English
Part 13: The Brothers Sue for Peace
Word reached Salm and Tur that the throne of kings had been lit up again, its rightful heir enthroned.
The hearts of both tyrants filled with dread, for their star was sinking low.
The two sat down to brood, the days of these workers of cruelty gone dark.
One by one they became certain of this: they had to find some way out of their plight.
Namely, to send a messenger to Fereydun with an apology, since that was their only remedy.
From the assembly the two chose out a pure-hearted man, skilled with words.
To that wise, thoughtful, and modest man they spoke long, with many warm entreaties.
They threw open the treasury of the East, having glimpsed the terror of the fall from the height.
From the treasure of jewels they took gold crowns, and loaded them onto the backs of elephants.
Onto the wagons went musk and ambergris, brocade and gold coin, fine furs and silk.
With wagon-hauling elephants, with color and fragrance, they set out from the East toward Iran.
Every treasure that lay at the royal court, they sent it all as a keepsake, one by one.
When their hearts were emptied of these riches, the envoy set out, fully arrayed.
They delivered a message to Fereydun, first invoking the name of the ruler of the world.
Saying: May the brave Fereydun live forever; God has granted him all divine glory.
May his head stay fresh and his body honored, his spirit soaring past the high heavens.
Know this: those two ill-wishing tyrants, their eyes brimming with tears from shame before their father,
have grown remorseful, their hearts branded by their guilt, and now seek the road to apology.
As the wise and knowing have said: whoever does evil pays the price for it,
left to grief with a heart full of pain, just as we remain, O generous king.
It was written for us so from the beginning; things went the way of that first ordinance.
Even the world-burning lion and the fierce dragon cannot escape the snare of fate.
And beyond that, the command of the unclean demon stripped our hearts of the fear of the Lord of the world.
So a blind, wicked impulse overcame us, and evil made its home in the minds of your two sons.
We keep our eyes on that crowned king, hoping that he might show us mercy.
Though our sin is great, may the court set it down to our ignorance.
Another excuse is the lofty sky itself, which is sometimes a refuge and sometimes a wound.
The third is the demon, who among us, like a swift courier, stands ready and girded to do harm.
If the king's heart could be cleansed of its grudge against us, and our faith made bright again,
let him send Manuchehr with a mighty army to those who now come pleading.
So that we may stand before him like servants forever; this is our plan.
Perhaps the tree of hatred that has sprung up can be washed away by the water of our weeping eyes.
Let us hurry to soothe his pain; when his heart softens, we will hand him the crown and treasure.
The messenger arrived, his heart full of words, words that had neither clear beginning nor end.
With elephants, treasure, and gifts, he came to the king's court in full array.
Word reached King Fereydun, and he ordered the royal throne to be prepared.
They adorned it with Chinese silk brocade and made ready the royal crown.
The king sat upon the turquoise throne, tall as a slender cypress, the moon's glow around his head.
With crown, collar, and earrings, just as befitted a sovereign.
Blessed Manuchehr sat at the king's side, a crown set upon his head.
With golden maces and golden belts, they turned the whole ground sun-bright.
On both sides the nobles stood in ranks, decked from head to foot in gold.
On one side lions and leopards were chained, on the other, mighty war elephants.
Shapur the warrior came out from the court and led Salm's messenger forward.
When the messenger saw the king's court, he came running on foot from the road.
When he reached King Fereydun, he beheld his majesty, his throne, and his lofty crown.
He bowed his head low before him and pressed his face to the ground.
The noble king, master of the world, seated him on a golden chair.
The messenger praised the king: 'You who are the pride of crown, throne, and royal seal,
the earth is a rose garden because of your throne's foundation; time itself is bright because of your fortune.
We are all slaves of the dust beneath your feet; we all live purely by your will.'
He began to deliver the two murderers' message, hiding all the truth as he spoke.
The clever man loosened his tongue, and the world's ruler gave him his ear.
He spoke of apologizing for their evil deeds and of inviting Manuchehr to join them,
of girding themselves to serve him like retainers, and handing over to him the crown and royal throne,
of buying back the blood of his father with gold, brocade, crown, and belt.
The messenger spoke, and the commander listened; the key to that lock was already at hand as an answer.
When the world's ruler heard the message of those two sons of impure intent,
the noble king answered him point by point: 'How can you hide the sun?
The hidden hearts of those two vile men have shown themselves clearer than the sun.'
I have heard every word you carried to me. Now watch closely what answer you will get in the end.
Tell those two shameless, foul men, those unjust, faithless, and reckless pair,
that empty talk is worth nothing. On this matter I will waste no more words.
If love for Manuchehr has risen in you, then where is the body of your famous Iraj?
He was hidden as prey to beasts and birds, his head matched only with a narrow coffin.
