Rustam Farrukhzad, martyr of Qadiseyeh November 636. A.D.

Sassanian misrule, misgovernance, disharmony, discord, watched, 

Across borders, opportunistic, perilous, hazardous, plots, hatched. 

Yazdgerd, popular king, righteous, upright, fair, prudent, judicious, 

Tazian raids, becoming worryingly, damaging, daring, audacious. 

Descended from great Anushirwan, Shahryar, proudly, would say, 

Increasingly difficult, to keep marauding, ravaging, enemy, at bay. 

War within, without, left homeland, treasury, exhausted, depleted, 

Time, sixteen years of Yazdgerd’s uneasy, reign were completed. 

Thirty months, Sa’ad Waqqas, Khalifa’s general, attained nought, 

Rustam Farrukhzad, Sassanian general, blocked each onslaught. 

Rustam was a General, intrepid, courageous, shrewd, capable, 

To decipher, secrets, influences, effects of stars, heavens, able. 

“Ahura preserve Yazdgerd, just, impartial, dauntless, sovereign, 

May Iranians live in honour, respect, heads held high, his reign. 

For us, stars tell, distress, misfortune, trials, tribulations, travail, 

Over us, dark faces of desert, shall triumph, overwhelm, prevail.

Saturn, countless to our destruction, downfall, slaughter, sends, 

Darkened Sun, death of beloved, venerated Shahryar, portends. 

Movement, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stars robs me of sleep,

 Cruel, unfair, unjust, undeserved fate, Iranians makes me weep. 

Four centuries, Tazian, Iran shall control, rule, dominate, reside, 

What sins, mine, compel me, the humiliation, disgrace, preside? 

 We must change, ancient faith, or pay tax, they claim, demand, 

Thousands of our soldiers are destined to die at my command. 

Soldiers of Tabaristan, Armenia, Gilan with us, fearlessly ride, 

“Who dares to look at Iran, Mazandaran?”,they say with pride. 

Our hallowed border, we will, with our sword, valiantly, protect, 

No division, disharmony, discord, disunity, must, enemy detect. 

Gather an army, sacred, pious, shrine of Azargoshasb, protect, 

The army from Zabol, if it comes, give justice, regard, respect. 

Say goodbye to our mother, from whom, I have, forever parted, 

Let her think, I was a passing guest in the world, now departed. 

When news of my martyrdom reaches her, don’t let her be sad, 

But, gratified, proud, of the valiant, warrior son, she once had. 

Brother, live well with high aims, don’t just accumulate treasure, 

Pray to God, in truth, righteousness, giving alms, take pleasure. 

For our army, only defeats, destruction, annihilation, I foresee, 

Lamentably few of our soldiers, end of battles’ll survive to see. 

Ahura Mazda bless Shahryar, ancient, sacred, venerable land, 

Crown, throne, nation, nothing, storm, upheaval can withstand. 

Watch over, protect, guard, Yazdgerd, the last Sassanian king, 

Time to come, many rulers, without merit, worth, virtue’ll bring. 

Frightful night, unrelentless, remorseless, fire burns, my chest, 

I’m troubled, worried, anxious, distracted, without fortitude, rest 

In this darkness, my heart is bloody, distressed, restless, 

The world cruel, unjust, unfaithful, murderous, merciless. 

No spring shall follow, when the winter is over, this year, 

No-one’ll be able, hold their heads, upright, many a year. 

No fortuitousness, good fortune, in Ahura’s land, do I see, 

Severe pain, misery, suffering, sorrow, grief, there will be. 

My heart wounded, wretched, mouth dry leather, lips dry, 

Face, yellow, no deliverance, salvation, redemption, spy. 

Why’ve Sassanians’ days taken a calamitous disposition, 

I was named, promoted, to army commander’s position? 

This ill-fated, ill-omened, Qadiseyeh, I was fated, to die, 

I can see myself, lifeless, wrapped, a bloody shroud, lie. 

God protect you, Shahryar, catastrophe, misfortune save, 

With blessings, signed, sealed letter, to messenger gave. 

The Martyrdom of Rustam Farrukhzad 19.11.636

Days, battle, Qadiseyeh, unremittingly, relentlessly raged,  

Thousands sacrificed, perished, Rustam, Sa’ad engaged. 

Exhausted, fatigued, thirsty, Rustam, Sa’ad’s horse slew, 

Rustam dismounted above Sa’ad’s head, his sword drew. 

Unfaithful fate, other designs, sand, Rustam’s eyes, blew, 

Rustam never saw, Sa’ad’s sword, towards his head flew. 

No other General, leader, existed, Persian soldiers knew, 

Despondent, dejected, despairing, to Ctesiphon withdrew.

Farrukhzad, Rustam’s brother, the Arvand Rud departed, 

Unmitigated, unmerciful, catastrophe, at Kharkh, waited. 

The loaf of bloody bread, Khassef, the river of blood 

Groups, hapless, Persian prisoners, unmercifully, massacred, 

Gruesome river flowed sluggishly, morbidly, thick, slushy, red. 

Wheat ground to flour, water laced, with clotted blood of dead, 

Fed entire conquering army, three days, loaves, bloody bread.