These two exalted warriors bent on fight
Prepared themselves to wrestle, and agreed:—
“No one on either side shall intervene.”
The space between the hosts was half a league.
The stars surveyed that fight as Púládwand
And matchless Rustam—those grim Lions—closed,
Who felt each other, then each warrior
Seized his opponent by the leathern belt.

When Shída looked on Rustam's chest and neck
He drew a deep, cold sigh and thus bespake
His sire Afrásiyáb: “This mighty man,
Whom thou call'st Rustam, binder of the Dív,
Will by his strength and prowess lay the head
Of our brave warrior-dív upon the dust,
And thou wilt see our soldiers take to flight,
So strive not vainly with the turning sky.”
The sire replied: “My brain is fraught with care
On that account, go and observe the prowess
Of Púládwand in wrestling. Speak to him
In Turkman and advise him. He may get
The elephantine Rustam off his feet.
Tell Púládwand: ‘When thou hast got him down
Let thine appeal be to the scimitar.’”
But Shída said: “This is not what the king
Agreed to in the presence of the host.
If thou art rash and breakest covenant
Thy warfare will not issue in success.
Befoul not this clear stream, else he that loveth
Fault-finding will discover cause for blame.”
Afrásiyáb began to chide, becoming
In his fierce wrath distrustful of his son,
And said to him: “If Púládwand the dív
Shall be o'erthrown by this antagonist
None will remain alive upon the field;
Thou hast a valiant tongue, no prowess else.”
He plied his reins and came forth lion-like
Upon the ground, observed the strife and shouts
Like thunder, then he said to Púládwand:—
“If thou, exalted Lion! gett'st him down
In wrestling rip him open with thy dagger;
We need not boasting but accomplishment.”
Gív marked the king's wild words and eagerness,
Then urging on his charger came in haste,
Because the enemy had broken troth,
And said to Rustam: “O thou warrior!
What orders givest thou thy servants? Speak!
Observe Afrásiyáb, his eagerness,
And wild words! He hath come forth to inflame
The heart of thine antagonist and prompt him
To use his dagger in a wrestling-bout!”
But Rustam said: “A man of war am I,
And, when engaged in wrestling, bide my time.
What do ye fear? Why are your hearts thus
rent?
E'en now will I bring down from heaven above
The head and neck of Púládwand to dust;
But if I have not strength of hand therefor
What need thus wantonly to break my heart?
Although this witless warlock doth transgress
The covenant of God, why should ye fear
The breach? He poureth dust on his own head.”
Then, like a lion, reaching out he clutched
The chest and neck of that fierce Crocodile,
And, straining hard, uprooted Púládwand,
As though he were a plane-tree, from his place,
Raised him aloft, dashed him upon the ground,
And uttered praises to Almighty God.
A shout rose from the army of Írán;
The drummers marched out with the kettle-
drums;
The blast of clarion, the clang of gong
And Indian bell ascended to the clouds.
Now Rustam thus imagined: “Púládwand
Hath not a sound joint in his body left,
His bones are broken and his cheeks become
The colour of the bloom of fenugreek,”
So flung his leg across the gallant Rakhsh,
And left the Dragon's body as it lay;
But, when the lion-clutching hero reached
His army, Púládwand glanced arrow-like,
And fled with all speed to Afrásiyáb
With full heart and with tears upon his face.
When Rustam saw that Púládwand still lived,
And troops were everywhere upon the plain,
His heart grew straitened, he led on the host,
Called unto him the veteran Gúdarz,
And ordered: “Let them send a shower of arrows,
And make the air as 'twere a cloud in spring.”
Bízhan was on one wing, Gív on the other
With veteran Ruhhám and brave Gurgín.
Thou wouldst have said: “They have enkindled fire,
And with their falchions set the world ablaze!”
Then Púládwand said to his troops: “With throne,
Renown, and treasure lost, why throw away
Our lives or think at all of further strife?”
And, with his very life-cord snapped in twain
By Rustam, marched his army from the plain.