Pahlevan of Turan · son of Viseh

Piranپیران

pee-RAHN

Son of Viseh, Afrasiab's wise commander, protector of Siavash and Kay Khosrow; slain by Gudarz in the Twelve Rukhs.

His story: From B7.2, Rostam Battles the Turanians, to C3.47, Piran Is Honored, and Gurvi Is Slain
Named: 486 times, in 132 sections
Parents: Viseh
Children: Jarireh, Ruyin
Plates: Vol I: VI, Vol II: IV
Pictures: 51 panels · identity sheets

How we draw Piran

The identity sheets the illustrator works from, one for each stage of life. Tap to open full size. More in the Art section.

Piran, identity sheet: Mature commander (grey-streaked) — **Mature commander (grey-streaked)**

Piran, identity sheet: Old counsellor (grey) — **Old counsellor (grey)**

Piran, identity sheet: Old commander (notched ear) — **Old commander (notched ear)**

In the pictures

Piran in 51 woodcut panels of the illustrated poem, in story order. Tap one to see it with the couplets it illustrates.

B7.3Pilsam Holds Off Four Champions

B9.31Piran Welcomes Siavash with White Elephants

B9.31Siavash Weeps amid the Welcome

B9.32Afrasiab Greets Siavash on Foot

B9.34Golshahr Brings Jarireh to Siavash

B9.36Afrasiab Weighs Piran's Plea in Tears

B9.38Siavash Chooses the Site for a City

B9.40The Star-Readers Foretell No Blessing

B9.43Farangis Welcomes Piran

B9.56Piran Arrives to Shield Farangis

B9.57Siavash Appears in Piran's Dream

B9.57Piran Beholds the Newborn Kay Khosrow

All 51 pictures

B9.58Piran Finds Khosrow Among the Shepherds

B9.59Khosrow Before Afrasiab

B10.23Giv Challenges Piran across the River

B10.24Giv's Kamand Snares Piran

B10.25Giv Pierces Piran's Ear

B10.26Afrasiab Meets Piran Bound in the Saddle

B12.18Afrasiab Reviews Piran's Host

B12.26Turan Welcomes Piran Home

B13.5Piran's Envoy Crosses the River

B13.9Champions Paired Across the Field

B13.13Piran Calls Up to Tus

B13.18Heralds of the Allied Kings Reach Piran

B13.19Piran Kisses the Ground Before the Khan

B13.22The Khan of Chin Rides Out to View Hamavan

B13.24Kamus Boasts Before Piran and the Khan

B13.28The Khan Examines Rostam's Arrow

B14.1Weeping Troops before the Khan of Chin

B14.4Houman Brings Dread News to Piran

B14.5Piran Dismounts before Rostam

B14.6Kamus's Kin Mourn in the Khan's Pavilion

B14.6Shangul Rouses the Khan's Council

B14.9Rostam Rebukes Piran on the Field

B14.21Piran Leads Turan's Host Out Again

C2.9Piran Finds Bijan beneath the Gibbet

C2.21Rostam in Disguise Presents Gifts to Piran

C3.5Giv and Piran Parley by the Jihun

C3.6Piran Sees Gudarz's Array

C3.8Houman Demands Leave to Fight

C3.16Piran Mourns Houman and Nastihan

C3.20Piran Dictates a Plea for Peace

C3.21Piran's Heart Blackens at the Reply

C3.23Piran Prays Alone for an End

C3.24Arrows Rain on the Pitched Battle

C3.25Giv's Charger Will Not Move

C3.27Piran Parts from His Brothers

C3.28Two Silver-Haired Chiefs Parley

C3.39Gudarz's Arrow Brings Down Piran's Steed

C3.39Gudarz's Javelin Finds Piran

C3.47Kay Khosrow Weeps over Piran

His story, in the poem’s own sections

13 sections, with the summary from the Notes. Open any one to read it in full here; tap a couplet number to cite it or suggest a better one.

B9.31

Siavash Yields Command to Bahram

Siavash writes a last bitter letter to Kavus, hands the army and treasure to Bahram, and crosses the Jihun with three hundred riders. Piran meets him in splendor, weeps with him, and pledges his wealth, his kin and his protection.

103 couplets · Piran named 8 times · in the full poem

Then Siavash wrote to Kavus his liege,To tell the grief that held his heart in siege:

“Though I am young, I am not poor in mind,Nor act as heedless of the ends I find.

I have done no wrong, yet still the Shah’s fierce ireHas burned my heart like some relentless fire.

Your shabestan first brought me all my grief;My face I washed in heart’s blood, past relief.

I crossed the mountain fire through scorching flame,And deer upon the plain wept at my shame.

From shame I went to war through pain and dread,And walked where jaws of nahang yawned ahead.

Now both the realms enjoy a time of peace,Yet still the Shah’s harsh temper will not cease.

His heart is like a sword of tempered steel;Whether I bind or loose, no change I feel.

Since he is weary of me, I depart,And cease to burden his embittered heart.

May joy surround him under heaven’s law,While grief has driven me through dragon’s jaw.

I do not know what turning heaven brings,If hate or favor waits beneath its wings.”

Then turning, thus to Bahram he replied:“Win fresh renown upon the path you ride.

To you I leave the crown and royal tent,The throne and treasure, full, with nothing spent.

Guard standards, riders, elephants and gear,And keep the koust till Tus himself draws near.

And when Tus comes, consign him every store;Stay watchful-hearted, faithful as before.”

He chose three hundred warriors, tried and true,All proven riders, fit for battle too.

He took sufficient wealth to see him through,With dinars and with royal jewels in view.

A hundred chosen horses, gold-arrayed,A hundred servants in gold belts displayed.

He counted weapons, harness, belts, and gear,And had them all brought forward, plain and clear.

Then summoned all the nobles to his side,And spoke with calm authority and pride:

“Piran has crossed the river; he is sentBy Afrasiab, with plain and clear intent.

He bears a secret message meant for me,And brings the word that I must hear and see.

I go to meet him; here you must abide,While I ride forth to greet him at his side.

To Bahram turn, and heed what he may say;Let none among you turn his heart away.”

The chiefs, each one, bowed low and kissed the groundBefore the prince, whose grief burned deep, profound.

The sun showed him its back; the air grew dim,The earth turned harsh as sorrow weighed on him.

He could not hide the tears that filled his eyes,As toward the Jihun he led his ranks with sighs.

When he reached Tarmez, all the streets were bright,With scent and color gleaming in the light.

From there to Chakh each city, bride-arrayed,Wore torc and crown in splendor all displayed.

At every halt rich carpets lined the ground,With feast and celebration all around.

So on they came to Kachar Bashi’s bound,Where he dismounted, and repose he found.

When Tus reached Balkh, they met him with the word,And told him bitter news of what occurred.

“The favored son of Kay Kavus,” they said,“Has joined the chief by whom Turan is led.”

He gathered troops and turned his army back,Returning to the court along the track.

The news made Kavus pale with inward grief,He groaned and sighed but found in none relief.

His heart was fire; tears gathered in his eyes,At Siavash and Afrasiab’s ties.

He doubted if his fate were friend or foe,And wondered what the turning heavens would show.

He set aside all thoughts of war and hate,And spoke no more of battle from that date.

When word arrived Siavash had crossed the flow,Afrasiab made ready men to go.

“Bring down the army to this frontier now!”His envoy reached the court and made his bow.

He called the nobles and the chiefs to fare,With tabira resounding through the air.

Then Piran chose a thousand of his kin,To greet the prince with gifts, then lead him in.

He readied all the army for the sight,And brought four mighty elephants in white.

On one they set a turquoise throne on high,A shining tree-like banner reached the sky.

A golden moon adorned its lofty crest,Upon a purple cloth with gold-thread dressed.

Three other elephants bore thrones of gold,In rich diba from head to foot enrolled.

A hundred steeds with golden saddles shone,With many-colored jewels thickly sewn.

The army seemed as heaven had drawn near,And clothed the face of earth in splendor clear.

When Siavash heard the welcoming array,He formed his ranks and hastened forth that way.

He saw Piran’s banner rise on high,And heard the elephants and horses cry.

He hurried forth and clasped Piran breast to breast,And asked of king and realm, and all the rest.

“Why have you worn your spirit on the road?Why bear for me so difficult a load?

My first desire was your dear self to see,And find you safe; that mattered first to me.”

Then Piran kissed his head, his feet, his face,And welcomed him with reverence and grace.

Then to the Judge of hidden things and known,He raised his grateful voice in reverent tone:

“Had I but dreamed of you while yet I slept,My aged head to youth again had leapt.

Now that I see you strong and standing well,I praise Yazdan whose mercies none can tell.

Afrasiab will be your father now,And all this riverside before you bow.

More than a thousand of my kin stand near,Attendants ready for your service here.

And all my wealth and treasure you command,May joy and health forever with you stand.

Speak no desire you fear may be denied;Both men and women serve you at my side.

Though gray my head, for you my belt I bind,And gladly serve with loyal heart and mind.”

They rode together, grief at last allayed,And spoke of every matter that they weighed.

The chang and rabab filled the streets with song,And woke the sleeping as the notes rolled long.

The ground was dark with musk along the way,Arabian horses seemed to wing away.

But when the prince beheld this splendid show,His tears like sudden rain began to flow.

He thought of Zabul and its festive throng,And feasts to Kabul stretched the road along.

Again he saw the nobles’ bright array,With Rostam, Piltan, leading the display;

He thought of Iran with a mournful sigh,While homesick longing dimmed his watchful eye.

He saw again the gems cast from above,With musk and ambergris, and signs of love.

His heart recalled them, burning as before,Like fire that leapt within him at the core.

He turned away to hide his inward pain,Yet Piran saw the grief he strove to rein.

He knew what memory had brought this grief,And bit his lip, himself denied relief.

They halted then a while beside the way,And drew their breath before they rode away.

Piran observed his face, his shoulders, frame,His stature and his speech of noble fame.

He watched the prince and marveled at the sight,And named Yazdan again with fresh delight.

“O prince, among the kings your name shall stand,A living memory through every land.

O prince, in you three noble gifts combine,No other ruler bears such marks divine:

First, from Kay Qobad runs your royal line,His ancient glory through your blood may shine.

Next, truth adorns the language that you speak,Your words are upright, gracious, never weak.

And from your face such gentle favor flows,That love itself from every feature grows.”

The prince replied: “O elder, pure and true,Your heart is wise, your speech is faithful too.

Renowned for love and loyalty your name,Far from Ahriman, cruelty, and blame.

If you will bind your covenant with mine,I know your word will never cross the line.

Then here I stay till all my grief is done,And make this land my rest beneath the sun.

If fortune smiles, I shall not grieve or mournFor all the roads by which my steps were borne;

If not, then let me pass without delay,And show another country on my way.”

Then Piran said: “Put such thoughts from your mind,You have left Iran and all its grief behind.

Turn not your heart from Afrasiab’s grace,Nor hurry now to leave this resting place.

Though Afrasiab bears a name of ill,In truth a godly heart is in him still.

He has good sense, sound judgment, wisdom’s light,And does not rush toward needless harm or fight.

He is my kinsman, joined to me by birth;I serve as champion and counselor of worth.

I stand in honor near his royal seat,With treasure, throne, and army at my feet.

More than a hundred thousand horse obey,And ride beneath the orders I convey.

And twelve thousand kinsmen of my lineWill stand before me when I give the sign.

I own broad lands and flocks and horses grand,With treasure, and with bow and coiled kamand.

And hidden wealth beyond all this have I;I need no aid from any man nearby.

All this I give you freely, as is right,If here you choose to dwell with heart made light.

Pure Yazdan placed you in my charge and care;With heart and soul your service I will bear.

No harm shall touch you by my will or deed;Yet none can know what fate has yet decreed.”

The prince rejoiced, his troubled heart grew light,And all his anxious thoughts withdrew from sight.

They sat and feasted, joined as sire and son,And shared the board together there as one.

With brighter hearts they hastened on the road,Till Gang received them in its fair abode.

B9.34

Siavash Weds Piran’s Daughter

Piran urges the lonely prince to marry and offers his eldest daughter, Jarireh. Siavash gladly accepts, Piran’s wife Golshahr brings the richly dowered bride, and Siavash lives happily, forgetting Kavus as his standing at court grows.

35 couplets · Piran named 3 times · in the full poem

One day with Piran Siavash sat apart,They spoke of many things with open heart.

Then Piran said: “What man surpasses you?Who stands above you in the deeds you do?

Awake, the king speaks of you with delight;Even in sleep he names you through the night.

You are to him as spring is to the plain,His balm in grief, his ease from every pain.

You are Kavus’s son, renowned and wise;Your virtues lift your stature to the skies.

Though age now bends your father, worn and gray,Take heed the Kayan crown not pass away.

In Iran and Turan you stand as Shah,A living heir to kings of ancient law.

Yet here you have no kinsman of your own,No blood to stand beside you, sworn and known.

In all of Turan none is fit to claimA place beside you worthy of your name.

No brother, sister, wife stands at your side;Alone you grow, a rose-branch in its pride.

Then seek a bride to grace your royal state,And lay aside your grief for Iran’s fate.

When Kavus dies, then Iran shall be yours,With crown and throne that royal blood secures.

Behind the veil are three like moons in light,Three maidens hidden from the stranger’s sight.

So fair that if the moon itself drew near,It could not turn its gaze from beauties here.

Three daughters dwell in Garsivaz’s hall,Well reared by father, mother, one and all.

From Fereydoon their ancient lineage flows,And royal grace in every daughter shows.

I too have daughters four, whom I commend;If you accept, as servants they attend.

Yet Jarireh, my eldest, leads them all;No beauty can compare within the hall.

If she should please you, she is yours to choose,Your servant, if her hand you not refuse.”

Siavash said: “I thank you for this grace;Regard me as your son within this place.

Jarireh pleases me past all the rest;No kinship dearer lies within my breast.

She brings delight alike to flesh and soul;No other woman here can make me whole.

In this you lay on me a lasting debt,A bond I bear and never shall forget.”

When Piran left, he hurried from the hall,And told Golshahr what soon would them befall.

He said: “Prepare Jarireh for the day,For Siavash and his farr without delay.

Shall we not celebrate this noble tie,And knit our house to Qobad’s line thereby?”

Golshahr then brought her daughter forward dressed,A coronet of gold adorned her crest.

With diba, dinars, silver, fragrant gold,And costly ornaments of finest mold.

She shone as springtime shines in fullest flower,And they brought her before the prince that hour.

They joined her to the prince with honor due,And led her to her royal station new.

None could recount the wealth that with her came;A golden jeweled throne enhanced her fame.

When Siavash beheld her beauty rare,He smiled with joy, and gladness ended care.

His every hour was filled with glad delight,And Kavus faded wholly from his sight.

Thus heaven turned, and time went flowing on;Good fortune stayed with him from dusk to dawn.

His rank and splendor rose before the king,And day by day increased in everything.

B9.35

Piran Proposes Farangis to Siavash

Piran suggests that a marriage to Afrasiab’s daughter Farangis would suit Siavash better still. The prince, accepting that he may never see Iran or his friends again, weeps and agrees, asking that the plan be kept secret.

24 couplets · Piran named 2 times · in the full poem

One day Piran addressed the prince apart,And spoke as one both righteous, wise of heart.

“Afrasiab commands Turan’s great powers;His crown above the peak of heaven towers.

You are, at every hour, his brightened soul,His heart, his wisdom, strength, and power whole.

If marriage bound you to his royal line,Your power would grow, your fortune brighter shine.

Though now my daughter stands as your new wife,Your every care is also mine in life.

Though Jarireh is fair and pleased you well,And though you chose her, and with her would dwell,

It better fits your station and your worthTo seek a jewel of the Shah’s own birth.

Among his daughters, Farangis is best,No fairer form was ever seen or guessed.

Her form outshines the cypress, tall and fair,Black musk itself forms a crown upon her hair.

Her skill and wisdom pass all measured worth,And wisdom waits upon her here on earth.

Ask Afrasiab; nowhere shall you findIn Kashmir or Kabul a face so kind.

The king himself will join your royal line,And farr and orung brighter still shall shine.

With your consent, I will approach the throne,And seek his favor, make the matter known.”

Siavash said, “What Yazdan has decreed,No mortal hand can change the sphere’s fixed speed.

If I may never reach Iran once more,Nor see Kavus, my father, as before,

Or Zal, my guardian, steadfast, kind, and true,Or Rostam, source of all the joy I knew,

Or Bahram and Zangeh, Shavaran’s pride,Or Giv and Shapur, comrades at my side,

If I must live apart from home and kin,And here in Turan a new life begin,

Then be my father, and this bond prepare,But keep it secret; let no tongue declare.”

He spoke, and from his lashes tears would pour;A cold sigh left him as his heart grew sore.

Piran replied: “The wise adjust their wayTo suit the times in which they live each day.

None can escape the turning of the sphere,For peace and strife and love alike appear.

If friends in Iran still remain with you,Entrust them all to Yazdan, firm and true.

Your dwelling now is here in Turan’s land,Yet Iran’s throne remains within your hand.”

B9.43

Piran Visits Siavash-Gard

Returning from his campaign, Piran visits Siavash-Gard, marvels at the city and at Farangis, and feasts there for a week. At Afrasiab’s court he reports the tribute he has gathered and praises Siavash’s city in glowing terms, to the king’s delight.

51 couplets · Piran named 7 times · in the full poem

When Piran came from Hind and Chin, he foundThe splendors praised by every tongue around.

They praised Siavash-Gard through every hall,A work whose fame had spread among them all.

Its founding star rose fortunate and bright,The day of Ard was blessed beneath its light.

He heard of domes and orchards, streams and plains,Of halls and gardens, mountains, green domains.

He longed to see the work the prince had made,And hastened toward the city now displayed.

He gathered then a thousand warriors tried,Wise men of courage riding at his side.

All fit to serve in any enterprise,And see the prince’s work with their own eyes.

As Piran neared, Siavash came to meet,His army gathered round him, ranks complete.

When Piran saw the prince from far ahead,He left his horse and came on foot instead.

Siavash too dismounted at the sight,And clasped him in an embrace firm and tight.

They passed within the city side by side,Where thorns once grew, now shining halls stood wide.

Where brush had spread, now ordered gardens lay,And palace walls gave back the light of day.

Through every quarter Piran rode around,And blessed Siavash for the works he found.

“The royal farr, the greatness of your line,With wisdom in your heart together shine.

Without such gifts, how could your hand have raisedA place whose ordered splendor leaves me amazed?

May this sign stand until the final day,Among the chiefs whose names shall not decay.

May son on son in joy possess the crown,Victorious rulers blessed with high renown.”

He roamed the city, pleased with all he found,Then reached Siavash’s halls on garden ground.

He turned toward Farangis in delight,And reached her palace flourishing and bright.

She came to greet him, asked how he had fared,And scattered shining dinars, all prepared.

Seated upon the throne, he cast his gaze,And saw the servants ranged in bright arrays.

He praised the World-Creator, thanks aloud,Then joined the feast among the gathered crowd.

With table spread, with wine and minstrels near,The cupbearer poured freely through the cheer.

For seven days they drank with cup in hand,Now glad at heart, now drunk throughout the band.

On the eighth day Piran displayed his store,And laid his princely journey-gifts before.

With rubies, royal jewels, diba rare,And jeweled crowns whose gems flashed everywhere.

With dinars, steeds, and saddles of khadang,With golden gear and leopard skins that hang.

For Farangis: a crown and earrings wrought,An armlet, and a jeweled torque he brought.

Then took his leave, his army in array,And rode to Khutan on the homeward way.

Returning home, he spoke to Golshahr thus:“If one has never seen what gladdens us,

Nor known what Rizvan tells of Paradise,Then let him see this city with his eyes.

Where Siavash sits like sunlight on the throne,Soroush-blessed, with wisdom, farr full shown.

Go there in joy and see the city wide,And view Siavash’s work on every side.

The city’s lord outshines its ordered grace,Like eastern dawn that brightens every place.

And Farangis shone radiant and fair,Like moonlight resting on the evening air.”

Then swift as ships that cross the open foam,He rode to Afrasiab’s royal home.

He told of tribute, battles, victories won,And heads in Hind cast down when war was done.

He laid before the king the gathered gain,And gave him news from every wide domain.

He said the Shah’s just rule had made hearts glad,From Sea of Chin to Rum, no land was sad.

Then Piran told what he had seen and heard,The king asked of Siavash, word by word.

Piran replied: “Whoever sees that placeWould think Ordibehesht had clothed its face.

Soroush must have revealed that radiant scene,For even the sun knows no such lord serene.

I saw a city none on earth could claim,In Chin or Turan, equal to its fame.

With gardens, halls, and streams around the whole,As though pure wisdom mingled with the soul.

If grievance must be laid upon the world,Against this place not one charge could be hurled.

From far the palace of Farangis shone,Like gathered light condensed in single stone.

If Soroush came descending from the sphere,He could not match the farr and wisdom here.

With such a form and royal bearing bright,Your son-in-law may well your heart delight.

Both realms now rest from conflict and from strife,Like one who swooned, now called again to life.

May this endure forever in our state,With wise men’s hearts and counsel of the great.”

The king rejoiced to hear these words of praise,His flourishing branch bore fruit before his gaze.

B9.56

Piran Shields Farangis

Warned by his brothers, Piran rides for two days and nights and arrives as Farangis is being dragged to her death. He halts the guards, rebukes Afrasiab for following a Div’s counsel, and wins her life, promising to bring the child to the king. He takes her to Khutan.

43 couplets · Piran named 5 times · in the full poem

When Piran heard, he rose in furious flame,And from his lips a roar of anger came.

He brought ten tested chargers from the stall,And had them bridled swiftly, one and all.

With Ruyin and Farshidvard he sped,And clouds of dust rose thick where hoofbeats led.

Two days and nights they drove through dust and heat,Until they reached the royal judgment-seat.

There by the gate he saw the guards of death,And Farangis dragged on with failing breath.

The guards stood armed; the palace rang with cries,While grief and terror filled the watching eyes.

Each heart was filled with anguish at the deed,Each eye with tears for what the king decreed.

Then people thronged, the women, men, and young,And outrage and despair were on each tongue:

“This act is savage, past all law and name,A deed that brands the throne with endless shame.

To strike down Farangis in such a wayWill break the crown and sweep its rule away.”

At that same moment Piran came in view,And through the court a breath of courage grew.

When Farangis beheld him through her fears,Her moon-bright face was lost in blood and tears.

She cried: “You left me living in this flame!Why was I spared to suffer such a shame?”

From off his horse Piran fell to the ground,And tore his Pahlevan robe, grief unbound.

He bade the guards suspend the king’s decree,Then sought the Shah at once to make his plea.

His heart was wounded, tears obscured his sight,He faced Afrasiab and spoke outright:

“O king, may fortune long sustain your reign,And keep your house secure from grief or pain.

What evil force has turned your heart from right,And filled your mind with this desire to smite?

Why has the Div’s counsel then won your mind,And fear of God been wholly cast behind?

You slew Siavash, guiltless of all blame,And cast to dust his rank and royal name.

The tale will reach Iran; beside the throne,The Shahanshah and court shall grieve and moan.

Then crowned chiefs will rise with armies vast,To seek his blood and make your sorrow last.

The world lay calm, and justice ruled it whole,And God’s clear path stood open to each soul,

Till from deep hell a false deceiver came,And wounded your heart with its infernal flame.

Accursed Ahriman who led you wrong,And turned your road to evil all along.

You will repent through years of inward grief,And bear in secret shame beyond relief.

I do not know whose words have bent your will,Nor what the great Creator purposes still.

With Siavash slain, your rage now strikes your blood,Your daughter and your kin through wrath’s dark flood.

Like one gone mad, you rise to wrong and spreadFresh evil on the blood already shed.

She seeks no crown, no treasure, and no throne,No royal seat or fortune of her own.

Because a child lies hidden in her frame,Do not become the world’s own badge of shame.

While living, curses cling upon your name;In death, the fires of hell shall be your claim.

If you would grant me peace, then hear my plea,Entrust Farangis and leave her with me.

If all your fear concerns the child she bears,That grief is small; put by these killing cares.

Wait only till the hour of birth is through;I will bring the child and leave its fate to you.”

The king replied: “Then do as you have said;Your words have spared the need to see her dead.”

Piran rejoiced and shook off sorrow’s weight,Then hurried off to find her at the gate.

He freed Farangis from the guards’ array,And sharply drove the murderous men away.

He led her safe to Khutan’s distant plain,While court and hall cried out in grief and pain.

Once home, to Golshahr Piran whispered low:“Keep Farangis concealed, and let none know.

Once from the Shah’s attention she is freed,I will devise the remedy we need.

Attend her like a nurse until the birth,And guard the child she carries to the earth.”

Some days went by; her burden heavier grew,As time advanced and childbirth nearer drew.

B9.58

Piran Sends Kay Khosrow to the Shepherds

Piran gives the infant to shepherds on Mount Ghola. At seven Kay Khosrow makes his own bow; by ten he hunts lions and leopards. The alarmed shepherd tells Piran, who rides to meet the boy, embraces him, and brings him home to raise in secret.

36 couplets · Piran named 8 times · in the full poem

Piran called shepherds down from Ghola’s height,And spoke of Khosrow, child of royal light.

He placed within their care his heart and eye,The precious child he kept from any spy.

He said, “Guard him as you would guard your soul;Let neither dust nor bitter wind take toll.

Let no hard want disturb his youthful years;Provide his heart’s desire and spare him tears.”

They answered, “We will follow your command,And carry out the charge placed in our hand.”

He gave them gifts and all that they might need,And sent a nurse to tend the royal seed.

They touched both eye and head to show assent,Then bore him to the mountain and they went.

So time moved on beneath the circling sky,Yet none revealed his secret, low or high.

At seven years his birth and prowess showed,And signs of noble lineage clearly glowed.

He made himself a bow of simple wood,And strung it fast with gut as best he could.

He shaped an arrow, lacking plume or head,Then ranged the plain to hunt, as instinct led.

By ten he fought the boar, the wolf, the bear,With fearless heart, and faced them everywhere.

Then lion and leopard felt his wooden bow,As bold through the hunting ground he would go.

So time advanced beneath his guardian’s care,Until concern grew heavy in the air.

The shepherd left the mountain and the plain,And came to Piran with a troubled strain.

“I come, my lord, to speak of this young child,A lion proud and free, untamed and wild.

At first he hunted only timid deer,And shunned where lion and leopard might appear.

But now he meets a raging lion nearAs though a gentle deer had wandered here.

May no harm reach him by the dark or day,Lest you should bind me for this charge, I pray.”

Piran then smiled and answered him outright:“True birth and prowess cannot hide from sight.”

He mounted on a well-trained, gentle steed,And rode to seek the youth of noble breed.

He called him forth; the prince came like the wind,With eager pace and royal grace combined.

The youth bent low and kissed Piran’s old hand;Piran beheld his farr and noble stand.

His eyes filled up with tears, his clasp secure,And silently he prayed to God the Pure.

Then Piran said: “O youth of faith and worth,May Heaven make you radiant on the earth.

All those who know you hold your person dear,And call you loved whenever you draw near.”

Then Khosrow said: “Why seek my face today?What need has brought you on this mountain way?

Why clasp a shepherd’s son against your frame,And honor him so; does this bring no shame?”

At this Piran’s heart burned; his face like flame:“O keepsake of the great and honored name,

The world has not yet tested what you are,Nor shown the measure of your royal star.

No shepherd shares the substance of your birth;I know much more of how you came to earth.”

He brought a noble steed, both swift and fine,And clothed the youth in robes of kingly design.

He led him back toward his eyvan hall,While grief for Siavash lay over all.

He cherished Kay Khosrow and held him near,And found in him both solace and good cheer.

Yet love for him and Afrasiab’s ireDrove food and rest and sleep from his desire.

