Section 2: Pashang Prepares for War

Then the news of King Manuchehr's death reached the army of Turan. They told the suspicious one, point by point, how Nozar's rule was faltering. When Pashang, the leader of the Turks, heard this, he resolved to march on Iran for war. He recalled his ancestor Zadsham, and heaved a bitter sigh in memory of Tur. He spoke of Manuchehr and his army, of its warriors, its commander, and its land. He summoned all the famous men of his realm and the great ones of his army. Men like Arjasp, Garsivaz, and Barman, and Kalbad, a roaring lion in battle. And his general Visa of the fierce grip, who commanded Pashang's forces. He called his son, the world's champion Afrasiab, and the young man came at once. He spoke of Tur and of Salm, saying that vengeance cannot be kept hidden away. To anyone whose mind is not asleep, such a matter is no secret. He said: think what the Iranians did to us, how they all girded themselves for our harm. Now is the day for fury and revenge, the hour to wash our faces with their blood. At his father's words Afrasiab lost all rest, all appetite for food and sleep. He stood before his father, ready of speech, his heart full of vengeance, his belt bound tight. He said: I am the one fit to fight lions; I am the match for Iran's commander. If Zadsham had once raised his sword, he would never have left the world to Garshasp. Had he girded himself for revenge, none but he would have ruled over Iran. Now whatever our forefathers left undone, the seeking of revenge, the schemes, the cunning arts, my sharp blade will settle it all; now is the time of my uprising and upheaval. Eagerness rushed into Pashang's mind when he saw Afrasiab's tall, straight frame, the chest and arm of a lion, the strength of an elephant, casting a shadow that stretched for miles. His tongue was like a cutting blade, his heart deep as the sea, his hand a rain-heavy cloud. So he ordered him to draw the sword of war and march on Iran with Pashang's army. When a commander sees his son is worthy, he may well raise his own head to the sun, for after death his name lives on, since his son becomes the leader who carries it forward. When the plans for war were ready, Aghrirath, the wise guide, came to the palace. He came before his father with a troubled heart, a heart weighed down by worry. He said: O experienced father, you who have risen high in manhood among the Turks, though Manuchehr is gone from Iran, its commander now is Sam, son of Nariman, and there is Garshasp, and Qaren the warrior, besides the other famous men of that gathering. You know what that sword-wielding old wolf did to the mighty Salm and Tur. Our ancestor Zadsham, king of Turan's army, whose helmet once brushed the sky and the moon, spoke no word of this, and never in peace read out the roll of vengeance. It would be better if we stayed still, for this movement will only bring chaos to the land. Pashang answered his son this way: Afrasiab, that valiant crocodile, is a fierce lion on the day of the hunt, a war-elephant in the field of battle. You too must go with him, and in every matter, great or small, give him sound counsel. A grandson who does not seek his forefather's revenge, it is right to call his lineage false. When the frown lifts from the skirts of the clouds, the desert grows moist with rain, mountain and plain become pasture for horses, and the grass grows taller than a hero's shoulders. When the whole world turns green with young shoots, you must pitch your tents upon the plain. Lead the army toward Amol, and ride with a glad heart over grass and flowers. Trample Dehestan and Gorgan under your hooves, and turn their waters ruby-red with blood. From that place Manuchehr the war-seeker turned in vengeance against Tur; he battled Qaren the warrior, and the hero Garshasp from that same company. If only on the field of vengeance you can get your hands on these two proud men of Iran, then gladden the souls of our ancestors, and set the hearts of our enemies ablaze. So he said to the glory-seeking champion: I will make blood flow in rivers for revenge.