Now that you are done with Iraj, you set out to take vengeance against Manuchehr?
You will not see his face except at the head of an army, a steel helmet set upon his brow,
with a mace and the Kaviani banner, the earth turned purple by the hooves of his horses.
His general will be a warrior like Qaren, and swordsmen like Shapur and Nastuh at his side.
On one hand the fighting Shidush stands ready, and lion-slaying Shiruy leads the way.
Men like Sam son of Nariman and Sarv of Yemen counsel him at the front of the host.
The tree that grew from the murder of Iraj: we will wash its leaves and fruit in blood.
No one sought vengeance for him until now, because we never saw the back of fortune set straight.
It would not have gone well for you, with your two sons, had I ever raised my hand to war.
Now from that tree the enemy uprooted, a fruitful branch has grown up tall.
He will come now like a raging lion, his belt drawn tight for vengeance for his father.
The envoy saw that terrifying speech, and saw Manuchehr seated as commander.
He withered, rose trembling from his place, and at once set his foot in the stirrup.
With a clear-seeing mind, that noble young man saw all that was destined to come.
He saw that before long the turning heavens would show a grim face to both Salm and Tur.
He set off like a roaring wind, his head full of the answer, his heart full of doubt.
When the land of the East came into view, he saw a royal pavilion pitched on the plain.
He came to the gate of the tent, and inside it sat the lord of the East.
A tent of fine silk had been raised, spangled with stars, its ground swept clean.
The two kings of two lands sat in secret counsel when they were told the envoy had returned.
At once the chamberlain came and brought the envoy before the king.
They set up a fresh place to sit and asked for news of the new king.
They sought every kind of report about the crown and the imperial throne,
about King Fereydun and his army, about his fighting champions and his realm,
and beyond that, about the ways of the turning heavens, whether they still held their love for Manuchehr.
Who are his nobles, and who is his chief advisor? How great is his treasury, and who keeps it?
The envoy said: whoever has seen the bright spring or ever will, sees it in this king.
His court is a joyful spring in April: all its earth is amber, all its bricks are gold.
The high heavens are his palace and his field; the highest paradise is his smiling face.
No meadow rises as tall as his hall; no garden spreads as wide as his arena.
When I climbed toward his lofty hall, its rooftop seemed to whisper secrets to the stars.
With an elephant on one side and a lion on the other, he has brought the whole world beneath his throne.
A throne of gold rides upon his elephants' backs; the collars of his fierce lions are all set with jewels.
Drummers stand before the elephants, and from every side the trumpets roar.
You would think the field itself was boiling, and the earth was crying out against the sky.
I walked with grace toward that noble king, and saw a high throne of turquoise.
Upon it sat a king like the moon, a shining ruby crown upon his head.
His hair white as camphor, his face like a rose petal, his heart seeking peace, his tongue full of sweet words.
The world's heart swings between fear and hope for him; you would think Jamshid had come alive again.
Manuchehr stood there, a tall cypress since birth, like Tahmuras who bound the demons.
Seated at the king's right hand, he seemed to be the very tongue and heart of the throne.
Before them stood Qaren the warrior, and at his left hand Sarv, the king of Yemen.
Sarv, the king of Yemen, is their chief advisor; the valiant Garshasp is their treasurer.
The wealth in his treasuries is beyond counting; no one in the world has seen such grandeur.
All around the hall stood two rows of soldiers, with golden maces and golden helmets.
The commander is like Qaren, son of Kaveh; Avgan leads at the head of the army.
Its champion is like Shiruy, a tearing lion, like the hero Shapur, a bold and mighty elephant.
When he straps the war drums onto the elephant's back, the sky turns black as ebony with the dust of battle.
If that host comes to war against us, mountains will become plains and plains will become mountains.
Every heart is full of hatred, brows knotted against you; they long for nothing but war.
He recounted for them everything he had seen, and also the words he had heard from Fereydun.
The hearts of the two cruel men twisted with pain, and their faces turned the color of lapis.
They sat and searched for every kind of plan, but their talk had neither head nor foot to it.
Then Tur said to the great Salm: we must set aside all rest and joy.
We cannot let that lion cub grow sharp of tooth and bold.
How could someone so famous be without skill, when his teacher was Fereydun himself?
When the grandson took counsel with his elder, from that meeting a plan began to shine.
We must prepare ourselves for war; we must hurry now instead of waiting.
The riders galloped out from the army, gathering troops from China and the East.
Talk spread across that land and region, and a whole world turned its face toward them.
An army so vast it had no end; the only fault was that their fortune was still young.
From the East two armies marched on Iran, hidden inside their armor and helmets.
With mighty war elephants and with treasure, two killers set their hearts on vengeance.