In addition to the texts entitled as handarz, we can find many other short gnomic sentences all around the Pārsīg Corpus. These short texts, along with short pieces of poetry and fables that we propose, can be very helpful for Pārsīg learners, especially in their early phase of formation.
* The first five short gnomic sentences are from Jamasp-Asana corpus of Pahlavi Texts.
** This page will have more materials soon.
pārsīg
I
(1) xvāstag-ē tandrustīh veh.
(2) ud frazend-ē ahlāyīh veh.
(3) ud brād-ē husravīh veh.
(4) pānag-ē xvēškārīh veh.
(5) hambāz-ē zan nēk veh.
(6) hambār-ē kirbag veh.
(7) dōst-ē ruvān ī xvēš veh, ī rāyēnīdār ī gāhānīg.
(8) ped hamāg kār ud dādestān rāstīh ud bavendagmenišnīh veh.
(9) ped do gēhān abēbīmīh veh.
frazaft ped drūd.
English
I
(1) The wealth, health is better.
(2) The child, righteousness is better.
(3) The brother, good reputation (in this world) is better.
(4) The protector, duty is better.
(5) The partner, a good wife is better.
(6) The store, pious deed is better.
(7) The best friend is one’s own soul who directs according to theological lore.
(8) In all affairs and cases, truth with esteem is better.
(9) In both worlds, security is better.
Completed with peace.
II
(1) ped dād ud dēn raftan.
(2) ud pid ud mād nē āzārdan.
(3) husāzagīh abāg brādarān ud dōstān ud xvēšān ud nazdīkān. ud peyvann kirdan, dāštār ī zan husoxan būdan.
(4) ped xīr ī kirbag toxšīdār būdan.
(5) ud harv rōz abāg xvēštan āmār bē kirdan kū:
«imrōz cē sūd ud cē zyān? cē kirbag ud cē vināh? ud cand ped rāh ī frārōn raft ham ud cand ped rāh ī abārōn?»
cē ēn gētīg espanz ī ēkrōzag humānāg, jāyēdān ānōh abāyed būdan.
(6) ud ped kirbag ud bazag āmār baved.
(7) cē harv kē-š kirbag vēš kū vināh, ēg-iš Srōš-ahlā dast gīred, ō vahišt nayed.
(8) ōy kē-š vināh vēš kū kirbag, ēg-iš Vīzarš dēv dast gīred, ō dušox nayed; ka griyend nē abaxšāyend, ud ka vāng kunend nē niyūšend.
(9) abdum abestām ped tō kunišn ī xvēš.
frazaft ped drūd ud šādīh ud rāmišn.
II
(1) To behave in accordance with law and religion (religious vision).
(2) Not to hurt (one’s) parents.
(3) (To be) in harmony with brothers and sisters, friends, relatives and kinsmen. To marry, and to be a preserver of a woman who is well-spoken.
(4) To be diligent in doing good.
(5) To reckon every day with oneself thus:
«Today what profit (have I made) and what loss (have I sustained); what good deed (have I done) and what sin (have I committed); to what length have I traversed the righteous path and to what length the unrighteous path?»
Because this world (of life) is like a one-day inn, and yonder (in the world of thought) one shall be for eternity;
(6) There will be the reckoning of (one’s) good deeds and crimes.
(7) Because every one whose good deeds are more than his sins, Sraoša aşya takes hold of the hand of him and carries him to the Best (Existence);
(8) The one whose sins are more than his good deeds, Vīzarəša daēva takes hold of the hand of him and drags him to the Bad Existence (= hell) – (there) when he cries, they (= the Daēva) do not have mercy on him, and when he cries out, they do not listen to him.
(9) In the end your trust is on your own deeds.
Finished with peace and joy and merriment.
III
(1) ped dard ast kē xrad nē dāred.
(2) ranzvar ast kē zan nē dāred.
(3) abēnām ast kē frazend nē dāred.
(4) dušarz ast kē xvāstag nē dāred.
