Antar heard and saw, but understood not what was passing. Rostam, said Chosroe, abandon this envious disposition, or thou wilt die of anguish. I wish, said Rostam, he would present himself before you, and then I will prove to you he is not worthy your esteem. I will slay him with this mace, and will unite him to the tribes of Aad and Themood.
On hearing this the King was greatly vexed. Do you comprehend, said he to Antar, what he says, Aboolfawaris? I have not understood what he said, but I can perceive that he is very jealous, and that his head is like the head of a camel, said Antar. Let me hear what he wants, that I may comply with his request. This man is my wrestler, said Chosroe, and is come to try his strength with you in wrestling, and prove your powers in the combat. Is he not one of your warriors, asked Antar, and those with him are they not your men? Yes, said Chosroe. I forbade his interference with you, but he will not be dissuaded. Well, said Antar, I cannot allow my arm to be extended to his injury, and my heart will not allow me to hurt him on account of your bounty and favour, and great kindness towards me: not that this unwillingness on my part originates in fear, or in any inferiority to him; but that the Arabs should hear of me, and accuse me of making troubles and dissensions; nor that the noble Arabs may say of me that Antar, the son of Shedad, presented himself to Chosroe, and partook of his food, and then slew his subjects in his presence. Aboolfawaris, said the King, much agitated, if you wrestle with him, will you kill him? Yes, said Antar, for he only seeks to wrestle with me, that he may destroy me; and you know, O King, that wrestling is one species of warfare; and justice and propriety are required in it! and if one antagonist prevails over the other antagonist, he abuses and reviles him, but should his antagonist be angry at him, he kills him.
Listen to me, said Chosroe to Rostam; do not provoke this man. I fear for you, lest he overcome you, and if you do not behave properly to him, he will tear out your life from between your ribs. I must wrestle with him, said Rostam; if he kills me, let my blood and property be his, and esteemed duly won among these warriors. Strip off your clothes then, said Chosroe, his countenance inflamed with wrath, and prepare for the combat. I will tell him that he may engage with you, and that your blood will be fairly his. So Rostam took off his garments, and was stripped from his shoulders, that were harder than a rock, and his twisted arms were like columns.
Arise Aboolfawaris, said the King, and wrestle with him, and if he plays the fool with you, slay him, and hasten his death, and mind not the consequences; you are not answerable for his blood.
Antar sprang on his legs, and threw about his arms and twisted his skirts about his waistband; and as he was about to begin, Aboolfawaris, said Chosroe, you have not stripped, or put on the short breeches, as every pugilist does. By your existence, O King of the age, replied Antar, I never in my life wrestled with short breeches, and never will I wrestle but in the clothes of a horseman. Chosroe was greatly troubled. By the burning of fire, he exclaimed, Never, in the course of my life, have I seen a man wrestle as a horseman, without breeches. To day, said Antar, you shall see what I will do with Rostam in the presence of these warriors.
Antar went up to Rostam. Rostam bent himself like an arch, and appeared like a burning flame. He rushed upon Antar with all his force, for he looked on him as a common man, and he did not know that Antar, even in his youth, used to wrestle with he and she camels in the plains and the rocks. They grasped each other with their hands, they butted with their heads, they assaulted with their whole might, like two lions or two elephants. Then Rostam stretched out his hand at Antar’s waistband, and clung to it, and attempted to lift him up in his arms, but he found him like a stone fixed in a tower, and he tottered before him. Then he repented of what he had done, and of having provoked Antar. He slackened his hold, and he ran round him for an hour, in the presence of Chosroe and his attendants. He then sprang behind him, and thrust his head between his legs, and attempted to raise him on the back of his neck, and to dash him on the ground; but Antar knew what were his intentions and his secret designs: so he closed his knees on Rostam’s neck, and almost made his eye-balls start from their sockets, and nearly deprived him of life. Rostam was terrified, and wished to escape from between his legs, but he could not; every attempt failed; Antar was like a block of stone growing on a desert or a mountain. Antar siezed him by his breeches, and clung to him, and raised him up in his hands like a sparrow in the claws of a bird of prey, and walked away with him among the multitude, wishing to wrestle quietly before the King. But Rostam, when he saw his life was in Antar’s hands, like a young child was abashed and mortified before the warriors and satraps, and the great King. He clenched his fist, and struck Antar on the ear. Antar soon recovered from the blow—he returned to the threshold of the palace, and dashed him on the ground, and smashed him to atoms. Then presenting himself to Chosroe he thus spoke.
“Death has resolved he should die slain, and should be subdued and disgraced by me. Curses on his hands! It was his arrogant folly that pointed out the road by which he should be destroyed. Had thy eyes beheld my deeds in the combat, where the spears tears the hands of the lancers, thou wouldst have feared for the extinction of his days when he outraged me in this lengthened action. O King, who has enjoyed every glory, listen to my story and the account of my honours. He sought in every way to increase his fame by his deeds; so I left him after that reduced to infamy. Truly he hastened the time of his own fate, and his destiny was at my disposal. God ordained his death for his acts, and determined it should be executed by my hand. Hail, then, O King! live for ever in protected happiness that may never fail thee.”
Then was Nushirvan quite confounded at his powers. O King, said Antar, I swear by the two eyes of Ibla (to me the most sacred of oaths), that when I raised him on my Hands, my only intention was to bring him before you and wrestle in your presence: but as he transgressed the fair laws of battle, there was nothing for him but death. Chosroe believed what he said, and ordered Rostam’s property to be confiscated, and to be transferred to Antar, and he gave him a written assignment of his possessions and fiefs.
And when the day was spent, Monzar hemmed the signal for rising: Antar got up, and asked Chosroe’s permission to commence his journey: the order being given for his being supplied with the finest steeds, and all their golden accoutrements and rich housings. They went to the house that was set apart for them; where Antar found treasures of wealth, and horses and mules, and he and she camels, and other goods no words can tell. Antar asked whence they came: Aboolfawaris, said Monzar, this is the property of Rostam: and they reposed till morning; when Mubidan came and complimented them, and as he was going with them to Nushirvan, I wish, my lord, said Antar to the Vizier, that you would introduce me to the temples of fire.[7]