Shangul, on hearing this, said to Bahrám:—
“Thy counsel sorteth not with manliness.
Abide a season and relax thyself,
Why parley to no purpose?”
They made ready
A splendid hall. Bahrám reposed till noon,
And when the Crown that lighteneth the world
Had reached its height the feast was all prepared
According to the bidding of the king,
And zealous servants were about the hall.
When they had spread the board before Shangul
He bade a servant: “Summon to the feast
The envoy of the Íránian king, the man
Of fluent utterance and novel aims.
Bring his companions too and seat them where
Ambassadors are placed.”
Bahrám came quickly,
Sat at the board and oped his hand to bread,
But shut his lips to speech. The eating done,
They set themselves to quaff and called for harpists
And wine. The scent of musk rose from the feast,
The hall was spread with golden carpetings.
Now when the lords were merry in their cups,
And recked not of the future, king Shangul
Bade two strong men attend, men fit to wrestle
Against the Dív. These noble athletes came,
And girt their loin-cloths round them. Those two
youths
Contended lustily and strained and writhed
Together. Now Bahrám took up a cup
Of crystal and the wine confused his brain.
Shangul said smiling: “Rise,
And, if thou shalt o'ercome them, shed their blood.”
Bahrám, on hearing this, rose to his feet,
And boldly bending down the upright form
Of him whose waist he clutched (a lion so
Might seize upon wild onager) he flung
His foeman down so that his bones were broken,
And all the colour left his cheeks. Shangul
Was in amazement at the victor's mien,
His stature and his shoulders and his strength,
Invoked God in the Indian tongue and deemed
Bahrám to be a match for forty men.
When they were all bemused with pleasant wine
They left the hall of jewelled tracery
And, when the vault of heaven donned musk-hued Silk,
Both young and old slept after banqueting.
Shangul went to his sleeping-place, the wine
Had turned his looks and thoughts from king Bahrám.
Now when the musky-scented Veil was changed
To gold, and in the sky the sun appeared,
The king of Indians mounted on his steed,
And went forth to the Ground with polo-stick
In hand. His servants bore his bow and arrows,
And for a while he rode to please himself,
Then ordered Sháh Bahrám to mount and take
His royal bow in hand. Bahrám replied:—
“I have a number of Íránian horsemen
With me, O king! and they are fain to ply
The arrow and the polo-stick when bidden
By the most noble king.”
Shangul replied:—
“The arrows and the bow are doubtlessly
The mainstays of the cavalier. Do thou,
Who hast such limbs and neck and might of hand,
String up thy bow and shoot.”
Bahrám Gúr strung
His bow and urged his steed with shouts. He took
And shot an arrow that destroyed the mark.
The sportsmen and the warriors 'gan to call
Their blessings down upon him, one and all.