Book B9The Story of Siavash

O man of wit and eloquence, attend;And shape a worthy tale from start to end.

When speech and wisdom meet in true accord,The poet’s soul finds rest in that reward.

But one whose thought is crooked, harsh, and wrongStill finds his counsel pleasing all along.

He makes himself a cross before their eyes,And stands disgraced before the learned wise.

No man perceives the blemish in his mind,His own disposition still seems benign.

If you would give your work its proper due,Adorn it, then let learned minds review.

If they approve, your words will travel wide,And flow like water in a living tide.

From the dehqan I draw this ancient thread,A tale from former days, remembered, spread.

Though time has worn it thin with passing years,I shape it fresh for modern eyes and ears.

Should life endure and lengthen out my stay,May I in this faith long live glad each day.

I hope to plant a tree that still shall bearIts fruit when I no longer breathe the air.

Now fifty-eight full years have passed me by,And countless wonders daily met my eye.

Desire does not grow faint as years depart;By calendar and omen plies its art.

The Mobad spoke this wisdom, clear and true:“What once grows old will never be made new.”

Speak while you can, and let your wisdom guide;Keep noble character close at your side.

When you depart, your cause is God’s alone;Your deeds, for good or ill, to Him are known.

As you have sown, so shall your harvest grow;What words you speak are what your ears shall know.

Speak gently, then, for gentle words return;Let courtesy be always your concern.

Now let the dehqan speak; his tale is old,And hear the poet tell what he was told.

A Mobad told this tale from days of old:At cockcrow Tus rode out, his spirit bold.

With Giv and Gudarz and a chosen band,They rode in joy from court across the land.

They hunted Gur-e-Khar on Daghui’s plain,With hawk and cheetah ranging in their train.

They coursed beside the river in the chase,And hunted swiftly through that watered place.

They killed abundant game, and laid in meatEnough for forty days for all to eat.

The Turks were near; their tents had veiled the plain,Their spreading shadows darkened all terrain.

A forest rose before them, dim and wide,Close by the border Turan’s horsemen ride.

Through forest Tus and Giv together pressed,While valiant warriors followed on their quest.

They entered in the wood to seek their prey,And wandered for a while along the way.

Among the trees a lovely maiden stood;The riders hastened toward her through the wood.

No equal had she in that age or place;No art could match the beauty of her face.

Tall as a cypress, moon-bright was her guise,She dazzled all who looked with mortal eyes.

Then Tus addressed her: “Moon among the trees,What brought you wandering here in paths like these?”

She answered: “Father struck me late last night;I left my home and fled before his might.

Late from a feast he staggered through the door,And when he saw me, rage possessed him more.

He drew a water-brightened khanjar wide,And meant to cut my head from me,” she cried.

The warrior asked her lineage and her birth;She spoke of noble blood and royal worth.

“I trace my line to Garsivaz of fame,And Fereydoon gives honor to my name.”

He asked her why she came on foot alone,With neither guide nor steed to call her own.

She said: “My horse grew weak and could not ride;It left me on the ground with none beside.

I bore much gold and gems, a heavy load,And wore a crown of gold along the road.

They robbed me of my treasure, every store,And struck me with a sword-sheath hard and sore.

I fled those men and reached this wooded place,With tears of blood that streamed across my face.

My father, once the wine has left his head,Will send swift riders searching where I fled.

My mother too will seek me where I roam;She would not see me leave my native home.”

The warriors’ hearts grew tender at her plight,But Tus forgot restraint at such a sight.

Then Tus declared: “It was my eye that spied;I reached her first, and led her to my side.”

But Giv replied: “We rode as equals then;No army set you over other men.”

Then Tus replied: “My horse was first to stand;Before your mount had reached that forest land.

I led the chase; the honor here is mine;Speak truth, not falsehood born of your design.

A man of courage does not quarrel so,Nor cast aside the truth for beauty’s show.”

Their quarrel sharpened, fierce in word and deed;They judged the moon-faced maiden’s head must bleed.

A noble spoke and checked their angry tide:“Let Kavus hear the case and then decide.”

“Whichever man the Shah shall name,” he said,“Must be obeyed; let strife no further spread.”

They both agreed and let their quarrel fall,And brought her to the Shah within his hall.

When Kavus saw the maiden’s moon-bright face,He smiled and bit his lip before her grace.

He said: “The hardship of your road grew light;Your hunt has brought a wondrous prize to sight.

A stag or swift gazelle may suit your eye,But such a prize befits the great and high.

Let this dispute wait till the setting sun;Till then let cheetahs course and warriors run.

Tell me, from what royal line your blood may be,Your face as fair as any pari I see.”

She said: “My mother comes of royal line;Through Fereydoon my father’s blood is mine.

My kin Garsivaz, Pahlevan well known;His tents stand where the border winds have blown.”

Then Kavus said: “Who sought to cast awayYour hair, your face, your lineage in one day?

Come dwell within my golden women’s hall,And reign as chief among the beauties all.”

She answered: “From the first my heart inclinedToward you above all others of your kind.”

The Shah gave both sepahbods crown and throne,Ten noble steeds, rich gifts to call their own.

He sent the maiden to the women’s hall,And ordered her enthroned before them all.

They set her high upon an ivory chair,A gold-and-turquoise crown adorned her hair.

In yellow silk her radiant form they dressed,With ruby, turquoise, lapis at her breast.

All gifts that God had granted met the sight;An unpierced ruby, flawless, red and bright.

When spring put on its colors, fresh and bright,Nine months had turned beneath the wheeling height.

They said to Kay Kavus: “Rejoice in this;The moon of fortune brings you royal bliss.

A glorious child has now appeared in sight;Raise now your throne toward the moon’s high light.”

Like some bright fairy, radiant was his face;An Azari idol in his form and grace.

The people spoke of face and flowing hair;No mortal child had ever seemed so fair.

The king named Siavash, then sought to readWhat turning heaven for the child decreed.

Yet those who read the wheeling heavens’ course,And traced each sign back to its hidden source,

They saw his star disturbed within the sky,His fortune sleeping, and they grieved thereby.

They told the Shah what waited for his son,And showed each road before him, one by one.

They saw what pain from good and ill might grow,And sought in Yazdan refuge from that woe.

Then Rostam came before the throne to ask,And said: “I claim this charge as my own task.

This lion-hearted child entrust to me;Within my breast his nurture now shall be.

Among your guardians none can serve him so;No nurse like me the world will ever know.”

King Kavus weighed the matter in his mind;No burden on his heart the thought could bind.

To Rostam he entrusted heart and eye,His chosen prince, whose worth he held most high.

He bore him to Zabulistan, and madeA dwelling for him in a garden’s shade.

He taught him horsemanship, the saddle’s skill,To bend the bow and loose the shaft at will.

The kamand, rein, and stirrup he explained,Till in their every use the prince was trained.

He taught him justice, wrong, the crown and throne,And speech by which a ruler’s mind is known.

To feast with honor, command men in fight,And lead the army with a ruler’s might.

With hawk and falcon he pursued the prey,While cheetahs coursed across the open way.

He taught him every art from first to last;His toil bore fruit when all the work was past.

So grew Siavash in strength and noble grace,A peerless prince in bearing, form, and face.

As time went by, his strength outgrew all check;He cast his kamand toward the lion’s neck.

One day he spoke to Rostam, calm and clear:“I need to see my Shah; the time is near.

You bore much toil, your heart consumed with thought,And gave me every art a king is taught.

Now let my father judge me when we meet,And see Piltan’s instruction made complete.”

The lion-hearted chief made all things ready,And sent out messengers both swift and steady.

With horses, servants, silver, and with gold,With seal and sword, belts, garments manifold.

From every side came garments, rugs, and gear;What Rostam lacked, the world brought swiftly near.

Thus Rostam sent the prince in rich array,While all the army watched him on his way.

Then Rostam journeyed with him side by side,Lest grief within the Shah’s heart should abide.

The world was decked in ceremonial show,To please the Pahlevan as they would go.

Gold mixed with ambergris fell through the air;From lofty domes they poured it on the pair.

The world grew rich with mirth and treasure bright;Each roof and doorway shone with proud delight.

Beneath the Arab steeds, bright coins were spread;No grieving face was seen; all sorrow fled.

Along the road, from every flowing mane,Dripped saffron, musk, and wine like fragrant rain.

Word reached Kay Kavus: “Siavash draws near,With royal farr made manifest and clear.”

He sent out Tus and Giv with joyful sound,With buq and koust that shook the fields around.

The chiefs rode forth in ceremonial array,Tus on one side, Piltan across the way.

They rode together toward the royal throne,A fresh young sapling in their midst was shown.

When Siavash reached the gate, the shouting grew,And all made way for him as he rode through.

With folded hands a servant came to bearA censer breathing perfume through the air.

Three hundred stood in each appointed place,With noble Siavash centered in their space.

Gold and bright jewels showered from on high,While blessings for the prince rose to the sky.

When he beheld the Shah upon his throne,An ivory seat where ruby splendor shone,

He bowed before him, reverent and profound,Then bent his face and kissed the royal ground.

He then drew near; Kavus embraced the boy,And clasped his son with open-hearted joy.

He welcomed Rostam with the honors due,And seated him where turquoise splendor grew.

Kavus beheld the prince in wondering gaze,And blessed him long with words of royal praise.

Then gazing on his stature, form, and height,He saw his royal farr blaze clear and bright.

So young, yet wisdom filled his heart and head,As though from wisdom’s living stream he fed.

The Shah pressed face to earth before the One,And praised the World-Creator for his son.

“O Maker of the turning sphere above,All good is Yours, all happiness and love.”

Iran’s great chiefs came bearing gifts with cheer,Rejoicing in the prince as they drew near.

They marveled at the farr upon his face,And blessed Siavash long with words of grace.

By royal order freeborn took their stand,And girded warriors gathered at his hand.

The garden, palace, eyvan rang with sound,With wine and rud and minstrels gathered round.

No feast like this had ever graced the hall,For seven days joy rang among them all.

On the eighth day he opened every store,And brought its varied treasures to the fore.

Fine seals and swords, rich thrones and jewels fair,Were brought before him, costly, bright, and rare.

Arabian steeds in leopard saddles bright,With barding and war-khaftan armed for fight.

Brocades and purses filled with dirhams lay,With dinars, jewels, in a bright array.

All these he gave, except the royal crown,For youth still barred the prince from that renown.

He gave the gifts and promised good ahead,And filled the prince with hope by what he said.

For seven years the Shah put him to trial,And found him pure in conduct, free of guile.

In the eighth year he gave a crown of gold,A golden torc and girdle to behold.

A royal charter on fine silk he made,By Kayanian farr and custom long obeyed.

Because Siavash had proved his royal claim,The Shah gave Kohestan’s country in his name.

That former name belonged to all that sphere;Today Mawarannahr is the name we hear.

When all was done as Kay Kavus ordained,The prince’s mother died, and mourning reigned.

Then Siavash descended from on high,And like a Div cried to the turning sky.

He tore his royal robes in mourning dread,And cast the darkest dust upon his head.

He mourned his mother, stricken through and through,And made his own sweet soul bear anguish too.

For many days no laughter touched his face,Through every hour he mourned in grief’s embrace.

For one full month he bore his burning pain,Not one brief moment free from sorrow’s chain.

When nobles heard the news, they hastened near,To stand beside the prince they held so dear.

Tus, Giv, Fariborz, Gudarz all came,With princes, chiefs, and champions of name.

But when he saw them, grief came breaking through;A wind of pain rose from his heart and grew.

He wept anew and opened sorrow’s door,And from his heart let hidden anguish pour.

Then Gudarz saw the noble cypress pressedBy grief, and darkness settled in his breast.

Then Gudarz spoke: “O prince, heed my advice:Do not begin this mourning for her twice.

All born of mothers yield their mortal breath;None escapes Ajal’s hand, appointed death.

Your mother now has passed from mortal care;Her soul is in Minu; do not despair.”

With a hundred pleas, with counsel, charm, and art,They set once more in place the prince’s heart.

Time passed, and still the Shah rejoiced in him,In Siavash, whose light no year could dim.

One day Kay Kavus sat beside his son,When fair Sudabeh entered, bright as sun.

Sudabeh suddenly beheld his face,And stood transfixed before his youthful grace.

Her heart was shaken, passion seized her frame,And all her being kindled into flame.

She thinned like finest thread beneath desire,And melted like the ice before a fire.

She sent a secret envoy with her call:“Invite the prince into the women’s hall.

Within the Shah’s own women’s hall appear;Your sudden entrance should cause no one fear.”

The envoy spoke; Siavash’s anger rose:“Speak not of this; such counsel I oppose.

I am no man of women’s halls,” he said;“I seek no bonds or tricks where snares are spread.”

Another dawn, Sudabeh sought the king,And shaped her words to serve her hidden sting:

“O king of kings, no sun or moon has knownA Shah like you upon the royal throne.

No child on earth can match your princely heir;Let all his kin rejoice and have their share.

Send him within among the women’s hall;His sisters and his kin await his call.

The veiled ones wait, their hearts with joy run through;Their tear-filled faces long to see you too.

We bow before him; offerings we bring,And make devotion’s tree with fruit to spring.”

The Shah replied: “Your counsel serves him well;A hundred mothers’ love in you must dwell.”

He called the prince and spoke with measured art:“No veil can hide the bonds of blood and heart.

God shaped you so that all who see must love;No purer child was sent from Him above.

How much more those who share your blood and line;Though seen afar, their hearts must still incline.

Your sisters and Sudabeh wait inside;Sudabeh loves you with a mother’s pride.

Go see the veiled ones; tarry there awhile,And let their blessings greet you with a smile.”

The prince gave ear, and listened, filled with doubt,Nor could he read what this might bring about.

Awhile he weighed the words the Shah had said,And strove to wash the dust from heart and head.

He thought: “My father means to try my mind;He seeks to know what secrets he may find.

He knows much, speaks with mastery and art;Alert, clear-sighted, doubtful in his heart.

This thing is evil; hers the snare I bear;Sudabeh shaped this scheme with hidden care.

If I should enter in her women’s hall,Much dangerous talk with her will then befall.

You gave me rule, the throne, the royal crown;Your favor raised me high to this renown.

The lofty sun gives dignity to dust;So your great favor honors whom you trust.

No king like you has ruled, nor could maintainSuch goodness, wisdom, custom in his reign.

Give Mobadan and wise men for my guide,Great nobles, seasoned chiefs to stand beside.

Teach spear and gorz, the arrow and the bow,And how against the hostile ranks to go.

Teach me the royal throne and audience hall,The rites of court, the order binding all.

Teach feast and rud and wine in royal cheer,The arts a future sovereign must hold dear.

But what can women’s chambers teach me here?When have their ways made wisdom’s pathway clear?

Still, if the Shah commands, I must obey;My conduct shall be guided by his way.”

The Shah replied: “Be glad, my noble son;On wisdom’s ground let all your deeds be done.

Such noble speech I seldom hear expressed;The mind grows stronger hearing words so blessed.

Put doubt aside; let troubled thoughts be stilled,Choose joy instead, and let your heart be filled.

