When the devastating news of the king's terminal affliction spread through the ranks, the bright day turned as dark as night for the realm's high nobles. They assembled in distress around the royal throne, and the wide plain echoed with deep murmurs of grief. Sekandar, perceiving the panic among his forces, recognized that his appointed hour had arrived and the sun of his earthly reign was setting. He ordered his imperial throne to be carried out of the palace into the open desert, so that he might address his troops one final time.
Upon beholding the pale and spent countenance of their monarch, the army erupted into a fiery torrent of lamentation. Soldiers wept over the dark turn of fortune, foreboding that with the king's demise, the glory of Rum would crumble and its foes would rejoice. Sekandar, gathering his faint strength, spoke in a gentle yet resolute tone, urging them to walk in fear of God, to hold fast to wisdom and modesty, and to remember that mortality is the inescapable decree laid upon all humankind. With these solemn parting words, the famous conqueror yielded his spirit.
At his passing, a deafening wail rose from the assembled host. Warriors cast dust upon their heads, wept tears of blood, set fire to the royal pavilions, sheared the manes and tails of a thousand steeds, and turned their war-saddles upside down. A splendid coffin of pure gold was brought into the plain. Sakuba, the venerable bishop, washed the king's body with clear rosewater, anointed it with pure camphor, wrapped it in gold-woven Chinese silk, and preserved the noble form in honey before sealing the golden chest.
When the coffin was raised, a sharp dispute arose between the Persian and Roman factions. The Persians contended that since this land was the traditional resting place of great emperors, the king should be buried locally rather than paraded across the earth. A wise Roman guide replied that a ruler's remains belong to the soil of his birth. To resolve the strife, a Persian sage directed them to an ancient meadow known as Jorm, where a mystical mountain was famed for echoing divine answers to human queries. They brought an elder to the grove and put the question to the mountain. A clear, resonant voice thundered back: 'The dust of Sekandar belongs to Alexandria, where he spent his living days!' Hearing this cosmic decree, the army departed the grove of Jorm without delay, bearing the golden coffin swiftly toward Alexandria.
#1
چو آگاه شد لشکر از درد شاه
✦
جهان گشت بر نامداران سیاه
“When the army became aware of the king's agony, the world turned dark to the renowned nobles.”
#2
به تخت بزرگی نهادند روی
✦
جهان شد سراسر پر از گفت‌وگوی
“They turned their faces toward the throne of greatness, and the whole world became filled with anxious talk.”
#3
سکندر چو از لشکر آگاه شد
✦
بدانست کش روز کوتاه شد
“When Sekandar became aware of the army's unrest, he knew that his days had grown short.”
#4
بفرمود تا تخت بیرون برند
✦
از ایوان شاهی به هامون برند
“He commanded that his throne be taken outside, carried from the royal palace into the open plain.”
#5
ز بیماری او غمی شد سپاه
✦
که بی‌رنگ دیدند رخسار شاه
“The army grew heart-sick from his illness, seeing the pale and bloodless face of their king.”
#6
همه دشت یکسر خروشان شدند
✦
چو بر آتش تیز جوشان شدند
“The entire plain erupted in clamor, boiling like water set upon a fierce flame.”
#7
همی گفت هرکس که بد روزگار
✦
که از رومیان کم شود شهریار
“Everyone cried out that fate had turned evil, for the ruler of the Romans was slipping away.”
#8
فرازآمد آن گردش بخت شوم
✦
که ویران شود زین سپس مرز روم
“The turn of ill fortune has arrived, and henceforth the realm of Rum shall fall into ruin.”
#9
همه دشمنان کام دل یافتند
✦
رسیدند جایی که بشتافتند
“All our enemies have attained their heart's desire, reaching the goal toward which they hastened.”
#10
بمابر کنون تلخ گردد جهان
✦
خروشان شویم آشکار و نهان
“Henceforth the world turns bitter for us; we shall weep aloud in public and in secret.”
#11
چنین گفت قیصر به آوای نرم
✦
که ترسنده باشید با رای و شرم
“Then Caesar spoke in a gentle voice: 'Be God-fearing, walking with wisdom and modesty.'”
#12
ز اندرز من سربسر مگذرید
✦
چو خواهید کز جان و تن برخورید
“'Do not stray from my counsels in any way, if you wish to benefit in soul and body.'”
#13
پس از من شما را همینست کار
✦
نه با من همی بد کند روزگار
“'After me, this same fate awaits you all; Time deals not ill with me alone.'”
#14
بگفت این و جانش برآمد ز تن
✦
شد آن نامور شاه لشکرشکن
“He said this and his soul departed his body; that famous king, breaker of armies, was gone.”
