In an era when the realm of Iran rested in peaceful tranquility and hardship had faded from its borders, the wise minister stood before King Bahram Gur with a grave counsel. He spoke of Shangal, the ruler of the Indian domains, whose spirit had turned away from justice, fostering bandits and turmoil from the borders of India to China, and demanding tribute from Sind while encroaching upon Iranian power. The minister urged the King of kings to address this defiance before dishonor or chaos touched the realm.
As the King pondered these words, the world seemed to darken before him like a dense forest. In the quiet depths of his mind, Bahram conceived a bold and secret plan: he would not merely send an army or an ordinary ambassador, but would travel himself disguised as his own imperial envoy, to personally inspect Shangal's forces, throne, and royal customs without revealing his identity to the Iranian nobles.
Bahram summoned his trusty minister and scribe, ordering parchment, musk, and reed pen to draft a grand missive. The letter opened with magnificent praises to Yazdan—the One Creator of all existence, who is single without peer. It hailed Wisdom as the supreme crown of monarchs and the jewel of the renowned, observing that he who is guided by intellect never consigns the world to evil deeds.
Turning his verse toward Shangal, Bahram severely rebuked the ruler's boundless arrogance and foolishness. He reminded Shangal that his forebears had served the monarchs of Iran as humble vassals. Furthermore, Bahram cited the fateful ruin of the Khagan of China, who had dared to invade Iran only to flee in utter humiliation, leaving all his spoils behind.
Warning the Indian sovereign not to direct his tiny stream against Iran's roaring ocean, Bahram presented Shangal with a stark ultimatum: either submit willingly by offering royal tribute (baazh), or prepare for devastating warfare against an undivided, formidable Iranian host. Once the ink dried in the sweet breeze, the document was perfumed with musk and addressed from King Bahram—son of Yazdegerd, vanquisher of evil, ruler of Rome and Saqlab—to Shangal, keeper of India from the Sea of Qannuj to the borders of Sind.
#1
وَزیر خردمند بر پای خاست
✦
چنین گفت کای خسرو داد و راست
“The wise minister stood upon his feet and spoke thus: 'O king of justice and truth!'”
#2
جهان از بداَندیش بی بیم گشت
✦
وَزین مرزها رنج و سختی گذشت
“'The world has become safe from malicious foes, and hardship and suffering have left these borders.'”
#3
مگر ناموَر شنگل از هندوان
✦
که از داد پیچیده دارد روان
“'Save for the renowned Shangal of the Hindus, who turns his soul away from justice.'”
#4
ز هندوستان تا در مرزِ چین
✦
ز دزدانْ پرآشوب دارد زمین
“'From Hindustan to the gates of China's border, he fills the earth with turmoil and thieves.'”
#5
به ایران همی دست یازَد به بد
✦
بدین داستان کارسازی سزَد
“'He stretches his hand toward Iran in malice; a remedy is fitting for such a matter.'”
#6
تو شاهی و شنگل نگهبانِ هند
✦
چرا باژ خواهد ز چین و زِ سِند
“'Thou art king, and Shangal is keeper of India; why should he demand tribute from China and Sind?'”
#7
بَراَندیش و تَدبیر آن بازجوی
✦
نبایَد که ناخوبی آید بِروی
“'Ponder and seek a plan for this affair, lest an unsightly turn of events come to pass.'”
#8
چو بشنید شاه آن پراندیشه شد
✦
جهان پیشِ او چون یکی بیشه شد
“When the King heard this, he grew deeply thoughtful; the world appeared before him like a dense forest.”
#9
چنین گفت کاین کارِ من در نهان
✦
بسازم نگویم به کس در جهان
“He said: 'I shall accomplish this matter in secret, telling no one in all the world.'”
#10
به تنها ببینم سپاه ورا
✦
همان رسمِ شاهی و گاه ورا
“'I shall see his army with my own eyes, as well as his royal custom and his throne.'”
#11
شَوَم پیشِ او چون فرستادگان
✦
نگویم به ایران به آزادگان
“'I shall go before him in the guise of envoys, revealing nothing to the nobles in Iran.'”
#12
بِشُد پاک‌دستور او با دبیر
✦
جزو هرکسی آنک بد ناگزیر
“Thereupon his pure minister went with the scribe, alongside those whose presence was indispensable.”
#13
بگفتند هرگونه از بیش و کم
✦
بِبُردَند قِرطاس و مشک و قلم
“They spoke of every matter, high and low, bringing forth paper, musk, and pen.”
#14
یکی نامه بنوشت پر پند و رای
✦
پر از دانش و آفرینِ خدای
“He wrote a letter filled with counsel and wisdom, laden with knowledge and praise of God.”
#15
سَرِ نامه کرد از نخست آفرین
✦
ز یزدان برآنکس که جست آفرین
“He began the heading of the epistle with praise of God, invoking Yazdan upon him who seeketh righteousness.”
#16
خداوندِ هست و خداوندِ نیست
✦
همه چیز جُفتَست و ایزد یکیست
“'Lord of existence and Lord of non-existence; all things are paired, and God alone is One.'”
#17
ز چیزی کجا او دهد بنده را
✦
پَرستنده و تاجِ دارنده را
“'From that which He bestoweth upon His servant—whether worshipper or crown-wearer.'”
#18
فزون از خرد نیست اندر جهان
✦
فروزنده کهتران و مهان
“'Naught in the world is higher than Wisdom, which illumineth both the humble and the great.'”
