Following the heroic triumph of Bahram Gur over the monstrous horned rhinoceros of India, King Shangal of Cannauj grew deeply uneasy. Intimidated by the unmatched prowess of this seemingly humble envoy, Shangal gathered his trusted counselors in secrecy, declaring that while he marveled at the warrior's valor, his heart was shadowed with dread. He reasoned that if such a champion remained in India, he would eclipse the throne; yet if he returned to Persia, the Iranian monarch Bahram would use such giant warriors to reduce Cannauj to dust. Thus, Shangal crafted a deadly trick: he resolved to dispatch the champion against a primordial, dread dragon that frequented the lands and seas of India—a beast capable of dragging fully-armored war elephants into the depths with its tail alone.
At daybreak, Shangal summoned Bahram, veiling his treachery behind honeyed praise. He claimed that the Almighty had directed the hero from Persia to cleanse Hindustan of its ultimate scourge. He promised immense tribute, precious ambergris, aloeswood, and royal alliance for Iran should the warrior rid the kingdom of this terror. Bahram, moved by noble duty and unshakable faith in Yazdan, instantly accepted the quest, asking only for a guide to point out the lair of the leviathan.
Accompanied by thirty seasoned Iranian knights, Bahram rode toward the coast where, shrouded in darkness, the coiled shadow of the monster loomed. His companions trembled, warning him that this beast was far more terrible than the horned rhinoceros he had slain before. Yet Bahram remained serene, asserting that life and destiny rest solely in the hands of the Creator. Stringing his heavy bow, he shot a volley of steel-tipped arrows dipped in poison into the dragon's maw and head. As the foul creature writhed and spewed venomous blood, Bahram drew his poison-tempered blade, cleaved open the beast's belly, and severed its massive neck with his battle-axe. Loading the dragon's gigantic head onto a heavy wagon, he returned to the court of Shangal. Upon beholding the grotesque trophy, the King and nobles of India burst into resounding praise for Yazdan and the sacred soil of Iran, which alone could birth such peerless warriors.
#1
یکی اژدها بود بر خشک و آب
✦
به دریا بدی گاه بر آفتاب
“There was a formidable dragon upon dry land and sea, dwelling now in the waters and now beneath the sun.”
#2
همی درکشیدی به دم ژنده پیل
✦
وزو خاستی موج دریای نیل
“With its tail it could drag down a mighty elephant, raising waves like the roaring River Nile.”
#3
چنین گفت شنگل به یاران خویش
✦
بدان تیزهش رازداران خویش
“Shangal spoke thus unto his companions—to those sharp-witted keepers of his secrets:”
#4
که من زین فرستادهٔ شیرمرد
✦
گهی شادمانم گهی پر ز درد
“'Concerning this lion-hearted envoy, I am at times filled with joy and at times consumed by anguish.'”
#5
مرا پشت بودی گر ایدر بدی
✦
به قنوج بر کشوری سر بدی
“'He would be my strong support were he to stay here, but he would overtop the realm of Cannauj.'”
#6
گر از نزد ما سوی ایران شود
✦
ز بهرام قنوج ویران شود
“'Yet if he departs from us back to Iran, Cannauj will be laid waste through Bahram.'”
#7
چو کهتر چنین باشد و مهتر اوی
✦
نماند برین بوم ما رنگ و بوی
“'When the servant is so mighty, what must his master be? No splendor will remain upon our land.'”
#8
همه شب همی کار او ساختم
✦
یکی چارهٔ دیگر انداختم
“'All night I weighed his fate and devised another subtle stratagem.'”
#9
فرستمش فردا بر اژدها
✦
کزو بی‌گمانی نیابد رها
“'Tomorrow I shall send him against the dragon, from which he surely shall find no escape.'”
#10
نباشم نکوهیدهٔ کار اوی
✦
چو با اژدها خود شود جنگجوی
“'Thus I shall not be blamed for his death when he himself chooses to battle the dragon.'”
#11
بگفت این و بهرام را پیش خواند
✦
بسی داستان دلیران براند
“Having said this, he summoned Bahram to his presence and recounted many tales of valiant heroes.”
#12
بدو گفت یزدان پاک‌آفرین
✦
ترا ایدر آورد ز ایران زمین
“He said to him: 'The pure Creator of all brought thee here from the land of Iran,'”
#13
که هندوستان را بشویی ز بد
✦
چنان کز ره نامداران سزد
“'So that thou mightest cleanse Hindustan of evil, as befits the glory of renowned champions.'”
#14
یکی کار پیش است با درد و رنج
✦
به آغاز رنج و به فرجام گنج
“'A task lies ahead fraught with pain and toil—hardship at the beginning, but treasure at the end.'”
#15
چو این کرده باشی زمانی مپای
✦
به خشنودی من برو باز جای
“'When thou hast accomplished this, delay not, but return to thy homeland with my blessing.'”
#16
به شنگل چنین پاسخ آورد شاه
✦
ک از رای تو بگذرم نیست راه
“The King answered Shangal thus: 'There is no path for me except to obey thy counsel.'”
