When from his look-out the Túránian watch
Espied these troops he went back to the host.
“Gird all your loins for fight,” he told Pírán,
“For from Írán an army hath arrived,
Advancing o'er the plain!”

The general

Went to the Khán of Chín, and said: “An army
Is coming from Írán, how great I know not,
Or who the leader is. What shall we do?”
Kámús said: “Keep thyself to thine own force.
Thou hast the warriors of Afrásiyáb—
An army like the waters of the sea—
Yet what hast thou accomplished in five months
Against a foe so small? Now that the earth
Is full of troops led by the Khán, Manshúr,
And me, let us display our prowess; thou
Hast locked the door but we will bring the key.
Although the world's face be as silk of Chín
With soldiers from Kábul, Zábul, and Hind,
Yet, should I fight alone, the Íránians
Were nothing. Thou wilt say of them: ‘They are
not.’
Thou wouldest scare me with illustrious Rustam;
Him will I slaughter first; if once I catch him
His name shall not be talked of any more.
Thou art oppressed and fearful of this host

Approaching from Sístán, but once behold
My hand in battle, when the dust-cloud riseth
Upon the plain, and thou wilt recognise
A hero in the world, what brave men are,
And what fight is.”

Pírán said: “Live for ever!

May evil's hand be always far from thee.
Enough! may what thou sayest be fulfilled,
And no one prove thine equal.”

Said the Khán:—

“Thou hast allowed Kámús to lead the attack;
He will perform his word, for he hath Mountains
As his allies and Elephants for mates.
Daunt not the troops, for these Íránians
Are no great matter, and I will not leave
One noble in Írán, but send up dust
From hill and vale; as for the men of worship,
I will dispatch them to Afrásiyáb
In heavy fetters and behead the rest.
We will not leave Írán a leaf, a tree,
A Sháh, a palace or a crown or throne.”
Pírán with smiles did reverence to the chiefs,
And to the Khán of Chín, then went rejoicing
Back to the camp, where all the nobles sought him,
Such as Húmán, Lahhák, and Farshídward—
Great men and Lions on the day of battle.
“A host,” they said, “arriveth from Írán,
Led by a sable flag; a noted scout
Went forth to spy and is but now returned.
They say 'tis Faríburz son of Káús,
A noble, loyal soldier.”

Said Pírán:—

“Let us dismiss our cares. In Rustam's absence
We need not be afraid of Faríburz;
His breath is no cure for a bane like this.
But though according to Kámús indeed
The elephantine Rustam is no man

In war, God grant he come not though Kámús
Be such a Crocodile!”

Húmán replied:—

“Why dost thou keep thy spirit dark with care?
This is not he, or army from Sístán:
Here are the blood and dust of Faríburz.”
Pírán said: “I have given up the throne
And state in dudgeon with the sun and moon,
For when I heard that from Írán a host
Marched, and was coming to this battlefield,
My brain went, anguish filled my soul and head,
And from my heart I drew a chilly sigh.”
Kulbád said: “Why this grief? What need is there
To weep because of Rustam or of Tús?
With all our soldiers, maces, elephants,
And scimitars we block the wind itself.
Why fear then Rustam, Tús, and Kai Khusrau?
What are the Íránians but as dust to us?
They were dispersed in flight from yonder field,
And straggled to their tents.”

Anon Tús heard:—

“The land is full of beat of kettledrum,
And elephantine Rustam hath arrived
With Faríburz and soldiers from Írán.”
He bade bring forth the drums, Mount Hamáwan,
Wherefrom shouts rose, grew ebon with dark dust,
And earth shook underneath the trampling steeds.
Then Tús harangued the troops, he spake at large
About Mázandarán, what Rustam did
In battle with the dívs, and how he triumphed.
The soldiers called down blessings on their chief,
They said: “Be ware of heart and bright of mind.
We may pour out our souls at this good news,
Which easeth them. When peerless Rustam cometh
Yon host will not withstand the Crocodile.
Then will we battle on this mount forthwith
To cast this shame off from the Íránians.
The standard of the illustrious Khán, the crown,
The golden shields, and throne of ivory,

His elephant-attendants' crowns of gold,
Their golden girdles and their golden torques,
Their golden cymbals and their golden bells,
Unmatched on earth, his jewelled parasol
Of peacocks' tails, these will we seize, and more,
When we are fighting with our lives at stake.”
Tús said: “We are exposed to fear and blame;
Our foes surround the mount, our nobles' heads
Are snared. When Rustam cometh he will speak
Upbraidingly, not asking what hath chanced,
And say: ‘Thou wast a bird caught in a net;
The cause was sodden but the fight was raw.
As with the general so with the host
I have not seen one eager for the fray!’
So let us charge like lions, and the foe
May yet be shifted on this side the mount.”
The troops replied to him: “Soar not so high.
Refrain from words like these, let none advance
Till Rustam hath surveyed the scene of strife.
We will make prayer to God, the Guide to good.
By His command, Who holdeth sun and moon,
The matchless Rustam will approach this field.
Why have disaster for thy star? Bestow
Dínárs and drachms upon the poor.”

The troops

Raised shouts of joy upon the mountain-top
As merrily they sought their place of rest,
Each man to spend the night as seemed him best.