He went girt up—all battle and revenge;

He took Ulád and made Rakhsh go like wind.
As soon as Rakhsh had reached the seven mountains,
With all their troops of valiant dívs, the chieftain
Drew near the abysmal cave, saw them on guard,
And spake thus to Ulád: “Thou hast been faithful,
So now that we must act point out the way.”
Ulád made answer: “When the sun is hot
The dívs will sleep and thou wilt overcome them;
So bide thy time and thou wilt see no dívs,
Except some few on duty, and may'st triumph
If He that giveth vietory shall aid thee.”
So Rustam paused??till noon, then, having bound
Ulád fast with the lasso, mounted Rakhsh,
Unsheathed his warlike Crocodile, and shouted
His name like thunder, came like flying dust
Among the troops, and parted heads from trunks.
None sought for glory by withstanding him.
Thence radiant as the sun he went to seek
The White Dív, found a pit like Hell, but saw not
The sorcerer for the murk. There sword in hand
He paused; no room was there for fight or flight.
He rubbed his eyelids, bathed his eyes, and searched
The cave till in the gloom he saw a Mountain
That blotted all within, with sable face
And hair like lion's mane—a world to see!
Now Rustam hasted not to slay the dív
Asleep, but roused him with a leopard's roar.
He charged at Rustam, like a gloomy mountain
With iron helm and brassards, seized a millstone
And drave at him like smoke. The hero quailed,
And thought: “Mine end is come!” Yet like a
lion
Enraged he struck full at the dív and lopped
From that enormous bulk a hand and foot,
So mighty was he with his trenchant sword!
As 'twere some lofty-crested elephant
And lion in its wrath the maimed dív closed
With Rustam, and one-footed wrecked the cave.
They wrestled, tearing out each other's flesh,
Till all the ground was puddled with their blood,
And Rustam thought: “If I survive this day
I ne'er shall die.”

The White Dív also thought:—

“Life hath no hopes for me, for, should I scape
This Dragon's claws, maimed as I am and torn,
None great or small within Mázandarán
Will look at me.”

Such was his wretched comfort!

But still they wrestled, streaming blood and sweat,

While elephantine Rustam in God's strength
Strove mightily in anguish and revenge,
Till sore bestead, bold Lion that he was,
He reached out, clutched the dív, raised him neck-high,
And dashed the life-breath from him on the ground,
Then with a dagger stabbed him to the heart
And plucked the liver from his swarthy form:
The carcase filled the cave, and all the world
Was like a sea of blood. Then Rustam freed
Ulád, put back the lasso in the straps,
And, giving him the liver of the dív
To carry, went back to Sháh Kai Káús.

V. 355

“O Lion!” said Ulád, “thou hast subdued
The world beneath thy sword, and I myself
On my bruised body bear thy lasso's marks,
So now I hope that thou wilt keep thy promise,
For lion-fierceness and a royal mien
Sort not with broken faith.”

“I give thee all

Mázandarán,” he answered. “I have yet
Long toils before me, many ups and downs,
For I must hale its monarch from his throne
And fling him in a ditch, behead a myriad
Of sorcerer-dívs with my relentless sword,
And then, it may be, tread the ground again,*

But if not I will still keep faith with thee.”
He reached Káús while all in gladness cried:—
“The chief of ardent spirit hath returned!”
And ran to him with thanks and praise past count.
He said: “O Sháh, thou seeker after knowledge!

V. 356

Rejoice, thy foe is slain. I have ripped out
The White Dív's liver, and his king hath naught
To hope from him. What would my lord the Sháh?”
Káús blessed Rustam. “Ne'er may crown and host
Lack thee,” he said. “The mother of such offspring
Must not be mentioned but in terms of praise.
Now may a thousand blessings be on Zál,
And on the country of Zábulistán,
Because they have produced so brave a chief.
In sooth the age hath not beheld thy like,
But brighter still is my lot since I have
For liege this lion-slaying Elephant.”
When he had made an end of praise he said:—
“O warrior of blesséd steps! now put
The White Dív's blood upon mine eyes and those
Of all my folk; God willing, we may see
Thy face again.”

They anointed his dim eyes,

Which grew as bright as Sol, and forthwith Rustam
Anointed all the others with the blood.
Their eyes grew bright, and all the world to them
A rosary. They hung the crown and set
Káús beneath it on an ivory throne
As monarch of Mázandarán, with Rustam,
Tús, Faríburz, Gúdarz, Ruhhám, and Gív,
Gurgín and brave Bahrám. One week he revelled,
The eighth day mounted with his chiefs and troops,
Who spread themselves like fire among dry reeds
Throughout the land and plied the massive mace
According to the bidding of the Sháh.
They scorched the realm with their keen scimitars,

V. 357

And of the warlocks slew so many that blood
Flowed in a rive?? When night fell the warriors
All rested and Káús proclaimed: “The wrong
Hath been avenged, the dívs have their deserts,
'Tis time to cease from slaughter. Now we need
A man of weight and sense, with sense to wait
Yet prompt, to work upon and overawe
The monarch of Mázandarán.”

The son

Of Zál and all the other chiefs agreed
On this that such a letter should be sent
To give his darkened mind enlightenment.