#1
وزآن جایگه شد به پیش پدر
✦
دو دیده پر از آب و پر خون جگر
“From that place he went before his father, his two eyes weeping tears, his heart bleeding within.”
#2
چو روی پدر دید بردش نماز
✦
همی بود پیشش زمانی دراز
“When he beheld his father's face, he prostrated in homage and stood reverently before him for a long while.”
#3
بدو گفت که‌این پهلوان سوار
✦
که او را گزین کردی ای شهریار
“He spoke to him, saying: 'This noble warrior whom you chose, O King,'”
#4
بیامد چو شاهان که دارند فر
✦
سپاهی بیاورد بسیار مر
“'Has come like royal monarchs endowed with divine glory, bringing a vast and countless host.'”
#5
بگفتم سخن هرچ آمد ز پند
✦
برو پند من بر نبد سودمند
“'Whatever words of counsel I offered him proved entirely fruitless upon him.'”
#6
همه جنگ و پرخاش بُد کام اوی
✦
که هرگز مبادا روان نام اوی
“'Battle and strife were his sole desire—may his name never remain among the living!'”
#7
به ناکام رزمی گران کرده شد
✦
فراوان کس از اختر آزرده شد
“'Against our will, a heavy battle was fought, and many a warrior was stricken by ill fate.'”
#8
ز من بازگشتند یکسر سپاه
✦
ندیدند گفتی مرا جز به راه
“'The entire army turned away from me, as if they had only ever met me on the road.'”
#9
همی شاه خوانند بهرام را
✦
ندیدند آغاز فرجام را
“'They now call Bahram their king, foreseeing neither the beginning nor the end of this deed.'”
#10
پس من کنون تا پل نهروان
✦
بیاورد لشکر چو کوهی گران
“'Now he pursues me as far as the Nahrawan bridge, bringing a host heavy as a mountain.'”
#11
چو شد کار بی برگ بگریختم
✦
به دام بلا درنیاویختم
“'When my cause became hopeless, I fled, refusing to entangle myself in the snare of calamity.'”
#12
نگه کردم اکنون به سود و زیان
✦
نباشند یاور مگر تازیان
“'I have pondered gain and loss; none will aid us now save the Arab riders.'”
#13
گر ایدون که فرمان دهد شهریار
✦
سواران تازی برم بی‌شمار
“'If the sovereign commands, I shall bring countless Arab horsemen to our cause.'”
#14
بدو گفت هرمز که این رای نیست
✦
که اکنون تو را پای برجای نیست
“Hormoz said to him: 'This is not wise counsel, for currently your footing is unstable.'”
#15
نباشند یاور تو را تازیان
✦
چو جایی نبینند سود و زیان
“'The Arabs will not be your helpers when they see no immediate profit or advantage.'”
#16
به درد دل اندر تو را زار نیز
✦
به دشمن سپارند از بهر چیز
“'In the anguish of your heart, they will bitterly surrender you to your enemy for the sake of wealth.'”
#17
بدین کار پشت تو یزدان بود
✦
همآواز تو بخت خندان بود
“'In this ordeal, God shall be your support, and smiling fortune shall be your ally.'”
#18
چو بگذاشت خواهی همی مرز و بوم
✦
از ایدر برو تازیان تا به روم
“'Since you must leave this realm, depart from here and pass beyond the Arabs unto Rome.'”
#19
سخنهای این بندهٔ چاره جوی
✦
چو رفتی یکایک به قیصر بگوی
“'When you arrive, speak one by one the words of this resourceful servant to the Caesar.'”
#20
به جایی که دین است و هم وخواسته‌ست
✦
سلیح و سپاه وی آراسته‌ست
“'To a realm where faith and riches abide, and where his weapons and hosts are ready.'”
#21
فریدونیان نیز خویش تواَند
✦
چو کارت شود سخت پیش تواَند
“'The lineage of Fereydun are also your kinsmen; when your cause grows dire, they will stand before you.'”
