In ancient times, in one of the enchanting gorges of the Gissar mountains, not far from the village of Karatag, there lived a girl named Shirin. She was attractive and sweet, her face was like a radiant sun, her large sparkling eyes were wonderful, her black curls fell on her shoulders, her figure was slender and thin.
The beautiful Shirin lived with her elderly parents in a fortified fortress on the side of a mountain, the high walls of which were made of stone and the lattice gates were made of cast iron.
From a young age, Shirin fell in love with the beauty of the mountains surrounding the fortress. Every day she asked her parents for leave and in the morning she went to admire the surroundings on the river bank, to a village surrounded by green gardens, amazing with the abundance of all kinds of fruits.
But most of all, Shirin was captivated by the rapid river flowing from the distant and high Gissar mountains. Absorbing many clear streams along the way, the river rushed towards the arable lands of the fertile valley. Most often, Shirin came to the river bank, greedily inhaled the clean air and looked for a long time at the seething and bubbling waters, listening to their restless noise...
There, more than once she met a young, heroic-looking, handsome shepherd driving his flock to his village of Karatag. The shepherd's name was Farhad. Once he saw the beautiful Shirin, he was captivated by her beauty. But he didn’t even hope that Shirin could love him, and therefore he silently carried love in his pure heart, without giving it away.
Shirin grew up and became more and more beautiful. The fame of her rare beauty spread throughout the world. Matchmakers began to arrive from all sides. They wooed Shirin with shahs and princes, with vasirs and similar noble people. There were so many people wooing that it was difficult to count them.
But Shirin, through her parents, rejected all offers. They soon got tired of this, and, after consulting with their father, their mother said:
- Dear daughter, you have already grown up and become a bride. We raised you with great hopes, and now it’s time for us to look at your wedding and be happy for you.
Hearing such words from her mother, Shirin became thoughtful and after a while, kneeling in front of her parents, said:
“I will marry the one who, in one night, without the help of others, only with his own hands, will bring water from the river to our fortress.” Only such a hardworking hero can cultivate our land, thirsty for water, and he will make us happy.
The parents informed all the matchmakers about this condition of their daughter.
But no matter how strong the hero was, he could not dig a ditch and bring water from the river to the fortress in one night. Therefore, all the suitors lost hope of getting Shirin as a wife and went home.
Farhad also learned about Shirin’s condition. But he thought: “Can such a beauty really refuse noble suitors - shahs, princes, wazirs and love me?” And yet he took his huge ketmen with a pick and went to fulfill the difficult condition.
Farhad's intention became known to one of Shirin's matchmakers, the cunning and envious prince Khisrov. Burning with inflamed jealousy, Khisrov hurried to the fortress, intending to fulfill the condition set by Shirin.
Farhad began his work from the place where the river was at the same level as the fortress. His work was in full swing, and with the help of his heroic strength he quickly went to his intended goal. His lion's strength helped him in a short time dig a long canal and, cutting through the mountain, direct it to the Shirin fortress itself.
And Tsarevich Khisrov, well-groomed and pampered, holding nothing in his hand except a sharp saber, after working a little, was already tired and exhausted. He began to spy on how Farhad was working and discovered that his work was going well, that he was already approaching the fortress and would soon see the beautiful Shirin.
Desperate and having lost hope of fulfilling Shirin’s condition, Khisrov stopped working. But the fire of jealousy began to burn even stronger in his chest. In a fit of anger, he decided to deprive Farhad of Shirin's love.
The insidious Khisrov planned to act by deception. He brought several mats and spread them in a long strip from the place where he began work to the fortress
Width After that, he went to one cunning old woman, told her to go to Far-had and Shirin and report that he had finished digging a canal from the river to the fortress.
With a staff in her hand, the cunning old woman, rejoicing at the upcoming earnings, went to Shirin and said:
- Dear girl, the famous prince Khisrov fulfilled your difficult condition. Here, come take a look!
The night was moonlit. Through the hole in the wall of the fortress, Shirin saw that there was indeed a long canal stretching, winding, from the river to the fortress, and the light of the full moon, reflected in the water, flickered from its flow.
Seeing the water, Shirin was so happy that she began to kiss the wrinkled face of the treacherous old woman and said:
- Oh mother, you brought me good news! Go tell the prince that if he brings water to the very fortress before dawn, I will be his devoted wife.
The old woman with a sly smile left the fortress and, tapping her staff and shaking, went to Farhad.
“Don’t bother yourself in vain, O Farhad,” she said. “Shirin is marrying Khisrov!”
- How so? — Farhad asked in amazement, raising his head, wet with sweat. “Where did you get this from?”
“I’m telling you that Shirin is marrying Khisrov!” - the old woman says again. - Look! — she pointed to the mats.
Farhad looked with excitement at the place indicated by the old woman and saw the shine of water approaching the fortress.
“Did Khisrov really bring water there?” - asks Farhad.
“Yes, I already did,” the old woman answers.
The hero Farhad, hearing this, roared like a lion and trembled like a willow from the simoom.
- No, I can’t live without Shirin! - he exclaimed and hit himself on the head with all his might with a sharp pick. Drenched in blood, he fell to the ground lifeless.
At this time the moon also set behind the Karatag mountains. The Khisrov mats no longer sparkled, and the happiness of the hero Farhad’s life was hidden behind the dark clouds of jealousy and envy.
Waking up early in the morning, the beautiful Shirin joyfully walked out the gates of the fortress, hoping to see the sparkling Khisrov canal.
But then she became convinced that there was no channel. Amazed by this, she began to walk around the fortress and suddenly, not far from the fortress wall, she saw a dug canal coming from the place where the river was at the level of the fortress, and on the bank of it was the lifeless body of the hero Farhad.
The beautiful Shirin realized that Khisrov had deceived her and caused the death of the mighty hero, who with his own hands could have dug this canal and would have
her husband.
With regret she sank at the head of the brave man who had passed away.
hero and cried bitterly.
Sending curses to the deceiver Khisrov, she told all the people about his deception. In disgrace, Khisrov was expelled from these places and never returned.
And the beautiful Shirin, true to her condition, did not marry anyone, only love for Farhad, who almost achieved his goal, forever made a nest in her heart.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru