When the sun cast its rope (rays) upwards,

Flames (of light) rose from the high sky.

Sohrab put on his war armor,

He sat upon his stone-colored steed.

A Hindustani sword in his hand,

A royal helmet on his head.

A lasso on the saddle girth, ready to be thrown,

Coiled and coiled, and his face became stern.

He came and chose a high place,

A place where he could see the Iranians.

He ordered Hojir to go before him,

He said to him, “Dishonesty does not come from the arrow.

The target should not be bent (deceived),

When it becomes twisted, the wound will be less effective.

In every matter, make honesty your profession,

If you want that deficiency does not harm you.

Whatever I ask, tell all truthfully,

Do not turn away from the path of honesty at all.

If you want to find release from me,

And be glorious in every assembly.

Whatever I ask you from Iran, tell me,

Do not turn away from the path of honesty at all.

I will entrust to you an adorned treasure,

You will find much robe of honor and wealth.

And if dishonesty is your intention,

Then imprisonment and prison will be your place.

Hojir gave him such an answer that, O king,

Whatever he asks of the Iranian army,

I will tell all that I know truly,

Why should I speak with dishonesty?

He said to him, “I will ask you everything,

Of the proud ones, and of the king and the flock (people).

All the renowned ones of that land,

Like Tus, like Kavus, and Godarz.”

Of Bahram and of the renowned Rostam,

Whatever I ask you, recount to me.

Tell me about that seven-colored pavilion,

Inside it, there are tiger-skin tents.

In front of it, a hundred strong elephants are tethered,

A turquoise cradle like indigo.

A tall, sun-figured banner,

Its head is a golden moon, its sheath violet.

Who is located in the heart of the army?

What is his name among the warriors of Iran?

He said to him, “That is the king of Iran,

At his court, there are elephants and lions.”

And then he said to him, “On the right wing,

There are many riders, elephants, and equipment.”

A black pavilion is pitched,

The army is stationed around it from every side.

Around it, there are countless tents,

Behind the elephants and above it in front.

Before him is placed an elephant-figured banner,

At the door are riders with golden shoes.

He said thus, “That is Tus, son of Nowzar,

Whose banner is elephant-figured.”

He said about that red pavilion,

Many riders are around it on foot.

A lion-figured banner in gold,

One gem shining in its center.

He said thus, “That is the glory of the free men,

The world-conquering Godarz, son of Keshvad.”

He asked about that green pavilion,

A large army before him on foot.

A valuable throne in the middle,

The Kavian banner placed before him.

Upon it sits a hero,

With glory, and with strong armor and a hero's mane.

Of everyone who stands before him on foot,

His head is higher by one unit (a measure of height) when seated.

A horse before him, according to his height,

A lasso hanging down to his feet.

He roars on it every moment,

You would say that he is boiling in the saddle.

Many armored elephants before him,

That man is seething in his place.

There is no man from Iran of his height,

Nor do I see a horse comparable to his.

He saw a banner that was dragon-figured,

On that spear was a golden lion's head.

He said thus, “A renowned one from China,

Came to the king.

He asked his name from the fortunate Hojir,

He said to him, “I do not have knowledge of his name.”

“I was in this fortress in those times,

When he came to the king.”

Sohrab's heart became sad from that,

That no sign of Rostam came.

His father and mother had given him signs,

He was seeing and his eyes did not believe.

He was seeking the name from Hojir's tongue,

Perhaps those words would become acceptable to the heart.

What was written on his forehead (destiny) was different,

It would not decrease or increase from fate.

After that, he asked about those great ones,

Whose pavilions were pitched on the side.

Many riders and elephants on foot,

The sound of the trumpets arises.

A wolf-figured banner from beside him,

Its golden head raised from the curtain.

He said to him, “That is Giv, son of Godarz,

Whom the warriors call Giv-e New.”

He is the greatest and best of the Godarz family,

He is two parts superior to the Iranians.

He said to him, “From that side of the shining sun,

I see a white pavilion arising.”

Before it, riders in Roman brocade,

Have formed a rank of more than a thousand.

Foot soldiers, shield-bearers and spearmen,

Have gathered, a boundless army.

The commander is seated on an ivory throne,

A teakwood chair placed on that ivory.

A magnificent brocade hangs down from the howdah,

Slaves are standing in ranks, troop after troop.

