Translated by Bing
The Shahnameh, also known as The Book of Kings, is a monumental epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between 977 and 1010 CE. It is considered the national epic of Greater Iran and holds a significant place in Persian literature and culture.
The Shahnameh consists of some 50,000 distichs or couplets, making it one of the world’s longest epic poems created by a single author. It recounts the mythical and, to some extent, the historical past of the Persian Empire from the creation of the world until the Muslim conquest in the 7th century.
The work is not only a literary masterpiece but also a cultural treasure, as it has been instrumental in preserving the Persian language and the ethno-national cultural identity of Iran. It’s celebrated across regions influenced by Persian culture, including Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and others. its content, the Shahnameh combines myth, legend, and history to tell the stories of Persian heroes and kings. It begins with the creation of the world and ends with the Arab conquest, which led to the fall of the Sassanian Empire.
به نامِ خداوندِ جان و خِرد کزین برتر اندیشه برنگذرد
In the name of the Lord of soul and intellect
Nor thought can go beyond this aspect
خداوندِ نام و خداوندِ جای خداوندِ روزیده و رهنُمای
The Lord of the name and the Lord of the place
The Lord of the bounty and the Lord of the fates
خداوندِ گِیهان و گَردانسپهر فُروزندهی ماه و ناهید و مهر
The Lord of the world and the Lord of the sphere
Brightener of the moon and Venus and sun flare
زِ نام و نِشان و گُمان برترست نِگارندهی بر شده گوهرست
Who is beyond all name and sign and thought
Who adorn the sky with pearls of light
به بینندگان آفریننده را نبینی، مرنجان دو بیننده را!
You cannot see the creator with your two eyes
Do not vex your two sights with tries
نه اندیشه یابد بدو نیز راه که او برتر از نام و از جایْگاه
Nor thought can find him a way to access
For he is above all name and all address