When the line of Eranshahr broke upon the bloody sands of Qadisiyyah and General Rostam Farrokhzad fell, King Yazdegerd III summoned his veteran scribe to lay bare the agony of his heart. Preparing to make his way toward Merv, the eastern stronghold governed by the border-lord Mahuy Suri, the monarch composed an epistle infused with bitter sorrow, fury, and longing. The letter opened with magnificent praise for the Almighty Creator—the Lord of wise counsel who commands the wandering orbit of red Mars and the radiant Sun, the Sovereign over both the mighty elephant and the lowly ant, He who brings creation out of nothingness by sole divine decree without need of any counselor.
Then the King gave voice to his despair: the luster and majestic splendor of the ancient Sasanian realm had faded. He mourned the terrible loss of Rostam Farrokhzad, cut down on the battlefield by Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, whom the King characterized as an obscure adversary lacking lineage, wisdom, or noble stature. With Ctesiphon now occupied by the advancing host and the speckled raven of misfortune brooding over the realm, Yazdegerd commanded Mahuy Suri to mobilize all the forces of the East, inspiring the warriors to unite for a great stand. Promising to ride like the wind following the messenger to join him in Merv, the King selected a sage and perceptive envoy to carry this fateful decree.
#1
دبیر جهاندیده را پیش خواند
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دل آگنده بودش همه برفشاند
“He summoned the world-wise scribe before him, pouring out all that filled his grief-stricken heart.”
#2
جهاندار چون کرد آهنگ مرو
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به ماهوی سوری کنارنگ مرو
“When the ruler of the world made his way toward Merv, to Mahuy Suri, the governor of Merv,”
#3
یکی نامه بنوشت با درد و خشم
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پر از آرزو دل پر از آب چشم
“He penned a letter filled with anguish and wrath, his heart heavy with desire and his eyes brimmed with tears.”
#4
نخست آفرین کرد بر کردگار
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خداوند دانا و پروردگار
“First, he offered praise to the Almighty Creator, the All-Knowing Lord and Sustainer,”
#5
خداوند گردنده بهرام و هور
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خداوند پیل و خداوند مور
“Lord of revolving Mars and the glowing Sun, Lord of the mighty elephant and the lowly ant,”
#6
کند چون بخواهد ز ناچیز چیز
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که آموزگارش نباید بنیز
“Who creates all things out of nothing whenever He wills, needing no guide or teacher whatsoever.”
#7
بگفت آنک ما را چه آمد بروی
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وزین پادشاهی بشد رنگ و بوی
“He described the ruin that had befallen them, and how the grace and glory had departed from the kingdom,”
#8
ز رستم کجا کشته شد روز جنگ
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ز تیمار بر ما جهان گشت تنگ
“Of Rostam, who was slain on the day of battle, leaving the world narrow and dark for us in our grief,”
#9
بدست یکی سعد وقاص نام
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نه بوم و نژاد و نه دانش نه کام
“Slain at the hands of one named Saad Waqqas—a man without noble lineage, wisdom, or renown.”
#10
کنون تا در طیسفون لشکرست
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همین زاغ پیسه به پیش اندرست
“Now, as long as that army occupies Ctesiphon, this speckled raven leads the way.”
#11
تو با لشکرت رزم را ساز کن
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سپه را برین بر هم آواز کن
“Prepare your army for battle, mobilize your forces, and unite them all for this cause.”
#12
من اینک پس نامه بر سانِ باد
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بیایم به نزد تو ای پاک و راد
“I shall follow this letter like the wind, coming swift to your side, O noble and pure heart!”
#13
فرستادهٔ دیگر از انجمن
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گزین کرد بینا‌دل و رای‌زن
“He selected another messenger from among the council—one clear-sighted, wise, and prudent in advice.”