Breakdown of روزگار ظالم پایدار مباد!
ظالمzâlem
cruel
پایدارpâydâr
lasting / stable (firm, steadfast)
روزگارruzgâr
times / era / days (fate, the world)
مبادmabâd
Questions & Answers about روزگار ظالم پایدار مباد!
How exactly is mabâd functioning at the end of this sentence?
mabâd is the negative form of the defective optative verb bâd (may it be). It translates to "may it not be." It's a frozen, historical form used in modern Farsi almost exclusively to express a strong wish, prayer, or curse. You don't conjugate it; it just drops into the end of the sentence.
Is roozegâr-e zâlem acting as the full subject here, and why isn't there an ezâfe after zâlem?
Yes, roozegâr-e zâlem (the era/days of the oppressor) is the complete subject. There is no ezâfe after zâlem because pâyedâr (enduring) does not modify the oppressor. Instead, pâyedâr is the predicate adjective describing the days. The structure is basically: [The days of the oppressor] + [enduring] + [may they not be].
If we changed the subject to be plural, like "the oppressors," would mabâd need to be conjugated differently?
No. Because mabâd (and its affirmative counterpart bâd) are invariant historical forms, they are frozen in the 3rd-person singular. Whether you are cursing one oppressor's era or a plural subject, mabâd stays exactly the same.
I know rooz means "day." How does the suffix -gâr change the meaning in roozegâr?
The suffix -gâr often attaches to words to indicate agency or a broader relationship. When attached to rooz, it expands the meaning from a single 24-hour day to a broader concept of time, translating to "era," "age," "times," or even "fate." Here, it refers to the oppressor's time in power.