§ 20 How Zál counselled Rustam

Now Rustam coming to his palace saw
No remedy but fight. Zawára came
And found him wan and gloomy. Rustam said:—
“Go*

bring mine Indian sword, cuirass, and helm
Of battle, bring my bow and massive bards,
My lasso, mighty mace, and tiger-skin.”
Zawára bade the treasurer produce
What Rustam named, who, seeing his fighting-gear,
Cried with a sigh and with dejected head:—
“O war-cuirass! thou hast had rest awhile
From fight; but now a fight confronteth thee.
Prove strong and lucky wear for me at all times.
Oh! what a battlefield is this, for roaring
Two Lions, valiant both, will meet in battle!
And how now will Asfandiyár proceed,
And show what sport amid the blast of war?”

V. 1686
When Zál heard Rustam's words the old man's brain
Grew anxious, and he said: “Famed paladin!
What words are these that make me dark of soul?
Since first thou mounted'st on the battle-saddle
Thou hast been single-hearted and sincere;
It hath not irked thee to obey the Sháhs.
I fear me that thy day is near its close,
And that thy star is falling into sleep,
That this will overthrow the race of Zál,
And cast our wives and children to the dust.
If thou art slain in battle by the hand
Of such a youth as is Asfandiyár,
Zábulistán will have no land or water
Left, and our eminence will be engulfed;
While if mishap through this befalleth him
Not e'en thy fame exalted will be left thee,
For they that tell hereof will shatter it,
And say: ‘'Twas he that slew the youthful prince
For having spoken to him scurvily.’
Now either stand before him as his liege,
Or, if thou wilt not do so, quit thy home.
Seek some obscure retreat unknown to him
That no one in the world may hear thy name,
For such an evil act would gloom thy soul.
Beware then of this monarch of the world,
Buy back again thy words with toil and treasure,
Prefer brocade of Chín to battle-ax,
Prepare gifts also for his troops, and use
Thy riches to redeem thyself from him.
As soon as he departeth from the Hírmund
Mount lofty Rakhsh and, feeling no misgivings,
Attend Asfandiyár upon his journey
That thou mayst see the Sháh's face once again.
How shall he act ill when he seeth thee?
Will wrong become the monarch of Írán?”
V. 1687
“O ancient hero!” Rustam answered him,
“Take not such things so lightly. Now have I
Been long a man and known much good and ill.
I reached the dívs within Mázandarán,*


I fought the horsemen of Hámávarán,*


I fought Kámús too*

and the Khán of Chín,*


Although earth trembled underneath his steed.
Now if I flee Asfandiyár do thou
Resign the flowers and palace of Sístán.
With God, the Fosterer, to aid shall I
Quail at Gushtásp and at Asfandiyár?
Old as I am yet on the day of battle
I will bring down the orbed moon's head to dust.
What are a hundred mighty elephants,
Or fields of men, when on the battle-day
I don my tiger-skin? Thou speak'st of prayers:
I have not spared them and have read to him
Subjection's roll. He doth misprize my words,
And turneth from both wisdom and my counsel;
But now if he will stoop his head from Saturn,
And give me salutations heartily,
I will not grudge him gems or other treasures,
Or mace and sparth and coat of mail and sword;
But all that I can say hath no effect,
And in our talk we merely clutch the wind.
Tomorrow, if he is resolved to fight,
Have not thy heart in pain about his life,
Because I will not grasp my trenchant sword,
But with my lasso take his noble head;
I will not wheel about upon the field;
He shall not feel my sparth or spear-thrust; I
Will cut off his retreat, clutch him amain
About the waist, and hug him from the saddle,
Bestow on him the kingship of Gushtásp,

V. 1688
Will bring and set him on our splendid throne,
And afterward fling wide the treasury's door.
When he hath been my guest three days and when,
Upon the fourth, the Lustre of the world
Hath doffed the robe of lapis lazuli,
And when the Cup of Topaz showeth, forthwith
In company with him will I regird
My self, set face toward Gushtásp, will set
The prince upon the famous ivory throne,
Will crown him with the heart-delighting crown,
Gird mine own loins before him as a slave,
And only seek to carry out his will.
Thou knowest, thou rememberest my brave deeds
Performed before the throne of Kai Kubád,
Yet now thou biddest me to skulk away,
Or yield me unto bonds if I am bidden!”
Zál smiled to hear the words that Rustam spake,
And shook his head awhile in meditation,
Then answered Rustam, saying: “O my son!
These words of thine have neither head nor tail,
And only lunatics on hearing thee
Could give assent to thy distempered speech.
Thou art Kubád when seated on a mountain
In dudgeon, lacking throne, crown, wealth, and treasure.
Oppose not then the Sháh, a chief and one
With rede and ancient treasures, or one like
Asfandiyár, whose name Faghfúr of Chín
Inscribeth on his signet. ‘I will take,’
Thou sayest, ‘from the saddle to my breast
Asfandiyár and bring him to Zál's palace’!
No man advanced in years should speak like that;
Haunt not the portal of thine evil star.
Now have I told thee what my counsel is,
As thou dost know, O leader of the people!”
He spake, stooped to the earth, praised the Almighty,
V. 1689
And said: “Thou Judge supreme! avert from us
The ills of fortune!”

Thus he made request

Until the sun rose o'er the mountain-crest.