[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Foreign](https://indike.org/pramana/inf) › [Islamic world](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl) › [Persian](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa) › [History (Ghaznavid, Ghurid, Ilkhanid, Timurid)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh) › [حبیب السیر](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar) › [Habibu-s Siyar of Khondamir (extracts)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot) › 17.4 # حبیب السیر 17.4 Habíbu-s Siyar of Khondamír (extracts) 17.4 - **Language:** English ### [17.4](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17.4) When Firdusi arrived where they were sitting, they played off upon him that which they had determined among themselves. Firdusi said, " Recite your verses." 'Unsuri said, " The moon has no brightness like your cheek." Farrukhi said, " There is not a rose in the rose-garden like your face." 'Asjudi said, " Your eye-lashes pierce through a coat of mail." Firdusi, upon hearing those verses, instantly replied, " Like the spear of Geo in the fight with Pushan." The poets were astonished at his readiness, and inquired about the story of Geo and Pushan. Firdusi told them the story at full length, and accordingly, when he arrived at Court, he experienced kind treatment, and Mahmud told him that he had made a paradise of his Court, and it was owing to this that he assumed his titular name of Firdusi. Having afterwards been appointed to compose the Shah-nama, he wrote a thousand verses, and took them to the king, who highly applauded them, and made him a present of a thousand dinars. When Firdusi had finished writing the Shah-nama, he took the book, which contained 60,000 verses, to the Sultan, expecting that he would get a dinar for each verse, as he had done before ; but some envious persons of mean disposition, indulging their malignity, wondered what must be the value of that poet who was worth being exalted by such a large gift, and they made the Sultan give him 60,000 dirhams instead. - [Previous: 17.3](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17.3) - [Next: 17.5](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17.5) - [Up: 17](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17.4](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.isl.fa.tarikh.habib-al-siyar~en-elliot.17.4) · Pramāṇa