Headlong he rushed into the rose garden, And furiously he set it full afire; The tulip drew her tongue that burned like fire, And panted feverish in the rose garden. The tulip glittered like a spark of fire, Narcissus, like a lantern, shot her ray, Then danger threatened the inhabitants, And the Rose blushed more beauteous still for shame. The king himself was in the direst need, And with a glance of fire his voice he raised. He pondered well what had befallen the state, And saw the true proportions of the case. And as he took full knowledge of his plight, The parching heat consumed him to the heart. Then full of royal courage bold and high, He braced his soul and searched for counsel fit And said: “What conflagration visits us? Who is this tyrant August, and what deed Of mine has roused his fury that he seems So headstrong and so burning in his rage? The rancor of his flames I will repress, My sword shall quench his ire as water flame. He is to me no object of alarm, Nor twenty thousand furnaces like him, He shall not venture further on this sod, My sword shall slay him as heat is slain by stream. Go, say to him, and bid him be ashamed, And mitigate this devastating heat, And draw away his flames from out the land, And cease this wild campaign about our walls, Or he himself in his own flames shall soon Be brought to ashes by command of mine.” With such an answer Samum made return Unto the monarch of the summer time; He gave him tidings from the Shah of Spring, Speaking the answer faithful word for word, And August, when the message he had heard, Burst out into a rage of frenzied heat. And storming, he at once gave his command, “Let all my kingdom gather under arms, And hot and fast be preparation made. The rose garden in ruin must be laid.” XLI KING AUGUST SENDS HIS SON AS FIELD MARSHAL TO THE CITY OF ROSE GARDEN, AND THE KING OF SPRING, UNABLE TO OPPOSE HIM, RETIRES TO THE HEIGHTS