Húshang possessed a wise and noble son
Hight Tahmúras—the Binder of the Dív—
Who took the throne and girt his loins to rule,
Then called the archmages and in gracious words
Said: “Throne and palace, crown and mace and cap
Are mine to-day, and when my rede hath purged
The world a mountain-top shall be my footstool.
I will restrain the Dív, will reign supreme,
And use the useful for the common good.”
He sheared the flocks, and men began to spin;
He thus invented clothes and draperies.
He chose the swiftest quadrupeds and made them
To feed on barley, grass, and hay; he noted

The shyest of the beasts of prey, and chose
The jackal and the cheetah, luring them
From hill and plain, and taught them to obey him.
Among the well-armed birds he chose the hawk
And noble falcon, and began to tame them
While men looked on amazed. His orders were
To rear the birds and speak to them with kindness.
He brought the cocks and hens to crow at drumbeat,* And turned all hidden properties to use.
He said: “Address your prayers and praise to Him
Who made the world, and us to rule the beasts:
Praise be to Him, for He directed us.”
He had a famed and honest minister
By name Shídásp, an upright man who took
No step unless toward justice. Through the day
He fasted, through the night he prayed, and lived
In charity with all. The Sháh's good fortune
Was his sole wealth, ill doers he restrained
And taught the Sháh all good, acknowledging
No rank but excellence till Tahmúras,
Purged of his faults and glorious with the Grace,
Bound Áhriman with spells and rode him horsewise
At whiles around the world. Thereat the dívs
Rebelled and held a conclave, for their throne
Of gold was void. When Tahmúras was ware
He was enraged and spoiled their trafficking,
Girt him with Grace and took his massive mace.
Then all the dívs and warlocks sallied forth—
A huge magician host. The Black Dív led them
And vapoured, while their shouts affronted heaven.
It darkened, earth turned sable and all eyes
Grew dim. The illustrious worldlord Tahmúras
Advanced girt up for battle and revenge.
There were the roar of flame and reek of dívs,
Here were the warriors of the lord of earth,
Who ranked his troops and speedily prevailed,
For of the foe he bound the most by spells
And quelled the others with his massive mace.
The captives bound and stricken begged their lives.
“Destroy us not,” they said, “and we will teach thee
A new and fruitful art.”

He gave them quarter

To learn their secret. When they were released
They had to serve him, lit his mind with knowledge
And taught him how to write some thirty scripts
Such as the Rúman, Persian, Arabic,
Sughdí, Chíní, and Pahlaví, and thus
Delineate sounds. How many better arts
Explored he in a reign of thirty years,
Yet passed away! His time of life was spent
And all his toils became his monument.
O world! caress not those whom thou wilt soon
Cut off, for such caressing is no boon;
Thou raisest one to very heaven on high,
Then biddest him in sorry dust to lie.