When Kai Khusrau had hearkened to their words
He was a while anangered and breathed hard,
Then spake deliberately: “O veteran Zál,
Whose manhood reacheth countless years! if I
Speak coldly to thee here before the folk
The Worldlord never will approve that wrong
In me. Moreover Rustam will be grieved,
And through his grief loss will befall Írán;
Moreover should I reckon up his toils
They would be more e'en than his famous treasures.
He hath enshielded me with his own body,
And suffered not our foes to eat or sleep,
So I will answer thee with kindliness,
And will not break thy heart with cruel words.”
Khusrau then cried aloud: “O noble men
Whose fortunes never slumber! I have heard
What Zál hath said in presence of you all.
By God, the almighty Lord, I am afar
Both from the way and bidding of the Dív;
My soul inelineth God-ward, for in Him
I have beheld my remedy for care.
Mine ardent heart hath looked upon this world,
My breast is troubled by the woes thereof.”
He said to Zál: “Forbear thine anger, thou
Shouldst speak in measured words. First, for thy
saying:—
‘None wise and shrewd hath issued from Túrán,’

Worldlord and son of Siyáwush am I,
A prudent monarch of the Kaian stock,
The grandson of the worldlord Kai Káús—
The love-inflaming, wise, and fortunate—
And through my mother from Afrásiyáb,
Whose wrath deprived us both of food and sleep.
Sprung thus from Farídún and from Pashang,
I shame not at my birth because the sea
Could not have purged the Lions of Írán
Of fears inspired by Afrásiyáb.
Next for the carriage which Káús once made
To raise his head above the sovereignty,
Know that no blame attacheth to a king
For lofty aims. Now that I have avenged
My father and have decked the world with goodness,
Have slain my foes, and all who were on earth
The common source of outrage and injustice,
No work remaineth for me here below;
The miscreants have not a monarch left.
Now whensoe'er I meditate awhile
On kingship and long rule I go the way
Of Kai Káús and of Jamshíd, and lose
My footing as they did. I fear that I,
As soon as icy age shall come upon me,
Shall, like impure Zahhák and daring Túr,
Whose outrages revolted all the world,
Be haled to Hell. Again, thou saidst: ‘Thou foughtest
With Shída like a lusty crocodile.’
The reason was—I saw no cavalier
In all Írán who would engage with him,
Or on engaging would not shrink and prove
Of little worth with Shída as a foe,
And so I battled for Írán in person;
Bright is his star who hath the Grace divine.
For these five sennights both by night and day
Have I unclosed my lips with orisons
If so the Worldlord, the all holy God,
Might free me from this grief and this dark earth,
And now aweary of host, crown, and throne
I have returned in haste to make all ready.
Thou son of Sám, old and illustrious,
Said'st that the Dív had laid a snare for me,
That darkly and perversely I have left
The way, grown vile of soul and black of heart!
I do not know what chastisement divine
Thou thinkest due to me for life misspent.”
Zál was confounded when he heard these words,
And could not look the monarch in the face.
Then with a cry he rose upon his feet,
And said: “O Sháh, thou worshipper of God!
I have been rash and foolish while thou art
A holy man, and one divinely wise.
Forgive me if the Dív hath led me wrong.
I have been living for unnumbered years
With loins girt up in presence of the Sháhs,
But never saw I one who sought of God,
The Judge of sun and moon, what thou hast sought.
Now Kai Khusrau hath come to be the teacher:
Be evil fortune ever far from him.
I would not lose Khusrau; yet, though my soul
Is dark, let wisdom witness to my words
That to his faithful lieges of Írán
The Sháh's act overrideth all their grief,
So that with us there is desire to part
From our just judge, beneficent Khusrau.”
The Sháh, when he had heard Zál's words, approved
The excuse thus proffered by his loyal liege,
Reached forth and clasped in his the old man's hand,
And made him take his seat upon the throne;
The sun-faced Sháh was ware that naught could move
His liege to speak such words excepting love.