News of the Sháh's proceedings reached Pírán
And filled his heart with terror; he took refuge
In knavery, deceit, and artifice,
And then—his sole resource—he bade a scribe
Indite a letter to the paladin,
Wherein he proffered first great praise to God—
His refuge from the potent Dív—then said:—
“In public and in private my one prayer
To God, the All-ruler of the world, is this—
To ban this scene of strife between our hosts.
If it be thou, Gúdarz! that hast desired
Thus to fulfil the world with thy revenge,
Thy lust is sated. Say, what wouldst thou more?
Behold how many of my gallant Hearts,
Of mine own nearest kindred and my Lions,
Hast thou flung—headless trunks—upon the dust!
Hast thou no reverence, no fear of God?
From love and wisdom thou hast turned thy face,
And now that thou hast gained thine end 'tis time
For thee to sicken of revenge and be not
Henceforward bold in bloodshed. Do thou mark

How many of the horsemen of Írán,
And of Túrán, have perished in this war!
It is high time that ruth should come to thee,
With some remission in the quest of strife.
In seeking vengeance for one dead and gone
How many living ones wilt thou behead?
Now, since the past will not return to us,
Sow not fresh seed of vengeance in the world,
Vex not thy spirit nor expend thy body,
But cease from bloodshed, for the dead are cursed
That leave a long-enduring name for ill,
And whensoever sable locks turn white
Small hope of life is left. If our two armies
Again encounter on this field I fear
That thou wilt see none left on either side;
Lives will be lost, but vengeance will survive,
While after all who knoweth which will win,
Which be the luckless, which the illustrious?
But if thy resolution to shed blood,
And make a fight of lions with me here,
Is all to win advantage for Írán,
So say and I will send a messenger
To ask Afrásiyáb for his commands
That so we may divide earth, and lay by
The strife as in the days of Minúchihr
When every one observed the settlement.
Declare what lands thou claimest for Írán
That we may move the Turkmans out of them,
From settlement and desert, field and fell,
As Kai Khusrau, the righteous judge, shall order.
First will I draw toward the hills, and quit
Írán from Gharcha to the land of Bust,
Quit Tálikán as far as Fáriyáb
Including Andaráb, and cities five
As far as Bámiyán, and all the coasts,
And Kaian dwelling-places, of Írán,
The country of Gúrkán, that favoured spot,
Thus titled by the master of the world,
With all from Balkh as far as Badakhshán
That beareth indications of his sway;
While, lower down, the desert of Ámwí
And Zam shall be included with Khatlán,
Besides Shingán, Tirmid, and Wísagird,
Bukhárá and the cities round about.
Proceed moreover to the land of Sughd;
None will claim aught thereof. To valiant Rustam
I yield Nímrúz and will withdraw the troops,
Allowing him free access to the East,
And all as far as Hind ungrudgingly.
Kashmír, Kábul, and Kandahár with all
That fronteth Sind shall likewise be included.
The Aláns and parts invaded by Luhrásp,
And all between them and Mount Káf, I yield,
Without strife or contention to Khusrau,
With all the region threatened by Ashkash.
This done I will recall from every side
My troops, and swear to be thy foe no longer.
Thou knowest that I have been friendly, true,
And upright. I will send Afrásiyáb
Intelligence that we have ceased from strife;
Do thou moreover look on us with favour,
And in thy kindness write Khusrau a letter
To say that I have made thee overtures,
And vie with thee no more in shedding blood.
When we have ratified the covenant
I will dispatch the treasures which Khusrau
Demanded, and he too perchance will stop
His warlike operations. Afterward
I will send hostages with goods of all sorts,
And by a friendly, just, and sacred treaty
Will sew the eye of feud up with the hand
Of good faith, broken in the great Sháh's time
By evil-natured Túr and savage Salm,
When Farídún was well-nigh crazed with grief
Because the illustrious Íraj was slain.
What thou requirest else be good enough
To state, then write and tell the Sháh of all.
Think not because I speak thee fair: ‘These people
Are giving way,’ I only speak in love;
Mine object is to make a happy ending.
My treasures, troops, and military fame
Surpass thine own, but this persistent strife,
And impious bloodshed, cause my heart to burn
Upon the troops' account, and I would stop
The feud: besides I stand in awe of God
Both in my public and my private life,
Who as the Judge will not approve ill deeds,
But utterly destroy our fields and fells.
Now if thou turnest from these words of mine,
And seekest war against me to the death,
Condemning me though I am innocent,
And not regarding aught that I can say,
Since justice and injustice are all one
To thee, and thou wouldst further spread the feud,
Choose out some chiefs that wield the massive mace,
And I too will select among my troops
Such warriors as are needful for the strife.
These will we pair for combat. Let us twain
Encounter likewise on the battlefield.
Those innocent of bloodshed then perchance
Will find repose from strife. Those whom thou holdest
As guilty, those that grieve thy heart, will I
Bring forth to thee upon the day of battle.
Moreover thou shalt make a covenant
That if thou shalt prevail to shed our blood,
And if the Turkman warriors' fortune sinketh,
Thou wilt in no wise harm my host or burn
My country and my throne, but give my troops
Free passage home and ambuscade them not.
If I prevail, my good star bear me fruit,
I will not ambuscade the Íránians:
We will not be injurious or vindictive,
But give them access to their king and country
Without the loss of property or life.
If thou consentest not, but wouldst prefer
A general engagement, set thy host
In order and the blood shed in the fight
Shall rest upon thee in the other world.”
He tied the letter and then called his son,
A chief of brazen body hight Rúín,
To whom he said: “Go to Gúdarz; address him
In prudent words and list to his reply.”
Rúín, when he had left the chieftain's door,
Came with ten horsemen and inspired by wisdom
In haste to where the paladin was camped,
And, when he saw Gúdarz, drew near to him
With folded arms and head inclined. That chief
Rose, clasped Rúín, and asked about Pírán,
The host, the mighty men, the king and realm.
Rúín then told his message and delivered
The letter, which a scribe approached and read
With all its goodly language and advice,
And wise Pírán's proposals for a peace.
Then said Gúdarz: “Son of the general,
And happy youth! first thou must be our guest,
And then thou mayest ask for my reply.”
They cleared a camp-enclosure for his use,
Providing him a lodging fit for kings.
Gúdarz, filled with anxiety of heart,
Sat with his counsellor—the twain, no more—
While they prepared an answer, picking out
The fairest words. A sennight thus elapsed
While minstrels, wine, and harp were in request,
And daily when the sun sank in the sky
Rúín was called to share the revelry.