To Salm and Tur came this news to be known

That the royal throne had brightly shone

The hearts of both tyrants filled with fear

For their stars descended, doom drawing near

The two sat down in deep reflection

The days grew dark for those of oppression

Together their counsel became firm and sound

A solution from this plight must be found

To send someone to Fereydun, they agreed

Apology alone could fulfill this need

They sought from the council, both of them there

A wise and eloquent man who was fair

To that man of wisdom, dignity, and shame

They spoke with fervent pleas and aim

They opened the treasures of the Eastern land

Saw dread descend from high to sand

They sought from the treasure a golden crown

And adorned the backs of elephants renowned

In carriages laden with musk and ambergris

Fine silk, gold coins, furs, and tapestries

With elephant-drawn carts, fragrant and grand

From the East to Iran, they turned their band

Whoever stood at the monarch's gate

Received a keepsake, small or great

When their hearts were emptied of desire

The envoy arrived, richly attired

To Fereydun, they conveyed their plea

First, they praised the Creator reverently

May Fereydun the mighty forever reign

And all virtue to him God ordain

May his head be verdant, his body esteemed

His spirit transcends the heavens' gleam

That those two tyrants, unjust and unkind

Were full of tears for shaming their kind

Regretful hearts have turned towards repentance

They seek the path of apology

What the wise have said

That whoever does evil will face punishment

They remain in sorrow with hearts full of pain

As we have remained, O noble king

This was written for us by fate

Following the way of fate has become our path

The world-burning lion and the male dragon

Cannot escape the trap of fate

And also the command of the impure demon

Took the heart away in fear of the world's ruler

Such blind evil intent came upon us

That the minds of two sons became evil places

We hope from that crown-wearer

That he may bring mercy upon us

Although our sin is great

He may place ignorance before the court

And another excuse is the high sky

Which sometimes is a refuge and sometimes a harm

The third is the demon in the midst like a runner

Who binds the waist for harm

If the king's head turns away from our vengeance

Our faith will be purified and enlightened

Send Manuchehr with a great army

To those who seek favor

So that we may stand before him as servants

We will be forever loyal, and this is our decision

Perhaps that tree which grew from this vengeance

Can be washed with the water of two eyes

We will strive to give it water and effort

When it becomes fresh, we will give it a crown and treasure

The messenger came with a heart full of words

The words had neither a clear beginning nor end

With elephants, treasures, and riches untold

They arrived adorned at the king’s threshold

To King Fereydun, the news was brought

He ordered the royal throne to be sought

They adorned it with fine Chinese silk so rare

And polished the Kiani crown with care

The king sat upon the turquoise throne

Like a cypress tall, with the moon overgrown

With crown, necklace, and earrings bright

As befits a king of majesty and might

Blessed Manuchehr sat beside the king

With his crown upon his head, glistening

With a golden mace and golden belt displayed

The earth shone like sunlight where they stayed

On both sides, nobles in rows aligned

From head to toe, with gold they shined

One hand restrained lions and leopards fierce

The other led mighty war elephants pierced

Out came the noble Shapur from the court

He brought forth Salm’s envoy, as was sought

The envoy, seeing the king’s grand door,

On foot, he rushed forward across the floor

When he approached the mighty Fereydun near

He saw the lofty throne and crown so clear

He lowered his head humbly before the throne

And bowed his face to the earth, alone

The precious king, ruler of the world so wide

Offered him a place on a golden seat by his side

The envoy praised the king with reverence deep

O glory of the crown, throne, and seal you keep

The earth blooms under your throne’s great height

Time shines bright from the fortune you ignite

We are all servants of the dust beneath your feet

Purely alive by your wisdom, our guide complete

The message of the two bloodthirsty ones was delivered

All truths were concealed

The eloquent and wise man

The world-ruling king listened to him

Apologizing for evil deeds

Asking for Manuchehr to be brought to him

Binding him like a captive

Entrusting him with the great crown and throne

Buying back his father's blood

With dinars, silk, crown, and belt

The messenger spoke, and the commander listened

The answer to that bond came as a key

When the world-ruling king heard

The message of the two impure-minded sons

He spoke to the noble one individually

How can you hide the sun?

The hidden hearts of those two vile men

Became brighter than the sun

I heard everything you said

See what answer you get in return

Tell those two shameless impure ones

Two tyrannical, evil-hearted, and reckless ones

That foolish words are worthless

We will not speak of this further

If you have affection for Manuchehr

Where is the body of your famous Iraj?

