English
The Reign of King Hormozd
Let me now adorn the throne and crown of King Hormozd, bright as the moon.
No harm came to the kingdom from him; his only flaw was that he made too many promises.
When great King Hormozd took the throne, the sheep and the wolf came to drink at the same water.
He said: You renowned wise ones, seasoned leaders who have traveled the world and seen its ways,
Let us strive to bring goodness and justice. Blessed is the one who remembers a father's counsel.
Since God, the giver of good and goodness itself, gave us this royal crown,
I will make you full partners in doing good; I do not want any secret of yours kept from me.
Know that whoever is arrogant is deeply unpleasant to the great.
A man who leads with stubbornness will keep his neediness fresh all year long.
Envy is the sword of the ignorant, yet fortune keeps smiling on such a man.
And anyone ashamed of doing honest work will find his life and livelihood cramped.
The heart of a base man is full of greed; keep away from the vile as much as you can.
Whoever you find without knowledge, do not let your path run past his door.
It is through the wise, cultured, and thoughtful man that the throne of kingship stands forever.
Keep your heart alive with learning and wit; in this world, avoid evil as much as you can.
Wisdom is like water and knowledge like soil; know that these two are not separate from each other.
If a king's heart has drifted from love, it would be no wonder should it come back.
May everyone who serves under me be joyful and devoted to God.
May wisdom, seen and unseen, be our companion in pleasing the Creator of the world.
When a wise or pious person speaks somewhere about the king,
let every word be weighed with care, for fine speech never grows old.
You should speak nothing but good, and if someone speaks ill, take care not to listen.
The king's heart sees your secret, and his ear hears your voice.
What did that eloquent, attentive speaker say? That even the wall has ears for your words.
The whole assembly called out blessings on that clear-sighted, pure-hearted king.
That great gathering dispersed, all of them glad beneath that sheltering cypress.
That knowledge-loving king upheld the customs of Shapur and King Ardeshir.
The whole world grew happy through him; how good is a king who gives and does justice.
He ruled with modesty and justice, and so time passed on in this way.
But time scattered camphor where musk had been; the roses and redbuds in the garden withered.
His straight cypress figure bent like a bow, though he was not the sort a king should suspect.
He was not glad of the world for long; that just king came to his end.