So time moved on beneath the turning sky,While Piran held the royal youth close by.

B13.12

The Turanians Besiege Hamavan

The Iranians march for three days without food and occupy Hamavan. Piran urges caution until reinforcements come, but Houman insists on pursuit. Scouts find the Iranians entrenched on the mountain, and Houman taunts them before summoning Piran’s whole army.

77 couplets · Piran named 12 times · in the full poem

When sunlight raised its crown to greet the day,On ivory throne the camphor’s whiteness lay.

Ten farsangs on, while foes lay sunk in sleep,Iran’s men marched, their steady course to keep.

Without a halt they pressed the road ahead,Their hearts in grief; their lips had known no bread.

Each eye was bloodshot, every heart was scarred,Each soul like raven feathers, black and marred.

They reached Mount Hamavan and set their trainUpon its outer slopes above the plain.

Then Tus addressed brave Giv, renowned and wise:“Illustrious chief, whose counsel none denies,

For three full days we marched and none were fed,Without repose, while grief around us spread.

Come, eat a little; lay your armor by,Then sleep and rest while night still holds the sky.

Piran will surely follow without stay,Intent on battle as he comes this way.

Go to the mountain; take your post; prepare,And leave our freshest troops in Bijan’s care.”

Then Giv led up the wounded from the strife,All weary of the world and sick of life.

He chose the freshest warriors from the band,And formed a rested force at his command.

“This mountain-top,” he said, “shall be our ground;Here we must set our weary ranks around.”

The outpost guards descended from the height,To bar the road and block the foe outright.

The guards cried out; the zang rang through the rocks,And stone and mountain boiled beneath the shocks.

When sun rose bright above the mountain crest,Turanian hearts for battle could not rest.

A roar from Piran’s quarters shook the ground;He led his force like fire with thunderous sound.

He said to Houman: “Do not now delay;Their riders, slain or wounded, cannot stay.”

He beat the koust; the shouting rose in might,And led his troops across the plain to fight.

But when they reached the field in full array,They found the camp deserted where it lay.

A spy returned to Piran from the field,“No Iranian remains with sword or shield.”

A shout of triumph rose from all the crowd;The troops awaited orders, fierce and loud.

Piran addressed Mobadan at his side:“O honored wise men, what should we decide?

What shall we do, now that our foes have fled?”Then all the horsemen, full of anger, said:

“The Iranians fled defeated from the field;Their blood and dust are all the signs they yield.

This is no time to fear or pause for breath;We should pursue and drive them toward their death.

Why should your wisdom counsel us to stay?Who flees the wind will plunge into the spray.”

Piran replied: “In war, the foot of hasteRuns blind, while measured counsel holds its place.

A sea of warriors gathers for the fray,Before Afrasiab in vast array.

Let us delay until that power appears,With fighting men, their shields and battle-spears.

Then none in Iran shall live to tell;Such measured counsel serves the wise men well.”

Then Houman said: “Enough, O chief of might;Let neither grief nor fear restrain the fight.

These warriors, both disciplined and bold,With sword and kamand, trained in battles old,

Have left their ground, their tents, their camp behind,And fled as though bereft of heart and mind.

Be sure of this: they were compelled to flee;Once and for all they turned their backs to me.

We must not let them reach Khosrow’s bright court,And gather fresh battalions for support.

Then Rostam marches forth from Zabul’s land,And our delay will cost us by his hand.

Now is the time for me to strike their line,And work my ruse before their hopes align.

We have clear hope of laying hands todayOn Tus and old Gudarz before they stray,

The Kaviani standard; what a prize!With elephants and koust before our eyes!”

Piran replied: “Go wakeful, bright in soul;Let star and counsel guide you to your goal.

Do this, for fortune rises with your name;Heaven’s wheel lies low beneath your height and fame.”

Piran set forth, his army at his back,And ordered Lahhak: “Take the swiftest track.

Do not delay; press hard with rein and heel,With two hundred warriors of tempered steel.

Keep girded; spur your horses at full pace,Until you learn their station and their base.”

Lahhak rode swiftly through the dark of night,Nor thought of food or sleep throughout his flight.

At midnight, watchers glimpsed him riding fast,Across the dusky plain his shadow passed.

A shout rose up; the zang rang from the height;He knew no time remained to stay and fight.

He turned at once and rode to wise Piran,And brought him word of Tus and Hamavan:

“They hold Mount Hamavan, its summit manned;They block the road, and armed for battle stand.”

Piran said: “Press rein and stirrup; ride;Take famed mounted champions at your side.

The Iranians have climbed the mountain-height,Their troops and standard gathered for the fight.

This war will bring hard toil and grief to all;Use all your wit before their mountain wall.

If Kaveh’s Kaviani standard falls,Then daylight darkens round their mountain walls.

If fortune grants you access in the fight,Cut flag and staff apart with sword outright.

I follow swiftly on your battle track;I shall not linger or remain held back.”

Houman chose thirty thousand men to ride,With shields and scimitars at either side.

When shining sun displayed its radiant face,And filled the earth with love in every place,

The dust of Houman’s army veiled the day;The lookout cried: “Turan now comes this way!

Up to the darkened clouds their dust was blown;A mighty army came, its strength now shown!”

Tus donned his jowshan, ready for the fight;The horn and koust rang out with all their might.

Iranian horsemen gathered rank on rank,Around the mountain’s foot and stony flank.

Their swords and gorz and spears in every hand,Like lions round the bright Kaviani standard stand.

Then Houman called to Tus and Gudarz: “YouWith koust and elephants came marching through.

You came to raid Turan and win renown,But fled like hunted game when war bore down.

Routed, exhausted, broken in the fight,Have you no sense of shame before this sight?

Do food and rest and sleep await in stone?Can rock and mountain make such comforts known?

Tomorrow when the sun crowns every height,I will make Hamavan a sea outright.

I shall drag you from this mountain land,And bind your hands in coils of my kamand.

I shall send you bound to Afrasiab’s side,Without food, rest, or sleep, your hands still tied.

Then you will know this refuge served in vain,A helpless course that brings you only pain.”

A hiyun sped to Piran at full speed:“Our plan was otherwise; mark now our need.

The mountain swarms with troops; the koust resound,Behind Tus and Gudarz the flag is found.

When pure day breaks and world-light crowns the sky,Be there prepared, your army standing by.

Then marshal all your forces for the fray,And blacken all the plain at break of day.”

The hiyun reached Piran with Houman’s call,And Piran’s blood boiled hot on hearing all.

When darkness fell and sleep possessed the plain,He drove his army like a surging main.

B14.6

Turan’s Counsel before Battle

Piran warns his kinsmen and the Khan that Rostam has come for vengeance, while the kin of Kamus and Chingish swear to burn Sistan. Shangul, king of Hind, mocks the fear of ‘one Sagzi’ and promises to lead the attack. Houman foresees disaster.

99 couplets · Piran named 9 times · in the full poem

Like wind, Piran returned; his summons wentTo Viseh’s kin, who came with grave intent.

He told the secret: “Now our fall or riseHas come; let truth stand clear before your eyes.

This lion-hearted man is Rostam here;He takes this field in grief for one held dear,

With chiefs and lions out of Zabul’s pride,And noble men from Kabul at his side.

Since Rostam leads and comes as vengeful guide,No horseman in the world can turn the tide.

With Gudarz, Keshvad’s son, come chiefs of might;Tus, Giv; we face disgrace, compelled to fight.

He seeks the guilty men of Turan’s band,And spares the guiltless by his measured hand.

Who here, to your own knowledge, is not stained,Or by our king’s affection not sustained?

Behold, our country nears a ruined state;Iran’s bold warriors will command our fate.

All will be lost: young, old, the king struck down,The army, treasure, throne, and royal crown.

I told our unjust king, ‘Do not burn highWith storm and fire beneath the turning sky.

Some day, without a warning, fire will blindYour heart’s eye, and to ashes burn your mind.’

That proud king scorned the counsel I supplied,And all the words his wisest nobles tried.

He murdered noble Prince Siavash then,Without the counsel of the wisest men.

No ivory throne or crown will stand or thrive;No warlike elephant will leave alive.

Iran’s king will rejoice at what he sees,While pain will bend our warriors to their knees.

Woe for our gallant hearts, this lordly band,With farr and stature, crown and throne so grand.

All will be spoiled before your watching eyes;None leaves the battlefield with happy cries.

Their horses trample us in fierce assault;Our wakeful fortune’s water tastes of salt.

My heart burns sore for Houman in this hour;My soul for Ruyin flames with equal power.

For Rostam’s heart is full of vengeance grim;For Siavash his brows are dark and dim.

I go in sorrow to the Khan and tellHow dearly on my soul this vengeance fell.”

Swift as the dust, with sighing lips he sped,His heart brimmed blood; his eyes their yellow tears shed.

There bloody tulips bloomed on saffron cheeks;The Khan’s pavilion rang with mourners’ shrieks.

Kamus’s kin had come, a grieving throng,Before the Khan for redress of such a wrong.

They cried, “Afrasiab will no more dreamOf greatness, crown, or kingship’s golden gleam.

Why did a king who has no man to fightBegin this feud and bring us such a plight?

To avenge Kamus, with tearful eyes, we goWith Kashan’s troops to Chin, our hearts in woe.

From Chin and Barbar armies shall be ledTo seek revenge for brave Kamus, now dead.

From Buzgush, Sagzars, Mazandaran, callWith men bearing heavy gorz, one and all.

Let them make war on Rostam, shouting high,Till none can hear his voice or battle-cry.

If Afrasiab seeks vengeance, let him keepNo rest within his heart, no ease, no sleep.”

The kin of Ashkabus and Chingish came;Their drum-like clamor rose in grief and flame.

In anguish for their kin, their tears were shedLike gall on saffron cheeks, where color fled.

They said through tears, “From now, we shall not rest,Nor sleep while rage still burns within the breast.

We set Sistan on fire, and from that dayIts people bear the grief we bring their way.

We set great Rostam’s head upon a stake,In mourning for our chief, for vengeance’ sake.

His corpse shall burn to answer for our dead,Before his door his ashes shall be spread.”

Piran was dazed; his face grew dark, awareOf all their lamentation and despair.

He said, “Afflicted men, helpless and worn,Fed upon grief, by pain and care forlorn,

You surely do not know your time is near,And almost ended under fate and fear.”

He sought the Khan and said, “This little warHas lengthened into something grave and sore.

A nahang from the sea has come to fight,His jowshan leopard-hide; a fearsome sight.

For Rostam has brought troops from every side,And famous chiefs with vengeance as their guide.

Our toil is lost; the price of wrong is paid;Injustice reaps the ruin it has laid.

Afrasiab’s judgment failed; his own handSlew Siavash, and grief engulfed the land.

The senseless Garsivaz urged on that deed,And sowed for all of us this bitter seed.

Now Siavash was wise, of royal race,And Rostam raised him with a father’s grace.

To avenge his fosterling, that warrior’s mightWill bring the turning heavens down in fight.

No leopard’s claw, no mountain’s lofty wall,No trunk of elephant, no Nile at all,

Will stand against him when he takes the fieldBefore his troops; no strength will make him yield.

He rides on Rakhsh through seas of blood that flow;No ship is needed where that horse can go.

We must not count this conflict slight or small;All men have seen his power over all.

A fire has fallen from the azure sky,And smoke has filled our hearts; its heat burns high.

Convoke the sages, Mobadan, and peers,And seek a cure before disaster nears.

Find us a champion fit to take the field,That we may yet escape before we yield.

Perhaps we may escape this evil plightAnd reach our homes, though fortune’s strength be slight.

If we would set our troubled business right,We should not first have sought this feud and fight.”

The Khan, disturbed by what Piran had said,Invoked the Maker’s name in sudden dread.

The Khan asked, “What course now can meet our need,Against an army fierce in war and deed?”

Then Shangul said, “Exalted one, why speakAt such great length? What answer do you seek?

We crossed the desert and the sea to bringOur aid to Afrasiab, Turan’s great king.

We gained rich gifts and horses on our ride,And hastened here from countries far and wide.

We came like lions; shall we now retreat,And slink like frightened foxes in defeat?

We sprang like lions, swift along our course;Why should we tremble now before their force?

Because one Sagzi now has drawn so near,Why has this business filled you all with fear?

It shames us even speaking of one man;We must begin upon a different plan.

Grant Rostam is an elephant afield,Yet lions to his grasp will never yield.

Though fate has taken Kamus, strong and brave,We must not falter now beside his grave.

Since sleepless fear has seized Piran’s proud breast,He fears great Rostam, robbed of nightly rest.

What chief respects a man who begs for aid,His hand outstretched, his helplessness displayed?

No raging elephant is lion’s peer;Piran inflates his tale of strength through fear.

Stand firm in this resolve; hold fast your might;Let fear of him not weaken you in fight.

At dawn we will then raise our gorz for the fray,And lead our army forward in array.

We will make the air like clouds that come in spring,And on their ranks a rain of arrows fling.

Let horsemen’s dust and axes’ blows confoundAll sight of head and foot upon the ground.

Observe me well; when I raise my war-cry,Charge in full force and drive the dust on high.

Our warriors and our horsemen, brave and strong,Exceed a hundred thousand in this throng.

Shall living men behave as though they died,And shrink from one, with honor cast aside?

When I confront the Sagzi in the fray,Send dust into the sky from your array.

Let not a single man escape this strife;A coward’s heart is worthless in this life.”

The army heard Shangul’s words, fierce and bold;Young grew the hearts of men already old.

Piran said, “May you live in bliss always;May battle feed your soul through all your days.”

The nobles and the Khan of Chin acclaimedThe king of Hind whose fiery courage flamed.

When to his tent Piran at last returned,The chiefs arose to hear what he had learned.

Houman, Barman, and Nastihan drew near,Some glad, some grieving, all intent to hear.

Houman inquired, “What purpose governs now?Will peace take root, or war bend every brow?”

Piran told all that brave Shangul had said,And how the troops had pledged to fight instead.

Displeased, Houman then spoke with bitter tongue,And cursed the words ill-starred Shangul had flung.

To Piran Houman said, “What time will bringNone can escape beneath the heavens’ ring.”

He came to Kulbad, speaking on the way:“Does Shangul have no wisdom left today?

If this is Rostam, whom I saw, whose nameI heard from chiefs who knew his deeds and fame,

Shangul, Kundur, Manshur, Chin’s Khan: not oneWill live when Rostam’s onslaught has begun.

Withdraw awhile; let gain and loss be weighed,And judge what fortune has before us laid.

Of this vast force, whose heavy gorz mightSubdue the world, whose chiefs are bold in fight,

Two-thirds will lie in earth; their armor, redWith blood, jowshan and helm, will shroud the dead.”

Kulbad replied, “O wielder of the blade,Speak no ill omens; do not be afraid.

Do not torment your heart with grief this day;The matter yet may turn another way.

The wiser course is not to grieve or fearFor evils that have not yet come so near.”

C2.9

Piran Pleads for Bijan’s Life

Piran, riding past, sees the gibbet and Bijan bound, hears his story and has the execution stayed. At court he argues that killing Bijan will renew the feud over Siavash and bring Rostam and Gudarz down on Turan. Afrasiab yields and orders imprisonment instead.

67 couplets · Piran named 8 times · in the full poem

Yazdan had mercy on Bijan’s young breath,And turned the king’s intent away from death.

While men prepared the gibbet by decree,Piran, by chance, approached the place to see.

He reached the road and saw, on every side,Turks with their belts girt fast in martial pride.

A lofty gibbet had been set upright,A kamand hanging from it, coiled and tight.

He asked the Turanians: “For whom prepared?Whose death has now the angry king declared?”

Then Garsivaz replied: “It is Bijan,Foe of Turan and champion of Iran.”

Piran urged on his charger, drawing near,And found Bijan struck deep by grief and fear.

He saw him naked, both hands bound behind,With parched mouth, sallow cheek, and troubled mind.

Piran asked: “By what road did you set out?From Iran, and for blood, beyond a doubt.”

Bijan told all the pain he had endured,And how his false companion had him lured.

Piran took pity, weeping as he spoke,And ordered them to spare him from the stroke.

“Keep him from harm until I reach the throne;I go to make his desperate plight known.

That I may see the king with my own eye,And show to him the good star’s road on high.”

Piran struck spur and rode, and swiftly pressedTo Turan’s throne, and gave his heart no rest.

Into the hall he came in servant’s guise,Arms crossed upon his breast, with lowered eyes.

He hurried to the throne and blessings gave,In fervent words, respectful, loyal, grave.

Like faithful guide and minister he stood,To counsel what a prudent monarch should.

The World-Holder perceived the wish of his guest,And smiled: “Speak freely; tell me your request.

What do you wish? Speak plainly of your need;No man has served me better by his deed.

If you petition gold or jeweled store,Or realm or troops, I shall bestow still more.

My treasury lies open at your hand;Why take these pains? Speak now and make demand.”

Piran, the loyal, heard and kissed the ground,Then rose and spoke while all stood hushed around:

“Sit on the throne forever, fortune’s friend;May fortune nowhere else its grace extend.

The monarchs of the earth proclaim your praise;Your splendor passes the bright sun’s own blaze.

Through your good fortune, I have no requestFor horse or troops, dominion, or conquest.

I ask not for myself; beneath your hand,Your servants prosper throughout every land.

Your rule itself is fortune, stay, and guide;Your glorious chiefs stand gathered at your side.

I fear that silence may let others grieve,And stain the honored name I hope to leave.

And now, O lion-taking king, allowOne counsel from my lips: receive it now.

Slay not this famed Bijan; behind him sitsA king of judgment and of ready wits.

The feud for Siavash you would sow as seed,And on Turan make war and vengeance breed.

Have I not counseled you in seasons past,On this and that affair, from first to last?

But not one word of mine was ever weighed;I drew my hand back from the plans you made.

I said, ‘Do not slay Kay Kavus’s son,Or Tus and Rostam rise for what is done.

For Siavash, born of Kayanian race,Had bound himself to serve you in this place.

Peace will be broken; Iran’s men of warWill bring their trampling elephants to our door.’

How many men the feud has robbed of life,How many earth has hidden from the strife.

How many wives are left forlorn and gray,How many lion-men are thinned away.

Yet heedless of my counsel, you struck him dead,And mixed the poison where the sweet was spread.

Have you not seen the ruin Iran wrought,And how its elephants through Turan fought?

Their hooves trod down two-thirds of us to dust,And fortune’s water turned to brine and rust.

Zal’s sword-point is not blunted in its sheath;By Rostam, heads have rolled in dust beneath.

With that same blade he scattered heads like grain,And cast their streaming blood across the plain.

Will you seek war while peace remains our state,And pluck a flower whose fruit is death and hate?

If Bijan’s blood is spilled upon this soil,From Turan’s earth the dust of war will boil.

You are a wise king; we are only men;Open your heart’s eye, weigh this once again.

Consider how the Shah repaid beforeEach injury that he had borne in war.

In truth, you call for vengeance, and renewThe feud, and make grief’s tree bear fruit for you.

When feud is doubled we shall have no ground,O Pahlevan, in whom the world is bound.

You know brave Giv, and Rostam’s savage name,That grim nahang whom none has power to tame.

And Gudarz, Keshvad’s steel-clawed, mighty son,Will come to war till his grandson is won.”

As water cools a raging fire’s glow,Afrasiab answered Piran, stern and slow:

“Do you not know what shame this man has brought,And what disgrace his hidden acts have wrought?

My shameless daughter heaps upon my headA shame through every house and household spread.

My veiled ones’ names she carried from the screen,And spread them where the gathered lords convene.

For this disgrace, my troops throughout the landWill mock the crown and scorn where I now stand.

If he shall live, in every mouth my shameWill be a jest, and all despise my name.

Forever bitter tears from me will fall,And I in shame and pain must bear it all.”

Piran gave many blessings, and he said:“O king of the good star, by truth still led,

It is as the king says; and all his daysHe seeks for nothing but an honored praise.

Yet let my sovereign look, and, looking, weighThe sober counsel that I now convey.

Bind him in heavy chains and let him lie,Rather than choose the gallows, and to die.

Let Iran take its warning from his fate,And gird no more for evil, soon or late.

For whoever lies in your dark prison-hold,His name in no man’s register is told.

Again I say: from him Iran takes heed,And binds no more the belt of evil deed.”

The king did as the counsel showed him best,His heart and tongue at one, his doubt at rest.

A pure and guiding minister can makeThe throne shine bright, and all its farr awake.

C3.5

Giv’s Visit to Piran

Giv finds Piran at Visagard; the two sides talk for two weeks beside the Jihun and settle nothing. Piran reports to Afrasiab, receives thirty thousand more men, hardens, refuses every term, and moves his army to Kanabad.

42 couplets · Piran named 9 times · in the full poem

Giv rode to Balkh, his father’s words in mind,Those bitter words he would not leave behind.

He halted, sent a messenger ahead,As old Gudarz, his father, wisely said.

That night he rode from Balkh to Visagard,With all the troops he summoned, riding hard.

There Piran sought Iran’s great crown and throne,With warriors ranked and banners of his own.

The messenger arrived where Piran stayed;He saw the chief and all his troops arrayed.

The messenger before old Piran said,“Giv has reached Balkh with captains at his head.”

When Piran heard, he raised the koust on high;From all his warriors rose a ringing cry.

He sounded brazen ney in ringing blast,And hoofbeats blackened earth as horsemen passed.

A hundred and ten thousand horsemen came,Prepared for war and hungry after fame.

He left two-thirds behind him, then he calledHis veteran chiefs, whom no alarm appalled.

He reached Jihun and ranked his warriors near,Along the riverbank, their order clear.

He met with Giv; his ranks, ranged front to rear,A wall beside the river, spear on spear.

Two weeks they spoke to keep the peace in sight,And spare their armies from a needless fight.

They spoke at length, and Piran heard each side;Turan’s own guilt could no more be denied.

Iran’s great chiefs now seized their chance to speak,And pressed their case against the side found weak.

Piran dispatched a rider with his word,To Afrasiab, that all might there be heard:

“Gudarz, the son of Keshvad, now has shownHis crown above the seat of Iran’s throne.

His chosen son, the chief of his array,Has come to me as envoy here today.

Yet I attend to what you bid me do,And stake my life on loyalty to you.”

When this report reached Turan’s monarch grim,He chose an army that would strengthen him.

He sent to Piran thirty thousand strong,All swordsmen chosen from his warlike throng.

He said, “Draw out your vengeful sword, and driveThem from the earth; leave not a man alive.

Spare not Gudarz or Giv in battle’s flame,Nor Rohham, Farhad, Gorgin; none by name.

From four sides horsemen come against our might,All seeking Iran’s victory in open fight.

I will bring Turanian riders through the land,And make Iran run blood beneath their hand.

By counsel of the wise and men of power,I shall raise dust on Khosrow in that hour.”

When Piran saw that mighty warrior band,Like wolves that thirst for blood, before him stand,

With strength renewed, he turned his heart to fight,And washed away his honor, choosing spite.

His once-kind heart turned cruel beneath war’s call;His thoughts now turned to battle, one and all.

He said to Giv, “Rise now and take your way,Return to old Gudarz and clearly say:

‘Seek not from me what every sage must blame;No wise man would approve so harsh a claim.

First, you demand our chiefs of noble name;How could I yield them up to you in shame?

You ask my weapons, troops, and royal crown,My throne and noble steeds to be laid down.

My brother, light of soul, you would demand,My chosen son, the champion of my band.

You tell me: “Send them all from you away.”Can any sage have words so crude to say?

Far better death than such a life of shame:A slave in service, though a chief in name.

A leopard spoke this saying in the fight,When facing a fierce lion in his might:

“Far better that in battle I am slainThan live to bear dishonor’s lasting stain.”

Besides, my king has set this warlike course,And troops have come at his command in force.’”

Giv heard this answer, turned, and rode away,With all the famous warriors of his array.

When Giv had left him, Piran called to arms,And roared for battle, sounding war’s alarms.

He came to Kanabad and took his stand,Below the mountain, with his gathered band.

C3.20

Piran’s Letter to Gudarz

Alarmed by Iran’s mobilization, Piran writes to Gudarz offering peace: every province from Sistan to Sughd returned, treasure and hostages sent, or else the war decided by paired champions. His son Ruyin carries the letter, and Gudarz feasts him for a week without answering.

108 couplets · Piran named 5 times · in the full poem

To Piran came the news of Iran’s might,And how its chief had set his plans for fight.

His heart grew fearful; then he turned to guile,To seek escape through cunning, fraud, and wile.

He sought his wise adviser to prepareA path through all this vengeance and despair.

Then he called a practiced scribe to writeGudarz a plea for peace and end the fight.

First he praised God, the mighty refuge near,Who shelters all men from Divs and their fear.

Then he wrote: “In public and private prayer,I call upon the Ruler everywhere

To end this long contention of our sides,And still the field where bloodshed now resides.

If you, Gudarz, have sought this war’s design,To fill the world with vengeance for your line,

Your thirst is sated; you have gained your will.Consider now what end awaits you still.

See how my gallant kin lie torn apart,My nearest lions, each a noble heart.

You flung them headless where the dead were spread;Have you no fear of God above your head?

From love and wisdom you have turned your face;Now that your will is gained, make room for grace.

Grow sick of vengeance; cease this bloody fight,And let no further slaughter stain the light.

Consider riders lost from Iran’s side,And those of brave Turan who fell in pride.

It is high time that pity rise in you,And mercy check what strife would make you do.

In seeking vengeance for one vanished breath,How many living men will you doom to death?

What has gone by no effort can regain;Sow no fresh seeds of vengeance for the slain.

Do not consume your spirit with this strife;Turn back from bitterness and wasting life.

The dead are cursed who leave a lasting nameFor evil, blood, destruction, and dark fame.

When sable hair turns white upon the head,The hope of lengthy life has nearly fled.

I fear that if our armies clash in war,And fill this field again with battle’s roar,

No man of either army will remainAlive upon this blood-contested plain.

Lives will be lost, but vengeance will endure;Which side will shine, which sink, no man is sure.

But if your fixed resolve demands more blood,And you would plunge like lions through the flood,

If all this lion-like contention hereIs for Iran, then make your purpose clear.

Speak: I shall send a rider, swift of steed,To seek Afrasiab’s counsel in our need,

To seek Afrasiab’s leave and his command,So we may draw the borders of each land,

And set this strife aside by ancient lore,As Manuchehr made peace in days before.

Declare what lands you claim for Iran’s throne,That we may move the Turks out from your own,

From settled lands and ruined tracts of ground,Wherever righteous Khosrow sets the bound.

First, from Iran the boundary climbs the heightOf Gharchagan, with Bost below in sight;

Then Talikan to Fariyab shall stand,And Balkh to Andarab, within your hand;

Then Panjhir, with the lands of Bamiyan,The Kayanian home and border of Iran.

The favored land of Guzganan I name,So called by him who rules the worldly frame.

From Balkh as far as bright Badakhshan’s height,Where signs of royal sway are brought to light,

And lower still, the plains of Zam shall stand,With Amuy and Khatlan in your command.

Shingan and Tirmid, Visagard I yield,Bukhara and the towns around its field.

Go onward into Sughd; no hostile claimFrom any Turkish lord shall mar its name.

Where valiant Rostam turned his battle-rein,To him I yield the realm of Nimruz plain.

I shall recall my troops and clear the way,And open passage toward Bakhtar that day.

I shall withdraw as far as Hind’s domain;Let no dark feud within our souls remain.

Kashmir, Kabul, and Kandahar shall stand,With lands before the Sind, within his hand.

Where Lohrasp went to war, Alanons’ realmAnd all that region pass beneath his helm.

From all these lands to Kaf, no strife shall barKhosrow’s possession, near at hand or far.

Where Ashkash marched, I likewise shall commandMy troops to leave the whole extent of land.

