Journeys Through Bookland Volume Vi Part 19

"King Kaoos sealed the letter and gave it to a warrior named Giv. At the same time he said, 'Haste to Rustem. Tarry not on the way; and when you are come, do not rest there for an hour. If you arrive in the night, depart again the next morning.'

"So Giv departed, and traveled with all his speed, allowing himself neither sleep nor food. When he approached Zabulistan, the watchman said, 'A warrior comes from Persia riding like the wind.' So Rustem, with his chiefs, went out to meet him. When they had greeted each other, they returned together to Rustem's palace.

"Giv delivered his message, and handed the king's letter, telling himself much more that he had heard about the strength and courage of this Tartar warrior. Rustem heard him with astonishment, and said, 'This champion is like, you say, to the great San, my grandfather. That such a man should come from the free Persians is possible; but that he should be among those slaves the Tartars, is past belief. I have myself a child, whom the daughter of a Tartar king bore to me; but the child is a girl. This, then, that you tell me is pa.s.sing strange; but for the present let us make merry.'

"So they made merry with the chiefs that were a.s.sembled in Rustem's palace. But after a while Giv said again: 'King Kaoos commanded me, saying, "You must not sleep in Zabulistan; if you arrive in the night, set out again the next morning. It will go ill with us if we have to fight before Rustem comes." It is necessary, then, great hero, that we set out in all haste for Persia.'

"Rustem said, 'Do not trouble yourself about this matter. We must all die some day. Let us, therefore, enjoy the present. Our lips are dry, let us wet them with wine. As to this Tartar, fortune will not always be with him. When he sees my standard, his heart will fail him.'

"So they sat, drinking the red wine and singing merry songs, instead of thinking of the king and his commands. The next day Rustem pa.s.sed in the same fashion, and the third also. But on the fourth Giv made preparations to depart, saying to Rustem, 'If we do not make haste to set out, the king will be wroth, and his anger is terrible.'

"Rustem said, 'Do not trouble yourself; no man dares to be wroth with me.' Nevertheless, he bade them saddle Raksh and set out with his companions.

"When they came near the king's palace, a great company of n.o.bles rode out to meet them, and conducted them to the king, and they paid their homage to him. But the king turned away from them in a rage. 'Who is Rustem,' he cried, 'that he forgets his duty to me, and disobeys my commands? If I had a sword in my hand this moment, I would cut off his head, as a man cuts an orange in half. Take him, hang him up alive on gallows, and never mention his name again in my presence.'

"Giv answered, 'Sir, will you lay hands upon Rustem?' The king burst out again in rage against Giv and Rustem, crying to one of his n.o.bles, 'Take these two villains and hang them alive on gallows.' And he rose up from his throne in fury.

"The n.o.ble to whom he had spoken laid his hand upon Rustem, wishing to lead him out of the king's presence, lest Kaoos in his rage should do him an injury. But Rustem cried out, 'What a king are you! Hang this Tartar, if you can, on your gallows. Keep such things for your enemies.

All the world has bowed itself before me and Raksh, my horse. And you--you are king by my grace.'

"Thus speaking, he struck away the hand that the n.o.ble had laid upon him so fiercely that the man fell headlong to the ground, and he pa.s.sed over his body to go from the presence of the king. And as he mounted on Raksh, he cried: 'What is Kaoos that he should deal with me in this fashion? It is G.o.d who has given me strength and victory, and not he or his army. The n.o.bles would have given me the throne of Persia long since, but I would not receive it; I kept the right before my eyes.

Verily, had I not done so, you, Kaoos, would not be sitting upon the throne.' Then he turned to the Persians that stood by, and said, 'This brave Tartar will come. Look out for yourselves how you may save your lives. Me you shall see no more in the land of Persia.'

"The Persians were greatly troubled to hear such words; for they were sheep, and Rustem was their shepherd. So the n.o.bles a.s.sembled, and said to each other: 'The king has forgotten all grat.i.tude and decency. Does he not remember that he owes to Rustem his throne--nay, his very life?

If the gallows be Rustem's reward, what shall become of us?'

"So the oldest among them came and stood before the king, and said: 'O king, have you forgotten what Rustem has done for you and this land--how he conquered Mazanieran and its king and the White Genius; how he gave you back the sight of your eyes? And now you have commanded that he shall be hanged alive upon a gallows. Are these fitting words for a king?'

"The king listened to the old man, and said: 'You speak well. The words of a king should be words of wisdom. Go now to Rustem, and speak good words to him, and make him forget my anger.'

"So the old man rode after Rustem, and many of the n.o.bles went with him.

When they had overtaken him, the old man said, 'You know that the king is a wrathful man, and that in his rage he speaks hard words. But you know also that he soon repents. But now he is ashamed of what he said.

And if he has offended, yet the Persians have done no wrong that you should thus desert them.'

"Rustem answered, 'Who is the king that I should care for him? My saddle is my throne and my helmet is my crown, my corselet is my robe of state.

What is the king to me but a grain of dust? Why should I fear his anger?

I delivered him from prison; I gave him back his crown. And now my patience is at an end.'

"The old man said, 'This is well. But the king and his n.o.bles will think, "Rustem fears this Tartar," and they will say, "If Rustem is afraid, what can we do but leave our country?" I pray you therefore not to turn your back upon the king, when things are in such a plight. Is it well that the Persians should become the slaves of the infidel Tartars?'

"Rustem stood confounded to hear such words. 'If there were fear in my heart, then I would tear my soul from my body. But you know that it is not; only the king has treated me with scorn.'

"But he perceived that he must yield to the old man's advice. So he went back with the n.o.bles.

