He gave this reply to Kay Kavus, the king,

That if the sea were wine, it would still not suffice.

My court is far greater than yours,

And my army numbers in the thousands upon thousands.

Wherever they turn their face toward battle,

No trace of color or scent will remain within the stone.

I will now bring forth an army of lion-hearted men,

And awaken you from your sweet slumber.

With one thousand two hundred war elephants,

While not a single elephant is in your court.

I shall raise a dark cloud of dust from Iran,

So high that they cannot tell the heights from the depths.

When Farhad heard his judgment,

His loftiness, sharpness, and cleverness.

He strove to find a reply to the letter,

And turned his reins toward the leader of Iran.

He came and told what he had seen and heard,

And tore through the veils of all secrets.

He said, 'He deems himself higher than the heavens,

And his lofty thoughts do not bow to anything below.'

He turned away from my words as well,

The world, in his eyes, is worth nothing at all.

The world-ruler summoned the hero,

And Farhad recounted everything to him.

Kay Kavus then spoke to the mighty Rustam,

'I shall leave this assembly for this disgrace.'

When Rustam heard this, he replied again,

'In the presence of the king, small ones deserve grace.'

'I must go to him with your message,

And unsheathe my words like a sword.'

'A letter must be like a sharp sword,

And its message like a roaring cloud.'

'I shall go as a messenger to him,

And with my words, make his blood flow like a stream.'

To this, Kay Kavus the king replied,

'From you, the crown and seal shine brightly.'

'You are the messenger and the brave elephant,

Always triumphant against lions in battle.'

He ordered the scribe to step forward,

And he sharpened the pen like an arrow's tip.

'He said, this worthless speech,

Is unbefitting of a wise person.'

'If you empty yourself of this arrogance,

And submit to command like a humble servant.'

'If not, I shall march an army against you,

And bring troops from sea to sea.'

'The soul of the malevolent White Demon,

Will promise vultures the feast of your brain.'