بخش 8

When the king had finished, he summoned Siyahpil, praised him, and entrusted to him the envoys of the Chinese commander, saying: take them from Iran and see them across the border. The two envoys, humble and abased, departed from the world-seeking sovereign and came to Khallakh—yet in Khallakh no fortune met them: glimpsing from afar the king’s palace with a black standard raised upon it, they dismounted from their pacing mounts, hearts broken and eyes dim, walked on foot to his presence, their garments blackened and their faces wan, and handed him the royal letter fit for men of spear. The scribe opened the letter and read it before that sorcerous-blooded king. The letter declared: after Lohrasp came Goshtasp, guardian of the world and worthy of the throne, raised to sovereignty by the Almighty’s envoy, with all nobles standing before him; and this writing is to Arjasp the Turk, foul and mighty, whose semblance is that of an old wolf—who has turned his head from right rite and the good religion, choosing the path of blindness and folly. When the base writing he had sent to the sovereign reached him, and he heard and saw words unfit to be spoken, he flared and said: you claimed that within two months you would bring an army to the happy realm; neither two nor four— I myself, like a hunting lion, will come to you. You heap pain upon yourself, while we have flung wide the gates of toil. I will bring thousands upon thousands of champions, all seasoned men of the spear; all of Iraj’s and Pahlav’s seed, not Afrasiab’s nor Yabghu’s; all kingly-faced and moon-cheeked, cypress-tall and truth-speaking; all of royal estate and station, of treasure and diadem; the world has worn them with hardship and grace; all lion-grapplers, all exalted; all spearmen, sword-wielders, riders who spur, breakers of armies. When they hear the war-drums tied upon elephants, their horses’ hooves will humble mountains. Among them, two chosen heroes ride: Zarir the general and Esfandiyar; when they don iron cuirass, they set foot upon sun and moon; when they hang the shining mace at their neck, glory and might gleam from their maces; when they stand before the host, you must look to them; like the sun upon crown and throne, fortune and splendor stream from their spears. Such are the champions and commanders, the select and approved of the mobeds. You may pour the Seyhun and the Jayhun out like musk— to us it is the same, Jayhun or Seyhun or dry bed. They gallop their chargers over water so that the spring of the sun seems a thread. On the day of battle, if God wills, I shall press your head beneath my tread. When the master of messengers read the letter, he descended from the dais and stood dazed; he told his commander: at dawn tomorrow, summon the army from all the kingship. The Tegins of the Chinese Turks moved every which way through Turan and recalled his forces—the border wardens of his country. His brothers were two fiends: Kahram and Andiman. He commanded them to choose a thousand champions of the war-band, gave them drums, elephants, and standards dressed in yellow, red, and purple; gifted them three hundred thousand chosen heroes; opened the treasury and gave pay, sounded bronze trumpets, set up the baggage train; then he called his brother and gave him one wing of the army, gave Andiman the other, and himself marched in the center with a son. There was a Turk named Gorgsar, upon whom much time had passed; he made him general of the host—a man, you would say, who knew nothing but evil. He assigned raiding to Bidrafsh and gave him an elephant-figured standard. One was named Khshash the bold—whom even a lion would not receive—he set him as the army’s scout and van, bade him carry the banner and go before. Another Turk named Hush-Div received the command from the Turkic lord: guard the army’s rear—if any of us turns back along the road, kill him where you see him; be sure your wits do not waver. Thus wrath went low but did not abate: hearts ran with blood, eyes with tears; they plundered, burned palaces, tore trees up by root and bough, and brought their army into the land of Iran, wild and filled with rancor.