Then Rustam answered, saying: “Hold thy peace!
Why speak'st thou such provocatory words?
Thy heart is growing into frowardness,
The utterance of thy soul is that of dívs.
Speak what befitteth the great kings; the Sháh
In speaking swerveth not from what is right.
The world-lord knoweth that the son of Sám
Is great and hath both knowledge and fair fame.
Again, Sám was the son of Narímán,
Which hero was the son of Karímán,
And thus they run back to Garshásp, while all
Are scions of Jamshíd. Thine ancestors
Obtained the crown through us, else none had named
them.

'Twas I who brought Kubád, the chosen one
Of all the people, out of Mount Alburz,*

And but for that he had remained a subject,*

Not having treasure, host, or puissance.
In sooth thou must have heard reports of Sám,
Who had the fairest fame of all his time:
First, how there was a dragon once at Tús,
A dragon from whose clutches none could 'scape;
A crocodile in water and a leopard
On land, its breath would soften mountain-flints,
Would broil the fishes' heads in water-ways,
Would scorch the vultures' feathers in mid-air,
And suck in elephants with its breath. Glad hearts
Were saddened at the thought thereof. And next,
There was a fearful and malicious dív,
Whose body was on earth and head in heaven,
Because the sea of Chín reached but his middle;
The sun itself shone with diminished lustre.
He used to take up monsters from the deep
And, towering o'er the orbit of the moon,
Broil them upon the sun while turning heaven
Was all dissolved in tears. These two great Pests*

Were rendered lifeless and consumed before
The sword of Sám, the hero. Then again,
My mother was the daughter of Mihráb,
Who made the realm of Sind so prosperous,
And was the fifth descendant from Zahhák,
Who raised his head above all other kings.
Who hath a nobler origin than this?
A wise man will not turn from truth: the honour

Of all the world is mine, and other heroes
Must seek to win it back from me. Again,
Mine earliest patent is from Kai Káús;
Thou canst not find a pretext on that score.
I have one too from righteous Kai Khusrau,
Like whom no Kaian ever girt his loins.
My wanderings have covered all the earth,
And many an unjust monarch have I slain.
Whenas I crossed the waters of Jíhún
Afrásiyáb fled from Túrán to Chín.*

When Kai Káús went to Mázandarán*

My father Zál had much to say thereon.
Thou knowest how that Sháh fared with the dívs,
And in his blindness cried out from his soul.
Alone I journeyed to Mázandarán;
The nights were gloomy and the leagues were long.
I did not spare the White Dív or Arzhang,
Púlád,*

son of Ghundí, or Bíd or Sanja.
Moreover for our monarch's sake I slew
My wise and valiant boy.*

There hath not been
Another warrior like Suhráb in strength,
In courage, and approof in war. In sooth
Above six hundred years have passed away
Since I was severed from the reins of Zál;
I have been always paladin in chief,
In public or in private 'twas all one.
Just as it was with noble Farídún,
Who set the crown of greatness on his head,
Dethroned Zahhák and brought him, head and crown,
To dust; and secondly, as Sám, my grandsire,
Engrossed the craft and knowledge of the world;
So, thirdly, since I girded up my loins
The person of the monarch hath had rest.
There never were such days of happiness,
The wanderers' feet were never so secure,
As when my will prevailed throughout the world,
And I used scimitar and massive mace.
I speak in order that thou mayst know all,
For thou art prince and nobles are thy flock;

Yet in respect of age thou art a youth,
Though with the Grace of Kai Khusrau. Thou seest
None but thyself and know'st not secret matters.
Now, having talked much, turn we for relief
To wine and hunt therewith the soul of grief.”