Fifty years had passed of Shapur's glorious reign over the realm, a half-century during which no monarch in the world could match his supreme majesty and power. In those days, there emerged an extraordinarily eloquent painter named Mani, whose skill in the art of painting was beyond compare. Intoxicated by his unmatched craft, Mani crossed all boundaries and claimed the mantle of prophethood, declaring himself superior to all divine lawgivers of the world. He traveled to the court of Shapur, seeking an audience to enlist the Great King as an ally to his new faith. King Shapur, listening to the silver-tongued painter, grew deeply suspicious of his intentions. To safeguard the truth and test the claims, Shapur summoned the Zoroastrian High Priest and the wise elders of the ancient faith. Standing face to face with the pretender, the High Priest engaged Mani in an intense theological debate. With piercing logic and profound wisdom, the High Priest dismantled Mani's dualistic doctrines, establishing that the Sovereign Creator transcends time, space, light, and darkness, and that night and day are the single creation of the One God rather than equal competing forces. Unable to withstand the Priest's undeniable reasoning, Mani was struck mute; his grand claims dissolved, and his prestigious vanity withered away. Seeing Mani's total defeat and recognizing the threat of religious upheaval, King Shapur was seized with righteous wrath. He ordered Mani cast out of the court in disgrace, decreed that his skin be flayed from head to foot, filled with straw, and displayed publicly at the city gate and hospital walls as a warning to all would-be false prophets. The people of the realm praised the King's decisive justice, bringing a stern conclusion to the painter's heresy.
#1
ز شاهیش بگذشت پنجاه سال
✦
که اندر زمانه نبودش همال
“Fifty years passed of his glorious reign, during which no rival could match his sovereign power in the world.”
#2
بیامد یکی مرد گویا ز چین
✦
که چون او مصور نبیند زمین
“Then came an eloquent man from China, a painter such as the earth had never beheld before.”
#3
بدان چربه دستی رسیده به کام
✦
یکی برمنش مرد مانی به نام
“Through his consummate skill he had achieved high renown—an ambitious man named Mani.”
#4
به صورتگری گفت پیغمبرم
✦
ز دین‌آوران جهان برترم
“By virtue of his mastery in painting he declared himself a prophet, claiming superiority over all the world's lawgivers.”
#5
ز چین نزد شاپور شد بار خواست
✦
به پیغمبری شاه را یار خواست
“Coming from China, he sought audience with Shapur, desiring to enlist the king as an ally to his prophethood.”
#6
سخن گفت مرد گشاده‌زبان
✦
جهاندار شد زان سخن بدگمان
“The fluent visitor spoke his piece, but the ruler of the world grew suspicious of his words.”
#7
سرش تیز شد موبدان را بخواند
✦
زمانی فراوان سخنها براند
“His temper flared; he summoned the Mobads and spoke at length with them.”
#8
کزین مرد چینی و چیره‌زبان
✦
فتادستم از دین او در گمان
“He said: 'Regarding this eloquent man from China, I have fallen into deep doubt concerning his faith.'”
#9
بگویید و هم زو سخن بشنوید
✦
مگر خود به گفتار او بگروید
“'Engage him in speech and listen to what he says, lest you yourselves be won over by his doctrine.'”
#10
بگفتند کین مرد صورت پرست
✦
نه بر مایهٔ موبدان موبدست
“They replied: 'This worshipful painter of images possesses not the true wisdom of the High Priests.'”
#11
زمانی سخن بشنو او را بخوان
✦
چو بیند ورا کی گشاید زبان
“'Summon him and hear his discourse for a while; when he faces the Mobad, how shall he dare open his mouth?'”
#12
بفرمود تا موبد آمدش پیش
✦
سخن گفت با او ز اندازه بیش
“The king commanded the Mobad to step forward, who debated Mani beyond all measure.”
#13
فرو ماند مانی میان سخن
✦
به گفتار موبد ز دین کهن
“Mani fell speechless in the midst of debate, silenced by the Mobad's mastery of the ancient faith.”
