"Tis true he may have served my ancestors;
But what is that to me? His spirit is proud,
And he refused to yield me needful aid
When danger pressed; that is enough, and thou
Canst not divert me from my settled purpose.
Therefore, if thy aim be still
To rule, thy father's wish fulfil;
Quickly trace the distant road;
Quick invade the chiefs abode;
Bind his feet, and bind his hands
In a captive's galling bands;
Bring him here, that all may know
Thou hast quelled the mighty foe."
But Isfendiyár was still reluctant, and implored him to relinquish his
design.
"For if resolved, a gloomy cloud
Will quickly all thy glories shroud,
And dim thy brilliant throne;
I would not thus aspire to reign,
But rather, free from crime, remain
Sequestered and alone."
Again Gushtásp spoke, and said: "There is no necessity for any further
delay. Thou art appointed my successor, and the crown and the throne are
thine; thou hast therefore only to march to the scene of action, and
accomplish the object of the war." Hearing this, Isfendiyár sullenly
retired to his own house, and Gushtásp, perceiving that he was in an
angry mood, requested Jamásp (his minister) to ascertain the state of
his mind, and whether he intended to proceed to Sístán or not. Jamásp
immediately went, and Isfendiyár asked him, as his friend, what he would
advise. "The commands of a father," he replied, "must be obeyed." There
was now no remedy, and the king being informed that the prince consented
to undertake the expedition, no further discussion took place.
But Kitabún was deeply affected when she heard of these proceedings, and
repaired instantly to her son, to represent to him the hopelessness of
the enterprise he had engaged to conduct.
"A mother's counsel is a golden treasure,
Consider well, and listen not to folly.
Rustem, the champion of the world, will never
Suffer himself to be confined in bonds.
Did he not conquer the White Demon, fill
The world with blood, in terrible revenge,
When Saiáwush was by Afrásiyáb
Cruelly slain? O, curses on the throne,
And ruin seize the country, which returns
Evil for good, and spurns its benefactor.
Restrain thy steps, engage not in this war;
It cannot do thee honour. Hear my voice!
For Rustem still can conquer all the world."
Hear the safe counsel of thy anxious mother!
Thus spoke Kitabún, shedding ceaseless tears;
And thus Isfendiyár: "I fear not Rustem;
I fear not his prodigious power and skill;
But never can I on so great a hero
Place ignominious bonds; it must not be.
Yet, mother dear, my faithful word is pledged;
My word Jamásp has taken to the king,
And I must follow where my fortune leads."
The next morning Isfendiyár took leave of the king, and with a vast
army, and immense treasure, commenced his march towards Sístán. It
happened that one of the camels in advance laid down, and though beaten
severely, could not be made to get up on its legs. Isfendiyár, seeing
the obstinacy of the animal, ordered it to be killed, and passed on. The
people, however, interpreted the accident as a bad omen, and wished him
not to proceed; but he could not attend to their suggestions, as he
thought the king would look upon it as a mere pretence, and therefore
continued his journey.
