Not long after their union, Rudabeh, the graceful silver-cypress of Kabul, realized she was carrying a child. Yet as months passed, her radiant spring-like beauty withered, her skin turned pale as saffron, and her body grew agonizingly heavy. When her anxious mother, Sindokht, questioned her, Rudabeh confessed with tears that day and night she groaned in agony, feeling as though her womb was stuffed with heavy stone or solid iron.
When the hour of delivery approached, the burden proved too vast to bear, and Rudabeh lost consciousness, slipping into a mortal swoon. The palace of Zal echoed with the lamentations of Sindokht, who tore her hair and scratched her cheeks in utter despair. News reached Zal the White-Haired, who rushed to his bride's bedside, his eyes brimmed with tears and his heart consumed by sorrow.
In that desperate hour, Zal remembered the miraculous feather given to him by the Simorgh upon the peaks of Mount Alborz. He quickly brought forth a censer, ignited a flame, and burned a small piece of the sacred plume. Instantly, the sky darkened, and the sovereign Simorgh descended like a rain-cloud laden with jewels. Zal fell prostrate, showering the divine bird with praise.
The Simorgh spoke softly to Zal: 'Why is there sorrow in your heart, and mist in the lion's eye? From this silver cypress, a lion-child shall be born—a hero whose footsteps lions will kiss, whose roar will tear the hide of war-leopards, and whose mace will shatter the hearts of warriors. He shall possess the strength of an elephant and the wisdom of Sam.'
The Simorgh then revealed the miraculous secret of the birth: 'Fetch a tempered dagger and an insightful physician. Intoxicate the moon-faced lady with wine so she feels no pain. Then cut open her side, extract the lion-cub from her womb, and sew up the incision. Prepare an ointment of specified herbs, milk, and musk, apply it to the wound, and stroke it with my feather; the flesh shall heal that very day.' Dropping a feather from her wing, the Simorgh soared into the clouds. Zal executed the divine instructions to the letter, saving Rudabeh and bringing forth Rostam, the future world-champion of Iran.
#1
بسی برنیامد برین روزگار
✦
که آزاده سرو اندر آمد به بار
“Not much time passed after this, before that noble cypress bore her fruit.”
#2
بهار دل افروز پژمرده شد
✦
دلش را غم و رنج بسپرده شد
“Her heart-enlivening spring withered away, and sorrow and pain trampled her soul.”
#3
شکم گشت فربه و تن شد گران
✦
شد آن ارغوانی رخش زعفران
“Her womb grew swelling-large and her frame grew heavy; her rosy cheeks turned yellow as saffron.”
#4
بدو گفت مادر که ای جان مام
✦
چه بودت که گشتی چنین زرد فام
“Her mother said to her: 'O soul of your mother, what has befalleth thee that thou hast turned so pale?'”
#5
چنین داد پاسخ که من روز و شب
✦
همی برگشایم به فریاد لب
“She answered: 'Day and night, I open my lips only to cry out in grief.'”
#6
همانا زمان آمدستم فراز
✦
وزین بار بردن نیابم جواز
“'Methinks my appointed hour hath drawn near, yet from carrying this weight I find no deliverance.'”
#7
تو گویی به سنگستم آگنده پوست
✦
و گر آهنست آنکه نیز اندروست
“'Thou wouldst say my skin is stuffed with stone, or that solid iron is packed within me.'”
#8
چنین تا گه زادن آمد فراز
✦
به خواب و به آرام بودش نیاز
“Thus it continued until the time of birth arrived; she desperately needed sleep and rest.”
#9
چنان بد که یک روز ازو رفت هوش
✦
از ایوان دستان برآمد خروش
“It came to pass that one day she lost consciousness; a loud cry arose from the palace of Dastan.”
#10
خروشید سیندخت و بشخود روی
✦
بکند آن سیه گیسوی مشک بوی
“Sindokht shrieked aloud and scratched her face, tearing out her dark, musk-scented tresses.”
#11
یکایک بدستان رسید آگهی
✦
که پژمرده شد برگ سرو سهی
“Suddenly the tidings reached Dastan that the leaves of the tall cypress had withered away.”
#12
به بالین رودابه شد زال زر
✦
پر از آب رخسار و خسته جگر
“Zal the White-Haired hurried to Rudabeh's pillow, his cheeks drenched in tears and his heart bleeding.”
#13
همان پر سیمرغش آمد به یاد
✦
بخندید و سیندخت را مژده داد
“Then he remembered the feather of the Simorgh; he smiled and brought good tidings to Sindokht.”
#14
یکی مجمر آورد و آتش فروخت
✦
وزآن پر سیمرغ لختی بسوخت
“He brought a censer and struck a fire, and burned a fragment of the Simorgh's feather.”
#15
هم اندر زمان تیره گون شد هوا
✦
پدید آمد آن مرغ فرمان روا
“In that very instant, the air turned dark, and that sovereign bird appeared in the sky.”
#16
چو ابری که بارانش مرجان بود
✦
چه مرجان که آرایش جان بود
“Descended like a cloud whose rain was pure coral—a coral that was the very adornment of the soul.”
