batch.motif.sufi-hafiz-divan-bell-gutenberg-l3646-l3675
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-hafiz-divan-bell-gutenberg-l3646-l3675
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
passage_locator:
label: XLIII / NOTES / XVIII / XXIII; lines 3646-3675
start: '3646'
end: '3675'
translation: Poems from the Divan of Hafiz
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The note recounts the Persian legend of Ferhad, Shirin, and Khusro Parwiz:
Shirin is identified differently by Greek, Turkish, and Persian accounts; Khusro
is said to have carried off the true Cross from Jerusalem; Ferhad loves Shirin
and performs an impossible rock-cutting task to win her, but dies after receiving
false news of her death. Shirin later kills herself across Khusro’s corpse after
his son kills Khusro and seeks to marry her. The note also describes scarlet tulips
on barren Persian hillsides and reports a tradition that the poem was sent to
the King of Golconda.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage says the loves of Ferhad and Shirin are famous in Persian legend.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Shirin is identified by different accounts as Mary or Irene, as Roman and
Christian, or as daughter of Emperor Maurice and wife of Khusro Parwiz.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Khusro Parwiz is said to have conquered Jerusalem and carried off the true
Cross, which had been enclosed in a gold box and buried in the ground.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Khusro is described as devotedly attached to Shirin, while Shirin has given
her heart to Ferhad.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Ferhad wanders through the deserts and mountains of Persia calling Shirin’s
name and makes sculptures on the rock Behistun.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: Khusro tells Ferhad he may have Shirin if he cuts through rock so that a stream
can flow through from the other side of the mountains.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Ferhad nearly completes the task before Khusro sends him false news of Shirin’s
death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: After hearing the false news, Ferhad throws himself from the top of the rock
and dies.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: Khusro is killed violently by his son, who then proposes marriage to Shirin.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: Shirin asks to see Khusro’s corpse, then stabs herself with a dagger and falls
dead across his body.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: The passage describes small scarlet tulips growing on barren Persian hillsides
and mountain passes among dust and stones.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:12
text: The passage reports a tradition that the poem was sent to the King of Golconda.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ferhad
description: A humble lover of Shirin who wanders in deserts and mountains, carves
at Behistun, attempts to cut through rock for Shirin, and dies after false news
of her death.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Shirin
description: A woman identified variously as Mary, Irene, Roman and Christian, or
daughter of Emperor Maurice; wife of Khusro Parwiz; beloved of Ferhad; later kills
herself across Khusro’s body.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:10
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Khusro Parwiz
description: King who came to the Persian throne in A.D. 591, husband of Shirin,
conqueror of Jerusalem in the Persian account, setter of Ferhad’s task, sender
of false news, and later victim of violent death by his son.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Khusro’s son
description: The son who violently kills Khusro Parwiz and then proposes marriage
to Shirin.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Emperor Maurice
description: Named in Turkish and Persian accounts as Shirin’s father.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: King of Golconda
description: A king to whom, according to a reported tradition, the poem was sent.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
roles:
- id: role:1
label: humble lover
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ferhad is called Shirin’s humble lover and is said to have her heart.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: beloved wife
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Shirin is wife of Khusro and the beloved of Ferhad.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: king and husband
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Khusro Parwiz is described as Persian king and husband of Shirin.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: deceptive rival
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Khusro sets Ferhad a task for Shirin and sends false news of Shirin’s death
before Ferhad completes it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: task-performing suitor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ferhad undertakes the rock-cutting task to gain Shirin.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: self-killing widow
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: After seeing Khusro’s corpse, Shirin stabs herself and falls across his body.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: parricide suitor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Khusro’s son kills his father and seeks to marry his father’s widow.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:8
label: named father in tradition
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Some accounts say Shirin was daughter of Emperor Maurice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:9
label: reported royal recipient
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: A tradition says the poem was sent to the King of Golconda.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: true Cross
literal_form: The true Cross enclosed in a gold box and buried in the ground, then
carried off from Jerusalem by Khusro in the Persian account.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: gold box
literal_form: A gold box enclosing the true Cross before it was carried off.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: deserts and mountains of Persia
literal_form: Deserts and mountains through which Ferhad wanders calling Shirin’s
name.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: rock Behistun
literal_form: The rock on which Ferhad makes sculptures while longing for Shirin.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: rock-cut passage for stream
literal_form: A cut through the rock meant to let a stream flow through from the
other side of the mountains.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: false news of death
literal_form: The message sent to Ferhad falsely announcing Shirin’s death.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: sym:7
label: dagger
literal_form: The dagger Shirin draws before stabbing herself.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:8
label: scarlet tulip on barren hillside
literal_form: Small scarlet tulips growing on barren Persian hillsides and mountain
passes among dust and stones.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Accounts of Shirin’s identity
summary: The note reports variant identifications of Shirin in Greek, Turkish, and
Persian accounts.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Khusro carries off the true Cross
summary: Khusro Parwiz conquers Jerusalem in the Persian account and carries off
the buried true Cross enclosed in a gold box.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Ferhad’s wandering and carving
summary: Ferhad, unable to reach Shirin because of her rank, wanders through deserts
and mountains calling her name and carves sculptures on Behistun.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: The rock-cutting task
summary: Khusro promises to relinquish Shirin if Ferhad cuts through rock to bring
a stream through the mountain; Ferhad nearly completes the task.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: False report and Ferhad’s death
summary: Khusro sends false news of Shirin’s death, and Ferhad throws himself from
the top of the rock and dies.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Shirin’s death at Khusro’s corpse
summary: After Khusro is killed by his son, Shirin secures permission to see his
corpse, draws a dagger, kills herself, and falls across the body.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:7
label: Scarlet tulips on barren Persian heights
summary: The note describes tiny scarlet tulips growing like jewels among dust and
stones on a barren Persian hillside and mountain pass.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: tragic lovers separated by rank and marriage
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Shirin is wife of Khusro, has given her heart to Ferhad, and Ferhad despairs
of reaching her because of her higher rank.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not use the term stolen beloved; the taxonomy reference
is approximate because the beloved is inaccessible through rank and marriage rather
than explicitly stolen.
