Under the cloak of a pitch-black night, Prince Goshtasp—aggrieved by his father King Lohrasp's reluctance to grant him royal sovereignty—executed a secret escape. He brought forth Lohrasp's own swift black steed, Shabdiz, and saddled it with his personal gear. Arrayed in a gold-brocaded tunic of Roman silk and adorning his headpiece with the auspicious feather of the Homa bird, he gathered a rich store of royal jewels and gold coins. With a heart longing for a crown and a spirit set upon the open road, he turned his face from Iran toward the realm of Rome.
When dawn broke and word of Goshtasp's flight reached King Lohrasp, all joy withered from the monarch's heart. Filled with foreboding, he hastily summoned his valiant son Zarir and the wisest mobads of the court. Lohrasp confessed his deepest fears, declaring that this lion-hearted prince possessed such formidable strength that he could cast the heads of crowned kings into the dust, and warned that his departure must not be taken lightly.
The head Mobad stepped forward with sage counsel, reminding the king: 'No monarch has ever been blessed with a son like Goshtasp, nor has any champion of renown rivaled him. Save for the glorious Rustam himself, no knight in all the world can match Goshtasp in stature, countenance, intellect, and chivalric culture. Should he return, refrain from tight-fisted stinginess and guard against greed, for the Kianian crown has rested upon many brows and its affection abides with no man forever. Grant him a kingdom of his own and place a noble diadem upon his brow.'
Accepting this wisdom, King Lohrasp dispatched a company of noble chieftains across the world to search for the prince. Yet after traversing distant lands, the searchers returned hopeless and empty-handed, thwarted by an unyielding fate. Thus, public reproach and blame became the burden of King Lohrasp, while exile, toil, and physical hardship became the lonely lot of Prince Goshtasp.
#1
شب تیره شبدیز لهراسپی
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بیاورد با زین گشتاسپی
“In the pitch-black night, he brought forth Lohrasp's dark steed, Shabdiz, caparisoned with Goshtasp's own saddle.”
#2
بپوشید زربفت رومی قبای
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ز تاج اندر آویخت پر همای
“He donned a gold-brocaded robe of Roman silk, and from his crown attached a feather of the auspicious Homa bird.”
#3
ز دینار وز گوهر شاهوار
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بیاورد چندان کش آمد به کار
“He gathered as much gold coin and royal jewels as he would need for his journey.”
#4
از ایران سوی روم بنهاد روی
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به دل گاه جوی و روان راه جوی
“Turning his face from Iran toward the land of Rome, he rode forth with a heart hungering for a throne and a spirit seeking the open road.”
#5
پدر چون ز گشتاسپ آگاه شد
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بپیچید و شادیش کوتاه شد
“When the father learned of Goshtasp's departure, he writhed in anguish and his joy withered away.”
#6
زریر و همه بخردان را بخواند
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ز گشتاسپ چندی سخنها براند
“He summoned Zarir and all the wise counselors of the realm, speaking at length of Goshtasp's departure.”
#7
بدیشان چنین گفت کاین شیر مرد
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سر تاجدار اندر آرد به گرد
“He said to them: 'This lion-hearted man is capable of bringing crowned heads down into the dust!'”
#8
چه بینید و این را چه درمان کنید
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نشاید که این بر دل آسان کنید
“'What counsel do you offer, and how shall we remedy this? We must not take this matter light-heartedly!'”
#9
چنین گفت موبد که این نیک بخت
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گرامی به مردان بود تاج و تخت
“The wise Mobad replied: 'O King, to men of fortune and greatness, the crown and throne are prized above all.'”
#10
چو گشتاسپ فرزند کس را نبود
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نه هرگز کس از نامداران شنود
“'No monarch ever possessed a son like Goshtasp, nor has anyone ever heard of his match among renowned heroes.'”
#11
ز هر سو بباید فرستاد کس
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دلاور بزرگان فریادرس
“'Messengers and brave, noble lords must be dispatched in every direction to aid and find him.'”
#12
گر او بازگردد تو زفتی مکن
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هنرجوی و با آز جفتی مکن
“'Should he return, do not show yourself tight-fisted; seek merit and virtue, and pair not your soul with greed.'”
#13
که تاج کیان چون تو بیند بسی
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نماند همی مهر او بر کسی
“'For the Kianian crown beholds many rulers like you, yet its affection never abides forever with any single soul.'”
#14
به گشتاسپ ده زین جهان کشوری
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بنه بر سرش نامدار افسری
“'Bestow upon Goshtasp a kingdom of this world, and place a renowned crown upon his head.'”
#15
جز از پهلوان رستم نامدار
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به گیتی نبینیم چون او سوار
“'Save for the renowned hero Rostam, we see no knight or rider in all the world like him.'”
#16
به بالا و دیدار و فرهنگ و هوش
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چنو نامور نیز نشنید گوش
“'In stature, countenance, wisdom, and culture, no ear has ever heard tell of a hero so magnificent.'”
#17
فرستاد لهراسپ چندی مهان
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به جستن گرفتند گرد جهان
“King Lohrasp dispatched a company of grandees, who set out to search every corner of the world.”
#18
برفتند و نومید بازآمدند
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که با اختر دیرساز آمدند
“They departed and returned empty-handed, having met with an unyielding and reluctant fate.”
#19
نکوهش از آن بهر لهراسپ بود
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غم و رنج تن بهر گشتاسپ بود
“Blame and reproach fell upon Lohrasp, while sorrow and physical hardship became the lot of Goshtasp.”