Rostam and Sohrab

Rostam and Sohrab is a tragedy from the Persian epic Shahnameh. It tells the tragic story of the heroes Rostam and his son, Sohrab.

Plot

Rostam decides to go hunting one day on his horse Rakhsh. He hunts near Turan, near the city of Samengan. While he is napping, seven knights of Turan discover Rakhsh and decide to take him for themselves. He kills one and tramples another, but is taken by the rest.

When Rostam wakes up, he discovers his horse is missing. He follows the hoofprints to the city. The King and the nobles meet him and ask him why he's on foot. He tells them what happened. The King of Samengan asks Rostam to stay with him until he finds his horse. Rostam stays with the king and that night, Tahmineh, daughter of the King comes to his bedroom and swears her love for him. She tells him that she has heard of him and tells him that "Desire destroys my mind, I long to bear/Within my woman's womb your son and heir;" (shahnameh, Tale of Sohrab, pg. 189). Rostam sleeps with her and gives her a "clasp which he wore on his upper arm" (pg. 189) and tells her to give it to her child to wear. The next day Rostam finds his horse, thanks the king, and leaves.

Nine months later, Tahmineh has a son, whom she names Sohrab. When he is one month old, he looks like a one-year-old. At 3, he plays polo and when he is five, he knows archery and the javelin. Sohrab demands his mother tell him who his father is. She shows him a letter that Rostam sent and tells him that Afrasyab must know nothing of it, and if Rostam hears how he's grown, he'd summon him to his court and her heart would break. The son wants the world to know who he is, and demands to fight with Afrasyab on the march to Turan and seize the throne.

See also

*Shahnameh
*Rostam
*Sohrab

External links

* "Rostam and Sohrab", by Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi Tousi, translated into English by Helen Zimmern ( [http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/shahnameh/08rostam_sohrab.php Iran Chamber Society] ).
*"Shahnameh", by Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi, the complete work (64 Epics), in Persian ( [http://www.parstech.org/detail.php?id=1261 ParsTech] ). This work can be freely downloaded (File size, compiled in the form of an HTML Help File: 1.4 MB).
* [http://www.theshahnameh.com The story of Rostam's Epic Battle against Sohrab]
* [http://www.iranian.com/Nostalgia/2000/December/rostam.html Rostam & Sohrab]
* [http://www.afarzaneh.com/article.htm Summary and analysis of the story of Rostam and Sohrab (in Persian)]
* "Rostam and Sohrab", a Tajikistani film production, 1991, in Tajiki/Dari (Persian)/Persian, "YouTube":
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-eNVrH7d_4&feature=related Part 1] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A1g44mjFBk&feature=related Part 2] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSw3lRonWYU&feature=related Part 3] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7k89UdfBfc&feature=related Part 4] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PMV9RSgI68&feature=related Part 5] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEt560_NO5c&feature=related Part 6] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GskqonzlWU&feature=related Part 7] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8_bX5OUZvw&feature=related Part 8] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCy--GlnVAw&feature=related Part 9] , [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFO7WQwESKA&feature=related Part 10] .