538 TRANSLATIONS OP TWO LETTERS 



" If an incomparable army were assembled, 



"■ At this moment, when numbers of the Shiahs of Persia 



" Are prisoners in the hand of cruel men, 



" And, with their lamentable cries uttered morn and eve, 



" Have rendered dark and gloomy the azure sky ; 



" It is acknowledged by the tribe of Shiahs, 



*' That the king + o( Khorasari, the Imam of the age, 



" Is n(jt considered by the men of Per ia 



" As less honourable, nor of lesser fame, than Mutasim ! 



" Then, by the mercy and greatness ot the creator, 



'* Victory is still declared to tiiese soldiers. 



*' Under the auspices of the most msrciful of the world, 



*' I have taken ample vengeance on tiie Afghans. 



" Aided by the fortune of the lord o\' Khorasan, 



" 1 have been revenged on rhe whole tribe of the Afghans- 



** There remains not in this quarter, at this period, 



*' Aught of that tribe but their mnic. 



** In this war great actions have b.=en fought, 



*' The Kezel-'-.ashes * became eacii a sharp pointed thorn. 



'* From the slaughter that has been made, and tlie b'ood that has 



been shed, 

 *' Our high polis'ned scimitars have received a purple stain. 

 *' I have taken from the worthless foe, 

 " With my sword, the region from Herat to Candahar I 

 " By the sacred temple of the lord t of Nejef, 

 " We will turn with vehemence to that quarter : 

 " We will perform a pilgrimage to that threshold : 

 " And we will afford protection to our prisoners : 

 " We will take ample vengeance of the Turks. 

 *' We will punish + all our foes. 

 " And in this war, whoever continues inactive, 

 " Or from baseness remains in pretended ignorance, 

 ** Both his property and his blood are lawful prize. 

 " He is to be considered out of the pale of the true faith." 



t Ali Mausa Reza, the seventh hnam, buried at Meshed. 



* Persians; literally 7?^^/^^^^/, a name given to them, from the 

 circumsiance of SHAEi Ismail having directed all true i'oilowers of 

 the sect ol Shiah to wear red caps. 



t Ali, the son in law of the prophet, who is buried at Nejef. 



% lAltxdWj, furbish the garments. 