Go see the veiled young women gathered near;Perhaps your presence brings them some small cheer.”

“At dawn I go; your order I obey;Whatever you command shall guide my way.

My heart and soul are subject to your will;You are my Shah, and I will serve you still.”

A Hirbad, pure in spirit, heart, and mind,Kept watch where women’s curtains were confined.

He held the curtain’s key both day and night,And never left his station out of sight.

The Shah said: “When the sun unsheathes its blade,Go wisely to the prince when dawn is made.

Tell fair Sudabeh, as he nears her door,To scatter gems and musk across the floor.

Let sisters and attendants gather near,With zabarjad and saffron for his cheer.”

When darkness fled before the rising sun,The Shah once more received Siavash, his son.

He bowed; and after they had talked alone,The Shah made his command to Hirbad known.

Then said: “Go with him now, and at his sideBehold the halls where all your kin abide.”

They went together, free of any gloom,With gladdened spirits, toward the inner room.

The Hirbad raised the curtain. Filled with dread,Young Siavash sensed some evil lay ahead.

The women came to greet him, bright and gay,With festive joy and splendor on display.

The halls were filled with musk and saffron rare,And golden dinars glittered everywhere.

Bright dirhams scattered underneath his tread,With agate, zabarjad together spread.

Chinese brocade lay richly on the ground,And lustrous pearls were scattered all around.

Wine flowed; the rud and minstrels filled the air,While jeweled crowns flashed brightly everywhere.

The women’s hall seemed paradise made real,With beauty, wealth, and splendor to reveal.

And as he passed within, there met his eyeA throne of beaten gold that blazed on high.

With turquoise set in patterns finely made,And royal cloth in layered splendor laid.

There sat Sudabeh, splendid to behold,A heaven rich with fragrance, hue, and gold.

Like Yemen’s Canopus her beauty shone,Her curling locks in scented folds were thrown.

A crown rose high above her radiant head,Her musk-dark kamand to her feet was spread.

A servant stood and held her golden shoes,Head bowed, to wait whatever she might choose.

And when the prince drew near, she left her seat,And came alone, with graceful steps, to meet.

She bowed to him, then took him in embrace,And held him long before her moon-bright face.

She kissed his eyes and face with lingering sight,And could not tire of gazing on that light.

She said: “A hundred thanks to Yazdan now I raise;By day, through three night watches, still I praise.

No man has ever had a son your peer;No Shah possessed such kin in any year.”

But Siavash perceived what lay concealed,And knew what kind of love her words revealed.

He knew such love ran counter to Yazdan’s way,And would not let his judgment go astray.

He hastened to his sisters from her sight,For all that passed within seemed far from right.

They set him on a throne of shining gold,And many blessings over him were told.

He stayed awhile, then rose and left that place,And made his way back through the inner space.

The women whispered: “See this seeker here,In wisdom and in culture without peer.

He scarcely seems a mortal of our kind;His very soul sheds wisdom through the mind.”

Then Siavash returned before the throne,And spoke with measured words in careful tone:

“I passed within the hidden women’s hall,And saw the royal splendor through it all.

All worldly goodness, Shah, is yours today;No grievance toward Yazdan can you lay.

Jamshid, Fereydoon, Hushang of oldYou pass in sword and army, wealth and gold.”

The Shah rejoiced to hear his careful word,And trusted all the answer he had heard.

He decked his halls like gardens in the spring,With wine, barbat, and ney made music ring.

That night the Shah within the harem came,And called Sudabeh privately by name:

“Hide nothing from me; tell the truth outright,And keep no secret hidden from my sight.

Tell me his wisdom, judgment, speech, and air;His form and stature; tell me how they fare.

Did sight confirm the praise report had brought?Was seeing him still better than you thought?”

She answered: “Sun and moon have never knownA Shah like you upon the royal throne.

What son in all the world can match your own?Why should such praise in secrecy be shown?

When manhood crowns him, may no evil eyeCome near the farr that shines in him so high.”

She said: “If you approve the words I say,And if your judgment travels the same way,

Then let no other noble house provide;Choose from your royal seed a fitting bride.

Let him take one whose sons shall match his worth,And carry forward all his line on earth.

I have your daughters, sprung from royal line,From your own seed and kinship pure and fine.

Kay Arash, Kay Pashin, have daughters too;Their houses, if you ask, will answer you.”

The Shah replied: “My line must live in fame;A worthy son must carry on my name.”

When morning came, Siavash returned to bringHis blessing to the throne and to the king.

The Shah dismissed the rest, and when they went,He spoke in private, earnest in intent:

“One hidden longing stirs within my heart,For which I ask the World-Creator’s part:

Let your own name remain through ages known,And from your seed may rise a royal throne.

As I take joy to look upon your face,So may your son bring you the selfsame grace.

The stars have shown me what the years will bring:That from your line shall rise a mighty king.

The star-counting Mobadan read your sign;They saw a future sovereign in your line.

Look first where Kay Pashin’s young daughters dwell;Among the great, choose one who suits you well.

Kay Arash too has daughters of high birth;If asked, his house would join with yours in worth.”

He answered: “I obey the Shah’s decree;His will alone is law enough for me.

Whomever you select shall be my bride;Your servant follows where his Shah shall guide.

But do not let Sudabeh hear this choice;She twists its meaning with another voice.

No such discussion should concern her hall;I have no business in her court at all.”

The Shah just laughed, not knowing what he saw;The hidden water underneath the straw.

“Choose as you wish, and leave this fear behind;Let no concern for her disturb your mind.

Her words are born of love, not hidden strife;She stands, believe me, guardian of your life.”

Siavash rejoiced; his troubled heart found ease,And praised the Shah whose favor brought him peace.

He praised the world-ruling Shah in grateful tone,Then bowed in reverence before the throne.

Yet secret schemes of hers still caused him pain;His wounded liver burned beneath the strain.

He knew, “This too is hers”; the plot was true;It seemed his very skin was torn in two.

The night passed on; above the darkened earth,The turning sphere revolved toward new birth.

Sudabeh sat in joy upon her throne,A crown of ruby, gold, and jewels shone.

She called her daughters, bidding them attend,And set them on gold thrones from end to end.

Before her stood young maidens in their bloom,As if all paradise had filled the room.

She said to Hirbad: “Go at once and sayThat Siavash must come without delay.

Tell him to trouble now his feet for me,And show the cypress form I long to see.”

The Hirbad hurried forth and bore her word,And told the prince the message he had heard.

When Siavash heard, bewildered, he stayed,And called the World-Creator to his aid.

He searched for many paths but none he found,And twisted, trembling, rooted to the ground.

Then Siavash came where all the women met,And saw her court, her crown with jewels set.

She left her throne and stepped before his gaze,Her jeweled face and hair alike ablaze.

Siavash sat upon the golden seat;She stood, hands folded, serving at his feet.

She showed the maidens gathered in the room,Untouched like gems still sealed within their bloom.

“Behold this court,” she said, “and those who stand,With golden headgear, waiting your command.

Young beauties of Taraz, with modest eyes,Whom Yazdan shaped in coy and tender guise.

If one among them pleases you the best,Then choose her now, and let your choice be blessed.”

Siavash raised his eyes a little way,Yet none could turn her gaze from him away.

They whispered: “Even the moon would shrink from sightBefore the brilliance of this prince’s light.”

Each maiden then returned to her own throne,And weighed what fortune might become her own.

Sudabeh asked: “What purpose lies concealed?Tell me what wish within your heart is sealed.

Your fairy farr shines bright before the eye;Whoever sees you once will faint and sigh.

Now with the eye of wisdom scan this band,And choose the one who suits your heart and hand.”

But he stood silent; no reply was made,And in his stainless heart this thought he weighed:

“I should lament myself if I should wedAmong my foes, by foolish judgment led.

I know the tale of Hamavaran well;The famous elders taught me what befell.

I know what once they did to Iran’s throne,And raised the dust from champions of our own.

Sudabeh, daughter of that land, sets snares;No love for this royal house she bears.”

He gave no answer; then she raised the screenThat veiled her face and let her beauty gleam:

“If sun and new moon shared a single seat,Their rival lights together there would meet,

No wonder if the moon should lose its pride,When such a sun was shining at its side.

Whoever sees me on this ivory throne,With ruby, turquoise crown above me shown,

Would turn no eye toward moon or lesser face,Nor count another woman near my grace.

If you will pledge yourself to me this day,Turn not aside, but drive my fear away.

One of these daughters I will give to you,To stand before you, loyal, steadfast, true.

Now swear an oath and do not turn aside;When Kavus leaves this world, by me abide.

Be his memorial, and guard me well;Hold me as dear as life while here I dwell.

Behold me now: before you here I stand;My body and my soul are in your hand.

Whatever earth contains shall be your share;I will not turn from any wish you bear.”

She clasped his head and kissed him, heedless thenOf fear and justice in the eyes of men.

His cheeks bloomed rose-red under sudden shame,And blood-hot tears adorned each lash like flame.

“May God protect me from the Div’s dark art,And keep its evil far from mind and heart.

I will not wrong my father or his name,Nor join with Ahriman in deed or aim.

If coldly I should answer her with scorn,Her heart will burn with anger newly born.

She may devise some sorcery by guile,And make the Shah believe her all the while.

Far better answer softly, smooth and fair,And speak with measured words and gentle care.”

Then thus he spoke: “No equal walks the earthTo match your beauty or your royal worth.

You still rival the moon in shining grace,Yet you belong beside the Shah’s high place.

As for myself, your daughter is my prize;No other woman could command my eyes.

Speak of this match before the Shah, and learnWhat answer from his judgment may return.

I ask for her and pledge what I have said;My tongue as hostage stands, till she is wed.

Until her stature rises up to mine,No other passion shall this heart confine.

And as you asked me of this face you see,Your love has joined your very soul to me.

The Maker’s farr has shaped my pedigree,O fair one, this is how I came to be.

But do not tell this secret or make knownWhat must remain concealed to us alone.

You stand as chief of women in my sight;I hold you as a mother, as is right.”

He spoke and rose and hastened from her hall;Her scheming soul still lay in passion’s thrall.

When next the Shah came through the women’s door,Sudabeh saw him, rose, and crossed the floor.

She brought glad news before the Shah with praise,And spoke of Siavash in many ways.

“He came and looked throughout the eyvan wide;Black-eyed young beauties gathered at each side.

So many moon-bright faces filled the hall,It seemed the moon rained love upon them all.

Yet none he chose except my daughter fair;No other could with her in worth compare.”

The Shah rejoiced, his heart with rapture bright,As though the moon lay in his arms that night.

He opened treasure, gems in rich display,Gold-woven silk and girdles in array.

Bracelets and crowns and rings were brought to view,With torques and thrones, the royal treasures grew.

Of every kind a treasury he showed,Till all the world seemed rich with wealth bestowed.

He told her: “Keep these for Siavash; your taskIs but to give them when he comes to ask.

Tell him: ‘This gift is little for your due;Two hundred treasuries should come to you.’”

Sudabeh stared bewildered, darkly caught,And turned through many spells within her thought:

“If he will not come under my command,Let even life itself slip from my hand.

Whatever means, for good or evil, lieIn open day or secret, I will try.

And if he turns away, will not comply,Before the full assembly I will cry.”

Sudabeh sat upon her royal throne,With earrings bright and gold-wrought crown that shone.

She called the prince and spoke of many things,Then showed the wealth prepared for sons of kings.

“The Shah has raised a treasure vast for you;No mortal eye has seen so rich a view.

Two hundred elephants would bear its weight,And I will give my daughter as your mate.

Now look upon my face, my crown, my grace;Why turn from love, from stature, form, and face?

Since first I saw you, I have lived as dead,In cries and burning grief my days have fled.

The light of day grows dark before my eyes;The sun turns lapis-dark beneath the skies.

For seven years your love has mastered me,And blood has streamed like tears continually.

Make me but once content, and none shall hear;Have pity on the youth I still hold dear.

More than the Shah has given, I will add:An armlet, crown, and throne to make you glad.

But if you turn aside from my command,And will not seek the cure that I have planned,

I will destroy your hope of crown and might,And turn your sun and moon to darkest night.”

Then Siavash replied: “For no desireWill I cast life away to feed its fire.

I will not wrong my father nor betrayMy courage or my wisdom from their way.

You are his queen, the sunlight of his throne;Such sin should never make the Shah’s wife known.”

Siavash rose in anger from his seat;Sudabeh seized him as he sought retreat.

“I told my heart’s deep secret just to you,Yet evil-minded, you have proved untrue.

You mean to bring me shame before all eyes,And make me scorned before the good and wise.”

Sudabeh tore her robes and clawed her face,Then raised a dreadful cry throughout the place.

Her cry rang outward from the women’s hall,Through eyvan, court, and street it carried all.

The palace roared with tumult, shock, and fear,As though the final day itself drew near.

News reached Kay Kavus; from his throne he rose,His heart disturbed by what the tumult shows.

He left the golden throne, his heart astir,And hurried to the women’s hall, to her.

He found her wounded, weeping in despair,While talk and tumult filled the palace air.

He questioned all, yet none could make it clear,Nor name what brought such turmoil and such fear.

Sudabeh wept and tore her hair in dread,Then spoke before the Shah, and this she said:

“Siavash came before my throne today,And seized me hard; I could not draw away.

He held me fast and said, ‘My heart and soulAre filled with love for you beyond control.

Why do you turn from love I freely give?I want none else as long as I may live.’

My crown fell from my dark and loosened hair;My garment tore; I struggled in despair.”

The Shah grew troubled, weighing what he heard,And searched each side of claim and spoken word.

“If all she says is true, and nothing feigned,Then blood alone can cleanse the shame he stained.

His head must fall beneath the sharpened sword;That is the key this evil knot affords.”

The wise man asks what counsel can be said,When this tale’s flowing stream has turned blood-red.

The trusted elders standing in the hallWere watchful, sober-minded, one and all.

He cleared the place and, throned, he bade appearHis son and Sudabeh, with no one near.

To Siavash he said: “Conceal no part;Reveal the hidden truth within your heart.

You did no wrong; the fault began with me;I sent you there, and mine the blame must be.

Why did I call you through that guarded door?I should have known the danger there before.

Now tell me all, conceal no word away,And let me know what truly passed today.”

Then Siavash spoke calmly, free of guile,And told how she had sought him all the while.

He told the truth of every hidden word,How she pursued and what from her he heard.

She cried: “He lies! He spurned the maidens’ charms;He wanted only me within his arms.

I told him all the Shah would give in wealth,In open gifts, and more besides by stealth.

I spoke of daughter and of crown, and toldOf dinars, jewels, treasure, cloth of gold.

I offered all that I would add beside,Yet wealth and daughter both he cast aside.

He said, ‘I want no wealth that you command;I want but you, and nothing from your hand.’

Then both his hands closed hard around me tight,Like stone he gripped me as I fought his might.

Because I would not yield to his embrace,He tore my hair; his nails have scored my face.

I bear your child concealed within my womb,Your seed, O Shah, that should have come to bloom.