(5) sust ast kē kas nē dāred.
(6) az ēn hamāg ōy vattar kē ruvān dōšārm nē dāred.
frazaft.
III
(1) In trouble is he who has no wisdom.
(2) Sorrowful is he who has no wife.
(3) Disreputable is he who has no offspring.
(4) Despicable is he who has no wealth.
(5) Feeble is he who has no one (relatives or friends).
(6) Worse than all is he who has no <love for> the soul.
Finished.
IV
(1) dānāgīh rāy tāg nēst.
(2) rahīgīh rāy nām nēst.
(3) gētīg rāy pāyišn nēst.
(4) juvānīh rāy nāzišn nēst.
(5) xvāstag rāy burzišn nēst.
(6) zīndagīh rāy rāmišn nēst.
(7) zarvān rāy dārūg nēst.
(8) margīh rāy cārag nēst.
(9) xvadāy rāy hambāz nēst.
(10) ud az ēn hamāg ōy vattar kē bē mīred, xvadāy az ōy hušnūd nēst.
(11) ud harv kē xvadāy az ōy hušnūd nēst, ōy rāy andar vahišt bāmīg gyāg nēst.
frazaft ped drūd ud šādīh ud rāmišn.
IV
(1) For wisdom there is no equal.
(2) For the prime of life there is no reputation.
(3) For the world (of life) there is no constancy.
(4) For youth there is no vaunting.
(5) In money there is no respect.
(6) In life there is no repose.
(7) For old age there is no medicine.
(8) For death there is no remedy.
(9) For Lord there is no associate.
(10) Worse of all is he who dies and the Lord is not pleased with him;
(11) And whosoever with whom the Lord is not pleased has no place in the Best (and) Luminous (Existence).
Finished with peace and joy and merriment.
V
(1) kirbag kirdan rāy ranz abar xvēš tan pedīriftan.
(2) andar harv gāh ud zamān menišn frārōn dāštan.
(3) sūd ī gētīg rāy mizd ī mēnōg bē nē hištan.
(4) tis ī gētīg xvār ud hān ī mēnōg grāmīg dāštan.
(5) hān sūd nē ped sūd abāyed dāštan kē pas az hān zyān ī vas baved.
(6) ud hān rāmišn nē ped rāmišn abāyed dāštan kē pas az hān andōh fragān baved.
(7) hān xvašīh nē ped xvašīh abāyed dāštan kē pas az hān taxlīh ī grān baved.
(8) hān xvāstag nē ped xvāstag abāyed dāštan kē ō tan ud ruvān nē rased.
(9) hān dōst nē ped dōst abāyed dāštan kē andar saxtīh ō frayād nē rased.
frazaft
V
(1) Accept toil on oneself for doing good deeds.
(2) Have a good mind in all places and time.
(3) Do not let go of the spiritual reward for the sake of material benefit.
(4) Hold the spiritual things in high and material things in low regard.
(5) The benefit, after which comes great harm, must not be considered benefit.
(6) The pleasure, after which comes great sadness, must not be considered pleasure.
(7) The joy, after which comes great bitterness, must not be considered joy.
(8) The wealth, which does not reach the body and the soul, must not be considered wealth.
(9) The friend, who does not come to rescue in hardship, must not be considered a friend.
Finished.
az dēnkird ī šašum
xēm-ē hān veh kē hān cē ped xvēš nē nēk, ped ōy ī did nē kuned.
ud xrad-ē hān veh kē nēkīh ī mad ēsted bar dāned xvardan, ud anāgīh ī nē mad ēsted rāy vahāg nē bared.
ud vīr-ē hān veh kē hān cē nē dāned, dāned kū: «nē dānam.»
harv kas dōst bāš, u-t ēd xēm.
u-šān ped vehīh niger, u-t ēd xrad.
u-šān ped xvēš dār, u-t ēd dēn.
u-šān nēkīh pediš kun, u-t ēd ruvān.
xēm hān kē kas nē frēbed.