He was the prey of beasts and traps

His head placed in a narrow coffin

Now that you have disposed of Iraj

You have prepared for Manuchehr's vengeance

You will not see his face except with an army

Wearing a steel helmet on his head

With a mace and the Kaviani banner

Turning the ground purple with the hooves of horses

The commander, like Qaren, a warrior bold

Like Shapur, steadfast, with a sword to hold

With one hand, brave Shidoosh stood in fight

Like lion-hearted Shirouyeh, a guide of might

Like Saam Nariman and the cedar of Yemen

Standing before the army, wise among men

The tree that from Iraj’s vengeance grew

Its fruits and leaves we’ll wash with blood anew

Till now, no one sought revenge for this pain

For fate has never shown a straight lane

Not fitting was it with your two sons by your side

To step forth in battle, with pride allied

Now from that tree the enemy once did uproot

A mighty branch has risen, bearing fruit

Now comes like a fierce lion, roaring with might

With his belt tightened for his father’s fight

The envoy beheld that dreadful speech unfold

And saw Manuchehr, the leader, proud and bold

He withered and rose, trembling from his place

Then mounted his steed with a hurried pace

All things destined, with a clear mind he knew

The noble young man saw this truth too

That with Salm and Tur, the heavens conspired

And soon, China’s fate they would acquire

He came like a stormy wind, swift and wild

With a head full of answers, a heart beguiled

From afar, like the East, he came into view

On the plain, a tent pavilion he knew

He approached the court of the grand tent hall

Inside the tent was the lord of the East, tall

A silken tent crafted with utmost care

Decorated with stars, its place laid bare

The two kings of two lands sat in secret discourse

And spoke of the envoy who had now returned, of course

Then the steward of the court came

And brought the messenger to the king

They adorned a new seating area

They asked for news of the new king

They inquired about everything

About the crown and the royal throne

About King Fereydun and his army

About the warriors and his kingdom

And also about the actions of the heavenly warriors

Who have favor towards Manuchehr

Who are the nobles and who is the chief counselor

What is their wealth and who is the treasurer

The messenger said, 'The clear spring

Was seen and will be seen in the king'

It is a delightful spring in Ordibehesht

All the soil is amber and all the bricks are gold

The sky is his palace and field

Paradise is his smiling face

There is no meadow as high as his portico

There is no garden as wide as his field

When I approached the portico

Its head was whispering secrets with the stars

With an elephant in one hand and a lion in the other

He brought the world under the throne

With clouds on the backs of his elephants on the golden throne

All the male lions' collars made of jewels

Drummers standing before the elephants

Trumpet sounds roaring from every side

You would say the field was boiling

The ground roaring up to the sky

I gracefully went before that noble one

I saw a tall turquoise throne

A king sat on it like the moon

With a radiant ruby crown on his head

With hair like camphor and cheeks like a rose

A heart that seeks kindness, and words that compose

The world from him, both fear and hope derived

As if Jamshid himself had revived

Manuchehr was born, tall as a cypress tree

Like Tahmuras, the demon-binder, mighty was he

Seated to the right hand of the king so wise

As if he were the king's voice and heart in disguise

In front stood Qaren, the warrior bold

On the left, the cypress of Yemen, regal and cold

The king of Yemen, like a cypress, their guide

Like victorious Garshasp, their treasurer with pride

The treasures they held defied all count

None in the world had seen such a grand amount

Around the court, soldiers in rows stood near

With golden maces and helmets shining clear

The commander, like Qaren of Kavgan’s fame

Leading the army with a fearless name

The warrior like Shirouyeh, a lion fierce

And Shapur the hero, bold as an elephant, fierce

When he tied the drum to the elephant’s height

The air turned dark as ebony with dust in flight

If that group comes to war against us this day

Mountains will become plains, and plains mountains, they say

All hearts full of vengeance, their faces drawn tight

Nothing but battle fills their hearts with delight

He recounted all he had seen with care

And the words he had heard of Fereydun’s affair

The hearts of two tyrants twisted with pain

Their faces turned azure as sorrow took reign

They sat and sought counsel in every way

But their words had neither beginning nor stay

To mighty Salm then Tur did say

That peace and joy must now be put away

That lion cub should not

Become sharp-toothed and brave

How could such a famous one be without skill

When Fereydun was his teacher

When the grandson became a counselor with the grandfather

From that place, alchemy would arise

We must prepare for war

Haste should replace delay

Riders charged out of the army

They formed an army from China and the West

A conversation arose in that land

The world turned its face towards them

An army that had no boundaries

To such an extent that their stars had no sprouts

Two armies from the West marched towards Iran

Disguised in armor and helmets

With mighty elephants and wealth

Two bloodthirsty ones with hearts set on vengeance