His violence nearly brought that child to death;The world grew narrow, dark, and choked my breath.”

The Shah then paused, uncertain what was true,For neither tale alone could guide his view.

He thought: “There is no place for haste today;Distress of heart makes wisdom sleep away.

First I must search until my heart is right;A heart made straight will witness to the light.

I must discover where the guilt may lie,And who deserves the penalty thereby.”

He sought for proof beyond what speech could tell,And first drew near Siavash’s hand to smell.

He smelled his breast and arms from side to side,And searched his body for what touch might hide.

Sudabeh carried wine and musk perfume,And rosewater hung heavy through the room.

But Siavash bore no scent of musk or wine,Nor of her touch the least betraying sign.

The Shah grew sorrowful at what he knew,And turned from her in scorn and anguish too.

“No path remains; the sword must end her life,And cut her limb from limb for all this strife.”

He thought of Hamavaran and the war,Of kin and kingdoms drawn to battle’s roar.

He thought of days when captive, bound, alone,With neither kin nor ally of his own.

Sudabeh served him faithfully each day,By night as well, and never turned away.

And still his heart was bound to her by care;His love made punishment too hard to bear.

He thought of children still too young to knowThe grief her death would bring, and stayed the blow.

But Siavash he knew was wholly true,And wisdom showed him what he ought to do.

He said: “Do not be troubled; let your heart be still,Keep watch with judgment, wisdom, strength of will.

Speak not of this; let no one know the thing,Lest color, scent, and substance round it cling.”

Sudabeh, shamed and cast from royal grace,Perceived estrangement written on his face.

She sought a cure for all that brought her low;From hate she planted a new tree to grow.

Behind the curtain dwelt a cunning dame,Well-skilled in spells and every secret game.

She too was great with child, weighed down by pain,Her heavy womb a burden to sustain.

The queen revealed her plan and sought her aid,But first compelled the oath that must be made.

She sealed the pact with gold and whispered low:“Let none but you and me this secret know.

Prepare a drug and make the burden cease;Keep faith with me, and rank shall then increase.

Your children shall give substance to my lies,And make false words seem true before their eyes.

And to the Shah I swear that both were mine,Destroyed by Ahriman’s evil design.

Thus Siavash shall bear the guilt and stain,His name grow dark, his hope of kingship vain.

His standing with the Shah shall sink in shame,And far from throne and crown shall fall his name.”

The woman bowed: “I live to serve your will,And every charge you give I shall fulfill.”

That night she drank the drug as darkness spread,And cast the burden from her womb half-dead.

Two infants came, as if the Divs gave birth,Unlike the living or the dead of earth.

A golden basin then was brought, and noneOf all the servants heard what had been done.

They laid the Div-born infants in the bowl;Sudabeh shrieked and played the mourner’s role.

She hid the woman, laid herself instead,While cries of anguish through the chamber spread.

The servants rushed and gathered at the sound,And hurried toward Sudabeh all around.

They saw two lifeless infants; in despairTheir wailing rose to Saturn through the air.

The clamor shook the Shah from sleep that night;He trembled, listening hard in sudden fright.

He asked what grief had struck the moon-bright dame,And servants told him how misfortune came.

The tale destroyed his rest till night was done;No sleep was his before the rising sun.

At dawn he found Sudabeh on her bed,While turmoil through the whole shabestan spread.

Two infants in the golden basin lay,Cast there in misery before the day.

She poured out tears: “Look clearly, O Sun, and seeWhat bitter proof lies openly with me.

I warned you often what his deeds had done;Yet foolishly you trusted in your son.”

The Shah grew doubtful, left the troubled place,And pondered long, suspicion on his face.

At last he said: “What cure for this is known?This matter is too grave to leave alone.”

Kavus sought those who read the stars on high,And summoned every seer who watched the sky.

He welcomed them, and each was given a seatOf gold, where they in counsel were to meet.

He told them how in Hamavaran’s fight,The Shah had suffered shame and captive plight.

He told them of Sudabeh and her claim,Her conduct and the matter of her shame.

He spoke as well of infants newly dead,And brought each hidden matter forth instead.

They took their zij and astrolabes in hand,And worked a week beneath the Shah’s command.

They said: “What royal seed could issue from this sign?What poison fails to foul the purest wine?

These children spring from someone else’s seed;Not Shah’s nor Sudabeh’s, as we can read.

Had royal blood been theirs, our tables hereWould show the royal sign both plain and clear.

No sign in earth or heaven names the source,Or shows what secret shaped this hidden course.

Yet signs point toward a woman foul in thought,Impure in heart; this answer have we brought.”

Sudabeh cried aloud and sought redress,And pressed her claim with tears and wild distress:

“In Hamavaran I shared in your fall;Your wounds and loss of throne; I bore them all.

My heart is twisted for my children slain;At every breath my head seems split with pain.”

The Shah replied: “Be calm; look past today,And weigh what end may follow from this way.”

He sent his guards through every street to traceThe sorceress within her hiding-place.

They searched through every quarter of the town,Until at last her hidden trace was found.

They found her close at hand; experienced menWent swiftly forth and seized the woman then.

They dragged her forth in shame before the throne,While all who watched stood silent as a stone.

He questioned her with patience, calm, and care,And promised grace if she the truth laid bare.

For many days he urged her to confess,Yet all his urging met with no success.

He said: “Use every stratagem you know;Compel the hidden truth at last to show.

If still she will not speak and keeps her lie,Then saw her through the middle; let her die.”

They threatened sword and gallows, pit and pain,But all their threats and terror proved in vain.

She said: “I am not guilty of this deed;What more have I to answer or to plead?”

They told the Shah: “She will not bend or yield;The World-Creator knows what lies concealed.”

Again he called Sudabeh to his side,While all the seers still by their words abide.

“These children both were born of that false dame;Ahriman’s seed is written in their frame.”

Sudabeh said: “Far more is known than said,But fear of Siavash leaves truth buried dead.

They hide what they have seen and dare not tell;Fear of the prince has bound their tongues too well.

They dread the Piltan; lions shake with fear,And tremble in the court when he draws near.

Eighty elephants’ strength makes him prevail;He checks the Nile itself within its vale.

A hundred thousand troops will break and flyWhen once his battle cry is lifted high.

How then could I withstand such dreadful force?My eyes must stream with blood-tears in their course.

What can these seers do but guard their speech,When fear of him lies close to all they teach?

If you, their father, do not mourn the slain,My bond to them cannot exceed your pain.

If you would treat this matter lightly here,The next world’s judgment shall make justice clear.”

She wept more water than the sun could raiseFrom Nile’s broad flood beneath its burning rays.

The Shah was shaken deeply by her cries,And tears of grief came welling to his eyes.

With broken heart he sent her from his sight,His mind fixed fast upon the grievous plight.

He brooded long and vowed within his mind,To seek the matter’s root and truth to find.

He called the Mobadan to stand nearby,And laid the case before each learned eye.

One sage replied: “The ruler’s pain is shown;Such grief can never long remain unknown.

To settle claims that clash and still divide,Strike stone against the jar and let it decide.

Though dear your son, your heart will never restWhile doubt remains within your troubled breast.

And Sudabeh, Hamavaran’s royal heir,Still lays another burden on your care.

When two opposed accounts refuse to yield,Let one pass through the fire and truth be sealed.

Such is the high sphere’s judgment and decree:The innocent from flame shall issue free.”

The Shah then summoned both before the throne,And had them hear the trial that must be known.

He said: “No peace from either claim I find;Both leave their shadow heavy on my mind.

Sharp fire alone can show where guilt may hide,And make the guilty known to either side.”

Sudabeh said: “My cause is plain and true;The two dead children stand as proof to you.

What greater sign of guilt could meet your sight?These bodies prove the wrong as plain as light.

He wrought this evil and pursued my wrong;Let him prove innocence before the throng.”

The king then turned to Siavash and said:“What course seems right? What path will you now tread?”

He answered: “This foul charge is worse than hell;No living soul should bear so vile a spell.

I would pass through a mountain forged in flame,Rather than live beneath so foul a name.”

The thoughts of Kay Kavus moved between the two,And doubt and fear within his spirit grew.

“If one proves false, what then will people say?Will any still accept my royal sway?

My wife and son are blood and brain to me;Which one can I cast off by my decree?”

Yet still he chose to cleanse his heart of doubt,And seek what remedy might root it out.

He said: “Who rules and wears the royal crownMust never let a faint heart drag him down.”

He ordered: “Send a hundred camel trains,And bring the timber gathered from the plains.”

The camels hauled the wood in long array,While all Iran came out to watch that day.

A hundred trains of red-haired camels boreThe timber till the plain could hold no more.

The timber rose beyond all count or bound,Its towering mass stood dark above the ground.

From two full farsangs off the piles were shown,A key to test what evil had been sown.

The Shah sought out the root of truth and wrong,To learn what crooked course had run so long.

Now hear this whole account and mark it well;Take heed of what its warning has to tell.

Seek only virtue when you choose a wife;An evil nature stains a husband’s life.

Two mountains of dry timber rose on high,While all the world stood gathered close nearby.

Between the heaps a narrow passage lay,So tight a mounted rider scarcely made way.

The Shah commanded black naphtha be spreadAcross the timber, foot to towering head.

Two hundred kindlers set the heaps alight,Till deepest night seemed turned to blazing light.

At first black smoke went rolling, thick and dire,Then all at once broke forth the surging fire.

The flames rose high and burned with blinding glare,Till earth itself outshone the stars in air.

The world roared out and breathed a furnace breath,While crowds recoiled as if from certain death.

The plain itself seemed roasting in the blaze,And people wept to lose his smiling gaze.

Then Siavash came before his father’s sight,Gold helm upon his head, his bearing bright.

In robes of white, composed upon his steed,His smiling face showed hope in time of need.

His dark steed’s hooves sent dust into the sky,As though their dust would veil the moon on high.

He sprinkled camphor lightly on his frame,Prepared for shroud and death, but not for shame.

He stepped down from his horse and, bowing low,Paid to the Shah the reverence he should show.

The Shah’s face filled with shame before his son,And a gentle speech by Siavash had begun.

“Do not grieve, father; this is worldly fate;The turning sphere has brought us to this state.

I bear this shame, this slander on my name;If I am pure, deliverance waits in flame.

If guilt is mine, the World-Creator’s handWill give no shelter where the fires stand.

By Yazdan, giver of all good and right,If I am pure, the fire shall lose its bite.”

He drew toward the fire and raised his cryTo Him, the self-sufficient Judge on high:

“Grant me safe passage through this mountain’s flame,And free my body from my father’s shame.”

He poured his grief before the Judge in prayer,Then spurred his black steed smoke-like toward the glare.

A cry rose up from city and from plain,And all the world was seized by grief and pain.

Sudabeh climbed the palace roof in hate,And watched the prince approach his fiery fate.

The people turned on Kavus in their ire,And cursed the Shah who sent him toward the fire.

He drove his black horse where the fire had spread,As though for fire the very steed were bred.

The flames closed round; no watcher’s searching eyeCould see his golden helm or horse nearby.

The plain stood waiting, blood in every gaze,To see when Siavash would leave the blaze.

Then from the flames the noble youth rode free,Rose-faced and smiling for the world to see.

A roar went up from all the gathered throng:“The young Shah lives! He leaves the fire whole and strong!”

His horse and robe and rider shone as white,Like jasmine blossoms opening to sight.

Had it been water, he might well be wet;The fire had left no mark upon him yet.

When pure Yazdan extends His mercy true,The breath of fire and wind are one to you.

He passed from fiery mountain to the field,And cries from town and plain around him pealed.

The riders rushed to meet him in delight,And cast their silver coins to left and right.

All people, high and low, rejoiced as one,And praised the miracle that had been done.

They said: “The just Judge guards the guiltless true,And brings the schemer’s wickedness to view.”

Sudabeh, mad with anger at the sight,Tore hair and scratched her face in bitter spite.

Then Siavash drew near them, pure and bright;No smoke, no fire, no dust to dim his light.

Kavus dismounted, seeing him draw near;The army too came down with reverent cheer.

The prince bowed low and laid his face in prayer,And thanked the World-Creator for His care.

He crossed the mountain fire with nothing burned,And all his enemies’ hopes to dust were turned.

The Shah then said: “Brave youth of lineage pure,Your shining soul has made the truth secure.

A virtuous mother gave such life to you;Such sons are born to rule the whole world through.”

He clasped him and owned the wrong he had done,And begged forgiveness from his blameless son.

Within the eyvan Kavus took his throne,The Kayanian crown above him shone.

He called for wine and music through the hall,And Siavash shared the pleasures of them all.

For three full days the wine and feast ran free;No seal was set on treasure, nor a key.

Kay Kavus on the fourth day took his throne,With ox-head gorz, his wrath and power shown.

In wrath he summoned Sudabeh to his hall,And named the former evils, root of all.

“You shameless woman! You have done me wrong,And pierced my heart with grief both deep and long.

What part was yours in plots against my son,That drove him to the fire; what you have done?

You used both sorcery and base deceit,And laid for him a snare beneath his feet.

No plea will serve you now, your crimes are plain;Prepare to die; no pardon shall remain.

No longer shall you walk beneath the sky;The gallows is your sentence; you shall die.”

She said: “O Shah, rain fire upon my head;If death is due, then count me with the dead.

Then strike my head away if you decide;I will not shrink from death or turn aside.

Give the command; I set my heart to die,But let no hatred in your spirit lie.

You take Siavash’s words for truth today,And all the grief within your heart gives way.

Zal worked his arts so flame could do no harm;The sharpest fire was baffled by his charm.”

The Shah replied: “Your tricks still have no end;Your shamelessness will neither break nor bend.”

Then the Shah asked the chiefs what law required:“What doom befits the evil she inspired?”

They bowed: “Her crime can have no end but death;Such hidden evil must be paid with breath.”

He ordered: “Hang her in the street today;Let no man’s pity turn this doom away.”

The women wept to see her thus condemned,While grief in Kavus’s heart could not be stemmed.

He tried to hide it, but his color paled,And all his inward struggle stood unveiled.

The gathered court turned every face aside,As shame stripped off the remnant of her pride.

Then Siavash thought: “If by his decreeSudabeh dies, what grief may fall on me?

My father then will grieve when she is dead,And lay that sorrow afterward on my head.”

Then Siavash spoke gently to the king:“Let not your heart be troubled by this thing.

Forgive her for my sake and let her live;Perhaps wise counsel may a new path give.”

The Shah, who sought some cause to show her grace,Replied: “For you, I yield and end this case.

I pardon her because you ask it so;The sentence ends; now let the matter go.”

He kissed the royal throne, then rose to stand,And left to carry out his sire’s command.

Siavash restored her by the Shah’s decree,And brought her back where she had used to be.

The women of the palace gathered round,And bowed again before her to the ground.

In time his heart relented and inclinedToward her; old affection filled his mind.

His former passion settled as of old;His eyes on Sudabeh would keep their hold.

And she, through secret spell and hidden art,Still worked against the prince with cunning heart.

She labored to turn Kavus from his son,As evil nature urged what she had begun.