When he approached Sístán, he sent Bahman, his eldest son, to Rustem,
with a flattering message, to induce the champion to honor him with an
istakbál, or deputation to receive him. Upon Bahman's arrival, however,
he hesitated and delayed, being reluctant to give a direct answer; but
Zál interposed, saying: "Why not immediately wait upon the prince?--have
we not always been devoted to the Kaiánian dynasty?--Go and bring him
hither, that we may tender him our allegiance, and entertain him at our
mansion as becomes his illustrious birth," Accordingly Rustem went out
to welcome Isfendiyár, and alighting from Rakush, proceeded respectfully
on foot to embrace him. He then invited him to his house, but Isfendiyár
said: "So strict are my father's commands, that after having seen thee,
I am not permitted to delay my departure." Rustem, however, pressed him
to remain with him, but all in vain. On the contrary the prince artfully
conducted him to his own quarters, where he addressed him thus: "If thou
wilt allow me to bind thee, hand and foot, in chains, I will convey thee
to the king my father, whose humor it is to see thee once in fetters,
and then to release thee!" Rustem was silent. Again Isfendiyár said: "If
thou art not disposed to comply with this demand, go thy ways," Rustem
replied: "First be my guest, as thy father once was, and after that I
will conform to thy will." Again the prince said: "My father visited
thee under other circumstances; I have come for a different purpose. If
I eat thy bread and salt, and after that thou shouldst refuse thy
acquiescence, I must have recourse to force. But if I become thy guest,
how can I in honor fight with thee? and if I do not take thee bound into
my father's presence, according to his command, what answer shall I give
to him?" "For the same reason," said Rustem; "how can I eat thy bread
and salt?" Isfendiyár then replied: "Thou needest not eat my bread and
salt, but only drink wine.--Bring thy own pure ruby." To this Rustem
agreed, and they drank, each his own wine, together.
In a short space Rustem observed that he wished to consult his father
Zál; and being allowed to depart, he, on his return home, described in
strong terms of admiration the personal appearance and mental qualities
of Isfendiyár.
"In wisdom ripe, and with a form
Of brass to meet the battle-storm,
Thou wouldst confess his every boon,
Had been derived from Feridún."
Bashútan in the meanwhile observed to his brother, with some degree of
dissatisfaction, that his enemy had come into his power, on his own feet
too, but had been strangely permitted to go away again. To this gentle
reproof Isfendiyár confidently replied, "If he does fail to return, I
will go and secure him in bonds, even in his own house,"--"Ah!" said
Bashútan, "that might be done by gentleness, but not by force, for the
descendant of Sám, the champion of the world, is not to be subdued so
easily." These words had a powerful effect upon the mind of Isfendiyár,
and he became apprehensive that Rustem would not return; but whilst he
was still murmuring at his own want of vigilance, the champion appeared,
and at this second interview repeated his desire that the prince would
become his guest. "I am sent here by my father, who relies upon thy
accepting his proffered hospitality."--"That may be," said Isfendiyár,
"but I am at my utmost limit, I cannot go farther. From this place,
therefore, thou hadst better prepare to accompany me to Irán." Here
Rustem paused, and at length artfully began to enumerate his various
achievements, and to blazon his own name.
"I fettered fast the emperor of Chin,
And broke the enchantment of the Seven Khans;
I stood the guardian of the Persian kings,
Their shield in danger. I have cleared the world
Of all their foes, enduring pain and toil
Incalculable. Such exploits for thee
Will I achieve, such sufferings will I bear,
And hence we offer thee a social welcome.
But let not dark suspicion cloud thy mind,
Nor think thyself exalted as the heavens,
Because I thus invite thee to our home."
Isfendiyár felt so indignant and irritated by this apparent boasting and
self-sufficiency of Rustem, that his first impulse was to cast a dagger
at him; but he kept down his wrath, and satisfied himself with giving
him a scornful glance, and telling him to take a seat on his left hand.
But Rustem resented this affront, saying that he never yet had sat down
on the left of any king, and placed himself, without permission, on the
right hand of Isfendiyár. The unfavorable impression on the prince's
mind was increased by this independent conduct, and he was provoked to
say to him, "Rustem! I have heard that Zál, thy father, was of demon
extraction, and that Sám cast him into the desert because of his
disgusting and abominable appearance; that even the hungry Símúrgh, on
the same account, forebore to feed upon him, but conveyed him to her
nest among her own young ones, who, pitying his wretched condition,
supplied him with part of the carrion they were accustomed to devour.
