#1
بدانست کش مرگ نزدیک شد
✦
بروبر همی روز تاریک شد
“When he realized that his death drew near, the day grew dark and gloomy before his eyes.”
#2
بران بودش اندیشه کاندر جهان
✦
نماند کسی از نژاد مهان
“His mind was weighed down by the thought that no noble descendant of the grand lineage should remain alive in the world.”
#3
که لشکر کشد جنگ را سوی روم
✦
نهد پی بران خاک آباد بوم
“Fearing that an army would march against Rome and set foot upon that prosperous land.”
#4
چو مغز اندرین کار خودکامه کرد
✦
هم‌انگه سطالیس را نامه کرد
“When his mind settled upon this willful resolve, he straightway wrote a letter to Aristotle.”
#5
هرانکس کجا بد ز تخم کیان
✦
بفرمودشان تا ببندد میان
“He commanded that whoever belonged to the royal seed of the Kians be bound and brought forth.”
#6
همه روی را سوی درگه کنند
✦
ز بدها گمانیش کوته کنند
“That all should turn their faces toward the court, to cut short any suspicion of evil from them.”
#7
چو این نامه بردند نزد حکیم
✦
دل ارسطالیس شد به دو نیم
“When they bore this letter to the sage, Aristotle's heart was torn in two with grief.”
#8
هم‌اندر زمان پاسخ نامه کرد
✦
ز مژگان تو گفتی سر خامه کرد
“He immediately penned a reply, dipping his reed-pen, as it were, in the tears of his eyes.”
#9
که آن نامهٔ شاه گیهان رسید
✦
ز بدکام دستش بباید کشید
“He wrote: 'The letter of the World-King has arrived; he must withdraw his hand from ill-intentioned designs.'”
#10
ازان بد که کردی میندیش نیز
✦
از اندیشه درویش را بخش چیز
“'Think no more of the harm you contemplated, but out of reflection, bestow gifts upon the needy.'”
#11
بپرهیز و جان را به یزدان سپار
✦
به گیتی جز از تخم نیکی مکار
“'Exercise restraint, commit your soul to Yazdan, and sow no seed in this world except goodness.'”
#12
همه مرگ راییم تا زنده‌ایم
✦
به بیچارگی در سرافگنده‌ایم
“'So long as we live, we are all bound for death; in helplessness, our heads are cast down.'”
#13
نه هرکس که شد پادشاهی ببرد
✦
برفت و بزرگی کسی را سپرد
“'Not one who attained kingship took it with him; he departed and yielded greatness unto another.'”
#14
بپرهیز و خون بزرگان مریز
✦
که نفرین بود بر تو تا رستخیز
“'Refrain from violence and shed not the blood of nobles, lest curses cling to your name until the Resurrection.'”
#15
و دیگر که چون اندر ایران سپاه
✦
نباشد همان شاه در پیشگاه
“'Moreover, if there be no army left in Iran, nor a king sitting upon its royal throne,'”
#16
ز ترک و ز هند و ز سقلاب و چین
✦
سپاه آید از هر سوی هم‌چنین
“'Armies will pour in from every direction—from the Turks, the Hinds, the Slavs, and China.'”
#17
به روم آید آنکس که ایران گرفت
✦
اگر کین بسیچد نباشد شگفت
“'And whoever seizes Iran will then march upon Rome; if he seeks vengeance, it will be no wonder.'”
#18
هرآنکس که هست از نژاد کیان
✦
نباید که از باد یابد زیان
“'Whoever is of Kianian descent should suffer no harm from even a passing ill wind.'”
#19
بزرگان و آزادگان را بخوان
✦
به بخش و به سور و به رای و به خوان
“'Summon the nobles and free men; honor them with gifts, feasts, wise counsel, and banquets.'”
#20
سزاوار هر مهتری کشوری
✦
بیارای و آغاز کن دفتری
“'Bestow a realm fit for every chieftain; adorn their ranks and open a new ledger of state.'”
#21
به نام بزرگان و آزادگان
✦
کزیشان جهان یافتی رایگان
“'Establish it in the names of the nobles and free-born men, from whom you inherited the world freely.'”
#22
یکی را مده بر دگر دستگاه
✦
کسی را مخوان بر جهان نیز شاه
“'Grant not supreme dominion to one over another, nor proclaim anyone as sole king over the world.'”
#23
سپر کن کیان را همه پیش بوم
✦
چو خواهی که لشکر نیاید به روم
“'Make the Kians a shield protecting your realm, if you wish that no foreign army march against Rome.'”
