all respects insane, and he accordingly
appeared before the king in the dress of a prince with a golden crown on
his head, and the royal girdle round his loins. Kai-khosrau proceeded on
horseback to the court of Afrasiyab, and having performed the usual
salutations, was suitably received, though with strong feelings of shame
and remorse on the part of the tyrant. Afrasiyab put several questions
to him, which were answered in a wild and incoherent manner, entirely at
variance with the subject proposed. The king could not help smiling, and
supposing him to be totally deranged, allowed him to be sent with
presents to his mother, for no harm, he thought, could possibly be
apprehended from one so forlorn in mind. Piran triumphed in the success
of his scheme, and lost no time in taking Kai-khosrau to his mother. All
the people of Khoten poured blessings on the head of the youth, and
imprecations on the merciless spirit of Afrasiyab. The city built by
Saiawush had been razed to the ground by the exterminating fury of his
enemies, and wild animals and reptiles occupied the place on which it
stood. The mother and son visited the spot where Saiawush was
barbarously killed, and the tree, which grew up from the soil enriched
by his blood, was found verdant and flourishing, and continued to
possess in perfection its marvellous virtues.

The tale of Saiawush is told;
And now the pages bright unfold,
Rustem's revenge--Sudaveh's fate--
Afrasiyab's degraded state,
And that terrific curse and ban
Which fell at last upon Turan!

When Kai-kaus heard of the fate of his son, and all its horrible details
were pictured to his mind, he was thrown into the deepest affliction.
His warriors, Tus, and Gudarz, and Bahram, and Friburz, and Ferhad, felt
with equal keenness the loss of the amiable prince, and Rustem, as soon
as the dreadful intelligence reached Sistan, set off with his troops to
the court of the king, still full of indignation at the conduct of Kaus,
and oppressed with sorrow respecting the calamity which had occurred. On
his arrival he thus addressed the weeping and disconsolate father of
Saiawush, himself at the same time drowned in tears:--

"How has thy temper turned to nought, the seed
Which might have grown, and cast a glorious shadow;
How is it scattered to the barren winds!
Thy love for false Sudaveh was the cause
Of all this misery; she, the Sorceress,
O'er whom thou hast so oft in rapture hung,