One night, Zal sat down at the time of sleep

And spoke much about Afrasiab

And of the warriors, the heroes of his own

And of those heroes and companions well-known

He said, although the warriors are brave

They are blessed with fate, bright and awake

One must be a king, of royal bloodline

Who remembers the past and wisdom divine

The army's task lies in the captain’s deed

As wind and sail guide the king’s royal need

If you had the strength of Tus and Giv in store

An army vast, with warriors galore

Yet they did not deserve the crown and throne

One must be a king whose fate is bright and shown

One who has the divine blessing of light

From his crown, wisdom will brightly ignite

From the seed of Fereydun, many sought to rise

A king to sit on the tall throne, wise

They saw none but the son of Tahmasp true

With the strength of the Kian, and culture too

Came Qaran, the priest, and the border guard’s hand

An army from Bamin and Gerzban’s land

A messenger came, with good news to share

The crown of Fereydun is now yours to wear

The commander of Dastan and the army whole

They called for you, worthy of the role

When Zal heard the words of the wise priests near

It was the same message from Qaran and seers

He came to the land, with his army drawn

And wore the crown of the Kian, shining on

Zal praised him, calling him the worthy king

And for five years, he sat on the throne, everything

He was old, being eighty years in age

Yet he renewed the world with justice and sage

He kept the army from wicked deeds and strife

For he shared a secret with the pure Lord of life

He could not arrest or bind anyone’s hand

And after this, no more killings did stand

The drought that plagued the world was still there

The earth was dry, and plants could not bear

No rain fell from the sky, not even a drop

They lifted bread with silver, trying to stop

The two armies waited for eight long months

Facing each other, their fronts set in rows

Not a single day did they engage in war

Neither heroes fought nor commanders bore

From such constriction, no remedy was found

The army’s efforts frayed, no strength to be found

They spoke one by one, each with shared speech

The sky’s ill fate is upon us, as within reach

From both armies, cries and roars arose loud

A messenger arrived, drawing near the crowd

If for us, from this miserable realm so wrong

No relief has come, only sorrow and pain along

Come, let us forgive and renew life on this earth

Let us together build a world of rebirth

The heads of the great warriors, empty from war

The time of hardship, no pause to restore

They both laid forth their words in kind

And in their hearts, old enmities left behind

They forgave the world, with justice and grace

And forgot the deeds of the past in their place

From the sea of Pykand to the borders of Tur

That portion of the world, from near and from far

Thus spreading, from the lands of China and Khotan

They entrusted the kingship to this noble man

From the borders where the king's tents lay

There, Zal’s reach was limited, far away

Thus, the Turks would not find a way to escape

They distributed the throne and crown in a noble shape

The army marched towards Persia, from there

Though old, the world was renewed in their care

Zal went to Zabulistan with golden flair

Each took their share of the world with great care

The mountains rang with thunder and sound

The earth was filled with color, scent, and beauty profound

The world, like a young bride, has come to bloom

Full of fountains, gardens, and flowing streams in room

As the people held the leopard’s form with pride

The world, though harsh, will change with time as tide

He gathered the nobles, calling them to him

And praised the Creator with a new hymn

The prosperity that arose from hardship deep

The Creator held the key to this leap

They built a celebration everywhere in sight

And cast away hatred and curses in light

Thus, when the fifth year came to pass

No one knew of the pain and sorrow so vast

The ill fate of the Iranians unfolded slow

That just ruler, the world’s sovereign, did bow