#17
ز فرمان تو نگذرم یک زمان
✦
مگر بد بود گردش آسمان
“'I shall not stray from thy command for a single moment, unless the turning heavens bring evil.'”
#18
بدو گفت شنگل که چندین بلاست
✦
بدین بوم ما در یکی اژدهاست
“Shangal said to him: 'Such a calamity exists in our land—a monster of a dragon!'”
#19
به خشکی و دریا همی بگذرد
✦
نهنگ دم آهنگ را بشمرد
“'It roams across dry land and sea, holding even swift sea-crocodiles as nothing.'”
#20
توانی مگر چاره‌ای ساختن
✦
ازو کشور هند پرداختن
“'Perchance thou canst devise a remedy to rid the realm of Hind of this terror.'”
#21
به ایران بری باژ هندوستان
✦
همه مرز باشند همداستان
“'Then thou shalt bear the tribute of Hindustan back to Iran, and all borders shall agree in concord.'”
#22
همان هدیهٔ هند با باژ نیز
✦
ز عود و ز عنبر ز هرگونه چیز
“'Together with gifts of aloeswood, ambergris, and precious goods of every kind.'”
#23
بدو گفت بهرام کای پادشا
✦
بهند اندرون شاه و فرمانروا
“Bahram said to him: 'O King, sovereign and ruler over India,'”
#24
به فرمان دارنده یزدان پاک
✦
پی اژدها را ببرم ز خاک
“'By the decree of the pure Creator, I shall root out the very trace of this dragon from the earth.'”
#25
ندانم که او را نشیمن کجاست
✦
بباید نمودن به من راه راست
“'I know not where its lair is; the right path must be shown to me.'”
#26
فرستاد شنگل یکی راه‌جوی
✦
که آن اژدها را نماید بدوی
“Shangal sent a guide to show him the way to the dragon.”
#27
همی رفت با نامور سی سوار
✦
از ایران سواران خنجرگزار
“He rode forth accompanied by thirty renowned sword-wielding horsemen of Iran.”
#28
همی تاخت تا پیش دریا رسید
✦
به تاریکی آن اژدها را بدید
“He galloped until he reached the shore of the sea, and in the darkness beheld the dragon.”
#29
بزرگان ایران خروشان شدند
✦
وزان اژدها نیز جوشان شدند
“The Iranian nobles cried out in dread, and the dragon too began to seethe and roar.”
#30
به بهرام گفتند کای شهریار
✦
تو این را چو آن کرگ پیشین مدار
“They said to Bahram: 'O King, deem not this beast like the horned rhino of before!'”
#31
به ایرانیان گفت بهرام گرد
✦
که این را به دادار باید سپرد
“The valiant Bahram said to the Iranians: 'This matter must be entrusted to the Creator.'”
#32
مرا گر زمانه بدین اژدهاست
✦
به مردی فزونی نگیرد نه کاست
“'If my appointed time has come by this dragon, my valor will neither increase nor diminish it.'”
#33
کمان را به زه کرد و بگزید تیر
✦
که پیکانش را داده بد زهر و شیر
“He strung his bow and selected arrows whose steel tips were tempered with poison and milk.”
#34
بران اژدها تیرباران گرفت
✦
چپ و راست جنگ سواران گرفت
“He showered arrows upon the dragon, taking up the fight of horsemen right and left.”
#35
به پولاد پیکان دهانش بدوخت
✦
همی خار زان زهر او برفروخت
“With steel arrowheads he pinned its mouth shut, while the brambles burned from the heat of its venom.”
#36
دگر چار چوبه بزد بر سرش
✦
فرو ریخت با زهر خون از برش
“He struck four more shafts into its head; blood mixed with venom poured down from its body.”
#37
تن اژدها گشت زان تیر سست
✦
همی خاک را خون زهرش بشست
“The body of the dragon grew feeble from those arrows, and its poison-blood washed the earth.”
#38
یکی تیغ زهرآبگون برکشید
✦
به تندی دل اژدها بردرید
“He drew a blade tempered in venom and fiercely tore open the dragon's heart.”
#39
به تیغ و تبرزین بزد گردنش
✦
به خاک اندر افگند بیجان تنش
“With sword and battle-axe he severed its neck, flinging its lifeless corpse upon the dust.”
#40
به گردون سرش سوی شنگل کشید
✦
چو شاه آن سر اژدها را بدید
“Upon a heavy wagon he hauled its head to Shangal; when the King beheld that dragon's head,”
#41
برآمد ز هندوستان آفرین
✦
ز دادار بر بوم ایران‌زمین
“A roar of praise arose from Hindustan, acclaiming the Creator for the land of Iran,”
#42
که زاید برآن خاک چونین سوار
✦
که با اژدها سازد او کارزار
“'That upon such soil there should be born a rider who could wage battle against a dragon!'”
#43
برین برز بالا و این شاخ و یال
✦
نباشد جز از شهریارش همال
“'With such tall stature, shoulder, and arm, none could be his equal save his own Sovereign King!'”