Near the pavilion, by the tent,

In the vestibule, some are on foot.

He said to him, “They call him Fariborz,

Who is the king's son and the crown of the brave.”

He asked about that red pavilion,

With some on foot in the vestibule.

Around it are red, yellow, and violet,

Banners of all kinds are raised.

A banner behind, with a boar figure,

Its head a golden moon and its height long.

He said thus, “He is named Goraz,

Who in the battle of lions has no rein (is unrestrained).”

He is wise and from the lineage of Giv,

Who does not become weak in pain and hardship.”

He sought his father's sign but did not tell him,

He kept that truth hidden within.

What can you do with the world that it has already made?

The world-maker has finished with this work.

Time had written fate differently,

As it passes, it must be allowed to pass.

Again he asked about that glorious one,

About whom he was in need of seeing.

About that green pavilion and the tall man,

And that horse and that twisted lasso.

After that, Hojir the commander said to him,

“Why should anything be hidden from you?”

“If I hesitate about the Chinese name,

It is because I do not know it.”

Sohrab said to him, “This is not justice,

You did not mention Rostam at all.”

“Someone who was the hero of the world,

Would not remain hidden in the army.”

“You said that he is the greatest in the army,

The guardian of every border and every country.”

Hojir gave him this answer,

“It is possible that that lion-catcher is”

“He has now gone to Zabulistan,

For it is the time of feasting in the rose garden.”

Sohrab said to him, “Do not say this,

That the commander has turned his face towards war.”

“The world's hero would sit in entertainment?

The old and young would laugh at him?”

“My agreement with you today is one,

Let us speak, and our words are few.”

“If you show the hero to me,

You will be glorious in every assembly.”

“I will give you independence in the world,

I will open hidden treasures.”

“And if you keep this secret from me,

And openly conceal the words from me,”

“Your head will not remain on your body,

See which opinion is better for you.”

“Do you not see what the Mobad (priest) said to the king,

At the time when he revealed the secret from hiding?”

Unspoken words are like a gem,

Which is unpolished within the stone.

When it finds release from bonds and connections,

It becomes a shining, priceless seal.

Hojir gave him this answer: “O King,

When he becomes satiated with love and crown and throne,”

“He seeks no battle in the world,

That he brings down a strong elephant with his life.”

“Someone whose opponent is Rostam,

His head will be brought down from the sky to the dust.”

“His body has the strength of a hundred strong men,

His head is higher than a tall tree.”

“When he becomes angry on the day of battle,

What is his opponent, whether a strong elephant or a man?”

“His opponent on the earth is not an elephant,

The dust under Rakhsh's hoof is not indigo (ordinary).”

Sohrab said to him, “From the free men,

The ill-fated Godarz of the Keshvad family,”

“Why should one call you a son like you?

With this strength and this knowledge and this skill?”

“Where have you seen warriors,

That you have not heard the sound of a horse's hoof?”

“That you must speak so much of Rostam,

And open your tongue to praise him?”

“Your fear of fire is so much,

That the sea is laughing calmly.”

“When the green sea rises from its place,

The swift-footed fire has no breath (cannot resist).”

“The head of darkness falls asleep,

When the sun draws its sword from the sheath (rises).”

Then the experienced Hojir said in his heart,

“That if I Rostam's sign show,”

Let me tell about this Turk with powerful hands,

Such a mane and this royal posture.

He fights from the army, from the assembly,

He provokes this brave horseman.

With this strength and this shoulder and this mane of his,

Rostam will be killed by his claws.

No one from Iran will come seeking revenge,

He will seize the throne of King Kavus.

Thus the Mobad (priest) said, that dying with a good name,

Is better than a living enemy rejoicing over him.

If I am killed by his hand,

My day will not become black like a stream (full of grief).

Like Godarz and seventy chosen sons,

All heroes with blessings.

May my body not be in Iran (if it brings dishonor),

This is what I remember from the pure Mobad.

That when the root of a cypress is pulled from the meadow,

It is fitting if the pheasant does not graze the grass.

He said to Sohrab, “What is this disturbance?

All with me are talking about Rostam.

You should not seek battle with him,

He will raise dust from you in the battlefield (defeat you).

You will not defeat the brave one,

Indeed, it will not be easily achieved.