Once more she bent him toward mistrust and fear,Though to the court he let it not appear.

Such matters call for wisdom, knowledge, right,For faith and justice to restore our sight.

With reverence toward God to be your guide,The hoped-for end may yet with you abide.

When Time has filled the cup with poison’s gall,Do not ask sweetness from that cup at all.

Do not grow harsh at what the heavens send;You are not He who shapes the start and end.

Such is the turning sphere’s capricious grace;It will not always turn a smiling face.

No love runs deeper than the blood we share;No bond of kin can lightly lose its care.

When such a worthy son has come to light,Let woman’s love not blind the heart to right.

Her tongue and heart in different places stand;Seek for the head, the foot comes to your hand.

The Shah, absorbed in love, was brought this word:“Afrasiab has risen; war is stirred.

A hundred thousand chosen Turk horsemen ride,With Afrasiab advancing at their side.”

He grieved to leave the feast, the hall of joy,As war returned those pleasures to destroy.

He called Iran’s Kayanian chiefs around,The loyal men whose faith in Kay was sound.

“From wind and fire, from water and from earth,It seems no Maker fashioned such a birth.

Perhaps not Yazdan, but the circling sphere,Has fashioned him unlike all mortals here.

His tongue he gives as hostage when he swears,Yet soon for war another weapon bears.

Again he gathers vengeful men to fight,And breaks his oath and covenant outright.

I must go forth myself to seek redress,And turn his shining day to black distress.

Unless his name is blotted from the world,Another army will at once be hurled.

He will make war on Iran with his band,And leave in ruin much of realm and land.”

A Mobad said: “Why march yourself afield,When such an army bears both sword and shield?

Why cast your wealth and treasures to the wind,And empty vaults till all your stores are thinned?

Twice in your haste you let your throne go down,And foes received from you the royal crown.

Choose now a champion fit for war and strife,To stand for you and risk his blood and life.”

The Shah replied: “I see no man at allWhose strength and endurance match his in this hall.

Like ship upon the water I must ride,And face what waits beyond the shifting tide.

Withdraw for now, and give me leave to weighWhat course is best, and I will name the way.”

Then Siavash pondered long and found no rest;A forest thick with thoughts grew in his breast.

He said: “This war I will myself command,And beg the Shah to place it in my hand.

Perhaps the Just One frees me from this mireOf Sudabeh and contention with my sire.

To trap so vast an army in my snareWould win a lasting name for me to bear.”

He girded at the waist and sought the throne,And said: “This battlefield I make my own.

I go to face the Shah of Turan’s force,And cast his chiefs to dust along my course.”

The World-Creator had ordained his fate,That death in Turan for the prince would wait.

Through counsel of an evil-hearted man,His fortune would turn back from where it ran.

His father gave consent; his heart grew bright,And granted Siavash command to fight.

He drew him close and honored him still more,And raised him higher than he stood before.

He said: “My treasures all are yours to spend,And all my army yours to lead and send.”

Then Kavus called the Piltan to his side,And spoke with praise of all his strength and pride:

“No elephant can match the strength you show;Beside your arm, the Nile itself seems low.

Siavash came before me, girded for war,And spoke before me with a lion’s roar.

In skill and self-command you stand apart;You raised Siavash from his earliest start.

Though iron seals the jewel deep below,It opens when you gird yourself to go.

He asks to fight Afrasiab afield;To Turan’s Shah he will not bend or yield.

Go with him; never turn your face away;Remain beside the prince through every fray.

When you are wakeful, I can sleep from care;When you find rest, then I must wake and bear.

Your arrow and your sword make all secure;Beneath your head the moon and sphere endure.”

Then Rostam said: “Your servant I remain;Command me, Shah, and I will not refrain.

Siavash is the refuge of my soul;The crest of his crown is my heaven’s pole.”

The Shah replied: “May wisdom ever stayBeside your stainless soul and light your way.”

The karnay’s clang and koust as one arose,And Tus came forth as Iran formed its rows.

The army gathered round the royal court,And Kavus opened stores of golden sort.

He brought forth sword, gorz, jowshan, spear, and shield,And all the arms required upon the field.

He sent the key to stores of cloth and gear,And kept their guarded riches safe and near.

He said: “My house and all its wealth are yours;Prepare your forces from my guarded stores.”

From all his famed horsemen Kavus choseTwelve thousand tried and ready for his foes.

From Pahlav, Pars, from Kuch and Baluch came,From Gilan, Saruch’s plain, each known by name.

He picked twelve thousand foot who bore the shield,Prepared to stand in battle, not to yield.

All noble-born throughout Iran’s domain,The wise and brave, the freeborn of the plain,

All those who matched young Siavash, height and age,Alert and wise, restrained in speech and rage.

With Bahram, Zangeh, chiefs of high renown,The foremost warriors beneath the crown.

Five Mobadan raised Kaveh’s sign on high,Its ancient splendor mounting toward the sky.

He ordered all the army toward the plain,And rank on rank advanced across the terrain.

So thick they stood, the earth itself seemed gone;Only the horses’ hooves appeared thereon.

The banner of Kaveh mounted toward the sky,And shone among them like the moon on high.

Kavus rode out and circled every rank,Reviewing all from center out to flank.

He saw the army like a bride arrayed,With kousts and war-elephants all displayed.

The Shah then blessed the army where it stood:“O men whose names are honored, brave and good,

May fortune march beside you as you go,And darken every face that stands as foe.

Go forth in health beneath a favored star,Return victorious, honored as you are.”

Tabiras on the elephants were bound;Siavash gave command and mounted sound.

The Shah rode one full day beside his son,His tearful eyes on him till day was done.

Then father and his son embraced in woe,And wept like springtime clouds whose waters flow.

Blood-tears ran down; their cries rose to the sky,And grief lay heavy on all standing by.

Their hearts bore witness, dark with inward dread:No meeting waited them on roads ahead.

Such is the turning world, and such its guise:Now nectar fills the cup, now poison lies.

Kavus returned again to rule his throne,While Siavash marched away with troops his own.

He turned his march to Zabulistan to restIn Zal’s old halls, as Rostam’s honored guest.

There in those halls he feasted, glad of heart,With wine and music and the minstrel’s art.

Now with the mighty Rostam he would dine,Now with Zavareh sit and pass the wine.

On Zal’s high throne he took his royal ease,Or hunted through the reed beds as he pleased.

A month passed by; then Siavash rode away,With Rostam, while old Zal remained to stay.

From Zabul, Kabul, Hind, the warriors came,And followed Rostam’s banner and his name.

He called renowned chiefs from every side,And reached the plain where Herat spread out wide.

There more foot soldiers gathered to his band,And Zangeh took the baggage train in hand.

They marched toward Talikan and Marvrud’s line,And heaven seemed to greet their march divine.

They came to Balkh; no bitter word he spoke,No harshness there his measured conduct broke.

Then Garsivaz and Barman moved in force,Like rushing wind they drove along their course.

With Barman in the van and in the rearSipahram marched, alert as news drew near.

They heard: “A young Shah comes from Iran’s side,And Rostam Piltan marching as his guide.”

A camel courier sped upon the way,Like ship upon the water cast away.

He bore this word: “A mighty army nears,Led by Siavash with Iran’s foremost peers.

Its captain is the Piltan, fierce and proud,One hand on khanjar, one upon his shroud.

Command us, Shah; our ranks will take the field,Prepared to meet the foe, and not to yield.

Array your force and do not long delay;A wind can move a ship and sweep away.”

He spurred the camel onward like a flame,And raced to bear Afrasiab the same.

Meanwhile, Siavash wasted not a day,But drove his army wind-like on its way.

The Iranian army pressed with sudden speed;No time remained to pause or take good heed.

Garsivaz saw no path but to engage,And drove his forces forward in their rage.

Beside the gates of Balkh the armies met,And closed in battle where their lines were set.

Three days they fought with fury side by side;The fourth day brought the change in battle’s tide.

Then Siavash sent footmen to each gate,And through them poured a mighty force in weight.

Sipahram fled and crossed the river’s course,And came to Afrasiab with broken force.

Siavash in Balkh, his army in array,Called for a scribe to write the Shah that day.

With musk and rosewater the words were traced,With fragrant abir all the writing graced.

Upon fine silk the royal letter lay,Then to the Shah he sent it on its way.

He praised the Maker, Lord of sun and moon,From whom come victory and fortune’s boon.

He makes the crown and royal throne shine fair,Raises one man and leaves one in despair.

Before His will no “why” nor “how” has place;Let wisdom learn submission to His grace.

From that Just One who made the world we know,And hidden things no mortal sight can show,

May blessings on the Shah forever descend,And may all goodness crown his final end.

“By your royal farr I came to Balkh in cheer,Victorious, with fortune shining clear.

For three full days the battle did not cease;The fourth, God gave me victory and release.

Sipahram fled to Tarmez from the fray;Like arrow from the bow, Barman sped away.

My army now extends to Jihun’s tide;Beneath my crown’s bright farr the world lies wide.

Afrasiab in Sughd holds all his force;His troops and chief stand past the river’s course.

Command me, Shah, and I will cross the flow,And lead the army forth against the foe.”

The letter came to Kavus; joy burned bright,His crown and throne rose up to Saturn’s height.

He turned to Yazdan, thankful prayers he made,That this young tree bear fruit and never fade.

With joy he wrote his answer to his son,Like spring and paradise in beauty one.

“By Him who made the sun and circling moon,And grants both crown and throne as royal boon,

May joy forever keep your heart from pain,And grief or sorrow never there remain.

May victory and farr beside you stay,And greatness crown your head from day to day.

You led the army out to seek the fray,With fortune, skill, and rectitude your way.

Though milk still scents your lips, so young are you,From your own bow the battle-arrow flew.

May skill forever in your body lie,And let your bright heart soar to reach the sky.

Now victory is yours; be cautious, then,And weigh the road before you march again.

Do not disperse the army; keep it near,Set march and camp in watchful order clear.

This Turk is Div-hearted and false and vile,Bad-born, corrupt in nature, full of guile.

Yet crown and royal state are his to own;Above the shining moon he lifts his throne.

Do not be swift to challenge him to fight;He soon will come himself with war in sight.

If he should cross the Jihun in his pride,His garment’s hem through blood shall then be dyed.”

He sealed the letter, called a courier near,And sent him swiftly with the message clear.

The rider crossed through valley, rise, and height,And hurried onward till the prince was in sight.

He reached Siavash and placed the royal wordBefore the prince, who read what he had heard.

He kissed the ground, then raised it to his head,And laughed with joy as grief and doubting fled.

He held the Shah’s command in watchful mind,And never left his faith and oath behind.

Then Garsivaz, the lion-man, drew near,And poured out bitter words before his peer:

“Prince Siavash has come to Balkh in might,And stands prepared with Iran’s men to fight.

Rostam commands his army in the field,With countless famous warriors armed with shield.

For every one of ours stand fifty bold;Their ox-head gorzes make the bravest cold.

Their infantry sweep forward like a blaze,With arrows, quivers, heavy shields they raise.

Not even eagles match the speed they show;No warrior lets his head to slumber go.

Three days and nights we met them blow for blow,Till men and horses staggered, spent and slow.

Whenever sleep came on, a man withdrew,And left the fighting while his weariness grew.

He slept, then rose refreshed from his repose,And formed the battle line anew against his foes.”

Afrasiab flared up like consuming fire:“Why speak so much of sleep, as though you tire?”

His glare on Garsivaz grew dark and grim,As though one stroke would cleave the waist of him.

No longer mastering the rage he bore,He shouted and drove Garsivaz from the door.

He called a thousand nobles to his board,And ordered rich provision from his hoard.

They decked the plain for feasting far and wide,With Chinese ornaments through Sughd supplied.

In joy the feast went on until the light,And earth’s bright Eye withdrew at fall of night.

Then came the hour when sleep and stillness spread;Afrasiab reclined upon his bed.

One watch had passed beneath the darkened sky,When Afrasiab woke with dreadful cry.

The startled slaves leapt up and raised a shout,And through the palace panic spread about.

News reached Garsivaz: “The royal throneHas darkened; haste; the Shah lies overthrown.”

He found the monarch prostrate on the ground,Then clasped him close and wrapped his arms around.

“Come, tell your brother what has shaken you;Reveal the cause, and tell me what is true.”

The king replied: “Ask nothing of me here;Until my reason clears, do not draw near.

But take me now and hold me to your breast,Until my troubled senses come to rest.”

At last his reason came to him; the dinOf cries and tumult at the door rolled in.

They lit the lamps; he mounted up his throne,Still trembling like a branch by tempest blown.

Then Garsivaz spoke gently from his place:“Now tell the wonder that has changed your face.”

He said: “No man has dreamed so dire a sight;No sleeping eye has known so deep a fright.

Nor have I heard from anyone, old or young,A tale like what tonight before me sprung.

I saw a wilderness where serpents crept,While dust rose thick and eagles heavenward swept.

The stony ground lay parched, forsaken, dry,As though the eye of Heaven passed it by.

And there upon the plain my army lay,My tents drawn round in ordered close array.

A dust-filled wind arose with sudden sound,And struck my royal standard to the ground.

Blood ran in streams across the battle-mound;My tents and royal pavilion crashed around.

Beyond all count my warriors lay dead,Their bodies cast aside, each lacking head.

Then Iran’s army swept with storming speed,Some bore long spears, some bows upon the steed.

Each spear held high a severed head in view,And at each rider’s side another swung too.

A hundred thousand spear-bearers in blackRode at my throne in one sustained attack.

They drove me from my throne and bound my hands,And dragged me captive through their hostile bands.

I looked about me for my kinsmen near,But none stood by me in that flood of fear.

A fierce, renowned champion came and caughtMe where I stood; to Kavus I was brought.

A throne before me like the bright moon shone,And Kavus sat in glory on the throne.

Beside him sat a youth, moon-bright of face,A radiant boy of noble form and grace.

No more than fourteen years had marked his age,Yet youthful fire already burned with rage.

He saw me bound and thundered like a cloud,His rising fury breaking fierce and loud.

With one sword-stroke he cleft my waist in two,And cut my living body cleanly through.

My cry rose out beneath the dream’s dark sweep;The pain itself awoke me from my sleep.”

Then Garsivaz replied: “This dream may proveThe very thing your loyal friends approve.

Your purpose, crown, and throne shall firmly stand;Your foes’ good fortune fall beneath your hand.

We need a man who understands each dream,And long has studied what such visions mean.

Call wakeful-hearted Mobadan to hear,Astrologers and sages, wise and clear.”

From every land the learned sages came,And gathered at the court to learn his aim.

He seated each according to his place,Then spoke to all assembled face to face.

Then to the Mobadan and seers he said:“Speak not of this; let not a word be spread.

Whoever speaks of what I now revealShall forfeit head and life beneath the steel.”

He heaped them gold and silver in their sight,To ease their fear and set their spirits right.

He told the dream entire, from first to last,And asked what hidden meaning it forecast.

A Mobad heard the dream and stood afraid,And asked safe-conduct before truth was laid.

He said: “First pledge your tongue to guard us here,And bind your royal word against our fear.

