There was a brave man called Farhad, who loved a Princess Shirin, Shirin also
reciprocated his love. It was not long, however, before the Shah himself heard
some rumor of this extraordinary exchange of sentiment. He was naturally
indignant at the discovery, but as he had no child other then Shirin, and
Shirin was also pining away with love, he proposed to his daughter that her
lover, being of common birth, must accomplish a task such as no man may be
able to do, and then, and only then, might he be recommended to his favor. The
task which he skillfully suggested was that Shirin should ask her lover to dig
a canal in the rocky land among the hills. The canal must be six lances in
width and three lances deep and forty miles long! The Princess had to convey
her father's decision to Farhad, who forthwith shouldered his spade and
started off to the hills to commence the gigantic task. He worked hard and
broke the stones for years. He would start his work early in the morning when
it was yet dark and never ceased from his labor till, owing to darkness, no
man could see one yard on each side. Shirin secretly visited him and watched
the hard working Farhad sleeping with his taysha(spade) under his head, his
body stretched on the bed of stones. She noticed, with all the pride of a
lover, that he cut her figure in the rocks at each six yards and she would
sigh and return without his knowing. Farhad worked for years and cut his
canal; all was in readiness but his task was not yet finished, for he had to
dig a well in the rocky beds of the mountains. He was half- way through, and
would probably have completed it, when the Shah consulted his courtiers and
sought their advice. He is artifice had failed. Farhad had not perished in the
attempt, and if all the conditions were in the attempt, and if all the
conditions were in the attempt, and if all the conditions were fulfilled as
they promised to be soon, his daughter must go to him in marriage. The Viziers
suggested that an old