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THE CHARMS OF BADGHIS AND HERAT* '33
ANECDOTE XIII.
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They relate thus, that Nasr ibn Ahmad, who was the most
brilliant jewel of the Samanid galaxy, whereof the fortunes reached
their zenith during tlie days of his rAle, was most plenteously
equipped with every mea-as, of enjoyment and material of
splendour well-filled tVeasuries, a far-flung army and loyal
servants. In winter he used to reside at his capital, Bukhara,
while in summer he used to go to Samarqand or some other of
the cities of Khurasan. Now one year it 'was the turn of Herat.
He spent the spring season at Badghis, where are the most
charming pasture-grounds' of Khurasan and 'Iraq, for there are
nearly a thousand water-courses abounding in water and pasture,
any one of which would suffice for an army.
When the beasts had well enjoyed their spring feed, and had
regained their strength and condition, and were fit for warfare or
to take thte field, Nasr ibn Ahmad turned his face towards Herat,
but halted outside., the city at Margh-i-Sapi'd and there pitched
his camp. It was the season of spring cool breezes from the
;
north were stirring, and the fruit was ripening in the districts of
Malin and Karukh 1 such fruit as can be obtained in but few
places, and nowhere so cheaply. There the army rested. The
climate was charming, the breeze cool, food plentiful, fruit
abundant, and the air filled with fragrant scents, so that the
soldiers enjoyed their life to the full during the spring and summer.
2
When Mihrgan arrived, and the juice of the grape came into
season, and the basil 3 rocket , 4 and fever-few 5 were in bloom, they
did full justice to the delights of youth, arfd took tribute of their
juvenile prime. Mihrgan was protracted, for the cold did nqt wa*c
severe, and the grapes ripened with exceptional sweetness. For
in the district of Herat one hundred and twenty different varieties
of the grape 'occur, each sweeter and more delicious than the
and amor/gst them are in particular two kinds which are
other ;
not to be found ih any other region of the inhabited world,
(rv) one called P&rniydn* and the other Kalanjart 7
, thin-skinned,
1 See Barrier de Meynard's Diet, de Ja Perse, pp. 487, 511-512, according to
which the former village is distant from Herat two parasangs, the latter ten.
2 The festival of the autumnal equinox, which fell in the old Persian month of
Mihr.
3
Shdfiisfaram (Arabic Rayhdn) = Ocymum basilicum. See Schlimmer's Terminologie,
p. 404; Achundow, pp. 226, 381.
4
Halhdhim, said to be equivalent to the Persian Bustdn-afrtiz.
5
Uqhuwan .((Persian Bdbuna-i-Gaw-chashtn), Matricaria or Pyrethrum. See
Schlimmer, p. 564. .,
6 ,The Tihran lithograph has Farniydn, of which the usual meaning appears to be
a^ieve or basket made of osiers. See Horn's Asadi, p. 99, 1. i ; , Salemann's Shams
i Fachrii Lexicon, p. 96, 1. 13 and note ad calc.
7 'This word, in the form Kalanjar, is given in the Burhdn-i-Qati' . The descrip-
tion seems to be based on this passage.
B.