Zal,[43]
  Rustum’s great father, whom they left to die,
  A helpless babe, among the mountain rocks. 
  Him that kind creature found, and rear’d and lov’d—­
  Then Rustum took it for his glorious sign. 680
  And Sohrab bar’d that figure on his arm,
  And himself scann’d it long with mournful eyes,
  And then he touch’d it with his hand and said:—­
  “How say’st thou?  Is that sign the proper sign
  Of Rustum’s son, or of some other man’s?” 685
  He spoke:  but Rustum gaz’d, and gaz’d, and stood
  Speechless; and then he utter’d one sharp cry—­
  O boy—­thy father!—­and his voice chok’d there. 
  And then a dark cloud pass’d before his eyes,
  And his head swam, and he sunk down to earth. 690
  But Sohrab crawl’d to where he lay, and cast
  His arms about his neck, and kiss’d his lips,
  And with fond faltering fingers strok’d his cheeks,
  Trying to call him back to life:  and life
  Came back to Rustum, and he op’d his eyes, 695
  And they stood wide with horror; and he seiz’d
  In both his hands the dust which lay around,
  And threw it on his head, and smirch’d his hair,
  His hair, and face, and beard, and glittering arms: 
  And strong convulsive groanings shook his breast, 700
  And his sobs chok’d him; and he clutch’d his sword,
  To draw it, and for ever let life out. 
  But Sohrab saw his thought, and held his hands,
  And with a soothing voice he spoke, and said:—­

[Father and son embrace.  “Would that the Oxus were flowing over me!” says the unhappy father.]

  “Father, forbear:  for I but meet to-day 705
  The doom that at my birth was written down
  In Heaven, and thou art Heaven’s unconscious hand. 
  Surely my heart cried out that it was thou,
  When first I saw thee; and thy heart spoke too,
  I know it:  but fate trod those promptings down 710
  Under its iron heel; fate, fate engag’d
  The strife, and hurl’d me on my father’s spear. 
  But let us speak no more of this:  I find
  My father; let me feel that I have found. 
  Come, sit beside me on this sand, and take 715
  My head betwixt thy hands, and kiss my cheeks,
  And wash them with thy tears, and say, ‘My Son!’
  Quick! quick! for number’d are my sands of life,
  And swift; for like the lightning to this field
  I came, and like the wind I go away—­ 720
  Sudden, and swift, and like a passing wind,
  But it was writ in Heaven that this should be.”

  So said he:  and his voice releas’d the heart
  Of Rustum, and his tears broke forth; he cast
  His arms round his son’s neck, and wept aloud, 725
  And kiss’d him.  And awe fell on both the hosts
  When they saw Rustum’s grief; and