English
Bahman's Counsel and Warning to Rostam
He ordered Bahman brought before him, and gave him more advice than could be measured.
He told him: Ride the black horse, and dress your body in fine Chinese silk.
Set the royal crown on your head, all engraved with noble gems.
So that anyone who sees you would choose you above all proud lords.
They will know you are of royal blood, and will remember the Creator because of you.
Take five horses with golden bridles, and honor ten priests of good name.
Ride straight from the road to Rostam's house, and do not make the task hard on yourself.
Give him our greetings and show kindness; make your words graceful and increase their warmth.
Tell him: Whoever rises high, ruling the world and safe from every harm,
should be grateful to the Judge of all, for He alone forever knows and rewards good.
When a man keeps adding to his good deeds, and holds himself back from ill temper,
his success and his treasure grow, and he stays glad in this fleeting world.
When he keeps clear of ugly deeds, he will find paradise in the next world.
Good and bad alike pass over us; the one who has wisdom knows this well.
In the end the bed is dark earth, and the soul flies toward the pure God.
Everyone in this world who knew what good was, worked hard and kept peace with the kings.
Whatever you sow, that you will reap; whatever you say, that you will hear back.
Now we take a fair measure of you; there should be nothing added and nothing left out.
You have lived through countless years, and seen many kings in this world.
If you look back through the path of wisdom, you will know this is not fitting.
That all this greatness, treasure, and army, precious horses, throne, and crown,
you received from our forefathers, when you rushed eagerly into their service.
What vast realms King Lohrasp held, yet you never came near that court.
When he gave the land of Iran to Goshtasp, you gave no thought at all to that throne.
You never wrote him a single letter, nor performed the courtesies of service.
You never went to his court like a servant; you want no one in the world to be your king.
From Hushang and Jamshid and brave Fereydun, who tore the kingship from Zahhak's line,
trace it forward down to Kay Qobad, who set Fereydun's crown upon his head.
There is not one famous man like King Goshtasp in war, in feasting, in counsel, and in the hunt.
He embraced the pure and righteous faith; error and going astray were hidden away.
When the way of the world's lord shone like the sun, false teaching and the demon's path were hidden.
After Arjasp came to war, his army like leopards, their chief like a crocodile,
no one could count his host, yet the renowned king went out to meet him.
He made a graveyard on the field of vengeance, so wide the face of the earth could not be seen.
Surely this story, until the resurrection, will never grow old among the great.
Now the east is his and so is the west; he breaks the backs of fierce lions.
From the land of Turan to India and Rome, the world has become like soft wax in his hand.
From the plain of the lance-wielding riders, many horsemen stand at his court.
The border lands send him tribute and tax, for they have no strength to fight him.
I told you this, O champion, because his soul is wounded on account of you.
You never went to that renowned court, nor gave a glance to those famous men.
You have kept to a corner of the world, keeping yourself hidden away.
How could the great forget you, unless they tore out their clear minds and hearts?
You always sought good, and did your duty by the command of kings.
If someone counted all your labors, they would outweigh all the treasure in the world.
Yet none of the kings agreed with a servant on such a matter.
Rostam told me: With so much wealth, and a land and treasure so richly furnished,
he has settled in Zabol and grown drunk; no one can get anything from a drunken man.
One day he grew furious and swore an oath, by the white day and the deep-blue night,
that from now on the world-ruling king would see him only bound and brought to court.
Now I have come from Iran on this errand; the king gave me no leave even to breathe a word.
Beware, and bend away from his wrath; have you not seen the anger his eyes can hold?
When you come here and obey, and offer up your soul as a pledge of apology,
by the shining sun and by the soul of Zarir, by the soul of my father, that lion-hearted lord of the world,
I will make the king regret this; I will light up this star and moon again.
In what I have said I seek no false glory; I will not go about any task with lies.
Peshotan is my witness in this; my soul and my wisdom are my guides.
I sought the king's peace with you, yet I still saw fault on your side.
My father is the king and I am the lesser one; I will not stray from his command for a moment.
Now the whole family must sit together, take counsel, and set their hands to this matter:
Zavareh, Faramarz, and Dastan son of Sam, and the world-wise Rudabeh of good name.
Listen to all my advice, one by one, and put your faith in these good words of mine.
This house must not fall to ruin, becoming a prize for the bold men of Iran.
If I bring you bound before the king, I will heap much guilt upon him for it.
We will stand before him pleading; we will bring him back from wrath and vengeance.
I will not let so much as a breeze blow against you, as befits one of my noble blood.