Masnavi · 16th century

Farhad at Bisotun

Vahshi Bafqiوحشی بافقی

یکی فرهاد را در بیستون دید

Someone saw Farhad on Bisotun

ز وضع بیستونش باز پرسید

and asked him about the lie of the mountain.

ز شیرین گفت در هر سو نشانی‌ست

He said, “Everywhere here there is some sign of Shirin;

به هر سنگی ز شیرین داستانی است

every stone has a story of Shirin.

فلان روز این طرف فرمود آهنگ

On such a day she set out this way;

فرود آمد ز گلگون در فلان سنگ

she got down from Golgun at such a stone.

فلان جا ایستاد و سوی من دید

At such a place she stood and looked toward me;

فلان نقش فلان سنگم پسندید

she liked such a carving of mine on such a stone.

فلان جا ماند گلگون از تک و پوی

At such a place Golgun gave out from running,

به گردن بردم او را تا فلان سوی

and I carried him on my shoulders as far as such a spot.”

غرض کز گفتگو بودش همین کام

In truth, all he wanted from the talk

که شیرین را به تقریبی برد نام

was some pretext to say Shirin’s name.

From: Farhad and Shirin
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

A complete anecdote from the prologue of Farhad and Shirin, among the sections on love that come before the story begins. Asked about Bisotun, the mountain he was cutting through for Shirin, Farhad can describe it only by where she stood and rode. Golgun is Shirin’s horse; in Nezami’s Khosrow and Shirin, Farhad carries the horse on his shoulders with Shirin still in the saddle.