ud xrad hān kē xvad nē frēbed.
ud dēn hān kē hān cē ī dāned kū kirbag, kuned.
kē hān cē dāned kū kirbag, ud nē kuned, hān tarmenišnīh; tarmenišnīh, xēm pedyārag.
ud kē hān cē dāned kū vināh, ud kuned, hān varanīgīh; ud varanīgīh, xrad pedyārag.
ud kē hān cē nē dāned kū kirbag ayāb vināh, ud pēš dā ō dānišn rased, kuned, hān xvaddōšagīh; ud xvaddōšagīh, dēn pedyārag.
xēm xrad andar nēst; <bē> xrad xēm andar, ud dēn harv do andar – xrad ud xēm.
tis ī mēnōg ped xēm virāstan dānīhed,
tan ped xrad dārīhed,
ruvān ped hamīh ī harv do būzīhed.
šarm hān baved kē vināh nē hiled kirdan;
ud nang hān baved kē kirbag nē hiled kirdan.
xrad andar kār, ud xēm andar pādixšāyīh, ud dōst andar vidang pēdāg.
vāzag ō ōy gōbišn kē vīr ōn kū frāz gīred,
ud uš ōn kū bē jōyed,
ud xrad ōn kū ōy ī did veh tuvān kirdan.
vīr kār ēd: tis xvāstan.
ud uš kār ēd: ganzvarīh kirdan ud tis ī vīr xvāhed, nigāh dāštan.
ud xrad kār ēd: vizīdārīh kirdan, ud veh ud vattar šnāxtan, hān ī veh griftan ud hān ī vattar hištan.
From the Dēnkird VI (M 474-5, 478, 483-4)
Good character is to not do unto others what is not considered good for one’s own self.
Good wisdom is that which knows to eat the fruit of goodness that has occurred and not give credit to misfortune that has not occurred.
Good intelligence is that which, if it does not know something, knows that: ‘I do not know this’.
Be a friend to all, this be your character.
Look at them with goodness, this be your wisdom.
Hold them close, this be your religion.
Do good to them, this be your soul.
(Good) character is that which does not deceive others.
Wisdom is that which does not deceive oneself.
Religion is to do what one knows is good deed.
Who knows what good deed is, and doesn’t do it, that is contempt; contempt is the adversary of (good) character.
And who knows what sin is, and does it, that is ignorance (/lustfulness); and ignorance is the adversary of wisdom.
Who does not know if something is a good deed or sin, and does it before they acquire that knowledge, that is selfishness; and selfishness is the enemy of religion.
Character is not included in wisdom, but wisdom is in character, and religion is included in both character and wisdom.
One knows the spiritual things by the betterment of character.
[and] Keeps the body (well) with wisdom.
[and] Saves the soul with the union of them both.
Shame is that which does not let sin be committed.
Dishonor is that which does not let good deed be done.
Wisdom will manifest during work, and character during sovereignty, and a friend during hardship.
Speak words to one whose wit is so that accepts it,
whose intelligence is so that seeks it,
and wisdom so that they can do good to another fellow.
The work of wit is this: to want things.
The work of intelligence is this: to protect and keep the things that the wit wanted.
The work of wisdom is this: to discern, and to know good and bad, to accept the good and let go of the bad.
mardōm-dōstīh
mardōm-dōstīh hān baved kē nēkīh ī harv vehān ēdōn abāyed cōn hān ī xvēš; hān ī-š ped xvēš tan nē nēk sahed, ped kas nē kuned.
RP 62.25
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is this: One desires benefit and well-being for all good men just as for his own; that which does not seem good for himself he does not do to anyone (else).
harv cē ped tō nē nēk tū-iz ped anī kas mā kun!
HAM 5
Do not do unto others what would not be good for yourself!
Ādurbād son of Mahrspend
āzend cīnīg
ašnavam ud framōšam
niyūšam ud peymasam
kunam ud āyāsam
Chinese proverb
I hear and I forget
I listen and I understand
I do and I remember