English
Forud Prepares for Battle
Then word reached Forud: the face of the shining sun had turned dark blue.
From the hooves of the horses and the feet of the elephants, the world had turned into a sea like the Nile.
When the young man, untried in war, heard this, his heart filled with pain and his spirit grew dark.
He ordered that everything left roaming free, the camels and the flocks of sheep,
the herds too, be gathered and penned in, so that nothing was left on the mountain or the plain.
All of it was driven up to Mount Sepid and shut away where the crowd was gathered.
Jarireh was the woman who was Forud's mother; her heart was full of grief for Siavash.
Young Forud came to his mother and said, 'Mother, bright of soul,
an army has come from Iran, with elephants and war drums, and at its head the proud Tus.'
'What do you say, what should we do now? We must not let them mount a sudden attack.'
Jarireh said to him, 'You who are made for battle, may you never be forced to face such a day.'
'In Iran your brother is the new king: the wise and watchful world-ruler, Kaykhosrow.'
'He knows you well by name and lineage, of one blood, born of the same father.'
'If your brother is seeking revenge, he is washing clean the soul of Siavash.'
'If he seeks vengeance for his father, then vengeance suits you even more, it is precious for you.'
'Cover your chest in Roman armor, go out with a heart full of fire and a head full of fury.'
'Go before your brother's army; you be the new avenger, and he the new king.'
'It is fitting that even the leopard should moan from this grief, and the crocodile rise roaring from the sea,'
'and that the birds and the fish in the water should call down curses on Afrasiyab,'
'for never in the world will another famous man buckle on his belt like the horseman Siavash,'
'in bravery, manhood, warfare and noble birth, in majesty, wisdom, weight and justice.'
'Piran first gave me to him; otherwise he would not have sought a wife from among the Turks.'
'Your lineage, on your mother's side and your father's, is all crowned and all renowned.'
'You are the son of such a famous lord, of royal Kayanid stock and royal in appearance.'
'You must gird your belt to avenge your father, to live up to your race and your birth.'
After that Forud said to his mother, 'With whom should I speak about the Iranians?'
'Who among these proud men of the day of battle should be my helper and support?'
'For I know none of them by name; no greeting or message has come to me.'
She said, 'Go from here with Tokhvar, and do not take this matter lightly in your heart.'
'For he knows every man of Iran, high and low, and can name each shepherd and each flock.'
'Ask him about Bahram and Zangeh of Shavaran, and about the warriors and champions.'
'May your name and your honor live forever, and may the soul of Siavash shine bright.'
'These two were never apart from him; they were his generals and he their king.'
'Seek word of these two proud champions, for between them and us there are no secrets.'
'Summon the chiefs and the proud men; prepare wine and robes of honor, a fine spread and a feast.'
'The world's treasure is enough for your brother; keep the vengeance and its ways for the strangers.'
'Now you be the vanguard of the army; you are the avenger of the new world-ruler.'
'You must go ahead to seek revenge, gird your belt at your waist, and charge.'
He said to her, 'Your counsel, lioness, brings glory to the family and the assembly.'
When the sound of the drum rose from the leather, the world turned dark as ebony with the haze.
A watchman came down from the lookout and spoke to him about the army of Iran,
'The plain, the passes, and the mountains are full of soldiers; you would think the sun itself is trapped in the crush.'
'From the gate of the fortress to the desert of Gang there are troops, elephants, and men of war.'
Forud lowered the bar at the fortress gate and looked out at the army from the high mountain.
Then he came and shut the fortress gate, and mounted a swift-running steed.
Tokhvar and Forud set out at a run; the young man's fortune was still at its height.
But when the wheel of fate turns crooked from above, in the end neither fierceness nor kindness is of any use.
They chose the summit of a high peak from which the whole Iranian host could be seen.
The young man said to Tokhvar of the palace, 'Whatever I ask you, do not hide from me.'
'Each general, and every man who carries a banner, master of the mace and the golden boots,'
'when I see him, tell me his name, anyone you know among the men of Iran.'