Word reached Mahuy Suri that the body of Shahanshah Yazdegerd had been retrieved from the stream by the bishop, priests, and monks of Rum, who had entombed him with high honors inside a garden vault elevated above the mountainside. Filled with malice, the wretched Mahuy proclaimed that Iran had no kinship with Rum, and dispatched his soldiers to slaughter every artisan who built the tomb and every soul who had mourned the falling of the king, plundering the entire domain.
Looking across the devastated realm, the shepherd-born usurper realized that no highborn heirs of the royal lineage remained. Holding the crown and signet ring of the late king, base ambition ignited within him. He summoned his closest confidants and confessed his despair: having neither ancient blood nor treasury, no wise man would acknowledge him as Shah. His cunning counselor devised a shameless deception, advising him to gather the elders and declare: 'When the Turkish host advanced in the dark of night, King Yazdegerd summoned me and gave me his signet and crown, bidding me preserve his heritage and never surrender the throne to the invader.'
Delighted by this treacherous stratagem, Mahuy assembled the military commanders and delivered the fabricated tale. Though the captains immediately recognized the lie and knew that his insolence deserved death, cowardice and cynicism prevailed, with one chief declaring: 'Be it true or false, this matter is thine.' Thus, through deception and sorcery, Mahuy ascended the throne and seized control of Khorasan.
Upon entrenching his rule, Mahuy divided the realm, bestowing Balkh and Herat upon his eldest son. True to his ignoble origin, he elevated evil and vile men to authority throughout the provinces while casting the wise into ruin and ignominy. As righteousness collapsed, decay overspread the realm. Mahuy enriched his host with coin and dispatched a newly equipped army under the veteran commander Garestun toward Amuy and Bukhara, setting his sights on Samarqand and Chach to wage war against Bizan.
#1
کس آمد به ماهوی سوری بگفت
✦
که شاه جهان گشت با خاک جفت
“Someone came to Mahuy Suri and reported that the King of the World had become one with the dust.”
#2
سکوبا و قسیس و رهبان روم
✦
همه سوگواران آن مرز و بوم
“The bishop, the priest, and the monks of Rum, all mourning in that land,”
#3
برفتند با مویه برنا و پیر
✦
تن شاه بردند زان آبگیر
“Young and old went forth weeping, and lifted the king's body from that stream.”
#4
یکی دخمه کردند او را به باغ
✦
بلند و بزرگیش برتر ز راغ
“They built for him a tomb within a garden, grand and elevated above the mountain slope.”
#5
چنین گفت ماهوی بدبخت و شوم
✦
که ایران نبُد پیش از این خویشِ روم
“The wretched and ill-omened Mahuy spake: 'Iran was never a relative to Rum before this!'”
#6
فرستاد تا هر که آن دخمه کرد
✦
هم آنکس کزان کار تیمار خوَرد
“He dispatched troops to seize whoever built that tomb, and whoever felt sorrow over that deed.”
#7
بکشتند و تاراج کردند مرز
✦
چنین بود ماهوی را کام و ارز
“They slew them all and plundered the realm; such was Mahuy's desire and worth.”
#8
ازان پس بگرد جهان بنگرید
✦
ز تخم بزرگان کسی را ندید
“Thereafter he looked across the world, and saw no one left of the seed of the nobles.”
#9
همان تاج با او بد و مهر شاه
✦
شبان‌زاده را آرزو کرد گاه
“Possessing the royal crown and the king's signet, the shepherd's son lusted for the throne.”
#10
همه رازدارانش را پیش خواند
✦
سخن هرچ بودش به دل در براند
“He summoned all his confidants before him, and revealed every thought that lay in his heart.”
#11
به دستور گفت ای جهاندیده مرد
✦
فراز آمد آن روز ننگ و نبرد
“He said to his vizier, 'O experienced man! The day of disgrace and strife hath arrived.”
#12
نه گنجست با من نه نام و نژاد
✦
همی داد خواهم سر خود بباد
“'I have neither treasure, nor royal lineage, nor fame; I am giving my own head to the wind.”
#13
بر انگشتری یزدگردست نام
✦
به شمشیر بر من نگردند رام
“'The name of Yazdegerd is engraved upon the ring; by the sword alone men will not submit to me.”
#14
همه شهر ایران ورا بنده بود
✦
اگر خویش بد ار پراگنده بود
“'All the realm of Iran was subject to him, whether kin or scattered folk.”
#15
نخواند مرا مرد داننده شاه
✦
نه بر مهرم آرام گیرد سپاه
“'No wise man will address me as King, nor will the army find peace under my seal.”
#16
جزین بود چاره مرا در نهان
✦
چرا ریختم خون شاه جهان
“'I had no other hidden remedy; alas, why did I spill the blood of the King of the World?'”
#17
همه شب ز اندیشه پر خون بُدم
✦
جهاندار داند که من چون بدم
“'All night my heart was filled with blood from angst; the Creator knows what turmoil was in me!'”
#18
بدو رای‌زن گفت که اکنون گذشت
✦
ازین کار گیتی پرآواز گشت
“The counselor said to him: 'What is done is done; the world is now loud with this deed.”
#19
کنون بازجویی همی کار خویش
✦
که بگسستی آن رشتهٔ تار خویش
“'Dost thou now seek to mend thy cause, when thou hast severed thine own thread?”
