The coming of the King Vahrm Varzvand This text, called a rhymed ballad by Tavadia, expresses the hope

of the advent of the king Vahrm. There exists a slightly different version of this text which is found in a manuscript which once before was at the disposal of Edgar Blochet (Le manuscrit que jai eu ma disposition et qui nexiste dans aucune bibliothque europenne, laisse dsirer au point de vue de la correction.). We give the transcription and translation of this second version too.
Bibl. The Pahlavi Texts, edited by J.M. Jamasp-Asana, II, Bombay, 1913, 160-161; Suppl. Pers. 2044, 144-145. E. Blochet, Textes religieux pehlvis, RHR, 1895, 1-2, 241-243. M. Jamasp-Asa, Madam matan-i Shah Vahrm-i Varjvand, Sir J.J. Madressa Jubilee Volume, 1914, 75-6. H.W. Bailey, Zoroastrian Problems in the Ninth-Century Books, Oxford, 1943, 19596. Jehangir C. Tavadia, A Rhymed Ballad in Pahlavi, JRAS, 1955, 29-36. . - " " . . " " .

(Raham Asha)

[abar madan $h vahrm varzvand] kay bavd +k pg- yed az hindgn,

+

k : mad hn $h varhrn az dd<ag > kayn

k<-$> pl ast hazr, abar sar--sar1 ast plbn

k abrstag draf$2 dred ped vn husrgn p$-la$kar barend ped sph-slrn. mard- vis 3 abyed kirdan zrag targumn,
+

k $aved b gbed ped hindgn

k amh c dd az dast tzgn abar k dran dn nizr kird ud b zad $hn amh azr, av$n cn +$hn dn drend <islm>, cn sag arend nn b stad hend pdix$yh az husrgn n ped hunar ud mardh, <cn rn> b ped afss ud riyahrh, <cn dvn> b stad hend ped stahm az mardmn zan ud stagh $rn, bv ud byestn gizdag abar nihd hend, b baxt hend abar sarn abz harg st hend, sg grn b niger +k cand vad abgand hn druz ped n ghn
+

k nst vattar az y +vad <ped> ghn

az amh b yed hn $h varhrn varzvand az ddag kayn b varem kn tzgn

1 2 3

Cf. vrvDBO.draf$a: abrst(ag)-draf$. /bisl/ dialectal form, Fars. /gusl/.

Pers. (Turf.) sr w sr, Fars. .

cn rstahm vurd sad kn syva$n mazgidh frd hilem, b ni$yem ta$n uzdszrh b abganem ud pk kunem az ghn d vin $avend druz vi$dagn az n ghn frazaft ped drod $dh ud rmi$n
When will it be that a courier will come from India, (to say) that: King Vahrm of the family of the Kavi has come, Having a thousand elephants, being upon all elephant-keeper, Having raised banners, in the manner of the Husr (= Persian kings) The advance-guards are led by the generals! A man should be dispatched, a clever interpreter, Who may go and tell to India, What we have seen from the hands of the Arabs! All at once they weakened the religion and killed the kings. We (have become) inferior, they are like kings. They hold the religion <of Islam>, eat the food like dogs. The have taken away the sovereignty from the Husr, Not by virtue and valour, like the noble Aryans, But in mockery and scorn, like the demons. By force they have taken away from men Their sweet-hearts and sweet possessions, parks and gardens. Capitation-taxes they have imposed, they have distributed them upon the heads They have demanded again the tribute, a heavy impost. Consider how much evil that Lie has cast upon this world Than which evil there is none worse in the world. From us shall come that king Vahrm, Possessing marvellous power, of the family of the Kavi. We will bring vengeance in the Arabs, As Rstahm brought a hundred revenge for Syva$. Their mosques we will cast down, we will set up Fire(-temples). Their idol-temples we will dig down and wipe them out from the world So that shall get lost the miscreations of the Lie from this world. Finished in peace and joy and pleasure

II

kay bavd ka pg- yed az hindgn,

+

k : yed hn $h vahr az hindgn

k<-$> pl ast hazr, abar sar--sar ast plbn k abrstag draf$ dred ped vn $ahryrn

p$ sph abar barend andarn pur

mard- <vis> abyed kirdan dng ud u$umand,

+

k $aved b hindgn gbed

k amh c $ahriyrn amah abg tzgn ud turkn ud hrm ud cnestn ud dvn mzangn krezr abar burd hend k av$n az stbh dn veh ud abzag ud peristi$n yazdn amehrspendn ud ta$-iz +suxr szg pedrift hend, ud az zamn an$ag-ruvn zardu$t spidmn dn abzag d hazr sl ravgh +ayft. ud nn-z tzgn mu$k r k xg ud xm mr drend, cn sag arend nn b stad hend pdix$yh az husrgn n ped hunar ud mardh, n ped zr xrad b ped afss ud b stad hend. c c kas ped n vn ped stamb n stad sted. cn dv k$ drend ud dv-p$ag k dd < abrn ud> vattar<h> ped ghn $krdar, ud vehh ud dd <> frrn azr zamg nihn kird hend. ud ped kr <> vinhgrh cr,
+

