English
Part 4: The Turkish Commander's Letter and the Peace
The commander of the Turks, his eyes brimming with tears, stood amazed at Afrasiab.
He chose a wise and clever man and, as was fitting, sent him as envoy to Iran.
He wrote a letter like a masterpiece, adorned with a hundred kinds of color and design.
In the name of the Lord of sun and moon, who granted the power to bless and praise.
And upon the soul of Fereydun be greeting, for from him our whole line takes its warp and weft.
If, for the sake of crown and throne, evil befell the fortunate Iraj at Tur's hand,
we must now speak of that; the bond between us must be kept from breaking.
If that feud began with Iraj, Manuchehr has already taken full revenge for it.
Let us do as Fereydun did at the first, when he sought fairness through the sharing out.
It is fitting we keep our hearts on that same path, and not turn from the way and custom of our leaders.
From the Oxus to the lands beyond the river, with the Oxus running as the border between us,
these lands were ours in the time of that king; Iraj never cast an eye on that frontier.
Iraj's share was the land of Iran, which Fereydun gave him with his blessing.
If we stray from that and make war, we only make the world narrow around our own hearts.
There would be the wound of the sword and the wrath of God; we would gain nothing in either world.
But if we act as the valiant Fereydun did, who entrusted lands to Tur, Salm, and Iraj,
let us divide and then seek no revenge, for the land is not worth so much misery.
The poet's hair turned white as snow with years; the earth turned crimson with the blood of kings.
In the end no one gains from his place more than the length of his own body.
On the last day we stay beneath the earth, wrapped head to foot in linen, our home the grave.
And if there is greed, sorrow, and pain, it only fills the heart with grief in this fleeting inn of a world.
Perhaps Kay Qobad will be won over by this; a wise man's head never turns away from justice.
None of us shall so much as see the Oxus in our dreams, nor shall the men of Iran cross to this side of the water.
Perhaps with greeting, blessing, and message the two nations will be gladdened by these words.
When the king had sealed the letter, he sent it toward the army of Iran.
They brought the letter to Kay Qobad and recounted its words to him as well.
He answered thus: You know full well that we were not the ones to strike first.
The first cruelty came from Tur, when a king like Iraj was cast down from the throne.
And in these days Afrasiab came in fury and crossed the river.
You heard what he did to King Nozar; the hearts of beasts and birds were filled with grief and pain.
Out of spite he did not treat the wise Aghrirath as decency demanded.
If you now regret those evil deeds, make the pact anew from the start.
I have no torment of malice or greed; I have made my peace in this fleeting world.
I grant you all that far side of the water, so that Afrasiab may find some calm.
He wrote out the pact anew and, in the garden of greatness, planted a tree.
The envoy came like a leopard and delivered the letter to Pashang.
He loaded the baggage, marched off the army, and flung dust up to the sky.
He crossed the Oxus like the wind, and news of it reached Kay Qobad,
that the enemy had withdrawn without a battle; the king's heart grew glad at this.
Rostam said to him: O king, do not seek peace in the very hour of war.
There was no sign of peace before; it was my mace that brought them to this day.
The renowned Kay Qobad replied: I have seen nothing finer than justice.
Fereydun's descendant, the fortunate Pashang, out of weariness now turns his head from war.
It is right that anyone who has wisdom should not look toward crookedness and dishonesty.
From Zabulistan to the sea of Sind, we have written for you a covenant upon silk.
Keep the throne and the crown of Nimruz, and go on lighting up the world.
And on this side, give Kabul to Mehrab; but keep every spearpoint of yours steeped in poison.
For there is no kingdom without war, though the face of the earth is wide enough.
He adorned Rostam's head with a golden crown and his waist with a golden belt.
He entrusted one half of the world to him, and the valiant man kissed the ground.
Then the fortunate Qobad said: May the throne of greatness never be without Zal.
The world is not worth a single hair of Dastan, who remains for us a keepsake of the great ones.
A royal robe worked in gold, a crown and belt of ruby and turquoise,
they placed a litter upon the backs of five elephants, gleaming with turquoise blue as the Nile.
He spread gold-woven cloth over the litter, a treasure no one could reckon.
He sent all this to Dastan, son of Sam, with the words: My wish was to give you more than this robe of honor.
If my life is long, I will keep you free of all need in the world.
So too the brave Qaren and Keshvad, and Barzin and Kharrad of iron will,
he bestowed a robe of honor as befitted each one he deemed worthy of it.
He gave coins and gold, sword and shield, and to whoever it suited, a helmet and a belt.