LETTER OF RUSTAM FARRUKHZAD TO HIS BROTHER ON THE EVE OF BATTLE OF QADISEYEH. NOVEMBER. 636 A.D

Sassanian misrule, misgovernance, disharmony, discord, watched, 

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

King Yazdgerd, popular, righteous, upright, prudent, judicious, 

Tazian raids became worryingly, damaging, daring, audacious. 

Descendant of great Anushirwan, Shahryar, proudly would say, 

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

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

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

Thirty months, Sa’ad Waqqas, Tazian general, attained nought, 

Rustam Farrukhzad, Sassanian general, blocked his 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. 

Our stars show 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, over 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'll, 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 with morals, scruples,not to accumulate treasure, 

From worship, 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.  

Defend, protect, preserve, Yazdgerd, the last Sassanian king, 

Time to come, rulers, without merit, worth, virtue will bring.  

Troubled, worried, anxious, distracted, without fortitude, rest. 

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

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

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

No spring shall follow, when the winter passes this year, 

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

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

Much pain, misery, suffering, sorrow, grief, there'll be. 

Heart wounded, wretched, mouth dry leathery, lips dry, 

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

Why’ve Sassanians’ days taken calamitous disposition, 

When I was 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 death 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. 

Pitiless fate, other designs, sand in 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. 

Battle of Ullais, Khaseef, river of blood. the loaf of bloody 

bread. May 633. A.D.

Farrukhzad, Rustam’s brother, Arvand Rud departed, 

Unmitigated, unmerciful, catastrophe, Kharkh, waited.

Men in morale, spirits low,  dejection, despair, gloom,   

Number deficient, headed, disaster, destruction, doom.

Khalid-Ibn-Walid announced leniency for surrendered, 

2 Days 70,000 disarmed Persian prisoners, massacred.

All hopes of mercy, humanity, compassion, misplaced,

Khalid-Ibn-Walid desired bread, Persian blood laced. 

Persian blood coloured banks of the Khaseef river red, 

Their blood in macabre river flowed thick, slushy, red. 

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

Fed victorious Tazian, three days, loaves, bloody bread.   

Yazdgerd after Rustam’s death, Farrukhzad’s disastrous defeat, 

Decided towards Rey withdraw, secure, safer Khorasan, retreat.

Mahoe Suri, indebted, honour-bound, Khorasan marzban, meet, 

Turanians of Samarqand, Bukhara for army, assistance entreat. 

Mahoe, servile, humble, low shepherd, when Yazdgerd’d come, 

Shahryar’s generosity, kindness, marzban, Khorasan, become. 

Shahryar’s hour of dire need, unfaithfully, pretended to be ill, 

Serve his benefactor, faithlessly, unscrupulously, had no will. 

Unprecedented, disastrous battles in the South, to him meant, 

Sassanian majesty, splendour, magnificence, grandeur, spent. 

Without an army, intrepid, courageous, king could not prevent, 

Inexorable, unremitting, march of an enemy, would not relent.

Treacherous, repugnant Mahoe, to Bijan of Turan, letter sent, 

Helping abandoned, beleaguered, deserted, king, he’d repent. 

Bijan asked his counsellors, Lords of the Turanians, convene, 

Decide, prudently, sagely, this grave matter, how to intervene. 

Lord Barasm put forward morally convincing, persuasive, view, 

Yazdgerd was a good, just, reputable, esteemed king, all knew. 

Mahoe, loathsome, repulsive, treacherous, his master, serves, 

Provide Yazdgerd requisite Turanian help, he needs deserves. 

Barsam with 10,000 horse, save tormented Yazdgerd’d leave, 

Wicked, vile, repugNant, Mahoe, another card, up his sleeve.  

Mahoe’s lies, deception, duplicity, obviously’d be laid bare, 

Unwise, unthinkable, unsafe, he would the Sharyar, spare. 

Time of uncertainty, tribulation, adversity, calamity, strife, 

Deplorable Mahoe feared for his worthless, wretched, life. 

For Mahoe, Barsam's army's arrival was unwelcome news, 

Summoned advisors to hear their opinions, advice, views. 

Some said “Aid Sharyar, for you, he was benevolent, good.” 

His vile son said,“ For your safety, die, Shahryar, should.” 

Mahoe misled Yazdgerd, Turanians had invaded the land, 

Defenseless, alone, king, faced Turanians, sword in hand. 

Shahryar, by rattling, the mill’s door, awakened, roused, 

Not pity, or deference, but greed, covetousness, aroused. 

In wicked, immoral, depraved, miller, Khosrow’s breast, 

Seeing wounded Sharyar, leaning against a wall, at rest. 

Undoubtedly, undeniably, it was the Shahryar, in flight, 

Unforeseen situation could alleviate his poverty, plight. 

Yazdgerd said,“I took refuge in your water mill at night, 

Rest for a while, eat, drink, heal my wounds, if I might. 

I'm a wounded Persian soldier, he groaned, sat upright, 

My presence, for you, no cause for apprehension, fright. 

Food, drink, three days and nights, now, have had none, 

To heal my wounds, in nearby village, is there someone?” 

Miller Khosrow said, “The chives, yogurt, you may take, 

Also, bread from the barley, I grind, in the mill, make.” 

After food, water, as exhausted, injured Shahryar slept, 

Seek advice, unscrupulous village head, Khosrow crept. 

Immoral village head, Khosrow, see Mahoe Suri, went, 

Mahoe, joyfully, ecstatically, soldiers, with them sent. 

 Mahoe said,“Keep purple robes, golden boots, I’ll give you more, 

Shahryar doesn’t leave your water mill, alive, be certain, ensure.” 

Khosrow approached the crouched king, as if to speak in his ear, 

Plunged dagger in his unprotected abdomen, when he was near. 

A groan escaped from Yazdgerd’s white lips, you’d scarcely hear, 

Last heinous, blow, treachery, willful betrayal, too much to bear. 

King’s dead, riders confirmed to detestable Mahoe, they served, 

Threw him, the river, cursing, despicable Mahoe gets, deserved. 

At dawn, men, river Zarq, king’s naked, undignified body viewed, 

Dismayed, aghast, recognizing him, the dry river bank, retrieved. 

Dignity, propriety TO church garden, carried him, wailed, cried, 

To his washed, cleansed wounds, camphor, rose, musk, applied. 

By the Christian priest, who lamented, loudly, mourned, grieved, 

King, by those, he favoured, faithlessly, treacherously, deceived. 

Shahryar Yazdgerd’s lifeless body, a yellow silk shroud, reclined, 

The dakhmeh in Merv, with dignity, honour, solemnly, consigned. 

Lament:

 When turning wheel of destiny, calamity, catastrophe, will call, 

Fearless, just kings, hands of, perfidious, malicious, disloyal, fall. 

Conniving, intriguing, destiny, in their eyes, sandstorms will blow, 

Devoted, resolute, intrepid, faithful generals, pitilessly will lay low.  

After Qadiseyeh, Iran to attack, was left vulnerable, open wide,

His family, more safe, secure, in Yazd, Yazdgerd would decide. 

City wall, reinforced, fortified, moat was re-dug, deep, wide, 

When Yazdgerd at treacherous miller’s hands in Merv died. 

Empress Katayun, keep her children together, in vain, tried, 

The tenacious, merciless enemy in pursuit, mere, hours ride. 

Ominously, fatefully, decided, her children, disperse, divide. 

Hoping some escape, survive, their destinies would decide. 

Faithful governess Morwarid,17 km to Ardakan, thirst, died, 

Princess Mehr Banuh, from lack, food, water perished, died. 

Mazra-e-Mehr, a garden of love, Aqda, her shrine, memorial, 

West, Aqda, Princess Parsbanuh’s remembrance, memorial. 

Mountains humanely, sympathetically, took her in their fold, 

Her scarf, strip of dress, left visible, a crevice, we were told. 

27 km to Ardakan, inhospitable mountains, about her grew, 

On foot, no means of deliverance, Princess Nikbanuh knew.

In peril, danger, as pursuer’s horses, ominously, close, drew,

Parched throat, with aching limbs, she stumbled forth, anew. 

The blazing Sun, merciless wind, hot sand at her face, blew. 

In despair, desperation, her staff, looming mountain, threw. 

From scathing rock, water began dripping, like a divine dew, 

Immortalize, memorialize, kind princess, green cypress grew. 

Inescapable mountains, compassionately, gave her access, 

Remnants, of her scarf, dress fragments, visible in a recess.

Dishonour, disgrace, odium, inevitable, certain, Empress knew, 

Preferring death, herself, her unborn child, in a well, she threw. 

Hunters, persistently, repeatedly in the well, fishing nets threw, 

No body to flout, disrespect, retrieved, she was there, they knew. 

Last Empress, Katayun’s memorial, monument, Yazd’s Setti Pir, 

South,Yazd, Prince Ardeshir’s sanctuary, refuge, Narestaneh Pir. 

Cleft, between the rocks, miraculously, benevolently, appeared, 

Last descendent of Ardeshir Babekan, as he’d seen, disappeared. 

Pire-Naraki, serene, peaceful memorial for Nazbanuh Princess, 

She was known as the frail, fragile, graceful, delicate, Princess. 

A well, mountains, to rest, Empress Katayun, her children, laid, 

For sin, crimes of ancestors, Hormozd, Shirui, in full, they paid. 

Last Sassanian royal family, today, no sign, mark, trace remains, 

Thwarted hunters couldn’t lay a hand, on their physical remains. 

Without shame, humiliation, disgrace, family’s memories remain, 

Ahura Mazda, eternally, profusely, indebted, for this, we remain. 

Yazdgerd's family vanished as tho' they'd never been in existence.

In Pirs of Yazd, poems of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, their existence.