#19
هرآنکس که او شاد شد از خرد
✦
جهان را به کردارِ بد نسپرد
“'Whoever is rendered glad by Wisdom shall not surrender the world to evil deeds.'”
#20
پشیمان نشد هر که نیکی گزید
✦
که بد آب دانش نیارَد مَزید
“'He who chose goodness never repented, for the dark water of evil yields no increase to knowledge.'”
#21
رهانَد خرد مرد را از بلا
✦
مبادا کسی در بلا مبتلا
“'Wisdom delivereth man from calamity; may no person be afflicted with distress!'”
#22
نخستین نشانِ خرد آن بود
✦
که از بد همه‌ساله ترسان بود
“'The foremost sign of Wisdom is that one fears evil at all times.'”
#23
بداند تنِ خویش را در نهان
✦
به چَشمِ خرد جُست رازِ جَهان
“'He knoweth his own inner self, seeking the secret of the world through the eye of wisdom.'”
#24
خرد افسرِ شهریاران بُوَد
✦
همان زیورِ نامداران بُوَد
“'Wisdom is the crown of sovereigns, as well as the ornament of the renowned.'”
#25
بداند بد و نیک مردِ خرد
✦
بکوشد به داد و بپیچد ز بد
“'The wise man discerneth good and evil; he striveth for justice and turneth away from wickedness.'”
#26
تو اندازهٔ خود ندانی همی
✦
روان را به خون در نشانی همی
“'Thou knowest not thine own measure, and thus drowning thy soul in blood.'”
#27
اگر تاجدارِ زمانه منم
✦
به خوبی و زشتی بهانه منم
“'If I am the crown-wearer of the age, I am the measure for both good and ill.'”
#28
تو شاهی کنی کِی بُوَد راستی
✦
پدید آید از هر سوی کاستی
“'Thou claimest kingship, yet where is justice? Defect and loss appear from every side.'”
#29
نه آیینِ شاهان بُوَد تاختن
✦
چُنین با بَداَندیشگان ساختن
“'It is not the custom of kings to raid thus, or to league with evil-minded conspirators.'”
#30
نیای تو ما را پَرَستَنده بود
✦
پدر پیشِ شاهانِ ما بَنده بود
“'Thy ancestor was our worshipper; thy father was a servant before our kings.'”
#31
کس از ما نبودَند همداستان
✦
که دیر آمدی باژِ هندوستان
“'None of us ever agreed that the tribute of Hindustan should be delayed.'”
#32
نگه کن کنون روزِ خاقانِ چین
✦
که از چین بیامد به ایران زمین
“'Look now upon the fate of the Khagan of China, who came from China into the land of Iran.'”
#33
به تاراج داد آنکِ آورده بود
✦
بپیچید زان بد که خود کرده بود
“'He gave to plunder all that he had brought, and repented of the evil he had wrought.'”
#34
چُنین هم همی بینم آیینِ تو
✦
همان بخشش و فَرِه دینِ تو
“'I perceive thy custom to be the same, as well as thy bounty and the glory of thy faith.'”
#35
مرا سازِ جنگست و هم خواسته
✦
همان لشکرِ یکدل آراسته
“'Mine are the implements of war and treasure, as well as an adorned, single-hearted host.'”
#36
تُرا با دلیرانِ من پای نیست
✦
به هند اندرون لشکر آرای نیست
“'Thou hast no power to withstand my champions, nor is there in India a commander to marshal an army.'”
#37
تو اندر گمانی زِ نیروی خویش
✦
همی پیشِ دریا بَری جویِ خویش
“'Thou art deluded concerning thine own strength, leading thy tiny brook before the roaring sea.'”
#38
فرستادم اینک فرستاده‌ای
✦
سخن‌گویِ با دانش آزاده‌ای
“'Behold, I have sent an envoy—an eloquent, wise, and noble messenger.'”
#39
اگر باژ بفرست اگر جنگ را
✦
به بی‌دانشی سخت کن تنگ را
“'Send thou either tribute or war; make not thy narrow space tighter through foolishness.'”
#40
ز ما باد بر جانِ آنکس دُرود
✦
که داد و خرد باشدش تار و پود
“'Blessings from us upon the soul of him whose warp and weft are woven of justice and wisdom.'”
#41
چو خَط از نسیمِ هوا گشت خُشک
✦
نوشتند و بَر وی پَراگَند مُشک
“When the script grew dry in the breeze of the air, they sealed it and scattered musk upon it.”
#42
به عنوانَش بَر نامِ بهرام کرد
✦
که دادَش سَرِ هَر بَدی رام کرد
“Upon its superscription they put the name of Bahram, whose justice brought every evil low.”
#43
که تاجِ کیان یافت از یزدگرد
✦
به خرداد ماه اندرون روزِ اَرْد
“'Who received the crown of the Kians from Yazdegerd, on the day of Ord in the month of Khordad.'”
#44
سِپَهدارِ مَرز و نِگهدارِ بوم
✦
ستانندهٔ باژِ سَقلاب و روم
“'Commander of the borderland, guardian of the realm, exactor of tribute from Saqlab and Rome.'”
#45
به نزدیک شَنگل نگهبان هند
✦
ز دریای قَنوج تا مرزِ سند
“'To the presence of Shangal, keeper of India, from the Sea of Qannuj to the border of Sind.'”