Then glorious Zál spake unto Rustam, saying:—
“Bestir thyself, take up thy mace, select

The escort, go with speed to mount Alburz,
Do homage unto Kai Kubád, but stay not
With him, be back within two sennights, sleep not,
But late and early hurry on and tell him:—
‘The soldiers long, and deck the throne, for thee.
We see none fitted for the royal crown,
O monarch, our defender! but thyself.’”
When Zál had spoken matchless Rustam swept
The ground with his eyelashes, joyfully
Got on the back of Rakhsh, and proudly rode
In quest of Kai Kubád. A Turkman outpost
Held the road strongly, but he charged the foe
As champion of the host with his brave troops,
Armed with the ox-head mace. He brandished it
And towering in his wrath struck out and raised
His battle-cry. The Turkmans' hearts all failed,
His arm laid many low. They strove with him,
But had to flee the battle in the end.
With broken hearts and tearful eyes they turned
Back to Afrásiyáb, and told him all.
He sorrowed at their case, called one Kulún,
A gallant Turkman warrior full of craft,
And said to him: “Choose horsemen from the host,
Go thou too to the palace of the king,
Be careful, prudent, and courageous,
And specially keep watch with diligence;
The Íránians are human Áhrimans
And fall on outposts unawares.”

Kulún

Departed from the royal camp with guides
To bar the road against the noble foe,
With warriors and lusty elephants.
Now Rustam the elect and brave marched on
Toward the new Sháh, and when within a mile
Of mount Alburz perceived a splendid seat
With running water and abundant trees—
The home for youth. Upon a river's bank
Was set a throne besprinkled with rose-water
And purest musk. A young man like the moon
Was seated on the throne beneath the shade,
While many paladins with girded loins
Stood ranked as is the custom of the great,
And formed a court well fitted for a Sháh,
Like Paradise in form and hue. On seeing
The paladin approach they went to greet him
And said: “Pass not, O famous paladin!
We are the hosts and thou shalt be our guest.
Dismount that we may join in jollity,
And pledge thee, famous warrior! in wine.”
But he replied: “Exalted, noble chiefs!
I must to mount Alburz upon affairs
Of moment, and not loiter in my task.
I have much work to do, the Íránian marches
Are full of foes, all households weep and mourn,
I must not revel while the throne is void.”
They said: “If thou art hasting to Alburz

Be pleased to say of whom thou art in quest,
For we who revel here are cavaliers
From that blest land, and we will be thy guides
And make friends on the way.”

He thus replied:—

“The Sháh is there, a holy man and noble.
His name is Kai Kubád, sprung from the seed
Of Farídún the just and prosperous.
Direct me to him if ye wot of him.”
The leader said: “I wot of Kai Kubád.
If thou wilt enter and delight our hearts
I will direct thee and describe the man.”
The peerless Rustam hearing this dismounted
Like wind, and hurried to the water's edge,
To where the folk were seated in the shade.
The youth sat down upon the throne of gold
And taking Rustam's hand within his own
Filled up and drained a goblet “To the Free!”
Then handed it to Rustam, saying thus:—
“Thou askest me, O famous warrior!
About Kubád, whence knowest thou his name?”
Said Rustam: “From the paladin I come
With joyful news. The chiefs have decked the throne
And called on Kai Kubád to be the Sháh.
My sire, the chief whom men call Zál, said thus:—
‘Go with an escort unto mount Alburz,
Find valiant Kai Kubád and homage him,

Yet tarry not, but say: “The warriors call thee
And have prepared the throne.”’ If thou hast tidings
Give them and speed him to the sovereign power.”
The gallant stripling, smiling, answered: “I
Am Kai Kubád and sprung from Farídún,
I know my lineage from sire to sire.”
When Rustam heard he bowed, rose from his seat
Of gold to do obeisance, and thus spake:—
“O ruler of the rulers of the world,
The shelter of the brave and stay of chiefs!
Now let Írán's throne wait upon thy will,
Great elephants be taken in thy toils.
Thy right seat is the throne of king of kings;
May Grace and glory be thine own! I bring
A greeting for the king of earth from Zál,
The chieftain and the valiant paladin.
If now the Sháh shall bid his slave to speak
I will acquit me of the chieftain's message.”
Brave Kai Kubád rose from his seat, intent
Upon the speaker's words, while peerless Rustam
Discharged his embassage. With throbbing heart
The young prince said: “Bring me a cup of wine,”
And drank to Rustam's health, who likewise drained
A goblet to the monarch's life, and said:—
“Thou mindest me of glorious Farídún”
(For Rustam was rejoiced at seeing him),
“Not for an instant may the world lack thee,
The throne of kingship, or the royal crown.”
The instruments struck up, great was the joy,
The grief was small, the ruddy wine went round
And flushed the youthful Sháh, who said to Rustam:—
“Mine ardent soul in sleep saw two white hawks
Approaching from Írán, and bringing with them
A crown bright as the sun. They came to me
With dainty and caressing airs and set it
Upon my head. I wakened full of hope
Because of that bright crown and those white hawks,
And made a court here such as kings would hold,
As thou perceivest, by the river-side.
Like those white hawks hath matchless Rustam come
With news that I shall wear the warriors' crown.”
When Rustam heard thereof he said: “Thy dream
Had a prophetic source. Now let us rise
And journey to Írán and to the chiefs.”
Then Kai Kubád rose swift as fire and mounted
His steed, while Rustam girt his loins like wind
And journeyed proudly with him. Night and day
He travelled till he reached the Turkman outposts,
When bold Kulún, ware of his coming, marched
To meet and fight with him. The Sháh thereat
Was fain to put his battle in array,
But mighty Rustam said to him: “O Sháh!
'Tis not a fight for thee, they will not stand
Against my battleax and barded Rakhsh;
My heart and arm and mace are help enough;
I ask but God's protection. With a hand
Like mine and ruddy Rakhsh to carry me
Who will confront my mace and scimitar?”
He spake, spurred on and with a single blow
Threw one and hurled another at a third
Whose brains ran down his nostrils. Those strong hands
Unhorsed the foe and dashed them to the ground,
And in their fall brake heads and necks and backs.
Kulún beheld this dív escaped from bonds
With mace in hand and lasso at his saddle,
Charged him like wind and thrusting with his spear
Brake through some fastenings of his mail, but Rustam,
What while his foe was lost in wonderment,
Seized on the spear and wrenched it from Kulún,
Then roared like thunder from the mountain-tops,
Speared him and having raised him from his seat
Put down the spear's butt to the ground.* Kulún
Was like a spitted bird in sight of all.
The victor rode Rakhsh over him, and trod him
To death. The Turkman horsemen turned to flee
And left Kulún upon the field. His troops
Fled in dismay from Rustam. In an instant
Their fortune was o'erthrown. He passed the outposts
And hastened toward the hills. The paladin
Alighted at a place with grass and water
Till night had come and he had furnished robes
Fit for a paladin, a royal steed
And crown, then introduced the Sháh to Zál
Unnoticed. For a week they sat in conclave
But kept their movements secret. All agreed:—
“Kubád hath not his peer in all the world.”
For seven days they revelled with Kubád,
Upon the eighth hung up the crown on high
And 'neath it decked the throne of ivory.