When Sol arose in all its majesty,
And sat upon its lofty eminence,
Ascendant in the Sign of Aries,
While all the world became like golden wine,
The tymbals sounded from the court of Tús
With blare of trump and roll of kettledrum.
The battle-shout went up throughout the realm,
The air was full of war-cries, earth of turmoil.
The neighs and the shouts frayed Luna from her course,
While from the clash of arms and trumpeting
Of elephants thou wouldst have said: “The Nile
Hath overflowed the world!” The air was yellow,

Red, blue, and violet as Káwa's standard
'Mid cavaliers—the kinsmen of Gúdarz—
Waved. Kai Khusrau with crown and mace and
trumpets
Came to the entering in of his pavilion.
Tús with the golden boots and Káwa's flag
Set forth and with the great men that wore torques
And crowns—the aspiring kindred of Naudar—
Went proudly from the host before Khusrau.
The banner o'er them bore an elephant,
Its golden staff-head rising to the clouds.
They went together, like a darksome mountain,
And sun and moon ceased shining. When they came
With flags and helms in haste before the Sháh
He bade the chieftain Tús present to him
The warriors of distinction in the host,
And thus addressed them: “Tús is chief; he hath
The flag of Káwa; do as he commandeth.”
Then in their sight he gave his signet-ring
To Tús, and said: “He is your chief and leader.”
To Tús himself he said: “Be true to me,
And mark mine institutions and commands:
No one must be molested on the march,
Such is the custom of my crown and throne.
Let no cold blast befall the husbandman,
Or artisan, or one that armeth not
Against thee; strive but with antagonists.
Refrain from troubling those who are at ease
Since all will have to quit this Wayside Inn.
Thou shalt on no account pass by Kalát,
For, if thou dost, things will go hard with thee.
To Siyáwush (his soul be as the sun,
His place all hopeful in the other world!)
The daughter of Pírán once bare a child*

But little shown in public by his sire.
He is my brother and resembleth me.
He is a youth of mine own age, high-fortuned,
And liveth with his mother at Kalát;
A world-lord he who hath the Grace and troops.
He knoweth no Íránian e'en by name,
And from that quarter thou must turn thy bridle,
For he hath troops and famous men of war
Upon a mountain steep and hard to reach.
He is a brave and warlike cavalier,
Great through his native worth and famed of person,
And therefore thou must take the desert-road:
It is not well to touch the claws of lions.”
Tús answered: “In thy counsels is success,
By that way which thou biddest will I go,
For good alone must come of thy behest.”
He then departed quickly, and the Sháh
Returned with loyal Rustam to the throne,
Where sitting with that elephantine hero,
The lords, archmages, and the stainless princes,

He spake at large about Afrásiyáb,
His own heart's anguish and his father's wrongs.
Tús for his part with all his warriors
Came to a place where two roads met; the one
Went through a desert dry and waterless,
The other by Kalát and toward Charam.
The elephants and kettledrums were halted
Till Tús the general should come up, that so
The host might take the road that pleased him best.
When Tús had at his leisure reached the chiefs
He spake about the waterless, hot road;
Then to Gúdarz: “Although this arid waste
Yield ambergris for dust and musk for soil,
Still on a long and toilsome march we need
Repose and water. Our best route will be
Kalát, Charam, encamping at Mayam,
With streams and fertile country on both sides:
Why choose a desert and its miseries?
I went along that way in former times,
When Gazhdaham was leader of the host,
And never saw so troublesome a road
Although the ups and downs are few enough.
'Tis best to march along the other route,
And measure not the desert and its leagues.”
Gúdarz replied: “The noble Sháh made thee
Commander of this host; lead as he bade;
Make not the troops' march grievous. They should not
By disobedience to the great king's orders
Be injured thus.”

Tús said: “O famous warrior!

Think not such things; this will not vex the Sháh,
And therefore need not be a grief to thee.”
He spake and bade the army to proceed,
And march toward Kalát and to Charam;
And, since Khusrau's commands he minded not,
See what a Tempest proved at last his lot!