Masnavi · 12th–13th century

Bahram’s Two Mothers

Nezami Ganjaviنظامی گنجوی

آن‌که او را بر آسمان رخت است

One whose belongings are in the sky

در زمین باز جستنش سخت است

is hard to find again on the earth.

در زمین جرم و استخوان باشد

In the earth are body and bone;

و آسمانی بر آسمان باشد

what is heavenly is in heaven.

هر جسد را که زیر گردون است

Every body beneath the turning sky

مادری خاک و مادری خون است

has one mother of earth and one mother of blood.

مادر خون بپرورد در ناز

The mother of blood raises it tenderly;

مادر خاک ازو ستاند باز

the mother of earth takes it back again.

گرچه بهرام را دو مادر بود

Though Bahram had two mothers,

مادر خاک مهربان‌تر بود

the mother of earth was the more loving,

کانچنانش ستد که باز نداد

for she took him in such a way that she never gave him back,

ساز چاره به چاره‌ساز نداد

and left no remedy to the one who sought it.

مادر خون ز جور مادر خاک

The mother of blood, from the cruelty of the mother of earth,

کرد خود را به درد و رنج هلاک

wore herself to death with pain and grief.

From: The Seven Beauties
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

From the end of the Haft Peykar. Bahram Gur, the king famous for hunting the onager (gur), rides after one into a cave and is never seen again, and his mother has the ground dug for forty days without finding him. Persian poets have long played on gur, which means both ‘onager’ and ‘grave’.