A literary history of Persia

i6INTRODUCTORYof our era; and indeed the two are already associated by anearly poet, Sharif-i-Mujallidf of Gurgan, who sings:" From all the treasures hoarded by the HousesOf Sasan and of Saman, in our daysNothing survives except the song of Barbad,Nothing is left save Rudagi's sweet lays."For in all the accounts of Rudagi which we possess his mostremarkable achievement is the song which he composed andof the Samanid Amir Nasr b. Ahmad tosung in the presenceinduce that Prince to abandon the charms of Herat and itsenvirons, and to return to his native Bukhara, which he hadneglected for four years.The extreme simplicity of this songand its entire lack of rhetorical adornment, have been noticedby most of those who have described this incident, by someNidhami-i-'Arudi of Samarqand) with approval, by others,(e.g.such as Dawlatshah, with disapprobation, mixed with surprisethat words so simple could produce so powerful an effect. Andindeed it is rather a ballad than a formal poem of the artificialand rather stilted type most admired in those decadent days towhich Dawlatshah belongs, and in which, as he "says, If anyone were to produce such a poem in the presence of kings ornobles, it would meet with the reprobation of all." To themusical skill of the minstrel, and his cunning on the harpwherewith he accompanied his singing, the simple ballad, ofwhich a paraphraseis here offered, no doubt owed much :" The Ju-yi-Muliyan we call to mind,We long for those dear friends long left behind.The sands of Oxus, toilsome though they be,Beneath my feet were soft as silk to me.Glad at the friends' return, the Oxus deepUp to our girths in laughing waves shall leap.Long live Bukhara Be thou of good cheer ! !Joyous towards thee hasteth our Amir !The Moon's the Prince, Bukhara is the sky ;O Sky, the Moon shall light thee by and by IBukhara is the Mead, the Cypress he;Receive at last, O Mead, thy Cypress-tree 1"