Correction of a couplet from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh Based on an Ancient Proverb

Various editions of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh have been attempted over the past two hundred years to bring the epic closer to what Ferdowsi originally penned. Despite these efforts, the valuable verses, numerous appended couplets, and various other flaws persist in this epic masterpiece. The absence of ancient manuscripts emphasizes the need to consider alternative methods in correcting Shahnameh. One such approach is self-correction, considering elements such as similes, metaphors, interpretations, and their equivalents. This method can rectify many discrepancies. In this article, the second hemistich of the couplet “kherad chon shaved kehtar-e kam o rashk /Chonan dan ke divane khanad pezeshk (When wisdom becomes less than desire and envy, know it like a physician who considers someone insane)” is corrected and analyzed based on the proverb “Hasad [rashk] dardist bi-darman (Envy is an incurable pain)” and the recurrence of this proverb in other verses of Shahnameh and Persian literary texts, presented as “Chonan dan ke daroo na-danad pezeshk (Know that, like a physician who does not know the remedy)”.