with  Kubad, 

Who  set  the  battle  in  array.     The  prince 

With  Sarv  was  in  the  centre,  whence  he  shone 

Moon-like,  or  as  the  sun  o'er  some  high  hill. 

Led  by  Karan,  with  champions  such  as  Sam, 

The  Iranian  army  fought.     Kubad  was  scout, 

The  heroes  of  the  house  of  Taliman 

Were  ambuscaders,  and  the  host  was  decked 

In  bridal  trim  with  lion-warriors 

And  din  of  drums. 

Men  bore  the  news  in  haste 

To  Tiir  and  Salm  :  "  The  Iranians  armed  for  fight 
Are  marching  toward  the  desert  from  the  forest, 
Their  livers'  blood  afoam  upon  their  lips." 

That  pair  of  murderers  with  a  huge  array 
Set  forth  intent  on  vengeance  and  drew  up 
Their  host  upon  the  plain :  they  made  the  Alans 
And  sea  their  base.     Kubad  the  scout  advanced, 
And  Tiir  on  hearing  that  came  forth  like  wind, 
And  said  to  him :  "  Return  to  Minuchihr 
And  say  to  him  :  '  Thou  bastard  just  made  Shah  ! 
What  though  there  was  a  daughter  to  fraj,  v.  107 

Hast  thou  a  right  to  signet,  crown,  and  throne  ? ' "  * 

"  Yea,  I  will  take  thy  message."  said  Kubad, 
"  In  thine  own  words  and  style,  but  thou  wilt  quake 
To  think  hereafter  of  this  monstrous  speech. 
'Twill  not  be  strange  if  even  savage  beasts 

1  Reading  with  C.  2  Cf.  DEI,  ii.  217. 


218  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Bewail  you  day  and  night,  for  from  Narwan 

To  Chin  are  warlike,  vengeful  cavaliers. 

A  glimpse  of  our  bright  swords  and  Kawa's  standard 

Will  make  your  hearts  and  brains  burst  in  dismay  : 

Ye  will  not  know  a  valley  from  a  hill." 

Tur  heard  and  turned  away  in  silent  dudgeon, 
While  blest  Kubad  went  back  to  Miniichihr 
And  told  the  insulting  words.    The  young  prince  laughed. 
"  None  but  a  fool,"  he  said,  "  would  talk  like  this. 
But  praise  to  Him — the  Lord  of  both  the  worlds — 
Who  knoweth  all  things  secret  or  revealed ! 
He  knoweth  that  my  grandsire  was  fraj, 
As  blessed  Faridun  assureth  me, 
But  when  I  show  my  person  in  the  fight 
My  birth  and  prowess  will  approve  themselves. 
Now  by  the  Grace  of  Him  who  ruleth  sun 
And  moon  I  will  not  leave  Tur  power  to  wink, 
But  show  his  trunkless  head  to  all  the  host ; 
I  will  avenge  my  blessed  sire  upon  him 
And  turn  his  kingdom  upside  down." 

He  ceased 
And  issued  orders  to  prepare  a  feast. 


S  2O 
How  Miniichihr  attacked  the  Host  of  Tar 

\.  108       When  the  bright  world  grew  dark  and  scouts  dispersed 
About  the  plain,  Karan  the  warrior 
And  Sarv  the  counsellor,  who  led  the  host, 
Observed :  "  This  will  be  Ahriman's  own  fight, 
A  day  of  martial  deeds  and  vengeance-seeking."  l 

A  proclamation  issued  to  the  troops  :— 
"  0  men  of  name  and  Lions  of  the  Shah  ! 

1  Reading  with  C. 


FAR1DUN  219 

Gird  up  your  loins,  be  vigilant,  and  may 

The  Almighty  guard  you.     Whosoe'er  is  slain 

Will  go  to  Paradise  washed  clean  from  sin  ; 

While  they  who  shed  the  blood  of  warriors 

Of  Hiim  and  Chin,  and  take  their  lands,  shall  have 

Eternal  fame,  the  Grace  of  archimages ; 

The  Shah  will  give  them  thrones  and  diadems, 

Their  chieftain  gold  and  God  prosperity. 

Now  when  the  dawn  is  breaking  and  the  sun 

Half  risen  gird  upon  your  valiant  loins 

Your  maces  and  your  daggers  of  Kabul, 

Take  up  your  stations  and  preserve  your  ranks." 

The  captains  of  the  host,  the  valiant  chiefs, 
Drew  up  before  the  lion-prince  and  said : — 
"We  are  but  slaves  and  live  to  serve  the  Shah, 
Will  do  his  will  and  with  our  swords  make  earth 
Run  like  Jihun." 

They  went  back  to  their  tents,        V.  109 
All  purposing  revenge. 

Now  when  day  broke, 

Upheaving  night's  mid  gloom,  the  prince  assumed 
His  station  at  the  centre  of  the  host 
With  coat  of  armour,  sword,  and  Ruman  helm. 
The  soldiers  shouted  lifting  to  the  clouds 
Their  spears.     He  duly  ordered  all  the  troops, 
The  left,  the  right,  the  centre,  and  the  wings. 
With  heads  all  anger  and  with  brows  all  frowns 
They  rolled  up  earth  in  marching.     It  resembled 
A  ship  upon  the  waves  and  thou  hadst  said : — 
"  It  sinketh  fast ! "     From  his  huge  elephant 
He  dropped  a  ball,  earth  heaved  like  azure  sea, 
The  drummers  marched  before  the  elephants 
With  roar  and  din  like  lions  in  their  rage, 
While  from  the  sounds  of  pipe  and  clarion 
Thou  wouldst  have  said  :  "  It  is  a  festival." 


220  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

The  troops  moved  mountain-like  and  both  hosts  shouted. 
Anon  the  plain  ran  blood :  thou  wouldst  have  said 
That  tulips  sprang  up.     Mighty  elephants 
Stood  as  on  coral  columns  in  the  gore. 

V.  no       They  fought  till  night,  till  Minuchihr,  who  won 
The  love  of  all,  obtained  the  victory  ; 

v.  in        Yet  fortune  in  one  stay  abideth  not, 

Now  honey  and  now  gall  make  up  man's  lot. 

The  hearts  of  Tiir  and  Salm  were  deeply  moved 
By  grief.     They  listened  for  a  night-surprise, 
But  no  one  came  e'en  when  night  turned  to  day, 
And  they  themselves  were  anxious  for  delay. 


§  2I 
How  Tiir  was  Slain  by  the  Hand  of  MiwOchihr 

Noon  passed.     With  vengeful  hearts  the  brothers  met 
For  consultation ;  mid  their  foolish  schemes 
They  said :  "  Let  us  attempt  a  night-attack 
And  fill  the  desert  and  the  plain  with  blood." 

That  night  those  miscreants  drew  their  army  out, 
Bent  on  a  camisade.     The  Iranian  scouts 
Gat  news  thereof,  and  sped  to  Minuchihr 
To  tell  him  so  that  he  might  post  his  troops. 
V.  7i2       That  shrewd  man  heard  and  planned  a  counter-ruse. 
He  left  Karan  the  host  and  led  himself 
An  ambuscade  with  thirty  thousand  warriors, 
All  men  of  name.     Tiir  came  at  night  and  brought 
One  hundred  thousand  men  prepared  for  fight, 
But  found  the  foe  arrayed  with  banners  flying 
And  saw  that  battle  was  his  sole  resource. 
A  shout  rose  from  the  centres  of  the  hosts, 
The  horsemen  made  the  air  a  cloud  of  dust 
And  steel  swords  flashed  like  lightning:  thou  hadst 
said : — 


FARIDUN  221 

"  They  make  air  blaze,  earth  gleam  like  diamonds." 

The  clashing  of  the  steel  went  through  the  brain, 

While  flame  and  blast  rose  cloudward.     Minuchihr 

Sprang  from  his  ambush  and  surrounded  Tur, 

Who  wheeled  and  fled  mid  wailings  of  despair  V.  113 

From  his  own  troops.     Prince  Minuchihr  pursued, 

Hot  for  revenge,  and  cried :  "  Stay,  miscreant, 

Who  lovest  fight  so  well  and  cuttest  off 

The  heads  of  innocents !     Know'st  not  that  all 

Desire  revenge  on  thee  ?  " 

He  hurled  a  dart 

Against  Tur's  back,  whose  sword  fell  from  his  grasp. 
Then  Minuchihr  like  wind  unseated  him, 
Cast  him  to  earth,  slew  him,  cut  off  his  head, 
And  left  the  body  for  the  beasts  of  prey ; 
Then  went  back  to  his  camp  to  contemplate 
That  symbol  of  a  fall  from  high  estate. 


3  22 
How  Mintichihr  wrote  to  Announce  his   Victory  to  Faridun 

Then  Minuchihr  wrote  to  Shah  Farfdiin 

About  the  war — its  fortunes  good  and  ill— 

And  first  he  spake  of  Him  who  made  the  world — 

The  Lord  of  goodness,  purity,  and  justice  : — 

"  Praise  to  the  Worldlord  who  hath  succoured  us  !  1 

Men  find  no  other  helper  in  their  straits. 

He  is  the  Guide,  he  maketh  hearts  rejoice  v.  114 

And  changeth  not  throughout  eternity. 

Next,  praises  be  to  noble  Farfdun — 

The  lord  of  crown  and  mace,  possessed  of  justice, 

The  Faith  and  Grace,  crown  and  imperial  throne. 

His  fortune  is  the  source  of  righteousness, 

His  throne  of  beauty  and  of  excellence. 


222  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  CAST 

By  virtue  of  thy  Grace  I  reached  Tiiran, 
Arrayed  the  host  and  fought  by  day  and  night 
Thrice  fiercely  in  two  days.     I  heard  that  Tiir 
Designed  a  night-attack  and  wanting  power 
Relied  on  craft ;  so  I  arranged  an  ambush 
And  left  him  nothing  but  the  wind  to  clutch. 
He  fled,  I  followed,  and  o'ertaking  him 
Pierced  through  his  armour  with  a  javelin, 
And  took  him  from  his  saddle  like  the  wind. 
I  flung  him  as  I  would  a  serpent  down 
And  from  his  worthless  body  smote  the  head, 
Which  lo  !  I  send  my  grandsire,  and  forthwith 
Will  set  about  a  stratagem  for  Salm. 
Since  Tiir  had  placed  within  a  golden  casket 
His  royal  brother's  head  in  foul  contempt, 
And  had  no  ruth  or  reverence  for  him,  God, 
Who  made  the  world,  delivered  Tiir  to  me, 
r.  115       And  I  have  slain  him  as  he  slew  Iraj  ; 

And  will  lay  waste  his  realm  and  dwelling-place." 

The  letter  done  he  sent  a  cameleer, 
Who  sped  like  wind  with  cheeks  suffused  with  shame 
And  hot  tears  in  his  eyes  for  Faridun  ; 
How  should  he  like  to  be  the  carrier 
Of  Tiir's  head  to  the  monarch  of  Iran  ? 
Though  dead  sons  were  perverse  their  fathers  mourn 

them; 

But  as  the  crime  was  great  and  unprovoked, 
And  as  the  avenger  was  both  young  and  brave, 
The  messenger  approached  with  confidence 
And  laid  the  head  of  Tiir  before  the  Shah, 
Who  prayed  to  God,  the  righteous  Judge,  to  pour 
On  Mimichihr  his  blessings  evermore. 


FARIDUN  223 

§23 
Horo  Kdran  took  the  Castle  of  the  Aldns 

News  of  the  fight  and  of  that  Moon's  eclipse 

Reached  Salm,  who  purposed  making  a  retreat 

Upon  a  lofty  castle  in  his  rear  ; 

Such  are  the  ups  and  downs  which  fortune  hath  ! 

Now  Mimichihr  had  thought  of  this  and  said : — 

"  If  Salm  declineth  battle  his  retreat 

Will  be  upon  the  hold  of  the  Alans,  V.  116 

And  therefore  we  must  occupy  the  road, 

For  if  he  hath  the  fortress  of  the  sea 

No  one  will  wrench  him  from  his  foothold  there. 

It  is  a  place  whose  head  is  in  the  clouds, 

'Twas  built  by  cunning  from  the  ocean's  depths, 

Is  furnished  well  with  treasures  manifold 

And  overshadowed  by  the  eagle's  wing. 

I  must  make  haste  to  execute  my  plan 

And  ply  both  rein  and  stirrup." 

This  he  told 

Karan,  who,  as  he  knew,  would  keep  the  secret. 
That  chief  replied :  "  0  gracious  sovereign ! 
If  to  the  least  of  all  his  warriors 
The  Shah  vouchsafeth  to  entrust  a  host, 
I  will  secure  Salm's  only  gate  for  combat 
Or  for  retreat.     For  this  exploit  I  need 
Tur's  royal  standard  and  his  signet-ring, 
Then  will  I  make  a  shift  to  seize  the  hold 
And  go  to-night ;  but  keep  the  matter  close." 

He  chose  six  thousand  veterans  of  name, 
Who  when  the  sky  grew  ebon  placed  the  drums 
Upon  the  elephants,  and  full  of  fight 
Set  forward  toward  the  sea.     Karan  resigned 
The  army  to  Shirwi  and  said :  "  I  go 


224  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

v.  117  Disguised  as  envoy  to  the  castellan 

To  show  to  him  the  signet-ring  of  Tiir. 

When  I  am  in  the  castle  I  will  raise 

The  standard,  and  will  make  the  blue  swords  gleam. 

Approach  ye  then  the  hold,  and  when  I  shout 

Make  onset  and  lay  on." 

He  left  the  host 

Hard  by  the  hold  while  he  himself  advanced, 
And  when  he  reached  the  castle  told  his  tale, 
Showed  to  the  castellan  Tur's  signet-ring 
And  said :  "  I  come  from  Tiir,  who  bade  me  not 
Stop  to  draw  breath,  and  said :  '  Go  to  the  castellan 
And  say  to  him :  "  Be  watchful  day  and  night, 
Share  both  in  weal  and  woe,  guard  well  the  castle, 
Be  vigilant,  and  if  Shah  Miniichihr 
Shall  send  his  troops  and  standard  'gainst  the  hold 
Assist  each  other,  and  put  forth  your  strength ; 
And  may  ye  overthrow  the  enemy."  ' 

The  castellan  heard  this  and  recognised 
The  signet-ring ;  they  oped  the  castle-gates  : 
He  saw  the  seeming,  but  he  saw  no  more. 
Mark  here  the  rustic  poet's  moralising : — 
"  No  one  but  He  alone  who  placed  the  heart 
Within  can  see  its  secrets.     Be  our  part 
To  labour  at  the  duty  of  the  day ; 
So  be  the  good  and  evil  what  they  may, 
Mine  only  duty  is  to  say  my  say." 

The  castellan  re-entered  with  Karan, 
Who  loved  the  fight,  the  guileless  with  the  guileful. 
This  chieftain,  though  prepared  for  stratagems, 
Sealed  friendship  with  a  stranger,  and  in  folly 
Gave  both  his  head  and  castle  to  the  winds. 
He  thus  addressed  his  son — a  warrior-pard  : — 
"  My  son,  who  art  so  skilful  and  adroit ! 

v.  us  Do  nothing  rashly  and  in  ignorance, 


FARIDUN  225 

But  ponder  well  and  mark  from  first  to  last 
The  honied  words  of  one  that  is  a  stranger, 
Especially  in  times  of  war  and  strife. 
Search  well  and  live  in  dread  of  ambuscades, 
Look  deeply  whatsoe'er  the  matter  be, 
And  how  a  chieftain  shrewd  of  intellect, 
By  leaving  some  small  detail  unexplored, 
And  not  considering  the  foemen's  craft, 
May  render  up  his  fortress  to  the  winds." 

At  break  of  day  Karan,  who  loved  the  fight, 
Set  up  a  standard  like  the  moon  full-orbed ; 
He  shouted  and  made  signals  to  Shirwi 
And  his  exalted  chiefs.     Shirwi  perceiving 
The  royal  standard  made  toward  the  hold, 
Seized  on  the  gate,  threw  in  his  troops  and  crowned 
The  chiefs  with  blood.     Here  was  Karan  and  there 
Shirwi,  the  sword  above,  the  sea  below. 
By  noon  the  castle's  form  and  castellan's 
Had  vanished.     Thou  couldst  see  a  cloud  of  smoke, 
But  ship  and  castle  were  invisible. 
Fire  blazed,  wind  blew,  rose  horsemen's  shouts  and  cries 
For  help.     At  sunset  hold  and  plain  were  level, 
And  twice  six  thousand  of  the  foe  were  slain. 
A  pitchy  reek  rose  o'er  a  pitchy  shore 
And  all  the  surface  of  the  waste  ran  gore. 


§24 

How  Kdkici,  the  Grandson  of  Zahhdk,  attacked 
the  Iranians 

Karan  returned  and  told  the  prince,  who  said  : —  V.  119 

"  May  horse  and  mace  and  saddle  ne'er  lack  thee. 
When  thou  hadst  gone  another  host  approached, 
Led  by  a  young  and  battle-loving  chief, 

p 


226  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

A  grandson  of  Zahhak,  and  called,  I  hear, 
Kakwi — an  infidel — with  haughty  horsemen 
And  men  of  name  a  hundred  thousand  strong, 
And  slaughtered  many  of  our  lion-warriors. 
Salm  now  is  bent  on  fight  since  this  ally 
Hath  come  to  help  him  from  Gang-i-Dizhhukht.1 
They  tell  me  that  he  is  a  warlike  div, 
In  battle  unappalled  and  strong  of  hand. 
I  have  not  reached  him  in  the  combat  yet, 
Nor  ta'en  his  measure  with  the  warriors'  mace, 
But  when  he  cometh  next  to  fight  with  us 
I  will  essay  him  and  will  try  his  weight." 

Karan  replied :  "  O  prince !  who  can  confront  thee 
In  battle  ?     If  he  were  a  pard  his  skin 
Would  burst  upon  him  at  the  thought  of  fight. 
Who  is  Kakwi  ?     What  is  Kakwi  ?     Thy  foes 
Will  never  play  the  man.     I  will  devise 
A  shrewd  device  in  this  emergency 
That  none  like  vile  Kakwi  may  ever  come 
Henceforth  to  fight  us  from  Gang-i-Dizhhukht." 
V.  120  The  noble  prince  replied :  "  Be  not  concerned. 

Thou  art  exhausted  with  thy  late  exploit, 
Thy  marching  and  revenge  ;  it  is  my  turn 
To  do  the  fighting :  breathe  awhile,  great  chief ! " 

The  din  of  trump  and  pipe  arose  without, 
The  tymbals  sounded  and  the  horsemen's  dust    . 
Made  air  pitch-black  and  earth  like  ebony. 
Thou  wouldst  have  said  :  "  These  Diamonds  have  life, 
These  maces  and  these  javelins  have  tongues ! " 
Shouts  rose  around  and  arrows  fledged  the  air 
Like  vulture's  wings,  blood  grouted  hand  to  hilt 
And   spurted  from    the    murk;    thou   wouldst   have 

said : — 
"  The  earth  will  rise  in  waves  and  whelm  the  sky." 

1  Zahhdk's  old  capital. 


FARID^JN  227 

Kakwi  the  chieftain  raised  the  battle-shout 
And  came  forth  like  a  div,  while  Miniichihr 
Advanced  with  Indian  sword  in  hand.     Both  raised 
A  cry  that  rent  the  hills  and  frayed  the  hosts. 
Thou  wouldst  have  said  :  "  These  chiefs  are  elephants. 
Both  terrible,  both  girt,  both  bent  on  vengeance." 
Kakwi  thrust  at  the  girdle  of  the  prince, 
Whose  Human  helmet  shook :  his  mail  was  rent 
Down  to  the  belt  so  that  his  waist  appeared. 
The  prince's  falchion  struck  Kakwi's  cuirass  v.  121 

And  clove  it  by  the  neck,  and  thus  they  fought 
Till  noon  like  pards  and  puddled  earth  with  blood. 
As  day  declined  the  prince,  sufficed  with  tight, 
Reached  out  and  gripping  firmly  with  his  legs 
Caught  with  all  ease  the  girdle  of  Kakwi, 
Dragged  from  his  steed  his  elephantine  form, 
Flung  him  upon  the  burning  sand  and  gashed 
His  chest  and  bosom  with  the  scimitar. 
Thus  went  that  Arab  to  the  winds  a  prey ; 
His  mother  bare  him  for  so  ill  a  day  ! 


§25 
How  Salm  fled  and  was  Slain  by  the  Hand  of  Minuchihr 

Kakwi  being  dead,  the  master  of  the  West, 

Whose  stay  was  broken,  ceased  to  seek  revenge 

And  sought  to  gain  his  stronghold  in  his  flight, 

But  when  he  reached  the  sea  saw  not  a  spar 

Of  any  vessel  there.     The  Iranian  host, 

Though  clogged  by  killed  and  wounded  on  the  plain, 

Pursued  apace,  while  Miniichihr,  all  wrath 

And  vengeance,  cast  his  fleet  white  charger's  mail 

And  pressed  on  till  within  the  foemen's  dust 

And  hard  upon  the  king  of  Rum  he  cried : — 


228  THE  SHAHtfAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

"  Thou  who  art  guilty  of  the  blackest  crime, 
v.  122       Who  murderedst  thy  brother  for  his  crown  ! 

Hast  thou  obtained  it  ?     Whither  wilt  thou  flee  ? 
I  bring  thee  now,  O  king  !  a  crown  and  throne : 
The  royal  Tree  hath  come  to  bearing  fruit. 
Fly  not  the  throne  of  greatness !     Faridiin 
Hath  got  a  new  throne  ready  for  thine  use. 
The  tree  which  thou  hast  planted  beareth  now, 
And  thy  breast  shall  receive  the  produce  of  it ; 
If  thorns,  the  tree  was  planted  by  thyself ; 
If  painted  silk,  the  weaving  was  thine  own." 

As  thus  he  spake  he  urged  his  steed  along 
And  in  another  moment  overtook 
And  clave  the  king  asunder  from  the  neck, 
Then  bade  the  head  be  set  upon  a  spear, 
While  all  admired  his  might  and  warlike  arm. 

Salm's  troops  were  scattered  like  a  flock  by  snow 
And  wandered  aimlessly  in  companies 
Amid  the  wastes,  the  caverns,  and  the  hills. 
They  bade  one  wary,  wise,  and  eloquent 
To  go  to  Mimichihr  forthwith  and  say 
On  their  behalf:  "  We  are  thy  subjects  all 
And  only  tread  the  earth  to  do  thy  will. 
Among  us  there  are  some  possessed  of  herds, 
And  some  of  tilth  and  palaces.     To  fight 
Was  not  our  interest  but  our  king's  command ; 
We  came  as  soldiers,  not  to  seek  revenge. 
We  are  the  Shah's  slaves  now  and  bow  our  heads 
To  do  his  will  and  pleasure.     If  he  willeth 
v.  123       Revenge  and  bloodshed  we  can  but  submit. 
We  all  are  guiltless  and  we  all  come  in, 
So  let  him  do  as  seemeth  good  to  him, 
For  he  is  master  of  our  guiltless  lives." 

Thus  spake  the  sage,  the  chief  in  wonder  answered 
"  I  cast  my  passions  and  exalt  my  name. 


FARIDtlN  229 

What  is  not  God's  is  Ahriman's  and  evil ; 

Be  all  such  banished  from  my  sight,  and  may 

The  divs  be  punished  for  their  sins.     Ye  all 

Are  either  foes  or  friends  and  mine  allies, 

But  innocent  and  guilty  both  are  spared 

Since  God  hath  given  us  victory.     Tis  the  day 

Of  justice,  wrong  hath  ceased,  the  leaders'  heads 

Are  safe  from  falling  now.     Seek  brotherhood 

And  use  it  for  a  charm,  put  off  from  you 

The  implements  of  war,  be  wise  and  pure 

In  Faith,  secure  from  ill,  and  banish  vengeance. 

Now  in  your  dwellings  wheresoe'er  they  be, 

In  Chin,  Turan,  or  in  the  land  of  Rum, 

Let  all  the  virtues  form  your  pedestal 

And  be  your  homes  those  of  enlightened  minds." 

The  great  chiefs  praised  that  noble,  upright  prince, 
And  proclamation  issued  from  his  tent : — 
"  Ye  paladins  whose  counsel  prospereth  ! 
Shed  no  more  needless  blood,  the  tyrants'  fortunes 
Are  overthrown." 

Then  all  the  troops  of  Chin  V.  124 

Fell  prostrate,  brought  their  arms  and  gear  of  war 
To  Minuchihr,  and  as  they  passed  him  piled 
A  mountain  of  horse-armour,  helms,  and  breastplates, 
Of  maces  and  of  Indian  scimitars, 
While  Minuchihr  the  chieftain  graciously 
Entreated  each  one  as  his  rank  might  be. 

§26 
How  the  Head  of  Salm  was  sent  to  Fariddn 

The  hero  called  a  courier,  gave  to  him 
The  head  of  Salm,  the  monarch  of  the  West, 
And  wrote  to  tell  his  grandsire  of  the  fight 
And  strategy,  first  giving  God  the  praise 


230  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  then  the  Shah :  "  Praise  to  the  conquering  World- 
lord 

From  whom  are  virtue,  power,  and  Grace !     His  blessing 
Is  now  on  Faridun,  that  wise,  brave  Shah, 
Who  hath  released  us  from  the  bonds  of  ill, 
And  hath  the  wisdom  and  the  Grace  of  God. 
We  are  avenged  upon  the  cavaliers 
Of  Chin.     We  lay  in  ambush  for  their  lives. 
Strong  in  the  Shah  with  our  avenging  scimitars 
We  smote  the  heads  off  those  unrighteous  men, 
v.  125       Who  both  were  reeking  with  f  raj's  blood ; 

We  purged  the  surface  of  the  earth  with  steel. 
Lo  !  I  am  coming  like  the  wind  behind 
My  letter,  and  will  tell  thee  all  that  passed." 

He  sent  Shirwi,  the  aspiring  veteran, 
Back  to  the  hold,  and  said :  "  Explore  the  booty, 
Act  as  thou  seest  best,  and  take  the  Shah 
The  spoil  upon  high-crested  elephants." 

He  bade  the  drummers  and  the  pipers  fare 
Forth  from  the  royal  tent,  and  from  that  hold 
In  Chin  marched  inland  back  to  Faridun. 
As  he  approached  Tammisha  on  his  way 
His  grandsire  longed  to  look  at  him.     The  blast 
Of  clarions  ascended  from  the  gate, 
The  host  began  to  march  out.     Faridun, 
That  man  of  wakeful  fortune,  decked  the  backs 
Of  all  the  elephants  with  turquoise  thrones, 
And  golden  litters  with  brocade  and  gems. 
A  world  of  banners,  yellow,  red,  and  blue, 
Waved  overhead.     The  host  marched  toward  Sari, 
Like  black  clouds  from  the  waters  of  Gilan, 
With  golden  bridles  and  with  golden  girdles, 
With  silvern  stirrups  and  with  golden  bucklers, 
With  treasures,  elephants,  and  precious  stores, 
In  readiness  to  welcome  Miniichihr. 


FARIDUN  231 

Now  as  that  prince  approached  the  royal  host 

His  grandsire  went  afoot  to  welcome  him, 

As  did  the  men  of  Gil  like  lions  loose, 

With  torques  of  gold  and  helmets  black  as  musk. 

The  Iranians  followed  on  behind  the  Shah,  V.  126 

Each  like  a  savage  lion,  troops  went  first, 

The  elephants  and  lions  in  the  midst, 

Behind  the  elephants  more  valiant  troops. 

Whenas  the  flag  of  Faridiin  appeared 

The  host  of  Minuchihr  deployed  in  line. 

That  youthful  prince,  that  sapling  just  producing 

Its  earliest  fruits,  dismounted  from  his  steed. 

He  kissed  the  ground  and  blessed  the  monarch's  throne, 

His  diadem  and  crown  and  signet-ring, 

But  Faridiin  commanded  him  to  mount, 

Kissed  him  and  grasped  his  hand. 

Then  Faridun 

Returning  home  sent  word  to  Sam,  the  son 
Of  Nariman :  "  Come  presently,"  for  Sam 
Had  come  from  Hindustan  to  help  to  fight 
Against  the  sorcerers,  and  brought  withal 
A  mighty  store  of  gold  and  precious  things 
Above  whate'er  the  Shah  required  of  him — 
Such  myriads  of  jewels  and  dinars 
That  no  accountant  could  have  reckoned  them. 
Sam,  when  he  reached  the  monarch  of  the  world, 
Saluted  both  the  old  Shah  and  the  young. 
The  famous  monarch  seated  Sam  beside  him, 
The  great  king  seated  the  great  paladin, 
And  said :  "  I  put  my  grandsire  in  thy  charge, 
For  I  must  now  depart.     Help  him  in  all 
And  make  him  show  a  prowess  like  thine  own." 

The  great  Shah  lightly  laid  the  young  man's  hand 
In  that  world-paladin's,  looked  up  and  said : — 
"  Almighty  God !    Just  Judge  who  sayest  sooth  • 


232  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

V.  127        Thou  saidst:  'I  am  the  Almighty,  the  just  Judge, 
The  Help  of  the  oppressed  in  their  distress.' 
Right  hast  Thou  done  me,  Thou  hast  holpen  me 
And  given  me  both  crown  and  signet-ring. 
God  !     Thou  hast  granted  me  my  whole  desire ; 
Now  take  me  to  the  other  world — a  better 
Than  this — because  I  would  not  that  my  soul 
Should  tarry  longer  in  this  narrow  sphere." 

Shirwi  the  chieftain  with  the  spoils  approached 
The  palace  of  the  Shah,  who  lavished  all 
The  booty  on  the  troops. 

He  gave  directions, 

Two  days  ere  Mihr,  for  Mimichihr  to  sit 
Helmed  on  the  throne  of  gold,  with  his  own  hands 
Crowned  the  young  prince,  and  gave  his  last  commands. 


§27 
The  Death  of  Faridun 

This  done,  the  great  king's  day  and  fortune  changed, 

The  leafage  withered  on  the  royal  tree ; 

He  quitted  crown  and  throne  and  with  the  heads 

Of  those  three  kings  beside  him  lived  in  tears 

And  in  austerities :  his  plaint  was  this  : — 

"  My  days  are  changed  and  darkened  by  these  three, 

Who  were  my  heart's  delight  and  grief  withal, 

Thus  slain  before  me  miserably,  in  hatred, 

And  as  my  foes  would  wish.     Such  ills  befell  them 

Through  their  perversity  and  evil  deeds ; 

They  disobeyed  me  and  the  world  frowned  on  them." 

His  heart  was  full,  his  face  all  tears  till  death. 
Though  Faridun  is  gone  there  is  his  name 

Still  left  through  all  the  years  that  have  passed  by ; 


FARIDUN  233 

He  was,  my  son  !  all  excellence  and  fame—  v.  128 

One  who  found  profit  in  adversity. 
Then  Mimichihr  put  off  the  royal  crown, 
He  girt  a  blood-stained  girdle  round  his  loins, 
And  reared  a  charnel  as  the  Shahs  were  wont 
Of  ruddy  gold  and  lapislazuli. 
They  placed  a  throne  of  ivory  within 
And  hung  a  crown  above  it,  visited 
The  dead  to  say  farewell,  as  was  the  use 
And  ritual,  then  shut  the  charnel-door : 
In  such  ill  case  that  dear  one  left  the  world ! 

One  sennight  Minuchihr  gave  up  to  grief, 
His  eyes  were  full  of  tears,  his  cheeks  were  pale, 
And  for  a  sennight  city  and  bazar 
Were  mourning  with  their  mourning  sovereign. 

O  world  which  art  all  wind  and  levity ! 
The  man  of  wisdom  hath  no  joy  of  thee. 
Thou  fosterest  each  one  with  thy  caress, 
No  matter  if  his  life  be  more  or  less, 
But  when  thou  wiliest  to  revoke  the  trust 
What  reckest  thou  of  coral  or  of  dust  ? 
Man !  when  the  world  hath  snapped  in  twain  the  cord 
Of  this  world  for  thee,  be  thou  liege  or  lord, 
Thy  griefs  and  pleasures  as  a  dream  appear  : 
V  ex  not  thy  heart  then  to  continue  here. 
Blest  is  the  man  who,  whether  king  or  thrall, 
Bequeatheth  good  as  his  memorial ! 


VII 
MINtfCHIHR 

HE   REIGNED   ONE   HUNDRED  AND   TWENTY 
YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

After  describing  the  accession  of  Minuchihr,  the  poet  proceeds  to 
tell  the  story  of  Zal,  the  son  of  Sam,  how,  being  born  with  white 
hair,  he  was  in  consequence  exposed  by  his  father  on  Mount 
Alburz,  how  he  was  found  and  brought  up  by  the  Simurgh,  how 
in  after  years  he  and  his  father  became  reconciled,  and  how  he 
rose  to  greatness.  The  poet  also  tells  of  the  loves  of  Zal  and 
Rudaba,  the  daughter  of  Mihrab,  the  idolatrous  king  of  Kabul, 
the  wrath  of  Minuchihr  thereat,  his  ultimate  consent  to  the  union, 
and  the  birth  of  Rustam,  with  an  account  of  whose  first  adven- 
tures, and  of  the  death  of  Minuchihr,  the  reign  concludes. 

NOTE 

The  story,  which  occupies  the  reign  of  Minuchihr,  in  whose  name, 
which  means  "  offspring  of  Manu," 1  we  can  still  trace  a  connection 
between  Indian  and  Iranian  mythology,  between  the  Vedas  and 
the  Zandavasta,  is  perhaps  the  most  charming  in  the  whole  poem ; 
and  here  first  the  stream  of  epic,  hitherto  confined  and  cramped, 
breaks  out  into  broad  waters,  and  carries  us  to  the  heroic  race 
who  play  such  an  important  part  throughout  the  first — the  mythic 
— period  of  the  poem.  We  have  already  seen  how  the  titles 
bestowed  on  the  great  hero  Keresaspa  became  separate  personali- 
ties in  later  times,2  and  in  this  reign  we  have  one  of  his  most 

1  Manushchithra  in  the  Zandavasta.     For  Manu  see  prefatory  note 
to  Jamshid. 

2  See  introductory  note  to  FarSdi'in. 


MINUCHIHR  235 

famous  feats  recorded  as  an  exploit  of  Sam,  the  son  of  Nariman — the 
slaying  of  the  dragon  of  the  Kashaf .  The  legend  appears  to  have 
become  localised  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  poet's  own  birth- 
place, Tus,  by  which  the  Kashaf  flows,  and  the  dragon  may  be 
typical  of  the  periodical  floods  the  prevention  of  which  is  said 
to  have  been  an  object  which  the  poet  had  at  heart.1  The  feature 
of  Sam's  mace  is  reproduced  from  the  earlier  legend,  where 
Keresaspa  is  described  as  "bludgeon-bearing."2 

The  gigantic  mythical  bird,  the  Simurgh,  the  Roc  of  the 
Arabian  Nights,  which  plays  such  an  important  part  in  the  legend 
of  Zal  and  of  his  son  Rustam,  is  described  in  the  Bundahish  as 
"  the  griffon  of  three  natures." 3  It  appears  to  have  been  con- 
ceived of  as  a  sort  of  gigantic  bat.4  The  Bundahish,  in  its  account 
of  birds,  says :  "  There  are  two  of  them  which  have  milk  in  the 
teat  and  suckle  their  young,  the  griffon  bird,  and  the  bat  which 
flies  in  the  night ;  as  they  say  that  the  bat  is  created  of  three 
races  (sarrfak),  the  race  (ayina)  of  the  dog,  the  bird,  and  the 
musk,  animal ;  for  it  flies  like  a  bird,  has  many  teeth  like  a  dog, 
and  is  dwelling  in  holes  like  a  musk-rat."  5  The  Simurgh  was 
the  first  bird  created,6  and  its  nest  was  on  the  tree  of  wild 
vegetable  life  which  grew  in  the  wide  ocean  near  to  the  tree  of 
immortality.  Upon  the  former  tree  collect  all  the  seeds  which 
plants  have  produced  during  the  year,  and  the  office  of  the 
Simurgh  was  to  shake  the  tree  and  scatter  the  seeds,  which  were 
then  collected  by  another  mythical  bird,  called  Chamrosh,  which 
had  its  nest  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Alburz  and  protected  Iran 
from  invasion.  This  bird  mingled  the  seeds  with  the  rains,  which 
the  good  genius  Tishtar  (Sirius)  had  rescued  from  the  demons, 
with  a  view  of  pouring  them  on  the  earth ;  the  purport  of  the 
legend  was  to  account  for  the  rapid  vegetation  in  hot  climates." 
The  poet  appears  to  have  combined  some  of  the  characteristics 
of  several  mythical  birds — the  Chamrosh,  the  Karshipta,  and  also 
of  the  Varew/ana  or  raven  in  his  account  of  the  Simurgh.  The 
magical  or  medicinal  efficacy  of  the  raven's  feathers  is  recognised 
in  the  Zandavasta,  where  we  read :  "  Zarathustra  asked  Ahura 
Mazda  .  .  .  '  If  I  have  a  curse  thrown  upon  me,  a  spell  told  upon  me 
by  many  men  who  hate  me,  what  is  the  remedy  for  it  ?  '  Ahura 
Mazda  answered  :  '  Take  thou  a  feather  of  that  bird  .  .  .  the 

1  C,  liv.  2  MZA,  iii.  234. 

3  Sih  (three),  ayina  (kind  or  sort),  murgh  (bird)  =  Simurgh.    WPT,  i. 
47,  89,  91. 

4  WPT,  il  71.  s  Id.  50. 

6  Id.  89.  7  Id.  70,  and  iii.  112. 


236  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Varenf/ana,  0  Spitama  Zarathustra !  With  that  feather  thou 
shalt  rub  thy  own  body,  with  that  feather  thou  shalt  curse  back 
thy  enemies.  If  a  man  holds  a  bone  of  that  strong  bird,  or  a 
feather  of  that  strong  bird,  no  one  can  smite  or  turn  to  flight 
that  fortunate  man.  The  feather  of  that  bird  of  birds  brings  him 
help  ;  it  brings  unto  him  the  homage  of  men,  it  maintains  him  in 
his  glory." 1 

With  regard  to  the  account  of  the  employment  of  anaesthetics 
on  the  occasion  of  the  Csesarean  birth  of  Rustam,  we  find  another 
instance  of  their  employment  by  Urmuzd  himself  in  the  account 
of  the  Creation  in  the  Bundahish.  When  Ahriman  broke  into  the 
creation  of  Urmuzd  and  attacked  the  Primeval  Ox,  we  read  that 
Urmuzd  had  previously  ground  up  healing  fruits  in  water  for  it, 
that  its  death  might  be  the  less  painful.2  Similarly  we  read  in 
Genesis  that  the  Lord  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  Adam. 

The  earliest  reference  to  Rustam  in  literature  appears  to  be 
an  indirect  one  in  the  Kur'an.3  He  is  also  mentioned  in  the 
work  that  passes  under  the  name  of  Moses  of  Chorene  :  "  Age 
vero,  si  placet,  vilia  vanaque  de  eo  mendacia  declarabo,  qualia 
Persae  de  Restomo  Sazico  memorant,  quern  CXX  elephantis  viribus 
fuisse  superiorem  tradunt.  De  hujus  pariter  robore  &  forti- 
tudinem  ea  celebrant,  quae  a  similitudine  veri  longissime  absunt, 
quern  sane  neque  Samsoni,  neque  Herculi,  nee  Sazico  fabulae  istae 
conferunt.  Canunt  et  enim  quadrata  eum  saxa  manibus  prehendere 
potuisse,  &  ad  arbitrium  suum,  magna  aeqvie  ac  parva,  divellere, 
unguibusque  abradere,  &,  velut  in  tabula,  aquilarum  figuras, 
aliaque  ejus  generis  effingere  atque  unguibus  inscribe  re :  Qui 
cum  apud  magni  maris  Pontici  litus  hostiles  quasdam  naves 
offendisset,  impetum  in  eas  fecit,  quas  in  altum  octo  aut  decem 
circiter  stadia  provectas,  ubi  consequi  non  potuit,  globosis  eas 
lapidibus  incessit,  quorum  conjectu  aquae,  ut  aiunt,  tantopere 
diffindebantur,  ut  naves  non  paucae  demersae  fuerint,  &  fluctuum 
vis,  aquarum  fissura  altius  surgentium  reliquas  naves  multos 
mille  passus  propulerit.  Proh  ingens  fabula,  aut  potius,  fabularum 
fabula." 4 

Malcolm  identifies  the  castle  on  Mount  Sipand  taken  by  Rustam 
with  a  famous  stronghold,  known  on  account  of  its  appearance 
as  "  the  White  Castle,"  situated  in  the  province  of  Pars,  about 
seventy-six  miles  north-west  of  Shiraz,  "  on  a  high  bill  that  is 
almost  perpendicular  on  every  side.  It  is  of  oblong  form,  and 

i  DZA,  ii.  240.  2  WPT,  i.  18. 

3  RK,  p.  284.    Cf.  NIN,  p.  10. 

4  Whiston,  Mosis  Chorenensis,  96. 


MINUCHIHR  237 

encloses  a  level  space  at  the  top  of  the  mountain,  which  is 
covered  with  delightful  verdure,  and  watered  by  numerous  springs. 
The  ascent  is  nearly  three  miles  ;  for  the  last  five  or  six  hundred 
yards  the  summit  is  so  difficult  of  approach  that  the  slightest 
opposition,  if  well  directed,  must  render  it  impregnable  ...  In  1 810 
it  -was  ...  in  possession  of  the  tribe  of  Mumasenni,  one  of  the 
aboriginal  tribes  of  Persia.  Their  means  of  defence  were  probably 
still  the  same  as  in  the  days  of  Roostum :  a  line  of  large  stones 
ranged  in  regular  order  around  the  edges  of  the  precipice.  Each 
stone  is  wedged  in  by  a  smaller :  when  that  is  removed,  the 
large  stone,  or  rather  rock,  is  hurled  down,  and  sweeps  every- 
thing before  it." l 

§1      '  '      •-'."' 

How  Minuchihr  ascended  the  Throne  and  made  an  Oration 

They  mourned  for  Faridiin  for  seven  days,  V.  129 

Upon  the  eighth  Shah  Minuchihr  came  forth 

And  set  the  royal  cap  upon  his  head ; 

He  countercharmed  the  spell  of  sorcerers 

And  reigned  twice  sixty  years.     The  paladins 

Throughout  the  world  called  praises  down  on  him. 

When  he  assumed  the  crown  he  gave  the  world 

Glad  news  of  justice,  Faith,  humanity, 

Of  goodness,  knowledge,  purity,  and  said : — 

"  I  sit  enthroned  upon  the  circling  sphere, 

Dispensing  love  and  justice,  wrath  and  strife. 

Earth  is  my  thrall,  heaven  mine  ally,  the  heads 

Of  kings  my  quarry.     Mine  are  Faith  and  Grace, 

Mine  to  bestow  good  fortune  and  to  harm. 

I  wreak  revenge  by  night;  the  raging  fire 

Upon  Barzin 2  am  I,  and  lord  of  scimitar 

And  golden  boot.     I  set  up  Kawa's  standard 

And  light  the  clouds,  I  draw  my  sword  and  give 

No  quarter  on  the  battlefield.     My  hands 

Become  a  bounteous  ocean  when  I  feast, 

But  when  I  mount  my  steed  my  breath  is  fire. 

1  MHP,  i.  19,  and  note.  2  The  name  of  a  Fire-temple. 


238  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

I  cut  the  practice  of  the  wicked  short 
And  make  the  earth  a  red  brocade  of  blood, 

V.  130  I  wield  the  mace,  I  illustrate  the  crown 

And  light  the  kingdom  from  mine  ivory  throne ; 
~  Yet  in  despite  of  all  I  am  a  slave — 
A  servant  of  the  Maker  of  the  world. 
Smite  we  our  faces  with  our  hands  and  weep, 
Let  all  our  conversation  be  of  God, 
Of  whom  we  hold  the  crown,  the  throne,  and  host 
We  give  Him  praise  and  He  is  our  defence. 
We  tread  the  path  of  Faridun  the  blest — 
Our  grandsire :  he  was  old,  but  we  are  young. 
Whoever  in  the  seven  climes  of  earth 
Departeth  from  the  Way,  abandoneth 
The  Faith,  inflicteth  hurt  on  mendicants, 
Oppresseth  any  one  of  his  own  kin, 
Uplifteth  in  the  pride  of  wealth  his  head, 
Or  causeth  sorrow  to  the  suffering, 
All  such  are  infidels  in  my  regard 
And  worse  than  evil-doing  Ahriman. 
All  evil-doers  that  hold  not  the  Faith 
Are  banned  by  God  and  us :  hereafter  we 
Will  put  our  hand  upon  the  scimitar, 
And  in  our  vengeance  desolate  their  realm." 

All  men  of  name  throughout  the  earth  invoked 
Their  blessings  on  him  with  one  voice,  and  said : — 
"  Thy  glorious  grandsire,  O  benignant  Shah ! 
Taught  thee  the  conduct  of  the  throne  and  crown. 
Be  ever  thine  the  throne  of  mighty  men, 
The  crown  and  archimages'  Grace.     Our  hearts 
Obey  thy  word,  our  souls  are  pledged  to  thee." 

V.  131  Thereat  rose  Sam,  the  chief  of  paladins, 

And  said  to  Minuchihr :  "  O  judge  most  just ! 
I  from  the  Shahs  have  gotten  eyes  to  see, 
And  see  thee  just:  my  part  is  to  applaud. 


MINUCHIHR  239 

Shah  of  Iran  art  thou  by  long  descent — 

The  chosen  of  the  Lions  and  the  brave. 

May  God  watch  o'er  thy  body  and  thy  soul, 

Thy  heart  be  glad,  thy  fortune  slumber  not. 

Thou  mindest  me  of  days  of  yore  and  art 

My  place  of  shelter  at  the  royal  throne. 

Thou  art  a  lion  steadfast  in  the  fight, 

Thou  art  a  sun  resplendent  in  the  feast. 

Be  time  and  earth  the  dust  upon  thy  feet, 

Thy  place  upon  the  turquoise  throne.     Since  thou 

Hast  cleansed  earth  with  thine  Indian  scimitar 

Sit  at  thine  ease  and  take  thy  pleasure  here. 

Henceforward  all  the  warfare  is  for  us ; 

Thine  are  the  throne,  the  wine-cup,  and  the  banquet. 

The  fathers  of  my  race  were  paladins — 

The  shelter  of  the  Shahs  and  of  the  great— 

And  from  Garshasp  to  famous  Nariman 

Were  chiefs  and  swordsmen.     I  will  compass  earth 

And  put  a  scantling  of  thy  foes  in  bonds. 

Thy  grandsire  made  me  paladin,  thy  love 

And  counsel  made  me  wise." 

The  Shah  returned 

His  praise,  bestowing  many  a  kingly  gift, 
And  then  Sam  with  the  paladins  withdrew 
And  so  departed  on  his  homeward  way, 
While  all  the  world  conformed  to  righteous  sway. 


