When the golden sun crested the mountain peaks and lit the world like a shining lamp, King Dara rallied his infinite host from beyond the banks of the Euphrates. The plain overflowed with warriors, outnumbering the blades of grass upon the earth. Hearing the thunderous arrival of the Persian ranks, Sekandar sounded his war drums and set his legions in motion. Two boundless armies, the likes of which the world had never witnessed, stood face to face. The glare of Indian daggers, silvered breastplates, and iron bards turned the earth into a tempestuous sea of steel and swirling dust. Mighty war elephants charged in the van, followed closely by fearless horsemen who had forsaken their lives for glory.
For seven whole days, the furious champions locked in mortal combat, face to face. The deafening clamor of war horns, Indian bells, and the shattering clash of heavy maces made the very mountains quake. So thick was the rising dust that the sun turned as dark as lapis lazuli, and the air itself seemed to boil with crimson rage. On the eighth day, a gloom enveloped the battlefield, veiling the eyes of the Persian host. Disorder seized the Iranian lines, and Dara's soldiers broke rank and fled. Sekandar's forces pursued them relentlessly—one side plunged into grief and ruin, the other exulting in victory. Sekandar pressed onward to the riverbank as countless Iranian warriors fell beneath the sword. There, beside the waters where the elite of Persia once stood, Alexander commanded his troops to cross, establishing his triumphant dominion over the field.
#1
چو خورشید برزد سر از کوه و راغ
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زمین شد به کردار زرین چراغ
“When the sun crested the mountains and glades, the earth turned radiant like a golden lamp.”
#2
جهاندار دارا سپه برگرفت
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جهان چادر قیر بر سرگرفت
“King Dara led forth his army, while the world donned a cloak of pitch.”
#3
بیاورد لشکر ز رود فرات
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به هامون سپه بیش بود از نبات
“He brought his host from the river Euphrates; upon the plain, the army outnumbered the plants of the earth.”
#4
سکندر چو بشنید کامد سپاه
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بزد کوس و آورد لشکر به راه
“When Sekandar heard the host had arrived, he struck the war-drums and set his army upon the march.”
#5
دو لشکر که آن را کرانه نبود
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چو اسکندر اندر زمانه نبود
“Two endless armies faced one another; in that age, there was no conqueror like Alexander.”
#6
ز ساز و ز گردان هر دو گروه
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زمین همچو دریا بد و گرد کوه
“From the arms and champions of both hosts, the earth became like a sea, and dust swirled around the mountains.”
#7
ز خفتان وز خنجر هندوان
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ز بالا و اسپ وز برگستوان
“With chainmail coats, Indian blades, tall steeds, and horse-armor, the glare of swords reached the sun.”
#8
دو رویه سپه برکشیدند صف
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ز خنجر همی یافت خورشید تف
“Both armies drew up their lines on either side, their flashing daggers reflecting the sun's scorching heat.”
#9
به پیش سپاه آوریدند پیل
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جهان شد به کردار دریای نیل
“They brought forward the elephants ahead of the host, turning the world into the image of the River Nile.”
#10
سواران جنگ از پس و پیل پیش
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همه برگرفته دل از جان خویش
“Fighting horsemen charged behind the elephants, all of them having relinquished their desire for life.”
#11
تو گفتی هوا خون خروشد همی
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زمین از خروشش بجوشد همی
“You would say the atmosphere roared with blood, and the earth boiled from its terrible cries.”
#12
ز بس نالهٔ بوق و هندی درای
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همی کوه را دل برآمد ز جای
“From the continuous blast of clarions and Indian bells, the very heart of the mountains was torn from its place.”
#13
ز آواز اسپان و بانگ سران
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چرنگیدن گرزهای گران
“From the neighing of horses, the shouts of commanders, and the clattering of heavy maces, the earth trembled.”
#14
تو گفتی زمین کوه جنگی شدست
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ز گرد آسمان روی زنگی شدست
“You would say the earth had become a mountain of war, and from the dust, the face of the sky turned black as a Zangi.”
#15
به یک هفته گردان پرخاشجوی
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به روی اندر آورده بودند روی
“For a whole week, battle-seeking champions fought face to face in endless battle.”
#16
بهشتم برآمد یکی تیره گرد
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بران سان که خورشید شد لاژورد
“On the eighth day, a dark dust cloud arose, such that the bright sun turned lapis lazuli.”
#17
بپوشید دیدار ایران سپاه
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گریزان برفتند از آن رزمگاه
“Darkened was the vision of the Iranian host, and they fled in retreat from that battlefield.”
#18
سپاه سکندر پس اندر دمان
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یکی پرغم و دیگری شادمان
“Alexander's army roared in relentless pursuit—the one side full of grief, the other filled with joy.”
#19
سکندر بشد تا لب رودبار
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بکشتند ز ایرانیان بی‌شمار
“Sekandar pressed forward to the riverbank, and countless Iranians were slain in the carnage.”
#20
سپاه از لب رود برگاشتند
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بفرمود تا رود بگذاشتند
“Turning his forces back from the river's edge, he commanded his men to cross the river.”
#21
به پیروزی آمد بران رزمگاه
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کجا پیش بود آن گزیده سپاه
“Triumphant he stood upon that battlefield, where previously the elite host had stood arrayed.”