Húmán, returning thence triumphantly,
“A Lion,” thou hadst said, “intent on mischief,”
And keen for vengeance on the noble chiefs,
Approached Gúdarz, son of Kishwád, and shouted:—
“O haughty chieftain, binder of the Dív!
I heard about thy converse with the Sháh,
And thereupon thy leading forth the host,
About the Sháh's gifts and about thy pledge
And exhortations to Pírán our leader.
An envoy reached the army of Túrán—
Gív, thy dear son, the refuge of the troops—
And afterward thou swarest by the Sháh,
By sun and moon and throne and diadem:—
‘If e'er mine eyes shall light upon Pírán
In battle I will take away his life.’
Fierce as a lion hast thou ranked thy powers
In thine anxiety to fight with us,
Then why sulk thus behind a mountain-range
As though thou wast a wretched mountain-sheep?
Thus doth the quarry in its headlong course,
When fleeing from the lion's bold pursuit,
Make for some narrow covert in the wood,
Forgetting honour in its fear for life.
Lead just for once thine army to the plains.
Why keepest thou the host behind the heights?
Was this thine understanding with Khusrau—
To make a hill thy stronghold in the war?”
Gúdarz replied: “Attend to me: 'tis right
That I should speak. That none took up thy challenge
Thou thoughtlessly imputest unto me.

Hear that I proffered oath and covenant
By order of the Sháh, but now that I
Have come with this great host—the pick of all
The valiant chieftains of Írán—ye lurk
Like old fox in a brake, frayed by the hunter!
Ye practise cunning, artifice, and guile
To 'scape mace, spear, and lasso. Brag not thou,
Nor challenge us, for foxes meet not lions.”
Húmán, on hearing what Gúdarz replied,
Raged like a lion on that scene of strife,
And answered: “If thou comest not to fight
'Tis not that fight with me disgraceth thee,
But ever since the battle of Pashan
Thou hast avoided Turkmans in the fray.
Thou didst approve me at Ládan and praise
My prowess on the field, and therefore now,
If it is even with thee as thou sayest,
And thou art eager to make good thy words,
Choose thee a champion from among thy troops
To counter me upon the battlefield.
I like a lusty crocodile have challenged
Ruhhám and Faríburz, and passed along
Before thy host, not one opposing me.
They were restrained from fighting by Gúdarz;
'Twas waste of time to listen; but thou art
The man that saith: ‘In battle with my sword
Will I make tulips on the yellow hills!’
So let some warrior with his massive mace
Confront me here. Thyself hast many sons,
O man of name! and all have girt themselves
To fight with us; set one of them against me,
For if thou seekest fight why this delay?”
“Which of the warriors,” Gúdarz considered,
“Shall go? If I oppose some famous man,
Some raging Lion, to this enemy,
And if Húmán be slain upon the field,
None of the Turkmans will come forth to fight;
Their general will writhe for grief of heart,
And will not take the offensive in the war;
His host will tarry on Mount Kanábad,
And we shall have to fight at disadvantage;
While should one of the nobles of this host
Be lost so would my fame. The warriors
Would have but broken hearts for this campaign,
And would not tarry on the waste. 'Tis best
Not to engage and foil the ambuscade.
His troops may grow adventurous, seek fight,
And march against us from their cramped position.”
Then to Húmán: “Depart, thou art a boy
In action, and intemperate of speech.
Thy words have made me know thee in and out.
Hath none among the Turkmans wit to think
Aright? Know'st not that on the day of battle
The savage lion smircheth not his paws
With fox's blood? Besides both hosts are ranked,
All necks are stretched for war, and all the chiefs
Will gnaw their hands if only two engage.
Let all advance and combat, host with host.
Now go back to thine army and exalt
Thy head before thy boyish chieftains, saying:—
‘I challenged oftentimes the Íránians,
But no one stirred unless to heave a sigh.’
This field of battle will exalt thy name,
Pírán too will fulfil thy whole desire.”
Húmán exclaimed: “What sort of chieftains then
And warriors are all these? I am reminded
Of what a king said—one that ruled the world:—
‘Thou longest for a throne—stop that desire!
Or still long on resolved to face the fire.’
Thou wishest not for war; but know that one
Who plucketh roses must encounter thorns.
Thou hast no lion-man to counter me
Before the host and wouldest by a shift
Dismiss me, but to know me is to know
That I reject thy guile.”

The warlike chiefs

Said to Gúdarz: “Thou shouldst send one of us
To fight him,” but Gúdarz said: “Not to-day.”
Húmán, when he had had his fill of speech,
Raged like a valiant lion, laughed and, turning
His back upon the chief, sped toward an outpost.
He strung his bow and flung four cavaliers
Upon the meadow. When they saw from far
The shots of that Túránian chief the guards
Gave way and fled, attempting no resistance.
He went toward the heights like one bemused,
And laid the mountains prostrate with his shouts:
He brandished round his head his spear and cried:—
“Húmán, the son of Wísa, triumpheth!”
When his spear waved the blare of clarions rose
Above the desert, and the exulting Turkmans
Touched with their helms the orbit of the moon.
Now when Húmán departed thus in triumph
Gúdarz was troubled at his insolence,
And sorely vexed at that indignity.
Rage and vexation tyrannised o'er him
Whose warriors sweated under such disgrace,
But still he drew this augury of good:—
“The eagerness for blood is on their side,
Ill will be his who unto ill is guide.”
Then, casting round his haughty chiefs his eyes,
He sought the fittest for the enterprise.