English
Part 4: Pashutan's Plea for Mercy
The noble Pashutan, who served as counselor, had a heart worn down and pained by all the killing.
He rose to his feet before the ruler of the world and said: You, just and honest king,
if you carried hatred in your heart, you have had your wish; right has come out of wrong.
Now do not order plunder, killing, war, and turmoil; do not approve of so much clamor.
Fear God and feel shame before us; look at how the fortunes of this world keep turning.
It lifts one man up to the high clouds, and casts another down into misery and disgrace.
Your father, that world-conqueror who lit up armies, was carried in his coffin toward the south.
And Rostam went to the hunting ground at Kabul only to be destroyed in a pit.
As long as you live, pure and generous king, do not torment anyone of noble blood.
When the son of Sam, son of Nariman, in his chains cries out to the God on high,
you will suffer for it, lucky as your star may be, once he brings his case before the Creator.
It was Rostam who guarded the throne of kings, always girding himself for hardship at its gate.
You received this crown as a keepsake from his line, not through Goshtasp and Esfandiar.
Trace the record from the age of Kay Qobad all the way down to pure-minded Kay Khosrow:
their greatness rested on his sword, and he kept the great ones all beneath his power.
Free him from his chains, if you have any sense, and turn your heart away from the path of evil.
When the king heard Pashutan's words, he grew ashamed of his pain and his old grudge.
A shout went up from the royal tent: You champions of justice and good counsel,
prepare now to turn back; let there be no plundering, no killing.
He ordered Dastan freed from his fetters, and they released him with much kind advice.
By the word of the pure-hearted counselor, they laid the slain in a proper tomb.
Zal passed from the prison into the hall, and his blessed companion wept bitterly over him,
crying: Alas, brave one, warrior Rostam, grandson of the famed hero Nariman,
while you were alive, who even knew that Goshtasp ruled as king of the world?
Now the treasury is plundered, Dastan a captive, and my son cut down miserably by an arrow's point.
May no one's eyes ever see such days; may the earth be left barren of Esfandiar's seed.
Word of all this reached Bahman, and it reached the blessed Pashutan too.
Pashutan was filled with grief for Rudabeh; her lament turned his face pale.
He said to Bahman: You, new king, bright as the young moon in the middle of the sky,
at dawn lead the army out of this land, for this matter has grown hard and heavy.
May the evil eye stay far from your crown; may all your days be days of celebration.
In this house of Zal, son of brave Sam, it is not fitting for the king of kings to linger long.
When the mountain turned the color of pale amber, the sound of the war drum rose from the court.
Then the vengeful Bahman gave the order to march the whole army out of there.
At once from the royal tent came the drums, the horns, and the Indian bells.
From there they set their faces toward Iran, by the word of the noble-natured counselor.
He led the army from Zabol to Iran, bringing it near the city of the brave.
He rested and sat gladly on the throne, ruling the world with law and justice.
He gave some coins to the poor; some he made joyful, and some he left downcast.
O world, what do you want from those you raise? What of those you raise but slaves with hearts branded by grief?