When Zál had gathered all his herds of horses,
And many from Kábul, the herdsmen drove them
Past Rustam, calling out the royal brands.
Whenever Rustam caught a steed he pressed
Its back until its belly reached the ground.
At length a herd of piebald steeds sped by,
Among them a grey mare short-legged and fleet,
With lion's chest and ears like two steel daggers,
Her breast and shoulder full and barrel fine.
Behind her came a colt as tall as she,
His buttocks and his breast as broad as hers,
Dark-eyed and tapering—a piebald bay
With belly hard and jet-black, hoofs of steel,
His whole form beautiful, and spotted roan
Like roses spread upon a ground of saffron.
He could discern the tiny emmet's foot
Upon black cloth at night two leagues away,

Had elephantine strength with camel's stature,
And pluck of lions bred on Mount Bístún.
Now Rustam gazing on the mare observed
That elephantine colt, and coiled his lasso
To catch it, but an ancient herdsman cried:—
“O chief! forbear to take another's charger.”
“Whose?” Rustam asked. “The thighs have not been branded.”
The herdsman answered: “Never mind his brand;
There are all kinds of rumours as to him.
We call him Rakhsh. He is a piebald bay,
As good as water and as bright as fire.
We call him ‘Rustam's Rakhsh,’ but know of none
To master him. He hath been fit to saddle
These three years. All the nobles have observed him,
But at the sight of noose and cavalier
The dam is like a lion. We cannot tell,
O chief of paladins! the reason why,
But as a prudent man forbear to fight
A Dragon such as this, for when the mare
Is in the fighting humour she will rend
The hearts of lions and the hides of pards.”
The old man's sayings opened Rustam's eyes,
He cast his royal lasso and entangled
The piebald's head. Then like a furious elephant
The dam advanced as she would tear off Rustam's,
Who roared as savage lions roar and scared her,
Then with one buffet on the withers sent her
All trembling to the ground. She rose, sprang back,
Then turned and joined the herd, while mighty Rustam
Stood firm and drew the lasso tighter still,
And laid his hand upon the bay colt's back
Which gave not; thou hadst said: “It is not felt.”
The hero thought: “This is the mount for me;
Now I can act.”

He mounted swift as wind,

The ruddy steed sped with him. He inquired:—
“What is this Dragon's price or who can tell it?”
“If thou art Rustam,” said the herd, “redress
Írán upon his back. Its broad champaign
Shall be his price; then thou wilt right the world.”
The hero's lips grew coral-like with smiles;
He said: “All good is God's.”

Bent on revenge

He saddled ruddy Rakhsh, and giving him
The rein observed his courage, strength, and blood,
And that he could bear rider, arms, and mail.
The piebald grew so precious that at night
They burned wild rue to right and left of him
For fear of harm. “They practise sorcery,”
Thou wouldst have said. In fight no deer was swifter.
He was soft-mouthed, foam-scattering, light in hand,
With rounded buttocks, clever, and well paced.
The gallant rider and his new-found steed
Made Zál's heart joyful as the jocund spring.
He oped his treasury-door, gave out dínárs,
Nor recked of day or morrow. When he mounted
His elephant and dropped a ball the sound
Made by the cup was heard for miles around.