#1
چو از جهن پیغام بشنید شاه
✦
همی کرد خندان بدو بر نگاه
“When the King heard the message from Jahan, he looked upon him with a mocking smile.”
#2
به پاسخ چنین گفت کای رزمجوی
✦
شنیدیم سر تا سر این گفت و گوی
“In answer, he spoke, 'O warrior, we have heard this discourse from beginning to end.'”
#3
نخست آن که کردی مرا آفرین
✦
همان باد بر تخت و تاج و نگین
“'First, regarding the praises you showered upon me—may such blessings forever adorn throne, crown, and signet ring.'”
#4
درودی که دادی ز افراسیاب
✦
بگفتی که او کرد مژگان پر آب
“'As for the greeting sent from Afrasiab, where you said his eyelashes were filled with tears—'”
#5
شنیدم همین باد بر تاج و تخت
✦
مبادم مگر شاد و پیروزبخت
“'I heard it all; may my throne and crown be ever blessed, and may I never be anything but joyous and victorious.'”
#6
دوم آن که گفتی ز یزدان سپاس
✦
که بینم همی پور یزدان شناس
“'Second, where you rendered thanks to God, saying he beholds a God-fearing prince,'”
#7
ز شاهان گیتی دل افروزتر
✦
پسندیده‌تر شاه و پیروزتر
“'A ruler more radiant, favored, and victorious than all monarchs of the world,'”
#8
مرا داد یزدان همه هرچه گفت
✦
که با این هنرها خرد باد جفت
“'God indeed granted me all that he described; may wisdom be forever paired with these virtues.'”
#9
ترا چند خواهی سخن چرب هست
✦
به دل نیستی پاک و یزدان پرست
“'However smooth and flattering your tongue may be, in your heart you are neither pure nor a worshiper of God!'”
#10
کسی کو به دانش توانگر بود
✦
ز گفتار کردار بهتر بود
“'He who is rich in true knowledge lets his deeds surpass his words.'”
#11
فریدون فرخ ستاره نگشت
✦
نه از خاک تیره همی برگذشت
“'Glorious Fereydun did not become a star in heaven, nor did he rise above the dark earth.'”
#12
تو گویی که من بر شوم بر سپهر
✦
بشستی بر این گونه از شرم چهر
“'Yet you speak as though you could ascend the heavens, having washed your face clean of all shame.'”
#13
دلت جادوی را چو سرمایه گشت
✦
سخن بر زبانت چو پیرایه گشت
“'Your heart has become a treasury of sorcery, and your tongue merely wraps your deceit in ornate speech.'”
#14
زبان پر ز گفتار و دل پر دروغ
✦
بر مرد دانا نگیرد فروغ
“'A tongue full of words paired with a heart full of lies can never shine before a wise man.'”
#15
پدر کشته را شاه گیتی مخوان
✦
کنون کز سیاوش نماند استخوان
“'Do not call one whose father you murdered the king of the world, now that not a bone remains of Siyavash!'”
#16
همان مادرم را ز پرده به راه
✦
کشیدی و گشتی چنین کینه خواه
“'Likewise, you dragged my mother from her royal sanctuary into the open, becoming a monster of vengeful wrath!'”
#17
مرا نوز نازاده از مادرم
✦
همی آتش افروختی بر سرم
“'Even before I was born from my mother's womb, you lit a fire of agony over my head!'”
#18
هر آن کس که او بد بدرگاه تو
✦
بنفرید بر جان بی راه تو
“'Everyone who stood at your court cursed your astray and wicked soul,'”
#19
که هرگز به گیتی کس آن بد نکرد
✦
ز شاهان و گردان و مردان مرد
“'For never in this world did any king, champion, or valiant warrior commit such evil,'”
#20
که بر انجمن مر زنی را کشان
✦
سپارد بزرگی به مردم کشان
“'As to drag a pregnant woman before an assembly and hand her noble dignity over to ruthless killers!'”
#21
زننده همی تازیانه زند
✦
که تا دخترش بچه را بفگند
“'Ordering brutal lashes upon her, so that his own daughter might abort her helpless unborn child!'”
#22
خردمند پیران بدانجا رسید
✦
بدید آن که هرگز ندید و شنید
“'Until wise Piran arrived on the scene and witnessed horrors such as he had never seen or heard of before.'”
