The day was nine hours old, the sun was leaving
The vault of heaven, what time Khusrau, the world-lord,
Approached in state his army on the field.
The chiefs, the nobles, and the warriors
All went afoot to welcome him, the sages
Blessed him and said: “Hail, monarch and high
priest!”
Khusrau was mounted that the troops might see him,
And in return saluted, saying thus:—
“May earth be ever peopled with the brave.”
Behind the army like a mountain came
Gúdarz, such was the custom, with his comrades—
These same ten champions, who upon the field
Of fight had sent the dust up from their foe—

And brought the slain whose heads were hanging down,
Whose bodies, arms, and mail were smirched with blood.
The champions followed thus behind the host,
And in their turn saluted Kai Khusrau.
Gúdarz went on his way toward the Sháh,
And lighted on beholding him far off;
Then, having drawn anigh, did reverence,
And wallowed in the dust before his lord,
Exhibited the corpses of the slain,
And told him how the champions had been paired.
Gív brought Gurwí, the son of Zira, running
Before the valiant leader of Írán;
Khusrau beheld him, deeply sighed, dismounted,
And offered praises to the Almighty, saying:—
“Praise be to God, to Him who is our refuge,
And gave to us both might and vietory!”
The Sháh stood up while uttering his praise,
And lifted from his head the Kaian crown.
He called down blessings from the righteous Judge
Both on the paladin and on his troops,
And said: “O famous men and fortunate!
Ye are the fire, your foes are only reeds.
Gúdarz the chieftain and his kin—those men
As fierce as fire—have given soul and body,
And ta'en the very life-breath from Túrán.
Now will I share with you my royal treasures,
And will not grudge you e'en mine own right hand.”
He then surveyed the slain and, when he saw
The Turkman general, shed tears of sorrow,
Remembering Pírán's good offices;
His heart burned so that thou hadst said: “It flameth!”
With visage stained with blood-drops from his eyes
He made oration o'er that chieftain's death:—
“Ill fortune is a Dragon grim and snareth
Great lions with its breath; none may escape
Through valour, so this sharp-clawed Dragon came.
Thou hast been troubled for me all my life,
And hast for my sake laboured strenuously.
This man deplored the blood of Siyáwush,
And in that matter gave offence to none.
So friendly was he yet became a foe,
And filled the country of Írán with fear,
For Áhriman seduced his heart and turned
His rede to other ends. Full many a time
I counselled him, but he misprized my words.
He would not leave Afrásiyáb, and now
His sovereign hath thus requited him!
We wished for him another recompence,
Prepared for him a throne and diadem,
But matters have gone further than we purposed,
And heaven hath turned above him otherwise.
Wrong took the place of love within his heart,
So that his countenance was changed toward us.
He came to fight against you with his host,
And slaughtered many of the Íránians,
Rejected all the counsels of Gúdarz,
Mine own injunctions, and my warriors' words,
Made havoc of his honest heart's affection,
Mixed up together bane and antidote,
And when he hasted from Túrán to fight
His fate was on the javelin of Gúdarz.
He gave up son and brother, crown and girdle,
Arms, men of war, and station, field and fell,
All in the quarrel of Afrásiyáb,
And fate hath come upon him suddenly.”
He ordered that the body should be washed
With musk, pure camphor, and rose-water mixed
With spices, and embalmed with musk and camphor,
And clad it stainless with brocade of Rúm.
The mountain was Pírán's grave, and Khusrau
In his affection had a charnel built,
And raised its summit to the turning sky.
Within it there were set up princes' thrones,
Such as befitted men of high degree.
They placed the Turkman paladins thereon
With belted waists and crowns upon their heads.
Such is the world in its perfidiousness!
It raiseth oft and bringeth down no less,
So that the sage's heart must ever be,
At this world's process, in perplexity.
Khusrau then looked upon Gurwí, the son
Of Zira, cursing him as he deserved,
Looked on that loathly face wherefrom the hair
Hung down like dívs', and said: “O God! Thou knowest
The manifest and hidden. Of a truth
Káús had done amiss and grieved the Maker
In that He raised up such a dív as this
'Gainst Siyáwush. I wot not why Gurwí
Should hate that faultless one, but by His might
Who ruleth all and giveth good—the Guide—
I will have vengeance on Afrásiyáb
For Siyáwush and soon.”

He bade disjoint

Gurwí with cords and fling into a stream,
First cutting off, as 'twere a sheep's, the head.
“So must I treat Afrásiyáb,” he said.