#22
چو بشنید خسرو زمین بوس داد
✦
بسی بر نهان آفرین کرد یاد
“When Khosrow heard this, he kissed the ground and praised his father's inner wisdom abundantly.”
#23
به بندوی و گردوی و گستهم گفت
✦
که ما با غم و رنج گشتیم جفت
“He said to Bandoy, Gardoy, and Gostaham: 'We have become companions to sorrow and pain.'”
#24
بسازید و یکسر بنه برنهید
✦
بر و بوم ایران به دشمن دهید
“'Make ready and pack up entirely; surrender the land and soil of Iran to the enemy.'”
#25
بگفت این و از دیده آواز خاست
✦
که ای شاه نیک اختر و داد و راست
“He spoke thus, and tears rose from his eyes: 'O noble, just, and righteous King!'”
#26
یکی گرد تیره برآمد ز راه
✦
درفشی درفشان میان سپاه
“A dark cloud of dust arose from the road, with a gleaming banner shining amidst the army.”
#27
درفشی کجا پیکرش اژدهاست
✦
که چوبینه بر نهروان کرد راست
“A banner bearing the image of a dragon, which Chubin had raised straight over Nahrawan.”
#28
چو بشنید خسرو بیامد به در
✦
گریزان برفت او ز پیش پدر
“When Khosrow heard of it, he came to the gate and fled from before his father.”
#29
همی شد سوی روم برسان گرد
✦
درفشی پس پشت او لاژورد
“He rode like dust toward Rome, a lapis-blue banner trailing behind him.”
#30
بپیچید یال و بر و روی را
✦
نگه کرد گستهم و بندوی را
“He turned his neck, chest, and face, looking back toward Gostaham and Bandoy.”
#31
همی راندند آن دو تن نرم نرم
✦
خروشید خسرو به آوای گرم
“Those two were riding gently and slowly; Khosrow shouted to them in a warm, urgent voice:”
#32
همانا سران‌تان ز پیش آمده‌ست
✦
که بدخواهتان همچو خویش آمده‌ست
“'Surely evil has come upon your heads, as if your enemy were your own friend!'”
#33
اگر نه چنین نرم راندن چراست
✦
که بهرام نزدیک پشت شماست
“'If not, why ride so softly, when Bahram is right behind your back?'”
#34
بدو گفت بندوی کای شهریار
✦
دلت را به بهرام رنجه مدار
“Bandoy said to him: 'O King, do not afflict your heart on account of Bahram.'”
#35
کجا گرد ما را نبیند ز راه
✦
که دورست ز ایدر درفش سیاه
“'He cannot see our dust from the road, for his black banner is far from here.'”
#36
چنین است یارانت را گفت و گوی
✦
که ما را بدین تاختن نیست روی
“'The talk among your companions is that we have no reason for such frantic riding.'”
#37
چو چوبینه آید به ایوان شاه
✦
هم آنگه به هرمز دهد تاج وگاه
“'When Chubin reaches the king's palace, he will forthwith return the crown and throne to Hormoz.'”
#38
نشیند چو دستور بر دست اوی
✦
به دریا رسد کارگر شست اوی
“'He will sit at his side as minister, and his political hook will reach the sea.'”
#39
به قیصر یکی نامه از شهریار
✦
نویسد که این بندهٔ نابکار
“'He will write a letter from the sovereign to Caesar, saying: This worthless servant,'”
#40
گریزان برفته‌ست زین مرز و بوم
✦
نباید که آرام گیرد بروم
“'Has fled in panic from this realm; he must not find rest or refuge in Rome.'”
#41
هم آنگه که او خویشتن کرد راست
✦
نژندی وکژی ازین بهر ماست
“'The moment he makes himself firm, ruin and affliction will fall upon us.'”
#42
چو آید بر آن مرز بندش کنید
✦
دل شادمان را گزندش کنید
“'When he arrives in that realm, bind him fast and bring injury to his glad heart.'”
#43
بدین بارگاهش فرستید باز
✦
ممانید تا گردد او سرفراز
“'Send him back to this court; do not allow him to raise his head high.'”