Naked and filthy, he is thus said to have subsisted on garbage, till Sám
was induced to commiserate his wretchedness, and take him to Sástán,
where, by the indulgence of his family and royal bounty, he was
instructed in human manners and human science." This was a reproach and
an insult too biting for Rustem to bear with any degree of patience, and
frowning with strong indignation, he said, "Thy father knows, and thy
grandfather well knew that Zál was the son of Sám, and Sám of Narímán,
and that Narímán was descended from Húsheng. Thou and I, therefore, have
the same origin. Besides, on my mother's side, I am descended from
Zohák, so that by both parents I am of a race of princes. Knowest thou
not that the Iránian empire was for some time in my hands, and that I
refused to retain it, though urged by the nobles and the army to
exercise the functions of royalty? It was my sense of justice, and
attachment to the Kais and to thy family, which have enabled thee to
possess thy present dignity and command. It is through my fidelity and
zeal that thou art now in a situation to reproach me. Thou hast slain
one king, Arjásp, how many kings have I slain? Did I not conquer
Afrásiyáb, the greatest and bravest king that ever ruled over Túrán? And
did I not also subdue the king of Hámáverán, and the Khakán of Chín?
Káús, thy own ancestor, I released from the demons of Mázinderán. I slew
the White Demon, and the tremendous giant, Akwán Díw. Can thy
insignificant exploits be compared with mine? Never!" Rustem's
vehemence, and the disdainful tone of his voice, exasperated still more
the feelings of Isfendiyár, who however recollected that he was under
his roof, otherwise he would have avenged himself instantly on the spot.
Restraining his anger, he then said softly to him, "Wherefore dost thou
raise thy voice so high? For though thy head be exalted to the skies,
thou wert, and still art, but a dependent on the Kais. And was thy
Heft-khan equal in terrible danger to mine? Was the capture of
Mázinderán equal in valorous exertion to the capture of the Brazen
Fortress? And did I not, by the power of my sword, diffuse throughout
the world the blessings of my own religion, the faith of the
fire-worshipper, which was derived from Heaven itself? Thou hast
performed the duties of a warrior and a servant, whilst I have performed
the holy functions of a sovereign and a prophet!" Rustem, in reply,
said:--
"In thy Heft-khan thou hadst twelve thousand men
Completely armed, with ample stores and treasure,
Whilst Rakush and my sword, my conquering sword,
Were all the aid I had, and all I sought,
In that prodigious enterprise of mine.
Two sisters thou released--no arduous task,
Whilst I recovered from the demon's grasp
The mighty Káús, and the monsters slew,
Roaring like thunder in their dismal caves.
"This great exploit my single arm achieved;
And when Kai-khosráu gave the regal crown
To Lohurásp, the warriors were incensed,
And deemed Fríburz, Káús's valiant son,
Fittest by birth to rule. My sire and I
Espoused the cause of Lohurásp; else he
Had never sat upon the throne, nor thou
Been here to treat with scorn thy benefactor.
And now Gushtásp, with foul ingratitude,
Would bind me hand and foot! But who on earth
Can do that office? I am not accustomed
To hear harsh terms, and cannot brook their sting,
Therefore desist. Once in Káús's court,
When I was moved to anger, I poured out
Upon him words of bitterest scorn and rage,
And though surrounded by a thousand chiefs,
Not one attempted to repress my fury,
Not one, but all stood silent and amazed."
"Smooth that indignant brow," the prince replied
"And measure not my courage nor my strength
With that of Káús; had he nerve like mine?
Thou might'st have kept the timorous king in awe,
But I am come myself to fetter thee!"
So saying, he the hand of Rustem grasped,
And wrung it so intensely, that the champion
Felt inwardly surprised, but careless said,
"The time is not yet come for us to try
Our power in battle." Then Isfendiyár
Dropped Rustem's hand, and spoke, "To-day let wine
Inspire our hearts, and on the field to-morrow
Be ours the strife, with battle-axe and sword,
And my first aim shall be to bind thee fast,
And show thee to my troops, Rustem in fetters!"
At this the champion smiled, and thus exclaimed,
"Where hast thou seen the deeds of warriors brave?
