The passage of pure-hearted Siavash through the fire took place on Bahram Shid—the final Tuesday of the year—and this day was, for Iranians, a symbol of the ultimate victory of goodness in the world.

A poem in praise of fire, and wishes of joy for Chaharshanbe Suri

Thus spoke the third Saoshyant (1):

O Azar Gushnasp (2),
sit upon the mane of my horse,
so that with the radiant light of truth and Asha (3)
we may reclaim the world from darkness and falsehood
and bring love
down upon the material world (4).

Let me blaze,
like you, rising toward Him,
like the one cleansed of impurity at Bahram Shid (5).

Pass through my soul,
or I shall pass through your heart. (6)

O undying, smokeless fire,
O proud banner of my luminous history,
how beautiful your form
when you seek the heights.

No created being in the world
is as near as you
to that endless light.
And this is why we
are attendants of you,
and worshippers of Him.

Then, O guardian of eternal glory,
tell the foul-rited Azi Dahakas:
the seed of us Iranians is of fire!

Remain within me, so that
cold and darkness find no way
into my being;
remain with me, so that you may be
the distinction between the light of consciousness
and the Ahriman of death and falsehood.

I am that Ahurian light made manifest,
rising upward, burning
in this flame within.

For only by burning in this light
shall I bring light
to the world and to human souls.

When the eternal radiance of the light of consciousness
begins to shine
in the hearts of your children,
thousands upon thousands
will blaze from this fire
and countless will shine
with the radiance of your endless light.

O Love,
O warmth of soul and world,
O light that has drawn its radiance
from the boundless brightness of the Light of Lights (7).

Prometheus (8) was chained not by wrath
but by the fear of the gods:
fear of your rebellious, upward-striving nature.

Remain within me, for if you depart,
my soul will turn toward cold and darkness.

Become one with my soul forever,
so that you may be the distinction
between me and the gods.

Aydin Areta

1) The final child of Zarathustra and the saviour of the world.

2) Azar Gushnasp: the fire said to have descended upon the mane of the horse of Kay Khosrow, son of Siavash, illuminating the dark world. Kay Khosrow took it and founded the fire temple of Azar Gushnasp.

3) Asha: the highest truth governing the world, corresponding to the principle of truth and right order.

4) The material world.

5) Siavash’s passage through the fire is said here to have taken place at Bahram Shid, on the final Tuesday of the year.

6) A reference to Siavash’s passage through the fire.

7) The Light of Lights: the highest light of the world, presented here as an embodiment of Ahura Mazda.

8) Prometheus: the Titan who, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to human beings to free them from the injustice of the gods, and for this act was chained on Mount Olympus to suffer a painful punishment until the end of the world.