English
Section 16
From the herds he quickly brought every worthy horse to the camp from all directions.
He turned every foot soldier into a rider, and each rider had a spare horse for the battle.
He opened up the old treasuries, setting his heart on handing out gold.
When this was done, at sleeping hour he sent a swift messenger to Afrasiab.
A messenger with the mind and judgment of an elder: eloquent, brave, a horseman and a scribe.
He said: Go and tell the king of Turan's army, O just and glory-seeking king,
that from the time the lofty wheel of heaven began turning above this dark and wretched earth,
no king like you has ever sat upon the throne, nor has the name of kingship joined anyone else.
None but you was fit for the throne, for the crown, the belt of rule, and fortune.
The Lord of the world raises dust and ruin over anyone who faces you on the day of battle.
I am a servant of yours, one who has sinned, one who has risked his life for your watchful care.
The king grew angry with me over Kaykhosrow; beyond this I know no fault of my own.
What happened was divine will; there is little use in saying much about it.
If he still sees me guilty of this, let him set me free of it and return to the right path.
Now I bring the king word of what fate has laid before his servant.
I led the army to Mount Kanabad and blocked the road against the Iranians.
From the other side came a mighty host, the commander Godarz and the chiefs with him.
Since the days of King Manuchehr, no larger army has come from Iran into Turan.
At Zibad they made a stronghold and settled their troops upon that mountain.
For three days and three nights, like leopards, the two forces closed in face to face.
We did not seek battle on that field of vengeance, hoping the enemy would come down to the plain.
But their army did not come out, since the heads of our champions were brought low.
The commander of Iran did not weary, and he never brought his troops down from the mountain to the plain.
My brother Human, that world-conqueror, boiled with vengeance against this gathering.
He went into the Iranian army seeking combat; I do not know what befell that lion-man.
The son of Giv came to take his revenge and circled around brave Human.
He was killed at the hand of one like Bizhan; my head is worn away with grief for him.
Who ever imagined that a tall cypress could be harmed in the garden by mere grass?
The hearts of all the champions were broken, and every joy was laid low by sorrow.
Then again there was the famed Nastihan, with ten thousand seasoned riders.
He set out from me at dawn, and that same Bizhan cut off his head at once.
In heartbreak I drew up my army and marched, crying out, to the battlefield.
We fought a battle, all bound together, one against another, until night rose over the mountain.
About nine hundred of the king's champions had their heads severed from their bodies on this field.
Two thirds of the warriors of this host had their hearts wounded by the sword's grief.
The Iranians gained the upper hand over us, all girded tightly for vengeance.
I fear that the turning heaven means to cut its love from us entirely.
After that I heard grim news that left me utterly bewildered:
that Kaykhosrow is coming with an army to back the commander here on this battlefield.
If this report proves true, that Khosrow is marching toward us,
the king should know that I, with my army, cannot go out to face him seeking vengeance.
Perhaps the king himself, with a vengeful army, should turn toward Iran to settle this feud,
and turn this evil away from the people of Turan, girding his belt for vengeance,
for if harm should come to our lives from the Iranian army, there will be no one left to avenge it.
When the messenger heard what Piran had said, he rushed off like a roaring wind.
He mounted a swift bay horse, a tall camel-like steed, fast as fire.
He went straight to Afrasiab, taking no breath, no rest, no sleep on the road.
He came before the king like the wind, kissed the throne, and delivered his message.
When the king heard Piran's grievous words, his heart filled with blood and his face turned pale.
Wounded in heart by the death of the slain, he fixed his mind steadily on that grief.
And also because of the enemies harrying his army, his realm laid waste, its people in flight,
as leopards clawed at him from every side, and the world grew dark and narrow around him.
When he heard Piran's words like this, he saw his whole army holding its ground.