Blinded by wrath and wounded pride, Tus called upon the elite champions of Iran, demanding a warrior brave enough to ascend the heights, sever the head of the solitary archer on Mount Sepid-kuh, and bring it before the assembly. Hearing his lord's command, Rivniz—the gallant young son-in-law of Tus—girded his loins for battle, unaware that the thread of his destiny was running short.
Bahram, wise and god-fearing, stepped forward to stay the general's madness. He warned Tus to fear the Lord of the Sun and Moon, reminding him that the champion above was of royal seed, the brother of King Kay Khosrow, bearing the undeniable radiance of Prince Siyavash. But Tus turned a deaf ear to wisdom and commanded his horsemen to charge up the steep slopes. Seeing them ride forth, Bahram intercepted the warband, swearing to them that harm done to Siyavash's kin would bring nothing but disaster and divine retribution. Moved by Bahram's solemn testimony, the noble chieftains pulled their reins and turned back.
Yet Rivniz, driven by arrogance and stubborn ambition, pressed onward along the rugged paths of Charam, ascending Mount Sepid-kuh clad entirely in iron. From his high vantage point, Farud watched the solitary rider approach and turned to the veteran counselor Tokhar, realizing that Tus had mocked their overtures of peace. Tokhar identified the champion as Rivniz—the beloved son-in-law of Tus, the sole son of his lineage, cherished by forty sisters like blossoms of spring. Tokhar urged Farud to target the rider himself rather than his steed, so that the grief might pierce Tus's arrogant heart and teach him the bitter folly of waging war against his sovereign's brother.
Farud drew his mighty royal bow and loosed a swift poplar arrow. The missile struck with devastating force, pinning Rivniz's helmet to his armor and driving him lifeless into the dust. As the blood-stained warhorse galloped back down the mountain carrying its dead master, Tus looked upon the tragedy from afar, the world turning pitch black before his eyes as the bitter harvest of his own malice was laid bare.
#1
وزان پس چنین گفت با سرکشان
✦
که ای نامداران گردنکشان
“Thereafter he spoke to his chieftains, saying: 'O renowned and proud heroes!'”
#2
یکی نامور خواهم و نامجوی
✦
کز ایدر نهد سوی آن ترک روی
“'I require a famous seeker of renown who will turn his face toward that Turk from here,'”
#3
سرش را ببرد بخنجر ز تن
✦
بپیش من آرد بدین انجمن
“'Sever his head from his body with a dagger, and bring it before me in this assembly!'”
#4
میان را ببست اندران ریونیز
✦
همی زان نبردش سرآمد قفیز
“Rivniz bound his waist for that fight, though his life's measure was already spent.”
#5
بدو گفت بهرام کای پهلوان
✦
مکن هیچ برخیره تیره روان
“Bahram said to him: 'O champion, do not darken your bright soul in vain!'”
#6
بترس از خداوند خورشید و ماه
✦
دلت را بشرم آور از روی شاه
“'Fear the Lord of the sun and moon, and fill your heart with shame before the king!'”
#7
که پیوند اویست و همزاد اوی
✦
سواریست نام‌آور و جنگ‌جوی
“'For he is kin and brother to the king, a renowned warrior and a valiant fighter.'”
#8
که گر یک سوار از میان سپاه
✦
شود نزد آن پرهنر پور شاه
“'If a single horseman goes forth from this army toward that accomplished son of the prince,'”
#9
ز چنگش رهایی نیابد بجان
✦
غم آری همی بر دل شادمان
“'He shall not escape alive from his grasp; you will only bring grief upon a happy heart.'”
#10
سپهبد شد آشفته از گفت اوی
✦
نبد پند بهرام یل جفت اوی
“The commander grew enraged at his speech, for the advice of valiant Bahram was not to his liking.”
#11
بفرمود تا نامبردار چند
✦
بتازند نزدیک کوه بلند
“He commanded several renowned warriors to ride fast toward the high mountain.”
#12
ز گردان فراوان برون تاختند
✦
نبرد وراگردن افراختند
“Many champions galloped out from the ranks, raising their heads to give him battle.”
#13
بدیشان چنین گفت بهرام گرد
✦
که این کار یکسر مدارید خرد
“Bahram the brave spoke thus to them: 'Do not count this matter as light at all!'”
#14
بدان کوه سر خویش کیخسروست
✦
که یک موی او به ز صد پهلوست
“'The one upon the mountain is Kay Khosrow's own brother; a single hair of his is better than a hundred champions!'”