#23
چنین بود فرمان یزدان که من
✦
سرافراز گردم به هر انجمن
“'Yet it was God's holy decree that I should survive and rise exalted in every assembly.'”
#24
گزند و بلای تو از من بگاشت
✦
که با من زمانه یکی راز داشت
“'God turned your harm and plague away from me, for Fate held a secret destiny reserved for my life.'”
#25
از آن پس که گشتم ز مادر جدا
✦
چنانچون بود بچهٔ بینوا
“'After I was separated from my mother, like a helpless, destitute orphan babe,'”
#26
به پیش شبانان فرستادیم
✦
به پروار شیران نر دادیم
“'You sent me away to live among crude shepherds, casting me out to be raised like prey among fierce lions!'”
#27
مرا دایه و پیشکاره شبان
✦
نه آرام روز و نه خواب شبان
“'My nurses and guardians were humble herdsmen; I had no peace by day, nor sweet rest at night.'”
#28
چنین بود تا روز من برگذشت
✦
مرا اندر آورد پیران ز دشت
“'Thus passed my early days, until Piran brought me back from the wild wilderness,'”
#29
به پیش تو آورد و کردی نگاه
✦
که هستم سزاوار تخت و کلاه
“'He brought me before you, and you looked upon me and saw that I was truly worthy of the throne and crown.'”
#30
به سان سیاوش سرم را ز تن
✦
ببری و تن هم نیابد کفن
“'You plotted to sever my head from my body just as you did to Siyavash, leaving my corpse without even a shroud.'”
#31
زبان مرا پاک یزدان ببست
✦
همان خیره ماندم به جای نشست
“'Yet pure God sealed my tongue with feigned foolishness, so that I sat there bewildered and mute.'”
#32
مرا بی دل و بی خرد یافتی
✦
به کردار بد تیز نشتافتی
“'Believing me to be witless and simple-minded, you stayed your hasty hands from immediate bloodshed.'”
#33
سیاوش نگه کن که از راستی
✦
چه کرد و چه دید از بد و کاستی
“'Consider Siyavash! See what he did out of pure truthfulness, and what evil and injury he suffered in return from you!'”
#34
ز گیتی بیامد ترا برگزید
✦
چنان کز ره نامداران سزید
“'He came out of the world and chose you, as befitted the lofty way of noble heroes.'”
#35
ز بهر تو پرداخت آیین و گاه
✦
بیامد ز گیتی ترا خواند شاه
“'For your sake, he established law and splendour; he journeyed across realms to honor you as his King!'”
#36
وفا جست و بگذاشت آن انجمن
✦
بدان تا نخوانیش پیمان‌شکن
“'He sought loyalty and left his native land of Iran, so that you would never brand him a breaker of oaths.'”
#37
چو دیدی بر و گردگاه ورا
✦
بزرگی و گردی و راه ورا
“'Yet when you beheld his majestic chest, his heroic stature, his nobility, and his righteous path,'”
#38
بجنبیدت آن گوهر بد ز جای
✦
بیفگندی آن پاک دل را ز پای
“'Your vile and wicked nature was stirred within you, and you brought down that pure-hearted hero to the dust!'”
#39
سر تاجداری چنان ارجمند
✦
بریدی به سان سر گوسفند
“'You severed the head of such an exalted, crowned prince as if he were a sheep destined for slaughter!'”
#40
ز گاه منوچهر تا این زمان
✦
نبودی مگر بدتن و بدگمان
“'From the reign of Manuchehr unto this day, you have been nothing but a cruel-bodied, ill-boding villain!'”
#41
ز تور اندر آمد زیان از نخست
✦
کجا با پدر دست بد را بشست
“'The poison first flowed from Tur, who stained his vile hands against his own noble father Fereydun.'”
#42
پسر بر پسر بگذرد همچنین
✦
نه راه بزرگی نه آیین دین
“'And thus it passed down from son to wicked son, devoid of all nobility and divine law!'”
#43
زدی گردن نوذر نامدار
✦
پدر شاه وز تخمهٔ شهریار
“'You beheaded famous King Nowzar, whose father was a king of royal line!'”
#44
برادرت اغریرث نیکخوی
✦
کجا نیکنامی بدش آرزوی
“'And your own brother, noble Aghriras, whose only desire was good name and righteousness—'”
#45
بکشتی و تا بوده‌ای بدتنی
✦
نه از آدم از تخم آهرمنی
“'You murdered him! Ever since you came to be, you have been a creature of evil—not born of Adam, but of Ahriman's own seed!'”
