A literary history of Persia

141Brilliantly blazing like the bright heavens,There before Sasan fiercely were flaring,While in each blazing fire aloe-wood smouldered.Then from his slumber Babak awakingFelt in his anxious heart fearful forebodings.Such as were wise to read dreamings and visions,Such as were skilled in solving of .riddles,Straightway assembled at Babak's palace,Seers and Saga-men, skilful in learning.Then unto these revealed Babak his vision,And all his dreamings frankly unfolded,While the dream-readers, pondering deeply,Lent all their ears while forming their answer.Answered the spokesman then, 'King, highly favoured,Look we now closely to the dream's showing.He whom thou sawest thus in thy slumberHigh o'er the sun shall lift his head in lordship.Even though he should fail in the fulfilment,Him will a son succeed earth to inherit.'Blithely did Babak lend ear to this answer,Unto each gifts he gave after his measure.Then Babak straightway hailed the head-herdsman ;Forth from the flocks he came through the thick fog-drifts,Breasting the sleet and snow, wrapped in his blanket,1Fear in his bosom, frost on his fur-cloak.When from his audience-hall Babak had oustedStrangers, alike both statesman and servant,Then by his side the shepherd he seated,Graciously greeted him, asked him of Sasan,Asked of his lineage and of his fore-bears,While, with foreboding filled, Sasan sat silent.Then at length spake he, 'Sire, to thy shepherdIf thou wilt freely grant grace and forgiveness,All that concerns my race I will discover,If, hand in hand, 3 with oath thou wilt assure me1Noldeke (loc. cii. t p. 26) notices this especially as one of the graphictouches whereby Firdawsi strove to give life and colour to the curt, drynarrative of the Pahlawi original.'Concerning the " hand-contract " see the Vendiddd, Fargard iv, v. 3Dannesteter's English transl. in S. B. E,, vol i, p. 35).