Following times of tragic turmoil, Azarmidokht, a princess of royal Sasanian lineage, ascended the Kayanid throne and seized the reins of the realm. Gathering the seasoned elders, wise counselors, and realm-hardened chieftains, she addressed them with sovereign authority. She decreed that her reign would be anchored upon unbending justice and ancient virtue, reminding all that in the end, every mortal's head must rest upon a pillow of clay.
She pledged to be a benevolent protector to those who remained loyal and upright; but for any who broke her covenant or strayed from wisdom—be they Persian dehqans, Arabs, or Romans—she vowed swift and ignominious death upon the gallows. Yet the turning sky granted her little time. Her reign endured for a mere four months, and by the fifth, the star of her destiny waned. She passed away, leaving the imperial throne once more vacant—a stark testament to the bitter whim of revolving fate that ultimately destroys even those it nurtures.
#1
یکی دخت دیگر بد آزرم نام
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ز تاج بزرگان رسیده به کام
“There was another daughter named Azarmidokht, who achieved her desire through the crown of the ancients.”
#2
بیامد به تخت کیان برنشست
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گرفت این جهان جهان را به دست
“She came and sat upon the Kayanid throne, taking the governance of this world into her hands.”
#3
نخستین چنین گفت کای بخردان
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جهان گشته و کار کرده ردان
“First, she addressed the assembly: 'O wise ones, experienced elders, and seasoned leaders of the world!'”
#4
همه کار بر داد و آیین کنیم
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کزین پس همه خشت بالین کنیم
“'We shall base every deed upon justice and righteous law, for in the end, a brick shall be the pillow for us all.'”
#5
هر آنکس که باشد مرا دوستدار
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چنانم مر او را چو پروردگار
“'Whoever remains my loyal loving subject, I shall be unto them like a loving lord and protector.'”
#6
کسی کو ز پیمان من بگذرد
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بپیچید ز آیین و راه خرد
“'But whosoever breaks my covenant and turns away from wisdom and the righteous path,'”
#7
به خواری تنش را برآرم بدار
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ز دهقان و تازی و رومی شمار
“'I shall hang them upon the gallows in ignominy, whether they be Dehqan, Arab, or Roman.'”
#8
همی‌بود بر تخت بر چار ماه
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به پنجم شکست اندر آمد به گاه
“She sat upon the throne for four months; in the fifth month, misfortune struck her reign.”
#9
از آزرم گیتی بی‌آزرم گشت
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پی اختر رفتنش نرم گشت
“The world turned ruthlessly against Azarmidokht, and the path of her star quietly departed.”
#10
شد اونیز و آن تخت بی‌شاه ماند
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به کام دل مرد بدخواه ماند
“She too passed away, leaving the throne vacant once more, fulfilling the desire of malicious foes.”
#11
همه کار گردنده چرخ این بود
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ز پروردهٔ خویش پرکین بود
“Such is the way of the revolving sphere—full of malice toward the very ones it has nurtured.”