شاهنامه آخرش خوشه

Persian

Alternative forms

• شاهنامه آخرش خوش است (šâhnâme âxareš xoš ast)

Etymology

Literally means “the end of Shahnameh is the pleasant part”. Several etymological theories exist:

• The end of Shahnameh is about Muslim invasion of Persia, death of Rostam Farrokhzād and Yazdegerd III, and collapse of the Sassanian Persian Empire; so it is a sarcastic idiom. The end of the story of Rustam, a major story of the work, is tragic, too.
• According to Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodooshan, it is not sarcastic, and it refers to the work's “core story”, that is, the war between Iran and Turan, and the eventual Iranian victory. However, this story is in the middle of Shahnameh.
• Another explanation is that it does not refer to the stories of Shahnameh, but the legendary story about Ferdowsi himself and the unexpected behaviour of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni with him after he finished composing the work.
• There is an old tradition and ceremony between some Persian-speakers, called Shahnameh-Khani, or naqqali (نقالی) (recitation of Shahnameh). The idiom may refer to the rejoicing after full recitation of the poem.

Idiom

شاهنامه آخرش خوشه • (šâhnâme âxareš xoš-e)

1. don't judge early: things may unexpectedly end in a bad way; he who laughs last laughs best

Usage notes

Used when someone is insisting on doing an unwise deed.