#15
هران کس که روی سیاوش بدید
✦
نیارد ز دیدار او آرمید
“'Whoever sees the countenance of Siyavash in him cannot bear to disturb him.'”
#16
چو بهرام داد از فرود این نشان
✦
ز ره بازگشتند گردنکشان
“When Bahram gave this description of Farud, the proud champions turned back from the road.”
#17
بیامد دگرباره داماد طوس
✦
همی کرد گردون برو بر فسوس
“Then came forth once more the son-in-law of Tus, while the heavens mockingly prepared his fate.”
#18
ز راه چرم بر سپدکوه شد
✦
دلش پرجفا بود نستوه شد
“From the road of Charam he rode up Sepid-kuh; his heart was full of cruelty, and he grew reckless.”
#19
چو از تیغ بالا فرودش بدید
✦
ز قربان کمان کیان برکشید
“When Farud saw him from the mountain high, he drew his Royal bow from the quiver.”
#20
چنین گفت با رزم دیده تخوار
✦
که طوس آن سخنها گرفتست خوار
“He spoke thus to battle-tested Tokhar: 'Tus has taken our words lightly!'”
#21
که آمد سواری و بهرام نیست
✦
مرا دل درشتست و پدرام نیست
“'For another rider comes, and it is not Bahram; my heart is heavy and untamed.'”
#22
ببین تا مگر یادت آید که کیست
✦
سراپای در آهن از بهر چیست
“'Look closely to see if you recall who he is, covered in iron from head to foot.'”
#23
چنین داد پاسخ مر او را تخوار
✦
که این ریونیزست گرد و سوار
“Tokhar answered him thus: 'This is Rivniz, a champion and a formidable rider.'”
#24
چهل خواهرستش چو خرم بهار
✦
پسر خود جزین نیست اندر تبار
“'He has forty sisters like radiant spring; he is the only son in his clan.'”
#25
فریبنده و ریمن و چاپلوس
✦
دلیر و جوانست و داماد طوس
“'He is deceitful, crafty, and flattering, yet young, brave, and the son-in-law of Tus.'”
#26
چنین گفت با مرد بینا فرود
✦
که هنگام جنگ این نباید شنود
“Farud spoke to the clear-sighted man: 'In the time of war, such talk should not be heard.'”
#27
چو آید به پیکار کنداوران
✦
بخوابمش بر دامن خواهران
“'When he comes to battle against valiant men, I shall lay him to sleep in the lap of his sisters!'”
#28
بدو گر کند باد کلکم گذار
✦
اگر زنده ماند بمردم مدار
“'If the wind of my pen-shaft arrow passes over him, if he survives, do not count him among men.'”
#29
بتیر اسپ بیجان کنم گر سوار
✦
چه گویی تو ای کار دیده تخوار
“'Shall I bring down the horse with an arrow, or unseat the rider? What say you, O experienced Tokhar?'”
#30
بدو گفت بر مرد بگشای بر
✦
مگر طوس را زو بسوزد جگر
“Tokhar said to him: 'Aim at the man himself, so that Tus's heart may burn with grief for him!'”
#31
بداند که تو دل بیاراستی
✦
که بااو همی آشتی خواستی
“'So that he may know you had adorned your heart with goodwill, seeking peace with him,'”
#32
چنین با تو بر خیره جنگ آورد
✦
همی بر برادرت ننگ آورد
“'Yet he foolishly brought war upon you, bringing shame upon his own king's brother.'”
#33
چو از دور نزدیک شد ریونیز
✦
بزه برکشید آن خمانیده شیز
“As Rivniz drew near from afar, Farud drew back the string of his bent ebony bow.”
#34
ز بالا خدنگی بزد بر برش
✦
که بر دوخت با ترگ رومی سرش
“From high above he shot a poplar arrow at his chest, pinning his head to his Roman helmet.”
#35
بیفتاد و برگشت زو اسپ تیز
✦
بخاک اندر آمد سر ریو نیز
“He fell, and his swift horse galloped away, while Rivniz's head rolled in the dust.”
#36
ببالا چو طوس از میم بنگرید
✦
شد آن کوه بر چشم او ناپدید
“When Tus looked up from below, that mountain vanished into darkness before his eyes.”
#37
چنین داستان زد یکی پرخرد
✦
که از خوی بد کوه کیفر برد
“Thus spoke a wise man of high intellect: 'From a bad disposition, even a mountain suffers vengeance.'”