The caliph Hâroon-oor-Rasheed went to visit the tomb of the celebrated Noosheerwân, the most famous of all the monarchs who ever governed Persia. Before the tomb was a curtain of gold cloth, which, when Hâroon touched it, fell to pieces. The walls of the tomb were covered with gold and jewels, whose splendour illumined its darkness. The body was placed in a sitting posture on a throne enchased with jewels, and had so much the appearance of life that, on the first impulse, the Commander of the Faithful bent to the ground, and saluted the remains of the just Noosheerwân.
Though the face of the departed monarch was like that of a living man, and the whole of the body in a state of preservation, which showed the admirable skill of those who embalmed it, yet when the caliph touched the garments they mouldered into dust. Hâroon upon this took his own rich robes and threw them over the corpse; he also hung up a new curtain richer than that he had destroyed, and perfumed the whole tomb with camphor, and other sweet scents.
It was remarked that no change was perceptible in the body of Noosheerwân, except that the ears had become white. The whole scene affected the caliph greatly; he burst into tears, and repeated from the Koran—“What I have seen is a warning to those who have eyes.” He observed some writing upon the throne, which he ordered the Moobids (priests), who were learned in the Pehlevee language, to read and explain. They did so: it was as follows:—
“This world remains not; the man who thinks least of it is the wisest.
“Enjoy this world before thou becomest its prey.
“Bestow the same favour on those below thee as thou desirest to receive from those above thee.
“If thou shouldst conquer the whole world, death will at last conquer thee.
“Be careful that thou art not the dupe of thine own fortune.
“Thou shalt be paid exactly for what thou hast done; no more, no less.”
The caliph observed a dark ruby-ring on the finger of Noosheerwân, on which was written—