How canst thou heedless waste the fleeting hour? Merit will always win the praise of men. But bring thy beauty boldly into view. The Shah will first of all make recompense; He knows to treasure up the worth of words; A critic he, in poetry and prose, Expert, munificent as well as wise. To him thy poem must thou dedicate, Thy poem rare and writ in double rhyme. And in this work thy name along with his Shall live unto the very judgment day.” Soon as the Shah was named, I felt in vain Were all excuses, and I answered him: “Friend of my soul, I will the work begin. I swear it on my head, this very day! Yet in what style shall it accomplished be? That I may execute a splendid work.” He said: “My dearest friend, what other theme But the rose legend can suffice for thee? The legend of the beauty of the rose, The legend of the lover nightingale. Tell us the lot, the plight of bird and flower, And all they did and were; set this to rhyme In that fine book of thine, and with the skill Of thine unerring genius, tell the tale.” Moved by these words, I took my pen in hand And went with eager longing to the task. The legend of the nightingale I wrote, And dedicated it to him who rules The land, and with the Shah’s name in the front I made a book that all the world has praised. VIII PRAISE OF THE PEARL OF LORDSHIP, THE HEAVEN-GREAT PRINCE, WHOSE PITY AND WHOSE PURPOSE EXTEND FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH