Shahnameh · Fall of the Sasanians

The Reign of Farayin

پادشاهی فرایین

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فرایین بر تخت و اندرز پسران

Farayin Takes the Throne and His Sons' Counsel

فرایین چو تاج کیان برنهاد همی‌گفت چیزی که آمدش یاد همی‌گفت شاهی کنم یک زمان نشینم برین تخت بر شادمان به از بندگی توختن شست سال برآورده رنج و فرو برده یال پس از من پسر بر نشیند بگاه نهد بر سر آن خسروانی کلاه نهانی بدو گفت مهتر پسر که اکنون به گیتی توی تا جور مباش ایمن و گنج را چاره کن جهان بان شدی کار یکباره کن چو از تخمه‌ی شهریاران کسی بیاید نمانی تو ایدر بسی وزان پس چنین گفت کهتر پسر که اکنون به گیتی توی تاجور سزاوار شاهی سپاهست و گنج چو با گنج باشی نمانی به رنج فریدون که بد آبتینش پدر مر او را که بد پیش او تاجور جهان را بسه پور فرخنده داد که اندر جهان او بد از داد شاد به مرد و به گنج این جهان را بدار نزاید ز مادر کسی شهریار ورا خوش نیامد بدین سان سخن به مهتر پسر گفت خامی مکن

When Farayin placed the crown of kings on his head, he spoke whatever came to his mind. He said: "I shall be king for a time, and sit on this throne in happiness. Better to reign for one moment than to toil in servitude for sixty years, wearing oneself out and bowing one's neck. After me, my son will sit on the throne and place the royal crown upon his head."

His elder son spoke to him privately: "Now you are the crowned one in this world. Do not be complacent — see to the treasury at once. You have become lord of the world, so settle matters completely. If anyone from the royal bloodline appears, you will not last here long."

Then his younger son said: "Now you are the crowned one in this world. What makes a king worthy is an army and a treasury — with wealth, you will not suffer hardship. Fereydun, whose father was Abtin, and who stood before the previous king — he gave the world to three splendid sons, and through justice he made the world happy. Hold this world with men and treasure. No one is born a king from his mother's womb."

But Farayin did not care for this kind of talk. He told his elder son: "Enough of this foolishness."

Notes

1personفرایینFarayin

Farayin — a non-royal figure who seized the throne in the chaos after Ardeshir III's assassination, around 629 AD. Some scholars identify him with the historical Shahrbaraz (Farrukhan), a general who briefly held power. His reign lasted only weeks.

2personفریدونFereydun

Fereydun — legendary king of the Shahnameh who defeated the tyrant Zahhak and divided the world among his three sons: Salm, Tur, and Iraj. The younger son invokes him as an example that kingship can be built through men and treasure, not just bloodline.

تباهی گنج و ستمگری فرایین

The Squandering of the Treasury and Farayin's Tyranny

عرض را به دیوان شاهی نشاند سپه را سراسر به درگاه خواند شب تیره تا روز دینار داد بسی خلعت ناسزاوار داد به دو هفته از گنج شاه اردشیر نماند از بهایی یکی پر تیر هر آنگه که رفتی به می سوی باغ نبردی جز از شمع عنبر چراغ همان تشت زرین و سیمین بدی چو زرین بدی گوهر آگین بدی چو هشتاد در پیش و هشتاد پس پس شمع یاران فریادرس همه شب بدی خوردن آیین اوی دل مهتران پرشد ازکین اوی شب تیره همواره گردان بدی به پالیزها گر به میدان بدی نماندش به ایران یکی دوستدار شکست اندر آمد به آموزگار فرایین همان ناجوانمرد گشت ابی داد و بی‌بخشش و خورد گشت همی زر بر چشم بر دوختی جهان را به دینار بفروختی همی‌ریخت خون سر بی‌گناه از آن پس برآشفت به روی سپاه به دشنام لبها بیاراستند جهانی همه مرگ او خواستند

He installed a paymaster at the royal chancellery and summoned the entire army to court. Through dark nights until dawn he distributed gold coins, handing out lavish robes of honor without restraint. Within two weeks, nothing of value remained from the treasury of King Ardeshir — not even one arrow's worth of wealth.

Whenever he went to the garden for wine, he brought nothing but ambergris-scented candles for light. His dishes were of gold and silver, and the golden ones were studded with jewels. Eighty attendants walked before him and eighty behind, with his trusted companions following the torchlight. All night long was given to feasting — and the hearts of the nobles filled with resentment toward him. Through the dark nights he was always on the move, whether in the gardens or at the polo grounds.

Not a single friend remained to him in Iran. Ruin came upon the one who would instruct others.

Farayin then became truly unjust — without generosity, without decency, consumed by greed. He would sew gold coins over people's eyes, selling the world for dinars. He shed the blood of the innocent, and then turned his fury on the army. Lips opened in curses against him. The whole world wished him dead.

Notes

3personاردشیرArdeshir

King Ardeshir — Ardeshir III (Ardeshir Shirui), whose treasury Farayin emptied within two weeks of seizing the throne.

4context

Sewing gold over eyes — a metaphor for blinding greed, or possibly a literal punishment. The image suggests Farayin was so consumed by avarice that gold became an instrument of cruelty rather than generosity.

شهران گراز و کشتن فرایین

Shahran Guraz and the Killing of Farayin

شب تیره هر مزد شهران گراز سخنها همی‌گفت چندان به راز گزیده سواری ز شهر صطخر که آن مهتران را بدو بود فخر به ایرانیان گفت کای مهتران شد این روزگار فرایین گران همی‌دارد او مهتران را سبک چرا شد چنین مغز و دلتان تنگ همه دیده‌ها زو شده پر سرشک جگر پر ز خون شد بباید پزشک چنین داد پاسخ مرا او را سپاه که چون کس نماند از در پیشگاه نه کس را همی‌آید از رشک یاد که پردازدی دل به دین بد نژاد بدیشان چنین گفت شهران گراز که این کار ایرانیان شد دراز گر ایدون که بر من نسازید بد کنید آنک از داد و گردی سزد هم اکنون به نیروی یزدان پاک مر او را ز باره در آرم به خاک چنین یافت پاسخ ز ایرانیان که بر تو مبادا که آید زیان همه لشکر امروز یار توایم گرت زین بد آید حصار توایم چو بشنید ز ایشان ز ترکش نخست یکی تیر پولاد پیکان بجست برانگیخت از جای اسپ سیاه همی‌داشت لشکر مر او را نگاه کمان رابه بازو همی‌درکشید گهی در بروگاه بر سرکشید به شورش‌گری تیر بازه ببست چو شد غرفه پیکانش بگشاد شست بزد تیر ناگاه بر پشت اوی بیفتاد تازانه از مشت اوی همه تیرتا پر در خون گذشت سرآهن ازناف بیرون گذشت ز باره در افتاد سرسرنگون روان گشت زان زخم او جوی خون بپیچید و برزد یکی باد سرد به زاری بران خاک دل پر ز درد سپه تیغها بر کشیدند پاک برآمد شب تیره از دشت خاک همه شب همی خنجر انداختند یکی از دگر باز نشناختند همی این از آن بستد و آن ازین یکی یافت نفرین دگر آفرین پراگنده گشت آن سپاه بزرگ چومیشان بد دل که بینند گرگ فراوان بماندند بی شهریار نیامد کسی تاج را خواستار بجستند فرزند شاهان بسی ندیدند زان نامداران کسی

One dark night, Shahran Guraz — a chosen horseman from the city of Istakhr, in whom the great men took pride — spoke long and secretly. He said to the Iranians: "My lords, the reign of Farayin has grown heavy upon us. He holds the nobles in contempt. Why have your minds and hearts grown so narrow? Every eye weeps because of him. The liver is full of blood — a physician is needed."

The army answered him: "When no one remains at the court gate, no one even thinks of envy — if only someone would rid the world of this wretch of low birth."

Shahran Guraz said to them: "This misery of the Iranians has gone on too long. If you will not turn against me, then do what valor and justice demand. Right now, by the power of holy God, I will bring him down from his horse into the dust."

He received his answer from the Iranians: "May no harm come to you. The whole army today stands with you. If any trouble comes of this, we are your fortress."

When he heard this, he first drew from his quiver an arrow with a steel point. He spurred his black horse forward. The army watched him. He drew back the bow to his shoulder, sighting now on the king's brow, now on his head. In the chaos he nocked a flight arrow, and when the bowstring was fully drawn, he released. The arrow struck Farayin suddenly in the back. The riding whip fell from his fist. The arrow passed through blood up to its feathers; the steel point came out through his navel. He fell from his horse headfirst. A river of blood flowed from the wound. He writhed and let out one cold sigh, in agony on the dirt, his heart full of pain.

The army drew their swords as one. Dust rose from the plain into the dark night. All night long they swung their blades — they could not tell one man from another. This one seized from that one, and that one from this; one man earned curses, another blessings. That great army scattered like sheep whose faint hearts have spotted a wolf.

For a long time they remained without a king. No one came forward to claim the crown. They searched extensively for a child of the royal house, but could not find a single one of those nobles.

Notes

5personشهران گرازShahran Guraz

Shahran Guraz — a warrior from Istakhr who organized the conspiracy against Farayin and personally killed him with an arrow. Likely connected to the Guraz mentioned in the previous reign, or from the same noble clan.

6context

Istakhr (Stakhr/صطخر) — ancient city near Persepolis in Fars province, the ceremonial heartland of the Sasanian dynasty. That the assassin hails from the dynasty's homeland underscores the depth of the crisis.

7context

The assassination of Farayin — shot from horseback with a steel-tipped arrow that passed entirely through his body. The army immediately descended into factional fighting in the dark, unable to distinguish friend from foe — a vivid image of the empire's complete collapse of order.

Edition & Source

Author: فردوسی (Ferdowsi, c. 977–1010 AD)
Edition: شاهنامه — Wikisource plain edition
Source: Wikisource