#15
ز لشکر سراسر برآمد خروش
✦
ز فریاد لشکر بدرید گوش
“A roar burst forth from the entire army, a cry so intense it tore through the ears.”
#16
همه خاک بر سر همی بیختند
✦
ز مژگان همی خون دل ریختند
“They threw dust upon their heads and wept tears of blood from their eyelashes.”
#17
زدند آتش اندر سرای نشست
✦
هزار اسپ را دم بریدند پست
“They set fire to the royal hall of assembly and docked the tails of a thousand horses.”
#18
نهاده بر اسپان نگونسار زین
✦
تو گفتی همی برخروشد زمین
“They placed upside-down saddles upon the horses; you would say the earth itself was roaring.”
#19
ببردند صندوق زرین به دشت
✦
همی ناله از آسمان برگذشت
“They brought out a golden coffin to the plain, and lamentations rose beyond the sky.”
#20
سکوبا بشستش به روشن گلاب
✦
پراگند بر تنش کافور ناب
“Sakuba washed his body with pure rosewater and sprinkled refined camphor upon him.”
#21
ز دیبای زربفت کردش کفن
✦
خروشان بران شهریار انجمن
“He made a shroud for him out of gold-brocaded silk, as the assembled crowd wailed over the king.”
#22
تن نامور زیر دیبای چین
✦
نهادند تا پای در انگبین
“They laid the body of the famous king under Chinese silk, immersing him from foot to head in honey.”
#23
سر تنگ تابوت کردند سخت
✦
شد آن سایه گستر دلاور درخت
“They sealed the narrow opening of the coffin tightly; that shade-bestowing, brave tree had fallen.”
#24
نمانی همی در سرای سپنج
✦
چه یازی به تخت و چه نازی به گنج
“You stay not in this temporary abode; why strive for a throne, why take pride in treasure?”
#25
چو تابوت زان دشت برداشتند
✦
همه دست بر دست بگذاشتند
“As they lifted the coffin from the plain, everyone wrung their hands in sorrow.”
#26
دو آواز شد رومی و پارسی
✦
سخنشان ز تابوت بد یک بسی
“Two opposing voices arose, Roman and Persian; their words regarding the coffin became a major strife.”
#27
هرانکس که او پارسی بود گفت
✦
که او را جز ایدر نباید نهفت
“Whosoever was Persian said: 'He should be buried nowhere else but right here.'”
#28
چو ایدر بود خاک شاهنشهان
✦
چه تازند تابوت گرد جهان
“'Since this is the resting ground of kings, why carry the coffin around the world?'”
#29
چنین گفت رومی یکی رهنمای
✦
که ایدر نهفتن ورا نیست رای
“A Roman guide spoke thus: 'It is not fitting to hide him in this earth.'”
#30
اگر بشنوید آنچ گویم درست
✦
سکندر در آن خاک ریزد که رست
“'If you listen to what I say truly, Sekandar must be laid in the soil where he grew.'”
#31
یکی پارسی نیز گفت این سخن
✦
که گر چندگویی نیاید به بن
“A Persian also spoke, saying: 'Though you talk endlessly, this dispute will reach no conclusion.'”
#32
نمایم شما را یکی مرغزار
✦
ز شاهان و پیشینگان یادگار
“'I will show you a meadow, a heritage remembered from ancient kings.'”
#33
ورا جرم خواند جهاندیده پیر
✦
بدو اندرون بیشه و آبگیر
“'An experienced elder calls it Jorm; within it lie a woodland and a water pool.'”
#34
چو پرسی ترا پاسخ آید ز کوه
✦
که آواز او بشنود هر گروه
“'When you ask a question, an answer comes back to you from the mountain, heard by all.'”
#35
بیارید مر پیر فرتوت را
✦
هم ایدر بدارید تابوت را
“'Bring the decrepit old man there, and keep the coffin right here for now.'”
#36
بپرسید اگر کوه پاسخ دهد
✦
شما را بدین رای فرخ نهد
“'Ask, and if the mountain gives answer, it will bless your decision.'”
#37
برفتند پویان به کردار غرم
✦
بدان بیشه کش باز خوانند جرم
“They went swiftly like mountain sheep to that woodland known as Jorm.”
#38
بگفتند پاسخ چنین داد باز
✦
که تابوت شاهان چه دارید راز
“They asked, and an answer came back thus: 'Why do you keep the secret of the king's coffin?'”
#39
که خاک سکندر به اسکندریست
✦
کجا کرده بد روزگاری که زیست
“'Sekandar's dust belongs to Alexandria, where he created his fortune while he lived!'”
#40
چو آواز بشنید لشکر برفت
✦
ببردند زان بیشه صندوق تفت
“When the army heard the voice, they departed, carrying the golden box hastily from that grove.”