Twice ToldWarner and Warner, The Shahnama of Firdausi, vol. 6 (London, 1912): Haftwad and the Worm, pp. 233 to 245
- Language
- English
- Reading
- transcribed from the page image
- Retrieved
- 6 October 2026
Arthur George Warner and Edmond Warner’s verse translation of Ferdowsi, vol. 6 of 9 (“The Ashkanians” and the start of the Sasanians), prints the story of Haftwad and the Worm as sections 12 to 16 of the reign of Ardshir. The Warners number the lines of the Persian in the margin (c. 1382 and so on). The three passages below are the apple, the stratagem’s baggage, and the pouring.
Original
[p. 233, §12] There dwelt within that city, one Haftwad, Who was so named because he had seven sons, A man of cheerful turn but indigent.
‘Twas then it happened that this lucky girl Beheld a windfall lying on the path, An apple which she picked up hastily. Now list to this strange tale. When that fair maid Had bitten the fruit she saw a worm inside. She picked it from the apple and then gently Transferred it to her distaff-case, and said, As she resumed her spinning: “In the name Of God who hath no partner and no peer, I’ll show you wondrous spinning done to-day All through the good luck of an apple-worm!”
[p. 242, §15] He packed two boxes full of lead and solder, And added to the load a brazen pot, Because he was a master of his craft.
[p. 243, §15] Now when the wine-cup had bemused their minds The master of the world came with his hosts, Brought forth the metal and the brazen pot, And lit a fire by daylight. When ‘twas time To feed the Worm its food was of boiling lead. He bore the molten metal to the tank,
[p. 244, §15] Whence that tame creature raised its head. They saw Its tongue thrust out, just like an Arab cymbal, As when it used to eat the rice. The youths Poured down the molten stuff and quelled the Worm.
Translation
None needed; the Warners’ English is the published translation, as the series gives it.
Notes
- Warner’s introduction to the volume (pp. 203 to 207) discusses the episode and the Kārnāmag; those pages are cited in sources.md and not quoted here.
- The translation names the substance in several ways within two pages: “lead and solder” (p. 242), “the metal” (p. 243), “boiling lead” (p. 243) and “the molten stuff” (p. 244).
- The marginal “C. 1389” and similar numbers are the Warners’ own line references to the Persian text they followed; Shahbazi and Marcus-Takeshita cite the Moscow edition instead.