Chapter 5

Khan IV · The Sorceress

خوان چهارم · زنِ جادوگر

A demon disguised as a beautiful woman — and the name of God breaks the spell.

داستانش را می‌تونی بگی؟

Can you tell its story?

تو عکس چی می‌بینی؟

What do you see in the picture?

Bearded warrior with a raised club faces a hooded, pale-faced figure with a clawed hand under a starlit sky
Khan IV — A beautiful woman is revealed as a demon when she cannot speak God's name.Original illustration from the 53-page Haft Khan source manuscript.
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Key words

  • سفرهsofrespread, tablecloth (of food)noun
  • پیرزنpeerezanold womannoun
  • زشتzeshtuglyadjective
  • کمندkamandlassonoun
  • خنجرkhanjardaggernoun
Diacritics
01

رستم به جایی سرسبز و زیبا رسید.

Rostam be jâ-yee sarsabz o zeebâ reseed.

Rostam came to a lush and beautiful place.

02

سفره‌ای در کنار رود پهن بود و رویش می و نان و گوشت بود.

Sofre-ee dar kenâr-e rud pahn bud va roo-yash mey o nun o goosht bud.

A spread was laid by the river, with wine and bread and meat upon it.

03

رستم خواست بخورد که زنی زیبا آمد و کنار او نشست.

Rostam khâst bokhorad ke zanee zeebâ âmad va kenâr-e oo neshast.

Rostam was about to eat when a beautiful woman came and sat beside him.

04

خدا را شکر کرد و خواست شروع به خوردن کند.

Khodâ râ shokr kard va khâst shoroo' be khordan konad.

He thanked God and was about to begin eating.

05

پس به نام خدا گفت و منتظر ماند که آن زن هم نام خدا را بگوید.

Pas be nâm-e khodâ goft va montazer mând ke ân zan ham nâm-e khodâ râ begooyad.

He spoke in the name of God and waited for the woman to say it too.

06

ولی از آن‌جایی که دیوها نمی‌توانند نام خدا را بگویند، دیو لال شد و چهره‌اش تغییر کرد.

Valee az ân-jâ-yee ke deev-hâ nemeetavânand nâm-e khodâ râ begooyand, deev lâl shod va chehre-ash taghyeer kard.

But since demons cannot speak the name of God, the demon was struck dumb and her face changed.

07

او تبدیل شد به یک پیرزن زشت.

Oo tabdeel shod be yek peerezan-e zesht.

She turned into an ugly old crone.

08

خواست فرار کند که رستم با کمند گرفتش.

Khâst farâr konad ke Rostam bâ kamand gereft-esh.

She tried to flee, but Rostam caught her with his lasso.

09

خنجر کشید و او را کشت.

Khanjar kesheed va oo râ kosht.

He drew his dagger and killed her.