BAHMAN
Page
35
Chapter
XVI
BAHMAN, SON OF ASFANDIYAR
He Reigned Ninety-Nine Years
How
Bahman sought Revenge for the Death of Asfandiyar :
Whenas Bahman sat on his grandsire's throne He girt his girdle round
him, oped his hands, Bestowed a donative upon the troops, And granted
many a march and many a province. He held a conclave of the men
of wisdom, The great men, and the officers of state, And thus he
said: "Ye all, both old and young, Whoever hath an understanding
mind, Wot of the slaying of Asfandiyar, Of fortune's changes both
for good and ill, Of Rustam's deeds while yet he lived and those
Of Zal, the sorcerer, that ancient man. Now Faramarz in public and
in private Desireth naught but vengeance on ourselves, While my
head acheth and my heart is full, And I too think of nothing but
revenge Two warriors - Nush Azar and Mihr-i-Nush - Have given up
their lives so wretchedly ! By that same token too Asfandiyar -
A man without a peer in all the world - Was slaughtered in Zabulistan.
The beasts Of prey and chase went wild with grief for him. Yea,
for the slaughter of Asfandiyar The pictures in the palace weep
for woe, And for the blood of those our noble ones, Our youths and
gallant cavaliers withal. No man that springeth from pure stock
will leave His finest jewel lying in the ditch, But will come forward,
like Shah Faridun (And while such men exist all will be well) Who
made Zahhak, in that he slew Jamshid, To cease among the warriors
of the world.
For vengeance Minuchihr led from Amul A mighty host 'gainst Tur
and valiant Salm, Invaded Chin, took vengeance for his grandsire,
And levelled earth up to the hills with slain.' When Kai Khusrau
escaped Afrasiyab He made the world run river-like with blood. My
sire avenged the slaying of Luhrasp, And like achievements should
be told of me. In vengeance for his father, Faramarz Exalted to
the shining sun his head, Marched on Kabul, required revenge for
Rustam, And levelled to the dust its fields and fells. No man could
recognise the land for blood They made the horses trample on the
slain. More call have I to take revenge whourge My steed against
the elephant and lion, Because thou wilt not see amongst earth's
heroes Another horseman like Asfandiyar.
What are your views? What answer do ye give In this regard? Strive
to advise me well." Thereat the assembled loyal lieges cried:-
"Thy slaves are we and have fulfilled our hearts With love
toward then. Then art more, instructed Than we about the past and
mightier. Do whatsoe'er thou wilt so long as fame And Grace divine
accrue to thee thereby. No one will disobey thee; who will dare?"
Bahman, thus answered by his host, grew keener For vengeance and
made ready to invade Sistan. This settled, the assembly rose. At
dawn the drums beat and the sky grew ebon With dust of troops whereof
there marched along Sword-wielding horsemen five score thousand
strong.
How Bahman put Zal in Bonds :
Now when Bahman,was drawing nigh the Hirmund He choose him out an
envoy, one of rank, Entrusted to him various messages, And sent
him on to Zal, the son of Sam, To say: "My lot is bitter in
the world Through what hath happened to Asfandiyar, And through
the vengeance owing for Nush Zad And Nush Azar - two loved and high-born
princes. I mean to ease my heart of this old grudge, And make the
rivers of Zabul run blood." The messenger arrived and gave
the message To Zal, whose heart grew wed to pain and grief, And
he returned this answer: "If the Shah Is thus concerned about
Asfandiyar, Then let him know that what was was to be, And that
the matter filled my heart with anguish. Thou wast thyself exposed
to good and ill, And hadst from me all profit and no loss.
Now Rustam swerved not from thy sire's commands, But, as thou sawest,
bare a loyal heart. Thy sire, that great and noble prince, was fey,
And thereupon waxed over-bold. The lion And dragon of the wood can
not escape The clutch of Fate. Thou must have heard, good sooth,
What deeds of valour Sam, the cavalier, Accomplished in the past,
and thus porsevered Down to the days of Rustam, who then drew The
trenchant scimitar and wrought with valour Before thine ancestors
in times of strife Withal he was the humblest of thy nurses As well
as of the mightiest of thy host. Now miserably hath he passed away,
And all Zabulistan is full of tumult. If now thou wilt forbear to
war with us, Wilt think upon our case considerately, Wilt come and,
putting vengeance from thy heart, Enchant our land with loving kindliness,
I will present to thee upon thy coming Sam's wealth, brocade, dinars,
his golden girdles, And golden harness, for thou art the Shah; The
nobles are thy flock."
