English
Part 9
When Iraj drew close to them, he had no idea of the darkness in their thoughts.
They welcomed him with their customary honors, and the whole army led him forward.
When they looked upon their brother with affection, their faces lit up all the brighter.
Two who craved a fight and one of good nature exchanged greetings, though not from real desire.
Two hearts full of hatred and one heart still true, all three went into the royal tent.
The whole army looked at Iraj and saw that he alone deserved the throne and the crown.
Their hearts grew restless with love for him, hearts full of his love and eyes full of his face.
The soldiers scattered off in pairs, and everywhere Iraj's name was on their lips in secret.
Saying, 'This is the one worthy of kingship; the crown of majesty suits no one but him.'
Salm watched the army from the edge, and what he saw among them weighed heavy on his mind.
He came to his own camp with a heart full of spite, his liver burning with blood, his brows knit in a frown.
He cleared the tent of the gathering, then sat down with Tur to plot together.
Their talk probed every subject: kingship, and the crown of every land.
In the midst of this, Salm said to Tur, 'Why did the soldiers pair off, one by one?
On the way back, it seems you paid no attention to the troops.
The armies of us two kings were one thing when they went to greet him and another when they returned.
For all that stretch of road they traveled, they never took their eyes off Iraj even once.
Over Iran my heart was already torn in two, and now my worries have only multiplied.
When I watched the armies of both our lands, I saw that from now on they will call no one king but him.
If you don't tear his roots out of the ground, he'll drag you down from your high throne beneath his feet.'
In this manner they rose from their places, and all night long they schemed for a way out.