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بخش ۶۴ - نامهٔ خسرو به شاپور / Section 64 - Khosrow's Letter to Shapur

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بنام آنکه جان را زونشان نیست
خرد را نیز هم یارای آن نیست

بگو تا عقل پیش او چه سنجد
چنان ذاتی کجا در عقل گنجد

ازان معنی که او عقل آفریده
ز مویی گرد ادراکش رسیده

اگرچه عقل داناست و سخنگوی
نداند در حقیقت کنه یک موی

چو عقل جمله در مویست عاجز
بکنه حق که یابد راه هرگز

چو ذاتش برترست از هرچه دانیم
چگونه شرح او گفتن توانیم

چو جمله عاجزیم از برگ کاهی
ورای عجز، ما را نیست راهی

خدایی در خداوندی سزاوار
رسولش عیسی خورشید اسرار

وزان پس گفت کای شاپورگمراه
که بیرون آمدی در کینهٔ شاه

سراز فرمان شاه دین کشیدی
خطی در گرد راه دین کشیدی

بدزدیدی زن شاه زمین را
کنون پای آراگر مردی تو این را

که کرد این فعل هرگز در زمانه
ترا دیدم ببدفعلی یگانه

تو میدانی که گر من کینه خواهم
نیاری تاب در پیش سپاهم

اگر لشکر کشم بر کشور تو
نه کشور ماند ونه لشکر تو

وگر یک نیزه آرد بر تو زوری
که گر پیلی بخاک افتی چو موری

وگر یک مردم آرد روی بر تو
ز نامردی بجنبد موی بر تو

چو نتوانی تو با ما حرب جویی
نداری حیلتی جز چرب گویی

اگر با ما درشتی پیش گیری
بکام دشمنان خویش گیری

مکن، گل را کسی کن ورنه ناکام
چو گل غرقه شوی درخون سرانجام

مکن، فرمان شاهان خوار مگذار
زگلرخ در ره خود خار مگذار

اگر فرمان کنی، جان سودبینی
وگرنه جان زیان بس زود بینی

غم و شادی و مرگ و زندگانی
بگفتم والسلام اکنون تو دانی

چو خط نامه نوک خامه بنگاشت
درامد پیک و حالی نامه برداشت

قدم میزد چو بادی از ره دور
که تافی الجمله شد نزدیک شاپور

بدادش نامه و شاپور برخواند
ز خشم آن پیک را حالی بدر راند

نهاد آن پیک مسکین پای در راه
رسید آخر بکم مدت بدرگاه

بر خسرو شد وآگاه کردش
حدیث سیرت آن شاه کردش

که آن نامه بدرید و مرا راند
ترا بدفعل و شوم و باد سر خواند

چو شه بشنید ازو برجست ازجای
میان دربست و پس ننشست از پای

سپاهی همچو دریا انجمن کرد
جهانی در جهانی موجزن کرد

سپه را جوشن و تیغ و سپر داد
سه ساله جامگی و سیم و زر داد

چو مور و چون ملخ چندان سپه بود
که کس رانه گذر بود و نه ره بود

نبد چندان زمین از مرد خالی
کزو بالا گرفتی گرد حالی

ز بسیاری که مرد از جای برخاست
نمیارست گرد ازجای برخاست

برامد نالهٔ نای از در شاه
غبار از پای میشد تا سرماه

روان گشتند لشکر تا خراسان
دل شاپور شد زان غم هراسان

کجا دانست کان آفت ز پی داشت
پشیمانی نمود و سود کی داشت

English translation

In the name of Him of whom there is no sign for the soul, And the intellect has no capability to comprehend Him. Say, what can intellect weigh in His presence? How can such an Essence be contained in the intellect? Since He created the intellect, Its comprehension has barely reached the dust of a single hair. Though intellect is wise and speaking, It does not know in truth the essence of a single hair. Since the intellect of all is helpless in the matter of a hair, Who can ever find a way to the essence of the Truth? Since His Essence is loftier than anything we know, How can we express His description? Since we are all helpless before the leaf of a straw, Beyond helplessness, we have no path. A God worthy of His divinity, His messenger, Jesus, the sun of secrets. And then he said, 'O strayed Shapur, Who came out in hostility against the king, You withdrew your head from the command of the King of Religion, You drew a line around the path of religion. You stole the wife of the king of the earth, Now stand firm if you are a man for this. Who has ever done such an act in this world? I have found you to be unique in evil-doing. You know that if I seek vengeance, You will have no strength to endure before my army. If I lead an army against your country, Neither your country will remain, nor your army. And if a single spear exerts its force upon you, Even if you were an elephant, you would fall to the ground like an ant. And if a single man faces you, Out of cowardice, every hair on your body will tremble. Since you cannot wage war against us, You have no trick except smooth-talking. If you adopt harshness towards us, You will satisfy the desires of your enemies. Do not do this; return Gol, otherwise, in failure, Like a flower (Gol), you will end up drowned in blood. Do not do this; do not despise the command of kings, Do not leave thorns in your path because of Golrokh. If you obey, your soul will find profit, Otherwise, you will very soon see harm to your life. Sorrow and joy, death and life, I have spoken; peace be upon you, now you know.' When the tip of the pen wrote the lines of the letter, The messenger entered and immediately took the letter. He walked like the wind from a far path, Until eventually he came near to Shapur. He gave him the letter, and Shapur read it, In anger, he immediately drove the messenger out. That poor messenger set foot on the road, And finally returned to the court in a short time. He went to Khosrow and informed him, He told him about the conduct of that king, Saying: 'He tore that letter and drove me away, He called you evil-doing, ominous, and arrogant.' When the king heard this from him, he leaped up from his place, He girded his loins and did not sit down. He gathered an army like the sea, Making world upon world surge with soldiers. He gave the army chain mail, swords, and shields, He gave them three years' wages in silver and gold. The army was so vast, like ants and locusts, That there was no passage nor path for anyone. The earth was not empty enough of men, For any dust to rise up from the ground. Due to the abundance of men rising up, The dust could not even rise from its place. The sound of the horn arose from the king's gate, The dust from their feet went up to the moon. The army set off toward Khorasan, Shapur's heart became terrified by that grief. How could he know that such a calamity followed him? He showed regret, but what use did it have?

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Updated 2026-07-03

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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