Gív left his father's presence, and departed
To Balkh, with all those bitter words in mind.
Alighting there he sent a messenger
Before him as directed by Gúdarz,
On that same night assembled all his troops,
And left the gates of Balkh for Wísagird,
The city where Pírán was with his powers,
And menaced the Íránian crown and throne.
The messenger in audience of Pírán
Said thus to him: “Gív hath arrived at Balkh
With nobles and with gallant warriors.”
Pírán pricked up his ears on hearing this,
While shouts rose from the warriors of the host.
He blew the trumpets and bound on the tymbals;
The horse-hoofs turned the earth to ebony
As five score and ten thousand cavaliers
Came forward dight for war from his array.

He left the more part, called his veterans,
Advanced to the Jíhún and ranked them there,
Made by the stream a wall of spears, and held
An interview with Gív. Two weeks they parleyed
In order that they might not war unjustly;
The Íránians spake on all points, and Pírán
Heard; but the Turkmans did injuriously,
For while the Íránian chiefs employed their tongues,
And grew more instant with their enemies
In speech, Pírán dispatched a messenger
To hasten to Afrásiyáb and say:—
“Gúdarz, son of Kishwád, hath with his troops
Placed his own helmet o'er the Íránian throne,
And Gív, his favourite son—the shatterer
Of hosts—hath reached me with an embassage;
But I attend to thy commands alone,
And stake my life upon my loyalty.”
Now when this reached the monarch of Túrán
He chose him thirty thousand mighty men
Among his troops who drew the scimitar,
And sent them to Pírán, the cavalier,
With these words: “Draw the scimitar of vengeance,
And rid the earth of them; spare not Gúdarz
Or Gív, Farhád, Gurgín or brave Ruhhám,
For troops, whose object is the Íránian throne,
Flock from all sides. These will I lead, will make
The whole land of Írán a stream of gore,
And by the counsels of the wise and brave
Send up this time the dust from Kai Khusrau.”
Pírán, when he beheld that mighty host,
Each man as thirsty as a wolf for blood,
Was, being reinforced, inclined to war.
He washed his heart of honour and chose ill:
That heart so well disposed grew overbearing,
Grew full of thought and passionate for strife.
He said to Gív: “Arise and go thy ways
Back to the paladin and say to him:—
‘Seek not from me what sages will condemn—
First to surrender to thy hands these chiefs
Of high renown! How is this possible?
And for thy next demand—the arms and troops,
The noble chargers and the throne and crown,
A brother who is my bright soul, a son—
My well-belovèd and my paladin—
“These things,” thou sayest, “put afar from thee!”
Can words so crude be uttered by the wise?
Death would be better for me than such life:
Shall I that am a prince do slavishly?
In this regard the leopard coming near
To battle with the fearless lion said:—
“To have thee shed my blood and keep my fame
Is better than to live a life of shame.”
Besides instructions from the king have come
To me, and troops, with orders to engage.’”
Gív with his chiefs on this reply departed,
Whereon Pírán, the captain of the host,
Prepared for fight, sent up the battle-shout,
Pushed on to Kanábad and set his ranks
In war-array upon the mountain-flanks.