The chieftain of Túrán, whose eyes were tearful,
Was all astonied at Afrásiyáb

That he should have bethought him of such words,
And that his soul had turned to what was just.
He chose a prudent envoy for Irán,
And wrote a letter worthy of the Artang,*

Decked with a hundred colours and designs:—
“In the name of Him who ruleth sun and moon,
And gave to us the faculty of praise!
May He accept the soul of Farídún,
From whom our race deriveth, warp and woof.
Hear now, O famous Kai Kubád! and I
Will utter words of kingly rede and right.
Túr brought calamity on blest Íraj
Upon a question touching crown and throne.
On this I say that feuds should not endure
For ever, and if vengeance for Íraj
Was owing it was wreaked by Minúchihr.

In that first settlement by Farídún,
Whose object was a just apportionment,
It will be well for us to acquiesce
And not transgress the precedents of kings.
From Turkestán to Má wara 'u'n-Nahr,
Whose boundary is Jíhún, that is our share.
When Farídún was Sháh Íraj ne'er saw it,
But had from him his blessing and Írán.
If we transgress these boundaries and fight
We make earth strait to us, the scimitars
Will clash, God will be wroth, and we shall lose
Our portion in both worlds. What Farídún
Divided unto Salm, Túr, and Íraj,
Let us retain and then be friends henceforth,
For earth itself is worth not so much bale.
The reverend head of Zál hath grown like snow,
The dust is crimson with our warriors' blood,
And yet a man will only own at last
His body's length of all that he possesseth!
We with a shroud for robe, a grave for home,
Shall own but some five cubits' length of earth;
All other wishes are but care and toil—
A cause for trouble in this Wayside Inn.
If Kai Kubád doth acquiesce in this,
And if that sage's head ensueth right,
Not one of us shall dream of the Jíhún,
But let the Íránians keep to their own side.
It may be that good will and intercourse
Will make both realms contented with this pact.”
He sealed and sent this to the Íránian host
With jewels, crowns, gold thrones, fair damsels girt
With gold, Arabian steeds with golden trappings,
And Indian swords in silvern sheaths besides
The goodliest native wares. The envoy reached
Kubád and gave the letter and the message.
The king of kings read and replied at large:—
“We did not recommence; this war was caused
Directly by Afrásiyáb. The wrong
Began with Túr when he bereaved a prince
Such as Íraj was of the throne, and now
It is Afrásiyáb that crosseth over
The river to invade us. Thou hast heard
His treatment of Naudar, which filled wild beasts
With grief and pain, while on wise Ighríras
He did a deed unworthy of a man.
Yet if ye do repent I will renew
The compact, though I well could take revenge,
Armed as I am for all emergencies,
Thus leaving you the lands beyond the river,
And then perchance Afrásiyáb will rest.”
The Sháh drew up the treaty and thus planted
A fresh tree in the garden of his greatness.
The envoy went and brought with leopard's speed
The letter to Pashang, who packed his baggage,
Marched back, and sent the dust-clouds heavenward.
He crossed Jíhún like wind, and news thereof
Reached Kai Kubád, who joyed because the foe
Withdrew without a fight, but Rustam said:—
“Look not, O Sháh! for peace in time of war.
Of old we ne'er had rest from their assaults;
My mace it was that made them thus to-day.”
Thus to that noble chief spake Kai Kubád:—
“Naught have I seen more goodly than the right.
Pashang, a scion of blest Farídún.
Avoideth strife for he hath had enough,
And men of wisdom must not look upon him
Askance and with injustice. I will draw
A deed of gift on silk for thee of all
Between the Indus and Zábulistán.
Go take the throne and crown too of Nímrúz,
And lighten all the world. Upon this side
Give to Mihráb Kábul, and keep thy spearpoints
Sharp, for where'er a king is there is war
Though earth is broad enough.”

The Sháh prepared

Gifts both for Rustam and for Zál whose head
He crowned, whose loins he girt, with gold, and gave
Half of the world to him. He kissed the ground.
Kubád the fortune-favoured further said:—
“Ne'er may the throne of majesty lack Zál,
One hair of whom outweigheth all the world;
He is the heirloom left us by the great.”
They furnished forth five elephants with litters
Inlaid with turquoise brighter than Nile-water,
And spread upon the litters cloth of gold,
Besides unreckoned wealth, a royal robe
Of gold, a crown and girdle wrought of jewels
And turquoise, all of which he sent to Zál,
And said: “I fain had sent a greater gift,

And, should long life be mine, I will not leave
A wish of thine unsatisfied on earth.”
Moreover on Káran the warrior,
Upon Kishwád, Kharrád, Barzín, Púlád,
He showered robes of honour as was fit,
And to the rest that seemed to him deserving
Gave money, shields, and swords, or, if he felt
Their merit greater still, a sword and belt.