#20
کنون او بدخمه درون خاک شد
✦
روان ورا زهر تریاک شد
“'Now he lies in the tomb within the dust; his spirit's antidote hath turned to poison.”
#21
جهاندیدگان را همه گرد کن
✦
زبان تیز گردان به شیرین سخُن
“'Gather all the experienced elders, and sharpen thy tongue with sweet discourse.”
#22
چنین گوی کاین تاج و انگشتری
✦
مرا شاه داد از پی مهتری
“'Speak thus: "This crown and signet ring were given to me by the King for my leadership.”
#23
چو دانست کامد ز ترکان سپاه
✦
چو شب تیره‌تر شد مرا خواند شاه
“'"When he learned that the army of Turks was approaching, as night darkened, the King called me.”
#24
مرا گفت چون خاست باد نبرد
✦
که داند به گیتی که بر کیست گرد
“'"He said to me: When the dust of battle rises, who knows in this world upon whom the ruin falls?”
#25
تو این تاج و انگشتری را بدار
✦
بود روز کین تاجت آید به کار
“'"Keep thou this crown and signet ring; a day of vengeance may come when this crown will serve thee.”
#26
مرا نیست چیزی جزین در جهان
✦
همانا که هست این ز تازی نهان
“'"I have nothing else in this world; surely this must be hidden from the Arab invader.”
#27
تو زین پس به دشمن مده گاه من
✦
نگه‌دار هم زین نشان راه من
“'"Henceforth yield not my throne to the enemy, and preserve my path in this manner."'”
#28
من این تاج میراث دارم ز شاه
✦
به فرمان او برنشینم به گاه
“'"I hold this crown as an inheritance from the King; by his order I mount the throne."'”
#29
بدین چاره ده بند بد را فروغ
✦
که داند که این راستست از دروغ
“'By this ruse give light to thy dark plight; for who can distinguish truth from falsehood in this?'”
#30
چو بشنید ماهوی گفتا که زه
✦
تو دستوری و بر تو بر نیست مه
“When Mahuy heard this, he exclaimed: 'Bravo! Thou art a true counselor, and none excels thee!'”
#31
همه مهتران را ز لشکر بخواند
✦
وزین گونه چندین سخنها براند
“He summoned all the chieftains of the army, and uttered many such deceitful words.”
#32
بدانست لشکر که این نیست راست
✦
به شوخی ورا سر بریدن سزاست
“The army knew well that this was not true, and that for his impudence his head deserved to be severed.”
#33
یکی پهلوان گفت کاین کارِ تست
✦
سخن گر درستست گر نادرست
“Yet one chieftain said: 'This is thy affair, whether thy words be true or false.'”
#34
چو بشنید بر تخت شاهی نشست
✦
به افسون خراسانش آمد بدست
“Hearing this, he sat upon the royal throne, and through trickery Khorasan fell into his hands.”
#35
ببخشید روی زمین بر مهان
✦
منم گفت با مهر شاه جهان
“He partitioned the lands among the grandees, proclaiming, 'I hold the signet ring of the King of the World!'”
#36
جهان را سراسر به بخشش گرفت
✦
ستاره نظاره برو ای شگفت
“He began distributing the realm entirely; wondrous it was that the stars looked down upon him!”
#37
به مهتر پسر داد بلخ و هری
✦
فرستاد بر هر سوی لشکری
“He gave Balkh and Herat to his eldest son, and dispatched armies to every corner.”
#38
بداندیشگان را همه برکشید
✦
بدانسان که از گوهر او سزید
“He elevated all ill-minded evil men, as befitted his own vile origin.”
#39
بدان را بهَر جای سالار کرد
✦
خردمند را سرنگونسار کرد
“He made the wicked rulers in every place, and cast down the wise into ruin.”
#40
چو زیر اندر آمد سر راستی
✦
پدید آمد از هر سوی کاستی
“When the head of righteousness was dragged down, decay and corruption appeared on every side.”
#41
چو لشکر فراوان شد و خواسته
✦
دل مرد بی تن شد آراسته
“As his army grew large and wealth accumulated, the heart of that base man became arrogant.”
#42
سپه را درم داد و آباد کرد
✦
سر دوده خویش پرباد کرد
“He distributed coin to the army and enriched them, inflating the pride of his own base lineage.”
#43
به آموی شد پهلو پیش رو
✦
ابا لشکری جنگ‌سازان نو
“The advance general marched to Amuy with an army of newly equipped warriors.”
#44
طلایه به پیش سپاه اندرون
✦
جهان‌دیده‌ای نام او گرستون
“At the vanguard of the army was a seasoned officer whose name was Garestun.”
#45
به شهر بخارا نهادند روی
✦
چنان ساخته لشکری جنگجوی
“They turned their faces toward the city of Bukhara, an army fully equipped and eager for battle.”
#46
بدو گفت ما را سمرقند و چاچ
✦
بباید گرفتن بدین مهر و تاج
“He said to him, "With this royal seal and crown, we must now conquer Samarqand and Chach."”
#47
به فرمان شاه جهان یزدگرد
✦
که سالار بُد او بر این هفت گرد
“"Under the mandate of Yazdgard, king of the world, who reigned supreme as sovereign over these seven realms."”
#48
ز بیژن بخواهم به شمشیر کین
✦
کزو تیره شد بخت ایران‌زمین
“"I shall seek vengeance upon Bijan with the blade of wrath, for it was through him that the fortune of Iran grew dark."”