d$rm ped vinhgrn v$ kunend. ud bm <> du$ox ud

pdifrh andar dil n drend. ud rspg<h> ud rspg-

bragh andar av$n v$ ast. ud dn abzag ud kr kirbag ud dd r nigerend. guftrh ud kn-meni$nh ud afss ud riyahrh ud stamb(ag)h $kr bd ast. amh ped umd <> madan varhrm amvand ped stahm ud b$ av$n hunsandh abar barem, k ped hn zamn ped nirg ud ayyrh <> ohrmazd ud amehrspendn hamg dndu$menn vad-meni$nn ud uzds-peristn az bun b abganem; ud hamg ghn az vattarh ud uzds-peristh pk baved; ud dn abzag ud rsth ud frrnh vazurg baved. ped kmag yazdn! frazaft.
When will it be that a courier will come from India, (to say) that: That king Vahrm is coming from India. He has a thousand elephants, and (himself) is upon all elephant-keeper. He has raised banners, in the manner of the kings. Before (him) advance guards, and in the army there are many generals. A man should be dispatched, a wise and intelligent one, who may go and tell to India, what we Our kings made battles with the Arabs and Turks, against Rome and China, with the demons of Mazan, and they, defeated, accepted the good and pure Religion, the worship of the Yazata and Holy Immortals and that of the red and burning Fire, and from the time of the immortal-souled Zaraqu$tra of the Spitma the pure Religion was prevailed for one thousand years. But now the Arabs, these eaters of rats, (have come) who have the temperament and character of the serpents, who eat the food like dogs; they have taken away the sovereignty from the Husr, not by virtue and valour, not by force of wisdom, but in scorn and , they have taken it away. For nobody before had taken it away with such brutality. They follow the teaching of the demons, and they themselves (are) demonic. They spread the Evil and unjust Law in the world, and they hide the Good and just Law. They are adroit in sinfulness. They approve more the criminals. They do not have the fear of hell or punishment in their heart. Prostitution and whoring are current among them. They despise the pure religion, good deeds and justice. The dispute and revengefulness and mockery and scorn and oppression have been spread. We (only) in the hope of the advent of Vahrm the forceful endure this oppression and persecution with contentment; (but) at the time (when he will come), with the strength and help of Ahura Mazd and the Holy Immortals shall we eradicate all the enemies of Religion, evil-minded

ones, and idol-worshippers. The world then will be totally purified from evil and idolatry; and the pure religion, righteousness and truthfulness will be great. Deo volente. Finished.

Addenda From a letter of Maneckjee Limjee Hatteria (1252 A.Y./ 1882 A.D.): "

".

From Trois ans en Asie, Gobineau de 1855 1858 (uvres, II, Paris, 1983, 294) : En Perse, les loges quon peut faire du parsisme ne sadressent pas lintelligence, mais au cur. Cest un point de foi, quun prophte appel Pchouten doit venir bientt et rendre lIran, avec son ancienne religion, son ancien clat. Jai entendu ce sujet des conversations infinies. Tous les gubres attendent Pchouten. La question est de savoir lpoque de son avnement ; quant au point de lhorizon par lequel il doit pntrer dans lIran avec une nombreuse arme, on le connat, cest lInde. En ce moment, la plupart des gubres penchent croire que larme bnie sera compose dEuropens ; mais quels Europens ? Voil le mystre. Les uns disent que ce sont les Anglais ; les autres parient, au contraire, pour les Russes. Lembarras est grand. En attendant, un gubre de Yezd crut savoir, il y a quelque temps, et savoir par dmonstration positive, que Pchouten et son arme taient dj en route et allaient pntrer dans lAfghanistan. Il tait, comme on peut croire, fort agit et dans une grande attente, lorsquil lui passa par lesprit que, venant de ltranger, les guerriers lus navaient pas pu, vraisemblablement, se munir de kostis ; cest le nom de la ceinture sacre que doivent porter tous les hommes de la loi pure. Or, de voir arriver les librateurs sans ce signe essentiel, ctait de quoi tout gter. Pour prvenir des malheurs imminents, le pauvre homme vendit tout ce quil possdait, fit fabriquer douze mille kostis, loua des chameaux, les chargea de ses offrandes et prit le chemin de lAfghanistan tout seul, jugeant laffaire trop pressante pour attendre une caravane. On nen a jamais eu de nouvelles. Il est probable que quelque bande de pillards, devanant Pchouten et son arme, se sera accommode des chameaux et de leurs charges.