Section 10

When the bright sun rose over the mountain, the warriors set out together, all as one. At dawn they came to see the great champion, and from there they took up the road. The commander sent for a caller to summon the wise and noble men. The learned minister with his priests, the proud warriors and blessed sages, came to the champion with joy, all clear of mind and full of wisdom. Then Dastan, son of Sam, opened his tongue freely, his lips full of smiles, his heart content. First he offered praise to the Lord of the world, waking the priest's heart from its sleep. He said: because of the just and pure Judge, our hearts are full of hope, of fear, of awe. Hope in His mercy, fear of our own sin, and close attention to His commands, to praise Him as best we can, and stand before Him bowed, night and day. He is the Lord of the turning sun and moon, the one who guides the soul toward good. By Him this joyful world stands firm; He is the giver and the judge in both worlds. He brings the spring, the summer, and the autumn, and fills the vines with fruit. At times He keeps it young, with color and scent; at times you see it old, its face gone grim. No one steps beyond His will and command; without Him even an ant leaves no track on the earth. When He created the tablet and the pen, He wrote the mark of all that would ever be. He made the world grow through pairing, for from a single thing no increase comes. From the high heavens the point comes down: this, at its root, is the whole of the world. Time is made beautiful by human beings, and through them all worth and wealth gain their value. If there were no mate in the world, all power would stay hidden away. And more: by the very foundation of God's faith, I have never seen youth remain in place. Especially one born of a great line: if he stays without a mate, he is left barren. What is finer than a young champion whose soul is made bright by a child? And when his time to depart draws near, in his child his new day returns to him. A name lives on in the world through the child: this one is the son of Zal, and that the son of Sam. By him the crown and throne are adorned; the name has gone with the one, and the good fortune stays with the other. Now all this is my own story; it is the rose and narcissus of my garden. For patience and reason have fled from me; tell me, what remedy is fit for this? I would not have spoken of this had I not grown sick with grief, my mind and reason weakened. Mehrab's whole palace is the sun of my love; its ground is like the turning sky to me. My heart has surrendered to Sindokht's daughter. What will people say about this yielding of Sam? Suppose King Manuchehr accepts it, perhaps he will call it youth, or perhaps a sin. Whether great or humble, once a man takes a wife, he turns his face toward faith and custom. A wise man has no quarrel with this: it is the way of religion, and it brings no shame. What will the far-seeing priest say now? What do the learned ones know of this matter? The priests and elders sealed their lips; speech was locked on the mouths of the wise. For Zahhak was Mehrab's ancestor, and the king's heart was full of suspicion toward them. No one dared to speak openly, for no one has heard honey paired with a sting. When the commander heard no word from them, he grew restless and laid the ground for a new plan. I know that when you look into this, you will blame me for holding such a view. Yet whoever is high in spirit must be ready to hear plenty of reproach. If you can guide me in this, and open a way out of this bind for me, I will do such things for you in this world as no great man has ever done for lesser men. Through goodness, kindness, and honesty, I will never let harm come to you from any wrong. All the priests prepared their answer, and all wished for his comfort and his will. We are your servants, each and every one, and not only from wonder do we bow our heads. As for Mehrab, though he is not of this same rank, he is great, valiant, and of no small worth. It is known that he springs from the dragon's line, even though he rules over the Arabs. If the king's mind does not turn to distrust, no shame will come upon your house from him. A letter should be sent to the great champion, framed just as you know how, with a clear soul. Your wisdom is greater than ours, your soul and your judgment more thoughtful. Perhaps he will send a letter to the king and win his opinion over. Manuchehr, sharing the view of Sam the rider, will not turn away from such a matter along the road. The commander summoned his scribe and poured out all that filled his heart. He ordered a letter to Sam, full of good tidings, greetings, and grace throughout. At the head of the writing he spread his praise to the Just One who created the world. From Him comes joy, from Him comes strength, the Lord of Saturn, Venus, and the Sun. Lord of what is and Lord of what is not; we are all servants, and God is One. From Him, greetings upon Sam son of Nariman, master of the mace, the sword, and the helmet, who spurs his dark grey horse into the dust of battle, who feeds the vultures on the field of war. The one who stirs up the storm of the battlefield, who scatters blood from the black clouds. He who lays claim to the crown and the golden belt, who set Zal upon the throne of gold. In manhood he built skill upon skill, and raised up wisdom above all his talents. I stand before him like a servant; my soul and heart are filled with love for him. From the moment my mother bore me, as everyone saw, the turning heavens heaped cruelty upon me. My father lived in comfort, in silk and fine brocade, while the Simorgh carried me off to the mountains of India. My only need was met by whatever prey she brought, and she counted me among her own chicks. The cold wind scorched the skin from my body; hour after hour the dust sealed shut my eyes. They called me the son of Sam, yet Sam sat on his throne while I lay in a nest. Since God set things in motion this way, that was the course the turning wheel of fate would take. No one escapes what God decrees, even if he flies up and vanishes into the clouds. Though the brave man grips his spear so hard it splits a lion's hide with its roar, he is still bound by God's command, even if his teeth were made of iron. A matter has come upon me that breaks my heart, one I cannot boast of before any gathering. My father is brave, a fierce dragon of a man; it is right that he should hear his servant's secret. I weep over the daughter of Mehrab; I am roasting, as if on a raging fire. The stars of the dark night are my only companions; I am one whose whole share is a sea of tears. I have brought myself to such misery that any who saw it would weep for me. Though my heart has borne so much cruelty, I dare not breathe a word except at your command. What now does the champion of the world command, so I may free my soul from this pain and hardship? Perhaps my father, the commander, will not break his promise, and will grant his consent to this: that I may take Mehrab's daughter as my wife, honestly, according to faith and custom. For such a promise was made before the assembly, when they brought me back from the Alborz mountain: that he would never deny my heart any wish. This is now what my heart is set upon. A rider swift as lightning set out from Kabul toward Sam, with two horses. He commanded and said: If one horse still has strength left, you must not pause for even a moment. Set your foot upon the other and ride on; keep galloping like this until you reach the hero. The messenger outran the wind before him; beneath him his gray mount turned to steel. When he neared the land of Gorgsaran, the commander caught sight of him from afar. He was riding around a mountainside, urging on his hunting leopard while the game fled before him. He spoke this way to those who shared his sorrows, to the seasoned riders who stood beside him: A rider is coming at full gallop from Kabul, his Zabuli mount stepping proudly beneath him. He must surely be Zal's messenger; we should learn his news at once. We must ask for word of Zal, of Iran, and of the king himself. In that very moment the rider approached him, the famous letter held in his hand. He dismounted and kissed the ground, and called down many blessings on the Creator of the world. Sam greeted him and took the letter; the messenger delivered what he had to say. The commander broke the letter's seal and came down from the high mountain's peak. He read through all of Zal's words, then withered and sat frozen where he was. Such a wish did not please him; he would have wanted his son to be otherwise. He answered this way: it has become clear that this desire fits the nature of his lineage. When a fierce hunting bird is your teacher, this is the kind of longing you learn to seek from life. The one who came home from the hunt now carries a long worry in his heart. He kept saying: if I tell him this is not wise, and say, do not act on impulse, turn instead to reason, then before the kings and the chief of the council I become a man of rash words who breaks his promise. But if I say yes, your wish is granted, empty your heart of longing and take what you desire, then from this bird-raised son and that demon-born girl, what kind of offspring, tell me, will come forth? His head grew heavy with the heart's worry; he lay down but found no rest in it. The harder a matter presses on a servant, the more wounded his heart and the more frail his body, yet in secret the way opens wider when the Maker of the world gives his command.