This done, I shall recall on every sideMy troops, and cast the former feud aside.

Before you I shall swear an oath and showThat I shall stand no longer as your foe.

You then shall know that truth is what we claim,With love and faithfulness our constant aim.

I shall send word to Afrasiab’s throne,That we have ceased from strife and made it known.

You too should look with favor on our name,And write Khosrow, whose judgment rules our fame.

Tell him that I have offered you my peace,And wish our rivalry in blood to cease.

When covenant is sealed and peace is meant,The treasures Khosrow asked for shall be sent.

Perhaps he too will cease his martial course,And draw away from war his royal force.

Then I will send him hostages, and spareNo goods of any sort, no treasures rare.

By treaty, just and solemn, firmly signed,The eye of feud shall be sewn shut and blind.

Good faith will close the wound once deeply torn,When Tur and savage Salm made nations mourn,

When Fereydoon was torn by grief and pain,Because his noble Iraj had been slain.

Whatever else you need, speak plain and state,Then write the Shah and tell him of our fate.

Think not, because I speak with gentle speech,That fear or shame compels us to beseech.

I speak from love and seek, on every side,A peaceful end that puts all wrath aside.

My treasure and my men exceed your store;My name in valor has been honored more.

Yet this endless and godless tide of bloodHas drowned my heart beneath its crimson flood.

I grieve for all the troops, and I would ceaseThis feud and bring the fields again to peace.

Besides, I stand in awe of God Most High,In public and alone beneath the sky.

The Judge approves no evil deed or wrong;We squander time in strife prolonged so long.

Now if you turn away from words I send,And seek a war that only death can end,

Condemning me, though innocent I stand,And scorning every plea from heart and hand,

Since right and wrong alike seem one to you,And you would drive this feud to battle through,

Choose chiefs who wield the gorz, of Iran’s race,The men most worthy now to take their place.

And I shall choose from all my gathered mightThe warriors best equipped to meet the fight.

We two shall pair the champions from our men,And let the chiefs take up their arms again.

Then you and I shall meet upon that ground,And wheel in combat while our arms resound.

Perhaps the guiltless men who dread the fightWill rest, released from bloodshed and its blight.

Those whom you hold as guilty in your thought,Those who have grieved your heart, shall all be brought

Before you on the chosen battle-day;But you must pledge yourself to what I say:

If you prevail and shed our blood in fight,And Turkish fortune turns from us in flight,

You shall not harm my troops or burn my throne,Nor put to flame the country that I own.

Give all my troops free passage from the fray,And set no ambush on their homeward way.

If I prevail, and my good star bears fruit,I shall not strike Iranians in pursuit.

I shall not lay an ambush for their band,Nor seek revenge, but let them reach their land.

I shall give passage back to Iran’s throne,And send each warrior safely to his own.

Not one among their number shall be lost;Their lives and goods shall bear no further cost.

If you refuse this manner of the fight,And seek another course to prove your might,

If you would have both armies take the field,Bring your whole army; try to make us yield.

For all the blood this vengeance makes you shed,You answer in the world beyond the dead.”

He tied the letter, then he called his son,A noble youth, the army’s trusted one.

His son, named Ruyin, led the gathered men,His iron strength renowned among them then.

He said, “Go now to old Gudarz and speakWith wisdom; hear the answer that you seek.”

Ruyin rode out from Piran’s gate in pride,And ten bold horsemen gathered at his side.

The prudent youth rode swiftly with his band,And reached the tent of Iran’s high command.

When Ruyin came to old Gudarz’s gate,A runner told the chief who stood in wait.

Gudarz then called the envoy to his side;The youth came through the curtain, eager-eyed.

He stood before Gudarz, his hands held tightAcross his breast, and bowed within his sight.

The chief rose swiftly, clasped him to his breast,And held the youth close as an honored guest.

He asked of Piran, of his gathered band,His warriors, his monarch, and his land.

Then Ruyin gave the letter he had brought,And spoke the message just as he was taught.

A scribe came forward, read the letter through,And told Gudarz each word, exact and true.

When all the words had reached them, every chiefAnd seasoned horseman stood in disbelief.

Such gentle speech, such counsel to unite,Such paths to friendship did the letter cite.

They marveled at what wise Piran had said,The kindly counsel in the words just read.

Gudarz then said to Ruyin, “Noble son,Your father’s pride, O young and fortunate one,

First you must be our guest and take your ease;Then seek the answer when the time agrees.”

They cleared a new pavilion for his stay,And furnished it in fitting royal array.

With Roman brocade all the tent was dressed;They called for food and music for the guest.

The youth grew troubled, wondering what replyThe Pahlevan would give him by and by.

For one whole week Gudarz delayed his word,With harp and wine, and no reply was heard.

Each day, when from the height the shining sunHad turned and half its daily course was run,

He called for wine and music to be played,And summoned Piran’s envoy where he stayed.

C3.39

Gudarz Battles Piran

With no Turanian left, the two old chiefs fight. Gudarz’s arrow kills Piran’s horse, which falls and breaks his arm; he climbs the hill and refuses quarter. Gudarz follows on foot, takes a khanjar wound in the arm, and kills him with a javelin through the liver.

64 couplets · Piran named 10 times · in the full poem

When nine full hours of daylight had gone by,No other Turkish champion came to vie.

Their souls were severed from their bodies, torn;The world looked on, and did not stop to mourn.

The world may tend one man with patient love,And grant him years beneath the vault above;

Then raid his joy, as night-raids strike a foe,And bring him grief and hardship, blow on blow.

From first to last, the wind bears all away;We call it justice; wrong stands plain as day.

When in those luckless fights Turan had bled,And every hope of victory had fled,

Piran looked out across the field of fight;No Turkish horseman stood within his sight.

The leaders then of Iran and TuranAdvanced together, each a Pahlevan.

They came for grim revenge across the plain,With grief in heart and vengeance in the brain.

The two old warriors stood fiercely arrayed;Dust veiled the sun and cast the field in shade.

They tested every weapon hand to hand,With sword and khanjar, gorz, and with kamand.

The turn ordained by God now crossed the plain;On Turan fell the weight of Iran’s pain.

Against that will Piran could not contend;No stratagem could turn aside that end.

His steed beneath him faltered in the fight;Its failing limbs could give no further might.

Piran saw clearly how his fortune stood,And knew that heaven had withdrawn its good.

Yet still he bore himself with fearless breath,And strove against the shadow of his death.

The two old chiefs, both shrewd and seasoned men,Took up their bows and arrows once again.

Gudarz chose out a poplar shaft of might,No iron plate nor stone could stop its flight.

He shot with force and struck Piran’s steed;The arrow pierced its armor with great speed.

The stricken charger shuddered, drawing breath,Then crashed to earth beneath the weight of death.

Piran went crashing down beneath the horse.The rider struggled, trapped, crushed by its force.

His right arm broke beneath the crushing weight;He rolled, still struggling with the stroke of fate.

He rose upon his feet, though well he knewHis final hour had now come into view.

He knew he could not flee that darkened day,Yet from Gudarz he turned and fled away.

He climbed the hill, distressed by wound and flight,And hoped Gudarz would leave him on the height.

Gudarz looked on, and bitter tears ran clear;The turns of fortune filled his heart with fear.

He knew the tyrant wheel’s deceitful art,How faithless, ever armed to wound the heart.

He cried: “Great Pahlevan, how can it beYou flee on foot like hunted game from me?

Where are your troops, O captain of the field?Where are your arms, your manhood, sword, and shield?

Where are your treasure, wisdom, troops, and fame,O prop of Afrasiab’s royal name?

The sun lowers darkly on your king today;From you has fortune turned her face away.

No room for guile remains; attempt it not.Ask quarter now, since this has come by lot.

I shall convey you living to his hall;The Shah may spare you and forgive it all.

Like me, your hair is silvered now with age;Your years may move him to restrain his rage.”

Piran replied, “Now God forbid that shame;May no such evil stain my honored name.

May I not live to beg you for my breath;A noble heart would sooner welcome death.

Since born for death, my neck I freely layBefore you in this contest here today.

A saying I have heard from men of worth:‘However long you dwell in joy on earth,

The end is death; no path can lead you clearOf that last hour, though long you linger here.’

Then lay no blame upon me at my end;No man can turn the fate he must attend.”

Gudarz rode round but found no upward way,The search had worn him out with long delay.

He left his horse and took his shield to goLike some determined hunter toward his foe.

His shield held forward, javelin in hand,He climbed the height above the lower land.

Piran watched him approach, his foe in sight;He sprang down from a rock to meet the fight.

He hurled his khanjar, arrow-swift in flight;It struck Gudarz’s arm upon the height.

The wounded chieftain wheeled to face his foe;He felt his anger blaze and fiercer grow.

He hurled his javelin; its iron headStruck Piran’s breast and through his armor sped.

It pierced his liver and came out behind;Piran reeled back, with darkness in his mind.

His liver’s blood poured from his mouth; he died,His soul gone to his fallen comrades’ side.

Like some fierce lion, headlong down he crashed;The javelin’s steel had left his liver gashed.

Upon the flinty rock he writhed in pain,Then rested from revenge and battle’s strain.

Thus fortune changes sides from day to day,And hears not what advisers have to say.

With poisoned claws, it tears the flesh apartThe leopard’s hide and lion’s mighty heart.

Gudarz climbed to the summit; Piran layBefore him, dead and humbled on the clay.

His heart and arm were broken; on the fieldHis head lay low, in spreading dust concealed.