8  2 
The  Birth  of  Zdl 

Now  will  I  fashion  from  the  legend-store 
A  tale  of  wonder  from  the  days  of  yore ; 
Give  me  thine  ear,  my  son  !  and  learn  from  me 
How  Sam  became  the  sport  of  destiny. 


24o  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

V.  132  Now  Sam  was  childless  and  in  that  regard 

In  need  of  solace.    One  among  his  wives — 
A  Beauty  rosy-cheeked  with  musky  hair — 
Gave  him  the  hope  of  offspring,  for  that  Moon 
Was  sun-faced,  ripe,  and  was  with  child  by  him, 
And  grievously  she  suffered  with  her  burden. 
When  many  days  had  passed  the  babe  was  born — 
A  Beauty  like  the  world-illuming  sun, 
And  like  it  too  in  loveliness  of  face ; 
But  all  his  hair  was  white,  and  since  'twas  so 
They  kept  the  thing  from  Sam  for  one  whole  week : 
The  women  of  that  famous  paladin 
Wept  in  the  presence  of  the  little  child, 
But  not  one  dared  to  tell  the  hero  Sam 
That  his  fair  spouse  had  borne  a  hoary  babe. 
Anon  the  infant's  nurse,  with  lion's  courage, 
Came  unabashed  before  the  paladin, 
As   one   who   brought   good   news,   blessed   him   and 

said : — • 

"  May  Sam  the  hero's  days  be  fortunate, 
And  may  his  foemen's  hearts  be  rooted  out ! 
God  hath  bestowed  on  thee  what  thou  didst  ask — 
The  very  gift  whereon  thy  soul  was  set : 
Behind  thy  curtain,  seeker  after  glory ! 
Thy  moon-faced  spouse  hath  borne  a  stainless  son, 
A  paladin,  a  child  of  lion-heart, 
A  boy  of  spirit,  fashioned  of  pure  silver, 
And  with  two  cheeks  that  favour  Paradise. 
Thou  wilt  not  see  a  faulty  part  in  him 
Except  this  blemish — that  his  hair  is  white. 
So  heaven  willed,  0  seeker  after  glory ! 
Content  thee  and  be  not  morose  and  thankless." 

The  horseman  Sam  descended  from  his  throne ; 
He  went  behind  the  curtain  to  "  Young  Spring," 
And  saw  a  goodly  boy  with  hoary  head. 


MINUCHItfR  241 

None  hath  beheld  or  heard  of  such  ;  his  hair 

Resembled  snow  and  yet  his  cheeks  were  ruddy.  V.  133 

Sam  at  that  sight  despaired.     Great  was  his  fear 

Of  coming  shame ;  he  left  the  path  of  wisdom 

For  courses  of  his  own,  looked  up  to  heaven 

And  prayed  to  be  forgiven  his  offence. 

"  O  Thou,"  he  said,  "  above  all  harm  and  loss ! 

Good  ever  cometh  of  Thine  ordinance. 

If  I  have  sinned  by  any  grievous  sin, 

Or  yielded  to  the  faith  of  Ahriman, 

Oh  !  may  the  Almighty  hearken  to  my  prayer 

And  in  His  secret  counsels  pardon  me. 

My  troubled  mind  is  writhing  for  sheer  shame, 

The  hot  blood  is  a-tingle  in  my  veins 

For  this  brat  like  a  brat  of  Ahriman, 

With  dark  eyes  and  with  hair  like  jessamine. 

When  any  nobles  come  to  speak  with  me, 

And  set  their  eyes  on  this  ill-omened  cub, 

What  shall  I  say  that  this  div's  bantling  is — 

A  fay  or  leopard  with  its  spots  ?     The  great 

Will  laugh  at  me  in  public  and  in  private 

Till  shame  shall  make  me  curse  and  quit  Iran." 

He  spake  hi  wrath  with  frowns  and  railed  at 

fortune, 

Then  bade  some  take  the  child  and  carry  it 
Beyond  those  fields  and  fells  and  far  away. 

There  was  a  certain  mountain  named  Alburz, 
Nigh  to  the  sun  and  far  removed  from  men, 
Where  the  Simurgh  had  nested,  for  the  place 
Was  uninhabited.     They  left  the  child 
Upon  the  mountain  and  returned.     Time  passed, 
While  for  no  fault  the  infant  paladin, 
Unable  to  distinguish  black  from  white, 
Was  outcast  from  his  father's  love ;  but  He, 
Who  fostereth  all,  took  up  the  castaway. 

Q 


242  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

v.  134  Once  when  the  lioness  her  cub  had  fed, 

"  If  I  should  give  thee  my  heart's  blood,"  she  said, 
"  I  should  not  look  for  thanks.     I  live  in  thee ; 
My  heart  would  break  if  thou  shouldst  break  with  rne." 
Throughout  the  expanse  of  earth  the  beasts  we  find 
More  tender  to  their  young  than  are  mankind. 

The  babe  remained  where  thrown,  exposed  both  day 
And  night.     He  sucked  his  finger-ends  and  wailed. 
Now  when  the  young  Simurghs  grew  ravenous 
The  mother,  soaring  o'er  her  nest,  beheld 
Earth  like  a  heaving  sea,  and  wailing  there 
A  child  rock-cradled  with  the  dust  for  nurse, 
His  body  bare,  his  lips  unwet  with  milk, 
The  dark  drear  soil  about  him  and  above 
The  noonday  sun.     Would  that  he  had  had  pards 
For  dam  and  sire,  he  had  at  least  been  shaded ! 
The  Lord  gave  loving  instincts  to  that  fowl, 
Which  thought  not  to  devour  the  child  herself, 
But    swooped   down   from    the   clouds    and  with  her 

talons 

Took  up  the  infant  from  the  heated  rocks, 
Then  bare  him  quickly  off'  to  Mount  Alburz, 
Where  were  her  nest  and  young,  for  them  to  tear 
Regardless  of  his  cries ;  but  God,  who  giveth 
All  good,  had  ruth  on  him,  his  lot  was  other ; 

v.  135       For  when  the  fowl  and  all  her  brood  beheld 
That  infant,  who  was  weeping  tears  of  blood, 
They  lavished  love  on  him  in  wondrous  wise, 
Astonied  at  his  goodly  face.     The  bird 
Chose  for  him  all  the  tenderest  prey,  and  made 
Her  little  guest  suck  blood  instead  of  milk. 
Long  was  he  lost  to  sight ;  but  when  he  came 
To  man's  estate  a  caravan  passed  by 
And  saw  one  like  a  noble  cypress-tree, 
His  breast  a  silver  mount,  his  waist  a  reed, 


M1NUCHIHR  243 

And  rumour  of  him  spread,  for  neither  good 

Nor  bad  remaineth  hid ;  so  Sam  in  fine 

Heard  of  that  high-starred  youth  of  Grace  divine. 


§3 
How  Sam  had  a  Dream  touching  the  Case  of  his  Son 

One  night  when  Sam  was  sleeping,  seared  in  heart 

And  overwhelmed  by  that  which  time  had  wrought, 

He  dreamed  that  from  the  land  of  Ind  there  came 

A  noble  rider  on  an  Arab  steed 

Apace,  and  gave  him  glad  news  of  his  son — 

That  lofty  bough  of  his  of  fruitful  promise. 

When  he  awoke  he  called  the  archimages, 

Conversed  with  them  at  large,  told  them  his  dream 

And  of  the  gossip  of  the  caravans : 

"  What  say  ye,"  said  he,  "  touching  this  affair  ? 

Is  it  a  fair  presumption  to  your  minds 

That  this  child  liveth,  or  hath  winter's  cold 

Or  summer's  heat  destroyed  him  ? " 

Old  and  young      v.  136 
There  present  answered  thus  the  paladin : — 
"  Ingrates  to  God  experience  good  in  naught ; 
For  pards  and  lions  on  the  sands  and  rocks, 
And  fish  and  crocodiles  in  waterways, 
All  cherish  their  own  little  ones  and  give 
God  thanks ;  but  thou  didst  break  the  covenant 
With  Him  who  giveth  good,  and  cast  away 
An  innocent  because  of  his  white  hair, 
Which  shameth  not  a  body  pure  and  bright. 
Say  not,  '  The  child  is  dead,'  but  gird  thyself 
And  ever  persevere  in  quest  of  him, 
Since  one  whom  God  regardeth  will  not  die 
Of  heat  or  cold.     And  now  in  penitence 


244  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Incline  to  Him — the  Author  of  all  good, 
The  Guide." 

So  next  day  and  in  sore  distress 
Sam  went  to  Mount  Alburz,  and  when  night  came 
Slept  ill  at  ease.     He  saw  a  standard  raised 
Above  the  Indian  mountains,  and  a  youth 
Of  beauteous  visage  with  a  mighty  host, 
Upon  his  left  an  archmage,  on  his  right 
A  sage  of  noble  aspect.     Of  these  twain 
One  came  to  Sam  and  said  in  chilling  tones : — 
"  Audacious  man  and  impious  in  thine  aims ! 
Is  there  no  fear  of  God  before  thine  eyes  ? 
If  to  thy  mind  a  bird  is  nurse  enough 
What  booteth  it  to  be  a  paladin  ? 
If  white  hair  be  a  blemish  in  a  man 
Thy  beard  and  head  have  grown  like  willow-leaves  ! 
V.  137       God  gave  thee  such  and  such  things :  why  hast  thou 
By  thine  injustice  frustrated  the  gift  ? 
Abhor  thy  Maker  then,  for  day  by  day 
Thy  body  changeth  hue.     Thou  didst  despise 
Thy  son,  who  is  the  fosterling  of  God — 
The  kindliest  Nurse  for  him.     As  for  thyself, 
Love  is  not  in  thee." 

Sam  roared  out  in  sleep 
As  when  a  mighty  lion  is  ensnared ; 
He  feared  that  dream  portended  chastisement 
From  destiny.     Aroused,  he  called  to  him 
The  men  of  lore  and  bade  the  chiefs  to  horse. 
He  came  in  haste  toward  the  mountain-peak 
To  seek  his  castaway,  and  there  beheld 
A  height  whose  top  was  midst  the  Pleiades : 
Thou    wouldst    have    said :    "  It    will    obstruct    the 

stars." 

Upon  the  top  was  built  a  lofty  nest, 
Where  Saturn's  influence  could  not  injure  it ; 


MINUCHIHR  245 

Tall  posts  of  ebony  and  sandal-wood 
Laced  with  lign-aloe  stayed  it  underneath. 
Sam  gazed  in  wonder  on  that  stony  peak, 
On  that  majestic  bird  and  weird  abode. 
The  building  reached  to  Spica,  and  was  raised 
Without  hand-labour,  with  no  stones  and  earth. 
A  youth  stood  there — the  counterpart  of  Sam, 
Who  watched  him  as  he  walked  about  the  nest, 
Then  laid  his  cheeks  upon  the  ground,  and  gave 
Thanks  to  the  Maker,  in  that  He  had  made 
Such  bird  upon  the  mountain,  and  had  raised 
Its  stony  summit  to  the  Pleiades, 
Acknowledging :  "  He  is  a  righteous  Judge, 
All  powerful  and  higher  than  the  high." 

He  sought  to  find  a  path  or  any  track 
Whereby  the  wild  beasts  scaled  the  precipice ; 
And  walked  around  the  mountain  giving  thanks, 
But  saw  no  way  to  climb  it.     He  exclaimed  : — 
"  O  Thou  above  all  place,  o'er  sun  and  moon 
And  shining  rainbow !     I  prostrate  myself  V.  138 

Before  Thee,  pouring  out  my  soul  in  awe. 
If  this  youth  springeth  from  my  loins  indeed, 
Not  from  the  seed  of  evil  Ahriman, 
Assist  thy  servant  to  ascend  this  height 
And  show  me  mercy,  sinful  as  I  am." 

Thus  prayed  he  to  the  Just :  his  prayer  was  granted. 
When  the  Simurgh  looked  from  the  height  and  saw 
Sam  with  his  company,  she  knew  that  they 
Came  not  for  love  of  her  but  for  the  youth, 
To  whom  she  said :  "  Thou  who  hast  seen  the  unease 
Of  nide  and  nest !     I  am  the  only  nurse 
That  fostered  thee,  the  source  of  all  thy  weal, 
And  gave  to  thee  the  name  Dastan-i-Zand,1 
Because  thy  sire  dealt  with  thee  treacherously ; 

1  I.e.  "  much  defrauded,"  in  allusion  to  Sdm's  treatment  of  his  son. 


246  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Command  thy  valiant  guide  to  call  thee  so 

When  thou  returnest  home.     Thy  sire  is  Sam, 

The  hero,  paladin  of  paladins, 

And  most  exalted  of  the  mighty  men. 

He  hath  come  hither  searching  for  his  son, 

And  with  him  high  estate  hath  come  to  thee, 

Now  must  I  take  thee  up  and  bear  thee  back 

Unscathed  to  him." 

He  listened  while  she  spake, 
His  eyes  were  filled  with  tears,  his  heart  was  sad. 
Though  he  had  seen  no  man,  still  he  had  learned 
Of  her  to  speak  in  accents  like  her  own, 
With  much  of  wisdom  and  of  ancient  lore ; 
Thus  had  he  language,  wisdom,  and  right  rede, 
And  looked  to  God  for  succour.     Now  observe 
.    His  answer  to  the  fowl :  "  Hast  thou  in  truth 
Become  aweary  of  my  company  ? 
Thy  nest  is  unto  me  a  shining  throne, 
Thy  pinions  are  my  glorious  diadem, 
V.  139  And  next  to  God  I  owe  my  thanks  to  thee, 

For  thou  hast  turned  my  hardship  into  ease." 

The  bird  replied  :  "  If  once  thou  dost  behold 
The  crown,  the  throne,  and  doings  of  the  court, 
This  nest  will  seem  to  thee  of  small  account. 
Make  but  one  trial  of  the  ways  of  fate. 
I  do  not  send  thee  hence  in  enmity  ; 
I  pass  thee  to  a  kingship.     I  would  fain 
Have  kept  thee  here  with  me,  but  for  thyself 
To  go  is  better.     Bear  this  plume  of  mine 
About  with  thee  and  so  abide  beneath 
The  shadow  of  my  Grace.     Henceforth  if  men 
Shall  hurt  or,  right  or  wrong,  exclaim  against  thee, 
Then  burn  the  feather  and  behold  my  might, 
For  I  have  cherished  thee  beneath  my  plumes 
And  brought  thee  up  among  my  little  ones. 


MINUCHIHR          t  247 

Now  like  a  black  cloud  will  I  bear  thee  off 
And  carry  thee  to  yonder  spot  uninjured. 
Let  not  thy  heart  forget  to  love  thy  nurse, 
For  mine  is  breaking  through  my  love  of  thee." 

She  thus  consoled  his  heart,  then  took  him  up, 
Bore  him  with  stately  motion  to  the  clouds, 
And  swooping  down  conveyed  him  to  his  sire. 
The  youth  had  hair  descending  to  his  breast, 
An  elephantine  form  and  cheeks  like  spring. 
His  father  seeing  him  groaned  bitterly, 
Then  quickly  did  obeisance  to  the  bird, 
And  offered  thanks  and  praises  o'er  and  o'er. 
"  0  queen  of  birds,"  he  said,  "  the  righteous  Judge 
Gave  thee  thy  power  and  might  and  excellence, 
That  thou  shouldst  be  the  helper  of  the  helpless, 
And  in  thy  goodness  justest  of  the  just. 
May'st  thou  for  ever  make  thy  foes  to  grieve 
And  always  be  as  mighty  as  thou  art." 

With  that  the  bird,  watched  by  the  eyes  of  Sam 
And  all  his  company,  soared  rnountainward. 
He  gazing  on  the  youth  from  head  to  foot 
Adjudged  him  fit  for  crown  and  throne ;  he  had 
A  lion's  breast  and  limbs,  a  sunlike  face,  v.  140 

The  heart  of  paladins,  a  hand  to  seek 
The  scimitar,  white  lashes  but  with  eyes 
Pitch-coloured,  coral  lips  and  blood-red  cheeks. 
Except  his  hair  there  was  no  fault  at  all ; 
None  could  discern  in  him  another  flaw. 
Sam's  heart  became  like  Paradise ;  he  blessed 
His  stainless   child.      "Have   no   hard   thoughts,"   he 

said, 

"  Forget  the  past  and  warm  thy  heart  with  love 
Toward  me — the  meanest  of  the  slaves  of  God. 
Henceforth  since  I  have  thee  I  swear  by  Him 
I  will  not  fail  in  gentleness  to  thee, 


248  THE  fHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

But  will  fulfil  thy  wishes  good  and  bad : 
Henceforth  thy  will  shall  be  my  rule  of  right." 

He  clothed  the  young  man  like  a  paladin 
And  turned  to  leave  the  mountain  :  having  reached 
The  plain  he  chose  a  charger  for  his  son, 
As  well  as  royal  robes  for  him  to  wear, 
And  gave  to  him  the  name  of  Zal-i-Zar,1 
Though  the  Siinurgh  called  him  at  first  Dastan. 
Then  all  the  troops  with  gladness  in  their  hearts 
Sought  Sam.     The  drummers  led  on  elephants, 
And  dust  rose  like  a  mount  of  indigo. 
There  was  a  sound  of  drums  and  clarions, 
Of  golden  gongs  and  Indian  bells,  while  all 
The  horsemen  shouted.     Thus  they  journeyed  home 
Until  all  joyfully  they  passed  within 
The  city,  greater  by  one  paladin. 


§4 

How  Mintichihr  took  Knowledge  of  the  Case  of 
Sam  and  Zdl 

"  Sam  hath  returned  in  triumph  from  Alburz ! " 
Such  tidings  from  Zabul  came  to  the  Shah, 
Who  joyed  exceedingly :  the  Maker's  name 
V.  141  Was  often  on  his  lips.     He  had  two  sons, 

Both  well  beloved,  one  hight  Naudar,  the  other 
Zarasp,  both  brave  and  wise,  and  both  endowed 
With  Grace  and  Faith,  both  like  Azargashasp 
Upon  the  plain.     He  said:  "Let  famed  Naudar 
Go  with  despatch  to  Sam  and  look  upon 
His  child  that  hath  been  nurtured  in  a  nest, 
Congratulate  him  on  the  Shah's  behalf 
Upon  the  joy  that  hath  revealed  itself; 

1  I.e.  "  Zil  the  old,"  in  allusion  to  his  white  hair. 


MINtiCHIHR  249 

And  bid  him  come  in  person  to  the  Shah 
To  tell  his  tale,  and  afterwards  depart 
Home  like  a  loyal  liege." 

Now  when  Naudar 

Reached  Sam  the  son  of  Nariman  he  saw 
The  new  young  paladin.     Then  Sam  the  horseman 
Alighted,  and  Naudar  and  he  embraced. 
Sam  asked  about  the  Shah  and  chiefs,  Naudar 
Delivered  all  their  greetings.     Sam,  on  hearing 
The  message  of  the  great  king,  kissed  the  ground, 
And  hasted  as  commanded  to  the  court. 
When  he  drew  near  the  Shah  went  out  to  meet  him. 
Sam  saw  the  flag  of  Mimichihr,  dismounted 
And  went  afoot.     He  kissed  the  ground  and  said  :— 
"  For  ever  live  glad  and  of  ardent  soul ! " 
But  Mimichihr  bade  that  true-hearted  man, 
That  worshipper  of  God,  to  mount  again. 
They  went  toward  the  palace  ;  Mimichihr 
Sat  down  with  great  rejoicing  on  the  throne, 
And  placed  the  royal  crown  upon  his  head. 
On  this  side  sat  Karan,  on  that  side  Sam, 
Both  glad  and  well  content.     The  chamberlain 
Approached  with  stately  step  and  brought  in  Zal, 
Equipped  with  golden  mace  and  golden  crown.  V.  142 

The  Shah  marked  with  amaze  that  lofty  stature 
And  goodly  face,  "  the  abode,"  as  thou  wouldst  say, 
"  Of  life   and   love."     He    said    to   Sam :    "  Safeguard 

him 

For  my  sake,  never  give  him  needless  pain, 
But  find  thy  happiness  in  him  alone, 
For  he  hath  royal  Grace  and  lion's  claws, 
The  wise  man's  heart,  the  prudence  of  the  old. 
Teach  him  our  customs  both  in  war  and  feast ; 
Bird,  nest,  and  height  he  knoweth ;  can  he  know 
What  honour  and  court-usages  demand  ?." 


250  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Then  Sam  told  all  the  story  to  the  Shah 
About  the  lofty  mountain  and  Sfmurgh, 
And  how  the  precious  one  was  lodged  and  nurtured 
Within  the  nest  till  he  could  feed  himself; 
Told  wherefore  he  had  cast  the  child  away, 
And  said  thus :  "  Heaven  revolved  above  my  head 
For  many  years ;  the  world  at  length  was  filled 
With  strange  reports  of  Zal  and  the  Simurgh. 
Commanded  by  the  Lord  of  all  the  world 
I  went  to  Mount  Alburz — no  easy  place — 
And  saw  a  mountain-peak  among  the  clouds ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  '  It  is  a  dome  of  flint 
Upon  a  sea ! '     The  nest  like  some  tall  palace 
Was  there,  well  fenced  from  harm  on  every  side, 
With  Zal  and  with  the  young  of  the  Simurgh 
Within  it :  thou  hadst  said  : — '  They  are  one  brood.' 
His  breath  exhaled  the  very  scent  of  love, 
And  every  thought  of  him  rejoiced  my  heart. 
143  Oft  ran  I  round  the  Mount  but  path  was  none  ; 

A  yearning  for  my  lost  son  came  to  me ; 
My  heart  burned  so  that  life  was  well-nigh  gone. 
I  prayed  in  secret  to  the  holy  Judge  :— 
'  Resource  of  men,  without  a  want  Thyself ! 
Thy  witness  doth  extend  to  every  place, 
And  heaven  turneth  only  at  Thy  word. 
A  slave  am  I,  whose  heart  is  full  of  sin 
Before  the  Master  of  the  sun  and  moon ; 
My  hope  is  in  Thy  mercy — that  alone : 
I  have  no  other  ground  of  confidence. 
This  slave  of  Thine — the  fostered  of  the  fowl — 
Brought  up  in  misery  and  wretchedness, 
Who  hath  but  skins  to  wear  instead  of  silk 
And  sucketh  raw  flesh,  not  his  mother's  breast — 
Restore  to  me !    Disclose  for  me  a  way 
To  him  and  cut  this  present  trouble  short. 


MINUCHIHR  251 

Sear  not  my  soul  for  my  defect  in  love ; 

Oh !  pardon  me  this  once  and  cheer  my  heart.' 

When  I  had  spoken  thus,  the  Lord  vouchsafed 

To  grant  my  prayer  immediately :  the  bird 

Flew  up,  and  soaring  to  the  clouds  wheeled  round 

Above  the  head  of  me  the  infidel ; 

Then  from  the  mountain  like  a  cloud  in  spring 

Came  with  the  form  of  Zal  clasped  to  her  breast, 

And  odours  that  fulfilled  the  world  with  musk. 

Mine  eyes  were  tearless,  and  my  lips  were  dry  ; 

I  feared  the  bird  and  yearned  upon  my  son, 

So_  that  my  wits  departed  clean  away. 

She  brought  him  to  me  like  the  kindliest  nurse, 

Whereat  my  tongue  began  to  utter  praise, 

And  strange  !  I  did  obeisance  to  the  fowl ! 

She  left  my  son  and  went,  'twas  God's  decree, 

And  I  have  brought  him,  lord  of  earth  !  to  thee, 

And  told  what  heretofore  was  mystery." 

§5 
How  Zdl  went  back  to  Z&bulistdn 

The  Shah  then  ordered  the  astrologers,  v.  144 

The  archmages  and  the  other  men  of  lore, 

To  ascertain  the  horoscope  of  Zal 

And  so  forecast  the  prince's  destiny : — 

"  What  will  he  be  on  reaching  man's  estate  ? 

Ye  must  inform  me  as  to  this  at  large." 

They  found  the  horoscope  of  Zal  and  said : — 
"  This  youth  will  be  a  famous  paladin, 
A  noble,  shrewd,  and  valiant  cavalier." 

The  Shah  rejoiced  and  Sam's  heart  ceased  from  care. 
The  ruler  of  the  earth  prepared  a  gift 
Of  such  a  sort  that  he  was  blessed  by  all, 
Of  Arab  steeds  with  golden  furniture, 


252  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  F1RDAUSI 

Of  Indian  scimitars  with  golden  sheaths, 
Of  furs  and  gold,  of  jewels  and  brocade, 
Of  carpets  also  an  abundant  store, 
Of  Human  slaveboys  in  brocade  of  Rum 
With  jewelled  patterns  on  a  golden  ground, 
Of  bowls  of  emerald  and  turquoise  cups, 
Of  others  of  pure  silver  and  red  gold 
Containing  saffron,  musk,  and  camphor :  these 
The  servants  brought  with  suits  of  mail  and  casques, 
Horse-armour,  lances,  maces,  bows  and  arrows, 
A  throne  of  turquoise  and  a  crown  of  gold, 
A  ruby  signet-ring  and  golden  girdle. 
Anon  the  monarch  had  a  patent  drawn, 
Like  Paradise — all  praise — investing  Sam 
With  Mai  of  Hind,  Danbar,  Kabulistan, 
All  from  the  Indus  to  the  sea  of  Chin, 
v.  145        And  from  Zabul  up  to  the  stream  of  Bust, 
Drawn  strictly  in  accord  to  precedent. 
The  patent  written  and  the  gifts  prepared, 
They  ordered  out  the  horses  for  that  chief 
Of  paladins,  who  rising  spake  and  said : — 
"  0  chosen  lord  of  justice  and  of  right ! 
Know  that  between  the  Moon  and  Fish  no  Shah 
Like  thee  e'er  wore  the  crown ;  thy  goodness,  prudence, 
Beneficence,  and  rede  rejoice  the  age. 
In  thine  eyes  all  the  world's  wealth  is  despised  : 
May  men  remember  no  one's  name  but  thine." 
He  then  advanced  and  kissed  the  throne. 

They  bound 

The  kettledrums  upon  the  elephants 
And  started  for  Zabulistan.     The  towns 
And  villages  turned  out  to  gaze.     When  Sam 
Approached  Nimniz  'twas  bruited  that  the  prince — 
The  lustre  of  the  world — had  come  with  presents, 
A  crown  of  gold,  grant,  patent,  and  gold  girdle. 


MINIJCHIHR  253 

Si'stan  was  decked  throughout  like  Paradise ; 

Its  bricks  were  gold  and  all  its  soil  pure  musk. 

They  flung  about  dinars,  musk,  drachms,  and  saffron, 

And  made  a  holiday  for  all  alike. 

The  aspiring  chiefs  from  all  sides  went  to  Sam, 

And  said :  "  May  this  youth's  steps  prove  fortunate 

For  thee,  blithe-hearted,  famous  paladin  ! " 

And  as  they  blessed  him  showered  gems  o'er  Zal. 

For  each  man  worthy  was  a  gift  prepared, 

A  robe  of  honour  suited  to  his  station 

As  being  eminent  in  rank  or  lore, 

While  emulation  caused  all  hopes  to  soar. 


How  Sam  gave  the  Kingdom  to  Zdl 

Thereafter  Sam  set  forth  before  his  son 

The  various  virtues  that  adorn  a  king, 

And  having  called  the  fathers  of  the  realm  v. 

Harangued  them  in  set  terms  at  large,  and  said : — 

"  Ye  holy  archimages,  wise  of  heart ! 

Our  monarch  in  his  wisdom  ordereth 

That  I  should  march  upon  Mazandaran 

Against  the  Kargasars.1     I  take  with  me 

A  mighty  host ;  my  son — mine  own  heart's  blood 

And  partner  of  my  life — abideth  here. 

I  in  the  days  of  youth  and  arrogance 

Pronounced  a  monstrous  sentence  on  the  boy. 

God  gave  to  me  a  son :  I  cast  him  out 

In  ignorance,  not  wotting  of  his  worth. 

Him  the  Simurgh,  that  noble  bird,  bare  off, 

Him  too  the  Maker  passed  not  by  in  scorn. 

1  The  name  of  a  wild  tribe,  "  the  Vulture-heads." 


254  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

What  I  despised  was  precious  to  the  fowl, 
Which  reared  him  till  he  seemed  a  lofty  cypress, 
And  when  the  time  for  pardon  came  the  Lord 
Of  all  the  world — God — gave  him  back  to  me. 
Regard  him  as  my  representative, 
As  mine  own  self  xjomuiitted  to  your  charge ; 
I  leave  to  you  to  teach  him  what  is  good 
And  kindle  every  virtue  in  his  breast. 
Hold  him  in  honour,  give  him  sound  advice, 
Impart  good  principles  and  lofty  aims, 
For  as  the  Shah  cominandeth  I  depart 
With  other  chiefs  against  our  enemies." 

He  turned  to  Zal  and  said :  "  Be  peaceful,  just, 
And  liberal,  hold  Zabulistan  as  home 
And  all  things  there  as  subject  to  thy  will. 
Be  thine  to  make  the  home  more  beautiful 
And  friends  more  happy.     Of  my  treasure-hoards 
I  leave  the  key  with  thee,  thy  gain  is  weal, 
Thy  loss  is  woe  to  me.     In  feast  and  fight 
Do  whatsoe'er  thy  bright  soul  holdeth  good." 

Zal  answered :  "  Can  I  live  on  here  ?     If  one 
v.  147  Was  ever  born  defective  it  was  I, 

And  I  have  cause  to  wail.     Put  me  not  further 
Than  ever  from  thee  now  that  peace  hath  come. 
While  I  was  neath  the  talons  of  the  bird, 
Sucked  blood  and  fared  in  dust,  dwelt  in  a  nest 
And  had  a  fowl  for  friend,  I  was  esteemed 
A  fowl  myself;  but  she  that  fostered  me 
Is  far  away.     Such  is  fate's  fostering ! 
I  have  no  portion  of  the  rose  but  thorns 
And  must  submit." 

Sam  answered :  "  Be  at  ease. 
Let  thy  heart  rest ;  command  whate'er  thou  wilt. 
The  astrologers  declare  a  gracious  purpose 
Concerning  thee — that  here  shall  be  thy  home 


MINUCHIHR  255 

With  host  and  crown.    We  cannot  thwart  heaven's  will ; 

Thy  portion  is  to  spread  around  thee  love. 

Now  gather  to  thee  cavaliers  and  sages, 

Delight  in  men  of  wisdom,  list  and  learn 

From  them,  be  instant  both  in  feast  and  bounty, 

And  instant  too  in  justice  and  all  knowledge." 

He  ceased.    The  din  of  tymbals  rose,  earth  turned 
To  iron  and  the  air  to  ebony ; 
The  Indian  bells  and  gongs  clanged  at  the  portal 
As  Sam  the  chief  departed  to  the  war  V.  148 

With  troops  equipped  and  eager.     For  two  stages 
Ztil  went  to  see  his  father  lead  the  host. 
His  sire  then  clasped  him  closely.     Rose  wild  wailing  ; 
Zal  wept  his  heart's  blood  down  his  cheeks,  but  Sam 
Bade  him  return  and  go  with  happy  heart 
Back  to  the  throne  and  crown ;  yet  Zal  returned 
In  grief — a  happy  life  without  his  father ! 
He  sat  upon  the  famous  ivory  throne, 
He  set  the  shining  crown  upon  his  head, 
He  took  the  armlet  and  the  oxhead  mace, 
The  golden  necklace  and  the  golden  girdle, 
And  called  the  archrnages  out  of  every  province 
In  quest  of  knowledge  both  of  men  and  things. 
Astrologers  and  men  of  sanctity, 
Brave  warriors  and  warlike  cavaliers, 
Were  with  him  night  and  day  and  counselled  him 
In  every  matter,  whether  great  or  small. 
He  profited  so  much  that  thou  hadst  said : — 
"  He  shineth  as  a  star ! "     In  policy 
And  understanding  he  had  not  a  peer, 
His  horsemanship  was  famous  with  the  great, 
Folk  thronged  him  in  amazement  at  his  beauty, 
And  whether  near  or  distant  used  to  think 
The  camphor  locks  of  Zal  as  black  as  ink. 


256  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDAUSI 


How  Zdl  visited  Mihrdb  of  Kabul 

One  day  Zal  set  forth  on  a  royal  progress 
V.  149       With  chiefs  attached  to  him  in  rede  and  Faith 
To  view  Kabul,  Dunbar,  Margh,  Mai  and  Ind. 
At  every  stage  he  set  him  up  a  throne 
And  called  for  wine  and  harp  and  minstrelsy. 
He  lavished  treasure  and  indulged  in  pleasure, 
As  is  the  fashion  in  this  Wayside  Inn, 
And  reached  Kabul  with  gladness  in  his  heart. 
There  was  a  certain  monarch  hight  Mihrab, 
A  wealthy  and  successful  potentate, 
In  stature  like  a  noble  cypress-tree, 
With  cheeks  like  springtide  and  with  pheasant's  tread ; 
He  had  a  sage's  heart,  a  ruler's  brain, 
A  warrior's  shoulders  and  archmage's  sense. 
Descended  from  Zahhak,  he  ruled  Kabul, 
But  having  not  the  power  to  fight  with  Sam 
Paid  yearly  tribute.     Hearing  that  Sam's  son 
Had  come,  he  left  Kabul  at  dawn  with  treasure, 
With  steeds  caparisoned,  slave-boys,  dinars, 
Musk,  rubies,  spicery,  brocade  of  gold, 
Silks,  beaver-skins,  a  royal  jewelled  crown 
And  golden  torque  with  emerald  ornaments. 
He  took  the  chiefs  and  army  of  Kabul 
As  escort.     Tidings  reached  the  son  of  Sam  : — 
"  The  stately  chief  is  coming  in  his  state." 
Zal  went  to  meet  and  greet  him  courteously 
With  every  honour  due.     In  merry  mood 
They  came  together  to  the  turquoise  throne ; 
A  table  fit  for  paladins  was  spread 
And  all  sat  down  with  gladness  to  the  feast. 


MINUCHIHR  257 

There,  while  cup-bearers  handed  cups  and  wine, 

Mihrab  observed  the  son  of  Sain,  on  whom 

He  joyed  to  gaze,  and  whom  he  longed  to  serve. 

Zal's  wit  and  prudence  made  Mihrab  exclaim: —  V.  150 

"  His  mother  is  immortal ! " 

When  Mihrab 

Rose  from  the  board,  Zal  marked  his  mien  and  limbs, 
And  said  before  the  chiefs :  "  Who  girdeth  him 
More  gracefully  ?     Who  hath  such  mien  and  carriage  ? 
Men  would  pronounce  him  matchless  in  the  fight." 

One  of  the  noble  chieftains  said  to  Zal : — 
"  He  hath  a  daughter  in  his  house  whose  face 
Is  fairer  than  the  sun,  like  ivory 
From  head  to  foot,  with  cheeks  like  Paradise, 
And  as  a  teak  in  height.     Two  musky  ringlets 
Fall  o'er  her  silvern  neck,  the  ends  of  them 
Would  serve  for  ankle-rings.     Her  cheeks  are  like 
Pomegranate-blossoms,  she  hath  cherry  lips, 
Her  silvern  breasts  bear  two  pomegranate-grains, 
Her  eyes  are  twin  narcissi  in  a  garden, 
Their  lashes  blackness  rapt  from  raven's  plumes, 
Her  brows  are  like  two  bows  made  at  Taraz, 
Whipped  with  the  purest  musk.     If  thou  wouldst  seek 
A  moon,  there  is  her  face ;  if  thou  wouldst  scent 
The  musk,  there  is  her  hair.     From  head  to  foot 
She  is  as  Paradise — all  music,  charm, 
And  beauty." 

This  raised  tumult  in  the  heart 
Of  Zal,  and  rest  and  reason  fled  from  him ; 
He  thought :  "  There  is  no  doubt  that  this  fair  maid 
Is  like  the  sun  and  moon,  for  since  the  sire 
Is  comely  still,  how  fair  the  child  must  be  ! " 

Night  came;  Zal  sat  in  sad  and  anxious  thought,         v.  151 
Concerned  for  her  whom  he  had  never  seen, 
But  when  the  sun's  rays  struck  the  mountain-tops 

R 


258  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

And  made  the  world  white  crystal  he  gave  audience, 

And  warriors  with  their  golden  scabbards  came 

To  grace  the  portal  of  the  paladin. 

As  these  great  men  were  calling  for  their  steeds, 

Mihrab,  the  ruler  of  Kabul,  approached 

The  tent  of  Zal,  the  ruler  of  Zabul. 

When  he  arrived  the  word  was :  "  Clear  the  way." 

Fresh  in  his  beauty  as  a  laden  fruit-tree 

He  came  to  Zal,  who  welcomed  him  with  joy, 

Gave  him  the  chiefest  room  and  said :  "  Request 

Whate'er  thou  wilt — throne,  signet,  sword  or  crown." 

Mihrab  replied:  "Exalted,  conquering  king, 
Whose  word  is  law  !     But  one  desire  have  I, 
And  that  an  easy  one  for  thee  to  grant — 
That  thou  be  pleased  to  visit  me  and  make 
My  soul  bright  as  the  sun." 

Zal  said  :  "  Not  so : 

Thy  palace  is  not  one  that  I  may  visit, 
For  Sam  would  not  approve,  nor  would  the  Shah, 
Of  us  for  drinking  wine  and  getting  drunk 
With  idol-worshippers.     Save  this  request 
We  grant  thee  all  and  joy  to  see  thy  face." 

On  hearing  this  Mihrab  did  reverence, 
But  in  his  heart  called  Zal  an  infidel, 
Then  strode  forth  blessing  much  the  son  of  Sam, 
Who  as  he  went  praised  him  as  he  deserved. 
V.  152       Now  no  one  hitherto  had  noticed  him, 

For  all  had  thought  him  an  outlandish  div, 
And  since  his  Faith  and  manners  were  not  theirs 
Refrained  from  praising  him  ;  but  when  Zal  spake 
His  admiration  with  such  warmth,  the  courtiers 
Began  to  praise  him  too,  his  mien,  his  stature, 
His  polished  manners,  tact  and  courtesy, 
While  as  for  Zal  his  heart  went  clean  distraught, 
His  wisdom  fled  afar  and  love  was  lord. 


MINUCHIHR  259 

An  Arab  chief  once  said  in  this  regard : — 
"  A  horse  shall  while  I  live  my  comrade  be, 
The  vault  of  circling  heaven  shall  shelter  me  ; 
I  want  no  bride  to  make  me  delicate, 
And  cause  the  wise  to  mock  at  mine  estate." 

Zal,  who  was  stricken  to  the  heart  by  care, 
Kept  brooding  o'er  the  matter,  sorely  pained 
For  fear  lest  scandal  might  result  and  dim 
His  glory.     Thus  heaven  oft  revolved  above, 
And  all  the  while  his  heart  was  full  of  love. 


§8 
How  Ruddba  took  Counsel  with  her  Damsels 

It  came  to  pass  that  at  the  dawn  one  day 

Mihrab  walked  stately  from  the  audience- chamber, 

And  going  toward  his  women's  bower  beheld 

Two  Suns  within  the  hall ;  one  was  Kiidaba, 

The  fair  of  face,  the  other  was  Sindukht, 

The  prudent  and  devoted  ;  both  were  decked 

Like  garths  in  spring — all  colour,  scent,  and  grace. 

He  gazed  upon  Kiidaba  wonderingly, 

Invoking  blessings  on  her.     In  his  eyes 

She  seemed  a  cypress  neath  the  orbed  moon,  V.  153 

Encrowned  with  ambergris,  decked  with  brocade 

And  gems — a  very  Paradise  of  wealth  ! 

Sindukht,  whose  smiles  displayed  her  pearly  teeth, 

Between  her  jujube  lips  asked  of  Mihrab : — 

"  How  did  thy  visit  prosper  ?     May  the  hand 

Of  ill  be  far  from  thee  !     What  is  he  like — 

Sam's  hoary  son  ?     What  is  he  suited  for — 

A  nest  or  throne  ?     Doth  he  behave  as  man, 

And  walk  in  chieftains'  steps  ? " 

Mihrab  replied : — 
"  O  fair-faced  Cypress  with  the  silvern  breast ! 


260  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Of  all  the  warrior- paladins  of  earth 
Not  one  can  tread  his  steps  ;  there  is  no  portrait 
Inside  our  halls  with  such  a  bridle-hand, 
Or  such  another  cavalier  on  horseback. 
He  is  in  heart  a  lion  and  in  strength 
An  elephant :  his  hands  are  like  the  Nile. 
When  he  is  on  the  throne  he  scattereth  gold, 
When  he  is  in  the  fray  he  scattereth  heads. 
His  cheek  is  ruddy  as  the  cercis-bloom : 
Shrewd,  young  in  years  and  fortune  too  is  he, 
In  battle  like  the  baleful  crocodile, 
On  horseback  like  a  dragon  with  sharp  claws. 
He  layeth  in  the  fight  the  dust  with  blood 
And  brandisheth  his  falchion  of  blue-steel. 
He  hath  this  one  defect — his  hair  is  white ; 
Fault-finders  find  in  him  no  other  fault ; 
Yet  this  white  hair  of  his  becoineth  him, 
And  thou  wouldst  say :  '  He  fascinateth  hearts.' " 
On  hearing  this  Riidaba  blushed,  with  cheeks 
Red  as  pomegranate-blossoms,  while  her  heart 
Became  fulfilled  with  fire  for  love  of  Zal : 
She  could  not  eat  or  rest  in  peace ;  a  change 
Came  in  her  disposition  and  demeanour, 
r    For  passion  had  usurped  the  place  of  wisdom, 
y.  154  How  goodly  were  the  teacher's  words :  "Deny 

All  talk  of  men  when  there  are  women  by ; 
The  heart  of  woman  is  the  Div's  abode, 
i    If  thou  suggestest  she  will  find  the  road." 

Riidaba  had  five  Turkman  waiting-maids, 
Five  faithful  slaves,  all  girls  of  prudent  minds ; 
To  them  she  said  :  "  I  have  a  secret  for  you, 
Since  all  of  you  are  in  my  confidence; 
Attend  upon  me,  and  dispel  my  cares ; 
Know  then,  all  five  of  you,  and  understand, 
And  luck  go  with  you  all  your  years,  that  I— 


MINUCHIHR  261 

I  am  in  love,  and  like  a  raging  sea 

Whose  billows  surge  to  heaven  !     Mine  ardent  heart 

Is  full  of  love  for  Zal,  and  in  my  sleep 

I  cannot  tear  my  thoughts  from  him.     His  love 

Possesseth  me,  heart,  mind,  and  wits ;  I  muse 

Upon  his  features  day  and  night ;  and  now 

Means  must  be  found  to  free  me  from  my  woe. 

None  knoweth  of  my  secret  but  yourselves, 

For  ye  are  good  and  love  me." 

Then  the  slaves 

Thought  in  amaze :  "  The  princess  doth  amiss ! " 
Rose  at  her  like  so  many  Ahrimans 
And  said :  "  O  crown  of  ladies  in  the  world ! 
O  daughter  eminent  among  the  mighty, 
Admired  from  Hindustan  to  Chin,  and  like 
A  shining  signet  in  the  women's  bower ! 
No  cypress  in  the  garden  equalleth 
Thy  height ;  thy  cheeks  outshine  the  Pleiades. 
Thy  portrait  hath  been  sent  out  to  Kannuj, 
To  Mai,  and  to  the  monarch  of  the  West. 
Hath  modesty  departed  from  thine  eyes 
And  all  consideration  for  thy  sire 
That  thou  shouldst  long  to  clasp  upon  thy  bosom 
One  whose  own  father  hath  rejected  him — 
One  fostered  on  a  mountain  by  a  fowl—  V.  155 

A  spectacle  for  all  the  folk  ?     No  mother 
Excepting  his  hath  borne  an  aged  babe. 
Such  offspring  is  ignoble.     Strange  indeed 
For  two  such  coral  lips  and  musky  hair 
To  seek  a  dotard  !    Why,  all  folk  love  thee ; 
Thy  portrait  is  in  all  their  palaces ; 
Thy  stature,  face,  and  hair  are  such  that  Sol 
Would  come  from  his  fourth  heaven  to  be  thy  spouse  ! " 

Rudaba  heard,  her  heart  flared  up  like  fire 
Before  a  blast  of  air.     She  shrieked  at  them, 


262  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USI 

With  frowns  that  shut  her  eyes,  exclaiming :  "  Bah  ! 

Ye  strive  in  vain :  it  booteth  not  to  hear. 

If  to  some  star  I  lost  my  heart,  could  I 

Find  any  satisfaction  in  the  moon  ? 

Clay-eaters  do  not  gaze  upon  the  rose 

Although  the  rose  is  better  than  the  clay. 

If  vinegar  will  cure  a  body's  liver, 

Then  honey  will  but  make  the  anguish  worse. 

I  want  not  Caesar  or  Faghfiir  of  Chin, 

Or  any  of  the  princelings  of  1  ran : 

Zal,  son  of  Sam,  is  tall  enough  for  me 

And  lion-like  in  shoulder,  neck,  and  arm ; 

For  whether  people  call  him  old  or  young 

To  me  he  giveth  peace  of  soul  and  mind. 

Talk  not  of  other  men,  be  his  my  heart, 

Bit  as  it  is  by  love  of  one  whom  I 

Have  never  seen  !     It  chooseth  by  report. 

I  do  not  love  his  face  and  hair  but  him ; 

'Tis  for  his  merits  that  I  seek  his  love." 

The  slaves,  on  hearing  her  distracted  voice, 
And  having  learned  her  secret,  cried :  "  Thy  slaves 
V.  1 56       Are  we  and  serve  thee  with  devoted  hearts. 

Command  us !     Naught  but  good  will  come  of  it." 
One  said :  "  0  Cypress-stem !  let  none  else  know. 
A  hundred  thousand  of  us  for  thy  life ! 
May  all  Creation's  wisdom  be  thine  aid ! 
Should  there  be  need  to  study  grammarye, 
And  stitch  up  eyes  with  artifice  and  spell, 
Then  will  we  fly  like  an  enchanter's  bird, 
Or  run  along  like  deer  to  give  thee  aid, 
So  we  may  bring  this  king  to  thee  our  Moon, 
And  lay  him  at  thy  feet." 

Riidaba  smiled, 

Turned  safflower  cheeks  toward  the  slave  and  said : — 
"  If  thou  canst  compass  this  thou  wilt  have  planted 


MINUCHIHR  263 

A  tall  tree  bearing  rubies  day  by  day 
Which  wisdom  in  its  breast  will  bear  away." 


How  Ruddbds  Damsels  went  to  see  Zdl 

The  slaves  arose  and  went,  remediless 

Themselves  they  sought  a  remedy  for  her. 

So  donning  raiment  of  brocade  of  Rum, 

And  twisting  roses  in  their  hair,  they  went, 

The  five  of  them,  toward  the  river-side, 

Like  jocund  spring — all  colour  and  perfume. 

'Twas  Farwardin,  the  first  month  of  the  year, 

And  Zal's  encampment  was  beside  the  stream ; 

The  damsels  were  upon  the  farther  bank. 

