English
Zal and Rudabeh Meet
When the shining sun had slipped from sight, they shut the chamber door and lost the key to the night.
A servant hurried to Zal, son of Sam: 'Everything is ready, come, take your first step.'
The warrior turned his face toward the palace, like any man in search of the one he loves.
The dark eyed, rose faced girl came up to the roof, tall as a cypress with a full moon at its crown.
When from afar Zal, the son of Sam, rode into view of that famous daughter,
she parted her ruby lips and called out: 'Welcome, glad young man, be joyful.'
'May the Maker of the world bless you; may the arch of the turning sky be your ground to walk on.'
'On foot, this way, from the royal tents, these princely legs of yours must have grown weary.'
When the warrior heard a voice like that, he looked up and saw her sun bright face,
the roof lit by that radiant jewel, its earth turned to rubies where red roses might grow.
He answered: 'You with a face like the moon, my greeting to you and blessings from the heavens.'
'How many nights, my eyes fixed on the stars, I have cried out before the holy God,'
'begging the Lord of the world to show me your face, if only in secret.'
'Now I am glad, hearing your voice, hearing these lovely, tender words of yours.'
'Find us some way for our eyes to meet. Why keep talking, you on the wall and I in the street?'
The fairy faced girl listened to the warrior and quickly loosened her hair, red as pomegranate blossom.
She let down a lasso from that tall cypress, hair that no one could ever braid so finely from musk.
Coil upon coil, snake upon snake it fell, and on her throat a pomegranate above a pomegranate.
She said to him: 'Climb up, tighten your belt, spread the strength of a lion and the grip of kings.'
'Take this black hair of mine to one side. It is meant to serve you, this hair of mine.'
Zal gazed at that moon faced girl, struck with wonder at her face and her hair.
He answered: 'That would not be fair. Let no bright day ever see such a thing,'
'that I, reckless, lay hands to harm your life and drive a sharp arrow into this wounded heart.'
He took a lasso from a servant, gave it a loop, tossed it up with ease and without a breath's delay.
It caught on the top of the battlement, and he climbed from the base straight up to the top.
When he sat again on the top of that wall, the fairy faced girl came and bowed low to him.
Then she took Zal's hand in her own, and the two of them walked off like people drunk.
He came down from the roof of the high palace, her hand in his, a tall branch in his hand.
They came to a golden painted room, into that royal chamber.
It was a paradise, adorned and full of light, servants standing ready and a beauty before them.
Zal the fair remained lost in wonder at that face, that hair, that stature and grace,
with her bracelets, her necklace, her earrings, of gold and jewels like a spring garden.
Her two cheeks like tulips among jasmine, her curling locks fold upon fold.
And Zal, with the splendor of a king of kings, seated in glory beside that moon.
A dagger slung across his chest, a crown of red rubies upon his head.
There were kisses and embraces and wine, yet the lion did not seize its prey.
The warrior spoke to that moon faced girl: 'You silver bodied cypress, sweet in color and scent,'
'if Manuchehr hears this story, he will not consent to this affair.'
'And Sam, son of Nariman, will raise a cry; he will boil over at me for this.'
'But this soul and body are not so precious. I will count them cheap and wrap myself in a shroud.'
'I have promised my just Judge that I will never break my pledge to you.'
'I will go before God and praise Him, and pray like those who worship the Lord,'
'that He may wash the hearts of Sam and the king of the land clean of anger and strife and hatred.'
'May the Maker of the world hear my words, so that you may become my wife openly.'
Rudabeh said to him: 'I too, in the same way, have made a promise before the Judge of faith and creed,'
'that no one shall be king over me, with the Maker of the world as witness to my word,'
'no one but the champion of the world, Zal the fair, who has throne and crown and beauty and grace.'
Their love grew greater by the moment; reason was far off, and longing near.
So it went until dawn rose from its place and the drum sounded from the royal tents.
Then the daylight bade that moon farewell, weaving warp and weft of him upon herself.
From the height Zal threw down his lasso and climbed down from the palace of his blessed love.