Then all we know we openly shall say,And trust your justice when we speak today.”

The king then swore that none should come to harm,Nor blame be laid, whatever caused alarm.

Then one among them, subtle, keen of mind,And skilled in matters hidden and refined,

Stood forth and said: “O ruler of the throne,This vision’s hidden meaning I shall make known.

From Iran comes an army swift and strong,Led on by chiefs whose deeds have echoed long.

Young Siavash rides foremost at their head,With royal blood and banners round him spread.

With him come counselors seasoned by the years,Who know the turns of fortune as it veers.

He comes beneath an ascendant darkly cast,That threatens Turan’s realm with ruin vast.

If you make war on Siavash, the plainLike brocade will be dyed with blood-red stain.

No worthy Turk will live when war is done,And you will grieve for every fallen one.

And if Siavash should perish by your hand,No crown or throne shall last in Turan’s land.

The world will fill with vengeance for his name,And war for Siavash spread like rising flame.

When ruin strips the splendor from your reign,You will recall these words and know them plain.

Though as a bird you soar beyond our sight,None can escape the turning heaven’s might.

At times it turns with wrath, at times with love;So wheels the restless firmament above.”

The king grew troubled and delayed the fight,His heart weighed down beneath the seer’s foresight.

To Garsivaz he laid his counsel bare,And spoke the secret thought that caused his care:

“If I send no army out to seek the fray,No future avenger need arise one day.

Then neither he nor I need fall in war,And this embittered quarrel spread no more.

Kavus will seek no vengeance at my hand,And turmoil need not sweep across the land.

Instead of seeking worlds through endless strife,I choose the road of peace and guarded life.

I will send him silver, gold, crown, a throne,With royal belt and headgear of my own.

Manuchehr did not divide the world with right,Nor let his portion lessen in his sight.

I will yield up a part of lands once shared,And draw my hand from what was then prepared.

Perhaps these evils then will pass away,And water quench the two fires of this day.

With treasure I may close grievance’s eye;Then heaven may cease its blows and pass me by.

I ask of Time no more than what it sends;To what is written all my striving bends.

Let each thing grow from what Yazdan chose to seed;We live as He has planted and decreed.”

When all the turning night had passed from sight,The sun revealed its face and brought the light.

The nobles gathered, summoned to the hall,With bowed heads, come to hearken to his call.

Afrasiab called the wise and Mobadan near,And spoke so all assembled there could hear:

“From war I have received no good at all;Its evil has pursued me through each fall.

Full many a famous man my hand has slain,And many chiefs lie dead upon the plain.

Fair cities I have turned to grief and pain,And gardens rich with bloom now turned to bane.

Full many gardens now are battlefields,And everywhere my army’s passage yields.

When world-rulers turn their hearts from right,All goodness hides itself and leaves the light.

The Gur-e-Khar bears no young on the plain,The falcon’s chick goes blind in dearth and pain.

The udders fail and give no milk to drink,And flowing springs grow black as pitch and ink.

The watercourses dry, their fountains bare,And musk no longer spreads its scent through air.

Then righteousness to crookedness gives way,And want appears throughout the world each day.

My heart is weary now of war and wrong;To Yazdan’s righteous path I now belong.

Let wisdom and let justice be our guide,And joy replace old grief, now set aside.

Let all the world find rest beneath our reign,Lest sudden death arrive and end our gain.

Two shares of all the earth lie at my feet;Iran and Turan make my realm complete.

From every side the chiefs who serve me trueBring heavy tribute yearly, as their due.

If you agree, to Rostam I will sendAn embassy to bring this war to end.

To Siavash I send my richest store,That peace may heal the wounds of bitter war.”

The nobles answered, speaking one by one,And sought the path of justice to be won.

They said: “You are our king; we all obey;Our hearts are yours; command us as you may.”

They left with heads now filled with thoughts of right,And grief and sorrow vanished from their sight.

Then Afrasiab to Garsivaz drew near:“Make ready now, and set your course from here.

Ride swiftly, tarry not by night or day,And take two hundred horsemen on your way.

Take precious gifts from all our treasure-store,And bear them swiftly to Siavash’s door.

Bring Arab steeds with golden trappings rare,And Indian blades in golden sheaths to bear.

A jeweled crown a mighty king might wear,A hundred camel-loads of carpets fair.

Two hundred slaves, both women and men,Shall travel with the gifts you carry then.

Say this to him: ‘I seek with you no feud,Nor is our war on Iran’s realm renewed.

The lands as far as Jihun are my own;In Sughd I rule a kingdom set alone.

Through Tur and Salm the world was overturned,And what lay low rose high as hatred burned.

When innocent Iraj by brothers bled,The wisdom of the great from counsel fled.

Turan and Iran once were free of strife,Before this hatred cut the bonds of life.

In Yazdan I place hope that there may riseA day of joy beneath auspicious skies.

Yazdan has brought you forth from Iran’s land,And made you dear to every warrior band.

Let your good fortune bring the world to rest,And hide both war and evil east and west.

Now Garsivaz has come to counsel you,And set your subtle judgment straight and true.

As Fereydoon once portioned out the land,So let us make that ancient concord stand.

Then let us turn our feet from war and wrong,And leave revenge that has endured so long.

As king yourself, speak with Kavus of peace;Perhaps his hardened heart may let war cease.

Speak sweetly also in the Piltan’s ear,And win him with good counsel, just and clear.

Give Rostam wealth and gifts of every kind,So peace may follow from a settled mind.

But not the golden throne, for he is no Shah;A Pahlevan does not hold royal law.’”

So Garsivaz set out with treasures grand,Whose splendor lit the road on either hand.

He sped until he reached the Jihun’s side,And sent a messenger ahead to ride.

“Go tell the prince,” he said, “that I am near,And bear him word that Garsivaz is here.”

By boat he crossed the Jihun in one day,Then hastened on toward Balkh without delay.

The envoy came and spoke his message through;Siavash heard and asked for Rostam’s view.

With Rostam, famed and wise and strong, he weighedThe matter from each side before him laid.

He cleared the way as Garsivaz drew near,Then rose with smiles and welcomed him with cheer.

He welcomed him with courtesy and praise,While Garsivaz bowed low beneath his gaze.

He kissed the ground, his heart oppressed with dread,And came in shame with low and downcast head.

Siavash placed him lower than the throne,And asked of Afrasiab in kindly tone.

Then Garsivaz beheld the princely state,The throne, the crown, the splendor rich and great.

He spoke to Rostam: “When the Shah first knewThat you were here, Afrasiab sent me through.

A gift to Siavash, worthy of his name,He charged me to present, and thus I came.”

He called his men to bring the gifts they bore,And spread them out the prince’s seat before.

From gate to court stood horses, slaves, and gold,With silver coins and treasures manifold.

The dinars, crowns, and lofty thrones arrayedWere far past count, however men surveyed.

Young pages stood in caps and girdles fair,And servants wore gold bracelets, collars rare.

Siavash looked on with pleasure in his face,Then heard the Shah’s full message in its place.

But Rostam said: “Let us feast for a week,Then we shall give the answer that they seek.

For such a matter asks for prudent thought,And counsel from the wise men must be sought.”

Wise Garsivaz bent low beside the throne,And pressed his hair and face against its stone.

They hung his lodging round with rich brocade,And cooks were called so every need was made.

Then Siavash and Rostam left the hall,And withdrew apart from council and from all.

They sat awake together, long in thought,And weighed the hidden purpose he had brought.

For Rostam marked the speed with which he came,And feared some secret purpose in the same.

He sent his scouts on every road around,To search each way and bring back what they found.

Then Siavash said: “Bring this secret clear;Reveal the hidden cause that brought him here.

Why does Afrasiab now sue for peace?What nush-daru can cure this poison’s lease?

Choose one hundred kinsmen of renown,His closest blood, as pledges to the crown.

Let Afrasiab send those men in trust,And clear our darkened counsel, as he must.

See how our strength has troubled him inside,Yet beats a drum beneath the carpet’s hide.

When this is done, send one we trust away,To bear the news to Kavus without stay.

Perhaps his heart will let its anger cease,And turn from thoughts of war to thoughts of peace.”

Then Rostam said: “This course alone is sound;No other way can peace be firmly bound.”

At dawn Garsivaz appeared before the throne,With cap and belt, in courtly bearing shown.

Admitted in, he bowed and kissed the ground,And paid his court with reverence profound.

The prince then asked: “How fared the night in cheer,Amid the camp, the feast, and tumult near?”

Then added: “As for what you came to say,I have considered it in every way.

In this our aims are one, and well agreed:To end all vengeance, and the bloody deed.

So take this answer to your king to hear:Let vengeance leave his mind and peace draw near.

Who sees where evil leads should turn aside,And never let its path his steps misguide.

The heart adorned by wisdom, bright and pure,Becomes a treasury of wealth secure.

If honey masks no poison in this vow,And vengeance has no place within him now,

Then let him send a pledge, that all may seeHis faith is true, and doubt and darkness flee.

A hundred of his blood must bind the peaceAs hostages, that all mistrust may cease.

Men Rostam knows, renowned in rank and fame,The very kinsmen Rostam chose by name.

And he must yield each town in Iran’s landsThat he now holds, as ancient right demands.

Then let him back to Turan’s borders go,And rest from war and vengeance with the foe.

Let truth alone between us firmly stand;Let none for vengeance raise a hostile hand.

And I will write, and urge the Shah this dayTo call his army home and end the fray.”

Then Garsivaz dispatched a rider fast,Who rode as swiftly as the driving blast.

“Delay no more,” he said, “but spur your steed,And bear to Afrasiab the terms decreed.

Tell him I hastened, and my suit was won,And all I came to seek has now been done.

But Siavash requires these pledges sure,If peace is sought and peace is to endure.”

The rider came, and to the monarch toldThe message plain, and all the terms unrolled.

The king grew troubled, doubtful in his mind,And weighed what course would leave least harm behind.

“If I give up a hundred kin in pledge,My strength in battle nears the ruin’s edge.

No loyal well-wisher would then remain,To guard my court or share the battle’s strain.

Yet if I now refuse such terms outright,My offer will seem false before his sight.

So I must yield, though danger lies in this;Perhaps through this my ruin I may miss.”

He chose a hundred kinsmen, those whose namesWere set on Rostam’s list among his claims.

He gave them robes and gifts of royal grace,Then sent them forth to Siavash’s place.

The koust resounded, karnays gave the call,The royal pavilion came down before all.

From fair Bukhara, Sughd, and Samarkand,From Chakh and Sipanjab, he drew his hand.

He led his men toward Gang without delay,No pretext made, no turning from the way.

When Rostam heard that all had been fulfilled,His troubled heart grew calm and doubt was stilled.

He came to Siavash and told him all,Recounting every word he could recall.

Then Rostam said: “The terms are fully met;Let Garsivaz depart without regret.”

Then Siavash prepared a princely prize:A helmet, belt, and arms of costly guise.

A steed caparisoned in gold brocade,And, sheathed in gold, a costly Indian blade.

When Garsivaz beheld that royal boon,He saw on earth the rising of the moon.

Garsivaz took his leave, his blessings said,And folded earth beneath him as he sped.

Siavash took his seat of ivory white,The crown hung high above him, gleaming bright.

He pondered whom to send with measured speech,A man whose words the royal ear could reach.

Whose speech had force, discretion, tact, and grace,And knew the temper of the royal place.

Then Rostam said: “Who dares to bear this wordTo Kavus, whose swift wrath is lightly stirred?

His temper sharp grows fiercer day by day,His harshness will increase, not fall away.

Perhaps I should myself convey the tale,And lift before Kavus the hidden veil.

At your command I would cross earth for you;I see but good in making this journey through.”

Then Siavash rejoiced: his mind found rest,And talk of other envoys was suppressed.

With Rostam then he shaped the message clear,And set each term in words for Kavus’s ear.

He called a scribe and bade him to prepareUpon fine silk the words he would declare.

He praised the Judge, from whom all gifts descend,Strength, farr, and skill that serve us to the end:

“Yazdan of time, of intellect, and might,Who nourishes the soul with wisdom’s light.

None may transgress His covenant or way;Who turns from it sees fortune waste away.

From Him come increase, rectitude, and gain;Through Him all right and justice shall remain.

From Him who shaped the sun and moon in light,Who makes crown, throne, and royal headgear bright,

May blessings fall upon the world’s great king,The chosen of the famed, whose praises ring.

His judgment reaches every good and ill;And wisdom forms the pillar of his will.

I came to Balkh in spring, in fortune’s prime,And joy and fortune marked that happy time.

When Afrasiab heard I had drawn near,The sun before his eyes turned black with fear.

The matter grew severe; the world seemed strange,His fortune sank beneath that sudden change.

His brother came with gifts and servants fair,To seek the Shah’s protection and his care.

Afrasiab shall keep within his border,And know his rank within the rightful order.

He shall not cross to Iran anymore,But purge revenge and rancor from his core.

He sends as pledge a hundred of his kin,To prove his faith, and let the peace begin.

And Rostam comes to seek your pardon still;His face itself bears witness to goodwill.”

Then Rostam set out in a royal state,With banner borne and retinue so great.

Then Garsivaz rode swiftly on his road,Back to the court where Afrasiab abode.

He praised to Afrasiab the prince’s fame,And told his deeds, his conduct, and his name.

“No king on earth his equal can we find,In goodness, form, and conduct so refined.

His mind is keen, his heart and speech are sound,And modesty in all his ways is found.

Brave, eloquent, a horseman famed for skill,With wisdom in his heart to guide his will.”

The monarch smiled: “Wise counsel wins the day;A remedy is better than the fray.

That evil dream filled all my heart with woe;From heights of power I saw my fortune low.

In pain I sought a remedy from grief,That from my body’s torment brought relief.

With treasure and with silver I made way,And all has turned as I had hoped today.”

Then Rostam, lion-hearted, came to greetThe Shah and stood before the royal seat.

He bowed with folded arms; then Kavus rose,And clasped the chief whom long ago he chose.

He asked of Siavash and of the fight,The battles waged, the army’s course and plight.

He asked what brought him back along the way,And all that had befallen day by day.

Then Rostam praised the prince before the band,And placed the letter in the monarch’s hand.

A scribe then read the message clear and loud;The Shah’s face blackened like a pitch-dark cloud.

He cried: “The boy is young and guileless yet,And has not learned the snares the wicked set.

But you are seasoned, knowing good and ill,Well versed in every turn of fortune’s will.

No man in all the world can match your might;The lions learn from you the art of fight.

Have you not marked the havoc he has spread,How food and sleep and rest from us have fled?

I wished myself to march against the foe;My head was filled with war and wished the blow.

But men advised: ‘Let Siavash command’;And so I yielded and withheld my hand.

When Yazdan’s judgment called for wrongs to pay,And evil deeds had earned their evil day,

You chose instead the road of private gain,And left the path of justice clear and plain.

Afrasiab has dazzled you with gold,With wealth torn from the innocent of old.

A hundred Turks, base-born and without fame,You do not know their fathers or their name.

To Afrasiab they count like stream-born spray;Their loss would never turn him from his way.

