When King Gav returned to his palace laden with sorrow, he summoned his venerable counselor to address the consuming burning of his mother's grief and her cruel suspicion of fratricide. The wise minister counseled that such a rift could only be healed through wisdom and visual proof. Envoys were dispatched to every realm, summoning sages, priests, and strategists from Kashmir, Danbar, Murgh, Mai, and distant shores to the royal court.
Day and night, the gathered sages deliberated in silence, contemplating the topography of the fatal battle—the moats, the waters, and the elephant lines. When the morning war-drums echoed, the masters requested dark ebony and shimmering ivory. They crafted a four-sided board decorated with one hundred squares, laying out the exact miniature representation of the battlefield. Upon it, they carved two opposing armies: foot soldiers, cavalry, proud kings with elephants and crowns, armored steeds, war-camels, and mighty rooks.
Every piece was assigned its precise role and rule of movement: the King stood at the heart of the host, the Wise Counselor at his side, war-elephants flanking the center, swift camels above them, battle-horses beneath, and formidable Rooks (castles) sweeping the flanks. The infantry marched step by step, transformed into counselors upon reaching the enemy line. They demonstrated the intricate dance of war—how pieces blocked paths, how the call of 'O King, move!' echoed when the sovereign was threatened, and how, when surrounded on all sides by moats, horses, and troops, the King became 'Mat'—checkmated and consumed by thirst, anguish, and exhaustion.
As the Queen Mother gazed upon the wooden simulation and saw how Talkhand was entrapped atop his elephant without receiving a single physical wound from Gav's blade, her heart accepted the bitter truth. Day and night, weeping tears of blood, she remained seated before the chessboard, finding her only solace in retracing the fatal positions of that battle until her final breath.
#1
پر از درد شد گو بایوان خویش
✦
جهاندیده فرزانه را خواند پیش
“King Gav returned to his palace full of pain, and summoned his battle-tested counselor before him.”
#2
بگفت آنچ با مادرش رفته بود
✦
ز مادر که برآتش آشفته بود
“He related all that had transpired with his mother, who burned in anger as if set upon fire.”
#3
نشستند هر دو بهم رای زن
✦
گو و مرد فرزانه بی‌انجمن
“The monarch and the wise man sat together in private, seeking counsel without any assembly present.”
#4
بدو گفت فرزانه کای نیکخوی
✦
نگردد بما راست این آرزوی
“The wise counselor said: 'O noble king, this desire of ours cannot be easily fulfilled.'”
#5
ز هر سو بخوانیم برنا و پیر
✦
کجا نامداری بود تیزویر
“'We must summon young and old from every direction—whoever possesses a sharp and seeking intellect.'”
#6
ز کشمیر وز دنبر و مرغ و مای
✦
وزان تیزویران جوینده رای
“'From Kashmir, Danbar, Murgh, and Mai—from all those sharp-minded seekers of wisdom.'”
#7
ز دریا و از کنده ورزمگاه
✦
بگوییم با مرد جوینده راه
“'We shall describe the sea, the trench, and the battlefield to these seekers of the way.'”
#8
سواران بهر سو پراگند گو
✦
بجایی که بد موبدی پیشرو
“Gav sent riders in all directions, to every realm where a leading Mobad resided.”
#9
سراسر بدرگاه شاه آمدند
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بدان نامور بارگاه آمدند
“They all gathered at the king's gate and entered that famous court.”
#10
جهاندار بنشست با موبدان
✦
بزرگان دانادل و بخردان
“The ruler sat among the Mobads, the wise leaders, and the men of intellect.”
#11
صفت کرد فرزانه آن رزمگاه
✦
که چون رفت پیکار جنگ وسپاه
“The counselor depicted the scene of conflict, explaining how the battle between the two armies unfolded.”
#12
ز دریا و از کنده و آبگیر
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یکایک بگفتند با تیزویر
“One by one, they detailed the sea, the trench, and the water reservoir to the keen thinkers.”
#13
نخفتند زایشان یکی تیره شب
✦
نه بر یکدگر برگشادند لب
“Not one of them slept through the dark night, nor did they open their lips to speak idle words.”
#14
ز میدان چو برخاست آواز کوس
✦
جهاندیدگان خواستند آبنوس
“When the sound of the morning drum rose from the field, the world-experienced sages asked for ebony wood.”
#15
یکی تخت کردند از چارسوی
✦
دومرد گرانمایه و نیکخوی
“Those two noble and virtuous men fashioned a square table board.”
#16
همانند آن کنده و رزمگاه
✦
بروی اندر آورده روی سپاه
“Resembling that trench and battlefield, bringing the opposing armies face to face upon it.”
#17
بران تخت صدخانه کرده نگار
✦
صفی کرد او لشکر کارزار
“Upon that board they carved one hundred squares, and lined up the armies of war.”
#18
پس آنگه دولشکر زساج و زعاج
✦
دو شاه سرافراز با پیل وتاج
“Then came two armies carved of teak and ivory, with two exalted kings possessing elephants and crowns.”