#24
سکندر چو پاسخ بران گونه یافت
✦
به اندیشه و رای دیگر شتافت
“When Sikandar received such an answer, he turned his thoughts and judgment toward a new counsel.”
#25
بزرگان و آزادگان را ز دهر
✦
کسی را کش از مردمی بود بهر
“He gathered the nobles and free-born men of the age, whoever held a share of humanity and wisdom.”
#26
بفرمود تا پیش او خواندند
✦
به جای سزاوار بنشاندند
“He commanded them to be summoned before him and seated them in places fitting their dignity.”
#27
یکی عهد بنوشت تا هر یکی
✦
فزونی نجوید ز دهر اندکی
“He drew up a covenant so that no ruler should seek to dominate another in the least degree.”
#28
بران نامداران جوینده کام
✦
ملوک طوایف نهادند نام
“Upon those renowned seekers of honor, they bestowed the title of Regional Kings (Muluk al-Tawa'if).”
#29
همان شب سکندر به بابل رسید
✦
مهان را به دیدار خود شاد دید
“That very night Sikandar reached Babylon, where the nobles were overjoyed to see his face.”
#30
یکی کودک آمد زنی را به شب
✦
بدو ماند هرکس که دیدش عجب
“A child was born to a woman that night; everyone who beheld it was filled with wonder.”
#31
سرش چون سر شیر و بر پای سم
✦
چو مردم بر و کتف و چون گاو دم
“Its head was like a lion's head, its feet were hooves, its chest and shoulders human, and its tail like an ox's.”
#32
بمرد از شگفتی هم‌آنگه که زاد
✦
سزد گر نباشد ازان زن نژاد
“It died of wonder the moment it was born; such a creature was unnatural for any mother to bear.”
#33
ببردند هم در زمان نزد شاه
✦
بدو کرد شاه از شگفتی نگاه
“They brought the infant straightway before the King, who gazed upon it in deep astonishment.”
#34
به فالش بد آمد هم‌انگاه گفت
✦
که این بچه در خاک باید نهفت
“He took it as an evil omen and said at once: 'This infant must be hidden away beneath the earth.'”
#35
ز اخترشناسان بسی پیش خواند
✦
وزان کودک مرده چندی براند
“He summoned many astrologers before him and questioned them long concerning the dead child.”
#36
ستاره‌شمر زان غمی گشت سخت
✦
بپوشید بر خسرو نیک‌بخت
“The star-gazers became deeply distressed and tried to conceal the secret from the fortunate monarch.”
#37
ز اخترشناسان بپرسید و گفت
✦
که گر هیچ ماند سخن در نهفت
“He demanded of the astrologers, saying: 'If any word remains hidden from me,'”
#38
هم‌اکنون ببرم سرانتان ز تن
✦
نیابید جز کام شیران کفن
“'I will sever your heads from your bodies this instant; you shall find no shroud save the bellies of lions!'”
#39
ستاره‌شمر چون برآشفت شاه
✦
بدو گفت کای نامور پیشگاه
“When the King raged, an astrologer stepped forth and said: 'O renowned monarch of the realm,'”
#40
تو بر اختر شیر زادی نخست
✦
بر موبدان و ردان شد درست
“'You were born under the sign of Leo, as was confirmed before the wise mobads and chieftains.'”
#41
سر کودک مرده بینی چو شیر
✦
بگردد سر پادشاهیت زیر
“'Seeing this dead infant with a lion's head means that the head of your empire shall now turn upside down.'”
#42
پرآشوب گردد زمین چندگاه
✦
چنین تا نشیند یکی پیشگاه
“'The earth will fall into great turmoil for a time, until another ruler sits upon the throne.'”
#43
ستاره‌شمر بیش ازین هرک بود
✦
همی گفت و آن را نشانه نمود
“Whatever else lay in the stars, the astrologer declared and revealed its signs.”
#44
سکندر چو بشنید زان شد غمی
✦
به رای و به مغزش درآمد کمی
“When Sikandar heard this, he became sorrowful, and a weakness came over his heart and mind.”
#45
چنین گفت کز مرگ خود چاره نیست
✦
مرا دل پر اندیشه زین باره نیست
“He spoke: 'From death there is no escape; my heart is not distressed on this account.'”
#46
مرا بیش ازین زندگانی نبود
✦
زمانه نکاهد نخواهد فزود
“No longer span of life remains for me; Time will neither curtail my allotted days nor extend them.”