The sky darkened into lapis lazuli above King Ghatfar as the Hephthalite host was shattered in catastrophic ruin, suffering a defeat so profound that its wounds would not mend for generations. Across the blood-soaked borders, the scattered survivors and the wounded called upon the name of the Almighty, gazing in horror at the realm filled with slain warriors and captive chieftains.
In hushed, terrified tones, the remaining Hephthalites spoke among themselves of the Sasanian army. They swore those Iranian warriors were no mortal men, but dragon-visaged titans who knew no flight. Their claws were as sharp as panthers', their spears reached the clouds, and their endurance was inhuman; they slept upon bare snow without unbridling their steeds, fed their horses on desert thorns, and maintained eternal vigilance with two out of three riders standing watch while the third rested. Realizing that neither the host of the Khagan of China nor the invincible legions of Iran could be resisted, the people of Heftal resolved to submit to Iran's sovereign.
Agreement echoed from the lowliest commander to the highest elder: if Ghatfar refused to lay down his mace and bow before Khosrow Anushirvan—the supreme monarch who exacted tribute even from the Caesars of Rome—they must replace him. They turned to Faghanish, a noble hero of Chaghan lineage renowned for his wisdom, justice, and formidable army. With the blessing of the Hephthalite grandees, Faghanish was elevated to the throne, tasked with restoring youth to the realm's fortune and securing peace with the majestic King of Kings.
#1
بهشتم سوی غاتفر گشت گرد
✦
سیه شد جهان چوشب لاژورد
“Paradise turned to dark ruin around Ghatfar; the world grew black as lapis lazuli night.”
#2
شکست اندر آمد به هیتالیان
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شکستی که بستنش تا سالیان
“A crushing defeat fell upon the Hephthalites—a wound that could not be mended for years to come.”
#3
ندیدند وهرکس کزیشان بماند
✦
به دل در همی نام یزدان بخواند
“They saw no salvation; whoever among them survived called upon God's name in their heart.”
#4
پراگنده بر هر سویی خسته بود
✦
همه مرز پر کشته و بسته بود
“Scattered in every direction were the wounded; the entire borderland was thick with the slain and captives.”
#5
همی این بدان آن بدین گفت جنگ
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ندیدیم هرگز چنین با درنگ
“One soldier said to another: 'Never have we witnessed a war fought with such relentless endurance.'”
#6
همانا نه مردم بُدند آن سپاه
✦
نشایست کردن بدیشان نگاه
“'Surely that army were no mortal men; one could not even bear to gaze directly upon them.'”
#7
به چهره همه دیو بودند و دد
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به دل دور ز اندیشه نیک و بد
“'In visage they were all like demons and beasts; in heart, far removed from thoughts of good and evil.'”
#8
ز ژوپین وز نیزه و گُرز و تیغ
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تو گفتی ندانند راه گریغ
“'With javelin, spear, mace, and sword, you would say they knew no path of retreat.'”
#9
همه چهرهٔ اژدها داشتند
✦
همه نیزه بر ابر بگذاشتند
“'All bore the fierce visages of dragons; all held their spears high into the clouds.'”
#10
همه چنگ‌هاشان بسان پلنگ
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نشد سیر دلشان تو گویی ز جنگ
“'Their grips were like panthers' claws; their hearts, it seemed, never grew satiated with battle.'”
#11
یکی زین ز اسبان نبرداشتند
✦
بخفتند و بر برف بگذاشتند
“'Not a single saddle did they unbind from their steeds; they slept upon the bare snow.'”
#12
خورش بارگی را همه خار بود
✦
سواری بخفتی دو بیدار بود
“'Thorns were fodder for their mounts; while one horseman slept, two remained vigilantly awake.'”
#13
نداریم ما تاب خاقان چین
✦
گذر کرد باید به ایران‌زمین
“'We have no power to withstand the Khagan of China; we must submit to the land of Iran.'”
#14
گر ای دون که فرمان برد غاتفر
✦
ببندد به فرمان کسری کمر
“'If Ghatfar yields and obeys, binding his waist in service to Khosrow...'”
#15
سپارد بدو شهر هیتال را
✦
فرامش کند گُرز و کوپال را
“'...and surrenders the cities of Heftal to him, forgetting his heavy mace and warring ways...'”
#16
وگرنه خود از تخمهٔ خوشنواز
✦
گزینیم جنگاوری سرفراز
“'...otherwise, we ourselves shall choose an exalted warrior from the noble line of Khushnawaz...'”
#17
که او شاد باشد بنوشین‌روان
✦
بدو دولت پیر گردد جوان
“'...who will be pleasing unto Anushirvan, so that through him our aging fortune may grow young again.'”
#18
بگوید بدو کار خاقان چین
✦
جهانی برو بر کنند آفرین
“'He will recount to him the deeds of the Khagan of China, and the whole world shall sing his praises.'”
#19
که با فر و برزست و بخش و خرد
✦
همی راستی را خرد پرورد
“'For Khosrow possesses divine grace, majesty, good fortune, and wisdom—and wisdom ever nurtures truth.'”
#20
نهادست بر قیصران باژ و ساو
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ندارند با او کسی زور و تاو
“'He has imposed tribute and taxes upon the Caesars of Rome; no man possesses the strength to challenge him.'”
#21
ز هیتالیان کودک و مرد وزن
✦
برین یک سخن برشدند انجمن
“From the Hephthalites—child, man, and woman alike—all united upon this single counsel.”
#22
چغانی گوی بود فرخ‌نژاد
✦
جهانجوی پر دانش و بخش و داد
“There was a hero of Chaghan, born of blessed lineage, a noble seeker of the world filled with wisdom, generosity, and justice.”
#23
خردمند و نامش فغانیش بود
✦
که با گنج و با لشکر خویش بود
“He was deeply wise and named Faghanish, possessing his own vast treasures and powerful host.”
#24
بزرگان هیتال وخاقان چین
✦
به شاهی برو خواندند آفرین
“The Hephthalite nobles and the Khagan of China hailed him with praise, crowning him as their rightful king.”