But Sohrab came to the bedside, and said:—­
“Thou know’st me, Peran-Wisa! it is I.
The sun is not yet risen, and the foe 35
Sleep; but I sleep not; all night long I lie
Tossing and wakeful, and I come to thee. 
For so did King Afrasiab deg. bid me seek deg.38
Thy counsel, and to heed thee as thy son,
In Samarcand, deg. before the army march’d; deg.40
And I will tell thee what my heart desires. 
Thou know’st if, since from Ader-baijan deg. first deg.42
I came among the Tartars and bore arms,
I have still served Afrasiab well, and shown,
At my boy’s years, deg. the courage of a man. deg.45
This too thou know’st, that while I still bear on
The conquering Tartar ensigns through the world,
And beat the Persians back on every field,
I seek one man, one man, and one alone—­
Rustum, my father; who I hoped should greet, 50
Should one day greet, upon some well-fought field,
His not unworthy, not inglorious son. 
So I long hoped, but him I never find. 
Come then, hear now, and grant me what I ask. 
Let the two armies rest to-day; but I 55
Will challenge forth the bravest Persian lords
To meet me, man to man; if I prevail,
Rustum will surely hear it; if I fall—­
Old man, the dead need no one, claim no kin. 
Dim is the rumour of a common fight, deg. deg.60
Where host meets host, and many names are sunk deg.; deg.61
But of a single combat fame speaks clear.”

He spoke; and Peran-Wisa took the hand
Of the young man in his, and sigh’d, and said:—­

“O Sohrab, an unquiet heart is thine! 65
Canst thou not rest among the Tartar chiefs,
And share the battle’s common chance deg. with us deg.67
Who love thee, but must press for ever first,
In single fight incurring single risk,
To find a father thou hast never seen deg.? deg.70
That were far best, my son, to stay with us
Unmurmuring; in our tents, while it is war,
And when ’tis truce, then in Afrasiab’s towns. 
But, if this one desire indeed rules all,
To seek out Rustum—­seek him not through fight! 75
Seek him in peace, and carry to his arms,
O Sohrab, carry an unwounded son! 
But far hence seek him, for he is not here. 
For now it is not as when I was young,
When Rustum was in front of every fray; 80
But now he keeps apart, and sits at home,
In Seistan, deg. with Zal, his father old. deg.82
Whether that his own mighty strength at last
Peels the abhorr’d approaches of old age,
Or in some quarrel deg. with the Persian King. deg.