Where hast thou heard the clash of mace and sword
Wielded by men of valour? I to-morrow
Will take thee in my arms, and straight convey thee
To Zál, and place thee on the ivory throne,
And on thy head a crown of gold shall glitter.
The treasury I will open, and our troops
Shall fight for thee, and I will gird my loins
As they were girt for thy bold ancestors;
And when thou art the chosen king, and I
Thy warrior-chief, the world will be thy own;
No other sovereign need attempt to reign."
"So much time has been spent in vain boasting, and extravagant
self-praise," rejoined Isfendiyár, "that the day is nearly done, and I
am hungry; let us therefore take some refreshment together." Rustem's
appetite being equally keen, the board was spread, and every dish that
was brought to him he emptied at once, as if at one swallow; then he
threw aside the goblets, and called for the large flagon that he might
drink his fill without stint. When he had finished several dishes and as
many flagons of wine, he paused, and Isfendiyár and the assembled chiefs
were astonished at the quantity he had devoured. He now prepared to
depart, and the prince said to him, "Go and consult with thy father: if
thou art contented to be bound, well; if not, thou wilt have cause to
repent, for I will assuredly attend to the commands of Gushtásp."--"Do
thou also consult with thy brethren and friends," replied Rustem,
"whether thou wilt be our guest to-morrow, or not; if not, come to this
place before sunrise, that we may decide our differences in battle."
Isfendiyár said, "My most anxious desire, my wish to heaven, is to meet
thee, for I shall have no difficulty in binding thee hand and foot. I
would indeed willingly convey thee without fetters to my father, but if
I did so, he would say that I was unable to put thee in bonds, and that
would disgrace my name." Rustem observed that the immense number of men
and demons he had contended against was as nothing in the balance of his
mind compared with the painful subject of his present thoughts and
fears. He was ready to engage, but afraid of meriting a bad name.
"If in the battle thou art slain by me,
Will not my cheek turn pale among the princes
Of the Kaiánian race, having cut off
A lovely branch of that illustrious tree?
Will not reproaches hang upon my name
When I am dead, and shall I not be cursed
For perpetrating such a horrid deed?
Thy father, too, is old, and near his end,
And thou upon the eve of being crowned;
And in thy heart thou knowest that I proffered,
And proffer my allegiance and devotion,
And would avoid the conflict. Sure, thy father
Is practising some trick, some foul deception,
To urge thee on to an untimely death,
To rid himself of some unnatural fear,
He stoops to an unnatural, treacherous act,
For I have ever been the firm support
Of crown and throne, and perfectly he knows
No mortal ever conquered me in battle,
None ever from my sword escaped his life."
Then spoke Isfendiyár: "Thou wouldst be generous
And bear a spotless name, and tarnish mine;
But I am not to be deceived by thee:
In fetters thou must go!" Rustem replied:
"Banish that idle fancy from thy brain;
Dream not of things impossible, for death
Is busy with thee; pause, or thou wilt die."
"No more!" exclaimed the prince, "no more of this.
Nor seek to frighten me with threatening words;
Go, and to-morrow bring with thee thy friends,
Thy father and thy brother, to behold
With their own eyes thy downfall, and lament
In sorrow over thy impending fate."
"So let it be," said Rustem, and at once
Mounted his noble horse, and hastened home.
The champion immediately requested his father's permission to go and
fight Isfendiyár the following day, but the old man recommended
reconciliation and peace. "That cannot be," said Rustem, "for he has
reviled thee so severely, and heaped upon me so many indignities, that
my patience is exhausted, and the contest unavoidable." In the morning
Zál, weeping bitterly, tied on Rustem's armor himself, and in an agony
of grief, said: "If thou shouldst kill Isfendiyár, thy name will be
rendered infamous throughout the world; and if thou shouldst be killed,
Sístán will be prostrate in the dust, and extinguished forever! My heart
shudders at the thoughts of this battle, but there is no remedy." Rustem
said to him:--"Put thy trust in God, and be not sorrowful, for when I
grasp my sword the head of the enemy is lost; but my desire is to take
Isfendiyár alive, and not to kill him. I would serve him, and not sever
his head from his body." Zál was pleased with this determination, and
rejoiced that there was a promise of a happy issue to the engagement.