I am not weary yet of war’s campaigns;My strength for battle and for strife remains.

I still can send a learned man and wise,To make my purpose plain before his eyes.

Tell Siavash: ‘Raise up a mighty fire,And bind the Turks in fetters strong and dire.

Cast all their goods together in the flame,And take no smallest portion in their name.

Send them in chains that I may take their heads,And number all their bodies with the dead.

Lead forth your army toward Afrasiab’s land,And loose its force at once at your command.

Fall on them as the wolf falls on the fold,Until their strength lies shattered, still, and cold.

Then let the army plunder, burn, and spoil,And cast their gathered riches on the soil.

Then Afrasiab will rise and seek the fight,When ease and sleep no longer bring delight.’”

Then Rostam said: “O Shah, restrain your ire,And hear my counsel before feeding fire.

The world lies wholly subject to your will;Yet hear me first, and then your wish fulfill.

You said before: ‘Do not cross the stream;Hold back the army from the battle scheme.

Wait till Afrasiab himself should fight;Then meet his battle with your gathered might.’

So we obeyed and waited for his blow,But he first opened peace and willed it so.

It would be shame to strike at one who yields,Who comes with peace and feast instead of shields.

No loyal well-wisher would counsel youTo break a bond and make your promise untrue.

When Siavash had conquered in the fight,Was not the time for feast and glad delight?

What more could you desire? Crown, throne, and seal,Iran’s full treasury, and rest made real.

You have it all; then seek no needless war,Nor wash your bright heart with turbid streams more.

If Afrasiab hides betrayal’s snare,And covenant-breaking beneath words fair,

We are not weary of the battle’s call;The sword remains, and so the lion’s gall.

Then you and Siavash shall reign in peace,On Iran’s golden throne till troubles cease.

While I from Zabul lead a small armed band,And leave no throne in all of Turan’s land.

With gorz in hand, I shall eclipse the sun,And darken day before the fight is done.

For many wars between us have been fought;Perhaps another trial is what he sought.

Do not compel your son to break his word,Nor urge a deed that guilt would make absurd.

I speak the truth and hide no part from you:Your son will keep his covenant firm and true.

If you persist, his fortune will grow dim,And joy will leave your heart through grief for him.”

Then Kay Kavus, in wrath, with blazing eyes,Turned fiercely on Rostam with bitter cries.

“The truth stands plain at last for all to see;No longer can this matter hidden be.

You set this counsel firmly in his head,And tore revenge out by the root instead.

You sought your own ease, not the royal gain,Nor crown, nor throne, nor seal of Iran’s reign.

Remain here now; no more shall you command;Let Tus now lead the forces of the land.

A swift courier to Balkh I now shall send,With bitter words within the letter penned.

If Siavash will not obey my call,Let him yield up the army, men and all.

Let Tus command; let Siavash return,With chosen men, and what awaits him learn.

Then let the prince before my throne appear,And see from me what treatment fits him here.

No longer shall I call you friend of mine,Nor ask you now to lead my battle line.”

Then Rostam cried, his anger fierce and high:“If Tus is Rostam in your royal eye,

Then count me vanished from the world of men,And reckon Rostam dead among you then.”

He left the court, his heart with anger stirred,His spirit raged; his face grew pale and blurred.

With all his forces toward Sistan he turned,And swiftly rode while wrath within him churned.

The Shah then summoned Tus and gave commandTo lead the army forth across the land.

Tus left the court and called the troops to go;The buq and koust resounded, loud and low.

They armed to march and put all ease away,Their hearts and counsel turned from rest that day.

The Shah prepared a courier for the way,And bade him, swift and ready, make no delay.

Then Kay Kavus called forth his scribe, and thenBeside the throne he seated him with pen.

He wrote in wrath and war, with sharpened tongue,A letter fierce, with wine-dark color hung.

He first gave praise to God who rules above,Yazdan of war and peace, of rest and love.

He rules Mars, Saturn, moon, all good and ill,And grants both farr and station by His will.

The circling heavens wheel as He ordains,And favor flows from Him through all domains.

“May health and fortune hold you in embrace,With throne and crown that nothing can displace.

Though you have cast aside what I decreed,The sleep of youth has clouded thought and deed.

You know what grief he brought Iran of old,When battle’s fortune made his courage bold.

Now show no heedless honor to the foe,Nor stain the royal court with shame brought low.

Let youth no longer lead your mind astray,And keep the turning heavens’ blows at bay.

Send me those hostages in chains made fast,Their hands and feet in iron fetters cast.

No marvel if his craft deceives you too;Recall how often he deceived me through.

His cunning words have turned me back from fight,And drawn me from the battle I thought right.

I gave no word for peace, yet you have turnedFrom my command, whose terms you should have learned.

You joined the beauties in their sport and play,And from the field of battle turned away.

And Rostam too is tempted now by gold,No wealth can satisfy his grasping hold.

Your thoughts were not on war or battle’s fame,The fire for combat in you ceased to flame.

Then seek with sword the gate of full renown,For kings win glory when the foe goes down.

When Tus is come, let him your charge assume,And set your whole command in proper room.

Set all the hostages without delayIn heavy chains, on asses sent away.

It is decreed that through this peace you fall,And ruin overwhelm your fortunes all.

Then Iran’s realm shall hear the evil word,And prosperous days by turmoil shall be stirred.

Prepare for war, for vengeance, and for might;Let no more words delay the coming fight.

When through the darkness you prepare the raid,Make Jihun from the dust your army made.

Then Afrasiab will not remain at rest,But come to war and put his strength to test.

But if you favor him, the fiendish foe,And fear the name oath-breaker men bestow,

Then yield command to Tus and come away;You are not fit for battle’s bitter day.”

They sealed the letter; then the courier flew,As though on wings, and swiftly onward drew.

When Siavash received those words of blame,He called the messenger and asked the same.

He pressed him close until the truth was known,And all the matter plainly to him shown.

The man recounted all the Shah had said,Of Tus and Rostam, and the wrath that spread.

Then Siavash grew heavy at the word,And grieved for Rostam at the things he heard.

He pondered on his father and the Turks,And on the changing course where battle works.

“A hundred valiant horsemen, royal kin,All loyal friends, and guiltless men within.

If I should send them captive to his court,They go as innocents to death in short.

He will not pause to question how or why;He will hang them alive and let them die.

What answer can I give to Yazdan’s gaze?My father’s deeds have brought these bitter days.

If I attack his foe without just claim,And wage a causeless war, I earn the blame.

Yazdan would not approve this deed of shame,And every tongue would rise against my name.

Yet if to Tus I leave the army’s fate,And turn to court, fresh evils lie in wait.

I see harm right and left, before my eyes;From Sudabeh fresh evil will arise.

Whichever path I choose, dark troubles grow;Yazdan’s will stays hidden; I cannot know.”

Then Siavash called Bahram to his side,And Zangeh too, on whom his heart relied.

He sent away all strangers from the place,And seated both before him face to face.

Since Rostam left, his secrets they had shared,And for his private counsel both prepared.

Then spoke the prince: “Misfortune crowns my days,And fate has bound my life in tangled ways.

My father’s love was once a spreading tree,Whose fruit and shade were given full and free.

But Sudabeh poisoned all that love with pain,And made its sweetness deadly grief and bane.

Her chamber closed around me like a snare,My smiling fortune withered to despair.

So passed my days in misery and ire,Till love itself bore nothing else but fire.

I chose the hardship of the field and fight,And left behind the feast and court’s delight.

At Balkh a mighty army held the ground,With vengeful Garsivaz its chief renowned.

While Afrasiab in Sughd for war grew strong,A hundred thousand swordsmen formed his throng.

We marched against them, eager for the fray,Resolved to meet their challenge on the way.

They cleared the country, leaving field and town,With hostages and gifts, their weapons down.

The Mobadan all urged the wiser course,And counseled us to halt the battle’s force:

‘If war was fought to gain both wealth and land,Now treasure and the realm are in our hand.

Why spill men’s blood and root revenge in hearts,Where hatred grows and every peace departs?

A witless mind can neither judge nor see,Nor tell the worse from what the better be.’

Good Qobad came, then left this world behind;We too must pass, as all of humankind.

My deeds displease the Shah, who seeks my woe,Though blameless I, and no man’s guilty foe.

He bids me fight though justice gives no cause,And break my oath and Yazdan’s sacred laws.

I will not turn my head from Yazdan’s way,Nor leave the path good men have kept each day.

The Shah would strip me of this world and next,And leave me to Ahriman, sorely vexed.

If once again we meet in warlike strife,Who knows what fate awaits us in that life?

Would that my mother never gave me birth,Or death had claimed me when I came to earth.

Why must I bear such sorrow, grief, and woe,And taste each bitter pain that fate can show?

This tree has risen tall through grief and pain,Its fruit is poison, and its leaves are bane.

These oaths were sworn before Yazdan divine;Shall I betray a pledge that bears His sign?

If I should turn my head away from right,Loss would approach me from each side in sight.

Then every tongue would open to my shame,And everywhere men would condemn my name.

The world has heard that I have sworn this peace;With Turan’s Shah I swore that war should cease.

To turn to vengeance is to leave my creed,And turn from faith in both my thought and deed.

Will Yazdan bless me if I break my vow,And wake the war that I have ended now?

I will withdraw and seek a distant ground,Far from the Shah, where quiet may be found.

The course of time lies not within my hand;In Yazdan’s high decree alone I stand.

Then Zangeh, son of Shavaran, arise,Prepare for toil, and act with watchful eyes.

Ride swift to Afrasiab and report;Do not delay, and cut your slumber short.

Give him the hostages, the wealth, the store,The gold and treasure Garsivaz once bore.

Lay all of these before Afrasiab’s feet,And tell him what misfortunes now we meet.”

To Bahram, son of Gudarz, thus he said:“To you I trust the men that I have led.

The camp, the koust, the elephants, the might;Remain in place till Tus appears in sight.

Then yield the army wholly to his hand,And place its stores and wealth at his command.

Count all before him, let each store be shown,The treasure, horses and the golden throne.”

When Bahram heard these words, his heart was torn,While Zangeh wept, his spirit left forlorn.

On Siavash bold Zangeh turned his eyes, And blood-like tears ran down beneath the skies.

They sat together, troubled and dismayed,By all that Siavash had now conveyed.

Then Bahram spoke: “This course must not be so;Apart from your own father, where can you go?

Write to your father and his grace implore,And call back Rostam as you did before.

If still he bids you fight, then fight the foe;The rift is small, let not the sorrow grow.

Or if you seek for rest, that too is near;To ask forgiveness brings no shame or fear.

Send me to Kavus; I will plead your part,And bring new brightness to his darkened heart.

If gifts and treasure weigh upon your mind,Relinquish them, and leave this war behind.

Though war is all the letter asks of you,No charge it makes lies past what we can do.

If Kavus wills it, we will take the field,And crush the foe, and force his power to yield.

Prolong no useless thought within your care;With gentle words your father’s head ensnare.

Do not make dark the days we now have seen,When this great tree has fruited rich and green.

Fill not your eye, your crown, your throne with gore,Nor make the royal tree bear fruit no more.

Without you, what are throne and crown at all?The door and curtain darken through the hall.

His head is a fire-temple, fierce with flame;His cause for war is purposeless in aim.

Yet if fate wills it so, why should I try?No word of mine can turn the wheel on high.”

The prince refused the counsel of the wise,For heaven had shaped a road beyond their eyes.

He said: “The Shah’s command is lifted farAbove the shining sun and moon and star.

From straw to lion, elephant and all,None dares defy Yazdan’s command or call.

Who turns away from what Yazdan decreed,Has lost the path of wisdom in his need.

Shall I then raise my hand to spill more blood,And plunge two realms again in crimson flood?

For gifts and wealth he will torment me still,And wake old quarrels at his restless will.

If I return, this task but half begun,And face the Shah with nothing fully won,

The same old wrath and quarrel will arise,And tears of grief again will fill my eyes.

If what I seek has darkened hearts in you,And you reject the words I hold as true,

I shall myself be messenger and guide,And on this plain beneath my tent abide.

Who does not share the treasure that I gain,Why should he bear with me my grief and pain?”

Then grief consumed the chiefs who heard him speak,Their spirits withered, sorrowful and weak.

For fear of parting, burning tears they shed,As if fierce fire were roasting them with dread.

Their hearts and eyes foresaw the evil day,And what the Shah concealed along the way.

They feared that they would see his face no more,And from their eyes the tears began to pour.

“For you,” said Zangeh, “we are slaves in heart;Our love for you will never stand apart.

May soul and body ransom you from death,And loyalty endure while we draw breath.”

The gentle, prudent prince replied, “Now go,”And spoke to Zangeh, steadfast in his woe.

“Tell Afrasiab all that he should know, And make him understand my grief and woe:

‘This peace has brought me only war and pain;The sweets are yours, while poison is my gain.

Yet I shall keep the covenant with you,Though crown and throne are lost because I do.

Yazdan is my refuge; earth shall be my throne,And heaven be the crown I call my own.

With this great task undone I cannot faceThe Shah again or stand before his grace.

Then open me a road where I may fare,To that place Yazdan made my destined share.

Give me a distant land, unknown to fame,Where Kavus never comes to know my name.

Where none of Kavus’s bitter words I hear,And for a while may rest from strife and fear.’”

Then Zangeh rode with chosen men of might,A hundred horsemen, nobly born and bright.

He bore the hostages and royal store,With all that Garsivaz had sent before.

When Zangeh reached the city of the king,The watchman saw him as the shouts took wing.

A warrior named Towrag came riding near,And welcomed him with honor and good cheer.

They led him in; Afrasiab then rose,And clasped him close before the watching rows.

He seated him beside him in his place,And heard the message, grave in heart and face.

The letter given, Zangeh spoke it through,And told each matter plainly, firm, and true.

Afrasiab grew troubled at the word,And anxious thoughts within his mind were stirred.

He gave command that Zangeh should be served,With every honor fitting and deserved.

Then called for Piran, trusted in command,Who came at once, and bowed, and took his stand.

The monarch cleared the hall of every man,Then privately with wise Piran began.

He spoke of Kay Kavus, whose words were crude,Whose vicious temper turned his thoughts to feud.

Afrasiab sat grave, oppressed with thought,For Siavash’s fate deep care had brought.

He told of Zangeh’s mission, end to end,And all the words the prince had sought to send.

“How shall we bind this matter into peace,And from such peril find a safe release?”

Then Piran said: “O king, may joy be yours;May life endure as long as time endures.

In wisdom, treasure, valor, you excel,In every weighty matter judging well.

My thought and judgment lead me to this view,And this is what I counsel now to you.

Whoever can do good, concealed or known,Should not withhold it from this prince alone.

Let toil and treasure serve him, freely spent,And every form of aid be swiftly sent.

No prince like him beneath the heavens stands,In form and bearing, praised in all the lands.

In stature, form, composure, culture, grace,In judgment, worth, no prince can take his place.

His skill and wisdom crown his royal birth,No mother bore his equal on the earth.

To see him now is better than to hear;A priceless prince, among the great held dear.

