Then Gustaham put on his mail, farewelled
Such warriors as he saw, and hurried forth
To fight those two proud Turkmans, while the troops
Among themselves said: “Evil will befall him.”

Now, like a ship at sea, a Turkman host
Came from Afrásiyáb to aid Pírán,
But when they neared the desert of Daghwí,
And tidings came to them: “Pírán is dead!
Thus went the combat of the champions,”
They all returned lamenting to their king.
Bízhan, informed that Gustaham had gone
To fight against Lahhák and Farshídward,
Thought: “If he reach Daghwí they must not send
The dust up from him on the day of battle.”
Then with heart wrung with grief for Gustaham
He went, like lion grim, to seek his grandsire,
And, seeing him, spake loudly and at large:—
“O paladin! it sorteth ill with wisdom
Thus to surrender every man of name
In thy command to wanton massacre,
And make the turning sky responsible!
Two lusty warriors of the Turkman host
Have hurried on their way like lions. Both
Are braver than Pírán or than Húmán,
And nobles of their land by native worth.
Now Gustaham hath gone to fight the two!
He must not be defeated. All our joy
Will turn to grief if from our host we lose
That lion-man.”

On hearing this, Gúdarz,

Perceiving his distress, mused much and long,
Took the same view and told the warriors:—
“Whoever is in quest of name and rank,
Let him go after Gustaham with speed
To give him aid against his enemies.”
None of the company returned an answer,
None cared for him and none was rested yet.

Said to Gúdarz Bízhan: “Except myself
None of the warriors will succour him,
For no one is aweary of his life.
I must depart myself since at his case
My heart is full of grief, my face of tears.”
Gúdarz replied to him: “O lion-man,
Unused as yet to this world's heat and cold!
Dost not thou see that we are conquering?
Rush not upon this enterprise, my son!
For Gustaham will triumph and behead them.
Abide and I will send a cavalier,
Like lion grim, to help him in the fight,
And lay upon the dust his foemen's heads.”
“O prudent, wise, and ardent paladin!”
Bízhan replied, “he must be helped while living,
Not when the foes are sending up his dust.
When he is slain, and all is over with him,
What profit will it be to send a horseman
To find him slaughtered and his head in blood?
So order me, who am concerned for him,
To gird my girdle tightly in this quest;
But if thou sayest: ‘Go not,’ I forthwith
Will cut my head off with this watered steel,
For if he dieth I will not survive;
So seek no pretext for refusing me.”
Gúdarz replied: “Go after him at once
If thou hast no regard for thine own life.
Since thou art still insatiate of fight
Gird thee and stay not e'en to scratch thy head.
Good sooth! thy heart is cold toward thy sire
Though thou dost burn his liver constantly;
Thou wilt but cover thine own head with dust;
How much I dread thy passion for the fray!”
Bízhan bent, kissed the ground, and went his way.