In the morning Rustem arrayed himself in his war-attire, helmet and
breast-plate, and mounted Rakush, also armed in his bargustuwan. His
troops, too, were all assembled, and Zál appointed Zúára to take charge
of them, and be careful of his brother on all occasions where assistance
might be necessary. The old man then prostrated himself in prayer, and
said, "O God, turn from us all affliction, and vouchsafe to us a
prosperous day." Rustem being prepared for the struggle, directed Zúára
to wait with the troops at a distance, whilst he went alone to meet
Isfendiyár. When Bashútan first saw him, he thought he was coming to
offer terms of peace, and said to Isfendiyár, "He is coming alone, and
it is better that he should go to thy father of his own accord, than in
bonds."--"But," replied Isfendiyár, "he is coming completely equipped in
mail--quick, bring me my arms."--"Alas!" rejoined Bashútan, "thy brain
is wild, and thou art resolved upon fighting. This impetuous spirit will
break my heart." But Isfendiyár took no notice of the gentle rebuke.
Presently he saw Rustem ascend a high place, and heard his summons to
single combat. He then told his brother to keep at a distance with the
army, and not to interfere till aid was positively required. Insisting
rigidly on these instructions, he mounted his night-black charger, and
hastened towards Rustem, who now proposed to him that they should wait
awhile, and that in the meantime the two armies might be put in motion
against each other. "Though," said he, "my men of Zábul are few, and
thou hast a numerous host."
"This is a strange request," replied the prince,
"But thou art all deceit and artifice;
Mark thy position, lofty and commanding,
And mine, beneath thee--in a spreading vale.
Now, Heaven forbid that I, in reckless mood,
Should give my valiant legions to destruction,
And look unpitying on! No, I advance,
Whoever may oppose me; and if thou
Requirest aid, select thy friend, and come,
For I need none, save God, in battle--none."
And Rustem said the same, for he required
No human refuge, no support but Heaven.
The battle rose, and numerous javelins whizzed
Along the air, and helm and mail were bruised;
Spear fractured spear, and then with shining swords
The strife went on, till, trenched with many a wound,
They, too, snapped short. The battle-axe was next
Wielded, in furious wrath; each bending forward
Struck brain-bewildering blows; each tried in vain
To hurl the other from his fiery horse.
Wearied, at length, they stood apart to breathe
Their charges panting from excessive toil,
Covered with foam and blood, and the strong armor,
Of steed and rider rent. The combatants
Thus paused, in mutual consternation lost.
In the meantime Zúára, impatient at this delay, advanced towards the
Iránians, and reproached them for their cowardice so severely, that
Núsháwer, the younger son of Isfendiyár, felt ashamed, and immediately
challenged the bravest of the enemy to fight. Alwaí, one of Rustem's
followers, came boldly forward, but his efforts only terminated in his
discomfiture and death. After him came Zúára himself:--
Who galloped to the charge incensed, and, high
Lifting his iron mace, upon the head
Of bold Núsháwer struck a furious blow,
Which drove him from his steed a lifeless corse.
Seeing their gallant leader thus overthrown,
The troops in terror fled, and in their flight
Thousands were slain, among them brave Mehrnús,
Another kinsman of Isfendiyár.