#14
بدو گفت کای مرد صورت پرست
✦
به یزدان چرا آختی خیره‌دست
“The Mobad said to him: 'O painter of images, why have you rashly stretched your audacity against God?'”
#15
کسی کو بلند آسمان آفرید
✦
بدو در مکان و زمان آفرید
“'He who created the lofty heavens created within them both space and time.'”
#16
کجا نور و ظلمت بدو اندرست
✦
ز هر گوهری گوهرش برترست
“'Light and darkness exist through Him, and His essence transcends every jewel and substance.'”
#17
شب و روز و گردان سپهر بلند
✦
کزویت پناهست و زویت گزند
“'Night and day, and the revolving high sphere—from which come both your refuge and your harm,'”
#18
همه کردهٔ کردگارست و بس
✦
جزو کرد نتواند این کرده کس
“'Are all the creation of the Almighty Creator alone; none other could bring forth such a work.'”
#19
به برهان صورت چرا بگروی
✦
همی پند دین‌آوران نشنوی
“'Why do you rely on the proof of painted pictures, refusing the counsel of true bringers of faith?'”
#20
همه جفت و همتا و یزدان یکیست
✦
جز از بندگی کردنت رای نیست
“'All created things are paired and equal, but God is One; your only true path is servitude unto Him.'”
#21
گرین صورت کرده جنبان کنی
✦
سزد گر ز جنبده برهان کنی
“'If you can bring your painted images to life, then indeed you may use living things as your proof.'”
#22
ندانی که برهان نیاید به کار
✦
ندارد کسی این سخن استوار
“'Do you not know that such superficial proofs fail, and no rational mind holds your doctrine to be sound?'”
#23
اگر اهرمن جفت یزدان بدی
✦
شب تیره چون روز خندان بدی
“'If Ahriman were an equal partner to God, the dark night would be as bright as the laughing day!'”
#24
همه ساله بودی شب و روز راست
✦
به گردش فزونی نبودی نه کاست
“'Day and night would remain forever equal throughout the year, without increase or decrease in their cycles.'”
#25
نگنجد جهان‌آفرین در گمان
✦
که او برترست از زمان و مکان
“'The Creator of the world cannot be encompassed by human imagination, for He transcends both space and time.'”
#26
سخنهای دیوانگانست و بس
✦
بدین‌بر نباشد ترا یار کس
“'Your claims are nothing but the babblings of madmen; no sensible soul will stand by you in this!'”
#27
سخنها جزین نیز بسیار گفت
✦
که با دانش و مردمی بود جفت
“The Mobad spoke many other profound truths, matched with deep wisdom and humanity.”
#28
فرو ماند مانی ز گفتار اوی
✦
بپژمرد شاداب بازار اوی
“Mani was utterly confounded by his words, and his once-thriving prestige withered away.”
#29
ز مانی برآشفت پس شهریار
✦
برو تنگ شد گردش روزگار
“Then King Shapur was overcome with wrath against Mani, and fortune turned bleak for the painter.”
#30
بفرمود پس تاش برداشتند
✦
به خواری ز درگاه بگذاشتند
“The king ordered him seized and cast out from the royal court in utter disgrace.”
#31
چنین گفت کاین مرد صورت‌پرست
✦
نگنجد همی در سرای نشست
“Shapur declared: 'This idol-worshipping painter of images has no place in the hall of assembly!'”
#32
چو آشوب و آرام گیتی به دوست
✦
بباید کشیدن سراپاش پوست
“'Since the turmoil and peace of the realm are bound to his mischief, his skin must be peeled off from head to toe!'”
#33
همان خامش آگنده باید به کاه
✦
بدان تا نجوید کس این پایگاه
“'His empty skin must be stuffed with straw, so that none may ever aspire to such heresy again!'”
#34
بیاویختند از در شارستان
✦
دگر پیش دیوار بیمارستان
“They hung his stuffed hide at the city gate, and another portion before the wall of the hospital.”
#35
جهانی برو آفرین خواندند
✦
همی خاک بر کشته افشاندند
“The world praised the king's righteous decree, while throwing dust upon the slain heretic's memory.”