He
gave the envoy A steed, dinars, and many other gifts. Now when the
noble envoy reached Bahman, He told what he had heard and seen with
Zal. Bahman, the fortune-favoured, when he heard, Rejected the excuse,
was very wroth, And reached the city with an aching heart, With
vengeful thoughts and sighs upon his lips. Then Zal, the son of
Sam the cavalier, Attended meanly by two horsemen, went To meet
Bahman and, coming to the presence, Alighted from his roadster,
did obeisance, And spake thus, saying : " Wise and prudent
Shah ! Deign to regard us with the eye of wisdom. By all the services
that we have paid, And by our care for thee when thou wast young,
Forgive us, speak no more about the past, Be great and seek not
vengeance for the slain." Enraged with Zal, whose hopes were
foiled, Bahman Put him forthwith in fetters, heeding not What minister
or treasurer might say. Then from the halls of Zal, the son of Sam
The cavalier, they loaded up the camels With money and with jewels
in the rough, With thrones and tapestries, whate'er there was, With
golden tissue and with golden crowns, With silvern tissue and with
belts and earrings. They took the Arab horses trapped with gold,
The Indian scimitars with golden sheaths, The prisoners and sacks
of drachms, of musk, And camphor, aid the treasures more or less
That Rustam had collected by his toil From Shahs and chiefs. Bahman
delivered all Zabulistan to pillaging and then Gave crowns and purses
to his mighty men.
How Faramarz fought with Bahman and was put to Death :
At Bust, upon the frontier, Faramarz, In dudgeon for his grandsire,
steeped his hands In vengeance, gathered troops, marched 'gainst
Bahman And oft recalled the wars of matchless Rustam. When news
of this had reached the monarch's ears He raged upon the throne
of king of kings, Packed up the baggage, called the troops to horse,
Marched to the burial-place of Rustam's race, And tarried there
two weeks. Then with the din Of trumpets and of Indian bells the
mountains Shook to their cores, heaven bathed the world in pitch,
And from that pitch the arrows showered like hail, While at the
clash of ax and twang of bow The earth out-quaked the sky. Three
days and nights Upon that field steel swords and maces rained, And
clouds of dust collected overhead.
Upon the fourth day there arose a storm Thou wouldst have said:
" The day and night are on The blast was in the face of Faramarz.
The world-lord joyed and, following up the dust With trenchant sword,
brought Doomsday on the foe. The men of Bust, the warriors of Zabul,
The gallant swordsmen of Kabulistan, Had not a horseman left upon
the field, No chief was left of all those men of name, For one by
one they turned their backs in flight, And shamefully deserted Faramarz.
The battlefield was heaped up mountain-like By slain struck down
pell mell from both the hosts. Albeit with a paltry band of heroes
Right bravely Faramarz still faced the foe, Himself a lion and a
lion's whelp, With all his body hacked by scimitars, Until at length
that noble warrior Was ta'en by brave Ardshir who carried him Before
Bahman. That vengeful monarch gazed Upon him for a while but would
not spare, Bade rear a gibbet and hung Faramarz Alive thereon, his
elephantine form Head-downward. Then in wreak, with arrow-rain,
Bahman, that famous Kaian, had him slain.
How Bahman released Zal and returned to Iran :
Now noble Bishutan, the minister, Was sorely troubled by this butchery,
And rising in the world-lord's presence said:- "Just monarch
I if revengement was thy due, And 'twas thy heart's desire, that
wish of thine Is perfected in loss. Cease to enjoin Raid, slaughter,
turmoil, strife. Approve them not, Refrain thyself, fear God, and
think of us. Consider well the turns of fortune's wheel, How it
exalteth this man to the clouds, And putteth that man into sorry
plight.
