yab is full
of fraud, artifice, and sorcery, and notoriously faithless to his
engagements. The sending of Shydah is all a trick, and his letter of
proposal all deceit: his object is simply to induce thee to fight him
alone.

"If them shouldst kill this Shydah--what of that!
There would be one Turanian warrior less,
To vex the world withal; would that be triumph?
And to a Persian king? But if it chanced,
That thou shouldst meet with an untimely death,
By dart or javelin, at the stripling's hands,
What scathe and ruin would this realm befall!"

By the advice of Rustem, Kai-khosrau gave Shydah permission
to depart, and said that he would send his answer to Afrasiyab by Karun.
"But," observed the youth, "I have come to fight thee!" which touched
the honor of the king, and he replied: "Be it so, let us then meet
to-morrow."

In the meantime Khosrau prepared his letter to Afrasiyab, in which he
said:--

"Our quarrel now is dark to view,
It bears the fiercest, gloomiest hue;
And vain have speech and promise been
To change for peace the battle scene;
For thou art still to treachery prone,
Though gentle now in word and tone;
But that imperial crown thou wearest,
That mace which thou in battle bearest,
Thy kingdom, all, thou must resign;
Thy army too--for all are mine!
Thou talk'st of strength, and might, and power,
When revelling in a prosperous hour;
But know, that strength of nerve and limb
We owe to God--it comes from Him!
And victory's palm, and regal sway,
Alike the will of Heaven obey.
Hence thy lost throne, no longer thine,
Will soon, perfidious king! be mine!"

In giving this letter to Karun, Kai-khosrau directed him, in the first
place, to deliver a message from him to Shydah, to the following
effect:--

"Driven art thou out from home and life,
Doomed to engage in mortal strife,
For deeply lours misfortune's cloud;
That gay attire will be thy shroud;
Blood from thy father's eyes will gush,
As Kaus wept for Saiawush."

In the morning Khosrau went to the appointed place, and when he
approached Shydah, the latter said, "Thou hast come on foot, let our
trial be in wrestling;" and the proposal being agreed to, both applied
themselves fiercely to the encounter, at a distance from the troops.

The youth appeared with joyous mien,
And bounding heart, for life was new;
By either host the strife was seen,
And strong and fierce the com