The crafty, vengeful Garsíwaz made ready.
When he drew near Siyáwushgird he bade
A fluent speaker: “Go to Siyáwush
And say: ‘Famed son of an aspiring sire!
By our king's life and head, and by the life,
The head, and royal crown of Sháh Káús,
Leave not thy throne to meet me on the way,
Because thou art so great in dignity,
In fortune, Grace, crown, throne, and lineage,
That every wind should have to gird its loins
To make thee quit that royal dwelling-place.’”
The messenger approaching kissed the ground
And told the words of Garsíwaz; the heart
Of Siyáwush was pained, he sat and mused
Awhile, then said: “Here is some mystery!
I know not what my good friend Garsíwaz
Hath said about me to Afrásiyáb.”
When Garsíwaz arrived the prince went out
Afoot to him, asked of the king's affairs,
Of throne and crown and host, and Garsíwaz

Then gave the message which made Siyáwush
Rejoice, and thus he said: “For his dear sake
I would not turn away from swords of steel.
Lo! I will bind my girdle on to go,
And link my rein to thine; but we will tarry
Within this pleasance arabesqued with gold
Three days and hold a revel, for this world
Is fleeting by in pain and toil. Alas
For him whose little life is passed in sorrow!”
Revengeful Garsíwaz writhed when he heard
The prudent prince's words: “If Siyáwush,”
He thought, “departeth with me to the king,
With his astuteness and his lion-strength
The prince will trample on my bow, my words
Will tarnish, and the king will deem my plan
A fraud; I must devise a scheme to urge
The heart of Siyáwush to evil courses.”
He fixed an earnest gaze on Siyáwush
In silence, while his eyes shed tears of gall
To further his intent. The prince beheld
Those swimming eyes as of one greatly moved,
And gently said: “My brother! what is this?
Is it a nameless grief, or hath the king
By his unkindness caused thy tears to flow?
Lo! I will go along with thee and fight
Thy battle with the monarch of Túrán,
Will find out why he useth thee so ill,
And treateth thee as his inferior,
While if it is an open enemy
That causeth thee insufferable grief
And trouble, lo: I am thy friend in all,
And will provide thee with the means to fight.
But if the royal favour is bedimmed,
Not by thy fault but through some slanderer's lies,
Or one hath ousted thee, confide in me,
That I may make all well, assuage thy griefs,
And purge the monarch of his faults herein.”
But Garsíwaz replied: “O man of fame!
It is no question with me of the king,
Nor am I troubled by a foe. My courage
And wealth dispense with schemes. I mused on
questions
Of race, and called to mind true tales of old;
The wrong began with Túr who lost the Grace,
And made feud with Íraj, who did not brawl.
Beneath Afrásiyáb and Minúchihr
Túrán hath been like water and Írán.
Like fire; they mingled not but broke away
From wisdom's bonds; Afrásiyáb is worse
Than Túr; this wild bull still is in his hide.
In truth thou knowest not his evil moods,
But wait until a little time hath passed.
First judge him by the guiltless Ighríras,
His brother in full blood, whom he destroyed
With his own hand in very wantonness,
While afterward full many a famous man
Was slaughtered by him for no fault at all.
My chief anxiety is now for thee,
For thou art shrewd of heart and stout of frame,
And, since thou earnest to our land, hast done
No wrong to any, but adorned the world
With wisdom, seeking right and manliness.
Malignant Áhriman, who parteth hearts,
Hath seared the king's through thee, and it is all
Revenge and grief at thee! God's will I know not,
But thou dost know me as thy friend, thy partner
In weal and woe, and thou must not suspect
Hereafter that I knew of all this coil.
I therefore tell thee of the monarch's case,
Which it had been a fault in me to hide.”
Then Siyáwush: “Have no concern hereat,
The Maker of the world is mine ally;
I did hope otherwise than that the king
Would turn my day to night; had he been wroth
With me he had not raised me over others,
Or given me a province, crown, and throne,
Domain, his daughter, treasure, and a host.
Now will I go with thee to court and make
His dim moon shine again. Where'er truth shineth
The light of falsehood waneth. I will show him
This heart of mine, a heart that doth outshine
The sun in heaven. Be happy then, reject
Suspicion, for whoever suffereth
That dragon's breath departeth from God's way.”
But Garsíwaz made answer: “My dear friend!
He is much changed. So long as heaven shall turn
He will be harsh and wear a frowning face.
Not e'en the wisest knoweth of the wiles
That lift on his horizon. Thou thyself,
With all thy learning and thy prudent heart,
Thy towering stature and high purposes,
Discernest not ‘twixt artifice and love:
May no ill fortune ever come to thee!
He dealt in charms and spells with thee, and sewed
The eyes of wisdom up by his devices.
First, when he named thee son-in-law, thy joy
Was ill advised. Next when he sent thee forth
He made a feast for thee, and called his lords,
In hope that thou wouldst take some liberty,
And give occasion to the world to talk.
Besides thou art not closer unto him
By any ties than prudent Ighríras,
Whom he cut down, and filled the nobles’ hearts
With terror. Since his purposes are clear,
Accept the fact; trust not the ties of blood.
Now like the shining sun have I displayed
My thoughts, my trade, and wit. Thou hast rejected
A father in Írán, and in Túrán
Hast builded cities, yielding to the words
And sharing in the troubles of the king.
It is an ill tree that thy hand hath planted,
With poisonous fruit and leaves of colocynth.”
He spake deceitfully with running eyes
And sighing lips, while Siyáwush in tears,
Regarding him with wonder, called to mind
His own sad fate that heaven's love should cease,
And that though young his life was well nigh sped.
His heart was pained, his cheeks turned pale, he sighed
In heaviness of soul, and said: “I find not
That I deserve requital for ill done,
For nobody hath heard a fault of mine
In word or deed. Good sooth if I have squandered
His treasure my heart is wrung at his displeasure,
But come what may I never will transgress
His wishes or commands. “Now let me go
With thee, without an escort, and discover
The reason of the anger of the king.”
Then Garsíwaz replied: “Aspiring one!
It is not well to go. No need to walk
Thus into fire, or to expose thyself
To breakers; 'tis but rushing into danger,
And sending smiling destiny to sleep;
I surely shall suflice to mediate
And fling cold water on the flames; but write
A letter telling all things fair or foul,
And if I find him free from vengeful thoughts,
And in a lucid interval of good,
I will dispatch a cavalier and make
Thy gloomy counsels bright. I trust in God,
Who knoweth all things, that Afrásiyáb
Will turn to good and shun perverse, bad ways;
But if I find him rash and obstinate
I likewise will dispatch a camel-post
In haste; then make thee ready instantly.
Illustrious monarchs and their realms are near
At hand, it is but six score leagues to Chín,
And only seventeen score to Írán,
Where all are friendly and prepared to serve thee.
On that side too thou hast a yearning father,
A host attached to thee, and loyal cities.
Dispatch a lengthy letter to all parts,
And haste to get thee ready.”

Siyáwush

Gave credence to the words of Garsíwaz,
So much was his shrewd intellect asleep,

And answered: “I will do as thou hast said,
And not transgress thy counsel and advice.
Make intercession for me with the king:
And show me the right course in everything.”