If this alone were all his claim to fame,He saved a hundred men from death and shame.

He crossed his father, cast off crown and state,And seeks from you a road beyond your gate.

This realm should have a chief who prizes might,Who knows the worth of valor in his sight.

It would be folly to let him depart,Or lose the bond of such a noble heart.

Kavus is old and near the end of reign,The throne must pass when time completes its chain.

But Siavash is young, with farr his own,And soon will take his father’s royal throne.

The nobles would reproach you for what you do,And Siavash would bear a grievance too.

If now the king in wisdom sees it right,Then send a letter framed in gentle light.

Entreat the prince with kindness as your son,As loving fathers cherish such a one.

Prepare for him a dwelling of his due,And honor him as honor should accrue.

Give him a daughter of your royal line,With royal honor let his station shine.

If here he stays, beside your royal seat,He may make Turan’s land his own retreat.

And if he later turns to Kavus’s side,The good you did will still with you abide.

Then Kavus will give thanks for what was done,And great men bless your name beneath the sun.

Through him the armies may from vengeance cease,If the Just Creator brings him here in peace.

This matches justice from the Maker’s hand,And sets the course of time and world to stand.”

The monarch heard Piran and understoodWhat might arise from counsel wise and good.

Then for a while he weighed it in his mind,What good or evil lay concealed behind.

He said, “Piran, your counsel pleases me;In all your words I hear what ought to be.

Among the tested counselors I know,No man can match the wisdom that you show.

Yet I have heard an ancient proverb told:‘Take in a lion’s cub within your fold;

Though tenderly you rear it from its birth,And cherish it above all things of worth,

When teeth and claws have grown, beware its might;The beast you raised may turn on you and bite.’”

Piran replied, “Let wisdom guide the throne;Judge men by what their hearts and deeds have shown.

If Siavash bears no trace of Kavus’s ways,Why blame the son for what the father displays?

Kay Kavus now is old; his time draws near.Then Siavash will rule without a peer.

The world and wealth, the palace and the crown,Will all be his when Kavus lays them down.

Thus both great realms, their crown and throne, may fallTo you; a fortune greater than them all.”

Afrasiab weighed all the counsel given,And shaped a prudent course, by wisdom driven.

He called a scribe experienced in his art,And spoke to him at length from mind and heart.

The scribe took up his pen with firm intent,And touched its sharpened point with amber scent.

He first inscribed the World-Creator’s praise,His greatness and His wisdom through all days.

“Beyond all bounds of place and passing time,No mortal thought can reach His height sublime.

He is Yazdan of reason and the soul,Who gives the wise their wisdom, clear and whole.

May blessings light upon the prince renowned,Whose sword and gorz and helm with fame are crowned.

The lord of modesty and justice true,Whose heart rejects all crookedness from view.

From Zangeh I have heard your whole intent,And every word your faithful envoy sent.

My heart is grieved that Kavus now should turnSo dark against the son for whom I yearn.

What do the wise seek when their fortune grows,Except the crown and throne that fortune shows?

For you both crown and royal realm await,With treasure, power, and honors of the state.

All Turan bows before your honored name,And I myself your love and friendship claim.

Between us let a bond of love be sealed,As son to father, faith and trust revealed.

Know this: your father never showed to youThe love I bear, nor friendship firm and true.

My door, my treasury, my hand are free;Crown, throne, and royal seat I now decree.

I will cherish you as son, dear to me,My living memorial for all to see.

Remain with me, your future well preserved,Else blame from high and low will be deserved.

If you should go, the road is hard to tread,Unless by Yazdan’s farr your steps are led.

Beyond, no land appears along the way;The Sea of Chin must bear you many a day.

Yazdan has spared you from this toil and pain;Then stay with me, in peace and ease remain.

My army, fortress, treasures all are yours;Seek no excuse to leave for distant shores.

If you would seek your father’s grace of old,I will grant treasure and a belt of gold.

With troops beside you I myself will ride,And out of care remain close by your side.

This strife with Kay Kavus cannot long remain;Old age will cool the fire that feeds his strain.

When sixty-five full years have passed him by,Age sends its wind, and youthful fires must die.

Iran, its army, treasure, crown, and reign,Shall all in time become your own domain.

And more: by pure Yazdan I here have swornTo seek your good while life in me is borne.

No evil will I order, think, or do;My oath is whole and firm in all to you.”

He sealed the letter, called good Zangeh near,And charged him with the message, plain and clear.

He readied robes of honor, silver, gold,And gifts in such abundance none could hold.

He gave a steed with golden trappings bright;Then Zangeh sped away with all his might.

When Zangeh reached the prince, he told him all,What he had asked and heard within the hall.

Then Siavash was glad, yet grief drew near;One side found joy, the other pain and fear.

He made a friend from one who was his foe;But when from fire can cooling breezes blow?

No matter how much kindness you bestow,In time his hidden hatred still will show.

Then Siavash wrote to Kavus his liege,To tell the grief that held his heart in siege:

“Though I am young, I am not poor in mind,Nor act as heedless of the ends I find.

I have done no wrong, yet still the Shah’s fierce ireHas burned my heart like some relentless fire.

Your shabestan first brought me all my grief;My face I washed in heart’s blood, past relief.

I crossed the mountain fire through scorching flame,And deer upon the plain wept at my shame.

From shame I went to war through pain and dread,And walked where jaws of nahang yawned ahead.

Now both the realms enjoy a time of peace,Yet still the Shah’s harsh temper will not cease.

His heart is like a sword of tempered steel;Whether I bind or loose, no change I feel.

Since he is weary of me, I depart,And cease to burden his embittered heart.

May joy surround him under heaven’s law,While grief has driven me through dragon’s jaw.

I do not know what turning heaven brings,If hate or favor waits beneath its wings.”

Then turning, thus to Bahram he replied:“Win fresh renown upon the path you ride.

To you I leave the crown and royal tent,The throne and treasure, full, with nothing spent.

Guard standards, riders, elephants and gear,And keep the koust till Tus himself draws near.

And when Tus comes, consign him every store;Stay watchful-hearted, faithful as before.”

He chose three hundred warriors, tried and true,All proven riders, fit for battle too.

He took sufficient wealth to see him through,With dinars and with royal jewels in view.

A hundred chosen horses, gold-arrayed,A hundred servants in gold belts displayed.

He counted weapons, harness, belts, and gear,And had them all brought forward, plain and clear.

Then summoned all the nobles to his side,And spoke with calm authority and pride:

“Piran has crossed the river; he is sentBy Afrasiab, with plain and clear intent.

He bears a secret message meant for me,And brings the word that I must hear and see.

I go to meet him; here you must abide,While I ride forth to greet him at his side.

To Bahram turn, and heed what he may say;Let none among you turn his heart away.”

The chiefs, each one, bowed low and kissed the groundBefore the prince, whose grief burned deep, profound.

The sun showed him its back; the air grew dim,The earth turned harsh as sorrow weighed on him.

He could not hide the tears that filled his eyes,As toward the Jihun he led his ranks with sighs.

When he reached Tarmez, all the streets were bright,With scent and color gleaming in the light.

From there to Chakh each city, bride-arrayed,Wore torc and crown in splendor all displayed.

At every halt rich carpets lined the ground,With feast and celebration all around.

So on they came to Kachar Bashi’s bound,Where he dismounted, and repose he found.

When Tus reached Balkh, they met him with the word,And told him bitter news of what occurred.

“The favored son of Kay Kavus,” they said,“Has joined the chief by whom Turan is led.”

He gathered troops and turned his army back,Returning to the court along the track.

The news made Kavus pale with inward grief,He groaned and sighed but found in none relief.

His heart was fire; tears gathered in his eyes,At Siavash and Afrasiab’s ties.

He doubted if his fate were friend or foe,And wondered what the turning heavens would show.

He set aside all thoughts of war and hate,And spoke no more of battle from that date.

When word arrived Siavash had crossed the flow,Afrasiab made ready men to go.

“Bring down the army to this frontier now!”His envoy reached the court and made his bow.

He called the nobles and the chiefs to fare,With tabira resounding through the air.

Then Piran chose a thousand of his kin,To greet the prince with gifts, then lead him in.

He readied all the army for the sight,And brought four mighty elephants in white.

On one they set a turquoise throne on high,A shining tree-like banner reached the sky.

A golden moon adorned its lofty crest,Upon a purple cloth with gold-thread dressed.

Three other elephants bore thrones of gold,In rich diba from head to foot enrolled.

A hundred steeds with golden saddles shone,With many-colored jewels thickly sewn.

The army seemed as heaven had drawn near,And clothed the face of earth in splendor clear.

When Siavash heard the welcoming array,He formed his ranks and hastened forth that way.

He saw Piran’s banner rise on high,And heard the elephants and horses cry.

He hurried forth and clasped Piran breast to breast,And asked of king and realm, and all the rest.

“Why have you worn your spirit on the road?Why bear for me so difficult a load?

My first desire was your dear self to see,And find you safe; that mattered first to me.”

Then Piran kissed his head, his feet, his face,And welcomed him with reverence and grace.

Then to the Judge of hidden things and known,He raised his grateful voice in reverent tone:

“Had I but dreamed of you while yet I slept,My aged head to youth again had leapt.

Now that I see you strong and standing well,I praise Yazdan whose mercies none can tell.

Afrasiab will be your father now,And all this riverside before you bow.

More than a thousand of my kin stand near,Attendants ready for your service here.

And all my wealth and treasure you command,May joy and health forever with you stand.

Speak no desire you fear may be denied;Both men and women serve you at my side.

Though gray my head, for you my belt I bind,And gladly serve with loyal heart and mind.”

They rode together, grief at last allayed,And spoke of every matter that they weighed.

The chang and rabab filled the streets with song,And woke the sleeping as the notes rolled long.

The ground was dark with musk along the way,Arabian horses seemed to wing away.

But when the prince beheld this splendid show,His tears like sudden rain began to flow.

He thought of Zabul and its festive throng,And feasts to Kabul stretched the road along.

Again he saw the nobles’ bright array,With Rostam, Piltan, leading the display;

He thought of Iran with a mournful sigh,While homesick longing dimmed his watchful eye.

He saw again the gems cast from above,With musk and ambergris, and signs of love.

His heart recalled them, burning as before,Like fire that leapt within him at the core.

He turned away to hide his inward pain,Yet Piran saw the grief he strove to rein.

He knew what memory had brought this grief,And bit his lip, himself denied relief.

They halted then a while beside the way,And drew their breath before they rode away.

Piran observed his face, his shoulders, frame,His stature and his speech of noble fame.

He watched the prince and marveled at the sight,And named Yazdan again with fresh delight.

“O prince, among the kings your name shall stand,A living memory through every land.

O prince, in you three noble gifts combine,No other ruler bears such marks divine:

First, from Kay Qobad runs your royal line,His ancient glory through your blood may shine.

Next, truth adorns the language that you speak,Your words are upright, gracious, never weak.

And from your face such gentle favor flows,That love itself from every feature grows.”

The prince replied: “O elder, pure and true,Your heart is wise, your speech is faithful too.

Renowned for love and loyalty your name,Far from Ahriman, cruelty, and blame.

If you will bind your covenant with mine,I know your word will never cross the line.

Then here I stay till all my grief is done,And make this land my rest beneath the sun.

If fortune smiles, I shall not grieve or mournFor all the roads by which my steps were borne;

If not, then let me pass without delay,And show another country on my way.”

Then Piran said: “Put such thoughts from your mind,You have left Iran and all its grief behind.

Turn not your heart from Afrasiab’s grace,Nor hurry now to leave this resting place.

Though Afrasiab bears a name of ill,In truth a godly heart is in him still.

He has good sense, sound judgment, wisdom’s light,And does not rush toward needless harm or fight.

He is my kinsman, joined to me by birth;I serve as champion and counselor of worth.

I stand in honor near his royal seat,With treasure, throne, and army at my feet.

More than a hundred thousand horse obey,And ride beneath the orders I convey.

And twelve thousand kinsmen of my lineWill stand before me when I give the sign.

I own broad lands and flocks and horses grand,With treasure, and with bow and coiled kamand.

And hidden wealth beyond all this have I;I need no aid from any man nearby.

All this I give you freely, as is right,If here you choose to dwell with heart made light.

Pure Yazdan placed you in my charge and care;With heart and soul your service I will bear.

No harm shall touch you by my will or deed;Yet none can know what fate has yet decreed.”

The prince rejoiced, his troubled heart grew light,And all his anxious thoughts withdrew from sight.

They sat and feasted, joined as sire and son,And shared the board together there as one.

With brighter hearts they hastened on the road,Till Gang received them in its fair abode.

When word was brought the prince was at the gate,Afrasiab went out, and did not wait.

On foot, his waist bound tight, he hastened near,To greet the prince with open-hearted cheer.

The prince dismounted when he saw the king,And hastened forth his greeting first to bring.

They clasped each other, kissed both eyes and head,And joy among the watching nobles spread.

Afrasiab said: “Now evil lies at rest,And peace has spread its calm through every breast.

No more shall battle fill the field with fear,Where sheep and leopard drink together near.

Brave Tur once cast the world in bitter strife,But now the age grows weary of that life.

The two great realms were torn by feud so long,Their hearts estranged from peace by wrath and wrong.

Through you the age from battle finds release,And boiling blood at last gives way to peace.

All Turan turns to you with loving heart;In soul and body I shall take your part.

My wealth, my life, all that I own is near,And as a father I shall hold you dear.

You shall find welcome always in my face,And fatherly affection fill this place.”

Then Siavash replied with grateful heart:“May wealth from your household never depart.

Praise to the Maker, source of everything,From whom both peace and strife and vengeance spring.”

The monarch took his hand and led the way,Then seated him beside him in array.

He gazed and said: “No equal walks the earth,No prince can match your dignity and worth.

Your face and stature bear a royal light,And farr itself has crowned you in my sight.”

To Piran then he said: “Kavus grows old,And little wisdom does his judgment hold.

To cast away a son so strong and wiseMust leave the wisest men in shocked surprise.

My eyes behold him still, and stand in awe,My heart is lost in all the grief I saw.

What father, blessed with such a noble son,Could turn his eyes away till all was done?”

He chose a palace worthy of his stay,With cloth of gold spread out in rich display.

A golden throne on sculpted feet was shown,With buffalo-headed legs beneath the throne.

The halls were dressed in Chinese diba bright,With every furnishing prepared just right.

He ordered Siavash to dwell in peace,With every comfort, care, and full release.

When Siavash approached the towering hall,Its arch rose high toward Saturn over all.

He entered, took the throne, and sat in thought,With deep and anxious musings mainly fraught.

At last the royal table had been laid,And he was called to where the king had stayed.

They spoke at length, and gladness came to reign,Released a while from memory and pain.

Then wine was set, the rud began to play,And chiefs and singers drank the night away.

They drank until the world was veiled in haze,And wine weighed down their eyes and dimmed their gaze.

Siavash came back, glad with wine that night,And Iran faded briefly from his sight.

Afrasiab gave heart and soul outright,And sleep would not come near him till the light.

