directed Minúchihr to be seated on the throne;

And put himself the crown upon his head,
And stored his mind with counsel good and wise.

Upon the death of Feridún, Minúchihr accordingly succeeded to the
government of the empire, and continued to observe strictly all the laws
and regulations of his great grandfather. He commanded his subjects to
be constant in the worship of God.

The army and the people gave him praise,
Prayed for his happiness and length of days;
Our hearts, they said, are ever bound to thee;
Our hearts, inspired by love and loyalty.



ZÁL, THE SON OF SÁM

According to the traditionary histories from which Firdusi has derived
his legends, the warrior Sám had a son born to him whose hair was
perfectly white. On his birth the nurse went to Sám and told him that
God had blessed him with a wonderful child, without a single blemish,
excepting that his hair was white; but when Sám saw him he was grieved:

His hair was white as goose's wing,
His cheek was like the rose of spring
His form was straight as cypress tree--
But when the sire was brought to see
That child with hair so silvery white,