Thy sire, that world-lord and the army's Lustre, Did he not go Nimruz-ward
for a bier, And did not Rustam too when at Kabul Go to the chase
and perish in a pit? While thou dost live, O king of pure descent!
Vex not a man of birth, for if the son Of Sam, the son of Nariman,
shall cry Against his bondage to the great All-giver, Thou wilt
be pinched, successful as thou art, When he appealeth to the Omnipotent.
To Rustam, warder of the Kaian throne, Who used to gird his loins
for every toil, Thou vast indebted for this crown and not To Shah
Gushtasp or to Asfandiyax. Trace downward from the days of Kai Kubad
To those of Kai Khusrau of holy rede; All owed their greatness to
his scimitar, And held the mightiest his inferiors. If thou art
wise release Zal from his bonds, And turn thy heart back from the
evil way." The Shah repented of those deeds of his When he
had heard the words of Bishutan. A proclamation issued from his
court:- "Ye paladins, ye just and upright men ! Make preparations
for returning home, And keep from pillage and from massacre."
He bade them to release the feet of Zal From bonds and give him
much good counselling. They built a charnel-house to hold the slain,
Such was the rede of righteous Bishutan.
When Zal returned from prison to his palace His noble spouse wept
o'er him bitterly, And cried: "Alack thou brave, heroic Rustam,
Thou scion of the hero Nariman ! When yet thou wast alive who recognised
Gushtasp as Shah? But now thy hoards are sacked, Zal hath been captive,
and thy son slain vilely By showers of arrows ! Oh ! may none e'er
see Another day like this, and may the earth Be void of offspring
from Asfandiyar." Now tidings of this matter reached Ballman,
As well as glorious Bishutan, who grieved For her; his cheeks grow
wan at her complainings. He spake thus to Bahman: "0 youthful
Shah, As 'twere a new moon in the midst of heaven ! At daybreak
lead thy host forth from this land, For matters here are grave and
troublesome. May evil eyes be distant from thy crown, And may thy
whole time be a festival. The king of kings should stay not long
beneath The roof of Zal, the son of Sam the hero." Whenas the
hills became like sandarach, And when the sound of drums rose from
the courtgate, The monarch led the array from Zabul Toward Iran
- the country of the brave. He rested, sat rejoicing on the throne,
And ruled the world by precedent and justice. Great was the largess
that the poor received, And many men rejoiced in him or grieved.
How Bahman married his own daughter Humai and appointed
his Successor :
Bahman possessed one lion-taking son, on whom he had bestowed the
name Sasan; He had withal a daughter named Humai, Considerate, accomplished,
and discreet. They used to call her by the name Chihrzad Her father's
greatest joy was seeing her. He took her for his wife, which in
the Faith That thou call'st olden was a goodly deed. Humai, that
heart-refreshing shining Moon, In course of time grew pregnant by
the Shah. Now when six months had passed she 'gan to ail, And he,
at seeing this, fell sick himself, And, prostrated with suffering,
summoned her. He summoned too the nobles and the magnates, And,
seating them where great men use to sit, Thus said: "This chaste
Humai hath had small joy Of this world, and I leave her crown, high
throne, The host, the treasure, and preeminence.
She shall be my successor in the world, She and the babe withal
that she shall bear, For, whether it shall prove a son or daughter,
It shall succeed to crown and throne and girdle. Sasan, on hearing
this, was all astound His heart was darkened by his father's words,
And, like a pard, in three days and two nights He journeyed from
Iran abroad in shame, And reached in haste the town of Nishapur
In dudgeon and an alien from his sire. He asked a lady of high rank
in marriage, But kept himself down level with the dust, Withheld
the secret of his Kaian birth, And spake to no one of his quality.
His chaste wife bare to,him a holy son, Whose steps were happy and
whose birth was blest, A son to whom he gave the name Sasan, And
died anon. Whenas the child grew up, And saw his home a prey to
poverty, He tended for the king of Nishapur The herds that roamed
at will o'er plain and mountain, And was for long the herdsman of
the king His dwelling was on height and wilderness. Now turn I to
Humai to tell her case When she, Bahman deceased, assumed his place.
Source
:
http://www.heritageinstitute.com/
zoroastrianism/shahnameh/
page35.htm