#44
ببندید هم در زمان با سپاه
✦
فرستید گریان بدین جایگاه
“'Bind him at once with your army and send him weeping to this place.'”
#45
چنین داد پاسخ که از بخت بد
✦
سزد زین نشان هرچ بر ما رسد
“Khosrow answered: 'By ill fortune, whatever befalleth us is well deserved.'”
#46
سخنها درازست و کاری درشت
✦
به یزدان کنون باز هشتیم پشت
“The matter is grave and long is the tale; we have now placed our reliance upon God.”
#47
براند اسپ و گفت آنچ از خوب و زشت
✦
جهاندار برتارک ما نبشت
“He urged his steed forward and said: 'Whatever of good or ill the Ruler of the World hath written upon our brow...'”
#48
بباشد نگردد به اندیشه باز
✦
مبادا که آید به دشمن نیاز
“'...Will come to pass and cannot be altered by thought; may it never be that we stand in need of the foe.'”
#49
چو او برگذشت این دو بیدادگر
✦
ازو بازگشتند پر کینه سر
“When he had passed, those two treacherous men turned back from him, their heads filled with malice.”
#50
ز راه اندر ایوان شاه آمدند
✦
پر از رنج و دل پرگناه آمدند
“From the road they entered the King's palace, full of grief and with hearts heavy with sin.”
#51
ز در چون رسیدند نزدیک تخت
✦
زهی از کمان باز کردند سخت
“As they reached the royal throne from the doorway, they swiftly untied a tough bowstring.”
#52
فگندند ناگاه در گردنش
✦
بیاویختند آن گرامی تنش
“They suddenly cast it around his neck, and choked that noble body of his.”
#53
شد آن تاج و آن تخت شاهنشهان
✦
تو گفتی که هرمز نبد در جهان
“Gone was that crown and the throne of monarchs; you would say Hormoz had never even existed in the world.”
#54
چنین است آیین گردنده دهر
✦
گهی نوش بار آورد گاه زهر
“Such is the custom of the turning heavens: at times it yields sweet nectar, and at times bitter poison.”
#55
اگر مایه اینست سودش مجوی
✦
که در جستنش رنجت آید به روی
“If such is its capital, seek not its profit, for in pursuing it, only distress shall meet your face.”
#56
چو شد گردش روز هرمز به پای
✦
تهی ماند زان تخت فرخنده جای
“When the turn of Hormoz's reign came to its close, that blessed throne was left vacant of him.”
#57
هم آنگاه برخاست آواز کوس
✦
رخ خونیان گشت چون سندروس
“Right at that moment, the sound of war-drums arose, and the faces of the murderers turned pale as sandarac.”
#58
درفش سپهبد هم آنگه ز راه
✦
پدید آمد اندر میان سپاه
“The banner of the general appeared along the road, coming forth amidst the army.”
#59
جفا پیشه گستهم و بند وی تیز
✦
گرفتند زآن کاخ راه گریز
“The cruel Gostahm and the swift Bandoy hastily fled from that palace.”
#60
چنین تا به خسرو رسید این دو مرد
✦
جهانجوی چون دیدشان روی زرد
“Thus they rode until the two men reached Khosrow; when the world-seeker saw their pale visages...”
#61
بدانست که‌ایشان دو دل پر ز راز
✦
چرا از جهاندار گشتند باز
“He knew that their hearts were filled with secrets—why else had they turned back from the king?”
#62
به رخساره شد چون گل شنبلید
✦
نکرد آن سخن بر دلیران پدید
“His countenance turned pale like the fenugreek flower, yet he revealed not that matter to the brave warriors.”
#63
بدیشان چنین گفت کزشاه راه
✦
بگردید کامد به تنگی سپاه
“He spoke to them thus: 'Turn away from the main highway, for the host hath closed in tightly!'”
#64
بیابان گزینید و راه دراز
✦
مدارید یکسر تن از رنج باز
“'Choose the desert path and the long journey, and spare not your bodies from hardship at all!'”