71 your need, you shall not find us slumbering. We do not falter or flee in fear and panic, nor shall the whims of time estrange us from any ally. Our spears are lengthy, as our lives in this world are but fleeting. Khosrow said, “Distinguished individuals, yet by God, a weak nation.” To which I responded, “O King, how can one of feeble strength claim dignity, or one of lowly stature wield power?” Khosrow replied, “Were your life’s span shorter, your innate nature would not have so freely governed your speech.” I said: “O King, when a horseman dares to challenge a squadron, courting peril as though he beckons death itself, he faces his own end, turning his back on life’s embrace. The Arabs are
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