When word spread among the Iranian nobility and the ranks of the army that Shirin had entered Khosrow’s royal harem, a shadow of gloom and anger fell upon the realm. Whispers of discontent filled the streets, for Shirin’s long separation and past afflictions had gathered a cloud of ill repute around her name. For three full days, the high priests and grandees abstained from attending the royal court. On the fourth dawn, King Khosrow summoned the grandees and seated them in their honored places, asking why they had grieved his heart through their absence.
No one dared answer; their tongues were tied with dread until all eyes turned toward the Mobad, the High Priest. Rising before the throne, the Mobad spoke with daring candor: 'O noble King, you took the crown in your youth and have witnessed the world's deep turns. Greatness relies on the purity of the royal line, yet today that noble bloodline is tainted. If a pure father mates with an unvirtuous mother, no wholesome fruit can grow. Our hearts are heavy that an evil influence has found a home beside our sovereign! Was there no other woman in Iran that Shirin must enter the holy meshku of Khosrow? Your wise ancestors never countenanced such a act.'
Khosrow listened to the lengthy rebuke in absolute silence. Seeing the King's quiet resolve, the Mobad suggested they retreat and return the following morning to receive the royal answer. The next day at dawn, the nobles assembled at the palace gates—some arguing that the Mobad spoke with ultimate wisdom, others anticipating the King’s formidable reply.
Once all were seated in the great hall, a servant entered bearing a shining golden basin. By Khosrow’s order, warm, dark blood was poured into it and placed before the assembly. Every lord turned his face away in revulsion at the filthy stench. The Mobad declared it an abhorrent stain. Then, Khosrow commanded the basin to be thoroughly washed with pure water and soil until it glittered immaculate. Thereupon, it was filled with brilliant red wine and sprinkled with sweet musk and rosewater, transforming it into a vessel radiating warmth and heavenly fragrance like the morning sun.
Khosrow turned to the Mobad and explained his parable: 'Behold this vessel—was it not the selfsame basin that moments ago aroused horror? So too was Shirin in the eyes of the populace—a poisoned vessel degraded by fate and my own early love for her. But now, received into our royal embrace and sanctified by the crown, she is washed clean of all slander and filled with precious fragrance.'
Overcome by the King's profound wisdom and poetic justice, the Mobad and the lords bowed low, chanting praises: 'May the world never be bereft of your crown and throne! You alone turn hell into paradise and mend ugly deeds into radiant virtue. You are at once King, High Priest, and Supreme Guide—the true shadow of the Divine upon the earth!'
#1
چو آگاهی آمد ز خسرو به راه
✦
به نزد بزرگان و نزد سپاه
“When news reached the grandees and the army along the road concerning Khosrow,”
#2
که شیرین به مشکوی خسرو شدست
✦
کهن بود کار جهان نوشدست
“That Shirin had entered Khosrow's royal harem, refreshing an old affair of the heart,”
#3
همه شهر زان کار غمگین شدند
✦
پر اندیشه و درد و نفرین شدند
“The whole city became sorrowful over this deed, filled with anxiety, pain, and complaints.”
#4
نرفتند نزدیک خسرو سه روز
✦
چهارم چو بفروخت گیتی فروز
“For three days they did not go near Khosrow; on the fourth, when the sun illuminated the world,”
#5
فرستاد خسرو مهان را بخواند
✦
بگاه گران مایگان برنشاند
“Khosrow sent word to invite the noble leaders and seated them in high positions.”
#6
بدیشان چنین گفت کاین روز چند
✦
ندیدم شما را شدم مستمند
“He said to them: 'For these past few days I saw you not, and I became sorrowful.”
#7
بیازردم از بهر آزارتان
✦
پراندیشه گشتم ز تیمارتان
“I grieved over your distress and grew anxious because of your sorrow.'”
#8
همی‌گفت و پاسخ نداد ایچ‌کس
✦
ز گفتن زبانها ببستند بس
“He spoke thus, yet no one gave any reply; their tongues were completely bound from speech.”
#9
هرآنکس که او داشت آزار و خشم
✦
یکایک به موبد نمودند چشم
“Everyone who held resentment and anger turned their eyes one by one toward the High Priest.”
#10
چو موبد چنان دید برپای خاست
✦
به خسرو چنین گفت کای راد وراست
“When the High Priest saw this, he stood up and spoke to Khosrow: 'O generous and righteous King!”
#11
به روز جوانی شدی شهریار
✦
بسی نیک و بد دیدی از روزگار
“In the days of youth you became monarch; you have seen much good and bad from time.”
#12
شنیدی بسی نیک و بد در جهان
✦
ز کار بزرگان و کار مهان
“You have heard much of good and bad in the world from the deeds of ancestors and great men.”
#13
کنون تخمهٔ مهتر آلوده شد
✦
بزرگی ازین تخمهٔ پالوده شد
“Now the seed of the nobles has been polluted, and greatness has been drained from this lineage.”
#14
پدر پاک و مادر بود بی‌هنر
✦
چنان دان که پاکی نیاید ببر
“If the father is pure and the mother lacks virtue, know for certain that purity will bear no fruit.”
#15
ز کژی نجوید کسی راستی
✦
که از راستی برکنی کاستی
“No one seeks truth from crookedness, for when you uproot truth, only loss remains.”
#16
دل ما غمی شد ز دیو سترگ
✦
که شد یار با شهریار بزرگ
“Our hearts are grieved because a huge demon has become the companion of the great monarch.”
