Thursday, March 06, 2014

The Letter of Sultan Mahmoud

Wherein our fabled folk-hero, the Sultan, finds his match

The Mongols and the Khazars I have run through by the sword,
The Bulgars they tremble at my sight,
And the Muscovites scheme in vain against me.
But before you, my Queen, I am defenseless.
I am defeated by your mere presence;
Tormented by thoughts of you, I cannot sleep nor eat.
You are a pearl of Alexandria, you are a beacon atop the Hindu Kush.
Your name is written in the clouds,
Alas, how can I ever find solace?
O great demoiselle, if you would only be mine,
You shall have all my lands between Tarshish and the Bosporus
You shall enjoy the riches of the lands, the adoration of the nations.