Their  talk  was  all  of  Zal.     They  gathered  roses 

Along  the  river-side.     Their  cheeks  were  like 

A  rosary,  and  roses  filled  their  laps ; 

But  still  they  gathered  roaming  here  and  there. 

When  they  came  opposite  the  royal  tent 

Zal,  spying  them  from  his  high  throne,  inquired : — 

"  Who  are  these  flower- worshippers  ?" 

One  said : —      v.  157 
"  The  Beauty  of  Kabulistan  hath  sent 
Forth  from  the  palace  of  bright-soul ed  Mihrab 
Her  waiting-maidens  to  the  rosary." 

Zal's  heart  beat  fast,  and  being  love-distraught 
He  walked  attended  by  a  single  slave 
Beside  the  stream.     Upon  the  further  bank 
He  saw  the  girls,  drew  himself  up  and  bade 
The  Turkman  slave-boy  bring  the  bow ;  then  looked 
For  game  and  lighted  on  a  water-fowl. 
The  ruddy  Turkman  slave-boy  strung  the  bow 
And  laid  it  in  the  paladin's  left  hand, 
Who  flushed  the  fowl  and  shot  it  as  it  rose. 


264  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Blood  dyed  the  water.     Zal  said  :  "  Go  across 
And  fetch  yon  crippled  bird." 

The  gallant  Turkman 

Crossed  in  a  boat.     The  slave-girls  questioned  him 
About  the  paladin  :  "  This  lion-limbed 
And  elephantine-bodied  warrior — 
Who  is  he  ?     Of  what  people  is  he  king  ? 
What  foe  could  counter  him  ?     We  never  saw 
A  finer  cavalier  or  better  shot." 

The  pretty  slave-boy  bit  his  lip  and  said : — 
"  Speak  not  so  of  the  king.     The  son  of  Sam 
Is  monarch  of  Nimriiz,  and  other  kings 
Call  him  '  Dastan.'     The  sky  revolveth  not 
O'er  cavalier  like  him,  nor  will  time  see 
His  peer." 

The  damsels  laughed  and  answered  thus 
The  moon-faced  boy :  "  Say  not  such  things  because 
V.  158       Mihrab  hath  now  a  Moon  within  his  palace, 
Who  is  a  whole  head  taller  than  thy  king, 
A  teak  in  stature,  ivory  in  hue, 
Crowned  with  a  crown  of  musk,  a  thing  divine. 
Her  eyes  are  pensive  and  her  eyebrows  arched ; 
Their  column  is  a  silvern  reed.     Her  mouth 
Is  narrow  as  the  heart  of  one  forlorn, 
Her  tresses'  ends  are  coiled  like  ankle-rings, 
Her  witching  eyes  are  full  of  dreamy  light, 
Her  cheeks  are  tulip-like  in  hue,  her  locks 
Like  musk ;  her  soul  is  breathing  through  her  lips. 
A  matchless  Moon  is  she !     We  from  Kabul 
Approach  the  monarch  of  Zabul  in  state, 
And  'tis  our  policy  to  introduce 
Our  lady's  ruby  lips  to  those  of  Zal, 
Which  is  but  well  and  seemly,  for  she  is 
Of  equal  rank." 

On  hearing  this  the  slave-boy 


MINUCHIHR  265 

Flushed  ruby-like.    "  The  Sun  should  wed  the  Moon," 
He  said.     "  Whene'er  the  world  would  make  a  match 
The  hearts  of  all  concerned  find  room  for  love, 
And  when  the  world  would  cause  a  severance 
It  parteth  mate  from  mate  without  a  word. 
Love's  bond  is  hidden  but  its  rupture  seen, 
And  both  are  common.     Still  the  bachelor 
Enjoyeth  peace  at  home,  and  since  he  hath 
No  daughter,  will  not  hear  reproachful  words. 
Once  said  the  male  hawk  to  his  brooding  mate : — 
'  If  hen-birds  only  from  these  eggs  thou  bring 
Thou  makest  of  the  sire  a  sexless  thing.' " 

Now  when  the  laughing  slave-boy  had  returned  V.  159 

Zal  asked :  "  What  was  it  that  they  said  to  thee 
To  make  thee  laugh  and  show  thy  silvern  teeth  ? " 

He  told  the  paladin,  whose  heart  grew  young 
With  joy.     He  bade  the  moon-faced  youth :  "  Return 
And  say  thus  to  yon  damsels :  '  Stay  awhile 
Among  the  roses ;  ye  perchance  may  take 
Some  gems  as  well  as  blossoms  from  the  garden, 
So  go  not  till  ye  hear  from  me.' " 

He  took 

Gold,  jewelry,  and  drachms,  with  five  rich  pieces 
Of  gold  brocade  and  bade  his  slaves  :  "  Convey  them 
To  yonder  girls,  tell  none  and  be  not  seen." 

They  took  the  treasures  with  an  ardent  message 
And  gave  them  to  the  damsels  in  Zal's  name. 
Then  said  one  damsel  to  the  moon-faced  page  :— 
"  A  matter  never  can  be  kept  concealed 
Unless  it  be  confined  to  only  two ; 
Three  are  no  casket,  four  are  all  the  world. 
So  say  to  him,  shrewd,  trusty  boy :  '  If  thou 
Hast  secret  things  to  say  tell  us  in  person.' " 

Riidaba's  damsels  said  to  one  another : — 
"  The  Lion  hath  been  taken  in  the  toils. 


266  THE  SHAH  NAM  A   OF  FIRDA  US  I 

The  wishes  of  Riidaba  and  of  Zal 

Have  been  fulfilled,  and  matters  promise  well." 

The  black-eyed  youth,  who  brought  the  monarch's 

gifts 

And  acted  for  him,  went  and  told  his  chief 
In  secret  what  those  charming  damsels  said, 
v.  1 60       Zal  went.     Those  rosy  Idols  of  Taraz 

Drew  near  and  did  obeisance.     He  inquired 
About  that  Cypress-stem,  her  mien  and  looks, 
Her  speech,  her  wisdom,  and  her  rede,  to  see 
If  she  were  worthy  of  him.     "  Speak,"  he  said, 
"  Without  attempting  to  prevaricate. 
If  ye  speak  truth  it  will  advantage  you, 
But  if  I  think  that  ye  impose  upon  me 
An  elephant  shall  trample  you  to  death." 

With  cheeks  that  had  become  like  sandarac 
The  slave-girls  kissed  the  ground  before  the  chief, 
And  one  of  them — the  youngest  of  the  troop, 
A  girl  of  tenderness  and  ready  speech, 
Spake  thus  to  Zal :  "  Among  the  mighty  none 
Hath  e'er  been  born  of  woman  in  this  world 
Who  could  compare  with  Sam  in  looks  and  stature, 
In  purity,  in  courage,  sense,  and  knowledge ; 
Or  yet  with  thee,  thou  valiant  cavalier, 
Of  lofty  bearing  and  of  lion-limbs ! 
Or  with  Rudaba  in  her  loveliness, 
A  silvern  Cypress,  coloured  and  perfumed, 
Compact  from  head  to  foot  of  rose  and  jasmine, 
While  over  it  Canopus  of  Yarnan 
Is  shining.     One  would  say  :  '  Her  face  distilleth 
Wine,  and  her  locks  are  scents.'     Insidious  lassos 
Fall  from  her  head,  that  cupola  of  silver, 
O'er  cheeks  of  roses  to  the  very  ground. 
Her  head  is  all  a-twine  with  ambergris 
And  musk,  her  person  all  a-shine  with  jewels. 


MINUCHIHR  267 

Her  locks  and  ringlets  are  like  musky  mail 
Where  '  there  is  link  on  link '  as  one  might  say. 
Thou  wilt  not  see  in  Chin  so  fair  an  Idol : 
The  moon  and  Pleiades  bow  down  to  her." 

The  chief  on  fire  rejoined  in  sugared  tones : — 
"  Say,  if  thou  knowest,  how  I  may  approach  her.  V.  161 

I  love  her,  heart  and  soul,  and  long  to  see 
Her  face." 

She  answered :  "  We,  if  thou  shalt  bid  us, 
Will  haste  back  to  the  palace  of  our  Cypress, 
And  then  beguile  her,  telling  all  we  can 
About  the  chief  of  paladins,  his  prudence, 
His  looks,  his  converse,  and  his  ardent  soul, 
And  'tis  an  honest  work.     We  will  ensnare 
Her  musky  head  and  bring  her  lips  to  Zal's.   . 
The  paladin,  a  lasso  in  his  hand, 
May  haply  stroll  toward  our  stately  home 
And  fling  the  noose  around  a  pinnacle. 
The  Lion  will  rejoice  to  hunt  the  Lamb. 
Then  gaze  thy  fill  on  her.     Our  talk  shall  be 
The  earnest  of  far  more  felicity." 


3  10 
How  the  Damsels  returned  to  Ruddba 

The  girls  departed,  and  Zal  thought  the  night 
A  year.     Meanwhile  they  reached  the  palace-gate, 
Each  with  two  sprays  of  roses,  where  the  porter, 
On  catching  sight  of  them,  prepared  to  chide, 
And  spake  with  sternness,  hardening  his  heart  :— 
"  A  nice  time  this  to  be  beyond  the  gates  ! 
I  marvel  at  your  gadding  so  about." 

The  Idols,  when  they  found  a  word  to  say, 
Flew  out  at  him  in  their  embarrassment : — 


268  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  USI 

"  This  day  is  just  like  any  other  one : 
There  is  no  foul  div  in  the  rosary. 
'Tis  spring.     We  gather  roses  in  the  garden, 
And  spikes  of  hyacinth  upon  the  ground. 
Moon-faced  Rudaba  bade,  and  so  we  went 
Hence  after  roses  out  of  love  for  her ; 
Then  wherefore  speak  to  us  in  such  a  tone 
For  plucking  them  ?  " 

V.  162  "  But  this  is  not  the  time," 

He  said,  "  for  pranks  like  these ;  for  bear  in  mind 
That  Zal  the  chieftain  now  is  at  Kabul : 
The  land  is  covered  with  his  tents  and  troops. 
Do  ye  not  see  Mihrab  at  early  dawn 
Go  from  his  palace-gate  and  mount  his  steed  ? 
Why,  every  day  he  goeth  to  and  fro 
Now  he  and  Zal  have  come  to  be  such  friends, 
And  if  he  saw  you  carrying  your  roses 
Would  have  you  down  upon  the  ground  forthwith. 
Quit  not  the  Haram  more,  and  would  to  God 
That  nothing  great  or  small  may  come  of  this." 

They  went  within  and  told  the  Moon  hi  private  :— 
"  We  ne'er  saw  Sun  like  this  with  ruddy  cheeks 
And  hair  all  white." 

Riidaba's  heart  inflamed 
In  expectation  of  beholding  Zal. 
They  laid  his  jewels  and  dinars  before  her, 
While  she  minutely  questioned  them  :  "  How  found  ye 
The  son  of  Sam  ?     Doth  he  deserve  his  fame  ?  " 

The  five,  encouraged,  chattered  on  and  said : — 
"  Zal  is  the  finest  horseman,  with  such  mien 
And  Grace — a  lofty  cypress  of  a  man. 
Imperial  Grace  and  dignity  are  his. 
What  fragrance,  colour,  stature,  limbs,  he  hath  ! 
How  slirn  a  waist  and  what  an  open  chest ! 
His  eyes  are  twin  narcissi  water-blue, 


MINUCHIHR  269 

His  lips  like  coral  and  his  cheeks  like  blood. 

His  hand  and  forearm  are  like  lion's  paws. 

A  shrewd  man  he,  with  an  archmage's  heart 

And  royal  Grace !  while  as  for  his  white  hair 

It  is  a  blemish — but  no  cause  for  shame. 

This  chief  of  paladins  hath  downy  cheeks, 

Like  cercis-bloom  through  silver  habergeon, 

Such  as  to  make  one  cry :  '  Be  ever  thus :  v-  163 

No  change  can  make  thee  dearer  than  thou  art.' 

We  told  him  he  should  see  thee ;  he  was  hopeful 

When  we  departed.     Now  devise  a  scheme 

To  entertain  him.     Tell  us  what  to  tell  him." 

She  answered :  "  Once  ye  told  a  different  tale  ! 
This  Zal,  who  was  the  nursling  of  a  bird, 
Was  so  white-headed  and  so  wizened  !     Now 
His  cheek  is  like  the  cercis-bloom,  and  he 
Is  tall  and  handsome,  and  a  paladin ! 
And  ye  have  bragged  about  my  face  to  him 
And  asked  for  payment  for  your  gossiping." 

She  spake  with  smiles  and  blushes  on  her  cheeks,  ' 

As  'twere  pomegranate-blooms,  then  bade  one  damsel : — 
"  Be  off  with  you  at  dawn.     Take  him  good  news, 
Hear  what  he  hath  to  say  and  say  to  him : — 
'  Thy  wish  is  granted ;  be  in  readiness  ; 
Come  and  behold  thy  Moon  in  all  her  charms.' " 

The  waiting-maid  departed,  gave  the  message, 
And  came  back  to  the  Cypress  of  Taraz. 
"Devise  some  means  to  compass  it,"  she  said, 
"  For  God  hath  granted  thee  thy  whole  desire, 
And  may  the  ending  be  a  happy  one ! " 

Riidaba  soon  made  ready,  while  her  kin 
Suspected  naught.     She  had  her  own  pavilion 
Like   jocund    spring    and    decked   with  great    men's 

portraits. 
The  servants  draped  it  with  brocade  of  Chin, 


270  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Set  golden  trays  about  as  ornaments, 
Then  mingled  wine  with  musk  and  ambergris 
And  scattered  emeralds  and  carnelians. 
Here  were  narcissus,  violet,  cercis-bloom 
And  rose,  there  lily  and  the  jasmine-spray. 
The  goblets  were  compact  of  gold  and  turquoise, 
The  viands  saturate  with  clear  rose-water ; 
V.  164       Thus  from  the  chamber  of  the  sun-faced  one 
Rose  fragrant  odours  wafting  to  the  sun. 


How  Zdl  went  to  Riiddba 

At  dusk  they  locked  the  gate  and  took  the  key, 
And  then  a  damsel  went  to  Zal  and  said : — 
"  All  is  prepared,  so  come." 

Thereat  the  chief, 

All  wooer-like,  set  out  toward  the  palace. 
Meanwhile  black-eyed  and  rosy-cheeked  Riidaba- 
A  cypress  over  which  the  full  moon  shone — 
Went  to  the  roof,  and,  when  the  son  of  Sam 
The  cavalier  appeared,  that  high-born  maid 
Unlocked  her  coral  lips  and  cried  to  him  : — 
"  Thou  art  well  come,  0  youth  of  noble  birth  ! 
The  Maker's  blessing  be  on  thee,  the  arch 
Of  circling  heaven  be  underneath  thy  feet, 
And  may  my  maid  be  blithe  of  heart  and  glad, 
For,  top  to  toe,  thou  art  as  she  described  thee. 
To  foot  it  thus  from  thy  pavilion 
Must  irk  thy  royal  feet." 

He  heard  the  voice 

And  saw  upon  the  wall  a  sun-cheeked  damsel, 
Whose  beauty  set  the  roof  a-gleam  like  gems, 
Whose  blushes  set  the  ground  a-flush  like  rubies. 


MINUCHIHR  271 

He  thus  made  answer  :  "  0  thou  inoon-faced  one ! 
My  blessing  and  the  Grace  of  heaven  be  thine. 
How  many  nights  with  eyes  up-turned  to  Spica 
Have  I  entreated  Him  who  ruleth  all, 
To  let  me  privily  behold  thy  face  ! 
Now  thou  dost  make  me  happy  with  thy  voice, 
Thy  tender  words  and  gentleness.     Oh  !  find 
Some  means  to  let  me  look  on  thee !     For  why 
Shouldst  thou  be  on  the  roof  and  I  below  ? " 

The  fairy-faced  one  heard  the  chieftain's  words  v.  165 

And  doffed  her  scarlet  wimple  instantly. 
Then  from  her  lofty  cypress-form  she  loosed 
A  lasso,  such  as  none  could  plait,  of  musk : 
Coil  within  coil  it  was,  and  snake  on  snake ; 
Strand  over  strand  it  lay  upon  her  neck. 
She  loosed  her  tresses  o'er  the  battlements 
And   when   they   straightened   out   they    reached    the 

ground. 

Then  spake  Rudaba  from  the  wall  above : — 
"  0  paladin  !     O  child  of  warrior-race ! 
Now  speed  thee  quickly  and  gird  up  thy  loins, 
Exert  thy  lion-breast  and  royal  hands. 
Seize  these  black  tresses  which  hang  down  beside  me 
All  dedicate  to  thee." 

Zal  gazed  on  her 

In  marvel  at  her  hair  and  face.     She  heard 
Him  kiss  that  musky  lasso  oft.     He  said : — 
"  This  is  not  well ;  may  no  sun  shine  when  I 
Shall  lay  a  wanton  hand  upon  my  Life 
And  put  a  spearpoint  to  this  wounded  heart." 

He  took  a  lasso  from  his  servant,  coiled 
And  lightly  flung  it  in  his  breathless  haste. 
The  noose  caught  and  he  mounted.     Fairy-face 
Advanced  to  welcome  him,  she  clasped  his  hand, 
And  both  intoxicate  with  love  descended, 


272  THE  SHANHAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

v.  166       Hand  clasped  in  hand,  to  her  pavilion 

Gold-arabesqued — a  meeting-place  for  kings, 

A  Paradise  adorned — a  blaze  of  light. 

Slave-girls  attended  on  the  Houri  there, 

While  Zal  in  rapt  astonishment  beheld 

Her  face,  her  hair,  her  loveliness  and  grace, 

Her  bracelets,  torque,  and  earrings :  her  brocade 

And  jewels  were  like  gardens  in  the  spring ; 

Her  cheeks  were  like  twin  tulips  in  a  garth ; 

Her  crispy  love-locks  twisted  curl  on  curl. 

Zal  sat  in  royal  grace  by  that  fair  Moon, 

His  dagger  in  his  belt  and  on  his  head 

A  ruby  coronet.     Rudaba  looked 

And  looked  with  stolen  glances  at  him  still ; 

Looked   at   that    form,    that    neck,    that  grace,   that 

height, 

Which  used  to  make  rocks  brambles  'neath  his  mace, 
And  at  those  cheeks  whose  lustre  fired  her  soul. 
The  more  she  gazed  the  more  her  heart  inflamed  : 
They  kissed  and  clung  intoxicate  with  love. 
What  lion  hunteth  not  the  onager  ? 
Thus  spake  the  chieftain  to  the  moon-faced  maid : — 
"  0  silver-bosomed  Cypress,  musk-perfumed  ! 
The  Shah  will  ne'er  consent,  and  Sam  will  wring 
His  hands  and  storm,  but  still  by  God  I  swear 
That  I  will  never  break  my  troth  to  thee. 
Nay  I  will  first  hold  soul  and  body  cheap 
And  wear  a  shroud.     I  will  seek  God  and  pray  Him, 
With  all  the  instancy  of  devotees, 
To  wash  all  opposition,  wrath,  and  vengeance 

V.  167       From  both  their  hearts,  and  if  He  hearkeneth 
Thou  shalt  become  my  wife  before  the  world." 
Rudaba  answered  :  "  I  too  swear  by  Him — 
The  God  of  Faith  and  right — that  none  but  Zal 
Shall  be  my  lord ;  the  Maker  is  my  witness." 


MINUCHIHR  273 

Their  love  waxed  ever  as  the  moments  sped, 
For  wisdom  was  afar  and  passion  near. 
So  fared  they  till  the  day  began  to  break 
And  drum-call  sounded.     Zal  farewelled  his  Moon, 
Embracing  her  as  warp  and  woof  embrace. 
Both  wept  and  both  adjured  the  rising  sun  : — 
"  0  glory  of  the  world  !  one  moment  more  ! 
Thou  needst  not  rise  so  soon." 

Then  from  aloft 

Zal  dropped  his  lasso  and  descending  straight 
Went  from  the  palace  of  his  lovely  mate. 


§  I2 

How  Zdl  consulted  the  Archimages  in  the  Matter 
of  Ruddba 

The  warriors,  when  bright  Sol  rose  o'er  the  hills, 

Went  to  the  levee  of  the  paladin, 

And  then  dispersed  while  Zal  bade  call  the  sages. 

They  came — the  ministers,  archmages,  heroes 

And  glorious  chieftains,  men  both  wise  and  ardent — 

Well  pleased  at  being  summoned.     Zal,  all  smiles 

And  yearning,  offered  first  his  praise  to  God, 

Then  roused  the  archimages  to  attention 

By  thus  addressing  them  :  "  Let  all  our  hearts 

Regard  with  fear  and  hope  the  righteous  Judge, 

Who  is  the  Lord  of  circling  sun  and  moon,  v.  168 

And  showeth  souls  the  way  of  righteousness. 

To  give  Him  all  the  praise  that  we  can  give 

We  must  bow  down  before  Him  night  and  day. 

By  Him  the  jocund  world  abideth  fast, 

By  Him  is  justice  done  in  heaven  and  earth. 

He  bringeth  summer,  spring,  and  autumn-tide 

With  fruit  to  fill  the  branches  of  the  vines ; 

s 


274  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Youth  hath  from  Him  its  time  of  scent  and  bloom, 
Age  hath  from  Him  its  time  of  saddened  looks. 
None  can  transgress  His  will  and  ordinance  : 
Without  Him  not  an  ant  can  walk  the  earth. 
He  bringeth  increase  to  the  world  by  pairs, 
And  not  by  one ;  there  is  no  One  but  God, 
Who  hath  not  any  partner,  mate,  or  peer, 
But  all  His  creatures  hath  He  made  in  pairs. 
This  was  His  scheme — earth  and  its  good  for  man ; 
But  save  for  pairing  we  had  never  known 
Its  possibilities.     Again,  we  never 
See  youth  unmated  stable  in  the  Faith, 
And  thirdly,  men  though  of  a  mighty  stock 
Unmated  lose  their  vigour.     What  can  show 
More  goodly  than  a  chief  of  paladins, 
Whose  soul  is  gladdened  by  his  progeny  ? 
He  at  life's  close  will  have  a  New  Year's  Day 
In  children  who  will  keep  his  memory  thus  : — 
This  is  the  son  of  Zal  the  son  of  Sam.' 
?hus  crown  and  throne  are  graced ;  the  father's  time 
Being  over  fortune  resteth  with  the  son. 
All  these  apply  to  mine  own  case,  and  are 
The  roses  and  narcissi  of  my  garden. 
V.  169  My  heart  is  lost,  my  wisdom  fled !     Declare 

The  remedy  for  this.     I  have  not  spoken 
Before  I  suffered  both  in  brain  and  wits. 
The  palace  of  Mihrab — I  love  it  all ! 
His  land  is  heaven  to  me  forwhy  my  heart 
Rejoiceth  in  the  daughter  of  Sindukht. 
What  say  ye  now  ?    Will  Sam  too  be  rejoiced  ? 
And  will  Shah  Minuchihr,  if  he  shall  hear, 
Regard  it  merely  as  a  youthful  error  ? 
All — great  and  small — in  marrying  but  obey 
The  laws  of  Faith  and  custom.     No  wise  man 
Will  bar  what  honour  and  religion  sanction. 


MINUCHIHR  275 

What  do  the  prescient  archimages  say  ? 
What  are  the  sages'  views  ? " 

They  held  their  peace 
Because  Zahhak  was  grandsire  to  Mihrab, 
And  Mimichihr  detested  both.     None  dared 
To  answer,  none  had  heard  of  antidote 
And  bane  combined.     Their  silence  grieved  the  chief, 
Who  tried  another  plan  :  "  I  know,"  said  he, 
"  That  ye  will  blame  the  course  that  I  adopt, 
But  every  one  who  chooseth  for  himself 
Is  certain  to  incur  no  lack  of  blame. 
If  ye  can  show  me  what  to  do,  and  how 
I  may  undo  this  coil,  ye  shall  be  treated 
As  subjects  ne'er  were  yet,  my  goodness,  kindness, 
And  uprightness  shall  keep  you  from  all  ill." 
The  archimages,  well  disposed  toward  him, 
Considered  and  replied :  "  We  are  thy  slaves,  v.  170 

And  we  are  much  amazed.     But  who  will  be 
The  better  or  the  worse  on  this  account  ? 
Although  Mihrab  is  not  of  equal  rank 
Yet  is  he  mighty,  brave,  and  rich,  albeit 
Sprung  from  the  Dragon's  stock — the  Arabs'  king. 
Write  thou  to  Sam  as  thy  shrewd  mind  suggesteth, 
Who  hast  more  wisdom,  thoughtfulness,  and  wits 
Than  we,  and  he  may  write  the  Shah  a  letter 
Explaining  his  own  views,  and  Minuchihr 
Will  be  advised  by  Sam  the  cavalier 
And  every  obstacle  will  disappear." 


§  '3 
How  Zdl  ivrote  to  Sdm  to  Explain  the  Case 

The  chieftain  bade  a  scribe  to  come,  poured  forth 
His  heart  and  wrote  a  letter  of  good  cheer, 


276  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  first  he  praised  the  Maker  and  the  Judge, 
"  The  Source  of  joy  and  might,  the  Lord  of  Venus, 
Of  Sol  and  Mars,  of  being  and  not  being. 
We  all  of  us  are  slaves  and  God  is  One. 
May  He  bless  Sam  the  son  of  Nariman — 
The  lord  of  mace,  of  scimitar,  and  helm, 
Whose  black  steed  boundeth  in  the  dust  of  fight, 
Who  glutteth  vultures  when  he  maketh  war, 
Who  raiseth  tempests  on  the  battle-field, 
Who  sheddeth  gouts  of  blood  from  murky  clouds, 
V.  171        Who  handleth  golden  belts  and  diadems 

And  setteth  kings  upon  their  thrones  of  gold. 

His  bravery  achieveth  feat  on  feat 

And  they  exalt  his  name.     There  liveth  not, 

Nor  ever  will,  a  cavalier  so  brave. 

His  thrall  am  I  and  love  him  heart  and  soul. 

He  saw  how  I  was  born,  and  ills  have  come 

Since  then  upon  me  from  the  rolling  sky. 

My  father  wore  luxurious  furs  and  silks ; 

Me  the  Simurgh  bare  to  a  mount  in  Ind. 

Fain  was  I  that  the  bird  should  bring  me  prey 

And  number  me  among  its  little  ones. 

My  skin  was  scorched  by  blast,  mine  eyes  were  stopped 

With  dust.     They  used  to  call  me  son  of  Sam 

Though  he  was  on  a  throne,  I  in  a  nest, 

Since  God  ordained  and  made  this  way  for  me. 

None  scapeth  His  ordainment  though  one  fly 

Among  the  clouds,  gnaw  spearheads,  rend  the  hides 

Of  lions  with  his  shouting,  yea  although 

His  teeth  are  anvils  he  is  still  God's  slave. 

A  thing  hath  happened  which  I  cannot  tell 
To  every  one,  and  I  am  broken-hearted, 
Howbeit  a  sire,  though  fierce  and  dragon-like, 
Should  hearken  to  the  secrets  of  his  child. 
My  tears  are  for  the  daughter  of  Mihrab, 


MINfiCHIHR  277 

I  am  as  if  consumed  in  raging  fire, 

The  stars  are  my  companions  in  the  night, 

My  breast  is  like  a  sea,  I  lose  my  wits 

So  that  my  people  weep  ;  yet  though  sore  troubled 

I  will  not  draw  a  breath  but  at  thy  word. 

What  doth  the  chief  of  paladins  command  ?  V.  172 

Oh  !  free  my  mind  from  this  distress  and  grief ! 

The  archimages  have  advised  me  thus  : — 

'  Let  not  the  chieftain  keep  his  Jewel  hidden 

But  act  with  loyalty.'     My  sire  perchance 

Will  second  me  herein  that  I  may  make 

The  daughter  of  Mihrab  my  lawful  wife. 

My  father  will  remember  that  when  God 

Restored  me  to  him  out  of  Mount  Alburz 

He  pledged  his  word  in  presence  of  his  men  : — 

'  I  will  not  frustrate  one  wish  of  thy  heart.' 

Now  this  it  is  whereon  my  heart  is  set." 

A  horseman  left  Kabul  at  lightning-speed 
To  go  to  Sam  and  took  a  second  horse, 
For  Zal  directed :  "  Should  one  roadster  founder 
Stay  not  to  breathe  but  lightly  mount  the  other 
And  hurry  on  to  Sam." 

The  messenger 

Went,  like  the  wind,  upon  a  steed  of  steel. 
When  he  was  drawing  near  the  Kargasars, 
Sam,  who  was  hunting  on  a  range  of  hills, 
Beheld  him  from  afar  and  told  his  comrades  : — 
"  There  cometh  from  Kabul  a  messenger 
Upon  a  white  steed  of  Zabulistan, 
Sent  doubtlessly  by  Zal,  so  let  us  learn 
His  news." 

The  man  approaching  kissed  the  ground, 
With  many  thanks  to  God.     Sam  welcomed  him 
And  took  the  letter,  while  the  man  discharged 
His  errands.     Sam  undid  and  read  the  letter  v.  173 


278  THE  SH  AH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

While  coming  from  the  mountains,  paled  and  halted 
In  wonder  not  expecting  or  commending 
Zal's  conduct.     "  Yet,"  he  thought,  "  'tis  natural : 
One  nurtured  by  a  bird  would  hanker  thus." 

When  he  returned  he  pondered  long  and  deeply, 
And  said :  "  If  I  shall  say,  '  This  is  not  well, 
Oppose  me  not,  incline  to  wisdom's  ways,' 
Both  God  and  man  will  blame  my  breach  of  faith. 
If  I  say,'  Yes,'  and  '  Thy  desire  is  good  : 
Do  as  thou  wilt,'  what  will  their  offspring  be — 
This  nursling  of  the  fowl  and  that  div's  child  ? " 

He  laid  him  down  in  grief  but  could  not  rest. 
The  harder  any  servant's  task,  the  more 
His  heart  is  heavy  and  his  suffering  sore, 
The  greater  peace  and  comfort  shall  he  know 
Within  when  God  Almighty  willeth  so. 


How  Sam  consulted  the  Archmages  in  the  Matter  of  Zdl 

Sam  when  he  woke  asked  the  astrologers : — 
"  How  will  this  end,  for  these  two  elements, 
Like  fire  and  water,  are  opposed  completely  ? 
Such  surely  on  the  Judgment  Day  will  be 
The  warfare  of  Zahhak  and  Faridun. 
Consult  the  stars,  vouchsafe  me  your  advice, 
And  put  your  pen- point  to  a  lucky  sign." 
V.  174  They  spent  the  day  in  searching,  and  then  came 

To  Sam  with  smiles,  for  opposites  combined 
In  his  behalf,  and  an  astrologer 
Said :  "  Hero  of  the  golden  belt !  we  bring 
Good  news  about  the  daughter  of  Mihrab 
And  Zal,  for  they  will  be  a  glorious  pair, 
Whose  son  will  prove  a  mighty  Elephant, 


MINUCHIHR  279 

Will  gird  his  loins  with,  valour,  overcome 

The  world,  will  set  the  Shah's  throne  on  the  clouds, 

Cut  from  the  ground  the  feet  of  evil  doers 

And  leave  them  not  a  lurking-place  on  earth, 

Spare  no  Sagsars,1  spare  not  Mazandaran, 

But  make  the  earth  clean  with  his  massive  mace. 

Through  him  Tiiran  shall  suffer  greater  woe, 

Through  him  Iran  shall  gain  unbounded  weal, 

Through  him  the  aching  head  shall  rest,  and  he 

Shall  shut  the  door  of  war,  the  path  of  mischief. 

The  Iranians  shall  have  hope  in  him,  through  him 

The  paladin  shall  have  good  news  and  joy. 

The  charger  that  he  urgeth  in  the  fight 

Shall  trample  on  the  face  of  warrior-pards. 

The  realm  in  his  days  shall  be  fortunate, 

The  age  accept  his  name  among  the  kings, 

While  Rum,  Ind,  and  the  country  of  Iran 

Shall  grave  it  on  their  signets." 

Sam  gave  ear 

And  smiled  as  they  congratulated  him. 
He  gave  them  gold  and  silver  past  all  count 
Since  peace  had  come  in  time  of  fear.     He  called 
The  messenger,  conversed  with  him  and  said : — 
"  Speak  gently  unto  Zal  and  say :  '  Thy  wish 
Hath  nothing  in  its  favour,  but  since  I 
Have  pledged  my  word  I  must  not  seek  a  pretext 
For  breaking  it.     Lo!  I  shall  quit  the  field  V.  175 

To-morrow  for  Iran  to  ascertain 

The  Shah's   commands,   and  how   God   shall   dispose 
him.'" 

He  gave  a  largess  to  the  messenger 
And  said  to  him :  "  Arise  and  tarry  not." 

They  bound  a  thousand  of  the  Kargasars 
And  dragged  them  off  afoot  in  shame  and  woe. 

1  The  name  of  a  wild  tribe,  "the  Dog-heads." 


280  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Toward   dawn   the  horsemen's   shouts   rose  o'er   the 

plain, 

Rose  too  the  sound  of  drums  and  clarions 
About  the  entrance  of  the  tent-enclosure, 
And  Sam  marched  to  Iran  by  Dahistan. 

The  messenger  returned  to  Zal  in  triumph 
With  omens  of  success.     When  he  arrived 
He  told  Sam's  answer.     Zal  was  well  content 
And  offered  praises  to  Almighty  God 
For  this  great  mercy  and  his  blissful  fate. 
He  lavished  on  the  poor  drachms  and  dinars 
And  showed  especial  kindness  to  his  kindred, 
Invoking  blessings  on  the  chieftain  Sam 
For  having  sent  a  gentle  answer  back. 
He  could  not  rest  by  day  or  sleep  by  night, 
He  drank  no  wine,  desired  no  minstrelsy ; 
His  heart  was  always  yearning  for  his  bride ; 
He  could  not  talk  of  any  one  beside. 


§15 

How  SinduTM  heard  of  the  Case  of  Rudaba 

A  dame  of  honied  speech  was  go-between 
And  bore  the  lovers'  greetings  to  and  fro. 
Zal  called  this  woman,  told  about  his  sire, 
Arid  said  to  her :  "  Go  to  Rudaba.     Say : 
y.  176       '  O  Beauty  kind  and  young !  when  matters  come 
To  grievous  straits  we  quickly  find  a  key 
For  their  enlargement.     Now  the  messenger 
Hath  come  from  Sam  rejoicing  with  good  news. 
Sam  hummed  and  hawed  but  in  the  end  consented.' 

Zal  sent  his  father's  letter  by  the  woman, 
Who  hurried  with  the  good  news  to  Rudaba. 


MINUCHIHR  281 

That  fay-faced  damsel  showered  drachms  upon  her, 

Placed  her  upon  a  gold-embroidered  seat 

And  for  her  news  gave  her  a  change  of  raiment ; 

Then  brought  an  Indian  turban  woven  so  finely 

That  warp  and  woof  were  not  distinguishable, 

With  patterns  wrought  thereon  in  gold  and  rubies, 

So  that  the  gold  was  hidden  by  the  gems. 

This,  and  a  costly  finger-ring  to  match, 

As  bright  as  Jupiter,  she  sent  to  Zal, 

With  many  greetings,  many  messages. 

Sindukht  observed  the  woman  in  the  hall 

And  cried :    "  Whence  art   thou  ?     Speak !     Dissemble 

not ! 

Thou  passest  in  and  out  from  time  to  time 
Without  regard  to  me.     I  much  suspect  thee. 
Wilt  thou  not  say  if  thou  art  string  or  bow  ? " 

With  face  like  sandarac  she  kissed  the  ground  v.  177 

And  answered  thus :  "  A  needy  woman  I, 
Who  have  to  get  my  living  as  I  can ; 
I  visit  houses  of  the  gentlefolk 
Who  purchase  clothes  of  me  and  jewelry. 
Riidaba  wished  to  buy  rich  gems  and  trinkets ; 
I  brought  to  her  a  gold  adorned  tiara 
And  hoop  of  royal  gems." 

Sindukht  said :  "  Show  them 
And  quench  my  wrath." 

"  I  left  them  with  Riidaba," 
The  woman  answered,  "  and  am  fetching  more." 
"  Show  me  the  purchase-money,"  said  Sindukht, 
"  And  set  my  heart  at  rest." 

The  woman  answered : — 

"  The  moon-faced  lady  told  me  she  would  pay 
To-morrow.     Wait  until  I  have  the  money." 

Perceiving  that  she  lied  Sindukht  used  force, 
Searched  up  her  sleeves  and  found  her  knavery. 


282  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Si'ndukht  discovering  Riidaba's  ring 
And  costly  stuffs  was  very  wroth,  and  catching 
The  woman  by  the  tresses  flung  her  down 
V.  178        Upon  her  face,  and  in  a  burst  of  rage 

Haled  her  in  shameful  plight  along  the  ground, 
Then  let  her  fall,  and  bound  and  spurned  and  smote  her. 
The  queen  returned  in  dudgeon  to  the  palace, 
O'erwhelmed  with  disappointment,  pain,  and  grief, 
Shut  herself  in  and  was  as  one  bemused. 
She  sent  to  call  her  daughter  and  the  while 
Kept  buffeting  her  face,  and  from  her  eyes — 
Those  wet  narcissi — bathed  her  burning  cheeks ; 
Then  to  Riidaba :  "  0  thou  noble  Moon ! 
Why  choosest  thou  the  ditch  and  not  the  throne  ? 
In  what  respect  can  I  have  failed  to  teach  thee 
Propriety  in  public  and  in  private  ? 
My  pretty !  wherefore  hast  thou  wronged  me  so  ? 
Tell  mother  all  thy  secrets — who  despatched 
This  dame  to  thee  and  why.     What  is  all  this  ? 
Who  is  the  man  for  whom  this  splendid  turban 
And  finger-ring  are  meant  ?     In  that  great  treasure— 
The  Arabian  crown — much  good  and  ill  was  left  us. 
It  had  a  name.     Wilt  fling  it  to  the  winds  ? 
May  mother  never  bear  a  child  like  mine  ! " 
Riidaba  looked  away  and  hung  her  head 
In  overwhelming  shame  before  her  mother, 
And  tears  of  love  descending  graced  her  cheeks. 
"  0  most  wise  mother ! "  thus  she  made  reply, 
"  Love  hunteth  down  my  soul,  but  I  had  wrought 
No  good  or  ill  hadst  thou  not  borne  me  first. 
The  chieftain  of  Zabul  is  at  Kabul, 
And  love  of  him  so  fireth  me,  and  things 
Have  come  to  such  a  pass  within  my  heart 
That,  if  in  others'  presence  or  alone, 
I  weep  and  only  live  to  see  his  face. 


MINUCHIHR  283 

One  hair  of  his  is  worth  the  world  to  me. 

Know  too  that  he  hath  seen  and  sat  beside  me,  v.  179 

And  that  we  hand  in  hand  have  plighted  troth. 

We  did  but  see  each  other — nothing  more — 

And  lo  !  a  fire  sprang  up  betwixt  us  twain. 

A  messenger  was  sent  to  mighty  Sam 

And  he  hath  given  his  valiant  son  an  answer. 

Though  vexed  at  first  he  grew  amenable 

And  gave  large  presents  to  the  messenger. 

By  means  of  her  whose  hair  thou  didst  pluck  out, 

And  whom  thou  didst  fling  down  and  hale  along 

Upon  the  face,  I  have  read  all  his  letter : 

This  stuff  was  my  reply." 

Smdukht  was  lost 

In  wonder,  glad  that  Zal  should  wed  Rudaba, 
But  said :  "  This  is  no  trifle.     Zal  is  peerless 
Among  the  chiefs  for  valour,  he  is  great, 
Son  of  the  paladin  of  paladins, 
With  all  the  virtues,  and  a  single  fault 
Which  dwarfeth  them — the  Shah  will  be  displeased 
And  send  the  dust  up  sunward  from  Kabul. 
He  wisheth  not  that  any  of  our  race 
Should  e'er  mount  saddle." 

Then,  to  make  it  seem 
That  she  had  been  mistaken,  she  released 
The  woman  and  made  much  of  her,  and  said : — 
"  Act  ever  thus,  discreet  and  clever  dame  ! 
Shut  fast  thy  lips.     God  grant  they  never  prove 
A  chink  for  speech.     Now  hide  this  in  the  dust." 

She  saw  her  daughter's  secret  bent  was  such 
That  she  would  listen  to  advice  from  none, 
And  laid  her  down  in  tears  and  in  chagrin ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said  that  she  had  burst  her  skin. 


284  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  £751 


How  Mihrab  was  made  Aware  of  Ms  Daughter's  Case 

v.  i  So       Mihrab,  much  gratified  by  Zal's  attentions, 
Returning  found  Sindukht  upon  her  couch 
Pale    and    distressed  ;    he   asked    her  :  "  What  hath 

happened  ? 
Speak  !    Wherefore  are  thy  rosy  lips  thus  faded  ?  " 

She  said  :  "  I  have  been  musing  for  a  while 
About  these  goodly  treasures  and  this  wealth, 
These  Arab  steeds  caparisoned,  this  palace 
So  noble  and  its  pleasure-grounds,  the  friends 
Who  cheer  our  hearts,  these  servants  of  my  lord, 
Our  favour  and  our  stature  cypress-  tall, 
Our  fame,  our  knowledge,  and  our  policy. 
In  time  our  pride  and  glory  must  abate  ; 
We  yield  them  to  the  foe  ;  our  toil  is  wind  ; 
A  narrow  bier  is  ours  at  last.     We  plant 
A  tree  whose  antidote  is  bane  to  us, 
We  water  it  laboriously  and  hang 
Thereon  our  crown  and  wealth,  but  when  it  mounteth 
Sunward  and  giveth  shade  its  lusty  head 
Descendeth  to  the  dust.     With  this  before  us 

I  know  not  where  we  ever  shall  find  rest." 

/v, 

Mihrab  replied  :  "  Thou  tellest  an  old  tale  : 
It  is  the  fashion  of  this  Wayside  Inn. 
One  is  abased,  another  flourisheth, 
One  corneth  in,  another  goeth  out  ; 
Canst  thou  see  one  whom  heaven  hunteth  not  ? 
Fret  as  we  will  our  woes  remain  ;  we  cannot 
^  Contend  against  the  All-just  Judge." 

She  answered  :  — 
v.  181        "  The  wise  would  take  a  very  different  view 


MINUCHIHR  285 

Of  what  I  said.     Now  can  I  hide  from  thee 
A  secret  such  as  this  and  these  grave  doings  ? 
A  blessed  wise  archmage  once  told  his  child 
The  parable  of  the  tree  which  I  adopted 
In  hope  my  lord  would  understand  the  meaning." 

She  hung  her  head  and  bent  her  cypress-form, 
Her  eyes  dropped  dew  upon  her  rosy  cheeks. 
"  O  full  of  wisdom,"  she  went  on  to  say, 
"  The  sky  must  not  revolve  above  us  thus. 
Know  that  the  son  of  Sam  hath  striven  to  snare 
Rudaba  and  misled  her  ardent  heart. 
Now  'tis  for  us  to  find  a  remedy. 
I  have  exhorted  her  without  avail ; 
Her  heart  I  see  is  troubled,  her  face  wan." 

Thereat  Mihrab  sprang  up  and  seized  his  sword, 
His  cheek  grew  livid  and  his  body  shook 
With  rage ;  his  heart  was  full,  he  groaned  and  cried  : — 
"  Her  blood  shall  flow  for  this." 

Sindukht  sprang  too, 

Clasped  him  about  the  waist,  and  cried :  "  Now  hear 
Thy  handmaid  speak  one  word,  then  do  what  heart 
And  wisdom  counsel  thee." 

He  shook  her  off 

And  bellowed  like  a  maddened  elephant : — 
"  I  should  have  cut  her  head  off  at  her  birth. 
I  left  her  grandsire's  way  and  let  her  live ; 
Now  she  hath  wrought  on  me  this  devilry. 
The  son  who  walketh  not  his  father's  path 
Is  but  a  bastard  in  a  brave  man's  eyes. 
Thus  said  the  leopard  grown  keen- clawed  for  strife  : 
'  I  glory  in  the  conflict,  and  I  wis  V.  182 

My  sire  inherited  the  taste  from  his. 
Life  must  be  risked  when  honour  is  in  sight ; 
Why  strivest  thou  to  stay  me  from  the  fight  ? ' 
If  Sam  and  Mimichihr  shall  get  a  handle 


286  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Against  us  smoke  will  go  up  from  Kabul, 
Seedtime  and  harvest  cease  throughout  the  land." 

She  said  :  "  0  marchlord  !  do  not  speak  so  wildly. 
Sam  knoweth  all :  be  not  so  greatly  moved. 
He  left  the  Kargasars  for  this :  all  know  it." 

Mihrab  replied :  "  Fair  dame !  deceive  me  not. 
Could  one  imagine  wind  obeying  dust  ? 
I  care  not  I  so  thou  canst  keep  us  scathless. 
A  better  son-in-law  than  noble  Zal 
There  cannot  be  as  all  know,  great  and  small. 
Who  is  there  from  Ahwaz  to  Kandahar 
That  wisheth  not  to  be  affined  to  Sam  ? " 

She  said :  "  Great  prince !  ne'er  may  I  be  enforced 
To  use  deceit  with  thee ;  thy  harm  is  mine ; 
I  share  thy  sorrows.     What  I  said  is  true 
And  it  was  on  my  mind.     I  had  at  first 
Myself  the  same  misgiving,  which  is  why 
Thou  sawst  me  lying  down  absorbed  in  grief ; 
But  if  this  is  to  be  'tis  not  so  strange 
As  to  occasion  this  anxiety. 
Sarv  of  Yaman  pleased  Faridun ;  prince  Zal 
Is  not  unmindful  of  that  precedent. 
By  mingling  fire  with  water,  air  with  earth 
Earth's  dark  face  is  made  bright." 

v.  183  She  brought  Sam's  answer, 

And  said :  "  Rejoice !      Thou  hast    thy  wish.     When 

strangers 
Affine  with  thee  thy  foes  grow  black  of  face." 

Though  vengeful  still  and  greatly  moved  Mihrab 
Gave  ear,  then  bade  her :  "  Rouse  and  bring  Rudaba." 

Smdukht,  in  terror  lest  that  lion-man 
Should  lay  her  daughter  dead  upon  the  dust, 
Replied :  "  First  promise  to  restore  her  to  me 
Unscathed,  and  that  Kabulistan  shall  still 
Possess  this  Rosary  like  Paradise." 


MINUCHIHR  287 

The  chieftain  promised,  but  he  said :  "  Now  mark ! 
The  Shah  will  meditate  revenge  for  this." 

Smdukht  did  reverence,  bending  to  the  ground ; 
Then  with  her  lips  all  smiles  and  face  that  showed 
The  dawn  beneath  the  night  went  to  her  daughter 
With  this  good  news :  "  The  warrior-leopard's  claws 
Have  spared  the  wilful  onager.     Now  hasten ! 
Take  from  thy  face  thine  ornaments  and  go 
Before  thy  father,  weeping  bitterly." 