#17
به ایران اگر زن نبودی جزین
✦
که خسرو بدو خواندی آفرین
“Were there no other women in Iran for Khosrow to bestow praise upon,”
#18
نبودی چو شیرین به مشکوی او
✦
بهر جای روشن بدی روی او
“That Shirin should reside in his harem? Everywhere his face would have been radiant!”
#19
نیاکانت آن دانشی راستان
✦
نکردند یاد از چنین داستان
“Your wise and truthful ancestors never made mention of such a story.'”
#20
چوگشت آن سخنهای موبد دراز
✦
شهنشاه پاسخ نداد ایچ‌باز
“When the Mobad's words grew long, the King of Kings gave no answer in return.”
#21
چنین گفت موبد که فردا پگاه
✦
بیاییم یکسر بدین بارگاه
“The Mobad then said: 'Tomorrow morning early, we shall all come to this court together,”
#22
مگر پاسخ شاه یابیم باز
✦
که امروزمان شد سخنها دراز
“Hoping that we might receive the King's answer, for today our speech has dragged on long.'”
#23
دگر روز شبگیر برخاستند
✦
همه بندگی را بیاراستند
“The next day at dawn they arose, all adorning themselves for royal service.”
#24
یکی گفت موبد ندانست گفت
✦
دگر گفت کان با خرد بود جفت
“One said the Mobad knew not how to speak; another said his words were joined with wisdom.”
#25
سیوم گفت که امروز پاسخ دهد
✦
سزد زو که آواز فرخ نهد
“A third said: 'Today he will give answer; it is fitting for him to raise a auspicious voice.'”
#26
همه موبدان برگرفتند راه
✦
خرامان برفتند نزدیک شاه
“All the priests took their way, walking gracefully toward the King.”
#27
بزرگان گزیدند جای نشست
✦
بیامد یکی مرد تشتی بدست
“The nobles chose their seating places; then a man arrived holding a basin in hand.”
#28
چو خورشید رخشنده پالوده گشت
✦
یکایک بران مهتران برگذشت
“As bright as the refined shining sun, he passed one by one before those nobles.”
#29
بتشت اندرون ریختش خون گرم
✦
چو نزدیک شد تشت بنهاد نرم
“Into the basin they poured warm blood, and as he drew near, he set the basin down softly.”
#30
از آن تشت هرکس بپیچید روی
✦
همه انجمن گشت پر گفت و گوی
“Everyone turned their face away from that basin, and the whole assembly filled with chatter.”
#31
همی‌کرد هر کس به خسرو نگاه
✦
همه انجمن خیره از بیم شاه
“Everyone kept looking at Khosrow, the whole assembly bewildered for fear of the King.”
#32
به ایرانیان گفت کاین خون کیست
✦
نهاده بتشت اندر از بهر چیست
“He said to the Iranians: 'Whose blood is this, placed in the basin for what purpose?'”
#33
بدو گفت موبد که خون پلید
✦
کزو دشمنش گشت هرکش بدید
“The High Priest said to him: 'It is polluted blood; whoever saw it became its enemy.'”
#34
چوموبد چنین گفت برداشتش
✦
همه دست بردست بگذاشتش
“When the Mobad spoke thus, they lifted it away, passing it from hand to hand.”
#35
ز خون تشت پر مایه کردند پاک
✦
ببستند روشن به آب و به خاک
“They cleansed the precious basin from the blood, washing it bright with water and soil.”
#36
چو روشن شد و پاک تشت پلید
✦
بکرد آنک او شسته بد پرنبید
“When the filthy basin became bright and clean, the servant filled the washed vessel with pure wine.”
#37
بمی بر پراگند مشک وگلاب
✦
شد آن تشت بی‌رنگ چون آفتاب
“Over the wine he scattered musk and rosewater; the color of the basin became radiant like the sun.”
#38
ز شیرین بران تشت بد رهنمون
✦
که آغاز چون بود و فرجام چون
“That basin was an emblem for Shirin, showing how the beginning was, and how the end became.”
#39
به موبد چنین گفت خسرو که تشت
✦
همانا بد این گر دگرگونه گشت
“Khosrow said to the Mobad: 'The basin indeed was this, though now it has turned into another form.'”
#40
بدو گفت موبد که نوشه بدی
✦
پدیدار شد نیکوی از بدی
“The Mobad replied: 'May you be immortal! Goodness has become apparent out of evil.”
#41
بفرمان ز دوزخ توکردی بهشت
✦
همان خوب کردی تو کردار زشت
“By your command you turned hell into paradise; likewise you rendered beautiful an ugly deed.'”
#42
چنین گفت خسرو که شیرین بشهر
✦
چنان بد که آن بی‌منش تشت زهر
“Khosrow said: 'Shirin in the city was like that ignoble basin of poison.”
#43
کنون تشت می شد به مشکوی ما
✦
برین گونه پربو شد ازبوی ما
“Now she has become a basin of wine in our harem, filled with perfume by our scent.”
#44
ز من گشت بدنام شیرین نخست
✦
ز پرمایگان نامداری نجست
“Shirin became ill-famed at first because of me; no nobleman sought renown through her.'”
#45
همه مهتران خواندند آفرین
✦
که بی‌تاج وتختت مبادا زمین
“All the grandees sang praises: 'May the earth never be without your crown and throne!”
#46
بهی آن فزاید که تو به کنی
✦
مه آن شد بگیتی که تومه کنی
“Goodness increases when you make it better; he becomes great in the world whom you make great.”
#47
که هم شاه وهم موبد وهم ردی
✦
مگر بر زمین سایهٔ ایزدی
“For you are at once King, High Priest, and Chief Guide—none other than the shadow of God upon the earth!'”