The practice of hunting of Bahrām.

When Bahrām’s beauty as Canopus bright (all) rawness took away from Yaman’s tracts*619,
Through joy and satisfaction Nu‘mān’s face gained what from bright Canopus leather gains*620.
Nu‘mān and Munẕir from his merits were in kindness as a brother and a sire.
Speak not of fatherhood and brotherhood—a servant that, in all things, this, a slave.
The sire to him in giving knowledge kind, the son with him, to grace assemblies, joined*621.
One by imparting knowledge strengthened him, the other took him for delightful rides*622.
Until the riding of Bahrām was such that to the sky from earth his name arose.
His business only drinking and the chase—no other business occupied (his time).
A man to cope with ten “gūr” in the chase—how can a man (indeed) avoid the “gūr”*623?
Whene’er his arrow fleeted from the bow, a “gūr’s” eye gave it, as a “gūr”, an eye*624.
He had a chestnut like the wind in speed, in paces faultless, in its gallop, smooth.
The fairy’s foot through its proportions weak; its gallop broke the hands of hurricanes*625.
A courser fleet, which traversing the road, bore off the ball from sun and lunar disk*626.
’Twas in alliance with the sky’s swift course, (and) to the wind it gave a stage’s start*627.
Its tail produced the writhings of the snake; its hoofs had dug the “gūr” of many a “gūr”*628.
The prince would ride it on a hunting day; with any other steed he’d naught to do.
When he the onager-hoofed chestnut rode, the onagers around him cried applause.
In galloping it left all steeds behind; it pierced wild asses’ haunches with its hoofs*629.
At times when from the tedium of affairs*630 (Bahrām), that mounted lion, saddled it,
The field became (soon) from its shoes a place of pictures, picture upon picture seen*631.
More than the rocks have weight did he spread out hillocks (around) of onagers and deer.
The plain beneath his horse’s hoofs became a tomb through all the heaps of onagers.
Upon his chestnut, courser of the hills, through whose swift flight the sky lost currency*632,
The hunting lasso when he took in hand, he captured countless living onagers.
Most of the onagers which (Bahrām) took, by (strength of) arm or lasso did he throw.
If he dashed down a hundred onagers*633, not any less than four years old he killed.
He had forbidden (all) to shed the blood of any one not fully four years old.
He branded (first) its name upon its thigh, and gave it then the freedom of the plain*634.
Out of these branded onagers whoe’er took one alive—out of a thousand one—
When he perceived the monarch’s brand on it, he did not seek to do it any harm.
He kissed the place on which it had been marked, and loosened (then) the fastening of its bonds*635.—
I who am branded with the sultan’s name, somewhat more joyfully should offer thanks.
By such a king*636*636a on mountain or on plain the onager when branded brands escapes.—
In such a place of tombs there is no ant not branded by the hand of some harsh act*637.