Riidaba  answered :  "  What  are  ornaments  ? 
What  are  these  worthless  trinkets  to  my  wealth  ? 
My  soul  is  wedded  to  the  son  of  Sam  ; 
Why  hide  what  is  so  plain  ? " 

Then  went  she  in 

Before  her  father,  like  a  rising  sun, 
And  overwhelmed  in  gold  and  jewelry. 

Her  father  called  on  God  in  mute  amaze.  V.  184 

She  was  a  Paradise  adorned  and  fair, 
Like  shining  Sol  in  jocund  spring.     He  said : — 
"  0  witless  one  !  would  virtuous  folk  approve 
That  Ahriman  should  have  a  fairy-bride  ? 
May  neither  crown  nor  finger-ring  be  thine. 
If  but  a  serpent-charmer  from  Kahtan 
Turned  Magian  we  should  slay  him  with  an  arrow." 

Whenas  Riidaba  heard  her  father's  words 
Her  heart  grew  full,  her  face  like  fenugreek. 
She  let  her  dark  eyelashes  droop  and  veil 
Her  melancholy  eyes  and  scarcely  breathed, 
Her  father  all  the  while  with  furious  heart 
And  full  of  menace  roaring  like  a  pard. 
With  blood  returning  to  her  pallid  cheeks 
His  love-sick  daughter  went  back  to  her  chamber, 
Where  with  her  mother  who  had  gained  the  day 
She  prayed  Almighty  God  to  be  their  stay. 


288  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 


§  17 
How  Minuchihr  heard  of  the  Case  of  Zdl  and  Ruddba 

News  of  the  friendship  of  Mihrab  and  Zal 
And  of  that  noble  ill-matched  pair  of  lovers 
Reached  Minuchihr.     The  matter  was  discussed 
Before  him  by  the  archmages.     Said  the  Shah : — 
"  A  dismal  time  will  come  on  us  hereby. 
Did  Faridun  purge  this  world  of  Zahhak 
That  at  Kabul  Mihrab — his  seed — might  flourish  ? 
V.  185  This  love  of  ZaTs  must  not  through  our  neglect 

Restore  the  drooping  plant  to  its  old  vigour. 
If  from  the  daughter  of  .Mihrab,  and  Zal, 
The  son  of  Sam,  a  sharp  Sword  should  be  drawn, 
On  one  side  he  will  be  an  alien, 
And  how  shall  antidote  agree  with  bane  ? 
While  if  he  favoureth  the  mother's  side 
His  head  will  be  possessed  by  evil  projects, 
He  will  fulfil  Iran  with  strife  and  travail 
In  hope  to  win  the  crown  and  treasure  back. 
What  is  your  rede  ?     Strive  to  advise  me  well." 

Then  all  the  archimages  blessed  the  Shah, 
They  hailed  him  as  the  king  of  the  Pure  Faith, 
And  said :  "  Thou  art  more  wise  than  we  and  hast 
More  power  to  act.     Let  wisdom  be  thy  guide, 
And  wisdom's  quarry  is  the  Dragon's  heart." 

The  Shah,  desirous  to  conclude  the  matter, 
Sent  for  Naudar,  with  lieges  and  great  men, 
And  bade  him :  •''  Go  to  Sam  the  cavalier, 
Ask :  '  What  hath  been  thy  fortune  in  the  war  ? ' 
And  having  seen  him  say :  '  Come  hither  first, 
And  journey  home  from  us.' " 

Naudar  set  forth, 
And  valiant  Sam,  informed  of  his  approach 


MINUCHIHR  289 

Went  with  the  paladins  to  welcome  him 

With  mighty  elephants  and  kettledrums. 

Anon  they  met  and  interchanged  their  greetings.  V.  186 

The  hero  Sam  rejoiced  to  see  the  prince, 

Who  gave  his  father's  message.     Sam  replied : — 

"  I  will  obey  and  joy  to  look  on  him." 

For  that  day  they  remained  the  guests  of  Sam, 
The  sight  of  whom  rejoiced  the  company ; 
They  spread  the  board,  they  took  the  cup  in  hand, 
And  first  they  drank  the  health  of  Minuchihr, 
Then  of  Naudar,  and  then  of  Sam  and  all 
The  chieftains,  not  forgetting  any  province. 
The  livelong  night  was  spent  in  revelry, 
But  with  the  sunrise  rose  the  din  of  tymbals ; 
The  speedy  dromedaries  spread  their  wings l 
And  toward  the  palace  of  Shah  Minuchihr 
They  went  as  bidden.     When  he  heard  thereof 
He  had  the  palace  of  the  Shcihs  prepared. 
Then  from  Sari  and  from  Amul  rose  din, 
As  when  a  fierce  sea  heaveth,  for  the  spearmen 
Marched  in  their  mail  with  heavy  darts,  a  host 
That  reached  from  range  to  range,  with  shield  on  shield, 
Whose  red  and  yellow  blent,  with  tymbals,  pipes, 
Gongs,  Arab  horses,  elephants,  and  treasures. 
On  such  a  fashion  marched  that  armament 
With  flags  and  kettledrums  on  welcome  bent. 


§   18 
How  Sdm  came  to  Minuchihr 

Sam  reached  the  court,  alit  and  was  received 
In  audience  by  the  Shah,  at  sight  of  whom 
He    kissed    the    ground,   and    then    approached    the 
presence ; 

1  Metaphorically,  of  course. 

T 


290  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

While  Miniichihr,  encrowned  with  sparkling  gems, 
V.  187       Rose  from  his  ivory  throne  and  made  Sam  sit 
Beside  him,  showed  the  chieftain  all  observance 
And  questioned  him  at  large  and  anxiously 
About  the  Kargasars,  about  his  troops, 
About  the  tierce  divs  of  Mazandaran. 
The  chief  told  all  and  said :  "  Live  happy  ever, 

0  Shah !     Ne'er  may  foe's  malice  touch  thy  life. 

1  marched  upon  that  land  of  valiant  divs, 
And  such  divs  too,  like  lions  in  the  fight, 
More  swift  than  Arab  horses  and  out-daring 
The  warriors  of  Iran  !     The  fierce  Sagsars — 
Pards  in  the  fray — concerned  at  mine  approach, 
Sent  up  the  battle-cry  within  their  cities, 

And  all  turned  out  to  fight — a  mighty  host, 
From  mountain  unto  mountain  naught  but  men, 
So  that  the  bright  day  vanished  in  the  dust. 
All  eager  for  the  fray  they  came  upon  me, 
Came  with  a  reckless  rush  !     A  panic  fell 
Upon  my  troops.     '  How  shall  I  bear,'  I  thought, 
'  This  anguish  ? "  and  I  saw  not ;  for  the  brunt 
Had  fallen  then  on  me.     I  roared  against  them, 
I  whirled  a  mace  that  weighed  three  hundred  mans l 
And  urged  mine  iron  steed.     I  came  among  them 
And  brained  them  till  the  foe  was  panic-stricken. 
The  grandson  of  the  valiant  worldlord  Salm, 
As  'twere  a  wolf,  was  foremost  of  them  all. 
The  youth  was  named  Karkwi,  a  lofty  Cypress, 
V.  1 88       Descended  through  his  mother  from  Zahhak. 
The  heads  of  nobles  were  but  dust  to  him. 
His  army  thronged  like  locusts  or  like  ants 
And  hid  dale,  plain,  and  mountain.     When  the  dust 
Rose  from  that  great  host,  and  my  troops  turned  pale, 
T  reared  the  mace  whereof  one  blow  suflSceth 

1  A  Persian  measure  of  weight  varying  greatly  in  different  localities. 


MINUCHIHR  291 

And  led  the  army  on.     I  raised  a  shout 
That  made  earth  seem  a  millstone  to  the  foe, 
While  all  my  host  was  heartened  and  resolved 
To  battle  on.     Karkwi,  who  heard  my  voice, 
And  blows  down-crashing  from  mine  iron  mace, 
Came  like  a  monstrous  elephant  against  me 
To  battle,  carrying  a  mighty  lasso, 
And  sought  to  catch  me  in  its  noose,  but  I 
Was  ware  and  moved  me  from  destruction's  path. 
I  took  a  royal  bow  and  poplar  arrows 
With  points  of  steel,  and  urging  on  my  charger 
To  eagle's  speed  I  showered  shafts  like  fire 
And  deemed  his  helm  pegged  to  his  anvil  head 
Until  I  saw  him  coming  mid  the  dust, 
Like  some  mad  elephant,  with  Indian  sword 
In  hand.     Methought,  0  Shah !   that  e'en  the  moun- 
tains 

Would  cry  to  him  for  quarter !     He  pressed  on, 
And  I  held  back  to  tempt  him  to  come  near ; 
Then,  when  he  closed  with  me,  reached  from  my  grey, 
Seized  on  the  girdle  of  that  mighty  man 
And  like  a  lion  wrenched  him  from  his  saddle ; 
Then  like  a  maddened  elephant  I  dashed  him 
Upon  the  ground  so  that  his  bones  were  shivered. 
Their  prince  o'erthrown  his  soldiers  fled  the  fight ; 
The  vales  and  hills,  the  deserts  and  the  mountains,          v  189 
Were  crowded  everywhere,  while  of  the  fallen 
Upon  the  field  we  reckoned  up  ten  thousand 
Of  horse  and  foot.     Troops,  citizens,  and  horsemen 
Were  verily  three  hundred  thousand  strong ; 
But  weighed  against  thy  fortune  what  are  foes 
Confronted  by  a  servant  of  thy  throne  ? " 

The  Shah,  on  hearing  what  his  chieftain  said, 
Raised  to  the  moon  his  glorious  diadem, 
Bade  hold  a  festival  and  saw  with  joy 


292  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USI 

The  world  freed  from  his  foes.    The  night  passed  quickly 
In  revelry  and  praises  of  the  chieftain. 
At  dawn  the  Shah  held  audience.     Sam  drew  near 
And  having  done  obeisance  sought  to  speak 
About  Mihrab  and  Zal,  but  was  prevented 
By  Mimichihr,  who  said  with  angry  looks : — 
"  Depart  with  chosen  chiefs,  burn  Hindustan, 
The  palace  of  Mihrab,  and  all  Kabul. 
Let  not  Mihrab  escape ;  he  is  a  remnant 
Left  of  the  Dragon's  seed,  and  filleth  earth 
V.  190       With  turmoil.     As  for  his  allies  and  kindred, 
Smite  off  their  heads,  and  purify  the  world 
Of  all  the  kith  and  kindred  of  Zahhak." 

Sam  dared  not  speak,  so  wrathful  was  the  Shah, 
But  kissed  the  throne,  then  gently  pressed  his  face 
Against  the  famous  signet  and  replied : — 
"  My  conduct  shall  acquit  the  Shah  of  vengeance." 

Then  with  his  host  he  sought  his  own  abode 
On  steeds  that  went  like  wind  along  the  road. 


§  19 
How  Sdm  went  to  War  against  Mihrdb 

Mihrab  and  Zal  had  news  of  what  had  passed 
Between  the  Shah  and  Sam,  Kabul  was  moved, 
And  cries  rose  from  the  palace  of  Mihrab. 
Now  when  Sindukht,  Mihrab,  and  e'en  Riidaba 
Despaired  of  saving  either  life  or  goods, 
Zal  left  Kabul,  exclaiming  as  he  went 
With  drooping  mien  yet  resolute  withal : 
"  The  Dragon  grim  whose  breath  would  burn  the  world 
Must  take  my  head  off  ere  he  touch  Kabul." 
In  great  concern  he  hasted  on  his  journey, 
With  much  to  think  about  and  much  to  say. 


MINUCHIHR  293 

News  reached  brave   Sam:   "The  Lion's  Whelp  hath 

come." 

The  troops  bestirred  themselves  and  got  in  readiness 
The  flag  of  Faridun.     They  beat  the  tymbals, 
And  chief  and  host  went  out  to  welcome  Zal 
With  elephants  whose  backs  were  draped  with  banners    V.  191 
Of  yellow,  red,  and  violet.     Zal,  on  seeing 
His  father's  face,  alighted  and  approached 
Afoot,  as  did  the  chiefs  of  both  the  hosts, 
And  brave  Zal  kissed  the  ground.     Sam  spent  a  while 
In  converse  with  his  son,  who  then  remounted 
His  chestnut  Arab,  like  a  hill  of  gold, 
While  all  the  chiefs  approached  him  in  concern. 
"  Thy  father  is  displeased  with  thee,"  they  told  him ; 
"  Make  thine  excuse  and  be  not  obstinate." 

He  said  :  "  I  fear  not,  for  man's  end  is  dust. 
My  sire  if  sane  will  not  unsay  his  words, 
And  if  at  first  he  speaketh  angrily 
Will  after  weep  for  shame." 

They  reached  Sam's  court 

With  much  good  cheer.     He  lighted  and  gave  audience 
To  Zal,  who  kissed  the  ground  before  his  sire 
With  ruffled  feathers,1  offering  praise  while  tears 
Fell  from  his  eyes  and  washed  his  rosy  cheeks. 
"  Glad  be  the  paladin's  shrewd  heart,"  he  said, 
"And  may  his  spirit  be  the  slave  of  justice. 
Thy  falchion  scorcheth  adamant,  earth  weepeth 
When  thou  art  fighting.     Where  thy  charger  pranceth 
The  lagging  soldiers  haste,  and  verily 
Where  heaven  hath  felt  the  storm-blast  of  thy  mace 
It  dareth  not  array  its  host.     All  earth 

Is  verdant  with  thy  justice,  and  the  spirit  V.  192 

Of  wisdom  is  a  seedling  of  thy  stock. 
All  joy  in  thy  just  dealing;  earth  and  time 

1  Zal  is  regarded  metaphorically  as  half  bird.    Cf.  pp.  302,  304. 


294  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Receive  it  at  thy  hands.     So  do  not  I ; 
I  have  no  share  though  thine  acknowledged  kinsman. 
I  am  the  dust-fed  nursling  of  a  bird 
And  know  no  feud  with  any,  and  no  fault 
To  give  occasion  to  an  enemy 
Save  this,  that  Sam  the  hero  is  my  sire 
And  mine  accomplishment  beneath  such  birth. 
Or  ever  I  was  born  thou  didst  expose  me 
Upon  the  mountains,  harrowing  my  mother, 
And  giving  to  the  flames  a  thriving  child. 
I  saw  no  cradle  and  no  breast  of  milk, 
I  had  no  memory  of  any  kindred, 
For  thou  didst  cast  me  out,  deprive  my  heart 
Of  peace  and  tenderness,  and  strive  against 
The  Maker,  for  who  maketh  white  and  black  ? 
Now  since  the  Maker  hath  provided  for  me, 
And  looked  upon  me  with  a  Master's  eye, 
Skill,  manhood,  and  a  hero's  sword  are  mine 
And  one  friend  too,  himself  the  crown  of  chiefs, 
The  brave,  wise,  prudent  monarch  of  Kabul. 
I  sojourned  at  Kabul  by  thy  command 
And  mindful  of  thy  counsel  and  thy  pledge. 
Thou  saidst :  '  I  ne'er  will  vex  thee,  but  will  bring 
The  tree  that  thou  hast  planted  into  fruit,' 
Yet  bringest  this  gift  from  Mazandaran, 
And  hastest  from  the  Kargasars  to  further 
The  ruin  of  my  home :  such  is  thy  justice  ! 
V.  193       Behold,  I  stand  before  thee  and  expose 

My  body  to  thy  wrath.     Saw  me  asunder, 
But  utter  not  a  word  against  Kabul. 
Do  as  thou  wilt ;  the  power  is  all  thine  own, 
But  mischief  to  Kabul  is  done  to  me." 

The  chief  attended  to  Zal's  words,  then  bowed 
His  head  and  answered : — "  'Tis  all  true,  and  I 
Have  dealt  with  thee  unjustly  from  the  first 


And  given  foes  occasion  to  rejoice. 

What  thou  hast  asked  me  is  thy  heart's  desire 

And  in  thy  trouble  thou  couldst  find  no  rest ; 

Yet  be  not  rash,  let  me  despatch  the  business. 

I  will  indite  a  letter  to  the  Shah 

And  send  it  by  thy  hand,  my  loving  son ! 

The  worldlord  will  not  seek  to  do  thee  harm 

When  he  shall  see  thy  prowess  and  thy  looks, 

And  I  have  wooed  his  heart  and  soul  to  justice. 

If  he  shall  aid  us  thou  wilt  be  contented, 

Because  the  lion  always  hath  the  power 

To  gain  its  ends,  and  everywhere  alike 

Can  seize  upon  the  quarry." 

Thereupon 
Zal  kissed  the  ground  with  many  a  benison. 

§   20 

How  Zdl  icent  on  a  Miot>ion  to  Minuchihr 

Sam  wrote  at  large  and  set  forth  every  plea.  V.  194 

The  letter  opened  with  the  praise  of  God, 

Who  is  established  in  His  seat  for  ever  : — 

"  From  Him  are  good  and  evil,  life  and  death : 

We  all  of  us  are  slaves  and  God  is  One. 

The  process  of  the  sky  is  over  all 

That  He — the  Lord  of  Saturn,  Sun,  and  Moon — 

Hath  willed.     His  blessing  be  upon  the  Shah — 

In  fight  an  antidote-consuming  bane, 

In  feast  a  moon  that  lighteneth  the  world — 

Who  brandisheth  the  mace,  who  stormeth  cities, 

Who  giveth  unto  each  his  meed  of  joy, 

Who  marcheth  with  the  flag  of  Faridun 

To  war,  and  slayeth  haughty  warrior-leopards. 

The  lofty  mountain  shattered  by  thy  mace 

Becometh  dust  upon  thy  proud  steed's  hoofs, 


296  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

While  thy  pure  heart  and  stainless  Faith  constrain 
Both  wolf  and  sheep  to  water  at  thy  cistern. 
A  slave  am  I  whose  race  is  run,  a  slave 
Who  hath  attained  to  sixty  years  twice  told. 
My  head  is  strewn  with  camphor-dust — a  crown 
That  sun  and  moon  have  given  me.     I  girt 
My  warrior-loins  and  slaved.     I  fought  the  warlocks. 
None  e'er  saw l  horseman  rein  his  steed,  fell  chiefs, 
Or  wield  a  mace  like  me.     My  mighty  mace 
Eclipsed  the  warriors  of  Mazandaran. 
Did  naught  beside  exalt  me  over  all — 
There  was  a  dragon  haunting  the  Kashaf 
And  making  earth  afoam.     It  reached  from  city 
To  city  and  from  hill  to  hill,  the  hearts 
Of  all  were  filled  with  panic :  men  kept  watch 
V.  195       Both  night  and  day.     That  dragon  cleared  the  sky 
Of  flying  fowl  and  earth  of  beast  of  prey. 
It  scorched  the  vulture's  feathers  with  its  blast, 
Set  earth  a-blazing  where  its  venom  fell, 
Dragged  from  the  water  gruesome  crocodiles, 
And  swiftly  flying  eagles  from  the  air. 
Men  and  four-footed  beasts  ceased  from  the  land ; 
The  whole  world  gave  it  room.     So  seeing  that  none 
Dared  to  lay  hand  upon  it,  in  God's  strength 
I  banished  terror  from  my  heart,  girt  up 
My  loins  in  His  exalted  name,  and  rode 
Mine  elephantine  steed.     My  saddle  bore 
Mine  ox-head  mace,  upon  mine  arm  I  carried 
My  bow,  and  at  my  neck  my  shield.     I  went 
Forth  like  a  savage  crocodile.     My  hand 
Was  keen,  keen  too  the  dragon's  breath,  and  all 
Farewelled  me  when  they  saw  me  wield  my  mace. 
I  came.     The  dragon  seemed  a  lofty  mountain 
And  trailed  upon  the  ground  its  hairs  like  lassos. 

1  Reading  with  C. 


MINUCHIHR  297 

Its  tongue  was  like  a  tree-trunk  charred,  its  jaws 

Were  open  and  were  lying  in  my  path. 

Its  eyes  were  like  two  cisterns  full  of  blood. 

It  bellowed  when  it  saw  ine  and  came  on 

In  fury,  seeming  all  afire,  O  Shah ! 

Within.     The  world  'gan  swim  before  mine  eyes, 

A  black  reek  went  up  to  the  murky  clouds, 

Earth's  surface  shook  beneath  the  bellowing, 

The  venom  seemed  to  be  a  sea  of  Chin. 

Then  like  a  gallant  warrior  I  roared 

Against  that  dragon,  as  a  lion  roareth, 

And  tarried  not,  but  fitted  to  my  bow 

A  poplar  arrow  tipped  with  adamant 

And  shot  it  at  the  dragon's  jaws,  to  phi 

The  tongue  against  the  throat;  the  tongue  lolled  pinned; 

The  dragon  was  astound.     Again  I  shot, 

Again  I  pierced  the  mouth ;  the  creature  writhed. 

I  shot  a  third  shaft  right  adown  its  jaws ; 

Its  heart's  blood  spouted  seething.     When  it  closed 

And  pressed  me  hard  I  took  mine  ox-head  mace  V.  196 

And  in  the  strength  of  God,  the  Lord  of  all, 

Urged  on  mine  elephantine  steed  and  smote 

The  dragon's  head :  thou  wouldst  have  said  that  heaven 

Rained  mountains  down  thereon.     I  smashed  the  skull, 

As  it  had  been  a  mighty  elephant's, 

And  venom  poured  forth  like  the  river  Nile. 

So  struck  I  that  the  dragon  rose  no  more 

While  earth  was  levelled  to  the  hills  with  brains. 

Kashaf  was  flowing  like  a  stream  of  gall 

And  all  was  peace.     The  mountain-tops  were  thronged 

With  folk  who  called  down  blessings  on  my  head, 

Because  that  dragon  was  a  fearful  bane. 

On  this  account  men  called  me  '  One  blow '  Sam, 

And  all  threw  jewels  o'er  me.     I  departed 

With  all  my  shining  body  bare  of  mail ; 


298  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

My  charger's  armour  dropped  from  him  in  pieces ; 
I  sickened  with  the  venom  many  days. 
There  was  no  harvest  in  those  parts  for  years 
Nor  aught  except  the  ashes  of  burnt  thorns. 
To  tell  my  conflict  with  the  divs  would  make 
The  letter  tedious,  but  in  that  and  elsewhere 
I  trampled  underfoot  the  heads  of  chieftains, 
And  wheresoe'er  I  rode  my  wind-foot  charger 
I  cleared  that  region  of  the  rending  lion. 
And  now  this  many  a  year  my  saddle's  back 
Hath  been  my  throne,  my  charger  been  mine  earth. 
My  massive  mace  hath  brought  beneath  thy  sway 
Mazandaran  and  all  the  Kargasars ; 
I  ne'er  have  asked  for  field  or  fell  but  sought 
To  make  thee  both  victorious  and  happy, 
v.  197        My  neck  and  mace-blows  are  not  what  they  were, 
My  breast  and  loins  are  bent ;  I  used  to  throw 
A  lasso  sixty  cubits  long,  but  now 
Am  bent  by  time  and  have  resigned  my  duties 
To  Zal,  as  worthy  of  my  mace  and  girdle. 
Like  me  he  will  destroy  thy  foes  and  make 
My  heart  glad  with  his  prowess.     He  hath  come 
To  ask  the  Shah  to  grant  his  secret  longing, 
One  excellent  in  God's  sight,  apart  from  Whom 
There  is  no  excellence.     We  have  not  moved 
Therein  as  yet  but  wait  the  great  king's  will, 
For  slaves  must  not  presume.     My  lord  the  Shah, 
The  guardian  of  the  world,  hath  surely  heard 
How  once  and  publicly  I  promised  Zal, 
When  I  was  bringing  him  from  Mount  Alburz, 
Not  to  refuse  him  aught,  and  he  hath  come, 
Besmeared  with  blood  and  dust,  and  bones  in  bits, 
With  his  request.     He  said  :  '  'Twere  better  far 
To  hang  Amul l  than  fall  upon  Kabul.' 
1  Mintichihr's  capital. 


MINUCHIHR  299 

But  when  a  fowl-fed  outcast  on  the  mountains 

Seeth  in  Kabulistan  so  bright  a  Moon — 

A  Cypress  slim  crowned  with  a  rosary — 

It  is  no  wonder  if  he  goeth  mad, 

Nor  ought  the  Shah  to  visit  it  upon  him. 

All  pity  him,  his  pangs  of  love  are  such  ! 

His  many  undeserved  afflictions  borne 

Evoked  the  promise  that  the  Shah  hath  heard, 

And  I  have  sent  him  with  a  heavy  heart. 

When  he  shall  come  before  thy  lofty  throne 

Do  that  which  is  most  consonant  with  greatness ; 

There  is  not  any  need  to  teach  thee  wisdom. 

Him  and  him  only  have  I  in  the  world 

To  share  my  sorrows  or  to  succour  me.  v.  198 

From  Sam  the  son  of  Nariman  be  blessings 

A  thousand  fold  upon  the  king  of  kings 

And  on  the  lords." 

When  all  things  were  prepared 
Zal  took  the  letter  hastily,  arose, 
Went  forth  and  mounted  mid  the  blare  of  trumpets. 
A  troop  of  warriors  went  with  him  to  court 
At  speed.     Thus  from  Zabulistan l  went  he 
While  "  One  blow  "  Sam  enjoyed  his  rosary. 

§  2I 
How  Mihrdb  was   Wroth  with  Sindukht 

When  these  events 2  were  bruited  at  Kabul 
Mihrab  in  fury  called  Sindukht  and  vented 
His  rage  against  Riidaba  on  his  wife. 
He  said  :  "  The  only  course  for  me,  since  I 
Must  yield  before  the  monarch  of  the  world, 

1  So  C.  and  P.     V.  apparently  by  oversight  reads  Kiibulistdn. 

2  I.e.  the   Shah's  wrath   and  his   instructions  to  Sam   to  destroy 
Kdbul. 


300  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Is  to  take  thee  with  thy  polluted  child 
And  slay  you  shamefully  and  publicly. 
Thereat  perchance  the  Shah  will  be  appeased 
And  earth  grow  peaceful.     Who  within  Kabul 
Would  dare  to  strive  with  Sam  or  feel  his  mace  ?  " 

Sindukht  sank  down  before  him  and  considered. 
Then  having  hit  on  an  expedient, 
For  she  was  shrewd  and  subtle,  came  before 
The  sunlike  king  with  folded  arms  and  said  : — 
V.  199       "  Hear  but  one  word  from  me,  then  do  thy  will. 
If  thou  hast  wealth  to  purchase  life  bestow  it, 
And  know  thou  that  this  night  is  big  with  fate. 
Yet    though    night    seeineth    long  'twill   pass,   and 

earth 
Be  like  a  signet-ring  of  Badakhshan." 

Mihrab  replied :  "  No  old  wives'  tales  to  warriors  ! 
Say  what  thou  know'st  and  use  all  means  for  life, 
Or  else  array  thee  in  the  robe  of  blood." 

She  said  :  "  There  is  no  need  of  that,  great  king ! 
But  I  must  go  to  Sam  to  draw  this  sword 
And  to  appeal  to  him  in  fitting  terms, 
For  wisdom  is  the  cook  when  speech  is  raw. 
To  labour  for  our  lives  is  my  part,  thine 
To  find  the  presents  and  entrust  to  me 
Thy  hoarded  wealth." 

"  Here  is  the  key,"  he  said, 

"  One  must  not  always  grieve  at  spending  treasure. 
Prepare  slaves,  horses,  thrones,  and  casques  to  go. 
We  yet  may  save  our  country  from  the  flames 
To  shine  though  faded  now." 

Sindukht  replied : — 

"  If  thou  desirest  life  hold  treasure  cheap. 
While  I  avert  the  danger  thou  must  use 
No  harshness  toward  my  child.     My  greatest  care 
Here  is  her  life ;  give  me  a  pledge  for  that. 


MINUCHIHR  301 

I  care  not  for  myself ;  all  my  concern 
And  travail  are  for  her." 

She  took  his  pledge, 

Then  boldly  faced  the  danger,  clad  herself 
All  in  brocade  of  gold  with  pearls  and  jewels 
About  her  head,  and  from  the  treasury  took 
Three  hundred  thousand  pieces  as  a  largess. 
They  brought  forth  thirty  steeds  of  Arab  stock  V.  200 

Or  Persian  with  their  silvern  equipage ; 
And  sixty  slaves  with  golden  torques,  each  bearing 
A  golden  goblet  brimmed  with  camphor,  musk, 
Gold,  turquoises,  and  jewels  of  all  kinds; 
One  hundred  female  camels  with  red  hair, 
One  hundred  baggage-mules;  a  crown  of  jewels 
Fit  for  a  king,  with  armlets,  torques,  and  earrings  ; 
A  throne  of  gold  like  heaven,  all  inlaid 
With  divers  sorts  of  gems,  the  width  thereof 
Was  twenty  royal  cubits  and  the  height 
The  stature  of  a  noble  horseman ;  lastly 
Four  mighty  Indian  elephants  to  bring 
Bales  full  of  wearing-stuffs  and  carpeting. 


§    22 

How  Sam  comforted  Sindukht 

The  treasures  having  been  despatched  she  mounted 

In  warrior-guise,  swift  as  a  lightning-flash, 

Assumed  a  Human  helm  and  rode  a  steed 

As  swift  as  wind,  approached  Sam's  court  unknown 

And  bade  the  officers  announce  her  thus : — 

"  An  envoy  from  Kabul  hath  come  to  seek 

The  mighty  chief,  the  hero  of  Zabul, 


302  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Charged  with  a  message  from  Mihrab  to  Sam, 
The  winner  of  the  world." 

The  chamberlain 

Went  to  tell  Sam,  who  granted  audience. 
Sindukht  dismounted,  hasted  to  the  chief 
V.  201       And  kissed  the  ground,  with  praises  of  the  Shah 
And  of  the  chief  of  paladins.     The  largess, 
The  slaves,  the  horses,  and  the  elephants 
Stretched  from  the  gate  two  miles.     She  offered  all 
To  Sam,  who  sat  there  dazed,  like  one  bemused, 
With  folded  arms  and  drooping  head.     He  thought : — 
"  Come  female  envoys  from  so  rich  a  country  ? 
If  I  accept  the  Shah  will  be  displeased  ; 
If  I  decline  then  Zal  will  be  chagrined 
And  flap  his  wings  about  like  the  Simurgh." 

He  raised  his  head  and  said :  "  As  for  these  goods, 
These  slaves  and  elephants  caparisoned, 
Go  give  them  to  Zal's  treasurer  as  presents 
Sent  by  the  Beauty  of  Kabulistan." 

Then  fairy-faced  Sindukht  essayed  to  speak, 
Rejoicing  that  her  offerings  were  accepted 
And  all  had  ended  well.     Three  of  her  handmaids, 
With  idol-faces,  tall  as  cypresses 
And  fair  as  jasmine,  bearing  each  a  goblet 
Which  brimmed  with  pearls  and  rubies,  poured  them 

out 

In  one  promiscuous  shower  before  the  chieftain. 
This  done  and  strangers  gone  she  said  to  Sam : — 
"  Thy  counsel  maketh  old  folk  young.     Thou  teachest 
V.  202       The  mighty  wisdom,  who  through  thee  illume 
The  world.     Thou  hast  sealed  up  the  hand  of  ill 
And  opened  with  thy  mace  the  way  of  God. 

Mihrab,  if  any,  was  to  blame,  and  he 
Is  weeping  blood.    What  have  our  people  done 
That  thou  must  raze  Kabul  ?     They  only  live 


MINUCHIHR  303 

To  do  thy  hest — slaves  of  the  very  dust 
Upon  thy  feet.     Fear  Him  who  hath  created 
Both  mind  and  might,  bright  Venus  and  the  Sun. 
He  would  not  countenance  such  acts  from  thee : 
Gird  not  thy  loins  for  bloodshed." 

Sam  replied : — 

"  Come  tell  me  what  I  ask  and  palter  not. 
Art  thou  the  slave  or  consort  of  Mihrab, 
Whose  daughter  Zal  hath  seen  ?     Tell  me  that  I 
May  judge  her  worthiness,  her  mind  and  temper, 
Her  face,  hair,  stature,  looks,  and  understanding — 
Whatever  thou  hast  noted  tell  me  all." 

Sindukht  replied  to  him :  "  O  paladin, 
The  chief  of  paladins,  the  warriors'  stay  ! 
First  swear  an  oath  whereat  the  land  shall  quake 
That  thou  wilt  never  injure  me  or  mine. 
I  have  a  palace,  wealth,  and  mighty  kindred. 
First  reassure  me  and  I  will  reply 

In  hope  to  win  thy  favour,  and  will  send  V.  203 

Our  hoarded  treasures  to  Zabul." 

Sam  grasped 

Her  hand  and  took  the  oath,  on  hearing  which, 
And  marking  that  his  speech  and  pledge  were  frank, 
She  kissed  the  ground,  then  rose  and  told  him  all : 
"  My  race  is  from  Zahhak,  O  paladin ! 
Spouse  to  Mihrab,  that  ardent  warrior, 
Am  I,  and  mother  of  rnoon-faced  Riidaba, 
Of  her  o'er  whom  Zal  poureth  out  his  soul. 
We  and  our  kin  before  all-holy  God 
Bless  all  night  long  the  Shah,  and  thee,  and  Zal. 
I  come  to  know  thy  will,  and  how  thou  holdest 
Us  in  Kabul.     If  we  be  bad  by  race 
And  sinners  all  unfit  for  rule,  behold  ! 
I  stand  before  thee  sorrowing.     Slay  thou 
Who  should  be  slain  and  bind  who  should  be  bound, 


304  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

But  as  for  all  the  guiltless  of  Kabul 
Burn  not  their  hearts  nor  turn  their  days  to  dark- 
ness." 

The  paladin  on  hearing  saw  in  her 
A  woman  of  counsel  and  of  ardent  soul, 
With  cheeks  like  spring,  in  height  a  cypress-tree, 
With  reed-like  waist  and  pheasant's  gait.     He  said : — 
"  My  pledge  shall  hold  although  it  cost  my  life. 
Live  safely  and  rejoicing  at  Kabul 
With  all  thy  kindred.     I  assent  that  Zal 
Shall  wed  Riidaba.     Though  our  race  is  other 
*-Than  yours,  yet  ye  deserve  the  crown  and  throne ; 
The  world  so  waggeth  and  no  shame  to  us ; 
We  cannot  strive  against  the  Almighty  Maker, 
Who  doth  whate'er.He  willeth  in  such  wise 
That  we  are  ever  crying  out :  '  Ah  me  ! ' 
V.  204        One  is  exalted  and  another  humbled, 

And  while  one  fareth  well  another  quaketh. 

The  heart  of  one  is  furnished  by  his  increase, 

Another's  minished  by  his  poverty, 

But  after  all  the  end  of  both  is  dust — 

The  element  that  slayeth  every  race. 

I  will  exert  myself  on  thy  behalf 

Because  of  thine  appeal  and  bitter  cry, 

And  have  already  written  to  the  Shah 

A  letter  with  the  plaint  of  one  in  pain, 

And  Zal  hath  gone  with  it.     Hath  gone  !  nay  rather 

Hath  flown !    He  saw  no  saddle  when  he  mounted, 

And  then  his  roadster's  hoofs  saw  not  the  ground  ! 

The  Shah  will  smile  and  give  a  gracious  answer, 

For  this  bird's  fosterling  is  out  of  heart ; 

He  standeth  in  the  mire  made  by  his  tears, 

And  if  his  sweetheart  is  as  fond  as  he  is 

Their  skins  will  never  hold  them.     Prithee  now 

Let  me  behold  the  Dragon's  child,  just  once, 


MINUCHIHR  305 

On  thine  own  terms.     The  sight  may  weigh   with 

me 
If  both  her  looks  and  locks  commend  themselves." 

She  answered :  "  If  the  paladin  will  gladden 
His  slave,  let  him  vouchsafe  to  visit  her : 
Her  head  will  reach  high  heaven.     If  to  Kabul 
We  bring  a  king  like  thee,  we  will  present 
Our  lives  as  offerings." 

She  saw  his  smiles 

And  that  all  hate  was  rooted  from  his  heart 
As  he  replied :  "  Be  not  concerned ;  this  matter 
Will  shortly  turn  out  to  thy  wish." 

Sindukht 

Then  asking  leave  withdrew,  and  went  away 
In  full  content,  her  cheeks  like  gems  for  joy. 
She  sent  a  lusty  courier  like  wind  V.  205 

To  tell  Mihrab  :  "  Be  easy  in  thy  mind, 
Rejoice  and  make  thee  ready  for  a  guest. 
I  follow  quickly." 

Next  day,  when  the  sun 
Shot  up  and  heads  awoke  from  drowsiness, 
Saluted  as  the  Moon  of  noble  dames, 
Sindukht  proceeded  to  the  court  of  Sam, 
Did  him  obeisance,  spake  with  him  at  large, 
And  asked  permission  to  go  home  rejoicing 
To  tell  Mihrab  about  the  new-made  league, 
And  get  all  ready  to  receive  their  guest. 
Sam  said  :  "  Depart  and  tell  him  everything." 

They  chose  choice  gifts  for  her  and  for  Mihrab, 
And  for  Riidaba  too — that  lovesome  maid. 
Sam  gave  Sindukht  withal  all  that  was  his 
Within  Kabul  of  palaces  and  gardens, 
Of  tilth,  milch  cattle,  carpets  and  apparel, 
Then  took  her  hand,  re-swore  his  oath  and  said : — 

"  Be  happy  at  Kabul,  and  fear  no  foe." 

U 


306  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

With  favouring  stars  the  pale  Moon's  face  again 
Grew  bright,  and  she  went  homeward  with  her  train. 


§  23 

How  Zdl  came  to  Minfichihr  with  Sam's  Letter 

Now  hearken  how  Zal  fared  with  Minuchihr — 
V.  206       That  favourite  of  fortune.     News  arrived : — 
"  Zal,  son  of  Sam  the  cavalier,  hath  come." 
The  nobles  went  to  welcome  him.     On  reaching 
The  court  he  had  an  audience  and  did  homage, 
Remaining  with  his  face  upon  the  ground. 
The  kind  Shah's  heart  was  won ;  he  bade  to  purge 
Zal's  face  of  dust  and  sprinkle  him  with  musk, 
And,  when  the  well-beloved  approached  the  throne, 
Inquired :  "  How  didst  thou  fare  mid  wind  and  dust 
On  thy  hard  journey,  child  of  paladins  ? " 

Zal   answered :    "  Through   thy   Grace    'twas   more 

than  well ; 
"  Thou  turnest  every  trouble  to  delight." 

The  Shah  then  took  Sam's  letter,  read  and  smiled. 
"  Thou  hast  increased  an  ancient  grief  of  mine," 
He  said,  "  yet  for  thy  father's  touching  letter, 
Which  ancient  Sam  hath  written  in  his  trouble, 
Although  the  matter  hath  much  grieved  my  heart, 
I  am  resolved  to  think  of  it  no  more, 
And  will  perform  and  carry  out  thy  wish, 
Since  that  is  all  to  thee ;  but  tarry  here 
While  I  deliberate  on  thine  affairs." 

The  cooks  brought  in  a  service  all  of  gold 
Whereat  the  king  of  kings  sat  down  with  Zal, 
And  ordered  all  the  chieftains  to  partake 
The  feast.    The  eating  done,  they  served  the  wine 
Within  another  throne-room,  and  that  over 


MINUCHIHR  307 

Zal  mounted  on  his  charger  with  gold  trappings, 

And  so  departing  passed  the  livelong  night 

With  much  to  think  and  talk  about.     At  dawn 

He  came  with  girded  loins  to  Miniichihr 

Of  glorious  Grace,  who  gave  him  salutation  V.  207 

And  praised  him  privily  when  he  had  gone. 

The  Shah  commanded  that  the  archimages, 
The  nobles,  wise  men,  and  astrologers, 
Should  meet  at  his  high  throne  and  read  the  stars. 
They  met  and  laboured  for  three  days  and  then 
Announced  :  "  We  have  perused  the  circling  sky, 
And  this  is  what  the  stars  prognosticate : — 
'  No  stagnant  pool  is  here.     There  will  arise 
From  Sam's  son  and  the  daughter  of  Mihrab 
A  hero  full  of  prowess  and  fair  fame. 
His  life  will  be  prolonged  for  centuries ; 
He  will  have  strength,  renown,  and  Grace,  pluck,  brains, 
And  thews,  and  not  a  peer  in  fight  or  feast. 
Where'er  his  charger's  coat  shall  run  with  sweat 
The  liver  of  his  foemen  shall  run  dry. 
The  eagle  will  not  soar  above  his  helm ; 
Naught  will  he  reck  of  chiefs  and  men  of  name. 
He  will  be  tall  in  stature,  great  in  might, 
Will  take  the  lion  with  his  twisted  lasso, 
Will  roast  whole  onagers  upon  the  fire, 
Will  make  the  air  weep  with  his  scimitar, 
Will  be  the  belted  servant  of  the  Shahs 
And  shelter  of  the  horsemen  of  Iran.' " 

Then  said  the  exalted  Shah :  "  Beware  that  ye 
Disclose  to  none  what  ye  have  told  to  me." 

1  Beading  with  C. 


3o8  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 


§    24 
How  the  Archmages  questioned  Zdl 

V.  208       The  Shah  called  Zal  to  prove  him  by  hard  questions. 
The  shrewd  archmages  and  the  men  of  lore 
Sat  in  full  conclave,  and  examined  him 
On  many  matters  veiled  in  mystery. 
One  asked  that  man  of  insight,  wit,  and  knowledge : — 
"  What  are  the  dozen  cypresses  erect 

In  all  their  bravery  and  loveliness, 
Each  one  of  them  with  thirty  boughs  bedeckt — 

In  Persia  never  more  and  never  less  ? " 
The  second  said :  "  O  noble  youth  !  explain — 
What  are  those  two  steeds  moving  rapidly : 

As  crystal  bright  is  this  one  of  the  twain 
And  that  one  sable  as  a  pitchy  sea ; 

They  gallop  at  their  utmost  speed  and  strain 

Each  one  to  catch  the  other,  but  in  vain  ? " 
The  third  said  thus :  "  What  are  the  thirty  men 

Who  ride  before  their  king  in  order  meet 
And  seem  but  twenty-nine  to  thee,  but  when 
Thou  countest  them  their  number  is  complete  ? " 
The  fourth  inquired :  "  What  is  the  meadow-land, 

Where  streams  abound  and  herbage  groweth  strong, 
To  which  a  fierce  man  cometh,  in  whose  hand 

There  is  a  scythe,  a  sharp  one  and  a  long : 
He  cutteth  all  the  grass  both  green  and  dry, 
And  if  thou  criest  heareth  not  thy  cry  ? " 
"  What  are  those  cypresses — a  lofty  pair — 

Like  reeds  above  a  sea  whose  waters  heave," 
Another  asked,  "  and  what  bird  nesteth  there 

On  this  at  morning,  and  on  that  at  eve  ? 
The  bird  departeth  and  the  leaves  turn  pale, 
The  bird  arriveth  and  they  musk  exhale. 


MINtlCHIHR  309 

In  all  their  verdure  both  are  never  seen  V.  209 

Together,  but  one  sere,  the  other  green." 

The  sixth  said :  "  On  a  mountain  I  descried 

A  city  that  was  strongly  fortified. 

The  citizens,  those  men  exceeding  wise, 

Preferred  thereto  a  thornbrake  on  the  waste ; 

And  there  as  monarchs  or  as  subjects  placed 
A  town  with  buildings  lifted  to  the  skies. 
The  memory  of  the  city  now  hath  gone, 
'Tis  not  accounted  of  by  any  one ; 
But  some  day  suddenly  the  earth  will  quake, 

The  country  vanish  from  the  sight  of  men, 
Remembrance  of  the  city  will  awake, 

And  long  regret  possess  the  citizen. 
Now  look  behind  the  veil,  explore  the  words, 

And  if  thou  canst  the  secret  sense  unfold, 
Declare  it  here  in  presence  of  the  lords,  . 

And  make  the  purest  musk  from  grimy  mould." 

,* 

§  25 
How  Z&l  ansicered  the  Archmages 

Zal  for  a  while  remained  absorbed  in  thought, 
Then   shook    his   plumage,   spread   his   wings,    and 

answered: — 
"  First  as  to  those  twelve  cypresses  which  rear 

Themselves,  with  thirty  boughs  upon  each  tree : 
They  are  the  twelve  new  moons  of  every  year, 

Like  new-made  monarchs,  throned  in  majesty. 
Upon  the  thirtieth  day  its  course  is  done 
For  each ;  thus  our  revolving  periods  run. 
Thou  speakest  of  two  chargers,  black  and  white, 

Which  like  Azargashasp  go  flashing  by : 
These  too  are  periods,  and  in  their  flight 

Pursue  each  other  unremittingly. 


310  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

The  two  that  pass  along  are  night  and  day, 

The  pulses  of  the  sky  are  reckoned  so ; 

They  never  catch  each  other  as  they  go, 
But  follow  as  a  hound  pursueih  prey. 
V.  210       Again,  thou  askest  of  the  thirty  men 

That  ride  before  their  king  in  order  meet, 
And  seem  to  thee  as  twenty-nine,  but  when 

Thou  countest  them  their  number  is  complete. 
They  are  the  phases  of  the  moon ;  one  night 
A  phase  from  time  to  time  eludeth  sight. 

Unsheathe  we  now  the  hidden  sense  expressed 
By  two  tall  cypresses,  a  bird  and  nest. 
The  darker  limb  of  heaven  is  opposed 

With  Aries  to  Libra  in  the  height ; 
Thence  till  the  reign  of  Pisces  hath  been  closed 

The  ascendant  limb  is  that  of  gloom  and  night. 
Each  lofty  cypress-tree  denoteth  one 

Of  these  two  limbs  which  cause  our  smiles  and  tears, 
The  bird  which  flieth  'twixt  them  is  the  sun — 

Occasion  to  the  world  of  hopes  and  fears.1 
Again,  the  city  built  upon  the  mount 
Is  our  long  home,  the  scene  of  our  account. 

This  Wayside  Inn  is  meant  by  Thornbrake  town, 
At  once  our  pleasure,  treasure,  pain  and  woe : 
It  reckoneth  each  breath  drawn  here  below 

And  both  exalteth  us  and  casteth  down. 

1  Putting  aside  modern  astronomical  notions  the  idea  seems  some- 
what as  follows:  the  sky,  as  represented  by  the  Signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
is  divided  into  a  lighter  and  a  darker  portion  or  "limb"  ;  the  lighter, 
Spring  and  Summer,  being  represented  by  the  Signs  from  Aries  to 
Virgo ;  and  the  darker,  Autumn  and  Winter,  by  those  from  Libra  to 
Pisces.  The  "limbs"  are  alternately  more  or  less  in  evidence,  while 
the  sun  is  continually  journeying  from  one  "  limb  "  to  the  other.  The 
double  alternation  of  light  and  darkness  is  thus  accounted  for ;  that 
of  the  lighter  and  darker  seasons  of  the  year  by  the  movements  of 
the  sky,  and  that  of  day  and  night  by  the  movement  of  the  sun.  The 
former  rules  man's  destiny,  the  latter  chiefly  influences  his  daily  life. 


