What can a fight between two little birds teach a mighty king and a warrior who planned to conquer the world and who wished to live eternally. An unforgettable character, Alexander the Great, whose story spans through a Persian epic is more known through the smaller stories rife in those eastern regions. One such story is of the two birds and Sikandar, as he is known in those regions. I first heard it from an old man in my village, many years later I read it in the English translation of Sikandarnama (The Book Of Sikandar) written in twelfth century by Shaikh Nizami, the great Persian poet.
This is how the old man began the story “When Sikandar Baadshah (king) was preparing for his great war to conquer the Persian empire, he knew that victory is not going to be easy, as the battle was against a mighty foe, Dara (known as Darius in the west), the baadshah of half the world”.
Nizami describes Dara’s response when he heard of Sikander’s intentions:
He laughed, and in that anger- laughter said:
“Ah, woe to the action of the lofty sky!
“Behold the sky, what tyranny it displays
“Since Sikandar entertains a design (of war) against Dara!”
There was no way to forecast the result of the battle but Alexander foresaw his victory. “One day when he was passing from a baazar,” continued the old man, “He saw a crowd watching the combat between two birds . Sikandar turned his steed closer to the crowd and watched the contest.”
Following are the excerpts of Nizami’s commentary of the bird battle and what Alexander learnt from it.
“From the fierceness with which the partridges grappled together,
They fled not at the sight of the king.” He was amazed at the resolve and could not help saying:—“How is this malice in the brain of birds!”
He named one bird Sikandar and another Dara
“The two bold birds in that contest
Made battle for awhile” and finally Sikandar defeated Dara.
Alexander considered this the proof of his victory in the forthcoming battle and he watched the victorious bird fly. I will let Nizami continue and end the story.
(The triumphant bird) Flew towards the knoll of a mountain;
An eagle came and split his head.
When the mountain-partridge was overcome by that eagle,
The king grieved, but became not angry.
The fact of not being enraged is wisdom; for the end of all is to die
He knew that fortune would give assistance
Would give him success over Dárá.
But in that victorious time
His life would not be long lasting.
The famous battle of Arbela between Alexander and Darius 111 was fought in 331 BCE. Alexander died in 323 BCE soon after conquering the easternmost satrapy of Darius. Alexander’s story has reached posterity through various Greek chronicles and Persian accounts. Many books have been written on him and several movies made on his life. Here is a link to the first biopic produced in Bombay by Sohrab Modi, a Parsi film maker whose ancestors had migrated from Persia (Iran) to settle in India.
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