زرد

In Persian poetry زرد is often tied to پاییز (autumn) and to خزان (khazân, fading). Hafez, Saadi, and the modern poet Forough Farrokhzad all use زرد برگ (yellow leaf) as a stand-in for grief, age, lost love, or the body breaking down. In classical usage a زرد face signals illness, fear, grief or shame. There is also the idiom "رنگش پرید" (rangash parid, "his color flew") which is paired with زرد in describing fear or shock. On a less heavy note, زرد names Tehran taxis (تاکسی زرد) and a sweet rice dish (شله‌زرد, shole-zard, a saffron rice pudding served at religious ceremonies).