His armor had been torn and split in strife;His belt lay broken with his ended life.

“O lion, chief and warrior bold,” he said,“Great horseman, now among the fallen dead,

The world has seen so many like us two;It rests with neither me nor men like you.”

He took the blood the fallen chief had bled,And drank, and on his face its stain he spread.

For Siavash’s blood he raised a cry,And prayed to Him who rules the earth and sky.

For seventy beloved sons laid low,He mourned before the Judge who saw his woe.

He wished to cut the fallen warrior’s head,But then he shrank from such wrong to the dead.

He set a banner by the corpse and laidThe warrior’s head beneath its spreading shade.

He turned toward his army down below;Blood streamed from his arm like a river’s flow.

C3.41

Lahhak and Farshidvard Bewail Piran

Turan’s watchman reports the disaster. Lahhak and Farshidvard climb to the lookout, see Piran and the ten dead, and mourn, but remember his last order. The leaderless army debates quarter, flight and battle; the brothers refuse to submit and choose the desert road.

75 couplets · Piran named 9 times · in the full poem

High over Kanabad, the watchman gazed,And at the sight grew sorrowful, amazed.

He came to Lahhak, Farshidvard beside,With grief at heart and sighs he could not hide.

He cried to them, “Unless my troubled eyesAre dimmed by grief and show me only lies,

God has brought ruin on Turan’s array;Our toil is dust, our strength has died away.

Iran’s victorious men descend the height,Each shouting, with a banner raised in sight.

Chief Piran’s flag is hanging, fallen low;I see his body drenched in blood and woe.

Those ten brave warriors who rode out todayWent forth with Piran to the heated fray.

Their bloody bodies hang across their steeds;Head-down they lie, the end of all their deeds.”

Iran’s brave champions rode there side by side,And reached Gostaham, flushed with battle’s pride.

From Raibad’s side rose dust, a darkened shroud;The plain was azure-dim beneath that cloud;

The Kaviani standard stood on highAmid the ranks beneath the darkened sky.

Before it red and yellow caught the eye,With violet blazing as the ranks rode by.

The Shah’s own flag, karnays, tabiras come through,And all the earth turns ebony in hue.

Lahhak and Farshidvard climbed to the height,To reach the lookout with the field in sight.

They looked across the field from that bleak hill,And saw Piran, their lord, lie dead and still.

Their chief and brother lay with those beside,Ten chosen warriors, Turan’s lost pride.

There in the watchtower, grief-struck, they cried,And wailed aloud for blood and those who died:

“O lion, chief of Turan’s horse and spear,Great Piran, once the head of warriors here,

Our foes have gained the prize for which they toiled;For you the world has ended, dark and spoiled.

Who now will seek revenge for your lost breath?Who will pursue the path you kept till death?

What ruin came on Afrasiab’s land,To shatter all that lay beneath his hand?

We must behead ourselves and drown in blood,With sword and hand and body in one flood.”

Yet when they called Piran’s last charge to mind,They checked the storm that made their reason blind.

Before he challenged Gudarz to the fray,To Farshidvard brave Piran spoke this way:

“If I am slain, then leave the troops that day;Beside their ranks you must no longer stay.

Without me, on this field of bitter strife,The nobles will find little room for life.

No man of Viseh’s line will then remainWith wisdom and good judgment in his brain.

If they should kill us on this field of pain,And bear our heads toward Iran with their train,

Our troops will beg Gudarz their lives to spare;Do not abase yourselves in your despair.

Flee to the desert, and you may survive;Escape your foes and keep yourselves alive.”

They went back to their camp, their eyes blood-red,Their hearts consumed by sorrow for the dead.

The army knew its shepherd lay in death;His flock was leaderless with his last breath.

All sorrowed, weeping in consuming fire,Their hearts burned through with grief that would not tire.

They came before the brothers in their grief,With hearts weighed down and finding no relief.

They said, “What shall we do, with him now gone,The backbone of our side, our shield withdrawn?

Who now has heart to gird himself for fight,And fit an iron helmet firm and tight?”

They answered, “Who can alter God’s command?Who can escape the fate His will has planned?

So, fate had written for him on this plain:In bitter strife to fall among the slain.

The sword has severed life from flesh and bone;His body lies, its living spirit flown.

No burial shroud protects him from the dust,No grave receives the chief we used to trust.

His foes drag off his wounded body, redWith blood upon his jowshan, breast, and head.

What was to be has been; Piran is dead.His toil and deeds like wind have passed and fled.

Alive, he was the pillar of our band,And kind to all who served beneath his hand.

He guarded all his troops from every foe;Beside them, even chiefs were counted low.

His good and ill belong to that far place;We trust he finds the favor of God’s grace.

He cared for us beyond his final breath,And won Gudarz’s pledge in case of death:

‘If I am slain upon this field of pain,Seek no revenge upon the troops who remain.

But grant free passage homeward to them all.Set no ambush to bring about their fall.’

Iran will honor every pact he sought.No fear of harm need trouble any thought.

Three courses only stand for us to choose;Hear me, and weigh what each of you may lose.

If you would seek safe quarter from the foe,Take counsel now on how you mean to go.

Or if you would return to your own lands,Take good and ill together in your hands.

If you propose to fight, prepare the spear,And dip its point in blood, devoid of fear.

Let us debate these paths from every view,But only God’s decree shall carry through.

If war is what your hearts would choose to face,Then on this battlefield hold fast your place.

For Piran asked the king to send him aid;An army for our help has been arrayed.

At any moment troops may reach this plain;Then we must seek revenge for all our slain.

If you intend to journey homeward, go;I think no foe will bar the road you know.

If you would seek the Shah’s protecting hand,Prepare to leave the place where now you stand.

If Iran draws your hearts, then make your start;Each man’s own body answers to his heart.

Do not expect us brothers to agree;From wrath our hearts will never once be free.

No man of Viseh’s race has lived unboundBy warrior’s belt when battle raged around.

Obedient to Piran’s last command,We cross the desert toward Turan’s own land.

If Iran’s warriors occupy the road,We fight them while our strength can bear the load.”

The Turks then heard the words the brothers said,And spoke of all the living and the dead:

“Our captain and our chiefs of high renownLie slaughtered, cast in such dishonor down.

Khosrow approaches with his royal train.Who dares to stay upon this battle-plain?

Our steeds and weapons are of no avail;Escape on foot or wing must also fail.

No treasure and no captain now remain;No champion stands among us; they lie slain.

No strength for war, no road of flight is clear;Why must we fight ourselves by staying here?

If we turn back, Gudarz and Shah will driveTheir troops and elephants till none survive.

Not one of us will bring his life away,Or see his home and kin another day.

To ask for quarter now is no disgrace;The troops remain, with none to take his place.

Why fear the Turkish king? What strength has he?A handful of mere dust is all we see.

How kind the Shah of Iran is in deed,How tender to his army in its need!”

Family

Parents: Viseh
Siblings: Barman, Farshidvard (Viseh), Houman, Lahhak, Pilsam
Children: Jarireh, Ruyin

Volume I · Plate VIThe House of Turthe kings and captains of Turan · A6–B14

Volume II · Plate IVThe House of Visehthe Battle of the Rukhs · C3

On the maps

Story maps that show Piran or tell a part of the story that names Piran.

B9.31–B9.32Siavash Crosses the Jihun into Exile

B9.39–B9.44Siavash’s Eastern Realm: Gangdezh and Siavash-Gard

B9.51–B9.56The Ride to Siavash-Gard and the Death of Siavash

B13.9–B13.26The Siege of Mount Hamavan and the Gathering of the World

B14.1–B14.16The Grand Coalition: The Great Battle with the Khan of Chin

C2.3–C2.10Bijan’s Hunt, His Capture, and the Pit

C2.20–C2.27Rostam’s Merchant-Disguise Rescue to Khutan

C3.6–C3.39The Battle of the Twelve Rukhs

Where he appears

Named mentions by book, from the Universe Registry, the index behind this site. Titles and epithets are not counted.

B7The Fight of the Seven Warriors4 B9The Story of Siavash90 B10Vengeance for Siavash and the Retrieval of Kay Khosrow40 B12Forood and the Snowstorm Campaign39 B13Mount Hamavan and the Kamus Campaign81 B14The Great Battle with the Khan of Chin52 C2The Tale of Bijan and Manijeh19 C3The Battle of the Twelve Rukhs143 C4The Final Afrasiab Wars and the Disappearance of Kay Khosrow18

More in the Glossary, all the characters and the Art.

Piranپیران

How we draw Piran

In the pictures

His story, in the poem’s own sections

Siavash Yields Command to Bahram👦📦🌊🤝

Siavash Weds Piran’s Daughter👴👩💍❤️

Piran Proposes Farangis to Siavash👴👸💍😢

Piran Visits Siavash-Gard👴🏙️😲📣

Piran Shields Farangis👴🛑👸🛡️

Piran Sends Kay Khosrow to the Shepherds👶🐑🏹🦁

The Turanians Besiege Hamavan🪖⛰️🚧📨

Turan’s Counsel before Battle👴😨👑😤

Piran Pleads for Bijan’s Life⚰️👴🙏⛓️

Giv’s Visit to Piran👨‍👦👴⏳🚫

Piran’s Letter to Gudarz👴😰📜🕊️

Gudarz Battles Piran👴🆚👴💀

Lahhak and Farshidvard Bewail Piran🧑‍🤝‍🧑👀💀😭