“O glory of the monarch and the chiefs!”
Said Gív to Rustam, “I will seize and hold
The bridge against the foe, so that our men

May arm, for mirth is over.”

With strung bow

He ran toward the bridge but found the king
Across already leading on his van.
Then matchless Rustam donned his tiger-skin,
Bestrode his huge fell Elephant, and went
With roarings like a bellowing crocodile
Against the Turkman host. Thou wouldst have said
That when Afrásiyáb caught sight of Rustam
Mailed, with such hands and breast and arms and neck
And shouldered battle-axe, he swooned away.
Tús and Gúdarz, the wielders of the lance,
Gurgín and Gív, the gallant cavaliers,
Bahrám, Barzín, Farhád, and Zanga son
Of Sháwarán, the warriors, sprang up,
All with their spears and Indian swords in hand,
And ranged themselves like leopards for the combat.
Gív, like a lion that hath lost its prey,
Rushed to the fight and with his whirling mace
Laid many stalwart Turkman chieftains low.
Their fortune was averse, the fighting-men

Of Chín recoiled. Afrásiyáb astound
Rushed forth to join the mellay. Rustam saw,
And, shouldering his massive mace and gripping
His charger firmly, came before the host
With lion's roars. Behind him was Gúdarz,
Son of Kíshwád, in mail with mace of steel.
When the Túránians' eyes were growing dim,
And Rustam's helm touched heaven, Afrásiyáb
Spake to Pírán the son of Wísa, saying:—
“O full of wisdom and my loyal chieftain,
Most famous of the Lions of Túrán,
Aspiring and redoubted! ply thy reins,
Go forth with speed, and clear the field of foes.
Írán is thine if thou dost conquer; thou
Hast elephantine form and lion's claws.”
Pírán departed like a rushing wind,
Arrayed ten thousand Turkmans—gallant swordsmen
Of high renown—and came like fire on Rustam,
For victory or defeat both hung on him.
That hero foamed and, as thou wouldst have said,
Eclipsed the sun. He urged his charger on;
A roar arose as of the rising sea.
With shield o'er head and Indian sword in hand
He slew most of those chiefs. Afrásiyáb
Saw this from far and said thus to his nobles:—
“If they fight thus till dark there will not be
A single horseman left! Think we no more
Of battle. We came forth to fight the Íránians
And in our own conceit were lions then,
Yet now I seem a fox as I survey
The plain, and feel a skulker from the fray!”