#19
پیاده بدید اندرو با سوار
✦
همه کرده آرایش کارزار
“Foot-soldiers and horsemen were depicted on it, all arranged for combat.”
#20
ز اسبان و پیلان و دستور شاه
✦
مبارز که اسب افگند بر سپاه
“With horses, elephants, the royal advisor, and champions ready to charge into the battle lines.”
#21
همه کرده پیکر به آیین جنگ
✦
یک تیز وجنبان یکی با درنگ
“All carved according to the custom of war—some moving swiftly, others advancing with deliberate delay.”
#22
بیاراسته شاه قلب سپاه
✦
ز یک دست فرزانهٔ نیک‌خواه
“The King was set in the heart of the host, with the well-wishing Counselor at his side.”
#23
ابر دست شاه از دو رویه دو پیل
✦
ز پیلان شده گرد همرنگ نیل
“Flanking the king were two great elephants, kicking up indigo-colored dust.”
#24
دو اشتر بر پیل کرده به پای
✦
نشانده برایشان دو پاکیزه رای
“Beside the elephants stood two camels, bearing two pure-minded riders.”
#25
به زیر شتر در دو اسب و دو مرد
✦
که پرخاش جویند روز نبرد
“Beneath the camels were two horses and two war-seeking warriors.”
#26
مبارز دو رخ بر دو روی دوصف
✦
ز خون جگر بر لب آورده کف
“On the two flanks of the two lines stood two Rooks, foaming at the mouth with fierce rage.”
#27
پیاده برفتی ز پیش و ز پس
✦
کجا بود در جنگ فریادرس
“The foot-soldier moved forward and back, serving as the rescuer in battle.”
#28
چو بگذاشتی تا سر آوردگاه
✦
نشستی چو فرزانه بر دست شاه
“If he reached the end of the battlefield, he sat beside the King like a Counselor.”
#29
همان نیز فرزانه یک خانه بیش
✦
نرفتی نبودی ازین شاه پیش
“The Counselor too moved only one square at a time, never straying ahead of his King.”
#30
سه خانه برفتی سرافراز پیل
✦
بدیدی همه رزم گه از دو میل
“The exalted Elephant moved three squares, surveying the whole field from afar.”
#31
سه خانه برفتی شتر همچنان
✦
برآورد گه بر دمان و دنان
“The Camel likewise advanced three squares, charging furiously through the engagement.”
#32
نرفتی کسی پیش رخ کینه‌خواه
✦
همی‌تاختی او همه رزمگاه
“None could stand before the vengeful Rook; he charged across the entire battlefield.”
#33
همی‌راند هر یک به میدان خویش
✦
برفتن نکردی کسی کم و بیش
“Each piece moved strictly within its scope, neither more nor less than prescribed.”
#34
چو دیدی کسی شاه را در نبرد
✦
به آواز گفتی که شاها بگرد
“When anyone targeted the King in battle, he called out aloud: 'O King, turn away!'”
#35
ازان پس ببستند بر شاه راه
✦
رخ و اسب و فرزین و پیل و سپاه
“Then they blocked the path to the King with Rook, Horse, Counselor, Elephant, and host.”
#36
نگه کرد شاه اندران چارسوی
✦
سپه دید افگنده چین در بروی
“The King looked to all four sides and saw the enemy host frowning upon him.”
#37
ز اسب و ز کنده برو بسته راه
✦
چپ و راست و پیش و پس اندر سپاه
“His way was barred by horse, trench, and army—left, right, front, and rear.”
#38
شد از رنج وز تشنگی شاه مات
✦
چنین یافت از چرخ گردان برات
“The King became 'Mat'—checkmated—from distress and thirst; such was his decree from turning fate.”
#39
ز شطرنج طلخند بد آرزوی
✦
گوآن شاه آزاده و نیکخوی
“This game of chess was devised by the desire of Gav, that noble and good-natured monarch.”
#40
همی‌کرد مادر ببازی نگاه
✦
پر از خون دل از بهر طلخند شاه
“The mother continuously gazed at the game, her heart overflowing with blood for King Talkhand.”
#41
نشسته شب و روز پر درد وخشم
✦
ببازی شطرنج داده دو چشم
“Sitting night and day in grief and pain, keeping her eyes fixed upon the game of chess.”
#42
همه کام و رایش به شطرنج بود
✦
ز طلخند جانش پر از رنج بود
“All her desire was bound to chess; her soul was tormented with agony for Talkhand.”
#43
همیشه همی‌ریخت خونین سرشک
✦
بران درد شطرنج بودش پزشک
“She perpetually shed bloody tears, and chess was the physician to her suffering.”
#44
بدین گونه بد تا چمان و چران
✦
چنین تا سر آمد بروبر زمان
“In this manner she lived out her days, until her time on earth reached its end.”
#45
سرآمد کنون برمن این داستان
✦
چنان هم که بشنیدم ازباستان
“And so this tale reaches its end for me, just as I heard it handed down from ancient lore.”