MINUCHIHR  311 

A  storm  ariseth,  earth's  foundations  quake, 

Extorting  from  the  world  a  bitter  cry  ; 
We  leave  our  toils  behind  us  in  the  brake 

And  seek  the  city  that  is  built  on  high. 
Where  we  have  toiled  another  hath  the  gain, 
But  not  for  ever  :  he  will  not  remain. 
Twas  always  so  ;  to  look  for  change  is  vain. 
If  our  provision  be  an  honoured  name 

Our  souls  will  be  on  that  account  held  dear, 
But  if  we  do  the  deeds  of  greed  and  shame  V.  211 

That  will,  when  we  have  breathed  our  last,  appear. 

Albeit  we  have  raised  to  Saturn  here 
Our  mansion  we  shall  have  a  shroud  instead, 
No  more.     The  dust  and  bricks  close  o'er  our  head 
And  all  is  consternation,  awe,  and  fear. 
As  for  the  meadow-land,  and  him  whose  keen 

Scythe  is  a  terror  both  to  green  and  dry, 
Who  cutteth  all  alike,  both  dry  and  green, 

And  if  thou  criest  heareth  not  thy  cry  — 
Time  is  the  mower  ;  we  are  like  the  swath  ; 

The  grandsire  and  the  grandson  are  the  same 

To  him,  not  making  young  or  old  his  aim, 
But  chasing  each  that  cometh  in  his  path. 
The  use  and  process  of  the  world  are  so  : 

No  mother's  son  is  born  unless  for  death, 
By  this  door  we  arrive,  by  that  we  go, 

And  time  meanwhile  accounteth  every  breath." 


How  Zdl  displayed  his  Accomplishment  before  Minuchihr 

When  Zal  had  thus  expounded  all  the  riddles 
The  company  both  wondered  and  rejoiced, 
While  Minuchihr,  glad-hearted,  cried  :  "  Well  done  !  " 
He  had  forthwith  a  banquet-hall  prepared, 


312  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 

As  'twere  the  moon  at  full,  and  there  they  quaffed 
Wine  till  the  night  fell,  and  the  revellers'  heads 
Became  bemused.     Then  at  the  portal  rose 
Shouts  for  the  steeds,  and  glorious  in  their  cups 
The  warriors  grasped  hands  and  went  their  ways. 

Now  when  the  sunshine  struck  the  mountain-tops 
v  212        And  when  the  chiefs  awoke,  Zal,  ready-girt 
And  lion-like,  approached  the  royal  presence 
For  leave  to  hie  him  home,  and  thus  he  said : — 
"  My  gracious  lord  !  I  long  to  see  Sam's  face. 
Since  I  have  kissed  the  footings  of  thy  throne 
Of  ivory  thy  Grace  and  crown  illume 
My  heart." 

The  Shah  said  :  "  Youthful  warrior  ! 
Thou  must  bestow  upon  us  still  one  day. 
Thou  yearnest  for  the  daughter  of  Mihrab 
And  not  for  Sam." 

He  bade  to  carry  gongs 

With  Indian  bells  and  clarions  to  the  ground, 
And  all  the  warriors  went  forth  rejoicing 
With  lances,  maces,  and  artillery. 
They  took  their  bows  and  poplar  shafts  and  let 
A  mark  stand  for  the  foe.     They  wheeled  and  showed 
Their  horsemanship  with  mace,  sword,  shaft,  and  lance, 
While  from  a  height  the  Shah,  seen  or  unseen 
By  them,  observed  their  skill,  but  never  saw 
Or  heard  of  horsemanship  like  Zal's.     There  stood 
Upon  the  ground  an  ancient  tree.     Zal  took 
His  bow,  urged  on  his  steed,  and  raised  his  name 
By  striking  that  tall  tree  and  piercing  it 
Full  in  the  centre  with  the  royal  shaft. 
Then  certain  of  the  javelin-men  took  bucklers 
And  exercised  with  double-headed  darts. 
Zal  bade  his  Turkman  slave  bring  shields  of  hide, 
Drew  himself  up  and  urged  his  steed  along, 


MINUCHIHR  313 

Then  dropped  his  bow,  took  his  own  javelin 

And  made  new  sport.  He  struck  and  pierced  three  shields 

And  flung  them  to  one  side  in  high  disdain. 

The  Shah  said  to  the  chiefs :  "  What  mighty  man  V.  213 

Will  challenge  him  to  prove  his  weight  in  combat  ? 

He  hath  knocked  dust  out  of  two-headed  darts 

And  arrows." 

Then  the  warriors  donned  their  mail 
With  wrathful  hearts  and  curses  on  their  tongues. 
They  pricked  forth  to  the  combat  bearing  spears 
With  heads  of  tempered  steel.     Zal  urged  his  steed, 
Made  the  dust  fly,  and,  when  the  battle  joined, 
Selected  from  the  rest  a  cavalier 
Of  fame  and  high  estate  at  whom  he  charged. 
The  warrior  turned  and  fled.     Zal,  leopard-like, 
Emerging  from  the  dust,  seized  on  his  belt 
And  took  him  from  his  saddle  with  such  ease 
That  both  the  Shah  and  army  were  astound, 
The  chiefs  exclaiming :  "  None  will  see  his  peer." 
The  Shah  said :  "  May  he  ever  be  thus  ardent. 
The  mother  of  the  man  that  dareth  him 
To  battle  will  wear  mourning  for  her  son. 
The  lionesses  bear  not  one  so  brave, 
So  brave  ...  he  must  be  classed  with  crocodiles  ! 
And  Sam  is  blessed  indeed  to  leave  the  world 
Such  a  memorial." 

He  praised  the  youth, 

As  did  the  famous  warriors.     Then  they  went, 
With  girded  loins  and  casques  upon  their  heads, 
Toward  the  palace  where  the  Shah  prepared 
A  robe  of  honour  that  astonished  all 
The  chieftains,  with  a  precious  crown  and  throne 
Of  gold,  with  armlets,  torques,  and  golden  girdles, 
Rich  robes,  slaves,  steeds,  and  other  things  of  worth, 
And  gave  the  whole  to  Zal,  who  kissed  the  earth. 


314  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 


§  27 
Mintichihr's  Ansiver  to  Sdm's  Letter 

V.  214       The  Shah  then  wrote  a  very  gracious  letter 
To  Sam :  "  Renowned  and  valiant  paladin, 
In  all  emprise  victorious  like  a  lion, 
And  peerless  in  the  sight  of  turning  heaven 
For  feast,  for  fight,  for  counsel  and  for  favour ! 
That  glorious  son  of  thine — brave  Zal — at  whom 
The  lion  is  aghast  in  battle-tide, 
The  brave  accomplished  warrior  and  horseman 
Of  lasting  fame,  hath  come,  and  I,  on  learning 
Thy  wishes  and  his  longings,  granted  him 
All  his  desires,  and  count  upon  his  having 
A  long  and  glorious  life.     Should  leopard-hunters 
Have  other  issue  than  the  strong-clawed  lion  ? " 

Exalted  o'er  the  rest  and  in  high  favour 
Zal  sent  to  Sam  to  say :  "  I  left  the  Shah 
With  all  that  I  could  wish — a  royal  robe 
Of  honour,  crowns,  torques,  armlets,  and  a  throne 
Of  ivory,  and  am  coming  with  all  speed, 
My  loving,  glorious  sire ! " 

Sam  gladdened  so 

That  his  hoar  head  grew  young.     He  hurried  off 
A  horseman  to  Kabul  to  tell  Mihrab 

V.  215       The  kindness  of  the  Shah  which  had  produced 
Such  joy,  and  added :  "  After  Zal's  return 
We  will  set  out  to  pay  thee  our  respects." 

The  messenger  sped  forth.     Mihrab  on  hearing 
So  joyed  to  make  Kabul's  Sun  his  affine 
That  through  his  joy  the  dead  returned  to  life 
And  aged  heads  grew  young.    They  summoned  minstrels, 
And  one  had  said  that  all  poured  out  their  souls. 


MINUCHIHR  315 

With  smiling  lips  and  joyful  heart  he  called 

High-born  Sindukht  and  beaming  said  to  her : — 

"  My  consort,  whose  advice  is  prosperous ! 

Thy  counsel  hath  illumed  our  gloomy  dwelling. 

Thou  hast  laid  hand  upon  a  sprout  whereto 

The  monarchs  of  the  world  will  do  obeisance. 

Since  thou  hast  ordered  matters  from  the  first 

Thine  be  it  also  to  accomplish  them. 

My  treasury  is  all  at  thy  disposal 

For  what  is  needed — throne,  or  crown,  or  wealth." 

Sindukht  on  this  withdrew  and  gave  her  daughter 
The  news,  and  joyful  hopes  of  seeing  Zal. 
She  said :  "  Thy  choice  of  partner  is  most  fit, 
And  men  and  women,  howsoever  strict, 
Will  see  good  cause  to  let  their  strictures  cease. 
Thou  hast  sped  quickly  to  thy  heart's  desire." 

Riidaba  answered :  "  Consort  of  the  king  ! 
Thou  meritest  the  praise  of  every  one. 
I  make  the  dust  upon  thy  feet  my  pillow, 
And  order  my  religion  by  thy  teaching. 
May  eyes  of  Ahrimans  be  far  from  thee, 
And  be  thy  heart  and  soul  the  house  of  feasting." 

Sindukht  on  hearing  this  bedecked  the  palace, 
Arrayed  the  hall  like  jocund  Paradise,  v.  216 

Mixed  wine  and  musk  and  ambergris  and  spread 
Gold-broidered  carpets,  some  inwoven  with  emeralds 
And  others  patterned  out  in  lustrous  pearls ; 
Each  several  pearl  was  like  a  water-drop. 
She  placed  a  golden  throne  within  the  hall, 
So  do  they  use  in  Chin.     The  tracery 
Was  all  of  gems  with  carvings  interspersed, 
The  feet  were  jewelled  :  'twas  a  royal  throne 
And  very  splendid.     She  arrayed  Riidaba 
Like  Paradise,  wrote  on  her  many  a  charm 
And  seated  her,  allowing  none  to  enter 


316  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Within  that  chamber  arabesqued  with  gold.1 

Kabulistan  was  dight  in  festal  trim, 

All  colour,  scent,  and  wealth.     They  housed  the  backs 

Of  the  elephants  with  rich  brocade  of  Rum 

And  seated  on  them  minstrels  wearing  crowns. 

All  was  prepared  for  welcoming  the  guests 

And  all  the  slaves  were  summoned  to  strew  musk 

And  spicery,  to  put  down  furs  and  silks, 

To  fling  down  gold  and  musk,  and  sprinkle  round 

Wine  and  rose-water  on  the  dusty  ground. 


§  28 
How  Zdl  came  to  Sdm 

Zal  sped  like  bird  on  wing  or  ship  at  sea 
And  all  that  heard  of  his  approach  went  out 
To  welcome  him  with  joy.     The  palace  rang 
With  shouts  :  "  Zal  hath  succeeded  and  returned. 

Sam  met  him  joyfully  and  held  him  close 
v.  217       Embraced.    When  Zal  had  disengaged  himself 
He  kissed  the  ground  and  told  his  news.     Anon 
Sam,  seated  on  his  splendid  throne  with  Zal, 
Blithe-hearted  and  in  great  content,  began 
To  tell  about  the  matter  of  Sindukht, 
And  kept  his  countenance :  "  A  woman  named 
Sindukht  brought  me  a  message  from  Kabul, 
And  made  me  promise  not  to  be  her  foe. 
I  granted  all  that  she  was  pleased  to  ask — 
First  that  the  future  monarch  of  Zabul 
Shall  have  the  Beauty  of  Kabul  to  wife, 
And  next  that  we  will  go  and  be  her  guests 
To  heal  all  sores.     Now  she  hath  sent  to  say : — 

1  Where  she  had  once  entertained  Ztll. 


MINUCHIHR  317 

'  All  things  are  ready,  scented  and  adorned.' 
What  answer  shall  we  send  high-born  Mihrab  ? " 

Then  Zal  blushed  ruby-red  from  head  to  foot 
With  sudden  joy,  and  said :  "  O  paladin ! 
If  it  seem  good  to  thee  send  on  the  troops 
And  let  us  follow  and  discuss  the  matter." 

Sam  smiled  at  Zal,  aware  of  his  desire, 
For  he  could  talk  of  nothing  but  Rudaba, 
And  got  no  sleep  at  nights  for  thinking  of  her. 

Sam  bade  to  sound  the  gongs  and  Indian  bells 
And  have  prepared  the  royal  tent-enclosure. 
He  sent  a  cameleer,  a  valiant  man, 
To  advertise  the  lion-like  Mihrab : — 
"  The  chieftain  is  upon  his  way  with  Zal 
And  elephants  and  troops  escorting  them." 

He  went  with  speed  and  told  Mihrab,  who  joyed  ;     v.  218 
His  cheeks  grew  ruddy  as  the  cercis-bloom. 
He  sounded  trumpets,  mounted  kettledrums, 
And  furnished  forth  his  army  like  the  eye 
Of  chanticleer.    Huge  elephants  and  minstrels 
Made  earth  a  Paradise  from  end  to  end. 
What  with  the  many  flags  of  painted  silk 
Of  divers  colours,  sound  of  pipes  and  harps, 
The  blast  of  trumpets  and  the  din  of  gongs, 
One  would  have  said :  "  It  is  a  festival, 
The  Resurrection  or  the  Last  Great  Day." 
Thus  went  Mihrab  till  he  encountered  Sam, 
He  then  dismounted  and  approached  on  foot. 
That  paladin  of  paladins  embraced  him 
And  asked  if  all  were  well.     Mihrab  began 
To  compliment  both  Sam  and  Zal,  then  like 
The  ii6w  moon  rising  o'er  the  mountain-tops 
He  mounted  his  fleet  steed  and  set  a  crown 
Of  gold  and  jewels  on  the  head  of  Zal. 
Conversing  of  the  past  they  reached  Kabul. 


3i8  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

What  with  the  clang  of  Indian  bells,  the  sounds 
Of  lyre  and  harp  and  pipe,  one  would  have  said : — 
"  The  roofs  and  doors  make  music.     Times  are  changed  ! " 
The  horses'  manes  and  forelocks  ran  with  saffron 
And  musk.     Then  with  three  hundred  female  slaves 
With  girded  loins,  each  with  a  cup  of  gold 
Which  brimmed  with  musk  and  gems,  Sindukht  ap- 
proached, 

And  all  blessed  Sam  and  showered  forth  the  jewels. 
Each  person  present  on  that  happy  day 
v.  219       Had  treasure  to  the  full.     Sam  smiled  and  asked : — 
"  How  long  wilt  thou  conceal  Rudaba  thus  ? " 

Sindukht  replied  :  "  If  thou  wouldst  see  the  Sun 
What  is  my  fee  ? " 

Sam  answered :  "  What  thou  wilt : 
My  treasures,  crown,  throne,  country — all  are  thine." 

They  sought  the  chamber  arabesqued  with  gold, 
Where  all  was  jocund  Spring,  and  Sam,  entranced, 
Struck  dumb,  and  dazzled,  viewed  the  moon-faced  maid. 
At  last  he  said  to  Zal :  "  Thou  lucky  youth  ! 
God  greatly  helped  thee  when  this  glorious  Sun 
Set  her  affections  on  thy  face.     Thy  Choice 
Is  choice  indeed  ! " 

By  Sam's  desire  Mihrab 
Approached  to  execute  the  legal  contract. 
They  placed  the  happy  couple  on  one  throne 
And  scattered  emeralds  and  carnelians. 
Her  coronet  was  wrought  of  gold  and  his 
Of  royal  gems.     Mihrab  produced  and  read 
The  inventory  of  his  daughter's  dowry 
Till  one  had  cried  :  "  'Tis  more  than  ear  can  hear." 
Sam  was  confounded  when  he  realised 
The  treasures,  and  invoked  the  name  of  God. 
Then  hall  and  city  revelled  for  a  week, 
The  palace  was  a  Paradise  in  raptures, 


MINUCHIHR  319 

And  neither  Zal  nor  coral-lipped  Riidaba  v-  22° 

Slept  for  a  sennight  either  day  or  night ; 

Then  going  to  the  palace  from  the  hall 

They  spent  three  weeks  in  joy,  while  all  the  nobles 

With  armlets  on  stood  ranked  outside.     One  month 

Elapsed  and  Sam  departed  to  Si'stan. 

Zal  spent  a  happy  week  in  getting  ready 

Steeds,  howdahs,  litters ;  for  Riidaba's  use 

A  curtained  couch.     Sindukht,  Mihrab,  and  all 

Their  kin  set  off  first  for  Si'stan,  glad-hearted, 

With  minds  at  ease  and  lips  all  praise  to  God, 

Who  giveth  good,  and  there  arrived  triumphant, 

Illuminating  earth  with  joy  and  laughter. 

Sam  had  a  feast  prepared.     Three  days  were  spent 

In  revelling,  then  while  Sindukht  remained 

Mihrab  returned  attended  to  Kabul, 

While  Sam  gave  up  the  realm  to  Zal  and  led 

His  army  westward  'gainst  the  Kargasars, 

With  flaunting  flag  and  favouring  auguries. 

"  I  go,"  said  he,  "  because  those  fields  are  mine, 

Though  not  men's  hearts  and  eyes.     I  have  the  patent 

From  Minuchihr.     '  Have  and  enjoy,'  he  said. 

I  fear  me  that  the  miscreants  will  rebel,  V.  221 

The  divs  above  all  of  Mazandaran. 

I  give  to  thee,  O  Zal !  this  state,  this  realm, 

And  glorious  crown." 

Sam  of  the  single  blow 
Departed,  leaving  Zal  upon  the  throne, 
A  happy  husband  holding  festivals, 
And  when  Riidaba  sat  beside  her  spouse 
He  placed  a  crown  of  gold  upon  her  brows. 


320  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAUSI 


§  29 
The  Story  of  the  Birth  of  Rustam 

Ere  long  the  noble  Cypress  was  in  bearing, 
Delightsome  Spring  grew  sere,  her  heart  was  sad, 
She  wept  blood  for  the  burden  that  she  bore. 
Gone  was  her  cercis-bloom,  her  cheeks  were  saffron. 
Sindukht  said  unto  her :  "  Life  of  thy  mother ! 
Why  hast  thou  grown  so  wan  ? " 

Riidaba  answered : — 
"  By  night  and  day  I  cry  for  help.     I  lie 
Sleepless  and  withered  like  a  living  corpse. 
My  time  hath  come  but  not  deliverance." 

Until  that  came  she  lacked  both  rest  and  sleep. 
One  would  have  said :  "  Her  skin  is  stuffed  with  stones 
Or  iron."     Now  one  day  she  swooned,  and  shrieks 
Rose  from  the  halls  of  Zal.     Sindukht  bewailed, 
v.  222       Plucked  out  her  raven  tresses  musk-perfumed 

And  tore  her  face.     Then  one  announced  to  Zal : — 
"  The  leaves  have  withered  on  thy  lofty  Cypress," 
And  he  with  tearful  cheeks  and  stricken  heart 
Approached  the  couch  whereon  Riidaba  lay. 
The  female  slaves  were  tearing  out  their  hair 
Unveiled  with  tearful  faces.     Then  occurred 
A  thought  to  Zal  which  eased  him  of  his  anguish — 
The  plume  of  the  Simurgh.1     He  smiling  told 
Sindukht,  then  brought  a  censer,  kindled  fire 
And  burnt  some  of  the  plume.     The  air  grew  dark 
And  that  imperious  bird  swooped  down — a  Cloud 
Whose  drops  were  pearls  .  .  .  pearls,  say  I,  rather  peace. 
Zal  did  obeisance  long  and  praised  her  much. 
She  thus  addressed  him :  "  Wherefore  is  this  grief, 
This  moisture  in  the  mighty  Lion's  eye  ? 

1  Of.  pp.  235,  246. 


MINUCHIHR  321 

From  this  moon-faced  and  silver-bosomed  Cypress 

Will  come  a  noble  babe.     The  mighty  lion 

Will  kiss  the  dust  upon  his  feet.     No  cloud 

Will  dare  to  pass  above  him.     When  he  shouteth 

The  pard  will  split  its  skin  and  gnaw  its  paws. 

The  warriors  that  see  his  whizzing  mace, 

His  chest,  his  arms  and  neck,  will  hear  his  voice 

With  quaking  hearts,  steel-eaters  though  they  be 

And  gallant  fighters ;  for  this  child  will  prove 

In  counsels  and  in  rede  a  weighty  Sam, 

In  height  a  cypress-tree,  in  wrath  a  lion, 

In  strength  an  elephant,  and  fillip  bricks 

Two  miles.     His  birth  will  not  be  natural,  V.  223 

So  willeth  He  who  giveth  good.     Bring  thou 

A  blue-steel  dagger,  seek  a  cunning  man, 

Bemuse  the  lady  first  with  wine  to  ease 

Her  pain  and  fear,  then  let  him  ply  his  craft 

And  take  the  Lion  from  its  lair  by  piercing 

Her  waist  while  all  unconscious,  thus  imbruing 

Her  side  in  blood,  and  then  stitch  up  the  gash. 

Put  trouble,  care,  and  fear  aside,  and  bruise 

With  milk  and  musk  a  herb  that  I  will  show  thee 

And  dry  them  in  the  shade.     Dress  and  anoint 

Rudaba's  wound  and  watch  her  come  to  life. 

Rub  o'er  the  wound  my  plume,  its  gracious  shade 

Will  prove  a  blessing.     Let  this  gladden  thee. 

Then  go  before  the  Lord  who  hath  bestowed 

This  royal  Tree  which  ever  blossometh 

Good  fortune.     Be  not  troubled  for  this  matter, 

Because  thy  fertile  Bough  will  yield  thee  fruit." 

She  spake,  and  plucking  from  her  wing  a  plume 
Dropped  it  and  flew  aloft.     Zal  picked  it  up 
And  did,  0  marvel !  as  the  bird  had  said, 
While  every  one  looked  on  amazedly 
With  wounded  spirit  and  with  bloodshot  eyes. 


322  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Smdukht  wept  tears  of  blood  in  torrents,  asking : — 
"  How  shall  the  infant  come  forth  through  the  side  ?  " 

There  came  an  archimage,  one  deft  of  hand, 
Who  made  the  moon-faced  dame  bemused  with  wine, 

V.  224       Then  pierced  her  side  while  she  was  all  unconscious, 
And  having  turned  the  infant's  head  aright 
Delivered  her  uninjured.    None  had  seen 
A  thing  so  strange.     The  babe  was  like  a  lion, 
A  hero  tall  and  fair  to  look  upon. 
Both  men  and  women  wondered  at  him,  none 
Had  heard  of  such  an  elephantine  child. 
A  day  and  night  the  mother  lay  asleep, 
Bemused,  unconscious.    They  the  while  sewed  up 
The  wound  and  eased  the  anguish  with  the  dressing. 
When  she  awoke  and  whispered  to  Sindukht 
They  showered  gold  and  jewels  over  her 
And  praised  the  Almighty.    Then  they  brought  the  babe 
To  her,  extolling  him  as  heavenly. 

The  first  day  thou  hadst  called  him  twelve  months  old — 
A  very  heap  of  lilies  mixed  with  tulips. 
The  lofty  Cypress  smiled  upon  the  babe, 
Perceived  in  him  the  Grace  of  king  of  kings, 
And,  "  I  am  magnified,"  she  said,  "  and  grief 
Is  over." 

So  they  named  the  infant  "  Rustam." l 
They  made  of  silk  a  herolet  the  size 
Of  that  unsuckled  Lion,  stuffing  it 
With  sable's  hair  and  limning  Sol  and  Venus 
Upon  the  cheeks,  with  dragons  on  the  arms, 
And  on  the  hands  a  lion's  claws.     Beneath 
The  arm  there  was  a  spear,  mace  in  one  hand 
And  bridle  in  the  other.     They  set  the  puppet 

V.  225       Upon  a  chestnut  horse  with  great  attendance. 

1  The  word  in  the  Persian  may  also  mean  "  Je  suis  delivree  "  (Mohl), 
or  "  I  bear  fruit,"  lit.,  "  There  is  fruit  to  me." 


MINUCHIHR  323 

This  done  they  sent  on  first  a  cameleer 

Apace,  showered  drachms  on  those  who  were  in  charge, 

And  took  the  puppet  mace  in  hand  to  Sam. 

In  all  the  country  round  they  held  high  revel, 
The  desert  was  supplied  with  pipe  and  wine. 
Inside  Kabul  Mihrab  enjoyed  the  tidings 
And  showered  dinars  upon  the  mendicants, 
While  in  Zabul  the  revellers  sat  together 
Without  distinction  as  to  high  and  low, 
But  mixed  like  warp  and  woof. 

They  brought  the  puppet 
To  Sam  the  cavalier,  who  looked  thereon, 
Grew  glad  and  well  content.     That  hero's  hair 
Stood  up  on  end.     "  This  silken  thing,"  said  he, 
"  Is  just  like  me.     If  he  is  half  this  size 
His  head  will  touch  the  sky,  his  skirt  the  ground." 

He  called  the  messenger  and  poured  drachms  o'er 

him 

Until  the  heap  was  level  with  his  head. 
The  drums  beat  in  the  court  for  joy,  Sam  decked 
The  champaign  like  the  eye  of  chanticleer 
Aikd  bade  adorn  the  land  of  the  Sagsars 

And  all  Mazandaran.     He  had  wine  brought,  V.  226 

C;  lied  minstrels  and  showered  drachms  on  mendicants. 

A  week  passed  and  the  famous  chieftain  wrote 
A  letter  like  the  meads  of  Paradise 
To  Zal.     He  offered  praises  first  to  God 
That  matters  had  turned  out  so  happily, 
Praised  Zal  the  lord  of  mace  and  scimitar, 
Then  coming  to  the  effigy  of  silk, 
Which  had  a  hero's  neck  and  Grace  of  kings, 
Enjoined:  " So  cherish  him  that  not  a  breath 
May  hurt  him.     I  have  prayed  by  day  and  night 
In  secret  to  Almighty  God  to  show  me 
A  son  born  of  thy  seed  and  of  my  type. 


324  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Now  that  the  backs  of  both  of  us  are  straightened 
We  only  need  to  pray  that  we  may  live." 

Came  like  a  rushing  wind  the  messenger 
To  Zal  of  ardent  and  exulting  heart, 
Told  him  of  Sam's  delight  and  gave  the  letter. 
As  soon  as  Zal  had  heard  those  pleasant  words, 
Which  caused  the  clear-brained  hero  added  joy, 
He  raised  his  neck  to  touch  the  azure  sky. 
Thus  went  the  world  with  Zal  and  showed  its  purpose. 

Ten  nurses  suckled  Rustam,  for  from  milk 
Are  strength  and  constitution.     Being  weaned 
He  lived  on  bread  and  flesh.     He  ate  as  much 
As  five,  and  people  turned  from  such  repasts. 
V.  227        When  Rustam  had  attained  the  height  of  eight 1 
And  grown  a  noble  Cypress  or  bright  Star — 
A  Star  whereat  the  world  was  all  agaze — 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  'Tis  valiant  Sam  indeed 
In  stature,  wisdom,  countenance,  and  rede." 


§  30 
How  Sam  came  to  see  Rustam 

Sam  heard :  "  The  son  of  Zal  is  like  a  lion, 
None  ever  saw  a  child  so  fierce  and  stalwart." 
His  heart  was  stirred  in  him,  and  he  resolved 
Himself  to  see  the  boy.     He  left  in  charge 
The  captain  of  the  host  and  went  with  escort, 
Drawn  by  his  love,  toward  Zabulistan. 
Then  earth  grew  ebon,  for  Zal  heard  the  news, 
Bound  on  the  drums  and  went  with  brave  Mihrab 
To  welcome  Sam.     When  Zal  had  dropped  the  ball 
Shouts  of  departure  rose  on  every  side. 

1  Firdausi  does  not  specify  the  measure.     Mohl  translates  "  huit 
palmes," 


MINUCHIHR  325 

The  mass  of  men  stretched  out  from  hill  to  hill, 

With  buckler  after  buckler  red  and  yellow. 

Then  trumpeted  the  elephant  and  neighed 

The  Arab  steed,  five  miles  that  din  resounded. 

They  had  one  mighty  elephant  caparisoned 

And  furnished  with  a  golden  throne,  whereon 

The  son  of  Zal  sat  with  his  cypress-form, 

And  what  a  neck  and  shoulders  !  crowned  and  girt, 

With  bow  and  shafts  in  hand,  and  shield  before  him. 

Sam  saw  and  ranked  his  troops  upon  each  side.  V.  228 

Mihrab  and  Sam  dismounted,  and  the  elders 

Fell  prostrate,  calling  blessings  down  on  Sam, 

Whose  face  bloomed  like  a  rose.    With  gladdened  heart 

He  smiled  to  see  the  child  so  strongly  built — 

A  lion's  whelp  upon  an  elephant. 

He  had  them  brought  just  as  they  were,  surveyed 

The  boy  thus  crowned  and  throned,  and  blessed  him, 

saying  :— 
"  Live  long  and  happily,  thou  matchless  Lion." 

Then  Rustam  kissed  Sam's  throne  and,  wonderful 
To  tell !  saluted  him  in  this  new  fashion  : — 
"  Great  paladin  !  rejoice.     I  am  thine  offshoot : 
Be  thou  my  root.     The  slave  of  Sam  am  I, 
But  am  not  one  for  banquet,  dream,  and  ease, 
I  would  have  steed  and  saddle,  mail  and  helm, 
Despatch  my  compliments  by  bolt  and  arrow, 
And  by  God's  bidding  trample  on  foes'  heads. 
My  face  is  like  to  thine,  so  be  my  courage." 

He  lighted.     Sam  the  chieftain  grasped  his  hand 
And  kissed  his  head  and  eyes.     Meanwhile  the  tymbals 
And  elephants  were  still.     Then  full  of  glee 
And  talk  they  all  betook  them  to  the  palace  V.  229 

And  revelled  merrily  on  golden  seats, 
Thus  resting  for  a  month  with  harp  and  song. 
Upon  the  throne  there  sat  victorious  Sam, 


326  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

An  eagle's  feather  drooping  from  his  crown, 

Flanked  by  his  son  and  Rustam  mace  in  hand, 

On  whom  the  grandsire  gazed  amazedly, 

Invoked  o'er  him  the  name  of  God  and  thought : — 

"  With  such  a  neck  and  arms,  such  thews  and  shoulders, 

Such  reed-like  waist,  such  ample  chest  and  breast, 

Such  thighs  like  those  of  mighty  dromedaries, 

Such  lion's  heart  and  lion-tiger  might, 

Such  goodly  features,  neck,  and  Grace,  he  hath 

No  peer  on  earth,"  then  said  to  Zal :  "  Although 

Thou  question  back  a  hundred  generations, 

No  one  would  know  of  babe  delivered  thus. 

How  could  they  do  the  thing  successfully  ? 

A  thousand  times  may  that  Simurgh  be  blest 

To  whom  God  showed  the  way.     Now  let  us  revel 

And  put  to  flight  with  wine  the  soul  of  care, 

For  this  world  is  a  caravanserai, 

Old  guests  depart  and  new  ones  take  their  places." 

They  put  the  wine  about  and  grew  bemused, 
They  drank  the  chieftain's  health,  then  that  of  Zal. 
Mihrab  kept  quaffing  till  he  thought  himself 
The  one  man  of  the  world.     "  I  do  not  care 
For  Zal  or  Sam,"  he  said,  '•'  Shah,  crown,  or  Grace. 
I,  Rustam,  and  my  steed  Shabdiz,  and  sword  .  .  . 
No  cloud  will  dare  to  overshadow  us. 
I  will  revive  the  customs  of  Zahhak, 
And  make  the  dust  beneath  my  feet  pure  musk. 
V.  230       And  now  to  find  him  arms." 

He  spake  in  jest, 
And  Zal  and  Sam  were  merry  at  his  words. 

Sam,  when  the  month  was  o'er,  one  day  at  dawn 
Returned  to  his  own  throne.     He  said  to  Zal : — 
"  My  son  !  be  just  and  loyal  to  the  Shahs, 
Preferring  wisdom  over  wealth,  refraining 
Thy  hands  from  evil  all  thy  years,  and  seeking 


MINUCHIHR  327 

God's  way  from  day  to  day.     Know  that  in  public 
And  private  also  'tis  the  one  thing  needful 
Because  the  world  will  not  abide  with  any. 
Observe  my  rede  and  walk  in  righteous  ways. 
My  heart  forebodeth  that  my  time  hath  come." 

He  bade  his  children  both  farewell  and  said  :— 
"  Forget  not  mine  advice." 

Then  in  the  palace 

The  bells  rang  out,  and  on  the  elephants 
The  clarions  blared,  as  with  his  gentle  tongue 
And  kindly  heart  Sam  journeyed  toward  the  west. 
His  children  bore  him  company  three  stages 
With  minds  instructed  and  with  tearful  cheeks, 
Then  Sam  went  on  while  Zal  marched  to  Si'stan 
And  there  in  lion  Rustam's  company  V.  231 

Spent  day  and  night  in  bout  and  revelry. 


How  Rustam  slew  the   White  Elephant 

It  came  to  pass  that  as  they  spent  a  day 

In  revel  in  a  garden  with  their  friends, 

While  harp-strings  ran  the  gamut  of  sweet  sounds 

And  all  the  chiefs  were  one  in  merriment, 

They  quaffed  red  wine  from  crystal  cups  until 

Their  heads  were  dazed,  and  then  Zal  bade  his  son : — 

"  My  child  of  sun-like  Grace  !  make  ready  robes 

Of  honour  for  thy  warriors,  and  steeds 

For  those  of  high  degree." 

So  Rustam  gave 

Gold,  many  Arab  steeds  caparisoned 
And  other  gifts,  and  all  went  richer  home. 
Zal,  as  his  wont  was,  sought  the  bower,  while  Rustam 
Reeled  to  his  chamber,  laid  him  down  and  slept. 


328  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Shouts    rose    outside    his    door :    "  The    chiefs  white 

elephant 

Hath  broken  loose,  and  folk  are  in  its  danger ! " 
He  heard,  and  urged  by  hardihood  ran  forth, 
Snatched  up  Sam's  mace  and  made  toward  the  street. 
The  keepers  of  the  gate  opposed  him,  saying : — 
"We  fear  the  chieftain,  'tis  a  darksome  night, 
V.  232       The  elephant  is  loose  !     Who  can  approve 
Thy  going  forth  ? " 

Wroth  at  the  speaker's  words 
The  matchless  Rustam  smote  him  on  the  nape : 
His  head  rolled  from  him.     Rustam  turned  toward 
The  others  but  they  fled  the  paladin, 
Who  boldly  went  up  to  the  gate  and  smashed 
The  chains  and  bolts  with  blows  that  well  befitted 
One  of  such  noble  name,  went  forth  like  wind 
With  shouldered  mace  excitedly,  approached 
The  mighty  beast  and  roared  out  like  the  sea. 
He  looked  and  saw  a  Mountain  bellowing, 
The  ground  beneath  it  like  a  boiling  pot, 
Saw  his  own  nobles  fleeing  in  dismay, 
Like  sheep  that  spy  a  wolf,  roared  like  a  lion 
And  went  courageously  against  the  beast, 
Which  seeing  him  charged  at  him  like  a  mountain 
And  reared  its  trunk  to  strike,  but  Rustam  dealt  it 
A  mace-blow  on  the  head  ;  the  mountain-form 
Stooped ;  Mount  Bistiin  shook  to  its  core  and  tumbled 
At  one  blow  vile  and  strengthless.     Thus  it  fell, 
That  bellowing  elephant,  while  matchless  Rustam 
Went  lightly  to  his  place  again  and  slept. 

Now  when  the  sun  ascended  from  the  east, 
Bright  as  the  cheeks  of  those  who  ravish  hearts, 
Zal  heard  of  Rustam's  deeds,  how  he  had  knocked 
The  dust  out  of  the  roaring  elephant, 
Had  with  a  single  mace-blow  broken  its  neck 


MINUCHIHR  329 

And  cast  its  body  to  the  ground.     He  cried : — 

"  Woe  for  that  mighty  elephant,  which  used 

To  bellow  like  the  dark  blue  sea !     How  often 

Hath  that  strong  beast  charged  and  o'erthrown  a  host,    V.  233 

Yet  conquer  howsoe'er  it  might  in  battle 

My  son  hath  bested  it ! " 

He  summoned  Rustam, 

Kissed  him  upon  his  head  and  hands  and  neck, 
And  said :  "  O  lion's  whelp !  thy  claws  have  grown 
And  thou  art  brave  indeed  !    Youth  as  thou  art 
Thou  hast  no  peer  in  stature,  Grace,  and  valour ; 
So  ere  thy  spreading  fame  shall  thwart  thine  action 
Take  vengeance  for  the  blood  of  Nariman. 
Speed  forth  to  Mount  Sipand  where  thou  wilt  see 
A  cloud-capt  stronghold  four  leagues  square,  whereover 
The  eagle  hath  not  soared.     'Tis  full  of  herbage 
And  water,  gold  and  money,  men  and  beasts. 
Both  trees  and  husbandmen  abound  there ;  none 
Hath  seen  a  place  like  that.     The  All-Provider 
Hath  furnished  workmen  of  all  sorts,  and  fruit-trees. 
There  is  but  one  approach ;  'tis  through  a  gate 
As  high  as  heaven,  and  Nariman,  who  bore 
The  ball  from  all  the  chiefs,  approached  the  stronghold 
By  order  of  Shah  Faridiin  and  held 
The  road.     The  siege  went  on  both  night  and  day 
With  stratagems  and  spells  above  a  year, 
Until  the  foe  hurled  down  a  rock  and  earth 
Possessed  the  paladin  no  more.     The  host 
Retreated  to  the  Shah.     When  Sam  was  told  : —  v.  234 

'  The  valiant  Lion  hath  had  fight  enough,' 
He  wailed  with  growing  grief,  and  having  mourned 
A  week  in  anguish  called  the  host  together. 
He  marched  against  that  hold  with  troops  that  covered 
The  waste  and  desert,  and  for  months  and  years 
Beleaguered  it  in  vain.     None  issued  forth 


330  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  none  went  in,  but  though  the  gate  was  shut 

So  long  the  foe  lacked  not  a  stalk  of  hay, 

And  Sam  forewent  his  vengeance  in  despair. 

Now  is  the  time,  my  son !  for  artifice. 

Go  with  a  caravan  in  merry  pin, 

So  that  the  watchmen  may  not  find  thee  out, 

And  when  thou  occupiest  Mount  Sipand 

Destroy  those  evil-doers,  root  and  stem. 

Since  thou  art  yet  unknown  thou  mayst  succeed." 

Then  Rustam  answered :  "  I  will  do  thy  bidding 
And  soon  provide  a  physic  for  the  ache." 

Said  Zal  to  him :  "  My  prudent  son !  give  ear. 
Don  camel-drivers'  clothes  and  from  the  plain 
Fetch  camels  to  make  up  a  caravan. 
Disguise  thyself  and  carry  naught  but  salt, 
For  that  is  precious  there.     The  folk  know  nothing 
Of  greater  value.     Though  the  castle  towereth 
Above  its  gate  they  have  no  salt  to  eat, 
So  all  will  run  to  greet  thee  when  they  see 
Loads  of  it  coming  unexpectedly." 


S  32 
How  Rustam  went  to  Mount  Sipand 

Then  Rustam  made  him  ready  for  the  fray, 
v.  235        Concealed  his  mace  within  a  load  of  salt 

And  took  some  wise  and  valiant  men  withal. 

He  hid  the  arms  within  the  camels'  loads 

And  merry  at  the  artifice  sped  on 

To  Mount  Sipand.     When  he  arrived  the  watchman 

Saw  him  and  hastened  to  the  castellan. 

"  A  caravan,"  he  said,  "  with  many  drivers 

Hath  come,  and  if  my  lord  doth  ask  their  business, 

To  me  it  seemeth  that  they  carry  salt." 


MINUCHIHR  331 

The  chief  sent  one  in  haste  to  learn  their  loading, 
Who  went  like  dust  to  Rustam  and  inquired : — 
"  O  master  of  the  caravan !  inform  me 
What  merchandise  is  hidden  in  thy  packs, 
That  I  may  go  and  tell  the  castellan 
And  take  his  orders." 

Rustam  answered  him  : — 
"  Go  to  the  noble  castellan  and  say : 
4  They  carry  salt.' " 

The  messenger  returned 
And  said :  "  They  carry  salt  alone,  my  lord ! " 

The  chief  rose,  glad  and  smiling,  bade  his  men 
Unbar  the  gate  and  let  the  strangers  in. 
So  battle-loving  Rustam  with  his  folk 
Approached  the  gate  whence  people  hurried  out 
To  welcome  him.     He  kissed  the  ground  before 
The  chieftain,  paid  him  many  compliments, 
Gave  him  much  salt  and  spake  fair  words  all  round.        v.  236 
The  chieftain  said  to  Rustam :  "  Live  for  ever. 
Be  as  the  sun  and  as  the  shining  moon. 
I  both  accept  and  thank  thee,  worthy  youth ! " 

Young  Rustam  entered  the  bazar  and  took 
His  caravan.     The  people  flocked  about  him ; 
One  gave  a  robe,  another  gold  and  silver, 
And  chaffered  with  him  unsuspectingly. 
At  night  brave  Rustam  and  his  warriors, 
Armed  for  the  fray,  made  for  the  castellan, 
Who  strove  against  them,  but  the  Matchless  one 
Struck  him  a  mace-blow  on  the  head,  and  buried 
His  head  and  crown  in  dust.     The  tidings  spread, 
The  people  hastened  to  oppose  the  foe, 
Night  gloomed,  blades  flashed,  and  earth  was  like  the 

ruby. 

What  with  the  mellay  and  the  waves  of  blood 
One  would  have  said :  "  A  sunset  sky  hath  fallen." 


332  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

The  peerless  Rustam  with  his  lasso,  mace, 
And  sword  destroyed  the  gallant  foe ;  and  when 
The  sun  unveiled  itself,  and  held  the  world 
From  earth  to  Pleiades,  of  all  the  garrison 
Not  one  remained  alive  that  was  not  wounded. 
The  brave  Iranians  entered  every  nook 
And  slaughtered  all  they  found.     The  matchless  Rustam 
Saw  in  the  citadel  where  room  was  scant 
A  building  of  hard  stone  with  iron  doors, 
And  having  with  his  mace-blows  shattered  them 
v.  237       He  entered  and  beheld  a  lofty  vault 
Full  of  dinars.     Astonied  at  the  sight 
He  bit  his  lip ;  then  to  his  chiefs  he  said : — 
"  Who  ever  would  have  thought  of  such  a  thing  ? 
Good  sooth  no  gold  remaineth  in  the  mines, 
Or  any  pearl  or  jewel  in  the  sea ; 
They  lie  out-spread  within  this  treasury." 


§  33 
How  Rustam  wrote  a  Letter  announcing  his   Victory  to  Zdl 

Then  Rustam  wrote  his  sire  a  full  report 

Of  what  had  passed :  "  First  blessing  be  on  Him, 

Who  is  the  Lord  of  serpent,  ant,  and  sun, 

Of  Venus,  Mars,  and  Sol,  and  heaven  above. 

May  He  bless  Zal,  the  hero  of  Zabul, 

The  peerless  paladin,  the  warriors'  shelter, 

The  Iranians'  stay,  who  setteth  up  on  high 

The  flag  of  Kawa,  who  enthroneth  Shahs, 

Who  taketh  thrones,  him  whose  commandment  reacheth 

To  sun  and  moon. 

I  came  to  Mount  Sipand 
By  thy  behest,  and  what  a  mount  was  there ! 
'Twas  like  the  sky.  When  I  had  reached  its  foot 


MINtiCHIHR  333 

There  came  a  greeting  from  the  castellan, 

And  though  I  did  according  to  his  bidding 

All  things  turned  out  as  I  would  have  them  be. 

At  night-time  with  my  famous  men  of  war  V.  238 

I  gave  scant  respite  to  the  garrison, 

Who  have  been  slain  or  maimed  or  have  escaped 

By  throwing  all  their  fighting-gear  away. 

There  are  in  sooth  five  hundred  thousand  loads 

Of  silver  ingots  and  of  standard  gold. 

Of  raiment,  tapestries,  and  movables 

No  one  could  tell  the  total  though  he  counted 

For  days  and  months.     What  would  the  paladin  ? 

May  his  steps  prosper,  may  his  mind  be  bright." 

The  messenger  came  like  a  blast  and  gave 
The  letter  to  the  paladin.     That  chieftain 
Read  and  exclaimed :  "  Praise  to  those  noble  ones." 
Thou  wouldst  have  said:    "The  news  will  make  him 

young." 

He  wrote  a  full  reply,  first  praising  God 
And  then  proceeding  thus :  "  I  have  perused 
That  tale  of  triumph  and  poured  out  my  soul 
In  joy.     Such  fights  become  thee  well,  my  son  ! 
Who  though  a  boy  hast  played  the  man,  illumed 
The  soul  of  Nariman  and  burned  his  foes. 
To  carry  off  the  spoil  I  have  sent  camels 
By  thousands.     Having  read  this  mount  with  speed ; 
Thine  absence  grieveth  me.     Pack  all  the  best, 
Then  fire  the  hold  in  vengeance." 

Rustam  read 

The  letter  well  content,  then  chose  the  choicest  V.  239 

Among  the  signet-rings,  swords,  casques,  and  belts, 
As  well  as  pearls  and  jewels  fit  for  kings, 
And  figured  pieces  of  brocade  of  Chin, 
And  sent  them  to  his  sire.     The  caravan 
Set  forth  while  he  set  fire  to  Mount  Sipand, 


334  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

•  Whose  reek  rose  skyward,  then  he  turned  away 
Light-hearted  and  went  home  like  rushing  wind. 
When  Zal  had  heard :  "  The  world-illuming  chieftain 
Hath  come,"  the  folk  prepared  to  welcome  him 
And  decorated  all  the  streets  and  quarters. 
Arose  the  din  of  brazen  clarions, 
Of  cymbals,  trumpets,  and  of  Indian  bells 
As  eager  Rustam  fared  toward  Zal's  palace 
And  coming  bowed  to  earth  before  his  mother, 
Who  blessed  his  face  and  kissed  his  chest  and  shoulders, 
While  Zal  the  chief  embraced  his  son  and  bade 
A  scattering  of  largess  to  be  made. 


§  34 
The  Letter  of  Zal  to  Sam 

The  famous  chief  sent  the  good  news  to  Sam, 
With  many  gifts  to  him  and  every  one. 
Whenas  the  letter  came  to  Sam  his  cheeks 
Bloomed  like  a  rose  in  his  exceeding  joy. 
He  made  a  feast  like  jocund  spring,  bestowed 
V.  240       Upon  the  messenger  a  robe  and  steed, 

And  talked  of  Rustam  much.     He  wrote  to  Zal 
"  It  is  not  wonderful  that  lions'  whelps 
Prove  brave.     A  clever  archimage  may  take 
One  ere  it  suck  and  bring  it  up  with  men, 
Yet  will  he  fear  it  when  its  teeth  have  grown, 
For  though  it  never  saw  its  mother's  dugs 
'Twill  throw  back  to  the  instincts  of  its  sire. 
No  wonder  then  that  Rustam  should  inherit 
Zal's  prowess,  and  that  Lions  seek  his  aid 
In  times  of  enterprise." 