- id: motif:2
label: impossible task to win the beloved
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Khusro tells Ferhad he may have Shirin if he cuts through rock to bring a
stream through the mountains, and Ferhad nearly completes the task.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: No specific taxonomy reference among the supplied motif families directly
matches this task pattern.
- id: motif:3
label: false death report causing the lover’s death
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Khusro sends Ferhad false news of Shirin’s death; after hearing it, Ferhad
throws himself from the top of the rock and dies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as part of a legend but does not provide a broader
comparative frame.
- id: motif:4
label: self-killing at the beloved or spouse’s corpse
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: Shirin asks to see Khusro’s corpse, draws a dagger, stabs herself, and falls
dead across his body.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is cautious; the passage describes self-killing
but does not explicitly frame it as ritual sacrifice.
- id: motif:5
label: sacred relic carried off after conquest
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_theft
basis: Khusro is said to conquer Jerusalem and carry off the true Cross, which had
been enclosed in a gold box and buried.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage says the Cross was carried off, but does not explicitly characterize
the act as theft.
- id: motif:6
label: flower on barren hillside as striking image
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The note dwells on scarlet tulips shining among dust and stones on barren
Persian hillsides and mountain passes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: This is an imagistic symbol in the note rather than a narrative motif.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 3646-3646
quote_or_summary: "“The loves of Ferhad and Shirin are famous in Persian legend.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3647-3652
quote_or_summary: Shirin is called Mary or Irene; Greek accounts describe her as
Roman and Christian; Turkish and Persian accounts say she was daughter of Emperor
Maurice and wife of Khusro Parwiz, who came to the Persian throne in A.D. 591.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 3652-3655
quote_or_summary: Khusro Parwiz is said to have conquered Jerusalem and carried
off the true Cross, enclosed in a gold box and buried in the ground.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3655-3657
quote_or_summary: Khusro is devoted to Shirin, but Shirin has given her heart to
her humble lover Ferhad.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3657-3661
quote_or_summary: Ferhad despairs of reaching Shirin because of her high rank, wanders
through Persian deserts and mountains calling her name, and carves sculptures
on the rock Behistun.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 3661-3664
quote_or_summary: The King tells Ferhad that if he cuts through the rock and brings
a stream through from the other side of the mountains, he will relinquish Shirin
to him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 3664-3666
quote_or_summary: Ferhad begins the task and nearly completes it when Khusro sends
false news of Shirin’s death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 3666-3667
quote_or_summary: On hearing the false report, Ferhad throws himself from the top
of the rock and dies.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 3667-3669
quote_or_summary: Khusro Parwiz is put to violent death by his son, who then proposes
marriage to his father’s widow.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 3669-3672
quote_or_summary: Shirin promises marriage if allowed to see her husband’s corpse;
when led to it, she draws a dagger, stabs herself, and falls dead across his body.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 3673-3674
quote_or_summary: The note describes little scarlet tulips on barren Persian hillsides
and mountain passes, shining like jewels among dust and stones.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: line 3675
quote_or_summary: A tradition says this poem was sent to the King of Golconda.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/poems-from-divan-of-hafiz-bell.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Narrative figures and events are explicit in the passage. Motif labeling
is cautious because the passage is a translator’s note summarizing a legend and
supplied taxonomy terms only partly match the patterns.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Comparison claims left empty because the passage does not itself establish a comparative-mythology claim beyond reporting variant accounts and Persian legendary status.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-hafiz-divan-bell-gutenberg__l3646-l3675
passage_sha256=2c7fd69a65c85335f4868f02af44e658a90aa8d0a373a1ef0353789ac1a26f20