#46
کسی گر بدیهات گیرد شمار
✦
فزون آید از گردش روزگار
“Should one attempt to count your evil deeds, their number would surpass the very turns of Fortune's wheel.”
#47
نهالی به دوزخ فرستاده‌ای
✦
نگویی که از مردمان زاده‌ای
“You sent a young sapling straight to Hell, yet you never reflect whether you yourself were born of human kin.”
#48
دگر آن که گفتی که دیو پلید
✦
دل و رای من سوی زشتی کشید
“Furthermore, you claimed that the foul demon seduced your heart and mind toward evil wickedness.”
#49
همین گفت ضحاک و هم جمشید
✦
چو شدشان دل از نیکویی ناامید
“Zahhāk and Jamshid uttered the very same excuse when their hearts turned hopeless of goodness.”
#50
که ما را دل ابلیس بی راه کرد
✦
ز هر نیکویی دست کوتاه کرد
“'It was the heart of Iblis that led us astray,' they claimed, 'and withheld our hands from every virtue.'”
#51
نه برگشت از ایشان بد روزگار
✦
ز بد گوهر و گفت آموزگار
“Yet ill-fortune did not turn aside from them, born of their evil nature and the teachings of their demonic mentor.”
#52
کسی کو بتابد سر از راستی
✦
گزیند همی کژی و کاستی
“Whoever turns his head away from truth and righteousness will inevitably embrace deceit and ruin.”
#53
به جنگ پشن نیز چندان سپاه
✦
که پیران بکشت اندر آوردگاه
“Recall too the battle of Pashan, where Piran slaughtered so vast a host upon the battlefield.”
#54
زمین گل شد از خون گودرزیان
✦
نجویی جز از رنج و راه زیان
“The earth turned to mud with the blood of the family of Goudarz; you seek nothing but suffering and the path of ruin.”
#55
کنون آمدی با هزاران هزار
✦
ز ترکان سوار از در کارزار
“And now you have arrived with thousands upon thousands of Turanian horsemen, eager for battle.”
#56
به آموی لشکر کشیدی به جنگ
✦
وز ایشان به پیش من آمد پشنگ
“You marched your host to the river Āmuy to wage war, and from them Pashang came before me.”
#57
فرستادیش تا ببرد سرم
✦
از آن پس تو ویران کنی کشورم
“You dispatched him to sever my head, so that thereafter you might lay waste to my realm.”
#58
جهاندار یزدان مرا یار گشت
✦
سر بخت دشمن نگونسار گشت
“Yet the Lord of the World became my helper, and the fortune of my enemy was cast down in ruin.”
#59
مرا گویی اکنون که از تخت تو
✦
دل‌افروز و شادانم از بخت تو
“And now you send word saying: 'I rejoice in your throne, and my heart is brightened by your good fortune!'”
#60
نگه کن که تا چون بود باورم
✦
چو کردارهای تو یاد آورم
“Consider how I could ever believe your words when I recall your past cruel deeds!”
#61
از این پس مرا جز به شمشیر تیز
✦
نباشد سخن با تو تا رستخیز
“Henceforth, until the Day of Resurrection, I shall speak to you only with the sharp edge of the sword!”
#62
بکوشم به نیروی گنج و سپاه
✦
به نیک اختر و گردش هور و ماه
“I shall strive with the power of treasure and armies, guided by good fortune and the celestial turns of sun and moon.”
#63
همان پیش یزدان بباشم به پای
✦
نخواهم به گیتی جز او رهنمای
“Likewise, I shall stand devoted before God, seeking no guide in all the world save Him.”
#64
مگر کز بدان پاک گردد جهان
✦
به داد و دهش من ببندم میان
“So that perchance the world may be cleansed of evil ones, I girdle my loins with justice and bounty.”
#65
بداندیش را از میان بر کنم
✦
سر بدنشان را بی‌افسر کنم
“I shall eradicate the malevolent enemy and strip the crown from the head of the ill-omened ruler.”
#66
سخن هرچه گفتم نیا را بگوی
✦
که در جنگ چندین بهانه مجوی
“Relay all that I have spoken to my grandfather, and tell him to seek no more pretenses in war.”