He  sealed  the  letter 
And  gave  it  to  the  messenger,  who  went 


MINUCHIHR  335 

To  Zal  therewith  clad  in  his  robe  of  honour. 
The  paladin  rejoiced  at  what  that  youth 
Of  tender  years  had  done,  and  all  the  world 
From  earth  to  Aries  had  hopes  in  him. 

Now  will  I  speak  once  more  of  Minuchihr, 
The  kindly  Shah,  who  when  his  end  drew  near 
Gave  to  his  son  these  counsels :  lend  thine  ear. 


§  35 
Minuchihr's  last  Counsels  to  his  Son 

Now  Minuchihr,  twice  sixty  years  being  sped, 

Prepared  to  pass,  because  the  astrologers 

Informed  him  that  the  royal  Grace  would  fade  : — 

"  Thy  time  for  passing  to  the  other  world  V.  241 

Hath  come,  God  grant  thee  a  good  place  with  Him. 

Consider  what  behoveth  to  be  done 

And  let  not  death  surprise  thee,  so  make  ready 

For  yielding  up  thy  body  to  the  clay." 

When  he  had  heard  the  wise  men's  words  he  changed 
The  fashion  of  his  court,  told  the  archmages 
And  chiefs  the  secrets  of  his  heart,  then  gave 
Naudar  much  counsel,  saying  thus :  "  This  throne 
Is  but  a  jest,  a  breath,  no  lasting  thing 
To  set  the  heart  upon.     In  six  score  years 
Now  passed  I  girt  my  loins  for  stress  and  travail 
And  used  to  find  much  pleasure  and  content 
In  labour  at  the  bidding  of  the  Shah. 
I  girt  me  with  the  Grace  of  Faridun, 
And  by  his  counsels  every  loss  proved  gain. 
I  took  on  Salm  and  on  the  brutal  Tiir 1 
Due  vengeance  for  my  grandsire — great  Iraj — 

1  Reading  with  C. 


336  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

I  cleansed  the  world  of  its  iniquities 
And  built  me  many  a  city,  many  a  fortress  ; 
Yet  thou  mightst  say  that  I  had  never  seen 
The  world,  such  am  I !  and  my  tale  of  years 
Is  blank.     A  tree  whose  leaves  and  fruit  are  bitter, 
Should  it  not  rather  die  than  still  live  on  ? 
Now  after  I  have  borne  such  pain  and  travail 
I  leave  the  throne  of  kingship  and  the  treasure 
To  thee.     As  Faridun  once  gave  to  me, 
So  give  I  thee,  the  crown  worn  by  the  Shahs. 
V.  242       Hard  are  the  enterprises  that  confront  thee, 

Thou  must  be  sometimes  wolf  and  sometimes  sheep. 
The  offspring  of  Pashang  will  be  thy  bane, 
And  from  Tiiran  will  be  thy  straitening. 
When  any  question  shall  arise,  my  son ! 
Seek  aid  from  Zal  and  Sam  and  this  new  Tree 
Now  burgeoning,  sprung  from  the  root  of  Zal. 
He  will  tread  down  Tiiran  and  take  upon  him 
To  avenge  thee." 

While  he  spake  he  wept.     Naudar 
Bewailed  him  bitterly,  and  thus  the  Shah, 
Free  from  disease,  unvexed  by  any  pains, 
Closed  with  a  last  cold  sigh  his  eyes  and  faded. 
So  passed  that  famous  Shah,  well  graced  in  all, 
Whose  tale  is  left  as  his  memorial. 


VIII 
NAUDAR 

HE   REIGNED   FOR  SEVEN  YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

Naudar  rules  oppressively  and  the  people  revolt,  but  Sam  suc- 
ceeds in  restoring  order.  Pashang,  the  king  of  Turan,  however, 
takes  the  opportunity  of  the  death  of  Minuchihr  to  send  an 
army  to  invade  Iran  under  the  command  of  his  son  Afrasiyab. 
The  Iranians  are  defeated,  and  Naudar,  with  many  of  his  chiefs, 
is  taken  prisoner.  Afrasiyab  kills  Naudar  and  assumes  the  crown 
of  Iran.  Ighriras,  the  brother  of  Afrasiyab,  traitorously  releases 
the  Iranian  prisoners,  the  Iranians  under  Karan  and  Zal  obtain 
independent  successes  over  the  Turanians,  and  Afrasiyab  puts 
his  brother  Ighriras  to  death. 

NOTE 

In  this  reign  the  connection  between  the  Shahnama  and  the 
VTedas  temporarily  seems  to  be  severed,  and  we  are  unable  to 
trace  the  names  of  the  principal  heroes  further  back  than  the 
Zandavasta,  where  most  of  them  are  to  be  found.  The  story  of 
the  reign  is  one  of  disaster  for  Iran ;  and  the  ancient  feud,  origi- 
nating in  the  murder  of  Iraj,  receives  a  new  impetus  through 
the  execution  of  Ighriras  by  his  brother  Afrasiyab.  We  are 
accordingly  here  introduced  to  the  royal  line  of  Tiiran,  of  which 
we  have  heard  nothing  since  the  slaying  of  Tiir  by  Minuchihr, 
and  to  its  collateral  branch,  the  heroic  family  of  Wi'sa,  which 
plays  such  an  important  part  in  this  and  future  reigns,  and 
corresponds  on  the  Turanian  side  to  the  family  of  Sam  on  the 
Iranian.1  The  most  important  personality  is  that  of  Afrasiyab — 

1  We  learn  from  the  Bundahish  that  Wisa  and  Pashang,  Afrdsiydb's 
father,  were  brothers.  WPT,  i.  135. 

337  Y 


338  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

the  protagonist  of  the  Turanian  race,  and  the  arch-enemy  of  Iran, 
through  the  reigns  of  successive  Shahs.  He  is  the  second  in 
the  trinity  of  evil  spirits  which,  according  to  Zoroastrian  belief, 
was  created  by  Ahriman  to  vex  the  Iranian  race,  the  first  being 
Zahhak,  and  the  third  apparently  Alexander  the  Great.1  In  the 
part  of  the  extant  Zandavasta  known  as  the  Zamyad  Yast, 
which  has  been  termed  "an  abridged  Shahnama,"2  Afrasiyab, 
or  Frangrasyan,  as  he  is  there  called,  is  described  as  making 
several  attempts  to  seize  the  kingly  Glory  or  Grace  which  was 
the  peculiar  possession  of  the  Shahs,  and  which  Zahhak  himself 
sought  in  vain.  Afrasiyab,  however,  is  recorded  to  have  been 
once  successful,  not,  as  one  might  suppose,  on  the  occasion  in 
the  present  reign,  but  in  that  of  Kai  Kaus,  when  the  latter 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  king  of  Hamavaran.3  In  the  Bundahish 
we  find  indications  that  Afrasiyab  was  originally,  like  Zahhak, 
a  water-stealing  fiend ;  but  he  cannot  be  traced  further  back 
than  the  Zandavasta,  and  his  depredations  are  confined  to  stealing 
away  the  rivers  of  Iran.4  It  is  recognised  in  the  Zandavasta 
that  there  are  good  men  in  all  countries,  in  those  of  the  elder 
sons  of  Faridun — Turan  and  Rum — as  well  as  in  that  of  his 
youngest-born — Iran.5  We  have  an  instance  of  this  in  the 
case  of  Ighriras — the  brother  of  Afrasiyab — who  being  originally 
a  good  spirit  or  demi-god  is  naturally  supposed  to  favour  the 
Iranians  at  the  cost  of  his  own  countrymen,  and  is  held  up  as 
a  sort  of  martyr  in  the  poem.  In  the  Zandavasta  the  murder 
of  Ighriras  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  motives  for  vengeance 
on  Afrasiyab,6  while  in  the  Bundahish  we  read  :  "  When  Frasiyav 
made  Manus/Hhar,  with  the  Iranians,  captive  in  the  mountain- 
range  of  Padashkhvar,  and  scattered  ruin  and  want  among  them, 
Aghrerad  begged  a  favour  of  God,  and  he  obtained  the  benefit 
that  the  army  and  champions  of  the  Iranians  were  saved 
by  him  from  that  distress.  Frasiyav  slew  Aghrerarf  for  that 
fault."7  The  story  in  the  Shahnama  is  told  not  of  Miniichihr 
but  of  Naudar.  The  mountain-range  is  that  to  the  south  of 
the  Caspian. 

1  DZA,  i.  xlviii.  2  Id.  ii.  286. 

3  The  reign  of  Kai  Ka"us  will  appear  in  Vol.  II.  of  this  translation, 
where  see  Part  II. 

4  WPT,  i.  82,  84.  5  DZA,  ii.  226. 
6  DZA,  ii.  114.                                             7  WPT,  i.  135. 


NAUDAR  339 


How  Naudar  succeeded  to  the  Throne 

The  mourning  over,  Shah  Naudar  exalted  v.  243 

His  royal  crown  o'er  Saturn  and  gave  audience 

Upon  the  throne  of  Mimichihr,  bestowing 

Drachms  and  dinars  upon  the  troops.     The  nobles 

Did  reverence  with  their  faces  in  the  dust, 

And  said  :  "  We  are  the  bondslaves  of  the  Shah, 

Our  eyes  and  hearts  are  full  of  love  for  thee." 

But  matters  changed,  the  monarch  proved  unjust, 
Laments  went  up  on  all  sides,  and  men's  heads 
Were  whitened  by  the  Shah.     He  blotted  out 
The  customs  of  his  sire  and  grew  severe 
To  chief  and  archimage,  spurned  gracious  ways 
And  was  enslaved  to  pelf.     The  peasants  rose,  V.  244 

Bold  spirits  claimed  the  realm,  and  tumults  followed. 
The  unjust  Shah  in  terror  wrote  to  Sam, 
Then  at  Sagsar  within  Mazandaran, 
And  first  invoked  the  Maker  of  the  world, 
The  Lord  of  Venus,  Mars,  and  Sol,  who  made 
Both  ant  and  elephant :  "  Naught  is  beyond 
His  power,  or  too  minute  for  His  regard. 
Now  may  the  Master  of  the  sun  and  moon 
Have  mercy  on  the  soul  of  Mimichihr, 
The   Shah,  through   whom  the  glorious   crown   grew 

bright, 

My  predecessor  on  so  great  a  throne ; 
And  may  as  many  blessings  light  on  Sam, 
The  hero,  as  the  clouds  shed  drops  of  rain  ; 
May  that  redoubted  glorious  chief  be  sound 
In  heart  and  mind,  and  sorrowless  in  soul. 
The  paladin  of  earth  should  know,  I  ween, 


340  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

All  matters  close  or  open.     Miniichihr, 

Before  he  closed  his  eyes,  spake  much  of  Sam, 

And  I  too  have  a  warm  supporter  in  him, 

Who — paladin  and  favourite — watched  over 

My  father's  realm,  illuming  throne  and  crown. 

Now  things  have  reached   this  pass  that   save  thou 

takest 
Thy  vengeful  mace  the  throne  will  be  abolished." 

Whenas  the  letter  came  Sam  sighed.     At  cockcrow 
The  sound  of  tymbals  rose  within  the  court, 
And  from  the  Kargastirs  he  marched  a  host 
Such  that  the  green  sea  had  been  lost  therein, 
y.  245       The  magnates  in  fran  went  out  to  meet 

The  approaching  troops,  dismounted  when  near  Sam, 

And  spake  with  him  at  large  of  all  the  actions 

Done  by  Naudar,  and  how  he  was  unjust 

And  left  his  father's  footsteps  recklessly. 

"  He  hath  made  earth  a  desert,"  they  protested, 

"  His  fortune  that  was  wakeful  is  asleep. 

He  walketh  not  in  wisdom's  way,  the  Grace 

Of  God  hath  left  him.     How  would  it  be  if  Sam 

With  his  shrewd  mind  were  seated  on  the  throne  ? 

His  fortune  would  regenerate  the  world, 

The  country  and  its  throne  would  both  be  his. 

We  all  would  serve  him  and  would  pledge  our  lives 

For  fealty  to  him." 

But  Sam  replied  : — 

"  Would  God  approve  ?    Naudar  hath  royal  blood 
And  sitteth  belted  on  the  royal  seat. 
Could  I  lay  hands  upon  the  realm  and  crown  ? 
Impossible !     One  should  not  hear  such  words. 
Would  any  chief  dare  say  this  publicly  ? 
If  but  a  daughter  of  Shah  Miniichihr 
Sat  crowned  upon  the  golden  throne  the  dust 
Would  be  my  couch  whence  I  should  joy  to  gaze 


NAUDAR  341 

Upon  her.     If  Naudar  hath,  left  the  way 

Trod  by  his  sire  it  hath  not  been  for  long, 

The  iron  is  not  so  rust-eaten  yet  v.  246 

As  to  be  hard  to  furbish.     I  will  bring 

The  Grace  back  and  make  all  desire  his  love. 

The  dust  of  Mimichihr  shall  be  my  throne, 

The  print  of  his  son's  horseshoe  be  rny  crown. 

We  will  speak  much  with  him,  and  by  our  counsel 

Bring  him  good  fortune.     Ye !  repent  yourselves 

Of  what  hath  passed  and  tender  fresh  allegiance. 

Unless  Almighty  God  and  Shah  Naudar 

Shall  pardon  you,  the  Shah's  wrath  is  your  portion 

On  earth,  and  fire  your  dwelling-place  hereafter." 

The  chiefs  repented  and  made  fealty 
Afresh  ;  that  prosperous-footed  paladin 
Made  earth  grow  young  throughout.     When  Sam  had 

reached 

The  presence  of  the  Shah  he  kissed  the  ground. 
The  Shah  descended  from  the  throne,  embraced 
His  captain,  seating  him  upon  the  throne 
With  greetings  and  unbounded  compliments. 
They  feasted  for  a  week  with  harp  and  wine,  V.  247 

All  offered  their  excuses  to  Naudar, 
And  bare  themselves  as  subjects.     From  each  province 
Came  tax  and  tribute  out  of  fear  of  Sam, 
The  swift  of  wrath.     Naudar  sat  on  the  throne 
In  splendour  and  in  undisturbed  repose, 
Till  in  the  presence  the  chief  paladin 
Arose  and  asked  permission  to  depart, 
Threw  wide  the  door  of  counsel  to  the  Shah 
And  told  again  the  goodly  histories 
Of  glorious  Faridiin  and  Shah  Hiishang 
And  Mimichihr,  the  lustre  of  the  throne, 
And  how  they  ruled  earth  justly  and  gave  alms 
And  would  not  countenance  iniquity. 


342  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Sam  brought  the  monarch's  wayward  heart  to  reason, 
Warmed  the  chiefs'  hearts  toward  him,  rendering 
All  justice  and  injustice  at  his  hands 
Acceptable,  and  having  said  his  say 
Both  to  the  nobles  and  their  sovereign 
Went  with  a  robe  of  honour  from  Naudar, 
With  crown  and  throne  and  signet-ring  and  slaves, 
With  steeds  whose  furniture  was  wrought  of  gold 
And  two  gold  goblets  all  a-briin  with  rubies. 
v.  248  So  matters  stayed  awhile,  but  heaven  above 

Revolved  not  o'er  Naudar  in  peace  and  love. 


How  Pashang  heard  of  the  Death  of  Minuchihr 

News  of  Shah  Mimichihr's  decease,  and  how 
Things  fared  ill  with  Naudar,  came  to  Tiiran, 
Whose  folk  held  commune  with  the  malcontents. 
Pashang,  the  Turkman  ruler,  also  heard 
And  contemplated  war.     He  spake  at  large 
About  his  sire  Ztidshain,  talked  big  of  Tur, 
The  throne  of  Minuchihr,  his  troops,  his  warriors, 
His  princes  and  his  realm,  then  summoned  all 
The  captains  and  grandees,  as  Ighriras, 
Barman,  and  Garsiwaz,  that  raging  Lion 
Kulbad,  and  generals  like  skilful  Wi'sa, 
The  leader  of  the  host.    He  also  called 
His  son  Afrasiyab,  who  came  in  haste, 
To  whom  he  said  concerning  Salm  and  Tur : — 
"  We  may  not  hide  revenge  beneath  our  skirt, 
For  all  whose  brains  are  level  in  their  heads 
Knowhow  the  Iranians  have  entreated  us, 
And  always  girded  up  their  loins  for  ill. 
Now  is  the  time  for  action  and  revenge, 


NAUDAR  343 

The  time  to  wash  the  blood-tears  from  our  cheeks. 
What  say  ye  now  ?     What  answer  do  ye  make  ? 
Advise  me  well." 

His  words  inspired  Afrasiyab 

With  zeal,  he  bragged  before  his  sire  with  loins  v.  249 

Girt  up  and  vengeance  in  his  heart :  "  To  fight 
With  Lions  is  my  work,  I  match  myself 
Against  Naudar,  and  if  Zadsham  had  warred 
He  had  not  left  the  world  in  such  ill  plight, 
But  had  become  the  master  of  t ran. 
Now  whatsoe'er  my  grandsire  left  undone 
Of  vengeance-seeking,  fight,  and  stratagem, 
Is  left  for  my  sharp  sword  to  execute. 
The  time  of  turmoil  is  the  time  for  me." 

Pashang  grew  keen  for  battle  as  he  marked 
The  lofty  stature  of  Afrasiyab, 
His  elephantine  might,  his  breast  and  arms 
So  lion-like,  his  shadow  stretching  miles, 
His  tongue  a  trenchant  scimitar,  his  heart 
An  ocean  and  his  hand  a  raining  cloud. 
Pashang  commanded  him  to  draw  the  sword 
Of  war,  and  lead  an  army  to  Iran. 

A  chief  whose  son  is  worthy  of  his  name 
May  raise  his  own  head  to  the  orb  of  day, 
For  afterwards,  when  he  hath  passed  away, 

The  son  will  keep  alive  the  father's  fame. 
Afrasiyab,  high- wrought  and  full  of  vengeance, 
Went  forth  and  opening  the  treasury 
Abundantly  equipped  his  warriors ; 
But  when  all  things  were  ready,  Ighriras 
The  counsellor,  heart-musing,  sought  his  sire, 
For  thinking  is  the  business  of  the  heart, 
And  spake  on  this  wise :  "  Mine  experienced  father, 
The  highest  of  the  Turkman  race  in  valour ! 
Although  Iran  hath  now  no  Mimichihr,  v.  250 


344  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Sam,  son  of  Nariinan,  is  general ; 

There  are  besides  Kishwad,  the  brave  Karan, 

And  other  men  of  name  among  the  folk. 

Thou  know'st  what  Salui  and  valiant  Tvir  endured 

Through  that  old  wolf  and  sworder  Minuchihr, 

And  yet  Zcidsham,  my  grandsire  and  our  king, 

Whose  helmet  touched  the  circle  of  the  moon, 

Ne'er  spake  a  word  of  such  a  war,  or  reac^ 

The  book  of  vengeance  in  the  time  of  peace. 

'Tis  better  for  us  to  restrain  ourselves, 

Because  this  madness  will  confound  the  realm." 

Pashang  said :  "  That  brave  crocodile,  Afrasiyab, 
Is  as  a  lion  on  a  hunting-day, 
An  elephant  of  war  in  battle-tide. 
Call  him  a  bastard  that  would  not  avenge 
His  grandsire's  wrongs.     Depart  forthwith  and  counsel 
Afrasiyab  in  matters  great  and  small. 
So  when  the  crumple-skirted  clouds  are  gone, 
When  rains  have  drenched  the  wastes,  when  hill  and 

plain 

Give  pasture  for  the  steeds,  when  herbage  riseth 
Above  our  warriors'  necks  and  all  the  world 
Is  green  with  corn,  then  camp  upon  the  plain ; 
Midst  rose  and  verdure  bear  a  gladsome  heart, 
And  lead  the  whole  host  onward  to  Amul ; 
Tread  Dahistan  beneath  the  horses'  hoofs, 
Speed  and  incarnadine  the  streams  with  blood. 
Thence  Minuchihr  departed  to  the  war 
To  take  revenge  on  Tur,  thence  did  his  powers 
Advance  against  us  like  a  murky  cloud, 
And  by  that  token  it  is  your  turn  now 
To  send  the  dust  up  from  their  nobles'  heads. 
The  refuge  of  the  army  of  Iran 
Was  Minuchihr,  and  he  adorned  the  throne, 
v  251        Why  fear  the  Iranians  now  that  he  is  gone  ? 


NAUDAR  345 

They  are  not  worth  a  pinch  of  dust.     I  fear  not 
Naudar,  who  is  but  young  and  raw.     Karan 
Will  be  your  foe,  and  one  more  warrior — 
Garshasp.     May  ye  so  treat  them  on  the  field 
As  to  rejoice  our  fathers'  souls,  and  burn 
Our  foemen's  hearts." 

The  prince  said :  "  Blood  shall  run 
Along  in  streams  ere  my  revenge  is  done." 


§  3 
How  Afrdsiydb  came  to  the  Land  of  Irdn 

When  herbage  made  the  plain  like  painted  silk 

The  warriors  of  Turan  girt  up  their  loins ; 

An  army  marched  forth  from  Tiiran  and  Chin 

With  mace-men  from  the  Western  lands — a  host 

Without  a  middle  or  an  end  ;  withal 

The  fortune  of  Naudar  was  young  no  longer. 

As  these  approached  Jihiin  he  heard  the  news 

And  drew  forth  to  the  plain  toward  Dahistan. 

Karan,  who  loved  the  fray,  was  general, 

Behind  him  came  Naudar,  the  king  of  kings, 

And  all  the  world  was  filled  with  bruit  of  warfare. 

The  host  approaching  Dahistan  concealed 

The  sun  in  dust.     They  pitched  the  camp-enclosure 

Of  Shah  Naudar  before  the  hold.     Brief  respite  V.  252 

Was  theirs,  because  Afrasiyab,  who  then 

Was  in  Irman,  sent  thirty  thousand  warriors, 

With  Shamasas  and  Khazarwan  as  leaders, 

Toward  Zabul  to  take  revenge  on  Zal, 

For  "  Sam,"  they  heard,  "  is  dead,  and  Zal  is  busied 

About  the  obsequies." 

Afrasiyab 

Was  pleased,  perceived  that  fortune  was  awake, 
Marched  forth  to  Dahistan,  and  pitched  against  it. 


346  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Who  knoweth  how  to  reckon  up  his  host  ? 

Go  count  a  thousand  o'er  four  hundred  times. 

Thou   wouldst   have  said :    "  The   sands    and  uplands 

seethe, 

The  wilderness  is  naught  but  ants  and  locusts." 
With  Shah  Naudar  were  seven  score  thousand  men, 
And  certes  they  were  warlike  cavaliers. 
'  Afrasiyab  surveyed  them  and  despatched 
By  night  a  cameleer  to  bear  Pashang 
•  A  letter  :  "  The  expected  good  hath  come, 
Naudar's  whole  host  is  as  a  quarry  to  us, 
And  Sam  is  dead.     I  feared  none  in  1  ran 
But  him.     His  death  alloweth  our  revenge. 
Zal  is  engaged  upon  the  obsequies 
And  hath  not  foot  or  feather  for  the  fight. 
By  this  time  Shamasas  is  in  Nimriiz 
Enthroned  and  crowned.     Prompt  action  well  advised 
Is  best  for  us ;  occasions  will  not  wait." 
\'.  253  The  camel  spread  its  wings  and  went  apace 

Toward  Pashang,  that  king  of  sunlight  grace. 


How  Bdrmdn  and  Kubdd  fought  together  and  how 
Kubdd  icas  slain 

The  van  appeared  in  front  of  Dahistan 
As  morn  rose  o'er  the  hills.     The  armies  camped 
Two  leagues  apart  in  warlike  pomp.     A  Turkman, 
By  name  Barman — one  who  bade  sleepers  wake — 
Approached,  spied  out  the  whole  Iranian  host 
And  viewed  the  camp-enclosure  of  Naudar, 
Returned,  reported  to  his  chief,  and  said:— 
"  How  long  must  all  our  prowess  be  concealed  ? 


NAUDAR  347 

Now  if  the  king  permit  I  will  engage 
Our  foemen  like  a  lion.     They  shall  see 
My  skill  and  know  no  hero  but  myself." 

"  But  if  in  this,"  said  prudent  Ighrfras, 
"  Some  misadventure  should  befall  Barman, 
Our    marchlords    would    be    cowed,    our    folk    dis- 
couraged. 

Nay,  choose  we  rather  one  of  small  account, 
For  whom  we  need  not  bite  our  nails  and  lips." 

Then  lowered  Afrasiyab,  ashamed  to  hear 
Such  words,  and  frowning  spake  thus  to  Barman : — 
"  Put  on  thine  armour  and  string  up  thy  bow ; 
It  will  not  come  to  using  teeth  and  nails." 

Barman  pricked  forth  and  shouted  to  Karan : — 
"  In  all  the  army  of  the  famed  Naudar 
Hast  thou  a  man  who  will  contend  with  me  ? " 

Karan  looked  round  upon  his  mighty  men 
For  one  to  volunteer,  but  none  responded 
Save  valiant  old  Kubad.     The  prudent  chief 
Was  grieved  and  troubled  when  his  brother  spake, 
And  wept  for  wrath,  and  there  was  room  for  it  V.  254 

With  that  great  host,  that,  with  so  many  young 
To  fight,  one  old  man  only  volunteered. 
Vexed  to  the  heart  about  Kubad,  Karan 
Addressed  him  thus  in  presence  of  the  chiefs : — 
"  At  thine  age  thou  shouldst  not  contend  with  one 
Fresh,  ardent,  young,  and  daring,  like  Barman, 
Who  hath  a  lion's  heart,  and  head  sun-high. 
Thou  art  an  honoured  chieftain,  and  the  centre 
Of  counsel  to  our  Shah.     If  thy  white  locks 
Grow  red  with  blood  our  bravest  will  despair."    - 

Mark  his  reply  in  presence  of  the  troops : — 
"  The  rolling  sky  hath  given  me  enough. 
Know,  brother !  that  the  body  is  for  death ; 
My  head  and  neck  were  meant  to  wear  a  helm. 


348  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

My  heart  hath  been  in  anguish  from  the  time 
Of  blessed  Minuchihr  until  this  day. 
No  mortal  passeth  into  heaven  alive, 
Man  is  death's  quarry ;  one  the  scimitar 
Destroyeth  mid  the  mellay,  and  the  vulture 
And  lion  tear  his  corpse ;  another's  life 
Is  ended  on  his  bed.     Beyond  all  question 
We  must  depart,  and  if  I  quit  the  world 
My  tall  and  lusty  brother  is  still  safe. 
Make  me  a  royal  charnel  in  your  love, 
Give  musk,  rose-water,  camphor  for  my  head, 
My  body  to  the  place  of  endless  sleep. 
This  do,  live  peacefully,  and  trust  in  God." 
v.  255  This  said,  he  grasped  his  spear  and  sallied  forth 

Like  some  fierce  elephant.     Barman  exclaimed : — 
"  Now  hath  fate  put  thy  head  within  my  reach. 
Well  hadst  thou  held  aloof,  for  time  itself 
Would  have  thy  life." 

"  The  sky,"  Kubad  replied, 

"  Gave  me  my  share  long  since,  and  he  whose  hour 
Hath  come  will  have  to  die  where'er  he  be : 
That  time  is  not  ill-timed  at  any  time." 

He  spake  arid  urged  his  sable  steed,  denying 
His  ardent  heart  all  rest.     The  two  contended 
From  dawn  till  shadows  lengthened.     In  the  end 
The  victory  was  Barman's,  who  as  he  rode 
Hurled  at  Kubad  a  dart  which  struck  his  hip 
And  pierced  his  belt.     That  ancient  lion-heart 
Fell  headlong   and   so  passed.     Then  with  cheeks 

flushed 

With  pride  and  satisfaction  came  Barman 
Before  Afrasiyab,  who  gave  him  gifts 
Unprecedented  as  from  king  to  liege. 

Karan  the  battle-lover,  when  Kubad 
Was  slain,  drew  out  his  army  and  attacked. 


NAUDAR  349 

The  two  hosts  seemed  as  'twere  two  seas  of  Chin, 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  Earth  shake th." 

Then  Karan 

The  warrior  rushed  forth  and  Garsiwaz, 
Huge  as  an  elephant,  confronted  him. 
The  chargers  neighed,  the  sun  and  shining  moon 
Were  hidden  by  the  dust-clouds  of  the  host, 
Swords  diamond-bright  and  spear-heads  steeped  in  gore  v.  256 
Shone  mid  the  dust — dust  like  a  rainy  cloud 
Wherethrough  vermilion  droppeth  from  the  sun, 
A  cloud  whose  marrow  thrilled  with  tyrnbal-din, 
While  liquid  crimson  drenched  the  falchions'  souls. 
Where'er  Karan  urged  on  his  steed  the  steel 
Flashed  like  Azargashasp,  and  thou  hadst  said : — 
"  His  Diamond  sheddeth  Coral."     Nay,  shed  souls. 

Afrasiyab  beheld  and  led  his  troops 
Against  Karan,  and  with  insatiate  hearts 
They  fought  till  night  rose  o'er  the  hills,  and  then 
Karan  withdrew  the  host  to  Dahistan. 
With  heart  distracted  by  his  brother's  death 
He  came  to  the  pavilion  of  Naudar, 
Who  on  beholding  him  let  tears  down  fall 
From  weary  eyelids  that  had  seen  no  sleep, 
And  said :  "  Since  Sam  the  horseman  died  my  soul 
Hath  not  grieved  thus.     Live  thou  for  evermore, 
And  sunlike  be  the  spirit  of  Kubad. 
A  day  of  joy  and  then  a  day  of  grief, 
Such  is  the  wont  and  fashion  of  the  world  ! 
No  fostering  will  rescue  us  from  death ; 
Earth's  only  cradle  is  the  sepulchre." 

"  I  have  resigned  to  death,"  Karan  replied,    . 
"  My  doughty  body  even  from  my  birth. 
'Twas  Faridun  that  put  my  helmet  on 
That  I  might  tread  the  earth  to  avenge  fraj, 
And  hitherto  I  have  not  loosed  my  girdle,  v.  257 


350  THE  SHAHNAMA  OP  FIRDA  USI 

Nor  laid  aside  the  sword  of  steel.     My  brother— 
That  sage — is  dead.     I  too  shall  die  in  harness ; 
But  be  of  cheer,  Afrasiyab  to-day 
Was  straitened,  and  he  called  up  his  reserves. 
He  saw  me  with  mine  ox-head  mace  and  eagerly 
Attacked  me ;  eye  to  eye  I  fronted  him. 
He  used  some  magic  and  my  keen  eyes  lost 
Their  vision,  night  came  on  and  all  was  dark, 
Mine  arm  was  tired  of  striking.     Thou  hadst  said 
'  The  End  hath  come.'     The  sky  was  overcast, 
And  we  were  forced  to  quit  the  battlefield 
Because  the  troops  were  spent  and  it  was  dark." 
The  opposing  hosts  reposed  a  while,  and  when 
The  morrow  dawned  began  the  strife  again. 


§5 
How  Afrdsiydb  fought  with  Naudar  the  second  Time 

The  Iranians  drew  up  for  battle  royal, 
And  what  with  thundering  drum  and  blaring  trumpet 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  The  earth  is  tottering." 
Afrasiyab,  when  he  beheld,  arrayed 
His  army  opposite.     "  The  sun  hath  set," 
Thou  wouldst  have  said,  earth  was  so  dark  with  dust 
Of  horsemen.     Mid  the  war-cries  none  could  tell 
A  mountain  from  a  plain,  host  grappled  host 
And  blood  ran  like  a  river  where  Karan 
V.  258       Sought  for  the  fray,  and  where  Afrasiyab 

Towered  till  Naudar  approached  and  challenged  him. 
They  strove  together,  spear  confused  with  spear ; 
No  serpents  ever  writhed  together  so ; 
How  could  kings  battle  thus  ? 

They  fought  till  night 
And  then  Afrasiyab  was  conqueror, 


For  more  were  stricken  on  the  Iranian  side 
And  still  the  foemen's  battle  was  unbroken. 
The  Iranians  turned  their  faces  helplessly, 
Abandoning  their  camp  upon  the  waste. 
Naudar  was  grieved  that  fortune  should  besmirch 
His  crown  with  dust,  and  when  the  tymbals  ceased 
He  sent  for  Tus,  who  came  with  Gustaham, 
All  sighs  and  grief.     "  What  pain  is  in  my  heart ! " 
He  cried,  recalling  what  his  dying  sire 
Foretold :  "  An  army  from  Tiiran  and  Chin 
Will  come  against  f  ran,  grieve  thee  and  bring 
Disaster  on  thy  troops." 

"  The  words  are  now 

Fulfilled,"  he  said,  "  the  arrogant  have  triumphed ; 
But  who  e'er  read  in  tales  of  famous  men 
Of  any  that  led  forth  such  Turkman  hosts  ? 
Go  ye  to  Pars  to  fetch  the  women-folk 
And  bear  them  through  the  passes  to  Alburz. 
Take  unperceived  the  road  to  Ispahan, 

Else  ye  will  break  our  soldiers'  hearts,  inflicting  v-   59 

A  second  wound.     Some  haply  of  the  seed 
Of  Faridiin  may  scape  of  all  our  troops. 
I  know  not  if  I  shall  behold  you  more 
Because  to-night  we  make  our  last  attempt. 
Have  scouts  out  night  and  day  to  watch  events ; 
If  they  give  evil  tidings  of  the  host 
And  say :  '  The  Glory  of  the  king  of  kings 
Is  dimmed,'  grieve  not  too  much  at  heart;  high  heaven, 
Since  it  had  being,  hath  been  ever  thus. 
Time  bringeth  this  to  dust  while  that  enjoyeth 
A  royal  crown.     Death,  whether  violent 
Or  natural,  is  one — a  throb  then  peace." 

Naudar  with  tears  of  blood  embraced  his  sons. 
The  royal  pair  proceeded  to  depart, 
But  he  remained  and  with  a  heavy  heart. 


352  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

§6 
How  Naudar  fought  with  Afrdsiydb  the  third  Time 

The  host  reposed  two  days,  but  when  the  sun 
Rose  on  the  third  the  Shah  was  forced  to  fight. 
Then  like  a  foaming  sea  Afrasiyab ; 
Dashed  at  the  army  of  Naudar,  the  war-cry 
Rose  from  the  camp-enclosures  mid  the  din 
Of  trump  and  Indian  bell,  the  tymbals  sounded 
Before  the  Shah's  tent,  and  the  warriors  donned 
Their  iron  helmets.     None  had  thought  of  sleep 
Within  the  camp  of  great  Afrasiyab ; 
V.  260       All  night  they  had  made  ready,  sharpening 

The  swords  and  double-headed  darts.     The  earth 
Was  filled  by  armoured  men  with  heavy  maces. 
Karan  was  marshal  of  the  central  host 
Whereto  the  Shah  and  he  were  towers  of  strength. 
The  Shah's  left  wing  the  hero  Taliman 
Claimed  for  himself,  and  bold  Shapiir  the  right. 
From  morning  till  the  sun  had  left  the  dome, 
Hills,  plains,  and  wastes  were  indistinguishable ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :   "  The  sword's  heart  is  en- 
larged 

And  earth  is  groaning  underneath  the  steeds." 
But  while  the  javelins  put  the  earth  in  shade 
Defeat  drew  ever  nearer  to  Naudar, 
And  as  his  fortunes  sank  the  Turkmans'  rose. 
Upon  the  side  where  bold  Shapiir  was  stationed 
The  ranks  were  broken  and  the  troops  dispersed, 
But  he  maintained  his  post  till  he  was  slain. 
The  Iranians'  fortune  turned  away  its  head, 
And  many  another  chieftain  of  the  host 
Was  killed  or  wounded  on  the  battlefield. 


NAUDAR  353 

Now  when  the  monarch  and  Karan  perceived 
The  stars  averse,  they  fled  before  the  foe 
To  Dahistan,  and  there  maintained  themselves, 
Cut  off  from  all  outside  it.     Night  and  day 
They  fought  in  the  approaches.     Passed  a  while. 

Now  since  Naudar  had  refuged  in  the  hold, 
Where  horsemen  could  not  act,  Afrasiyab 
Made  ready  and  despatched  a  force  by  night,  V.  261 

Bethought  him  of  the  chieftain  Kunikhan, 
Of  Wisa's  race,  and  bade  him  lead  them  forth 
Along  the  desert-route  to  Pars,  for  there 
The  Iranians'  homes  were  situate,  and  men 
In  trouble  make  for  home.     Karan  heard  this 
And,  moved  with  jealousy  and  grieved  at  heart, 
Went  in  as  'twere  a  leopard  to  Naudar 
And  said :  "  Behold  how  base  Afrasiyab 
Is  dealing  with  the  monarch  of  t ran ! 
He  hath  despatched  a  countless  host  of  troops 
Against  our  warriors'  women.     Should  he  get  them 
Disaster  will  befall  our  men  of  name 
And  we  shall  hide  our  faces  in  disgrace  ; 
So  Kunikhan  must  be  attacked  forthwith, 
And  by  the  leave  of  the  victorious  Shah 
I  will  pursue  with  speed.     Thou  hast  a  river, 
Provisions,  and  right  zealous  warriors. 
Stay  thou ;  be  not  concerned.     Thou  canst  defend 
Thyself  with  ease,  so  play  the  lion's  part, 
For  monarchs  should  be  brave." 

Naudar  replied  : — 

"  Not  so,  the  host  hath  none  like  thee  to  lead  them. 
'Twas  for  our  homes  that  Tus  and  Gustaham 
Went  forth  at  beat  of  drum,  and  they  will  reach 
The  women  in  good  time,  such  is  their  speed, 
And  take  the  needful  steps." 

The  mighty  men 
z 


354  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Went  to  the  sleeping-chamber  of  the  Shah 
V.  262       Where  presently  they  sat  and  called  for  wine 
To  purge  their  hearts  of  sorrow  for  a  while. 
When  Shah  Naudar  was  well  bemused  he  went 
Behind  his  curtains,  meditating  vengeance, 
And  those  brave  chiefs — the  1  ranian  cavaliers — 
Departed  in  disorder  from  the  court 
To  assemble  at  the  quarters  of  Karan, 
With  eyes  like  winter-clouds ;  with  much  debate, 
They  all  agreed :  "  We  must  set  out  for  Pars 
Forthwith  or  else  our  wives  and  little  ones 
Will  all  be  broken-hearted  slaves,  all  captured 
Without  a  struggle,  and  who  then  will  wield 
The  spear  upon  the  plain  or  rest  in  peace  ? " 

Now  when  these  three — Shidush,  Kishwad,  Karan— 
Had  taken  counsel  for  the  whole  emprise, 
And  half  the  night  had  passed,  they  made  them  ready 
To  sally  forth.     At  dawn  with  heavy  hearts 
They  reached  what  men  in  those  days  called  "  White 

Castle."  i 

There  found  they  Guzhdaham  the  castellan 
Together  with  his  watchful  warriors 
Beleaguered  by  Barman,  who  held  the  road 
With  troops  and  elephants  and  valiant  chiefs, 
And  erst  had  wrung  the  heart  of  brave  Karan 
Who,  eager  to  avenge  his  brother's  blood, 
Assumed  his  mail,  prepared  his  men  for  action, 
v.  263        And  made  for  Pars.     The  brave  Barman  was  ware 
And  like  a  lion  met  him  on  the  way. 
Now  when  Karan  saw  mid  the  dust  of  fight 
That  man  of  blood  he  grappled  with  his  foe, 
All  lion-like,  not  giving  time  for  ruse, 
But  closed  at  once,  invoking  God  for  succour, 
And  pierced  the  Turkman's  girdle  with  a  javelin 

1  See  introductory  note  to  the  previous  reign. 


NAUDAR  355 

Through  mail  and  buckle.     From  his  charger's  back 
Barman  fell  headlong,  the  bright  orb  of  day 
Turned  dark  to  him,  his  army's  heart  was  broken, 
His  soldiers  fled.     Karan  the  chieftain  then 
Went  on  toward  Pars  with  all  his  valiant  men. 


§  7 
How  Naudar  was  taken  by  Afrdsiydb 

Naudar,  on  hearing  that  Karan  had  gone, 

Sped  after  him,  all  instant  to  escape 

The  evil  day,  lest  heaven  should  trample  him. 

Afrasiyab  gat  tidings  that  Naudar 

Had  sought  the  waste,  collected  troops,  and  followed 

As  'twere  a  lion.     Drawing  near  he  found 

The  foemen  ready  for  a  running  fight, 

And  as  he  marched  mused  how  to  take  the  head 

That   wore   the    crown.      They  fought    all  night  till 

noonday, 

And  earth  was  dark  with  warriors'  dust.     At  length 
The  Shah  was  taken  with  twelve  hundred  nobles ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :     "  Their   place  on  earth  is 

void." 

Strive  as  they  might  to  flee  they  were  ensnared 
Within  the  net  of  bale.     Afrasiyab  V.  264 

Put  into  bonds  the  captured  host  and  Shah. 

Though  thou  shouldst  sit  in  conclave  with  the  sky 
Yet  will  its  revolutions  grind  thee  down. 
It  giveth  majesty  and  throne  and  crown, 

It  giveth  too  despair  and  misery. 

It  playeth  friend  and  foe,  and  proffereth  thee, 
At  times  a  kernel  and  at  times  a  shell ; 
It  is  a  conjurer  that  knoweth  well 

The  sleights  of  every  form  of  jugglery. 


356 

Although  thy  head  may  touch  the  clouds,  it  must 
Have  in  the  end  its  place  amid  the  dust. 

Afrasiyab  gave  orders  :  "  Search,"  he  said, 
"  The  caves,  the  hills,  the  waters,  and  the  waste 
That  fierce  Karan  may  not  elude  our  troops." 

But  hearing  that  Karan  had  gone  to  save 
The  women  he  was  furious.     "  Let  Barman," 
He  bade,  "  speed  forth  and  lion-like  pursue 
Karan,  and  bring  him  me  a  prisoner." 

They  told  the  monarch  how  Karan  had  served 
Barman,  and  brought  him  from  his  steed  to  dust ; 
Whereat  Afrasiyab  was  sorely  grieved, 
Food,  rest,  and  sleep  were  bitterness  to  him, 
And  thus  he  spake  to  Wisa :  "  Let  the  death 
Of  this  thy  son  steel  thine  own  heart,  for  when 
V.  265  The  son  of  Kawa  warreth  leopards  shrink 

Before  his  spear.     Go  with  a  valiant  host 
Well  furnished,  and  take  vengeance  for  the  lost." l 


How  Wisa  found  his  Son  that  had  been  slain 

So  Wisa,  chief  of  the  Turanian  troops, 

Departed  with  a  noble,  vengeful  army, 

And  saw  before  he  overtook  Karan 

His  loved  son  lying  slain,  his  banner  rent, 

His  kettledrums  o'erturned,  his  shroud  of  blood 

Like  tulips,  and  his  face  like  sandarach ; 

While  warriors  and  chieftains  of  Turan 

Were  flung  in  numbers  with  him  on  the  route. 

The  sight  grieved  Wisa  so  that  thou  hadst  said : 

"  His  heart  is  rent  by  anguish,"  while  his  eyes 

Wept  scalding  tears.     He  sped  to  catch  Karan. 

1  Reading  with  P. 


NAUDAR  357 

Thus  like  a  torrent  Wisa  rushed  along 

And  shed  calamity  throughout  the  world. 

"  He  marcheth  on  in  triumph  gloriously," 

Such  was  the  news  that  reached  Karan,  who  sent 

His  Arab  horsemen  forward  to  Nimruz 

And  followed  them  himself — the  Sun  of  earth. 

Now  when  from  Pars  he  reached  the  waste,  a  dust-cloud 

Appeared  upon  his  left,  and  from  the  dust 

The  sable  flag  emerged,  while  from  the  van 

The  Turkman  chief  led  on  his  host.     Both  armies 

Arrayed  their  ranks ;  the  warriors  sought  the  fray. 

Then  from  the  centre  Wisa  shouted,  saying : —  V.  266 

"  Gone  to  the  winds  are  crown  and  throne  of  greatness. 

All  from  Kannuj  up  to  Kabulistan, 

Ghazm'n  too,  and  Zabulistan,  are  ours : 

Our  throne  is  graven  on  their  palaces, 

Where  wilt  thou  refuge  since  the  Shah  is  taken  ? " 

The  other  said :  "  Karan  am  I,  and  cast 
My  blanket  on  the  waters.1     Neither  fear 
Nor  any  idle  rumour  sent  me  forth. 
I  marched  to  fight  thy  son,  and  having  taken 
Revenge  on  him  will  take  it  now  on  thee, 
And  show  thee  how  brave  warriors  fight." 

They  urged 

Their  chargers  on,  the  clarions  blared,  dust  rose 
To  left  and  right  and  moon  and  sky  waxed  dim. 
Men  grappled  eagerly  and  shoAvered  blood. 
Karan  and  Wisa  met  once  in  the  mellay, 
But  Wisa  turned  away  and  fled  the  field  V.  267 

Where  many  a  chief  had  fallen,  yet  Karan 
Pursued  not.     Wisa,  broken  by  misfortune, 
Appeared  before  Afrasiyab  in  pain 
And  weeping  for  his  son  that  had  been  slain. 

1  /.«.,  I  court  danger. 


THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 


How  Shamdsds  and  Khazarwdn  invaded  ZdbuHstdn 

The  expedition  from  Irman  went  forth 
Against  Zabul,  and  Shamasas  advanced 
Toward  Sistan  in  haste,  while  Khazarwan, 
With  thirty  thousand  famous  men  —  good  swordsmen- 
Marched  warily  as  far  as  the  Hirmund 
With  glaive  and  mace,  and  fortune  at  its  height. 
Now  Zal  was  at  the  burial-place  erecting 
In  pain  and  grief  a  charnel  for  his  father, 
While  brave  Mihrab,  whose  mind  was  on  the  alert, 
Was  in  the  city,  and  despatched  an  envoy 
To  Shamasas.     When  this  man  reached  the  camp 
He  gave  his  master's  greetings,  saying  thus  :  — 
"  For  ever  may  the  monarch  of  Turan 
Continue  bright  of  heart  and  wear  the  crown. 
Zahhak  the  Arab  was  mine  ancestor, 
And  little  do  I  love  mine  overlord, 
But  by  alliance  have  I  purchased  life 
Because  I  saw  no  other  course.     At  present 
I  dwell  within  the  palace,  ruling  all 
Zabulistan.     When  Zal  went  whelmed  with  grief 
To  bury  Sam  my  heart  rejoiced,  and  I 
Will  never  see  his  face  again.     I  ask 
The  famous  paladin  for  time  to  send 
Afrasiyab  a  prudent  cameleer  ; 
'Twill  shorten  matters  if  he  know  my  mind. 
V.  268       I  will  despatch  him  fitting  gifts  besides 

The  tribute,  and  if  he  saith  '  Come,'  will  stand 
Before  his  throne,  resign  to  him  my  realm, 
And  joy  in  him.     I  will  not  vex  the  paladin, 
But  send  him  every  kind  of  hoarded  wealth." 


