English
Part 11
When he rose from sleep, he gathered the priests
and held a council with his wise men.
He put the question to the astrologers:
how will this matter finally turn out?
Two natures, like water and fire,
have been mixed together at the root of cruelty.
Surely, on the day of reckoning,
Fereydun and Zahhak will clash in battle.
Search the stars and give me an answer;
let all your findings be marked as fortunate.
The astrologers, through the long day,
kept searching the sky for its secret.
They saw, and came forward smiling:
the two enemies have met their good fortune.
The astrologer said to Sam, son of Nariman:
O warrior with the golden belt,
here is glad news of Mehrab's daughter and Zal:
the two of them shall be a joyful match.
From these two gifted ones a raging elephant of a son will come,
who will gird himself with courage.
With his sword he will bring the world under his feet
and set the king's throne above the clouds.
He will wipe the trace of evildoers from the earth;
on the face of the ground no pit will remain.
Neither Sagsar nor Mazandaran will survive;
with his heavy mace he will scour the land clean.
He will lull the head of the afflicted into sleep
and shut off the way of war and harm.
In him the people of Iran will place their hope;
from him the champion will have joy and good tidings.
Wherever he drives his warhorse to battle,
a fighting leopard will rub its face on the ground before him.
Happy the king in whose age
the world carries his name for its kingship.
When he heard the astrologer's words,
he smiled and gave them his thanks.
He gave them boundless gold and silver,
for calm had come at a time of dread.
He summoned Zal's messenger before him
and spoke with him of many things.
He told him: say to Zal, kindly,
that this wish had no proper cause,
but since such a pact was made at the start,
one should not seek a pretext for injustice.
Now, at dawn, from this battlefield
I will march my army toward the land of Iran.
He gave the messenger some coins
and told him: do not breathe a needless word of this.
He sent him off and set out on the road himself,
the army and its general glad of the outcome.
They bound a thousand of those wolf-headed men
and led them away on foot, wretched and shamed.
When two parts of the dark night had passed,
the clamor of riders rose from the plain.
The wail of the war drum and the horn
rose from the vestibule of the royal tent.
The general marched toward the land of Iran,
leading his army to the brave ones.
The messenger came running to Zal,
bearing triumphant luck and a happy omen.
Zal gave praise to the Creator
for that gift of fortune's turning.
He gave coins and gold to the poor
and showed kindness to his own people.