The Persians call him Yazdegard Farubandagan, which means ‘collector of sin’ [sic]. Some call Yazdejerd the son of Behrâm, but others his brother. Before he commenced to reign he was known by his science, intelligence, beneficence, liberality and experience. But when he ascended the throne he shed much blood, and having raised the dust of confusion and wickedness, he began to despise learned men, as well as to illtreat his subjects and the army. He inflicted great punishments for some crimes, and accepted of the intercession of no one. He did not hesitate to commit sin, but considered it his duty to perpetrate what was forbidden.
It is recorded in the Athâr-ul-a’jam that when Yazdejerd ascended the throne, he said: ‘Three are not to be trusted, namely, the sea, fire, and the Sultân.’ He also said: ‘The wisest king is he who delays punishment when he is in anger, and makes haste to reward the good when he is able.’ He also used to say: ‘Whenever the hand is not occupied in doing good acts, it turns to bad ones; and whenever the heart is void of cares concerning eternity, it will incline to wickedness and crime.’ In spite of all his good sayings, pleasant maxims, intelligence and knowledge, his practice was contrary to his theory, and he never acted according to his convictions. He abstained, however, from drinking wine or listening to songs, to enable his mind constantly to engage in schemes for distressing the people.
It is not hidden from the ingenious that the acquisition of knowledge ought to be utilized for purifying and elevating our morals; and an acquaintance with some special nice maxims ought not to make people so arrogant as to think that they oblige everybody by communicating them. When such persons enter an assembly, they like to sit in the uppermost place, looking down upon all others; and when any man happens on account of his merits to obtain precedence over them, they harbour ill feelings towards the unfortunate man till the day of the resurrection, are engaged in denigrating his character, and are satisfied with nothing shorter than his death; and if the unlucky wight utters one word which allows of ninety-nine interpretations, but contains a single flaw, his whole statement is considered erroneous, and they fall upon him like so many rapacious wolves to put him to shame before the whole assembly. There is a tradition of Shâh Shujaa’ that he said to his courtiers: ‘Procure me a master to teach me, who, when another scholar gets the better of him in argument, will behave like a man.’
Now the time has arrived to cease blaming malicious scholars, and such as do not act according to their knowledge, and to commence to describe the birth of Behrâm Gûr.