Zál heard their words, then rose and said: “Khusrau,
Thou upright chief! list to the words of one
Advanced in years, one who hath seen the world,
And answer not if he adviseth ill.
Though honest speech be bitter it will bar
The door of ruin by its bitterness.
Take therefore in good part the honest words,
Which I will speak before this company:
Born wast thou in the country of Túrán;
There was thy fountain-head and there thy home;
Thou hadst on one side great Afrásiyáb,
Who never dreamed of aught but sorcery,
For grandsire, on the other base Káús
With wrinkled visage and deceitful heart.
From west to east the greatness and the sway,
The crown and belt, were his. Now he was fain
To pass the sky and count the circling stars,
And though I counselled him at large thereon,
And spake with bitterness as I do now,
He was not profited by all my counsels,
And seared and grieved I turned away from him.
He soared and came down headlong to the dust,
But holy God vouchsafed to spare his life.

On coming home he was ungrateful still;
His heart was awed, but war was in his thoughts.
Thou with a hundred thousand swordsmen mailed,
And armed with ox-head maces, didst go forth,
As 'twere a lion roused, to levy war,
And rank upon the desert of Khárazm.
Thou wentest forth, the champion of thy host,
To fight afoot against the valiant Shída.
If he had got the upper hand of thee
Thou wouldst have brought the great Afrásiyáb
Upon Írán; the Íránians' wives and children
Had perished; none had girt him for revenge;
But God vouchsafed deliverance from his hand,
Had mercy on thee and confirmed thy counsels.
Thou slewest him whom there was cause to fear,
Him who was thankless to the almighty Judge;
But when I said: ‘It is the time for peace,
The time for robes, for largess, and for goblet;
The king and host will rest from toil, and we
Shall have our souls refreshed for months and years,’
This grievous business came upon Írán,
And more than ever filled our hearts with sorrow,
For thou hast put from thee the way of God,
And ta'en to evil paths and frowardness.
Thy person will not profit by this wrong,
Nor will it please the Maker of the world.
If thou art bent on such a course, O Sháh!
No one will go about to do thy bidding,
And then thou wilt repent thee of thine acts.
Consider! Do not what the dívs command.
Moreover if thou seekest thus their way
The Worldlord will withdraw from thee the Grace,
Thou wilt be left in misery and sin,
And men will never hail thee Sháh again;
God is our Refuge; therefore turn to God,
Because He is our Guide to what is good.
If thou rejectest this my counselling,
And trustest unto wicked Áhriman,
Thou wilt retain no homage and no fortune,
No royal majesty, no crown, no throne.
May wisdom be the leader of thy soul,
Because the way in front of us is long.
Mayst thou be prudent, may thy counsels prosper,
And may thy brain be steadfast and devout.”
Whenas the words of Zál had reached their end
The heroes all assented, saying thus:—
“The old man saith what we too think is best,
It is not right that truth should be supprest.”