NAUDAR  359 

Thus  one  hand  held  back  Shamasas  and  one 
Was  stretched  for  help.     He  sent  a  messenger 
And  said :  "  Fly  !     Ply  thy  feathers  and  thy  pinions, 
Announce  to  Zal  what  thou  hast  seen,  and  say : — 
'  Pause  not  to  rub  thy  head  but  come  at  once, 
For  of  the  Turkman  host  two  paladins, 
Like  leopard's  claws,  advanced  to  fight  with  me ; 
But  when  they  were  approaching  the  Hirmund 
I  put  their  feet  in  fetters  of  dinars. 
Now  if  thou  waitest  to  draw  breath  but  once 
Our  foes  will  have  their  will.' " 

The  envoy  came 
To  Zal,  whose  heart  forthwith  was  all  a-flame. 


§   IO 
How  Zal  came  to  help  Mihrdb 

Zal  hearing  this  had  the  gold  trappings  placed 
Upon  his  steed,  and  faring  night  and  day 
Rejoined  his  troops.     Whenas  he  saw  Mihrab 
Unmoved  and  full  of  knowledge  and  good  counsel, 
He  thought :  "  What  cause  have  we  to  fear  this  host, 
For  Khazarwan  is  but  a  pinch  of  dust 
To  me  ? " 

Then  to  Mihrab :  "  O  man  of  prudence, 

Approved  in  all !  now  will  I  go  by  night  v.  269 

And  lay  a  hand  upon  the  foe  for  blood. 
They  shall  be  ware  that  I  am  back  again, 
Back  with  full  heart  and  ready  to  avenge." 

He  marked  the  stations  of  the  hostile  chiefs, 
Then  drew  his  bow  amain  and  shot  three  arrows 
Of  poplar,  bough-like,  arching  through  the  sky 
In  three  directions,  and  a  clamour  followed. 


360  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  USI 

When  it  was  day  the  soldiers  gathered  round 
And  marked  the  arrows,  saying  :  "  They  are  Zal's ! 
None  other  shooteth  with  such  shafts  as  these." 

Cried  Shamasas :  "  O  Khazarwan,  thou  Lion  ! 
Hadst  thou  not  been  remiss  in  fight,  not  dallied 
So  with  Mihrab,  his  army  and  his  treasure, 
Zal  had  not  troubled  thee." 

Then  Khazarwan : — 
"  He  is  but  one,  not  Ahriman  or  iron. 
Fear  not,  for  I  will  grapple  him  anon." 

Whenas  the   bright    sun   crossed    the  vault  were 

heard 

Drums  on  the  plain,  and  in  the  city  sounds 
Of  tymbals,  clarions,  gongs,  and  Indian  bells. 
Zal  donned  his  mail  apace,  bestrode  his  charger 
As  swift  as  dust,  while  all  his  warriors  mounted 
With  vengeful  thoughts  and  frowns  upon  their  brows. 
He  led  the  army  forth  upon  the  plain, 
Equipped  with  elephants  and  camp-enclosures, 
Where  host  encountered  host  and  made  the  waste 
As  'twere  a  darksome  mountain  with  the  dust. 
Then  Khazarwan  with  mace  and  buckler  rushed 
v.  270       To  counter  Zal,  and  smote  his  glittering  breast 
A  blow  that  brake  his  famed  cuirass.     When  Zal 
Withdrew  the  warriors  of  Kabulistan 
Retreated,  but  brave  Zal  armed  him  afresh. 
His  head  was  wroth,  his  blood  was  up,  he  brandished 
His  father's  mace,  while  Khazarwan  advanced 
To  challenge  fight,  a  roaring  Lion  he, 
Before  the  host.     Zal  had  no  sooner  raised 
The  reek  of  fight  than  Khazarwan  was  on  him 
As  quick  as  dust,  while  Zal  in  fury  charged 
His  foe,  and  brandishing  the  ox-like  mace 
Smote  Khazarwan  upon  the  head  and  made 
The  ground  as  'twere  a  leopard's  back  with  blood  ; 


NAUDAR  361 

Then  flung  him  down,  trod  on  him,  passed  along 

And  led  the  army  forward  to  the  plain, 

Inviting  Shamasas  to  come  and  fight, 

But  Shamasas  came  not ;  his  blood  was  chilled. 

Zal  next  descried  Kulbad  amid  the  dust 

And  shouldered  his  steel  mace.     Thereon  Kulbad, 

Observing  Zal  with  mace  and  scimitar, 

Endeavoured  to  escape  his  foe  man's  sight, 

But  Zal  the  cavalier  strung  up  his  bow 

And  lightly  aimed  at  him  a  poplar  arrow, 

Struck  full  upon  the  girdle  of  Kulbad — 

A  girdle  that  was  wrought  of  links  of  steel — 

And  pinned  him  to  the  pummel  through  the  loins. 

His  troops'  hearts  burned  for  him  while  Shamasas 

Despaired,  his  face  paled  when  those  chiefs  were  slain, 

And  he  and  all  his  army  in  full  flight 

Dispersed  like  sheep  upon  a  stormy  day, 

Pressed  by  the  soldiers  of  Zabulistan 

And  by  Mihrab.     The  field  was  such  with  corpses 

That  thou  hadst  said :  "  The  troops  are   cramped  for 

room." 

The  Turkmans  fled  toward  Afrasiyab, 
Their  mail  unfastened  and  their  girdles  snapped. 

When  Shamasas  had  reached  the  open  plain  v.  271 

Karan,  the  son  of  Kawa,  came  in  sight 
Returning  from  pursuing  Wisa's  host, 
Whose  noblest  he  had  slain  so  easily. 
The  armies  met  together,  Shamasas 
Met  with  Karan,  the  lover  of  the  fray, 
Who  knowing  his  antagonists,  and  why 
They  were  retreating  from  Zabulistan, 
Bade  trumpets  sound  and  occupied  the  road. 
Thus  host  encountered  host.     The  paladin 
Said  to  his  troops  :  "  Ye  men  of  noble  name 
And  ardent  soul !  go  battle  with  your  spears, 


362  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  may  ye  rob  the  foe  of  life." 

With  cries 

Of  maddened  elephants  they  seized  their  spears, 
Which  made  a  reed-bed  of  the  battlefield 
And  veiled  the  sun  and  moon.     He  lightly  slew 
Those  Turkman  troops  and  flung  them  on  the  track, 
Fell  on  the  wounded  and  the  prisoners, 
And  sent  their  dust  up  to  the  shining  sun, 
While  Shamasas  with  certain  men  of  might 
Fled  and  escaped  the  murky  dust  of  fight. 

§  ii 

How  Naudar  was  slain  by  Afrdsiydb 

News  of  the  death  of  those  famed  warriors 
Came  to  the  Turkman  king ;  his  heart  was  pained, 
His  cheeks  were  wet  with  his  heart's  blood.     He  said 
"  Naudar  is  in  my  prison,  yet  my  friends 
Are  vilely  slaughtered  thus !     What  can  I  do 
But  shed  his  blood  and  give  new  cause  for  feud  ? " 
He  was  enraged  and  cried :  "  Where  is  Naudar, 
For  Wisa  calleth  for  revenge  on  him  ? 
V.  272       Bring  him,"  he  told  an  executioner, 
"  That  I  may  teach  him  war." 

Naudar  on  hearing 

Knew  that  his  time  was  come.     A  clamorous  throng 
Departed,  bound  his  arms  firm  as  a  rock, 
And  haled  him  bare  both  head  and  foot,  fordone, 
In  shameful  plight  before  the  Crocodile. 
Full  of  impatience  great  Afrasiyab 
Looked  out  for  him,  and  seeing  him  approach 
Reminded  him  of  their  ancestral  feud, 
Began  with  Salm  and  Tiir,  and  washed  away 
From  heart  and  eyes  the  reverence  due  to  kings. 


NA  UDAR  363 

"  Thou  hast  deserved  whatever  ill  may  come," 
He  said,  called  fiercely  for  a  scimitar, 
Smote  Shah  Naudar  upon  the  neck  and  flung 
In  foul  contempt  the  body  in  the  dust. 
Thus  passed  that  Memory  of  Shah  Mimichihr 
And  left  Iran  bereft  of  throne  and  crown. 

O  man  of  knowledge  shrewd  exceedingly  ! 
Don  not  the  whole  robe  of  thy  greed,  for  throne 
And  crown  have  seen  already  many  an  one 

Like  thee,  and  thou  mayst  hear  their  history. 
If  thou  hast  gained  the  object  of  thy  lust 

And  appetite  hath  ceased,  so  strong  before, 
Why  shouldst  thou  ask  this  gloomy  mournful  dust 

To  make  thee  miserable  any  more  ? 
They  haled  the  other  captives  forth  in  shame, 
And  asking  quarter.     Virtuous  Ighriras 
Saw  this  and  anxiously  besought  the  king : — 
"  To  slay  so  many  noble  warriors 
And  horsemen  in  cold  blood — mere  prisoners 
Disarmed — is  base,  and  base  where  we  should  look      y.  273 
For  magnanimity.     'Twere  worthier  far 
To  spare  their  lives.     Commit  them  bound  to  me 
And  I  will  prison  them  within  a  cavern, 
Well  guarded.     Prison  will  restore  their  wits ; 
But  shed  not  blood." 

At  Ighriras'  request, 
Perceiving  his  distress  and  earnestness, 
The  monarch  spared  their  lives,  and  bade  men  take 
The  captives  to  Sari  in  shameful  bonds. 
This  done  he  marched  from  Dahistan  to  Rai, 
Hid  earth  beneath  his  cavaliers  and  made 
His  chargers  sweat,  assumed  the  royal  crown, 
Bestowed  a  liberal  largess  of  dinars, 
And  played  as  monarch  of  Iran  his  part 
With  thoughts  of  war  and  vengeance  in  his  heart. 


364  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

§    12 
How  Zdl  had  Tidings  of  the  Death  of  Naudar 

This  news  reached  Gustaham  and  Tus :  "  The  Grace 
Of  kingship  is  obscured.     They  have  struck  off 
Remorselessly  with  trenchant  scimitar 
The  head  that  wore  the  crown,  and  all  is  over." 

Men  tore  their  faces  and  plucked  out  their  hair, 
A  cry  of  mourning  went  up  from  f  ran, 
The  great  put  dust  and  earth  upon  their  heads, 
All  eyes  wept  tears  of  blood,  all  robes  were  rent. 
Men  turned  their  faces  toward  Zabul ;  their  tongues 
Spake  of  the  Shah,  their  souls  yearned  for  the  Shah. 
They  went  to  Zal  in  mourning  and  in  pain, 
With  blood-stained  cheeks  and  dust  upon  their  heads. 
They  cried :  "  0  good  and  valiant  Shah  Naudar ! 
O  great  just  monarch,  wearer  of  the  crown, 
v.  274       The  guardian  of  Iran,  the  prop  of  nobles, 

The  head  of  kings  and  monarch  of  the  world  ! 
Thy  head  is  seeking  for  a  crown  from  dust 
And  earth  is  savouring  of  the  blood  of  Shahs. 
The  grasses  on  these  fields  and  fells  are  hanging 
Their  heads  in  shame  before  the  sun  while  we 
Ask  vengeance,  mourning  as  it  were  a  father, 
In  whom  the  stock  of  Faridiin  survived, 
While  earth  was  servant  to  his  horse's  shoe. 
Now  him  and  all  that  famous  troop  have  they 
Beheaded  shamefully,  despitefully ; 
.  But  we  will  draw  our  swords  of  watered  steel, 
Will  go  to  seek  revenge  and  slay  the  foe : 
So  arm  ye  and  revive  the  ancient  feud. 
The  heaven  is  surely  with  us  in  our  grief ; 
Its  eyes  rain  tears  of  blood  for  very  ruth. 


NA  UDAR  365 

Do  ye  too  fill  your  eyes  with  tears  like  those 

And  strip  your  bodies  of  their  dainty  dress, 

For  in  revenge  for  kings  it  is  not  well 

That  eyes  should  stint  their  tears  or  hearts  their  rage. ' 

The  mournful  multitude  wept  bitterly, 
And  burnt  as  though  upon  a  raging  fire, 
While  Zal  rent  all  his  raiment  and  sat  down 
With  lamentable  outcries  in  the  dust. 
He  said  :  "  My  trenchant  blade  shall  ne'er  behold 
Sheath  till  the  Resurrection,  my  white  charger 
Shall  be  my  throne,  a  spear  mine  only  tree, 
My  place  a  stirrup  and  a  dusky  helm 
The  crown  upon  my  head.     There  is  no  rest 
Or  slumber  in  this  feud.     No  stream  can  match 
The  river  of  mine  eyes.     Oh  !  may  the  soul 
Of  great  Naudar  shine  bright  amid  the  mighty, 
And  may  the  Lord  of  earth  bestow  on  you 
A  soul  for  Faith  and  duty.     All  of  us 
Are  born  to  die ;  it  is  our  lot  whereto 
We  yield  our  necks." 

Now  when  the  captives  heard : — 

"  The  Iranians  are  upon  the  march  for  vengeance,  v.  275 

They  send  out  cameleers  on  every  side, 
Have  gathered  countless  troops  and  have  renounced 
Home  and  delights,"  they  neither  ate  nor  slept, 
Such  was  their  terror  of  Afrasiyab. 
A  message  from  them  came  to  Ighriras : — 
"  O  man  of  mighty  purpose,  famous  chief ! 
We  are  thy  slaves  in  all,  and  by  thy  word 
We  live.     Zal,  as  thou  knowest,  is  at  home 
And  acting  with  the  monarch  of  Kabul. 
Men  like  Barzin,  Karan  the  warrior, 
Kharrad,  and  that  host-shatterer  Kishwad, 
Are  men  of  might  with  hands  that  reach  afar 
And  will  not  keep  their  clutches  off  f  ran. 


366  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Now  when  these  warriors  wheel  about  us  here 

And  brandish  their  sharp  lances  in  his  sight 

The  great  Afrasiyab  will  be  enraged, 

His  heart  will  be  inflamed  against  his  captives, 

And  for  his  crown's  sake  he  will  bring  to  dust 

The  heads  of  all  our  blameless  company. 

If  prudent  Ighriras  see  fit  to  free  us 

We  will  disperse,  praise  him  before  the  great 

And  make  thanksgiving  unto  God  for  him." 

Wise  Ighriras  replied  :  "  Such  skilleth  not ; 
'Twere  a  foe's  act;  this  human  Ahriman 
Would  be  incensed.     I  will  not  take  other  order 
So  that  my  brother  may  not  turn  upon  me 
In  vengeance.     If  now  Zal  is  keen  for  war 
V.  276  And  will  advance  to  fight  us  at  Sari 

I  will  deliver  you  to  him,  myself 
Evacuate  Amul,  forbear  to  fight 
And  bring  to  infamy  my  honoured  head." 

At  this  reply  the  nobles  of  1  ran 
Bent  to  the  ground,  and  full  of  praise  for  him 
Despatched  a  courier  from  Sari  with  speed 
To  Zal,  the  son  of  Sam.     The  message  ran  :— 
"  Our  God  hath  pitied  us ;  wise  Ighriras 
Is  now  our  friend.    This  is  the  pact  between  us : 
If  only  two  Iranian  warriors 
Shall  come  and  offer  fight  that  noble  man, 
Who  walketh  fortune's  path,  will  quit  Amul 
For  Rai,  and  so  some  one  of  us  may  scape 
The  Dragon's  clutch." 

The  courier  reached  Zabul 

And  made  the  glad  news  known  to  Zal,  who  called 
The  nobles,  told  them  all,  then  said  :  "  My  friends, 
Pards  of  the  fray  and  winners  of  renown  ! 
Who  is  the  warrior  of  princely  heart, 
All  black  with  courage,  who  will  raise  his  neck 


NAUDAR  367 

To  touch  the  sun  by  undertaking  this  ? " 

Kishwad  accepting  struck  his  breast  and  said : — 

"  My  hand  is  ready  for  an  act  so  just." 

The  glorious  Zal  approved  him,  saying  thus : — 

"  Live  happily  while  months  and  years  endure." 
So  from  Zabul  a  troop  of  warriors 

Intent  on  war  set  face  toward  Amul. 

When  they  had  journeyed  for  a  stage  or  two 

The  tidings  came  to  Ighriras  their  friend, 

Who  blew  the  brazen  trumpets,  marched  away  v.  277 

His  troops  and  left  the  captives  at  Sari. 

When  fortunate  Kishwad  arrived  he  found 

The  key  to  loose  their  bonds,  provided  steeds, 

And  from  Amul  sped  toward  Zabul.     When  Zal 

Was  told :  "  Kishwad  is  coming  back  in  triumph," 

He  gave  a  largess  to  the  mendicants, 

The  robe  that  he  was  wearing  to  the  messenger, 

And  when  Kishwad  approached  went  out  to  meet  him 

In  state,  while  weeping  tears  of  joy  for  those 

That  had  been  captive  in  the  Lion's  clutch, 

And  then  with  dust  upon  his  head  wept  tears 

Of  grief  o'er  famed  Naudar.     He  took  the  loved  ones 

Within  the  city,  gave  them  palaces, 

And  they  became  as  when  Naudar  was  king, 

Possessed  of  crowns  and  thrones  and  diadems, 

While  Zal  distributed  his  treasure-store 

Until  the  army  could  desire  no  more. 


§  13 
How  Ighriras  icas  slain  by  his  Brother 

When  Ighrfras  went  from  Amul  to  Rai 

The  king  asked :  "  Wherefore  hast  thou  acted  thus  ? 

Why  hast  thou  mingled  colocynth  with  honey  ? 


368  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDAVSI 

Did  I  not  bid  thee  :  '  Slay  these  evil  men ; 

It  will  be  folly  to  imprison  them  ? ' 

The  warrior's  head  is  not  concerned  with  statecraft, 

His  fame  is  gained  upon  the  battlefield ; 

Nor  should  the  soldier  tread  the  path  of  wisdom, 

For  wisdom  never  mingleth  with  revenge." 

"  Tears  and  compassion  are  not  wholly  needless," 

V.  278       He  answered.     "  When  thou  hast  the  power  to  harm 
Fear  God  and  do  it  not,  for  crown  and  girdle 
See  many  like  thee  but  are  no  man's  own 
For  ever." 

Hearing  this  Afrasiyab 
Was  silenced,  for  the  one  was  full  of  fire, 
The  other  wise ;  and  how  should  wisdom  fit 
Divs'  heads  ?    .At  his  reply  the  chieftain  raging, 
Like  elephant  gone  mad,  drew  forth  his  scimitar 
And  cut  his  brother  down  ;  that  man  of  wisdom 
And  goodness  passed  away.     Zal  heard,  and  said  : — 
"  Now  shall  the  fortune  of  Afrasiyab 
Be  darkened  and  his  throne  laid  waste." 

He  blew 

The  trumpets,  bound  the  tymbals  on,  arrayed 
The  army  like  the  eye  of  chanticleer 
And  went  toward  Pars,  in  anger  and  revenge, 
With  troops  that  stretched  from  sea  to  sea,  and  dark- 
ened 

The  sun  and  moon  with  dust.     Afrasiyab, 
On  hearing  Zal's  design,  marched  forth  his  host 
Toward  Khar  of  Rai,  drew  up  and  took  his  stand. 
The  outposts  were  engaged  both  day  and  night ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  said :  "  The  world  hath  but  one  hue." 

V.  279       Both  hosts  lost  many  a  gallant  man  of  mark. 
Twas  thus  until  two  sennights  passed  away, 
And  horse  and  foot  were  weary  of  the  fray. 


IX 
ZAV,    THE    SON    OF    TAHMlSP 

HE   REIGNED    FIVE    YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

After  the  execution  of  Naudar  the  throne  remains  for  a  while 
vacant,  his  sons  Tiis  and  Gustaham  being  considered  unworthy 
to  succeed.  Zav,  by  the  advice  of  Zal,  is  made  Shah.  The  war 
against  Afrasiyab  continues,  and  the  sufferings  of  both  armies  are 
aggravated  by  drought  and  consequent  famine.  Both  sides  become 
eager  for  peace,  which  is  successfully  negotiated,  rain  falls  and 
Zav  dies. 

NOTE 

Zav  is  described  in  the  Shahnama  as  the  son  of  Tahmasp  and 
descended  from  the  race  of  Faridun.  In  the  Bundahish  he  is 
said  to  be  the  grandson  of  Naudar.1  Zav  is  mentioned  in  the 
Zandavasta :  "  We  worship  the  Fravashi  (i.e.  the  immortal  prin- 
ciple) of  the  holy  Uzava,  the  son  of  Tiimaspa."  '2 

The  passing  over  of  Tiis  and  Gustaham,  the  sons  of  Naudar,  on 
the  express  ground  of  their  unfitness,  as  not  being  possessed  of 
the  divine  Grace  of  sovereignty,  seems  to  find  its  justification  in 
what  we  learn  of  their  characters  later  on,  at  all  events  in  the 
case  of  Tiis,  who  is  described  as  being  hot-headed,  revengeful,  and 
a  brave  but  unsuccessful  general.  Gustaham  almost  drops  out  of 
the  poem  and  his  place  is  taken  by  another  hero  of  the  same 
name,  Gustaham  the  son  of  Gazhdaham — the  castellan  of  the 
White  Castle. 

Tiis  is  represented  as  always  resentful  of  the  slight  put  upon 
him;  it  induces  him  to  oppose  the  accession  of  Kai  Khusrau, 


1  WPT,  i.  136.  2  DZA,  ii.  221. 

369  2  A 


370  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDAUSI 

and  subsequently  to  make  the  unprovoked  attack  which  results 
in  the  death  of  Fariid,  that  Shah's  brother. 

In  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  peace  between  Zav  and  Afrasiyab, 
which  make  the  Jihiin  the  boundary  between  Iran  and  Tiiran,  we 
have  the  beginning  of  much  geographical  confusion  in  the  Shahnama. 
The  Aras  was  really  meant.1 

Drought  and  famine  are  frequent  phenomena  in  the  table-land 
of  Iran. 


Zav  is  elected  Shdh 

One  night  as  Zal  sat  speaking  to  his  chiefs 

And  retinue  about  Afrasiyab, 

He  said :  "  Although  our  paladins  possess 

Unsleeping  fortune  and  enlightened  minds 

We  need  a  Shah,  one  of  the  royal  race, 

Skilled  in  the  lore  of  eld.     The  host  resembleth 

A  ship  whereto  the  throne  is  wind  and  sail. 

Oh !  had  but  Tus  and  Gustaham  the  Grace.  .  .  . 

We  lack  not  troops,  but  men,  however  noble, 

That  have  not  prudence,  merit  not  the  crown 

And  throne.     We  need  a  Shah  of  puissant  fortune, 

A  man  of  Grace  through  whose  words  wisdom  shineth. 

They  found  none  of  the  seed  of  Faridiin 
But  Zav,  son  of  Tahmasp,  with  monarch's  might 
And  hero's  worth  to  grace  the  lofty  throne. 
Karan  took  with  a  gallant  company 
The  joyful  news  to  Zav :  "  In  thee  reviveth 
v.  280       The  crown  of  Faridun.     Zal  and  the  troops 
Acclaim  thee  as  the  Shah,  0  worthy  one  ! " 

On  an  auspicious  day  fair-fortuned  Zav 
Came  and  acceded  to  the  lofty  throne. 
The  mighty  praised  him,  showering  offerings  ; 
Zal  too  did  homage.     Five  years  passed  away 

1  See  Introd.  p.  71. 


(ZAV  37i 

While  Zav,  a  wise  old  man,  sat  on  the  throne 
And  judged  and  lavished  till  the  world  grew  young. 
He  kept  his  soldiers  back  from  evil  ways, 
Wrapped  up  himself  in  communings  with  God. 
None  dared  to  rob  or  slay,  but  after  him 
Men  saw  no  lack  of  slaughter.     There  was  a  famine, 
There  was  not  dew  or  rain,  the  ground  and  herbs 
Were  parched,    and   bread   was   worth    its   weight   in 

drachms. 

The  hosts  had  faced  each  other  for  five  months, 
Engaged  in  fierce  encounters  day  by  day 
As  fitteth  chiefs  and  heroes,  but  that  famine 
Left  them  resourceless,  wasted  woof  and  warp, 
And  all  confessed  :  "  We  are  ourselves  to  blame," 
While  wails  and  cries  for  help  rose  from  both  hosts. 
At  length  an  envoy  came  to  Zav  and  said : — 
"  It  is  our  own  fault  that  this  Wayside  Inn 
Affordeth  naught  but  travail,  care,  and  anguish. 
Come  let  us  share  the  earth  and  bless  each  other." 

They  gave  up  thoughts  of  war  for  famine  pressed, 
Agreed  to  drop  the  ancient  feud,  to  share 
The  world  according  to  just  precedent l  v.  281 

And  put  all  bygones  out  of  memory. 
The  portion  of  f  ran  both  near  and  far 
Twixt  the  Jihun  and  marches  of  Tiiran, 
And  so  along  toward  Khutan  and  Chin, 
Was  given  to  the  Turkmans  as  their  kingdom, 
While  Zal  abandoned  all  the  nomad  tribes. 
Such  was  the  sharing,  such  the  Turkmans'  bounds. 
Then  Zav  led  forth  his  host  to  go  to  Pars, 
Old  as  he  was  he  made  earth  young  again ; 
While  Zal  departed  for  Zabulistan 
And  men  received  them  both  with  open  arms. 

The  roar  of  thunder  filled  the  mountain-tops 

1  Probably  referring  to  Faridtin's  settlement. 


372  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  earth  recovered  colour,  scent,  and  beauty ; 
It  was  as  'twere  a  youthful  bride,  arrayed 
In  fountains,  pleasances,  and  rivulets, 
For  fortune  would  be  neither  dark  nor  hard 
If  man  had  not  the  temper  of  a  pard. 

Zal  called  the  chiefs  and  offered  thanks  to  God, 
Who  had  converted  scarcity  to  plenty, 
Men  set  up  feasting-places  everywhere 
And  banished  feud  and  cursing  from  their  hearts. 
Thus  for  five  years  men  knew  not  wrong  or  travail, 
Yet  verily  the  world  grew  sick  of  justice 
And  longed  to  be  within  the  Lion's  claws. 

Now  when  he  reached  his  sixth  and  eightieth  year 
That  sun-like  ruler's  leaf  began  to  sear, 
The  Iranians'  fortune  halted  and  the  day 
Of  Zav,  the  righteous  worldlord,  passed  away. 


X 
GAESHlSP 

HIS   REIGN   WAS   NINE   YEARS 

ARGUMENT 

On  the  death  of  Zav  his  son  Garshasp  succeeds  to  the  throne, 
and  Afrasiyab  seizes  the  opportunity  to  renew  the  war.  Garshasp 
himself  dies,  and  the  Iranians  being  hard  pressed  appeal  to  Zal, 
who  promises  that  his  son  Rustam  shall  come  to  their  assistance. 
The  poet  then  tells  how  Zal  gave  Sam's  mace  to  Rustam,  how  the 
latter  won  his  charger  Rakhsh,  and  how  Zal  led  the  host  against 
Afrasiyab,  and  sent  Rustam  to  fetch  Kai  Kubad  from  Mount 
Alburz  to  be  Shdh  in  succession  to  Garshasp. 

NOTE 

In  the  summary  in  the  Dinkard  of  the  lost  Kitradad  Nask 
mention  is  made  of  Keresasp,  who  is  placed  between  Kai  Kubad 
and  Kai  Kaiis.1  Keresasp  appears  there  to  be  identical  with  the 
great  hero,  of  whom  an  account  has  been  given  in  the  intro- 
ductory note  to  Faridiin,  and  if  so  apparently  we  must  identify 
Garshasp,  the  tenth  Shah,  with  him  as  well.  In  the  Shahnama, 
however,  he  is  a  mere  nominis  umbra,  and  Firdausi  places  him 
before  Kai  Kubad,  the  first  Shah  of  the  Kaianian  dynasty,  and 
makes  him  the  son  of  the  preceding  Shah  Zav  and  the  last  of  the 
Pishdadians.  His  personality  had  already,  as  we  have  seen  in  the 
note  above  referred  to,  become  split  up,  and  his  reign  is  a  blank  so 
far  as  he  is  concerned. 

The  reader  will  note  Rustam's  reference  to  bishops  acting  as 
castellans.2  In  the  wars  between  the  Eastern  Roman  Empire  and 


1  WPT,  iv.  28.  2  p.  378. 

373 


374  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

the  Sasanians,  bishops  and  other  ecclesiastics  often  took  a  very 
important  part  in  the  defence  of  besieged  cities.  Thus  S.  James, 
the  Bishop  of  Edessa,  took  a  leading  part  in  several  successful 
defences  of  Nisibis  against  Sapor  II.1  The  fact  of  the  church 
militant  thus  became  impressed  on  the  Eastern  mind,  and  by  an 
anachronism  not  uncommon  with  him,  Firdausi  transfers  the 
usages  of  later  times  to  earlier  ages.  The  reader  will  note  too  the 
vision  of  the  divine  Grace  of  kingship  which  prepared  Kai  Kubad 
for  his  accession  to  the  throne.  It  appeared  again  visibly  in  the 
shape  of  a  ram  before  the  accession  of  Ardshir  Papakan,  the  first 
Shah  of  the  Sasanian  dynasty.  When  it  quitted  Yima  it  flew  away 
in  the  shape  of  a  bird.2 


Hme  Garshdsp  succeeded  to  the  Throne  and  died,  and 
how  Afrdsiydb  invaded  Iran 

v.  282        Zav  had  a  puissant  son  by  name  Garshasp 

Who  sat  upon  the  throne  and  donned  the  crown. 
He  ruled  the  world  with  majesty  and  Grace, 
But  tidings  reached  the  Turkmans :  "  Zav  hath  gone 
And  left  an  empty  throne." 

Afrasiyab 

Sent  up  the  war-cry,  launched  his  ships  and  made 
For  Khar  of  Rai,  but  no  one  brought  to  him 
A  greeting  from  Pashang,  whose  head  was  filled 
With  hate,  his  heart  with  strife.     All  wild  with  grief 
For  Ighriras,  of  throne  and  crown  he  recked  not, 
Would  never  look  upon  Afrasiyab 
And  let  the  shining  sword  grow  dull  with  rust ; 
Albeit  messengers  were  sent  to  him 
Month  after  month,  but  he  denied  himself, 
And  said :  "  Whatever  prince  were  on  the  throne 
A  friend  like  Ighriras  would  profit  him, 
But  thou  art  one  to  shed  a  brother's  blood 
And  flee  before  the  nursling  of  a  fowl. 

1  KSM,  155-164.  2  See  introductory  note  to  Janishid. 


GARSHASP  373 

I  sent  thee  forth  to  battle  with  the  foe 

And  thou  hast  slain  thy  brother  !     I  disown  thee : 

Thou  shalt  not  look  upon  my  face  again."" 

Thus  matters  fared  awhile  ;  at  length  the  tree 
Of  bale  bore  colocynth.     'Twas  in  the  year 
Wherein  Garshasp  the  son  of  Zav  departed 
That  evil  showed  itself,  for  tidings  reached 
All  ears  :  "  The  throne  of  king  of  kings  is  void."  v  283 

There  came  a  message  to  Afrasiyab — 
A  stone  flung  by  Pashang :  "  Cross  the  Jihiin 
And  tarry  not  until  yon  throne  be  filled." 

Between  Jihiin  and  plain  of  Sipanjab 
Afrasiyab  arrayed  his  armaments, 
And  thou  hadst  said  :  "  Earth  is  a  turning  sky 
Where  Indian  swords  are  shedding  souls  for  rain." 
So  sped  that  splendid  army  forth  to  war. 

"  There  is  a  claimant  for  the  throne  of  might," 
Such  tidings  reached  fran.     The  throne  was  void, 
The  outlook  dark.     Anon  the  streets  and  quarters 
Were  all  astir,  cries  rose  from  all  the  land 
And  men  turned  toward  ZabuL     The  world  was  filled 
With  strife  and  folk  spake  bitterly  to  Zal : — 
"  Thy  handling  of  the  world  hath  been  too  lax. 
Since  thou  hast  held  Sam's  place  as  paladin 
Our  minds  have  not  been  joyful  for  a  day. 
When  Zav  departed  and  his  son  was  Shah 
The  hands  of  evil  men  were  kept  from  ill. 
Now  seeing  that  Garshasp  hath  passed  away 
The  world  is  Shahless  and  the  army  chiefless. 
A  host  hath  crossed  Jihun,  men  cannot  see 
The  sun  for  dust.     If  any  shift  thou  knowest 
Use  it,  because  Afrasiyab  approacheth." 

Zal  answered :  "  Since  I  girt  the  belt  of  manhood 
No  rider  like  me  hath  bestridden  steed,  v.  284 

None  hath  essayed  to  wield  my  sword  and  mace, 


376  THE  SHAHNAMA   OF  FIRDA  USI 

And  horsemen  showed  their  cruppers,  not  their  reins, 
When  I  appeared.     I  have  fought  night  and  day 
And  all  my  life  have  dreaded  growing  old. 
At  length  my  back  is  bent,  I  wield  no  more 
A  falchion  of  Kabul ;  yet  God  be  praised 
That  from  my  root  a  glorious  shoot  hath  sprung, 
Whose  head  will  reach  the  sky,  and  thou  shalt  see 
It  grow  in  valour,  Rustam  being  now 
A  straight-stemmed  Cypress' whom  the  crown  of  great- 
ness 

Becometh  well ;  but  he  must  have  a  charger ; 
These  Arab  horses  will  not  do  for  him. 
I  will  seek  out  some  elephantine  steed, 
Wherever  there  are  herds,  and  say  to  Rustam : — 
'  Wilt  thou  consent,  consent  with  all  thy  heart 
To  gird  thy  loins  to  execute  revenge 
Upon  the  offspring  of  Zadsham  ? ' ' 

Iran 

Was  glad  of  heart  and  blithe  of  face  as  Zal 
Sent  camel-posts  to  every  quarter,  armed 
His  cavaliers,  and  said  to  Rustam  thus : — 
"  Mine  elephantine  son,  a  whole  head  taller 
Than  other  men !  a  work  of  toil  is  toward 
To  break  thy  slumbers,  quiet,  and  delights. 
Thou  art  not  yet  of  age  to  fight,  my  son ! 
But  what  of  that  ?     This  is  no  time  for  feasting. 
Yet  with  the  scent  of  milk  upon  thy  lips, 
And  with  thy  heart  all  set  on  sports  and  pleasures, 
How  shall  I  send  thee  to  the  battlefield 
Against  the  Lions  and  the  mighty  men  ? 
Now  for  thine  answer,  and  may  majesty 
And  goodness  be  thy  mates." 

Then  Rustam  thus : — 
"  O  noble  prince,  ambitious  of  renown ! 
V.  285        Good  sooth  thou  hast  forgotten  how  I  showed 


GARSHASP  377 

My  courage  publicly.     The  paladin 

Hath  surely  heard  of  the  fierce  elephant, 

And  Mount  Sipand,  and  I  shall  lose  my  fame 

If  now  I  tremble  at  Afrasiyab. 

This  is  the  time  for  fight  and  not  for  flight. 

The  overthrow  of  Lions,  the  pursuit 

Of  war,  renown,  and  battle,  fashion  heroes ; 

But  'tis  not  so  with  women ;  their  concern 

Is  food  and  sleep." 

Zal  said :  "  0  gallant  youth, 
The  chief  of  princes  and  the  warriors'  stay  ! 
My  heart  rejoiceth  when  I  hear  thee  speak 
Of  that  white  elephant  and  Mount  Sipand, 
For  truly  since  that  fight  was  won  with  ease 
Why  fear  I  for  thee  now  ?     Afrasiyab 
And  his  designs  deprive  me  of  my  sleep, 
Yet  can  I  send  thee  to  contend  with  one 
Who  is  a  gallant  king  and  loveth  battle  ? 
Now  is  thy  time  for  feasts  and  twanging  harps, 
For  quaffing  wine,  and  tales  of  warlike  deeds ; 
'Tis  not  thy  time  for  warfare,  fame,  and  strife, 
Or  sending  up  the  earth's  dust  to  the  moon." 
He  said :  "  I  am  not  one  for  ease  and  revel. 
'Twere  base  to  pamper  in  luxuriousness 
Such  arms  as  these,  and  these  long  hands  of  mine. 
What  though  the  battlefield  and  fight  be  hard 
God  and  victorious  fortune  are  mine  aids. 
In  battle  thou  shalt  mark  me  how  I  go 
Upon  my  ruddy  charger  through  the  blood, 
And  I  will  carry  in  my  hand  a  cloud l 
That  is  of  watered  hue  but  raineth  gore, 
While  from  the  substance  of  it  flasheth  fire : 
Its  head  shall  bruise  the  brains  of  elephants, 
My  quiver  when  I  clothe  myself  in  mail 

.  1  I.e.,  a  mace  of  steel. 


378  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USI 

Shall  shock  the  world,  and  all  the  fortresses 
V.  286       That  shall  withstand  mine  iron  mace's  blows, 
My  breast  and  arms  and  neck,  need  never  fear 
An  arbalist  or  catapult,  or  want 
A  bishop  for  their  castellan.     The  rocks 
Shall  redden  to  their  cores  when  I  advance 
My  lance  in  fight.     I  need  a  steed  hill-high 
Caught  by  my  lasso,  up  to  weight  like  mine 
In  war,  and  not  impatient  of  restraint. 
I  need  a  mace  too  like  a  mountain-crag, 
For  hosts  will  come  against  me  from  Tiiran, 
And  when  they  come,  though  I  should  fight  unaided, 
Their  blood  shall  rain  upon  the  battlefield." 

The  paladin  was  moved,  and  thou  hadst  said, 
"  He  will  pour  out  his  soul."     He  thus  replied  :  — 
"  O  tired  of  ease  and  revel  !     I  will  bring  thee 
The  mace  of  Sam  the  cavalier,  preserved 
In  memory  of  him,  wherewith  thou  slewest 
The  elephant.     Live  ever,  paladin  !  " 

Zal  ordered  :  "  Bring  the  mace  employed  by  Sam 
In  his  campaign  against  Mazandaran 
V.  287       To  this  famed  paladin  that  he  may  take 
Our  foemen's  breath  away." 

When  Rustam  saw  it 

He  smiled  with  joy,  called  blessings  down  on  Zal, 
And  said  :  "  Thou  art  the  chief  of  paladins  ; 
But  now,  to  bear  my  person,  mace,  and  Grace, 
I  need  a  steed." 

Zal  mused  at  what  he  said 
And  oft  invoked  God's  blessing  on  his  head. 


How  Rustam  caught  Rakhsh 

When  Zal  had  gathered  all  his  herds  of  horses, 
And  many  from  Kabul,  the  herdsmen  drove  them 


GARSHASP  379 

Past  Rustam,  calling  out  the  royal  brands. 

Whenever  Rustam  caught  a  steed  he  pressed 

Its  back  until  its  belly  reached  the  ground. 

At  length  a  herd  of  piebald  steeds  sped  by, 

Among  them  a  grey  mare  short-legged  and  fleet, 

With  lion's  chest  and  ears  like  two  steel  daggers, 

Her  breast  and  shoulder  full  and  barrel  fine. 

Behind  her  came  a  colt  as  tall  as  she, 

His  buttocks  and  his  breast  as  broad  as  hers, 

Dark-eyed  and  tapering — a  piebald  bay 

With  belly  hard  and  jet-black,  hoofs  of  steel, 

His  whole  form  beautiful,  and  spotted  roan 

Like  roses  spread  upon  a  ground  of  saffron. 

He  could  discern  the  tiny  emmet's  foot 

Upon  black  cloth  at  night  two  leagues  away, 

Had  elephantine  strength  with  camel's  stature,  v.  288 

And  pluck  of  lions  bred  on  Mount  Bistun. 

Now  Rustam  gazing  on  the  mare  observed 

That  elephantine  colt,  and  coiled  his  lasso 

To  catch  it,  but  an  ancient  herdsman  cried : — 

"  0  chief !  forbear  to  take  another's  charger." 

"  Whose  ? "  Rustam  asked.     "  The  thighs  have  not 

been  branded." 

The  herdsman  answered :  "  Never  mind  his  brand  ; 
There  are  all  kinds  of  rumours  as  to  him. 
We  call  him  Rakhsh.     He  is  a  piebald  bay, 
As  good  as  water  and  as  bright  as  fire. 
We  call  him  '  Rustam's  Rakhsh,'  but  know  of  none 
To  master  him.     He  hath  been  fit  to  saddle 
These  three  years.     All  the  nobles  have  observed  him, 
But  at  the  sight  of  noose  and  cavalier 
The  dam  is  like  a  lion.     We  cannot  tell, 
O  chief  of  paladins !  the  reason  why, 
But  as  a  prudent  man  forbear  to  fight 
A  Dragon  such  as  this,  for  when  the  mare 


38p  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAUSI 

Is  in  the  fighting  humour  she  will  rend 
The  hearts  of  lions  and  the  hides  of  pards." 

The  old  man's  sayings  opened  Rustam's  eyes, 
He  cast  his  royal  lasso  and  entangled 
The  piebald's  head.     Then  like  a  furious  elephant 
The  dam  advanced  as  she  would  tear  off  Rustam's, 
Who  roared  as  savage  lions  roar  and  scared  her, 
Then  with  one  buffet  on  the  withers  sent  her 
All  trembling  to  the  ground.     She  rose,  sprang  back, 
Then  turned  and  joined  the  herd,  while  mighty  Rustam 
Stood  firm  and  drew  the  lasso  tighter  still, 
And  laid  his  hand  upon  the  bay  colt's  back 
v.  289       Which  gave  not ;  thou  hadst  said :  "  It  is  not  felt." 
The  hero  thought :  "  This  is  the  mount  for  me ; 
Now  I  can  act." 

He  mounted  swift  as  wind, 

The  ruddy  steed  sped  with  him.     He  inquired : — 
"  What  is  this  Dragon's  price  or  who  can  tell  it  ? " 

"  If  thou  art  Rustam,"  said  the  herd,  "  redress 
Iran  upon  his  back.     Its  broad  champaign 
Shall  be  his  price ;  then  thou  wilt  right  the  world." 

The  hero's  lips  grew  coral-like  with  smiles ; 
He  said :  "  All  good  is  God's." 

Bent  on  revenge 

He  saddled  ruddy  Rakhsh,  and  giving  him 
The  rein  observed  his  courage,  strength,  and  blood, 
And  that  he  could  bear  rider,  arms,  and  mail. 
The  piebald  grew  so  precious  that  at  night 
They  burned  wild  rue  to  right  and  left  of  him 
For  fear  of  harm.     "  They  practise  sorcery," 
Thou  wouldst  have  said.     In  fight  no  deer  was  swifter. 
He  was  soft-mouthed,  foam-scattering,  light  in  hand, 
With  rounded  buttocks,  clever,  and  well  paced. 

The  gallant  rider  and  his  new-found  steed 
Made  Zal's  heart  joyful  as  the  jocund  spring. 


GARSHASP 


He  oped  his  treasury-door,  gave  out  dinars, 
Nor  recked  of  day  or  morrow.     When  he  mounted 
His  elephant  and  dropped  a  ball  the  sound 
Made  by  the  cup  was  heard  for  miles  around. 


§3 
How  Zdl  led  the  Host  against  Afrdsiydb 

There  was  a  noise  of  drums  and  clarions, 

Of  mighty  elephants  and  Indian  gongs ; 

'Twas  Resurrection  in  Zabulistan 

And  earth  called  loudly  to  the  dead  :  "  Arise ! " 

A  host  departed  from  Zabul  like  lions'; 

All  hands  were  bathed  in  blood.     In  front  came  Rustam  v.  290 

As  paladin,  then  veteran  warriors. 

The  troops  so  spread  o'er  passes,  plains,  and  dales 

That  ravens  had  not  room  to  fly,  while  tymbals 

Beat  everywhere  and  tumult  filled  the  world 

As  at  that  time  of  roses  Zal  led  forth 

The  army  from  Zabul.     Afrasiyab 

Thereat  arose  from  banquet,  rest,  and  slumber, 

And  marched  toward  Khar  of  Rai  along  the  meadows 

Among  their  streams  and  reeds.     The  franian  host 

Fared  o'er  the  desert  to  the  scene  of  war, 

And  when  the  armies  were  two  leagues  apart 

Zal  called  the  veterans,  and  thus  harangued  them : — 

"  Ye  men  of  wisdom,  well  approven  warriors ! 

We  have  arrayed  us  here  an  ample  host 

And  with  advantages ;  yet  with  no  Shah 

Upon  the  throne  our  plants  want  rede,  our  toils 

Lack  purpose,  and  our  troops  a  head.     When  Zav 

Was  on  the  throne  new  glory  ever  came, 

And  now  we  need  a  Shah  of  royal  seed 


382  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDAVSI 

To  gird  him  there.     An  archimage  hath  told  me 

Of  valiant  Kai  Kubad  of  royal  stature, 

A  future  Shah  of  Faridun's  own  line 

In  whom  Grace,  height,  and  lawful  claims  combine." 


How  Hustam  brought  Kai  Kubdd  from  Mount  Alburz 

Then  glorious  Zal  spake  unto  Rustam,  saying : — 
"  Bestir  thyself,  take  up  thy  mace,  select 
V.  291        The  escort,  go  with  speed  to  mount  Alburz, 
Do  homage  unto  Kai  Kubad,  but  stay  not 
With  him,  be  back  within  two  sennights,  sleep  not, 
But  late  and  early  hurry  on  and  tell  him : — 
'  The  soldiers  long,  and  deck  the  throne,  for  thee. 
We  see  none  fitted  for  the  royal  crown, 
O  monarch,  our  defender !  but  thyself.' " 

When  Zal  had  spoken  matchless  Rustam  swept 
The  ground  with  his  eyelashes,  joyfully 
Got  on  the  back  of  Rakhsh,  and  proudly  rode 
In  quest  of  Kai  Kubad.     A  Turkman  outpost 
Held  the  road  strongly,  but  he  charged  the  foe 
As  champion  of  the  host  with  his  brave  troops, 
Armed  with  the  ox-head  mace.     He  brandished  it 
And  towering  in  his  wrath  struck  out  and  raised 
His  battle-cry.     The  Turkmans'  hearts  all  failed, 
His  arm  laid  many  low.     They  strove  with  him. 
But  had  to  flee  the  battle  in  the  end. 
With  broken  hearts  and  tearful  eyes  they  turned 
Back  to  Afrasiyab,  and  told  him  all. 
He  sorrowed  at  their  case,  called  one  Kulun, 
A  gallant  Turkman  warrior  full  of  craft, 
And  said  to  him  :  "  Choose  horsemen  from  the  host, 


GARSHASP  383 

Go  thou  too  to  the  palace  of  the  king, 

Be  careful,  prudent,  and  courageous, 

And  specially  keep  watch  with  diligence  ; 

The  Iranians  are  human  Ahrimans  v-  292 

And  fall  on  outposts  unawares." 

Kuliin 

Departed  from  the  royal  camp  with  guides 
To  bar  the  road  against  the  noble  foe, 
With  warriors  and  lusty  elephants. 