#17
برو کرد زال آفرین دراز
✦
ستودش فراوان و بردش نماز
“Zal offered long praises unto her, praising her greatly and bowing down in reverence.”
#18
چنین گفت با زال کین غم چراست
✦
به چشم هژبر اندرون نم چراست
“The Simorgh spoke to Zal: 'Why is this grief? Why is there moisture in the eyes of a lion-hero?'”
#19
کزین سرو سیمین بر ماه‌روی
✦
یکی نره شیر آید و نامجوی
“'For from this silver-bosomed, moon-faced cypress, a male lion and a seeker of renown shall be born,'”
#20
که خاک پی او ببوسد هژبر
✦
نیارد گذشتن به سر برش ابر
“'Whose foot-dust the fierce lion shall kiss, and over whose head no cloud shall dare to pass.'”
#21
از آواز او چرم جنگی پلنگ
✦
شود چاک چاک و بخاید دو چنگ
“'At his roaring voice, the tough hide of the leopard of war shall tear apart, and it shall gnaw its own paws in dread.'”
#22
هران گرد کاواز کوپال اوی
✦
ببیند بر و بازوی و یال اوی
“'Every champion who sees the sound of his mace, his chest, his arms, and his mighty neck,'”
#23
ز آواز او اندر آید ز پای
✦
دل مرد جنگی برآید ز جای
“'Shall tumble down at his voice, and the heart of the warrior shall be ripped from its place.'”
#24
به جای خرد سام سنگی بود
✦
به خشم اندرون شیر جنگی بود
“'In wisdom he shall be as steady as Sam, and in wrath he shall be a fighting lion.'”
#25
به بالای سرو و به نیروی پیل
✦
به آورد خشت افگند بر دو میل
“'With the height of a cypress and the strength of an elephant, he shall hurl a javelin two miles in battle.'”
#26
نیاید به گیتی ز راه زهش
✦
به فرمان دادار نیکی دهش
“'He cannot enter the world through the natural passage of birth, by the decree of the benevolent Creator.'”
#27
بیاور یکی خنجر آبگون
✦
یکی مرد بینادل پرفسون
“'Bring forth a steel dagger of water-bright edge, and a wise man full of magical skill.'”
#28
نخستین به می ماه را مست کن
✦
ز دل بیم و اندیشه را پست کن
“'First, make the moon-faced lady drunk with wine, to dispel fear and anxiety from her heart.'”
#29
بکافد تهیگاه سرو سهی
✦
نباشد مر او را ز درد آگهی
“'Let him cut open the side of the tall cypress, so that she shall feel no consciousness of pain.'”
#30
وزو بچهٔ شیر بیرون کشد
✦
همه پهلوی ماه در خون کشد
“'And draw out the lion-cub from within her, drenching the moon's side in blood.'”
#31
وز آن پس بدوز آن کجا کرد چاک
✦
ز دل دور کن ترس و تیمار و باک
“'And thereafter, sew together that which was cut open; cast far from thy heart all fear, sorrow, and dread.'”
#32
گیاهی که گویمت با شیر و مشک
✦
بکوب و بکن هر سه در سایه خشک
“'Crush the herb of which I tell thee, with milk and musk, and dry all three in the shade.'”
#33
بساو و برآلای بر خستگیش
✦
ببینی همان روز پیوستگیش
“'Grind them into ointment and rub it upon her wound; thou shalt behold its healing that very day.'”
#34
بدو مال ازان پس یکی پر من
✦
خجسته بود سایهٔ فر من
“'Thereafter rub one of my feathers upon it; auspicious is the shadow of my Divine Glory.'”
#35
ترا زین سخن شاد باید بدن
✦
به پیش جهاندار باید شدن
“'Thou shouldst be glad at these words, and turn thy face in gratitude before the Lord of the World,'”
#36
که او دادت این خسروانی درخت
✦
که هر روز نو بشکفاندش بخت
“'Who granted thee this royal tree, whose fortune causes it to blossom anew every day.'”
#37
بدین کار دل هیچ غمگین مدار
✦
که شاخ برومندت آمد به بار
“'Sorrow not thy heart for this matter, for thy fruitful branch hath come to bear fruit.'”
#38
بگفت و یکی پر ز بازو بکند
✦
فگند و به پرواز بر شد بلند
“She spoke, plucked a feather from her wing, dropped it, and soared aloft into high flight.”
#39
بشد زال و آن پر او برگرفت
✦
برفت و بکرد آنچه گفت ای شگفت
“Zal went and picked up her feather, and went forth to perform what she wondrously had commanded.”
#40
بدان کار نظاره شد یک جهان
✦
همه دیده پر خون و خسته روان
“A whole world gathered to watch that deed, all eyes filled with blood and souls grief-stricken.”
#41
فرو ریخت از مژه سیندخت خون
✦
که کودک ز پهلو کی آید برون
“Tears of blood poured from Sindokht's eyelashes, marveling how a child could ever come out from a mother's side.”