The Epic of Kings: Stories Retold from Firdusi |
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Ahriman anger army Aulad avenge back unto bade Bahram battle beheld behoveth Byzun Cabul combat commanded counsel craved cried deeds Deev desired earth entreated evil father fear feast fell Ferangis Feridoun Firdusi Firoud gave Gersiwaz given unto Gudarz Gushtasp hands hath head heard these words heart hero horse host Hujir Iranians Irij Isfendiyar Kai Khosrau Kai Kobad Kaianides Kaous Khosrau King knew Kobad land of Iran learned lion listen unto mace Manijeh Mazinderan messenger mighty Mihrab Minuchihr Mubids Nauder night nobles Ormuzd Pehliva Piran pray thee Rakush ready rejoiced return unto Roum Rudabeh Saum say unto Seistan sent Shah Nameh Shugdad Simurgh Sindokht Sohrab sore sorrow spake spirit spoken sprung steed Sudaveh suffered sware sword thereof thine thou hast throne told unto Turan unto Afrasiyab unto Iran unto Rustem unto Saiawush unto thee verily voice warriors wherefore Zaboulistan Zohak
Popular passages
Page 331 - And men came before him and reproached him with that which he had done unto Isfendiyar, and he knew not how he should answer them. And Bashuntan came in and saluted him not, but upbraided him with his vile deeds. And he said"Neither the Simurgh, nor Rustem, nor Zal have made an end of Isfendiyar, but only thou, for thou alone hast caused him to perish." And for the space of one year men ceased not to lament for Isfendiyar, and for many years were tears shed for that arrow. And men cried continually,...
Page 35 - ... the land. Now there standeth far from the haunts of men the Mount Alberz, whose head toucheth the stars, and never had mortal foot been planted upon its crest. And upon it had the Simurgh, the bird of marvel, builded her nest. Of ebony and of sandal-wood did she build it, and twined it with aloes, so that it was like unto a king's house, and the evil sway of Saturn could not reach thereto. And at the foot of this mount was laid the child of Saum. Then the Simurgh, when she spied the infant lying...
Page 159 - Thou errest, I am not Rustem, neither am I sprung from the race of Neriman. Rustem is a Pehliva, but I, I am a slave, and own neither a crown nor a throne," These words spake Rustem that Sohrab might be afraid when he beheld his prowess, and deem that yet greater might was hidden in the camp of his enemy. But Sohrab when he heard these words was sad, and his hopes that were risen so high were shattered, and the day that had looked so bright was made dark unto his eyes. Then he made him ready for...
Page 78 - ... summer freshness. Open then He threw his treasury — thoughtless of the past Or future — present joy absorbing all His faculties, and thrilling every nerve. In a short time Zal sent Rustem with a prodigious army against Afrasiyab, and two days afterwards set off himself and joined his son. Afrasiyab said, " The son is but a boy, and the father is old ; I shall have no difficulty in recovering the empire of Persia.
Page 157 - The hardest tasks doth Kai Kaous ever lay upon me." But the nobles would not suffer him to linger, neither to waste time in words, and they buckled upon him his armour, and they threw his leopard-skin about him, and they saddled Rakush, and made ready the hero for the strife. And they pushed him forth, and called after him: "Haste, haste, for no common combat awaiteth thee, for verily Ahriman standeth before us.
Page xxix - Sounded like whispering leafage when it rains, Who loved the ancient kings, and learned to see Their buried shapes in vision one by one, And wove their deeds in lovely minstrelsy, For all the glory that his name had won To Persia, was in exile by the sea. III In vain through sixty thousand verses clear He sang of feuds and battles, friend and foe, Of the frail heart of Kaous, spent with fear, And Kai Khosrau who vanished in the snow, And white-haired Zal who won the secret love Of Rudabeh where water-lilies...
Page 325 - ... the man with whom thou wouldst wrestle is come forth; make thee ready, therefore, to meet him." Then Isfendiyar came out from his tents, and he was armed for battle. Now when they were met, Rustem opened his mouth and prayed him yet again that he would stay his hand from this impiety. And he said"If thy soul thirsteth after blood and the tumult of battle, suffer that our hosts meet in combat, that thy desires may be satisfied." But Isfendiyar said, "Thy talk is folly; thou art armed for the conflict,...
Page 137 - For he said"Into our hands hath it been given to settle the course of the world. For it is known unto me that Sohrab is sprung from Rustem the Pehliva, but from Rustem must it be hidden who it is that goeth out against him, then peradventure he will perish by the hands of this young lion, and Iran, devoid of Rustem, will fall a prey into my hands. Then will we subdue Sohrab also, and all the world will be ours. But if it be written that Sohrab fall under the hand of Tehemten, then the grief he shall...
Page 137 - Sohrab exceeded words. . And Afrasiyab, when he heard this, hid not his contentment, and he called before him Human and Barman, the doughty. Then he bade them gather together an army and join the ranks of Sohrab, and he confided to them his secret purpose, but he enjoined them to tell no man thereof. For he said : — " Into our hands hath it been given to settle the course of the world. For it is known unto me that Sohrab is sprung from Rustem, the Pehliva, but from Rustem must it be hidden who...
Page 160 - My mind is filled with thoughts of this aged man, mine adversary, for it would seem unto me that his stature is like unto mine, and that I behold about him the tokens that my mother recounted unto me. And my heart goeth out towards him, and I muse if it be Rustem, my father. For it behoveth me not to combat him. Wherefore, I beseech thee, tell unto me how this be.