When the auspicious King Hormizd I ascended the imperial throne of Iran and donned the royal crown, a golden age of peace and righteousness dawned upon the earth, so serene that the sheep and the wolf drank together at the same stream. The wisdom-seeking monarch gathered the renowned sages, battle-tested elders, and noble chancellors of the realm to inaugurate his rule with a grand discourse on virtue and governance. Hormizd exhorted his lords to strive endlessly for justice, invoking the enduring counsel of wise ancestors. He warned that arrogance and pride are abhorrent to the great, that envy is the weapon of the fool, and that greed narrows the soul's horizon. In a profound cosmological metaphor, the king likened wisdom to life-giving water and knowledge to the fertile earth, proclaiming that neither can bear fruit without the other. He bade all men to guard their tongues with virtue and truth, reminding them that even the walls possess ears to catch whispered thoughts. The assembly sang high praises for their clear-sighted, pure-hearted sovereign and departed with joyful hearts. Hormizd upheld the majestic traditions of Shapur and Ardashir, bestowing gifts and justice throughout the lands. Yet the celestial sphere turned swiftly; before long, camphor replaced the fragrance of musk, the blooming judas-tree withered, and his erect cypress frame bent like a bow. The benevolent king was granted but a brief span upon the throne before destiny cut short his glorious life.
#1
سر گاه و دیهیم شاه اورمزد
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بیارایم اکنون چو ماه اورمزد
“I shall now adorn the story of King Hormizd's throne and crown, radiant as the day of Hormizd.”
#2
ز شاهی برو هیچ تاوان نبود
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ازان بد که عهدش فراوان نبود
“There was no flaw in his sovereignty; the only misfortune was that his reign was brief.”
#3
چو بنشست شاه اورمزد بزرگ
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به آبشخور آمد همی میش و گرگ
“When the great King Hormizd took his seat, the sheep and the wolf drank peacefully at the same waterhole.”
#4
چنین گفت کای نامور بخردان
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جهان گشته و کار دیده ردان
“He spoke thus: 'O illustrious sages, world-experienced and battle-tested leaders!'”
#5
بکوشیم تا نیکی آریم و داد
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خنک آنک پند پدر کرد یاد
“'Let us strive to bring forth goodness and justice; blessed is he who holds fast to his father's counsel.'”
#6
چو یزدان نیکی‌دهش نیکوی
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بما داد و تاج سر خسروی
“'Since God, the Bestower of Good, has granted us virtue and the supreme royal crown,'”
#7
به نیکی کنم ویژه انبازتان
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نخواهم که بی من بود رازتان
“'I shall make you my true partners in goodness, and desire no secret to be kept from me.'”
#8
بدانید کان کو منی فش بود
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بر مهتران سخت ناخوش بود
“'Know that whoever is filled with arrogant pride is deeply abhorrent to great men.'”
#9
ستیزه بود مرد را پیش رو
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بماند نیازش همه ساله نو
“'He who chooses stubbornness as his leader will find his poverty and needs forever renewed.'”
#10
همان رشک شمشیر نادان بود
✦
همیشه برو بخت خندان بود
“'Envy acts as a sword against the fool, while good fortune ever smiles upon the righteous.'”
#11
دگر هرک دارد ز هر کار ننگ
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بود زندگانی و روزیش تنگ
“'Whosoever feels shame before useful labor will find his life and daily bread constrained.'”
#12
در آز باشد دل سفله مرد
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بر سفلگان تا توانی مگرد
“'The heart of a base person is chained to greed; shun the company of the base as much as you can.'”
#13
هرانکس که دانش نیابی برش
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مکن ره‌گذر تازید بر درش
“'Whosoever lacks wisdom in his soul, make no path to ride past his doorway.'”
#14
به مرد خردمند و فرهنگ و رای
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بود جاودان تخت شاهی به پای
“'Through wise men, culture, and sound counsel, the royal throne endures forever.'”
#15
دلت زنده باشد به فرهنگ و هوش
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به بد در جهان تا توانی مکوش
“'Keep your heart alive through wisdom and insight, and refrain from evil in this world as much as you are able.'”
#16
خرد همچو آبست و دانش زمین
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بدان کاین جدا و آن جدا نیست زین
“'Wisdom is like life-giving water and knowledge is like the earth; know that the one cannot be parted from the other.'”
#17
دل شاه کز مهر دوری گرفت
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اگر بازگردد نباشد شگفت
“'If a king's heart should ever turn away from affection, it would be no surprise if it turned back to love.'”
#18
هرانکس که باشد مرا زیردست
✦
همه شادمان باد و یزدان‌پرست
“'May everyone who is subject to my rule live joyful lives and worship God.'”
#19
به خشنودی کردگار جهان
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خرد یار باد آشکار و نهان
“'To earn the pleasure of the World's Creator, may wisdom be our ally in public and in secret.'”
#20
خردمند گر مردم پارسا
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چو جایی سخن راند از پادشا
“'If a wise and pious person speaks anywhere concerning the king,'”
#21
همه سخته باید که راند سخن
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که گفتار نیکو نگردد کهن
“'He must weigh every word carefully, for fine speech never grows old or weary.'”
#22
نباید که گویی به جز نیکوی
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وگر بد سراید نگر نشنوی
“'You must speak nothing but good, and if anyone speaks evil, take care not to listen to it.'”
#23
ببیند دل پادشا راز تو
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همان بشنود گوش آواز تو
“'The heart of the king beholds your secret, and his ear hears the sound of your voice.'”
#24
چه گفت آن سخن‌گوی پاسخ نیوش
✦
که دیوار دارد به گفتار گوش
“'How wisely spoke that eloquent sage who said: "Even walls have ears to listen to speech!"'”
#25
همه انجمن خواندند آفرین
✦
بران شاه بینادل و پاک‌دین
“The entire assembly showered praises upon that insightful and pure-faith king.”
#26
پراگنده گشت آن بزرگ انجمن
✦
همه شاد زان سرو سایه فگن
“The great council dispersed, all joyful because of that shade-casting cypress.”
#27
همان رسم شاپور شاه اردشیر
✦
همی داشت آن شاه دانش‌پذیر
“That wisdom-accepting king upheld the very traditions of King Shapur, son of Ardashir.”
#28
جهانی سراسر بدو گشت شاد
✦
چه نیکو بود شاه با بخش و داد
“The entire world became joyful through him; how wonderful is a king endowed with bounty and justice!”
#29
همی راند با شرم و با داد کار
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چنین تا برآمد برین روزگار
“He governed with modesty and justice, until time passed over his days.”
#30
بگسترد کافور بر جای مشک
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گل و ارغوان شد به پالیز خشک
“Camphor was spread in place of musk; the rose and purple judas-flower withered in the garden.”
#31
سهی سرو او گشت همچون کمان
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نه آن بود کان شاه را بدگمان
“His tall cypress stature bent like a bow—a fate the king had never anticipated.”
#32
نبود از جهان شاد بس روزگار
✦
سرآمد بران دادگر شهریار
“He enjoyed no long span of happiness in this world; the life of that righteous monarch came to an end.”