When tidings came to Khúshnawáz he marched
Out to the desert and prepared for war.
He reached Baigand and chose a battlefield
That hid the wilderness from circling heaven
With troops.

On his side vengeful Súfarai

Came onward like a blast. When it was night
That leader of the army occupied
All the approaches with fresh elephants.
The outposts went their rounds in both the hosts,
The world resounded with the warriors' shouts,
The challenge of the sentries and the clang
Of bells rose from both armies, front and rear,
Till Sol rose o'er the peaks and made the dales
And deserts like white crystal. Both arrays
Prepared for strife; each raised the flag of greatness.
Then dragons' livers sundered at the shouting
Of valiant warriors while feathered shafts
Made air all vultures' plumes, and earth became
A bath of chieftains' blood. Where'er one gazed
Lay heaps of warriors slain. Then Súfarai
Charged from the centre with his troops amain,
While Khúshnawáz on his side with his sword
Of vengeance spurred down from his vantage-ground;
But when he saw that fortune proved unkind
He turned his rein and showed his back, pursued
By Súfarai as 'twere a raging blast,
Who followed with a head-transfixing spear.
He captured many nobles; many more
Were slain by arrow and by scimitar.
He sped till he reached Kuhandizh and saw
No lack of slain and wounded on the way.
Then from the ramparts Khúshnawáz beheld
His troops spread o'er the desert's hills and dales;
The way was strewn with dead and things of price
So that the plain was decked out like a garden.
The soldiers carried off to Súfarai
The harness, lances, coronets of state,
The battle-gear, the girdles, steeds, and slaves,
And made a heap as high as Mount Alburz.
He paid no heed to all that Turkman spoil,
But gave the whole in largess to his troops,
And thus harangued the host: “To-day's affair
Hath prospered for us to our hearts' content
Through fortune's favour, but what time the sun
Shall lift its hand in heaven we must not bide

Inactive on the plain but march like lions
Upon yon hold to avenge the king of kings.”
His troops agreed and each man spake his mind.
Thus fared it with them till in arching heaven
The sun's resplendent diadem appeared,
Whereat the tymbals sounded in the camp,
And Súfarai bestrode his steed. An envoy
Reached that proud chief from Khúshnawáz to say:—
“From battle, strife, and bloodshed naught resulteth
But travail and contention. Shall we then,
Who are two men of wisdom, young, and brave,
Send both our souls to Hell? If thou wilt seek
Again the way of wisdom thou shalt learn
That all that happened was the work of God.
It was not through the blast that Sháh Pírúz
Was slain but rather that the stars foreclosed
For him his years and months. He was to blame
For breach of pact, for choosing colocynth,
And spurning honey. Now what was to be
Hath come upon our heads. Blest is the man
That walketh not the round of violence.
The captives and whatever spoil there was,
The gold, the silver, and the uncut gems,
The steeds, the weapons, and the crowns and thrones,
Left by Pírúz when fortune quitted him,
Both his own treasures and his troops' as well,
Will I send to the general of the Sháh
That thou mayst go victorious to Írán,
Mayst go back to the monarch of the brave.
I will not trespass on Írán; do you,
For your part, keep the treaty of Bahrám.
The king of kings apportioned earth aright:
Túrán and Chín are ours, Írán is thine.”
When Súfarai had heard the embassage
He called the soldiers to his tent-enclosure,
And in their presence bade the messenger:—
“Repeat before the host the foeman's words.”
He came and gave them, keeping nothing back.
Then Súfarai addressed his army thus:—
“What in your view should be our policy
Herein?”

The troops replied: “'Tis thine to bid,

And thine to stipulate the terms of peace.
None knoweth better in Írán than thou:
Thou art our king, our leader, and our lord.”
Thus to his noble chiefs spake Súfarai:—
“The only policy for us to-day
Is this—to seek no more to fight with them.
I will lead back the army to Írán
With speed, because Kubád,*

son of Pírúz,
One of the royal race, is in their hands
With the high priest Ardshír and army-leaders,
Both young and old. If we fight Khúshnawáz
The matter will be long and profitless,

And they will slaughter their Íránian captives,
Kubád, the world's heir, and Ardshír. Howbeit,
Unless Kubád had been in jeopardy,
Ne'er had my heart and brain recalled to mind
The high priest; but if evil from the Turkmans
Befall Kubád Írán will be all outcry,
And this shame current with our warriors
Until the Resurrection. We will give
A courteous answer to the messenger,
And take fair counsels in the cause of peace.
We then perchance may see Kubád again,
(God grant that no one else be king of kings!)
Ardshír the high priest and the other captives,
Both young and old.”