"As soon as the king saw him, he leaped upon his feet, and said, 'I am hard of soul, but a man must grow as G.o.d has made him. My heart was troubled by the fear of this new enemy. I looked to you for safety, and you delayed your coming. Then I spoke in my wrath; but I have repented, and my mouth is full of dust.'

"Rustem said, 'It is yours to command, O king, and ours to obey. You are the master, and we are the slaves. I am but as one of those who open the door for you, if indeed I am worthy to be reckoned among them. And now I come to execute your commands.'

"Kaoos said, 'It is well. Now let us feast. To-morrow we will prepare for war.'

"So Kaoos, and Rustem, and the n.o.bles feasted till the night had pa.s.sed and the morning came. The next day King Kaoos and Rustem, with a great army, began their march."

Matthew Arnold, the great English critic, scholar and poet, has used the incidents that follow as the subject of one of his most interesting poems. To that poem we will look for a continuation of the story. Arnold alters the story at times to suit the needs of his poem, and he often employs a slightly different spelling of proper names from that used in the above account.

SOHRAB AND RUSTUM

AN EPISODE

_By_ MATTHEW ARNOLD

And the first gray of morning fill'd the east, And the fog rose out of the Oxus[173-1] stream.

But all the Tartar camp along the stream Was hush'd, and still the men were plunged in sleep; Sohrab alone, he slept not; all night long He had lain wakeful, tossing on his bed; But when the gray dawn stole into his tent, He rose, and clad himself, and girt his sword, And took his horseman's cloak, and left his tent, And went abroad into the cold wet fog, Through the dim camp to Peran-Wisa's[173-2] tent.

Through the black Tartar tents he pa.s.s'd, which stood Cl.u.s.tering like beehives on the low flat strand Of Oxus, where the summer floods o'erflow When the sun melts the snow in high Pamere;[173-3]

Through the black tents he pa.s.s'd, o'er that low strand, And to a hillock came, a little back From the stream's brink--the spot where first a boat, Crossing the stream in summer, sc.r.a.pes the land.

The men of former times had crown'd the top With a clay fort; but that was fall'n, and now The Tartars built there Peran-Wisa's tent, A dome of laths, and over it felts were spread.

And Sohrab came there, and went in, and stood Upon the thick piled carpets in the tent, And found the old man sleeping on his bed Of rugs and felts, and near him lay his arms.

And Peran-Wisa heard him, though the step Was dull'd; for he slept light, an old man's sleep; And he rose quickly on one arm, and said:-- "Who art thou? for it is not yet clear dawn.

Speak! is there news, or any night alarm?"

But Sohrab came to the bedside, and said:-- "Thou know'st me, Peran-Wisa! it is I.

The sun is not yet risen, and the foe Sleep; but I sleep not; all night long I lie Tossing and wakeful, and I come to thee.

For so did King Afrasiab bid me seek Thy counsel and to heed thee as thy son, In Samarcand,[174-4] before the army march'd; And I will tell thee what my heart desires.

Thou know'st if, since from Ader-baijan first I came among the Tartars and bore arms, I have still served Afrasiab well, and shown, At my boy's years, the courage of a man.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SOHRAB AND PERAN-WISA]

This too thou know'st, that while I still bear on The conquering Tartar ensigns through the world, And beat the Persians back on every field, I seek one man, one man, and one alone-- Rustum, my father; who I hoped should greet, Should one day greet, upon some well-fought field, His not unworthy, not inglorious son.

So I long hoped, but him I never find.

Come then, hear now, and grant me what I ask.

Let the two armies rest to-day; but I Will challenge forth the bravest Persian lords To meet me man to man; if I prevail, Rustum will surely hear it; if I fall-- Old man, the dead need no one, claim no kin.

Dim is the rumor of a common[175-5] fight, Where host meets host, and many names are sunk; But of a single combat fame speaks clear."

He spoke; and Peran-Wisa took the hand Of the young man in his, and sigh'd, and said:-- "O Sohrab, an unquiet heart is thine!

Canst thou not rest among the Tartar chiefs, And share the battle's common chance with us Who love thee, but must press forever first, In single fight incurring single risk, To find a father thou hast never seen?

That were far best, my son, to stay with us Unmurmuring; in our tents, while it is war, And when 'tis truce, then in Afrasiab's towns.

But, if this one desire indeed rules all, To seek out Rustum--seek him not through fight!

Seek him in peace and carry to his arms, O Sohrab, carry an unwounded son!

But far hence seek him, for he is not here.

For now it is not as when I was young, When Rustum was in front of every fray; But now he keeps apart, and sits at home, In Seistan,[176-6] with Zal, his father old.

Whether that[176-7] his own mighty strength at last Feels the abhorr'd approaches of old age, Or in some quarrel with the Persian King.

There go!--Thou wilt not? Yet my heart forbodes Danger or death awaits thee on this field.

Fain would I know thee safe and well, though lost To us; fain therefore send thee hence, in peace To seek thy father, not seek single fights In vain;--but who can keep the lion's cub From ravening, and who govern Rustum's son?

Go, I will grant thee what thy heart desires."

So said he, and dropped Sohrab's hand and left His bed, and the warm rugs whereon he lay; And o'er his chilly limbs his woolen coat He pa.s.sed, and tied his sandals on his feet, And threw a white cloak round him, and he took In his right hand a ruler's staff, no sword; And on his head he set his sheepskin cap, Black, glossy, curl'd, the fleece of Kara-Kul; And raised the curtain of his tent, and call'd His herald to his side and went abroad.

The sun by this had risen, and cleared the fog From the broad Oxus and the glittering sands.

And from their tents the Tartar hors.e.m.e.n filed Into the open plain; so Haman bade-- Haman, who next to Peran-Wisa ruled The host, and still was in his l.u.s.ty prime.