That very night he called the banqueters near,And gave commands that all were bound to hear.

Then Afrasiab said to Shideh: “Go,When from the mountain-head the sun shall show.

Go with my kinsmen and my heroes bold,The Pahlevans, the highest chiefs of old.

Take noble steeds with gold upon their gear,With servants bearing royal gifts draw near.

Go sober, wakeful, silent on your way,Together reach the prince’s hall by day.”

Next day the warriors brought gifts of gold,And royal jewels splendid to behold.

They laid them for the prince, his royal share,While further gifts arrived both rich and rare.

Thus Siavash was honored day by day,Seven full days in welcome passed away.

One night the king to Siavash then said,“Prepare at dawn, when darkness first has fled.

With ball and chowgan to the field we go,And laugh awhile, and let our prowess show.

No man alive, they say, can match your play,Or meet your skill at polo on the day.”

Siavash replied: “May fortune guard your reign,And keep you safe from injury and pain.

All kings look up to you in every art,And seek the skill in which you stand apart.

My brightest day depends upon your will;From you I take alike both good and ill.”

Afrasiab said: “My son, be strong and bold,Victorious till the turning years grow old.

You are a Shah’s son, ornament of throne,The Kayan crown and army’s strength your own.”

At dawn they rode out laughing to the plain,And galloped freely, each with loosened rein.

The king then said: “Choose riders for your side,And let the ball reveal which skills abide.

You take that side; this side shall fall to mine,And split the gathered riders in a line.”

Siavash said: “How should I strive with you?I cannot stand against you, tried and true.

Choose others to contend with you; but IWill keep beside you as the hours go by.

Among your men I ride, a comrade tried;Across this field I stand and ride beside.”

The king was pleased and laughed to hear him speak,And judged all others’ boasts as hollow, weak.

He said: “By Kavus’s life and head this day,You shall contend with me in polo play.

Display your strength before the gathered band,So none may doubt the choice that I have planned.

Let all give praise; may joy bloom on my face.”Siavash replied: “Your word shall rule this place.

The field, the men, the game are yours to lead;Command, and I obey in word and deed.”

Afrasiab then chose his champions well:Kulbad and Pulad, horsemen known to excel.

With Piran, Jahan, Garsivaz the bold,With Nastihan and Houman fierce and cold.

Then to Siavash the king assigned his men:Brave Ruyin and Shideh rode with him then.

Andariman and Arjasp joined his side,Both lion-hearted, masters of the ride.

Siavash said: “Will any rider dareTo face the ball against me anywhere?

These all are yours, a company arrayed;Must I alone guard chowgan, without aid?

Permit me then to call men of my own,Iranian riders skilled and widely known.

They shall be mine in polo’s ordered play,As side meets side according to its way.”

The king agreed and granted his request,And gave consent to choose whom he thought best.

Siavash chose seven, hand-picked and blessed,All proven riders fit for such a test.

Tabira thundered; dust rose through the air,And shouts of riders echoed everywhere.

The sanj and ney rang out with brazen sound,Till all the field seemed moving on the ground.

Afrasiab struck first and sent the ballSo high it seemed to scale the sky’s vast wall.

Siavash spurred his steed and, swift and light,Struck it aloft before it could alight.

He struck it hard; it soared beyond their view,And none could trace the path on which it flew.

The king commanded: “Bring another ball,”And had it set before the prince and all.

He raised and kissed the ball before the crowd,The ney and koust together sounded loud.

He mounted then a fresh and eager steed,And tossed the ball in hand with practiced heed.

Then with his chowgan struck it toward the moon,As though the sky would claim the ball too soon.

The ball itself then vanished from their sight,As though the heavens drew it toward their height.

No rider there could match him in the race,Nor any shine with such a joyful face.

The king laughed loud, the nobles cried in praise,And marveled at the prince before their gaze.

They cried: “No horseman like him have we known!No rider with such mastery has shown!”

Afrasiab said: “Such prowess marks the oneOn whom divine farr shines beneath the sun.

His beauty, farr, and skill make one thing clear:To see him far surpasses what we hear.”

A throne was set beside the playing green;The king sat down while all stood watching keen.

Siavash sat beside him on the throne,And joy upon the king’s bright face was shown.

He said: “The field is open, all is free;Now play, and show your prowess, all to see.”

The men of Iran and Turan now engaged,And all the plain with eager contest raged.

From side to side the ball was seized and won,Each took from each before the play was done.

But when the Turks pressed on with growing heat,And strove too hard to see Iran’s defeat,

The Iranians seized the ball before their eyes,And left the Turks confounded with surprise.

Siavash frowned, and to his men he turned,And spoke Pahlevani, while purpose burned:

“Is this a game, or do you seek for war,While we stand here and press the contest sore?

When near the goal, then let the ball go by,And give the Turks their chance to score thereby.”

His riders eased, and slower now they pressed,And drew their horses back, and gave them rest.

The Turks seized back the ball and rode like fire;Afrasiab saw what checked Iranian ire.

He said: “A truthful man once told me so:The prince has arts no other man can show.

With bow and arrow none can match his art,When shoulders open and the shafts depart.”

The prince then took his Kayan bow, and raisedIt from its case before them as they gazed.

The king then asked to see the mighty bow,And had a servant bring it forth to show.

He took it, marveled at its strength and size,And praised the bow before the watching eyes.

He gave it then to Garsivaz: “Now try,And bend and string this bow before my eye.”

But all in vain; his utmost could not bringThat stubborn bow to bend, or brace the string.

Siavash took it, bent it with his hand,And strung it smoothly, smiling where he scanned.

The king declared: “Such bows demand the mightOf youthful arms to bend and string them right.

In youth I too had strength; my arm was bold,But age has stolen it; I have grown old.

No man in Iran or Turan, in war’s days,Could wield this bow and win such lasting praise.

Save him whose chest and shoulders bear such might;No other arm could bend and string it tight.”

A target then was planted on the plain;Siavash mounted, gathering the rein.

He pressed his thighs and drove his charger fast,Then drew and loosed a shaft as he rode past.

It struck the center, full before their gaze;Then he a four-feathered shaft did raise.

Again he drew and loosed with steady aim,And struck the very center, to acclaim.

The target, twice transfixed in one swift ride,Was pierced like some fine sieve from side to side.

He turned his rein and toward the right he tore,And struck again the mark he struck before.

The bow slung on his arm, he set his pace,And rode back toward the monarch’s watching place.

Siavash dismounted; Afrasiab said:“Your lineage shines in every shaft you sped.”

From there they rode toward the palace high,With joyful hearts beneath the evening sky.

They sat, called wine, and summoned song and art,And brought in tuneful minstrels to take part.

They drank and gave the prince their glad applause,And drank to Siavash with joyful cause.

Then Afrasiab gave gifts manifold:A steed, its trappings, throne, and crown of gold.

With cloth so rare no eye had seen its kind,A robe of finest workmanship designed.

With dinars, bags of silver, jewels stored,With rubies and turquoise and golden hoard.

With servants, slaves, and one resplendent cup,With glowing rubies filled completely up.

Afrasiab ordered all the gifts arrayed,Counted in full, then to the prince conveyed.

Throughout Turan affection for him grew,And every loyal heart to him turned true.

He ordered each to bring his wealth in view,And spread the tables when the gifts were through.

He said: “In all things hold him as your lord,And let your service be his due reward.”

Afrasiab said: “Come hunt with me one day,And drive all grief and troubled thoughts away.”

Siavash said: “Whenever you would ride,I follow where you lead and stand beside.”

One day they rode; the king brought hawks to fly,While hunting cheetahs bounded swiftly by.

From Iran and from Turan riders came,And all assembled, eager for the game.

The prince saw Gur-e-Khar upon the plain,And darted forth, and gave his steed the rein.

His rein grew light, his stirrup pressed with weight,Through hill and hollow flew his charging gait.

He struck a Gur-e-Khar and clove it clean,His flashing blade cut through with edge so keen.

He judged the halves and found their balance true,Not one grain’s weight could part the equal two.

The king and all his train looked on amazed,And praised the strength and skill the prince displayed.

They cried: “What master stands before our eyes!”And gazed in silent wonder and surprise.

They said: “From Iran trouble comes today;This prince may bring us grief along the way.

Our chiefs are pressed, their names are brought down low;Perhaps against the Shah to war we go.”

Through cave and mountain, over plain he sped,With sword and spear and arrow game lay dead.

At every place he raised a mound of prey,And left the army fed along the way.

Then back they rode toward Afrasiab’s hall,With hearts made light and gladness shared by all.

The king in grief or pleasure turned to none,But Siavash alone, his chosen one.

To Jahan or Garsivaz he spoke no thought,Nor shared the hidden counsel that he sought.

With Siavash alone he found delight;His lips would open into laughter bright.

One day with Piran Siavash sat apart,They spoke of many things with open heart.

Then Piran said: “What man surpasses you?Who stands above you in the deeds you do?

Awake, the king speaks of you with delight;Even in sleep he names you through the night.

You are to him as spring is to the plain,His balm in grief, his ease from every pain.

You are Kavus’s son, renowned and wise;Your virtues lift your stature to the skies.

Though age now bends your father, worn and gray,Take heed the Kayan crown not pass away.

In Iran and Turan you stand as Shah,A living heir to kings of ancient law.

Yet here you have no kinsman of your own,No blood to stand beside you, sworn and known.

In all of Turan none is fit to claimA place beside you worthy of your name.

No brother, sister, wife stands at your side;Alone you grow, a rose-branch in its pride.

Then seek a bride to grace your royal state,And lay aside your grief for Iran’s fate.

When Kavus dies, then Iran shall be yours,With crown and throne that royal blood secures.

Behind the veil are three like moons in light,Three maidens hidden from the stranger’s sight.

So fair that if the moon itself drew near,It could not turn its gaze from beauties here.

Three daughters dwell in Garsivaz’s hall,Well reared by father, mother, one and all.

From Fereydoon their ancient lineage flows,And royal grace in every daughter shows.

I too have daughters four, whom I commend;If you accept, as servants they attend.

Yet Jarireh, my eldest, leads them all;No beauty can compare within the hall.

If she should please you, she is yours to choose,Your servant, if her hand you not refuse.”

Siavash said: “I thank you for this grace;Regard me as your son within this place.

Jarireh pleases me past all the rest;No kinship dearer lies within my breast.

She brings delight alike to flesh and soul;No other woman here can make me whole.

In this you lay on me a lasting debt,A bond I bear and never shall forget.”

When Piran left, he hurried from the hall,And told Golshahr what soon would them befall.

He said: “Prepare Jarireh for the day,For Siavash and his farr without delay.

Shall we not celebrate this noble tie,And knit our house to Qobad’s line thereby?”

Golshahr then brought her daughter forward dressed,A coronet of gold adorned her crest.

With diba, dinars, silver, fragrant gold,And costly ornaments of finest mold.

She shone as springtime shines in fullest flower,And they brought her before the prince that hour.

They joined her to the prince with honor due,And led her to her royal station new.

None could recount the wealth that with her came;A golden jeweled throne enhanced her fame.

When Siavash beheld her beauty rare,He smiled with joy, and gladness ended care.

His every hour was filled with glad delight,And Kavus faded wholly from his sight.

Thus heaven turned, and time went flowing on;Good fortune stayed with him from dusk to dawn.

His rank and splendor rose before the king,And day by day increased in everything.

One day Piran addressed the prince apart,And spoke as one both righteous, wise of heart.

“Afrasiab commands Turan’s great powers;His crown above the peak of heaven towers.

You are, at every hour, his brightened soul,His heart, his wisdom, strength, and power whole.

If marriage bound you to his royal line,Your power would grow, your fortune brighter shine.

Though now my daughter stands as your new wife,Your every care is also mine in life.

Though Jarireh is fair and pleased you well,And though you chose her, and with her would dwell,

It better fits your station and your worthTo seek a jewel of the Shah’s own birth.

Among his daughters, Farangis is best,No fairer form was ever seen or guessed.

Her form outshines the cypress, tall and fair,Black musk itself forms a crown upon her hair.

Her skill and wisdom pass all measured worth,And wisdom waits upon her here on earth.

Ask Afrasiab; nowhere shall you findIn Kashmir or Kabul a face so kind.

The king himself will join your royal line,And farr and orung brighter still shall shine.

With your consent, I will approach the throne,And seek his favor, make the matter known.”

Siavash said, “What Yazdan has decreed,No mortal hand can change the sphere’s fixed speed.

If I may never reach Iran once more,Nor see Kavus, my father, as before,

Or Zal, my guardian, steadfast, kind, and true,Or Rostam, source of all the joy I knew,

Or Bahram and Zangeh, Shavaran’s pride,Or Giv and Shapur, comrades at my side,

If I must live apart from home and kin,And here in Turan a new life begin,

Then be my father, and this bond prepare,But keep it secret; let no tongue declare.”

He spoke, and from his lashes tears would pour;A cold sigh left him as his heart grew sore.

Piran replied: “The wise adjust their wayTo suit the times in which they live each day.

None can escape the turning of the sphere,For peace and strife and love alike appear.

If friends in Iran still remain with you,Entrust them all to Yazdan, firm and true.

Your dwelling now is here in Turan’s land,Yet Iran’s throne remains within your hand.”

When Piran learned the prince’s heart and mind,He rose and sought the king, his task defined.

In cheerful mood he reached the royal gate,Dismounted there, then entered without wait.

Before the throne he stood in silence near,Till Afrasiab said, “What brings you here?

Why stand so long before me, still and grave?Speak now; what gift or favor do you crave?

My army, wealth, and treasure serve your need;Ask what you wish; your word shall be my deed.

Were one in bonds whom I would never free,For your sake only, he should pardoned be.

My wrath and quarrel I would cast away,And loose the man for you without delay.

Ask what you will, whatever boon is known:My sword, my seal, my crown, my royal throne.”

Piran replied: “May all the earth acclaimYour lasting honor and exalted fame.

Through your good fortune all my stores abound,With crown, sword, army, treasure gathered round.

I come with words for private hearing here,A long petition for the prince most dear.

He charged me speak these words before your face:‘My heart is glad; my name has won your grace.

You raised me as a father rears his son,And through your love my strength and honor won.

Now choose a bride and guide this matter through;In good and ill I still depend on you.

You have a daughter hidden from all eyes,Whose beauty suits the throne where honor lies.

Her name is Farangis; if I may standAs worthy of her, grant to me her hand.’”

Afrasiab fell silent and dismayed,And slow tears gathered as the plea he weighed.

He said: “I raised this matter once with you,Yet you rejected what I held as true.

A sage once warned me, lofty in his thought:‘A male lion cub is dearly taught.

You nurse and train him, make his body strong,And labor for his growth the whole year long.

Your labor ends when lion-strength is shown,Yet none of all its fruit becomes your own.

His first fierce stroke, when fighting strength has spread,Will seize the man who reared him by the head.’

Again before my nobles in the hall,The gray-haired Mobadan revealed it all.

The star-wise men their calculations drew,And read the course the turning heavens knew.

They said: ‘From these two noble lines shall riseA sovereign whose command will reach the skies.’