The glorious Asfandiyár bade set
A golden saddle on his sable steed;
Then from his famous troops a hundred horsemen
Set forth with him. His charger neighed on one hand,
And Rakhsh upon the other. Matchless Rustam
Lit from his steed, advanced to greet the hero,
And, greeting over, said: “I prayed to God—
The only God—that He would be thy Guide,
And thou with thy great men and troops withal
Hast reached us safe and sound. Come let us sit,
Use gracious terms, then give a good reply.
My witness, be assured, is God himself,
And wisdom is my guide in what I say,
For I shall gain no glory from this matter,
Nor will I tell a lie in any case,

That now were I to gaze on Siyáwush
I should not look so happy as I do,
For thou resemblest nobody but him,
That wearer of the crown, that world-bestower.
Blest is the Sháh who hath a son like thee!
Thy sire may glory in thy height and face.
Blest are the people of Írán, the slaves
Of thine unsleeping fortune and thy throne.
Ill-starred is he who seeketh thee in fight:
From throne and fortune he will come to dust.
May all foes' hearts be filled with fear of thee,
And thine ill-wishers' riven, may thy fortune
Prevail through all thy years and thy dark nights
Be as the day to thee.”

Asfandiyár

Thereat alighted from his royal steed,
Embraced the hero's elephantine form,
Called many blessings down on him, and said:—
“Thank God, O chief of paladins! that I
Behold thee glad and bright of mind. 'Tis well
That we should praise thee and that this world's heroes
Should be as dust before thee. He is blest
That hath a son like thee, for he beholdeth
A fruitful Branch, and blest is he that hath
A stay like thee, for he will be unscathed
By evil fortune! When I looked on thee
I called to mind that leader of the host,
That cavalier and Lion—Zarír.”

Then Rustam:—

“Thou paladin and world-lord shrewd and ardent!
I have one wish, O prince! a wish which granted
Would make me well content, and 'tis that thou
Shalt visit me in state and make my soul
Bright at the sight of thee. Though there be naught
Worth thine acceptance we will do our best.”
Asfandiyár replied: “Thou memory
Of this world's heroes! he that hath a name
Like thine will prove a joyance to Írán

As one whose counsel must not be transgressed,
His land and home not slighted. Ne'ertheless,
I may not swerve in public or in private
From what the Sháh commanded, and he did not
Instruct me to abide within Zábul,
Or with the nobles of that warlike land.
Act so that thou mayst take of fortune's fruit;
Go thou the way the monarch biddeth thee.
Delay not thou to put thy feet in fetters;
Those of the king of kings are no disgrace,
And when I bear thee bound before the Sháh
The evil will recoil on him. Meanwhile
Thy bondage will have hurt me to the soul,
I shall have waited on thee like a slave.
I will not leave thee in thy bonds till night;*

No harm at all shall come upon thy life.
Dost thou suspect foul play, O paladin?
Beyond all doubt the Sháh will do no wrong,
And he hath told me: ‘I will give to thee
Mine ivory throne, my treasures, and my crown.’
When I shall set that crown upon my head
I will entrust the whole world to thy hands.
Before the all-just God I do no wrong,
Nor shall I shame in presence of the Sháh.
When thou returnest to Zábulistán,
What time the gardens blossom with the rose,
Thou shalt receive such precious gifts from me
As will adorn thy land.”

“O noble man!”

Said Rustam, “I have prayed the almighty Judge
That I might glad my heart by seeing thee,
But how can I give ear to these thy words?
We both are men of rank, one old, one young,
Two paladins both wise and vigilant;
But I am fearful of the evil eye,
And that our heads will wake from pleasant dreams.
The Dív is making way betwixt us two
To warp thy heart by means of crown and throne.
A thing like this would be a shame to me,
One that would last for ever, that a leader,
One high-born and a chieftain such as thou art,
A noble Lion and a mighty man,

Should come not for a while to mine abode,
Or be my guest within these coasts. If thou
Wilt banish this contention from thy thoughts,
And do thy best to exorcise the Dív,
I will adorn my soul by sight of thee,
And do whate'er thou biddest save these bonds,
For they are utter shame, defeat, and outrage.
No one shall see me bound while I survive:
My life on that. Enough!”

Asfandiyár

Replied: “O memory of this world's heroes!
Thy words are truth, not falsehood, and men gain
No lustre from deceit; still Bishútan
Is cognisant of all the Sháh's commands
When I set forth. ‘Bestir thyself,’ he said,
‘As touching Rustam. Be thy whole concern
To fight or bind him.’ If now I shall go,
A blithe, triumphant guest, to visit thee
In thine own home, and from the Sháh's commands
Thou turn thy neck, 'twill mar mine own day's lustre.
For one thing I shall fight thee and employ
The leopard's instinct in that fight, forget
The bond of bread and salt, and cast a slur
Upon the honour of my lineage;
While if I disobey the Sháh the fire
Will be my dwelling in the world to come.
Yet, since thou wishest, let us pass one day
With wine in hand. Who knoweth what may chance
Tomorrow, so we need not talk thereof?”
Said Rustam: “I will do so. I will go
And doff my road-dress. For a week have I
Been hunting and been eating onager

Instead of lamb. When things are ready call me,
And sit down with thy kinsmen at the board.”
Hurt and concerned he mounted, hurried home,
Beheld the face of Zál, the son of Sám,
The son of Narímán, and said: “Famed chief!
I have been visiting Asfandiyár,
And seen a horseman like a straight-stemmed cypress,
A man of wisdom, dowered with grace and Glory.
Thou wouldest say: ‘Sháh Farídún, the hero,
Bequeathed to him both might and understanding.’
His presence bettereth hearsay: there doth shine
From him the Grace imperial and divine.”