Bahman, observing the defeat and confusion of the Iránians, went
immediately to his father, and told him that two of his own family were
killed by the warriors of Zábul, who had also attacked him and put his
troops to the rout with great slaughter. Isfendiyár was extremely
irritated at this intelligence, and called aloud to Rustem: "Is
treachery like this becoming in a warrior?" The champion being deeply
concerned, shook like a branch, and swore by the head and life of the
king, by the sun, and his own conquering sword, that he was ignorant of
the event, and innocent of what had been done. To prove what he said, he
offered to bind in fetters his brother Zúára, who must have authorized
the movement; and also to secure Ferámurz, who slew Mehrnús, and deliver
them over to Gushtásp, the fire-worshipper. "Nay," said he, "I will
deliver over to thee my whole family, as well as my brother and son, and
thou mayest sacrifice them all as a punishment for having commenced the
fight without permission." Isfendiyár replied: "Of what use would it be
to sacrifice thy brother and thy son? Would that restore my own to me?
No. Instead of them, I will put thee to death, therefore come on!"
Accordingly both simultaneously bent their bows, and shot their arrows
with the utmost rapidity; but whilst Rustem's made no impression, those
of Isfendiyár's produced great effect on the champion and his horse. So
severely was Rakush wounded, that Rustem, when he perceived how much his
favorite horse was exhausted, dismounted, and continued to impel his
arrows against the enemy from behind his shield. But Rakush brooked not
the dreadful storm, and galloped off unconscious that his master himself
was in as bad a plight. When Zúára saw the noble animal, riderless,
crossing the plain, he gasped for breath, and in an agony of grief
hurried to the fatal spot, where he found Rustem desperately hurt, and
the blood flowing copiously from every wound. The champion observed,
that though he was himself bleeding so much, not one drop of blood
appeared to have issued from the veins of his antagonist. He was very
weak, but succeeded in dragging himself up to his former position, when
Isfendiyár, smiling to see them thus, exclaimed:--
"Is this the valiant Rustem, the renowned,
Quitting the field of battle? Where is now
The raging tiger, the victorious chief?
Was it from thee the Demons shrunk in terror,
And did thy burning sword sear out their hearts?
What has become of all thy valour now?
Where is thy matchless mace, and why art thou,
The roaring lion, turned into a fox,
An animal of slyness, not of courage,
Losing thy noble character and name?"
Zúára, when he came to Rustem, alighted and resigned his horse to his
brother; and placing an arrow on his bow-string, wished himself to
engage Isfendiyár, who was ready to fight him, but Rustem cried, "No, I
have not yet done with thee." Isfendiyár replied: "I know thee well, and
all thy dissimulation, but nothing yet is accomplished. Come and consent
to be fettered, or I must compel thee." Rustem, however, was not to be
overcome, and he said: "If I were really subdued by thee, I might agree
to be bound like a vanquished slave; but the day is now closing,
to-morrow we will resume the fight!" Isfendiyár acquiesced, and they
separated, Rustem going to his own tent, and the prince remaining on the
field. There he affectionately embraced the severed heads of his
kinsmen, placed them himself on a bier, and sent them to his father, the
king, with a letter in which he said, "Thy commands must be obeyed, and
such is the result of to-day; Heaven only knows what may befall
to-morrow." Then he spoke privately to Bashútan: "This Rustem is not
human, he is formed of rock and iron, neither sword nor javelin has done
him mortal harm; but the arrows went deep into his body, and it will
indeed be wonderful if he lives throughout the night. I know not what to
think of to-morrow, or how I shall be able to overcome him."