Now  Rustam  the  elect  and  brave  marched  on 
Toward  the  new  Shah,  and  when  within  a  mile 
Of  mount  Alburz  perceived  a  splendid  seat 
With  running  water  and  abundant  trees — 
The  home  for  youth.     Upon  a  river's  bank 
Was  set  a  throne  besprinkled  with  rose-water 
And  purest  musk.     A  young  man  like  the  moon 
Was  seated  on  the  throne  beneath  the  shade, 
While  many  paladins  with  girded  loins 
Stood  ranked  as  is  the  custom  of  the  great, 
And  formed  a  court  well  fitted  for  a  Shah, 
Like  Paradise  in  form  and  hue.     On  seeing 
The  paladin  approach  they  went  to  greet  him 
And  said :  "  Pass  not,  0  famous  paladin  ! 
We  are  the  hosts  and  thou  shalt  be  our  guest. 
Dismount  that  we  may  join  in  jollity, 
And  pledge  thee,  famous  warrior !  in  wine." 

But  he  replied  :  "  Exalted,  noble  chiefs ! 
I  must  to  mount  Alburz  upon  affairs 
Of  moment,  and  not  loiter  in  my  task. 
I  have  much  work  to  do,  the  Iranian  marches 
Are  full  of  foes,  all  households  weep  and  mourn, 
I  must  not  revel  while  the  throne  is  void." 

They  said :  "  If  thou  art  hasting  to  Alburz 
Be  pleased  to  say  of  whom  thou  art  in  quest,  v.  293 

For  we  who  revel  here  are  cavaliers 


3&4  THE  SHAH  NAM  A  OF  FIRDA  USI 

From  that  blest  land,  and  we  will  be  thy  guides 
And  make  friends  on  the  way." 

He  thus  replied  : — 

"  The  Shah  is  there,  a  holy  man  and  noble. 
His  name  is  Kai  Kubad,  sprung  from  the  seed 
Of  Faridiin  the  just  and  prosperous. 
Direct  me  to  him  if  ye  wot  of  him." 

The  leader  said  :  "  I  wot  of  Kai  Kubad. 
If  thou  wilt  enter  and  delight  our  hearts 
I  will  direct  thee  and  describe  the  man." 

The  peerless  Rustain  hearing  this  dismounted 
Like  wind,  and  hurried  to  the  water's  edge, 
To  where  the  folk  were  seated  in  the  shade. 
The  youth  sat  down  upon  the  throne  of  gold 
And  taking  Rustam's  hand  within  his  own 
Filled  up  and  drained  a  goblet  "  To  the  Free  !  " 
Then  handed  it  to  Rustam,  saying  thus  :— 
"  Thou  askest  me,  O  famous  warrior ! 
About  Kubad,  whence  knowest  thou  his  name  ? " 

Said  Rustam :  "  From  the  paladin  I  come 
With  joyful  news.     The  chiefs  have  decked  the  throne 
And  called  on  Kai  Kubad  to  be  the  Shah. 
My  sire,  the  chief  whom  men  call  Zal,  said  thus : — 
'  Go  with  an  escort  unto  mount  Alburz, 
Find  valiant  Kai  Kubad  and  homage  him, 
V.  294       Yet  tarry  not,  but  say :  "  The  warriors  call  thee 

And  have  prepared  the  throne." '     If  thou  hast  tidings 
Give  them  and  speed  him  to  the  sovereign  power." 

The  gallant  stripling,  smiling,  answered :  "  I 
Am  Kai  Kubad  and  sprung  from  Faridiin, 
I  know  my  lineage  from  sire  to  sire." 

When  Rustam  heard  he  bowed,  rose  from  his  seat 
Of  gold  to  do  obeisance,  and  thus  spake : — 
"  O  ruler  of  the  rulers  of  the  world, 
The  shelter  of  the  brave  and  stay  of  chiefs ! 


GARSHASP  385 

Now  let  fran's  throne  wait  upon  thy  will, 
Great  elephants  be  taken  in  thy  toils. 
Thy  right  seat  is  the  throne  of  king  of  kings ; 
May  Grace  and  glory  be  thine  own !     I  bring 
A  greeting  for  the  king  of  earth  from  Zal, 
The  chieftain  and  the  valiant  paladin. 
If  now  the  Shah  shall  bid  his  slave  to  speak 
I  will  acquit  me  of  the  chieftain's  message." 

Brave  Kai  Kubad  rose  from  his  seat,  intent 
Upon  the  speaker's  words,  while  peerless  Rustam 
Discharged  his  ernbassage.     With  throbbing  heart 
The  young  prince  said :  "  Bring  me  a  cup  of  wine," 
And  drank  to  Rustam's  nealth,  who  likewise  drained 
A  goblet  to  the  monarch's  life,  and  said : — 
"  Thou  mindest  me  of  glorious  Faridiin  " 
(For  Rustam  was  rejoiced  at  seeing  him), 
"  Not  for  an  instant  may  the  world  lack  thee, 
The  throne  of  kingship,  or  the  royal  crown." 

The  instruments  struck  up,  great  was  the  joy, 
The  grief  was  small,  the  ruddy  wine  went  round 
And  flushed  the  youthful  Shah,  who  said  to  Rustam : —  v.  295 
"  Mine  ardent  soul  in  sleep  saw  two  white  hawks 
Approaching  from  Iran,  and  bringing  with  them 
A  crown  bright  as  the  sun.     They  came  to  me 
With  dainty  and  caressing  airs  and  set  it 
Upon  my  head.     I  wakened  full  of  hope 
Because  of  that  bright  crown  and  those  white  hawks, 
And  made  a  court  here  such  as  kings  would  hold, 
As  thou  perceivest,  by  the  river-side. 
Like  those  white  hawks  hath  matchless  Rustam  come 
With  news  that  I  shall  wear  the  warriors'  crown." 

When  Rustam  heard  thereof  he  said :  "  Thy  dream 
IJad  a  prophetic  source.     Now  let  us  rise 
And  journey  to  Iran  and  to  the  chiefs." 

Then  Kai  Kubad  rose  swift  as  fire  and  mounted  y.  296 

2  B 


386  THE  SHAHNAMA  OF  FIRDA  USt 

His  steed,  while  Rustam  girt  his  loins  like  wind 
And  journeyed  proudly  with  him.     Night  and  day 
He  travelled  till  he  reached  the  Turkman  outposts, 
When  bold  Kulun,  ware  of  his  coming,  marched 
To  meet  and  fight  with  him.     The  Shah  thereat 
Was  fain  to  put  his  battle  in  array, 
But  mighty  Rustam  said  to  him :  "  O  Shah  ! 
'Tis  not  a  fight  for  thee,  they  will  not  stand 
Against  my  battleax  and  barded  Rakhsh ; 
My  heart  and  arm  and  mace  are  help  enough ; 
I  ask  but  God's  protection.     With  a  hand 
Like  mine  and  ruddy  Rakhsh  to  carry  me 
Who  will  confront  my  mace  and  scimitar  ? " 

He  spake,  spurred  on  and  with  a  single  blow 
Threw  one  and  hurled  another  at  a  third 
Whose   brains   ran   down   his  nostrils.     Those  strong 

hands 

Unhorsed  the  foe  and  dashed  them  to  the  ground, 
And  in  their  fall  brake  heads  and  necks  and  backs. 
Kulun  beheld  this  div  escaped  from  bonds 
With  mace  in  hand  and  lasso  at  his  saddle, 
Charged  him  like  wind  and  thrusting  with  his  spear 
Brake  through  some  fastenings  of  his  mail,  but  Rustam, 
What  while  his  foe  was  lost  in  wonderment, 
Seized  on  the  spear  and  wrenched  it  from  Kuliin, 
Then  roared  like  thunder  from  the  mountain-tops, 
Speared  him  and  having  raised  him  from  his  seat 
Put  down  the  spear's  butt  to  the  ground.1     Kuliin 
Was  like  a  spitted  bird  in  sight  of  all. 
The  victor  rode  Rakhsh  over  him,  and  trod  him 
v.  297       To  death.    The  Turkman  horsemen  turned  to  flee 

1  A  similar  story  is  told  of  a  Lombard  champion  who  with  his  great 
lance  (contus)  pierced  and  lifted  from  the  saddle  a  Byzantine  cavalier 
and  bore  him  aloft  wriggling  on  the  weapon's  point.  (Oman,  "  A  His- 
tory of  the  Art  of  War  in  the  Middle  Ages,"  p.  48.) 


GARSHASP  387 

And  left  Kulun  upon  the  field.     His  troops 
Fled  in  dismay  from  Rustam.     In  an  instant 
Their  fortune  was  o'erthrown.     He  passed  the  outposts 
And  hastened  toward  the  hills.     The  paladin 
Alighted  at  a  place  with  grass  and  water 
Till  night  had  come  and  he  had  furnished  robes 
Fit  for  a  paladin,  a  royal  steed 
And  crown,  then  introduced  the  Shah  to  Zal 
Unnoticed.     For  a  week  they  sat  in  conclave 
But  kept  their  movements  secret.     All  agreed  : — 
"  Kubad  hath  not  his  peer  in  all  the  world." 
For  seven  days  they  revelled  with  Kubad, 
Upon  the  eighth  hung  up  the  crown  on  high  - 
And  'neath  it  decked  the  throne  of  ivory. 


I 

INDEX 


'ABBASIDS,  dynasty  of,  13,  14 
Abbreviations,  list  of,  93 
Abtin,    father  of    Faridiin,    144 

151,  153,  171,  174 
Abu-'Ali  Muhammad,  Shdhnama 

of,  69 

Abu  Bakr,  Khalifa,  12 
Abii  Dulaf,  friend  of  Firdausi,  35, 

39 

AbiVl  'Abbas  Fazl  bin   Ahmad, 
minister  of  Mahmud,  30-32, 

36 
Abu'l    Kasim.   Firdansi,    24,   38, 

112 
Abu  Mansiir  bin  Abdu'r-Razzak, 

Shahndma  of,  67-70,  99 
Abii    Mansiir    bin    Muhammad, 

patron  of  Firdausi,  29,  1 10 
Abu  Talib,  uncle  of  Muhammad, 

12 
Afrasiyab,   ruler  of    Tiiran,    xv, 

42,     55,    72,    337,    342    seq., 

362,   366  seq.,  374  seq.,  381, 

382 

'Afrit,  genie,  42 

AghreVae?,  prince  (Ighriras),  338 
Ahmad  Hasan  Maimandi,  minis- 
ter of  Mahmud,  32,  39,  45 
Ahmad  ibn   Muhammad,  patron 

of  Firdausi,  29 

Ahriman,  the  Evil  Principle,  xii, 
5,  6,  50,  138,  159,  194, 
287 

ridden  by  Tahmiiras,  125 
Ahura  Mazda  (Urmuzd),  235 


389 


Ahwaz,  place,  286 

Alans  (Alani),  people,  xiii,  19, 
217,  223 

Alburz,  mountain,  xv,  4,  71, 
145,  152,  168,  235,  248,  250, 
277,  298,  351,  373,  382  seq. 

Alexander,  the  Great  (Sikandar), 

14,  49 

persecutor  of  Zoroastrianism, 

15,  59,  61,  63,  338 
legendary  barrier  of,  16 
paternity  of,  55 

'All,  Khalifa,  12,  40,  41,  106,  107 

cult  of,  13 

assassination  of,  13 

Firdausi's  references  to,  24, 

37,  40,  41,  106,  107 
'All   Dilam,   friend   of   Firdausi, 

35,39 
Allah,    Muhammadan    name   of 

the  Deity,  50 
Alptigin,  chief,  20 
Arnin,  Khalifa,  14 
Amul,  city,  145,  177,  289,  298, 

344,  366,  367 
Anesthetics,  employment  of,  236, 

321  seq. 
Anbar,     city,     founded    by    the 

Azdites,  1 1 

Animals,  domestication  of,  126 
Ant,    the    poet's    plea    for    the, 

201 

Apsheron,  peninsula  of,  58  note 
Aptya,    Vedic    form    of    Abtin, 

q.v.,  171-174 
Arabia,  189 

ancient  trade  of,  II 


390 


INDEX 


Arabic,  language,  32 

infrequent  in  Shdhndma,  47 

Arabs,  tbeir  raids  into  and  domi- 
nation over  rrdn,  1 1-14 

Aras,  river,  9 

confused  with  tbe  Oxus,  71 

Architecture,  invention  of,    129, 

133 

Ard,  day  of,  24,  88 
Ardshir     Papakdn,      Shah,     42, 

62-64 

Aries,  constellation,  88,  310,  335 
Arjasp,  ruler  of  Turan,  61 
Arnawdz,  wife  of  Faridun,   142, 

146,  147,   148,    161  seq.,  166, 

177 

Arrdn,  district,  9 

Arslan  Jdzib,  general,  100 
referred  to,  114 

Artaxerxes  II.,  8Mb,  59 

Arwand,  river  (the  Tigris),  160 

Arzii,  wife  of  Salm,  188 

Aryan,  meaning  of,  7 

r^ce,  7  ;  relations  of  Indian 
branch  with  frdnians,  15 

Asfandiydr,  Ininian  hero,  42,  55 

Ashkdnian,  dynasty,  49 

Asoka,  Indian  king,  15 

Assyrians,  their  attacks  upon 
rrdn,  10 

Astrologers,  important  figures 
in  the  Shahndma,  52,  251, 
278 

Astyages,  king  of  the  Medes 
(Manda),  18,  72,  144 

Athwya,  Zandavastic  form  of 
Abtin,  q.v.,  171-174 

Atropatane,  province  (Azarbai- 
jan),  9,  56 

Azarakhsh,  fire-temple,  61 

Azarbaijdn,  province  (Atropa- 
tane), 9,  56,  6 1 

Azargashasp,  spirit  of  the  light- 
ning, 73,  248,  309,  349 

Azdites,  Arab  tribe,  1 1 

Azhi  and  Azi,  demon,  142.  See 
too  Dahdka  and  Zahhdk 


B 


BADAKHSHAN,  region,  300 

Baghdad,  city,  14,  160 

Bahman,  Shah,  42 

Bahrain,  Chubina,  14 

Bahram  Gur,  Shah,  42 

Baisinghar    Khan,    his    Life    of 

Firdausi,  23 

his  Preface  to  the  Shahnama, 
67-68 

Bait  al  Mukaddas,  city,  161 

Bcij,  Zoroastrian  system  of  pray- 
ing, 80 

Baku,  town,  58  note 

Balkh,    ancient    seat    of    Aryan 

civilisation,  7 

situated    on    ancient    trade- 
route,  57 
seat    of    the    Magi    and    of 

legend,  60 
Zoroaster's  successful  evangel 

at,  6 1 
as  rhyme-word,  74 

Barman,  Turanian  hero,  xv,  342, 
346  seq.,  354,  356 

Barsam,  implement  in  Zoroastriau 
ceremonial,  80 

Barzin,  fire-temple,  237 

Barzin,  Tranian  hero,  365 

Bdstdn  Ndma,  66-67  ' 

Bazh,  suburb  of  Tus,  38 

Bedouins,  135,  179 

Bihistiin,  trilingual  inscription 
on  rock  of,  1 6 

Birmdya,  cow,  151-153,  162 

Bishop,  as  castellan,  373,  378 

Bistiin,  mountain,  328,  379 

Biwarasp  (Zahhdk),  72,  135,  144 

Brains,  human,  prescribed  to 
Zahhdk  by  Iblis,  139,  146 

Buddhism,  15  ;  regarded  as  idola- 
trous by  Zoroastrians,  16 

Bundahish,  Pahlavi  treatise,  70 
note,  91,  92,  117,  125,  131, 
235.  236>  337  note,  338, 
369 


INDEX 


Bust,  place,  252 

stream  of,  id. 
Buzurjmihr,    chief    minister    of 

Shah  Nushirwan,  27 


C 

dESAR,  84,  262 

Ctesarean  birth,  of  Rustam,  236, 

321  seq. 

Calendar,  old  Persian,  88 
Cancer,  Moou  in,  an  evil  omen, 

188 

Canopus,  star,  188,  266 
Caspian,  sea,  3,  4,   16,  19,  56,  57, 

338 

Castellan,  bishop  as,  373,  378 
Castes,   division  of  Aryans  into, 

7  ;  of  Iranians  into,  130-133 
Castle,  White  (Sipand),  236,  354, 

369- 

Catullus,  quoted,  60 
Caucasus,  16 
Chaha,  hostelry  of,  45 
Chahdr  Makdla,  treatise,  23 

account  of  Firdausi  in,    38, 

39,  45- 

Chalandshdn,    Ahmad    ibu    Mu- 
hammad of,  29 
Chamrosh,  mythical  bird,  235 
Characters,   chief  of    Shdhnama, 

49 

Characteristics,  of  fran,  3 
Charrae,  defeat  of  Crassus  at,  15 
Children,  sometimes  brought  up 

un-named,  8,  179 
Cbin,     country     (often  =  Tiiran), 
189,  229  seq.,  261,  262,  351, 

371 
brocade    of,    269,    333,    and 

passim 

sea  of,  252,  349 
Climate,  of  I' ran,  4,  5 
Climes,   the  seven,    40,   71,    122, 

123,  238 

Clouds,  personified  as  water-steal- 
ing demons,  7 


Cocks  and  hens,  taught  to  crow 

at  daybreak,  126 
Companions,  the  Prophet's,  praise 

of,  1 06 
Cosmogony,  ancient   I'ranian,  5, 

71  ;  Firdausi's,  102 
Crassus,   defeat   of    at    Charrae, 

IS 
Creation,  Zoroastrian  account  of, 

5.  ii7 

Firdausi's,  102-106 
Culture-heroes.      See    Gaiiimart, 

Hiishang,     Tahmuras,     and 

Jamshid 
Cyrus,  the  Great,  18 


D 

DA£VAS,  demons  (divs),  130 
Dahaka  (Zahhak),  7,  142,  172 
Dahistan,  fortress,  280,  344  seq., 

349,  353.  363 
Dakhma,  81 
Dakiki,  poet,  28,  67,  69,  109 

verses  by,  69 
Damawand,  mountain,  143,  144, 

148,  169,  173 
Damda"d,  Nask,  70  note 
Ddnishwar,  the  dihkdn,  67,  68 
Ddni,  son  of  Ddrdb,  Shah  (Darius 

Codomanus),  42,  49 
Da"ra"b,  Sluih,  42,  49 
Darband,  town  and  pass  of,  16 
Darius,  Hystaspis,  6,  9,  65 

Codomanus,  49,  64 
Dastdn  (Zdl),  84,  248,  264 
Dastdn-i-Sam  (Zal),  84 
Dastsln-i-Zand  (Zal),  245,  248 
Daulat  Shdh,  his  Life  of  Firdausi, 

24 

Destiny,  Muhammadan  and  Zoro- 
astrian conceptions  of,  52 
Dihkfin,  generic  title,  56 
Dihkdn  =  minstrel,  66,  8l 
Dijla,  river  (the  Tigris),  160 
Dilamids,  dynasty,  14 
Dindr,  coin,  81 


392 


INDEX 


Dinkard,     Pahlavi     treatise,    70 

note,  373 

Diram,  coin  (drachm),  81 
Div,  demon  (Dae"va),  xii,  42,  50, 

82,  130,  209 
Black,  xii,  82,  117,  120,  121, 

126,  127 
Binder   of    the   (Tahmuras), 

42,  124 
White,  82 
Divining  cup,  51 
Drachm,  coin  (diram),  81 
Dragon  =  Zahhak,  158,   161,   163, 

169,  275,  288 
Faridun  as,  186 
of  the  Kashaf,  235,  296 
Dragon's  child  (Riiddba),  304 
Drangiana,  province  (Sistan),  4 
Dreams,  veridical,  51 
Drought  and  famine,  in  fran,  370, 

371. 

Dualism,  5,  49,  50,  52,  56,  58 
Dunbar,  place,  252,  256, 
Dust,  prevalence  of,  in  I'ran,  3 

as  a  metaphor,  73 
Dynasties,  Tranian,  in  Shahndma, 

49 

E 

EDESSA,  S.  James  of,  374 
Ekbataua,  city  ( Ramadan),  17 
Elements,  the  four,  102,  286 
Elephant,  White,  xiv,  327,  377 
Ellipi,  kingdom  of,  9,  17 
Euxine,  sea,  16 

Eyes,  metaphor  for  children,  178, 
180,  181,  194 


F 

,  dynastic  title  of  the 
princes  of  Chin  and  Mdchin, 
262 

Fakkd,  a  kind  of  drink,  43  note 
Famine    and   drought,   in  Tran, 
370,  371 


Faranak,  mother  of  Faridun,  145, 

^5',  157,  175 

Faridun,  Shah,  xii,  xiii,  30,  42, 
54,  55.  J42  seq.,  149  seq., 
170,  278,  286,  288,  329,  335, 
34i,  349,  35 !»  364,  370,  382, 
384,  385 
flag  of,  293,  295 

Farr,  divine  Grace  or  Glory,  82 
Farsang,  measure  of  length  (para- 
sang),  82 

Fariid,  son  of  Siydwush  and  half 

brother  of  Kai  Khusrau,  370 

Farwardin,    name    of    day    and 

month,  88,  133  263 
Fdtima,  daughter  of  Muhammad 

and  wife  of  'All,  12 
Fazl,  son  of  Ahmad.    See  Abu'l 

'Abbds  Fazl 

Firdausi,  materials  for  life  of,  23 
autobiographical     reference* 

of,  24  seq. 

Nizdmi's  account  of,  38,  45 
bitterness  against    Mahrm'id 

of,  33 

Satire  on  Mahmud  of,  40 
referred  to,  373 
takes  up  the   Shdhnama  on 

Dakiki's  death,  28 
writes   Yusuf  and   Zulikha, 

.      45 

death  of,  45 
his   epic  method   contrasted 

with  Homer's,  47 
his    adulation    of    Mahnnld, 

30,  112 
Fire,  ancient  cult  of  the  Aryans, 

7,  49,  56. 

priests.    See  Magi 

region  of,  56 

Hiishang's  discovery  of,  123 

his    institution    of    feast    of 

(Sada),  123 
Fish,  mythological,   71,  72,   148, 

252 
Flesh-meats,      introduction     of, 

attributed  to  Ahriman,  138 


INDEX 


393 


Forts,  hill,  description  of,  236,  329 
Frangrasyan  (Afrdsiyab),  338 
Frasiyav  (Afrdsiyab),  338 
Fruvashi,  immortal  principle,  369 

G 

GAitfMART,  Shall,   xii,    117-121, 

123 

Gandarep,  monster,  143,  172-173 
Gang-i-Dizhukht,  city,  161,  226 
Garshasp  (Keresaspa),  174 
Garsh;tsp,  Iranian  hero,  42,  144, 

207,  212,  214,  239 
Garshasp,  Shah,  xv,  174,  373  seq. 
Garsiwaz,   brother  of  Afrasiyiib, 

342,  349 
Gaumata,      Magus     (the     false 

Smerdis),  58,  59 
Gazhdaham,     the     castellan     of 

White  Castle,  354,  369 
Genealogical  tables,  90-92 
Ghazni,  city,  20,  357 
Ghiil,  sorceress,  42 
Gil  (Gilaii),  231 
Gildn,  region,  230 
Gimimi.     See  Kimmerians 
Glory,  the  divine.     See  Grace 
Go-between,  old  woman  as,  280 

seq. 

Gog,  and  Magog,  16 
Golden  Fleece,  land  of  the,  57 

age,  129,  134 

Gonier.     See  Kimmerians 
Grace  or  Glory,  the  divine,  82,  1 16, 
130-135,  208,  237,  338,  340, 
341,  351,  369,  370,  374,  378 

visible  appearances  of,  82, 130. 

374,  385 
Greeks,  10,  14 
Griffon,  235 

Gudarz,  Tranian  hero,  42 
GushUsp,  Shall,  42,  61 
Gustaham,  son  of  Naudar,  351, 

353,  364,  369,  370 
Gustaham,   son  of   Gazhdaham, 

369 


H 

Ha'iy,  son  of  Kutiba,  patron  of 

Firdausi,  35,  39 
Haitalians,  people,  20 
Haimivardn,  country,  338 

king  of,  338 
Karat,  city,  7,  39 

battle  of,  21 

Hdrunu'r-Rashid,  Khalifa,  14 
Hdshimi,  a  descendant  of  Hash im, 

the    great  -  grandfather    of 

Muhammad,   25 
Hauz,  203 

Hawk,  domestication  of,  126 
Heroes,  chief,  of  mixed  descent, 

55 

Hindustan,  163,  231,  261 
Hira,  city,  1 1 

seat  of  dynasty  of  Al  Munzir, 

55 

Hirmund,  river,  358,  359 

Homa  or  Soma,  8,  143 

Homer,    his    epic    method    con- 
trasted with  Firdausi's,  47 

Horoscopes,  152 

of  the  sons  of  Favidiin,  188 

of  Zdl,  251,  278 

of  Rustam,  278,  307 

Houri,  maid  of  Paradise,  272 

Huns,  10,  19 

Hiishang,  Shah,  xii,  42,  122,  126, 


I 

IBLIS,  the  Muhammadan  Devil, 
xii,  136  seq. 

occasional  substitution  of  for 

Ahriman,  50,  70 
fd-i-Kurdi,  feast  of,  143 
Ighriras,    brother   of    Afrdsiyab, 

xv,   55,   337,    343  seq.,  347, 

363  seq.,  374 

Imagery,  of  Shdhndma,  72 
Indo-European  race,  its  divisions, 

7 
Indus,  71,  252 


394 


INDEX 


Introduction,  to  Shdhnama,  viii, 

3-95 

Traj,   youngest  son  of  Faridiin, 
xiii,  54,  174,  195-205,  217, 

335,  349 
naming  of,  188 
daughter  of,  xiii,  205,  206 
Irani,  gardens  of,  100,  113 
Tran,  xv,  113,  152,  153,  189,  364 

and  passim 

boundaries     and    character- 
istics, 3  seq. 

gradual  desiccation  of,  3 
drought  and  famine  in,  370, 37 1 
a  land  of  contrasts,  5,  58,  60 
Arab  conquest  of,  12 
Iranians,  the,  9  passim 

their  historical  relations  with 

the    Semites,    10 ;    Greeks 

and  Romans,  14;  Aryans 

of  India,  15  ;  Turanians,  16 

their     traditional     relations 

with  ditto,  54,  55,  66 
fran-vej,  region,  9,  62 
Irma'il,  Zahhak's  cook,  xii,  145 
Irman,  region,  345,  358 
Ismd'il,  brother  of  Sultan  Mah- 

miid,  21 

Ispahan,  city,  351 
Istuvegu.    See  Astyages 


JAH?LA,  battle  of,  12 

Jdmasp,    chief  minister  of   Shdh 

Gushtdsp,  42 

James,  S.,  bishop  of  Edessa,  374 
Jamshid,  Shah,  xii,  42,  129  seq. 

meaning  of  name,  130 
Jandal,   envoy  of    Faridun,   xii, 

177-183 

Jasha,  king,  67,  68 
Jesus,  42 

Jewels,  discovery  of,  133, 
Jihtin,  river  (the  Oxus),  215,  375 

as   boundary   between    Tran 
and  Turdn,  71,  370,  371 


Julian,  Emperor,  12 

Jupiter,  planet,  72,  161,  188,  281 

Justinian,  Emperor,  16 

K 

KiBiL,  city,   57,    234,  256,  262, 

268,  277,  282,  283,  286,  294, 

298,  300,  302  seq.,  365,  378 
Kdbulistan,  country,   15,  252,  263, 
286,  299,  316,  357 

idolatry  in,  16,  258 

the  Beauty  of  (Rtiddba),  302 
Kddisiyya,  battle  of,  12,  143 
Kahtdn,  desert,  287 
Kaidnian,  dynasty,  49,  373 
Kaidnush,    brother    of    Faridun, 

158  seq. 

Kaid,  dynasty  of,  55 
Kai  Kdus,  Shall,  42,  338,  373 
Kai  Khusrau,  Shah,  42,  369 
Kai  Kubdd,    Shah,    xv,    42.    373, 

382  seq. 
Kdkwi,  grandson  of  Zalihitk,  xiii, 

225  seq. 

Kandahdr,  city,  286 
Karabagh,  district,  9,  56 
Kdran,    Trdnian    hero,    xiii,   207, 

211,    214-226,   249,    337,    344 

seq.,  361,  365,  370 
Kargasdrs,    tribe,   253,   277,   279, 

286,  290,  294,  298,  319,  340. 
Kannuj,  city,  99,  115,  261,  357 
Karkwi,  descendant   of  Zahhdk, 

290  seq. 

Karmd'il,  Zahhak's  cook,  xii,  145 
Karshipta,  mythical  bird,  235 
Kashaf,  river,  235,  296  seq. 

dragon  of,  id. 
Kastarit.    See  Kyaxeres 
Kdus.    See  Kai  Kdus 
Kdwa,  the  smith,    xii,   155   seq., 
160,  214,  361 

flag  of,    143,    157,    160,   211, 

217,  218,  237,  332 
Keresdspa,  Traniau  hero,  171  seq., 

234,  235,  373 


INDEX 


395 


Khar,  of  Rai,  368,  374,  381 

Kharijites,  Muhammadan  sect,  13 

Kharrad,  fitlnian  hero,  365 

Khazars,  people,  17 

Khazarwan,  Tdranian  hero,  xv, 
345,  358  seq. 

Khil'at,  robe  of  honour,  82 

Khudai  Nania,  66 

Khusrau.    See  Kai  Khusrau 

Khutan,  region,  371 

Khvaituk-das,  next-of-kin  marri- 
age, 60 

Kishwdd,  Tranian  hero,  207,  344, 

354,^65,  367 

Kimraerians,  people,  10,  17 

Kitradad,  Nask,  373 

Knathaiti,  Pairika,  female  per- 
sonification of  idolatry,  172 

Kubdd,  brother  of  Karan,  xv,  207, 
217,  218,  346  seq. 

Kubad,  Shah.     See  Kai  Kubad 

Kulbdd,  Turanian  hero,  361 

Kulun,  Tiirdnian  hero,  382,  383, 
386,  387 

Kundrav,  minister  of  Zahhak, 
xii,  143,  164  seq. 

Kur'an,  99 

Rustam  referred  to  in,  236 

Kurds,  people,  9,  64,  147 

Kunikhan,  Turanian  hero,  353 

Kiis,  place,  177 

Kyaxares,  king,  18 


LIBRA,  constellation,  310 

Lion's    House    (constellation    of 

Leo),  188 
Luhrasp,  Shah,  42 
Lumsden,    his    edition     of     the 

Shdhndma,  76 

M 

MACAN,     his     edition     of     the 

Shalmama,  76 
Madd,  the  Med'es,  18,  56 


Magi,  priests  of  the  Medes,  9,  56 

preservers   of    tradition,   56, 
60 

principal  seats  of,  60 

literature  of,  61 

language  of,  64 
Magic,  51 

derivation  of  word,  56 

sympathetic,  8 
Magog,  Gog  and,  16 
Magophonia,  59 
Magus,    a  priest  of  the   Medes. 

See  Magi 
Miih  Afrid,  the  mother  of  Mimi- 

chihr,  205 
Mdh-i-Azdda  Khii,'  the  wife   of 

Tiir,  188 
Mahmiid,  Sultan,  21  seq.,  31-45, 

84 
Firdausi's  panegyrics  on,  29 

seq.,  112  seq. 
Satire  on,  23,  40  seq. 
spiteful  allusions  to  in 

Shdhndma,  33,  34 
Mai,  city,  252,  256,  261 
Maiddn,  riding-ground,  83 
Mamiin,  Khalifa,  14 
Man,  the  first,  5 

Firdausi's   discourse   on   the 

nature  of,  104 
Manachihr,  206 
Manda,  nomad  tribes,  17,  1 8 
Mansiir,  Sdmanid,  prince,  20,  21 
Maniiskihar  (Minuchihr),  338 
Mardas,  Arab  king,  135  seq. 
Margli,  city,  256 
Mars,  planet,  72,  332,  339 
Marv,  city,  7,  45 
Mashya,  and  Mashyoi,  117,  131 
Mayors  of  the  palace,  Oriental, 

14 

Mdzandaran,    country,   4,    5,    12, 
253,  290,  294,  296,  298,  319, 

323.  339.  378 
Mazdak,  heresiarch,  63 
Medea,  land  of,  57 
Medes,  9,  10,  17,  18,  56,  58,  72 


396 


INDEX 


Median,     language    (Zend),     64 

seq. 

Mercury,  planet,  72 
Mihrab,  king,  xiv,  xv,  234,  256 

seq.,   275   seq.,  284  seq.,  299 

seq.,  358,  359,  361 
Mil,  as  rhyme-word,  75 
Mimichihr,    Shrill,   xiii    seq.,  42, 

206,  209  seq.,  234  seq.,  337, 
339  seq.,  348,  363 

Mohl,  his  edition  and  translation 

of  the  Shahndma,  76,  77 
Moola  Firiiz,  201 
Moon,    Firdausi's    discourse    on 
the  nature  of,    05 

one  of  the  seven  planets,  72 
Moses,  of  Chorene,  72,  144,  236 
Mu'awiya,  Khalifa,  12,  13 
Mubid,  83 
Muhammad,  the  Prophet,  12,  13, 

40,  41,  106 
Muhammad,     son      of     Abdii'r- 

liuzzak,  68,  99 
Muhammad  Lashkari,  friend   of 

Firdausi,  99 
Muhammad   Mahdi,   his  edition 

of  the  Shahnama,  76 
Mumasenni,  tribe,  237 
Munzir,  dynasty  of  Al,  55 
Mutawakkil,  Khalifa,  14 

N 

NAHA  VAND,  battle  of,  1 2 
Namfes,  in  sympathetic  magic,  8, 

117,  179 

Naphtha,  wells  of,  56 
Nariman,  I'ranian  hero,  42,  174, 

207,  239,  329,  333 
Narimanau,  epithet  of  Keresaspa, 

172,  174 
Narwan,  forest  of,  217,  218 


Nasiru'd-Din,  title  of  Subuktigin, 

21, 114 
Nasr,  brother  of  Sultan  Mahmtid, 

21 
Nature-worship,  of  the  Aryans, 

7.SI 

Naudar,  Shah,  xv,  248,  288,  289, 

326,  337  seq.,  369 
Nil,  as  rhyme-word,  75 
Nile,  40,  71,  114 
Nimruz  =  Sistan  =  Zabulistan,1252, 

264,  346,  357 
Nineveh,  fall  of,  10 

kings  of  that  attacked  Tran, 

10 

Nishapur,  city,  36,  45 
Nisibis,  sieges  of,  374 
Nizami-i-'Arudi,  author,  22 

his  account  of   Firdausi,  38 

seq.,  45,  46 

Noah,  the  I'ranian,  129 
Nuh  bin  Mansiir,  Samdnid  prince, 

36 

Nuh  II.,  Samanid  prince,  21 
Niishirwan,  Shah,  16,  27,  42 

has  Bastan-nama  compiled,  67 


0 

OCEANUS,  Homeric  and  Oriental, 

7i 

Ox,  the  first,  5,  117 
Oxus     (Jihiin),    ancient    trade- 
route,  57 

confused  with  Aras,  71 


PADASHKVAR,    mountain-range, 

338 
Pahlavan,  83 


1  Properly  speaking  Zdbulistan  is  the  name  of  the  hilly  country  about  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Helmund,  while  Nimruz  and  SIstdn  are  synonymous  names  for  the 
low-lying  lands  into  which  its  waters  descend,  but  Firdausi  does  not  seein  to  make 
any  such  distinction. 


INDEX 


397 


Pahlavi,  meaning  of,  64,  83 

Firdausi's  use  of  the  word,  69 
Pari,  83 
Pars,  country,  351,  353  seq.,  357, 

368,  37i 
Partisans,  people,  10,  19,  60,  61, 

64 

Pashang,  father  of  Minuchihr,  205 
Pashang,  father  of  Afrasiydb,  xv, 

336,  337,  342  seq.,  374,  375 
Patrons,  of  Firdausi,  29 
Perfumes,  invention  of,  133 
Periods,  mythic  and  historic,  of 

Shdhndma,  49,  53 
Persians,  8,  9 
Petroleum,   in   ancient  cult  and 

modern  industry,  56  seq. 
Pil,  as  rhyme-word,  75 
Piran,  Turduian  hero,  character 

of,  55 

Pisces,  constellation,  310 
Pislidadian,  dynasty,  49,  116,  373 
Planets,  created  by  Ahriman,  52 
Pleiades,  245,  267,  332 
Prelude,  to  Shdhndma,  99 
Prometheus,  57 
Purmaya,    brother    of    Fariduu, 

158  seq. 

R 

RAI,  city,  363,  366  seq. 

Khar  of,  368,  374,  381 
Rakhsh,     Rustam's    steed,     xv, 

373,  378  seq.,  386 
Roc,  mythical  bird,  51,  235 
Romans,  the,  10,  14 
Ruddba,  the  mother  of  Rustam, 
xiv,  145,  234,  280  seq.,  299 
seq. 

described,  257,  259  seq. 
Rue,  wild,  as  a  preservative  from 

harm,  380 
Rum,  the  Eastern  Roman  Empire, 

15,  183,  189,  229 
brocade  of,  157,  252,  316,  and 
passim 


Rustam,   Tranian    hero,   xiv,  xv, 
42,  56,  68,  174,  234, 236,  237, 
320  seq.,  373,  376  seq. 
his    birth    prophesied,    278, 

307,  32i 
Caesarean  birth  of,  236,  321 

seq. 
origin  of  name,  322 


S 

SACAE,  Scythians,  17,  19 
Sacaestan.    See  Sistdn 
Sacrifice,    human,    and    Serpent 

worship,  143 

Sada,  feast  of,  xii,  123,  124 
Sagittarius,  constellation,  188 
Sagsdr,  and  Sagsdrs,  district  and 

tribe,  279,  290,  323,  339 
Sahi,  wife  of  fraj,  188 
Saifu'd-Daula,    title    of    Sultdri 

Mahmud,  21 

Salm,  eldest  son  of  Fariduu,  xiii, 
42,  54,   174,   183  seq.,   335, 
342,  344,  362 
naming  of,  187 
Salt,   Rustam's  caravan  of,  330 

seq. 

desert,  3 

Sdm,  frdnian  hero,  xiii,  xiv,  42, 
95,  174,  207,  212,  231,  234 
seq.,  337,  339  seq.,  345,  346, 
358,  375 

"One  blow,"  297,  299 
slays  dragon  of  the  Kashaf, 

296  seq. 
mace  of,  235,  290,  297,  328, 

378 
Sama      Keresaspa      Narimanau, 

Frdnian  hero,  171  seq. 
Sdmdnides,  dynasty,  14 
Samarkand,  city,  7,  19 
Sapandarmad,    month   and   day, 

24,  88,  89 
Sapor   II.    See    Shdpur,    son    of 

Urmuzd 
Sardparda,  84 


398 


INDEX 


Sari,    city,    230,    289,    363,   366, 

367 
Sarv,   king  of  Yaman,  xii,  xiii, 

178-186,  211,  214,  218,  286 
Sasanian,  empire,  11 

dynasty,  49 
Sdsdnians,  374 
Satire,     Firdausi's     on     Sultan 

Mahimid,  40 

Saturn,  planet,  72,  245,  295,  311 
Scriptures,  Zoroastrian.    SeeZ&n- 

davasta. 
Serpent,  on  Zahhak's  shoulders, 

139 
worship  and  human  sacrifice, 

M3 

Shabdiz,  Mihrab's  steed,  326 
Shahnjima,    original    compilation 

of,  66 

more  than  one,  29,  66,  67,  69 
Dakiki's  beginning  of,  28 
Firdausi's,  viii,  23  seq.,   108 

seq. 

scene  of,  3 

date  when  finished,  24 
length,  metre,  language, 

and  theme  of,  47 
anomalies  of,  48 
divisions  and  chief  char- 
acters of,  49 
machinery  of,  51 
leading  motives  of,  53 
cosmogony  of,  71 
imagery  of,  72 
editions  of,  76 
translations  of,  87 
Shahrintlz,  wife  of  Faridun,  142, 

146,  164  seq.,  177 
Shamdsds,    Ttiranian    hero,    xv, 

345.  346,  358  seq. 
Shapigan,  treasury  of,  61,  62 
Shapur,    Trdnian  hero,  210,  211, 

215.  352 

Shapur,  son  of  Ardshir,   Shapur 
I.  (Sapor  1.),  Shah,  42,  63 


Shapur,  son  of  Urmuzd,  Shapur 
II.  (Sapor  II.),  Shah,  62,  63, 

374 
Shidasp,  minister   of  Tahnninis, 

127 

Shidush,  1'ranian  hero,  211,  354 
Shi'ite,  Firdausi  a,  24 
Shi'ites,  Muhammadan  sect,  13 
Shiraz,  city,  236 
Shirwi,    franian   hero,   207,    215, 

223,  225,  230,  232 
Shiz,  seat  of  the  Magi,  60 
Sikandar  (Alexander  the  Great), 
Shdh,  42,  49 

legendary  barrier  of,  16 

paternity  of,  55 

Simurgh,  mythical  bird,  51,  235, 
242,  253,  276,  302,  326 

nest  of  described,  244 

efficacy  of  feathers  of,   246, 

320 
Sindukht,  wife  of  Mihrab,   xiv, 

259,  281  seq.,  299  seq. 
Sipand,  mountain,  xiv,  236,  329 

seq.,  377 

Sipanjab,  region,  375 
Sistan,1  4,  119,  120,  159,  168,  178, 
182 

origin  of  name,  19 
Siyamak,  son  of  Gaiumart,  xii, 

117,  119  seq. 

Siydwush,  son  of  Kai  Kaus,  55 
Soma.     See  Homa 
S6shyans,  the  Zoroastrian  Mes- 
siah, 131 

Spica,  star,  245,  271 
Spityura,  brother  of  Yima  (Jam- 

shid),  130 

Sr6vbar,  mythical  serpent,  172 
Subuktigin,  the  father  of  Sultdn 

Mahmud,  20,  21 
Sughd,  district,  19 
Sun,  Firdausi's  discourse  on  the 
nature  of  the,  105 

one  of  the  seven  planets,  72 


See  note,  p.  396. 


INDEX 


399 


Sunnites,       orthodox      Muham- 

madans,  13 
Surush,  angel,  51,  119,  120,   159, 

168,  173,  182 
Sviatoi,  island,  58  note 


TABARlSTiN,  chief  of,  a  patron 

of  Firdausi,  39,  40 
Tahmdsp,    father    of    Zav,    369, 

370 
Tahmuras,    Shah,    xii,    42,     125 

seq. 

Taliman,  king,  211,  217,  352 
Tammisha,  wood,  177,  230 
Taraz,  city,  257,  266,  269 
Tausar,  high  priest  under  Ardshir 

Papakan,  62,  63 

Thorn  brake  town,  the  world,  310 
Thrae"taoua,  171  seq. 
Thrita,  171  seq. 
Tishtar,  Sirius,  235 
Trade-routes,  ancient,  u,  57 
Traitana,  7,  8,  171  seq. 
Translation,        the       principles 

adopted  in  present,  77-86 
Translators,    of    the    Shahnaina, 

list  of  previous,  87 
Trita,  7,  8,  171  seq. 
Tumaspa  (Tahinasp),  369 
Tur,  second  son  of  Faridun,  xiii, 
42,  54,    174,   183  seq.,  335, 
342,  344,  362 

naming  of,  187 
Turan,  189,229,  351,  371 
Turanians  (Turkmans),  9,  10,  54 

relations    of     the    Iranians 

with,  16 
Turkmans   (Turanians),   20,   189, 

Turks,  10,  20 

Tus,   son  of    Naudar,   351,  353, 

364,  369,  370 
Tus,  city,  38,  39,  41.  45 

prince  of,  100,  114 

governor  of,  39 


U 

'UMAR,  Khalifa,  n  seq.,  67 
Umayyads,  dynasty,  12,  13 
Urmuzd,  the  Good  Principle,  5, 

5° 

Utbi,  Al,  historian,  32 
'Uthmdn,  Khalifa,  12 
Uzava  (Zav),  369 


VALKASH  (Vologeses),  king,  62, 

63 

Varewjrana,  the  raven,  235 
Vedas,  129,  144,  171,234,  337 
Venus,  planet,  72,  303,  322,  332, 

339 

Vivanghat,  129 
Vologeses  I.  (Valkash),  62,  63 
Vologeses  II.,  19 

W 

WATER,  scarcity  of,  3 

stealing  demons,  7,  338 
Water-courses,  underground,  3 
West,  the,  Salm's  portion  of  the 

world,  189 
Wisa,   Turanian    hero,   xv,    337, 

353.  356  seq.,  361,  362 
Wisdom,  discourse  in  praise  of, 

101 
White   Castle    (Mount    Sipand), 

236,  354,  369 

Writing,    art  of,   taught  by  the 
divs  to  Tahmuras,  127 


YA'KtfB  LAIS,  chieftain,  67,  68 
Yama  (Yima,  Jamshid),  7 ,  129 
Yaman,  country,  178,  181  seq., 

266,  286 

king  of  (Sarv),  xii,  xiii,  178, 
179,  182 


4oo 


INDEX 


Yima  (Yama,   Jamshid),   7,   129, 

130,  374 
Yiisuf  and   Zulikha,   Firdausi's, 

45.  46 


ZABUL,  Zabulistiin,  country,1  248, 
252,  254,  264,  282,  324,  345, 
357.  358,  36i,  364.  366,  367,, 
37i,  375,  381 

Zadsham,  king  of  Turstn,  342  seq., 

376 

Zahhak,  Shah,  xii,  42,  54,  72, 
135  seq.,  173  seq.,  275,  278, 
288,  290,  292,  303,  326, 

t338,  358 
his  minister  (Kundrav),  xii, 

164  seq. 
his  capita],  161 

Zal,  the  father  of  Rustam,  xiii 
seq.,  95,  145,  235  seq.,  337, 
345,  346,  358  seq.,  364  seq., 
370  seq.,  381,  382,  384,  387 

Zal-i-zar  (Zal),  84,  248 

Zamydd,  Yast,  338 


Zand,  comment,  65 

Zimdavasta,  64  seq.,  70  note,  129, 

144,   171,   172,  174,  234,  337, 

338,  369 
Zarang,  city,  4 

Zarasp,  son  of  Minucliihr,  248 
Zarathustra     (Zarduhsht,     Zoro- 
aster), 235,  236 
Zarduhsht  (Zoroaster),  53,  61 

title  of  a  line  of  priest-princes, 

61 

Zarir,  tranian  hero,  42 
Zav,  Shah,  xv,  369  seq. 
Zend,  language,  64 
Zirak,  an  archimage,  149,  150 
Zirih,  sea  or  lake,  4 
Zoroaster  (Zarduhsht),  53,  61,  62 
Zoroastriau  calendar,  59 

cosmogony,  5 

conception  of  destiny,  52 

propaganda,  58  seq. 

scriptures,  61  seq. 
Zoroastrianism,  49 

conceptions  of,  5,  51,  52 

original  seat  of,  56  seq.,  62 

scriptures  of,  61  seq. 


See  note,  p.  396. 


END   OF   VOL.   I. 


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