The Shahnameh, an EPIC poem, is not only a masterpiece
of Persian literature but also an important
work for Persian national identity. It was
written in the 10th century, after three centuries of
Arab yoke, when Persian nationalism was slowly
reviving.
The Shahnameh, was created by Ab¯u ol-Q¯asem
Mans¯ur, later known as FIRDAWS¯I, a highly educated
Persian intellectual who lived in the late 10th and
early 11th centuries. In the text of the Shahnameh,
Firdaws¯ı repeatedly emphasizes that his role as author
is minor, that all he did was versify the myths
and narratives of the ORAL LITERATURE/TRADITION
of his people.Yet his accomplishment is profound.
The Shahnameh contains approximately 50,000
couplets that contain multiple stories and a host
of heroes.
The first two-thirds of the Shahnameh include
ancient myths, legends, and historical figures, such
as Alexander the Great, dating back to the sixth
century B.C. The last third of the poem contains
fictionalized stories about historical people, kingdoms,
and events, including the Parthian and Sassanian
dynasties, ending around the middle of the
A.D. seventh century.
The Shahnameh’s themes are as varied as its stories.
They include fate, immortality, filicide, and
God’s preference for Persia (modern-day Iran)
above other nations. Indeed, the poem ends when,
in 652, Persia’s ruler, Shah Yazdegerd III, is killed.
The theme that holds all of the stories together
concerns the Persian belief in the role of kings; as
long as the kings survive, so does Persia.
Many of the characters in the Shahnameh are
ancient Persian heroes—generals and commanders
who defended the country against its enemies.
In vivid and eloquent verse, Firdawzi tells of a multitude
of battles and other challenges to Persian
sovereignty.His central character is Rostam, called
Jahan-Pahlavan (“Champion of the World”), the
guardian of the divine right of kingship in Persia
and a symbol of the king’s sovereignty.
Perhaps the most compelling story in the
Shahnameh is “The Story of Sohrab and Rostam,”
in which Rostam kills his son Sohrab for assaulting
the ruling shah (king). The story is fast-paced,
with battles, romance, and inherent conflicts. In
addition, the tragic scene in which Rostam realizes
the wrongness of what he has done is one of
the most poignant scenes ever written in verse.
When Rostam removes Sohrab’s armor and discovers
the man he has mortally wounded is his
son, he says:
“Oh, brave and noble youth, and praised
among
All men, whom I have slain with my own
hand!”
He wept a bloody stream and tore his hair;
His brow was dark with dust, tears filled his
eyes.
Sohrab then said, “But this is even worse.
You must not fill your eyes with tears. For
now
It does not good to slay yourself with grief.
What’s happened here is what was meant
to be.”
(“The Death of Sohrab,” ll. 71–78)
Thus, Sohrab’s death underscores the poem’s
theme of God-chosen rulers. By attacking the
shah, Sohrab goes against the “natural order” of
the world; in turn, Rostam goes against the same
when he kills his own son. Yet none can deny that
the king Sohrab attacked continues to live for a
reason: It is God’s will.
Yet another important aspect of the Shahnameh
is its language. In the 10th century, when the epic
was written, the dominant language of literature
and culture was Arabic. Persian was deeply affected
by this dominance, and more and more Arabic
words were entering the Persian language. In his
epic, Firdawzi made a conscious effort to avoid
words of Arabic origin, using Middle and Modern
Persian instead.
The only complete English translation of the
Shahnameh was published in 1925 by Arthur
George and Edmond Warner, while Reuben Levy
wrote a prose translation of select verses in 1967,
titled The Epic of the Kings. The Shahnameh, written
in rich, expressive language, is considered to
be a great masterpiece of world literature and the
embodiment of the Persian national spirit.
English Versions of the Shahnameh
The Epic of the Kings; Shah-nama, the National Epic
of Persia. Translated by Reuben Levy. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1967.
Robinson, B.W. Persian Book of Kings: An Epitome of
the Shahnama of Firdawsi. London: Taylor & Francis,
2002.
The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam from the Persian
National Epic, the Shahname of Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi.
Translated by Jerome W. Clinton. Seattle:
University of Washington Press, 1996.
Works about the Shahnameh
Davidson, Olga M. Poet and Hero in the Persian Book of
Kings. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1994.
Davis, Dick. Epic and Sedition: The Case of Firdawzi’s
Shahname. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas
Press, 1992.
Hillenbrand, Robert. Shahnama: The Visual Language
of the Persian Book of Kings. Aldershot, Hampshire,
U.K.: Ashgate Publishing, 2003.