Now as the sun displays its cosmic countenance in the heavens, placing the crown of sovereignty upon the constellation of Aries, joy floods the earth from East to West. The high mountains resound with thunderous reverberations, and the banks of streams blossom with narcissus, tulip, and hyacinth. The tulip charms the eye, the narcissus holds majestic awe, the hyacinth sways with gentle reproach, and the pomegranate bloom exalts the beauty of the realm. The spring cloud, bearing fire in its heart and tears in its eyes, roars like ancient priests in tempestuous rage; as its rains wash the earth, the world awakens to reveal a tapestry as rich as the paintings of Mani in China. Bathed in dew, the earth smiles back at the weeping sky, acknowledging that its tears flow from love rather than sorrow. Yet the cloud's rainfall is bound to a single season, whereas the bounty of the King is boundless and eternal. The hand of Sultan Mahmud is like the sun at its zenith, withholding its light neither from the destitute nor the mighty. A conqueror in war and a fountain of generosity in peace, he subdues sovereign rivals while showering gifts upon the obedient. Turning now from this panegyric, the epic poet summons the ancient lore of the world-experienced sage to recount the wondrous quest toward the Brazen Fortress and the Seven Labors of Prince Esfandiyar.