When Rustem arrived at his quarters, Zál soon discovered that he had
received many wounds, which occasioned great affliction in his family,
and he said: "Alas! that in my old age such a misfortune should have
befallen us, and that with my own eyes I should see these gaping
wounds!" He then rubbed Rustem's feet, and applied healing balm to the
wounds, and bound them up with the skill and care of a physician. Rustem
said to his father: "I never met with a foe, warrior or demon, of such
amazing strength and bravery as this! He seems to have a brazen body,
for my arrows, which I can drive through an anvil, cannot penetrate his
chest. If I had applied the power which I have exerted to a mountain,
the mountain would have moved from its base, but he sat firmly upon his
saddle and scorned my efforts. I thank God that it is night, and that I
have escaped from his grasp. To-morrow I cannot fight, and my secret
wish is to retire unseen from the struggle, that no trace of me may be
discovered."--"In that case," replied Zál, "the victor will come and
take me and all my family into bondage. But let us not despair. Did not
the Símúrgh promise that whenever I might be overcome by adversity, if I
burned one of her feathers, she would instantly appear? Shall we not
then solicit assistance in this awful extremity?" So saying, Zál went up
to a high place, and burnt the feather in a censer, and in a short time
the Símúrgh stood before him. After due praise and acknowledgment, he
explained his wants. "But," said he, "may the misfortune we endure be
far from him who has brought it upon us. My son Rustem is wounded almost
unto death, and I am so helpless that I can do him no good." He then
brought forward Rakush, pierced by numerous arrows; upon which the
wonderful Bird said to him, "Be under no alarm on that account, for I
will soon cure him;" and she immediately plucked out the rankling
weapons with her beak, and the wounds, on passing a feather over them,
were quickly healed.
To Rustem now she turns, and soothes his grief,
And drawing forth the arrows, sucks the blood
From out the wounds, which at her bidding close,
And the illustrious champion is restored
To life and power.
Being thus reinvigorated by the magic influence of the Símúrgh, he
solicits further aid in the coming strife with Isfendiyár; but the
mysterious animal laments that she cannot assist him. "There never
appeared in the world," said she, "so brave and so perfect a hero as
Isfendiyár. The favor of Heaven is with him, for in his Heft-khan he, by
some artifice, succeeded in killing a Símúrgh, and the further thou art
removed from his invincible arm, the greater will be thy safety." Here
Zál interposed and said: "If Rustem retires from the contest, his family
will all be enslaved, and I shall equally share their bondage and
affliction." The Símúrgh, hearing these words, fell into deep thought,
and remained some time silent. At length she told Rustem to mount Rakush
and follow her. Away she went to a far distance; and crossing a great
river, arrived at a place covered with reeds, where the Kazú-tree
abounded. The Símúrgh then rubbed one of her feathers upon the eyes of
Rustem, and directed him to take a branch of the Kazú-tree, and make it
straight upon the fire, and form that wand into a forked arrow; after
which he was to advance against Isfendiyár, and, placing the arrow on
his bow-string, shoot it into the eyes of his enemy. "The arrow will
only make him blind," said the Símúrgh, "but he who spills the blood of
Isfendiyár will never be free from calamity during his whole life. The
Kazú-tree has also this peculiar quality: an arrow made of it is sure to
accomplish its intended errand--it never misses the aim of the archer."
Rustem expressed his boundless gratitude for this information and
assistance; and the Símúrgh having transported him back to his tent, and
affectionately kissed his face, returned to her own habitation. The
champion now prepared the arrow according to the instructions he had
received; and when morning dawned, mounted his horse, and hastened to
the field. He found Isfendiyár still sleeping, and exclaimed aloud:
"Warrior, art thou still slumbering? Rise, and see Rustem before thee!"
When the prince heard his stern voice, he started up, and in great
anxiety hurried on his armor. He said to Bashútan, "I had uncharitably
thought he would have died of his wounds in the night, but this clear
and bold voice seems to indicate perfect health--go and see whether his
wounds are bound up or not, and whether he is mounted on Rakush or on
some other horse." Rustem perceived Bashútan approach with an
inquisitive look, and conjectured that his object was to ascertain the
condition of himself and Rakush. He therefore vociferated to him: "I am
now wholly free from wounds, and so is my horse, for I possess an elixir
which heals the most cruel lacerations of the flesh the moment it is
applied; but no such wounds were inflicted upon me, the arrows of
Isfendiyár being only like needles sticking in my body." Bashútan now
reported to his brother that Rustem appeared to be more fresh and
vigorous than the day before, and, thinking from the spirit and
gallantry of his demeanor that he would be victorious in another
contest, he strongly recommended a reconciliation.