His soldiers blessed him, saying:—

“That is the treaty, precedent, and Faith
For us.”

The paladin then called the envoy,

And thus addressed him with a dulcet tongue:—
“It was the act of God—enough! This world
Designeth evil and appriseth none.
The great men of Írán that have been taken
Are these—Kubád and the high priest Ardshír.*

These with the rest that have their feet in fetters
Dispatch to me in honourable fashion.
Moreover all the booty in your hands—
Dínárs and crowns and wealth of every kind—
Dispatch in full to me, and let it come
In presence of the chieftains of this host.
We will not stretch our hands to spoil and slay
Because we have no need and worship God.
Within ten days we will recross Jíhún,
And take no warlike step thenceforth. Give ear
To that which I have said and tell it all,
On thy return, to Khúshnawáz.”

The envoy

Returned forthwith to Khúshnawáz in triumph,
And gave the message. Khúshnawáz rejoiced,
And instantly released Kubád from bonds
With the high priest Ardshír and all the other
Íránian prisoners, collected all
The booty found upon the day of battle,
Besides the throne and crown of Sháh Pírúz,
And what was scattered 'mongst his troops, and sent
All by a trusty man to Súfarai.
Now when the soldiers looked upon Kubád
They joyed to see him, the high priest Ardshír,
And all the other captives young and old.
The mighty men came from their tents and all
Stretched out their hands to heaven in gratitude
That they beheld the king of kings' own son
Unhurt with all the rest that most they prized.
Forthwith the chief broke up the camp, took horse,

And glad and triumphing repassed Jíhún
With that renowned high priest and with Kubád.*

When tidings reached the country of Írán
About that fortunate and glorious chief,
About his war and strife with Khúshnawáz,
And all his wonder-working policy:—
“He hath returned glad and victorious
From war, Kubád hath been released from fetters,
And Súfarai hath brought withal Ardshír,
The high priest, and the Íránian prisoners;
Just now he crossed o'er the Jíhún, his host
Is on the plains and mountains of Írán,”
Such shouts ascended that thou wouldst have said:—
“They deafened those that heard.” The prudent
magnates
Arose and gat themselves in readiness
To go forth with their welcome while Balásh
Prepared a golden throne to seat Kubád,
And that chief paladin. When Súfarai
Arrived within the realm the great men all
Met, while the Sháh prepared the welcoming,
Set forward with such forces as he had,
And when he saw Kubád released from bonds,
Glad and victorious, embraced him quickly
With joy and cursed the people of Haitál
And Chín. They passed within the royal palace
With hearts still sore and eager for revenge.
Balásh commanded and they spread the board,
And called for wine and harp and minstrelsy;
But there was little gladness at that feast
Through sorrow for magnanimous Pírúz.
The singers lauded Súfarai and sang
Upon the harp the war against Túrán.
He was the Cynosure of all the chieftains,
Who entertained high hopes and joyed in him.
The country rallied to him, those at least
That longed to take revenge on Khúshnawáz.
The hearts of all the paladins rejoiced
In Súfarai; they freed their souls from care.
Thus was it till four years had passed away,
And he had not his equal in the world.
Naught happened but according to his will,
And what he would he did. Now when his word
Prevailed throughout the world he had Balásh
Removed, albeit gently, from the throne,
And said to him: “Thou rulest not the realm;
Thou knowest not the good men from the bad;
Thou turnest all the empire to a jest
Through thy perversity and carelessness.
Kubád is wiser far than thou and hath
Much more authority within the realm.”
Balásh withdrew to his own house, for he
Dared not make answer: “Get thee gone,” but said:—
“This throne will vex not when I sit thereon;
'Tis free from travail, pain, and malison.”