New Naqqali MangaIssue 4 · Rostam and Sohrab, Part Three: The TragedyNew Naqqali MangaIssue 4 · Rostam and Sohrab, Part Three: The Tragedy
Cover: Rostam on Rakhsh and young Sohrab on his dark bay face each other on a narrow field at dawn, with a faint armlet in the sky between them. New Naqqali, Issue 4: Rostam and Sohrab, Part Three: The Tragedy.
What is New Naqqali? A note on the naqqal, the Persian coffeehouse storyteller, and how to read this issue.
Contents of the eight sections, and Previously: Zhendeh Razm, Hajir and the hidden banner, and Rostam’s denial.
The cast: Rostam, Sohrab, Tahmineh, Kay Kavus, Gudarz, Zavareh, Zal and Rudabeh.
Map: the plain below the White Fortress, the road home to Zabul, and Samangan.
A Narrow Field, Hard-Packed.
They chose a narrow field, hard-packed and tight,
And drove short spears together in the fight.
Colour page. Sparks Like Lightning.
Then wheeling round, with Indian blades they closed,
And sparks like lightning from their weapons rose.
The Bargostvans Fell and Tore. Wearied to the Bone.
Their horses’ bargostvans all fell and tore,
While jowshans ripped beneath the blows they bore.
At length they parted, wearied to the bone,
The father in grief, his son with courage flown.
Colour page. The Gur-e-Khars Know Their Own Young.
The Gur-e-Khars, the fish beneath the foam,
Know their own young, however far they roam.
This Youth Has Made Me Doubt. They Loosed Their Arrows. They Seized Each Other's Belt.
Compared with this, the White Div’s fight was light;
This youth has made me doubt my former might.
Their steeds refreshed, their bows restrung for war,
They wheeled and loosed their arrows as before.
With troubled hearts, they seized each other’s belt,
And grappled hard beneath the strain they felt.
Rooted to the Ground. He Struck the Hero's Shoulder. Old Age Is on Your Head.
He loosed the girdle, stunned by what he found,
And stared at Sohrab, rooted to the ground.
He struck the hero’s shoulder, gorz in hand,
Yet Rostam bore the pain and still could stand.
Though cypress-tall, old age is on your head;
Youth makes an old man foolish in its stead.”
Each Turned Away. Leopard-Like, He Scattered Them. Wolf-Like, He Scattered Every Rank.
Each, humbled by the other, turned away,
Troubled in heart and spirit from the fray.
Then Rostam, leopard-like, attacked their side,
And scattered Turanian troops both far and wide.
Wolf-like, he scattered every rank alike,
And none could stand before his deadly strike.
Kavus Shall Suffer from This Youth. Amid the Shattered Ranks. Bloodthirsty Turk!.
Then Rostam’s heart grew dark with inward dread;
“Kavus shall suffer from this youth,” he said.
He saw Sohrab amid the shattered dead,
The earth beneath him ruby-dark and red.
Then Rostam, raging like a lion, cried:
“Bloodthirsty Turk! Whom have you now defied?
Tomorrow's Sword. The Heavens Stood Astonished. His Waist Chafed Sore.
“The day grows dark,” said Rostam. “Night is near;
Tomorrow’s sword will make the outcome clear.
They parted, and the face of air grew dim;
The heavens stood astonished over him.
Dark night had fallen as he reached his tent,
His waist chafed sore by iron battles spent.
What Did That Daring Rider Say?. Though Old, He Seems a Lion. To Wage the Whole War Single-Handed.
What did that daring rider say to you,
With lion’s claws and champions’ bearing too?
Though old, he seems a lion fierce and dire;
Of war and combat he can never tire.
He seemed as though from drunkenness awake,
To wage the whole war single-handed for its sake.
What Use Was That to Me?. The Wolf from Sheep Shall Stand Revealed. Bring the Wine Tonight.
While you did nothing more than stand and see;
None came to aid; what use was that to me?
Tomorrow dawns the great day of the fight;
The wolf from sheep shall stand revealed to sight.
Now spread the board and bring the wine tonight,
And wash the grief from every heart with delight.”
How Did That Youth Set Foot in Combat?. The Helmet Flew. Save Piltan, None Stood Equal.
He asked, “How did that battle-testing youth
Set foot in combat today? Tell me the truth.”
His curving gorz crashed hard against his breast;
The helmet flew beneath that savage test.
No champion there could rise to match his might;
Save Piltan, none stood equal in the fight.
Beneath Him Pranced His Battle-Horse. He Placed His Seat Beside the Throne. He Reaches Toward the Stars.
From side to side he thundered in his course;
Beneath him proudly pranced his battle-horse.”
The Shah beheld the Pahlevan draw near,
And placed his seat beside the throne, held dear.
He reaches toward the stars with towering height;
The earth can scarcely hold his form upright.
I Seized the Leather Girdle. Tomorrow We Shall Wrestle. I Shall Bow Before the Maker.
I seized the leather girdle at his side,
And all my strength against the binding tried.
Tomorrow we shall meet once more and try
Our strength in single wrestling, he and I.
Tonight before the Maker I shall bow,
And press my face upon the earth in vow,
Deep in His Thoughts. How Went Today's Fight?. Bring Forth My Standard and Golden Boots.
Back to his camp the Pahlevan withdrew,
Deep in his thoughts, with vengeance still in view.
Then Zavareh came near with wounded heart:
“How went today’s fight for you from the start?”
Bring forth my army, standard, throne of state,
And golden boots; have everything await.
Seek No New Battle If You Find Me Dead. Do Not Bind Your Heart to Mine. I Slew the Lion, Div and Leopard.
Let not one man ride out to take my stead;
Seek no new battle if you find me dead.
Tell her: ‘Do not bind your heart to mine,
Nor grieve forever after my decline.
I slew the lion, Div, the leopard strong,
And brought the nahang low through battles long.
Who Sets His Foot in Stirrup. Remember Lofty Jamshid. Tell Dastan This Counsel.
Who sets his foot in stirrup to depart
Has knocked at death’s own door before the start.
Remember lofty Jamshid’s royal height,
And Tahmuras, who bound the Divs in might.
Then tell Dastan this counsel from his son:
‘Turn not away from Iran’s sovereign one.
Colour page. The Other Half in Sleep.
Half of the night was spent on Sohrab’s tale;
The other half in sleep beneath night’s veil.
A Dragon Fierce and Fleet. Two Farsangs Between the Armies. As Though One Hand Had Shaped Us Both.
He mounted Rakhsh, a dragon fierce and fleet,
Whose fury shook the earth beneath his feet.
Two farsangs lay between each army’s place;
No warrior dared to cross the empty space.
In shoulder, arm, and breast we seem the same,
As though one hand had shaped us both in frame.
My Mother Spoke of Signs. I Fear to Strike. Nor Leaves the Selfsame Print.
My mother spoke of signs that I now see;
They rise again and stand revealed to me.
I fear to strike; what if this man should be
The one my mother named with tears to me?
Nor leaves the selfsame print upon the ground;
In hoof and gait, true Rakhsh is not so found.”
His Heart the Feast's Delight. He Came to Rostam Smiling. Feast Together, Side by Side.
Sohrab put on his khaftan for the fight;
His head held war, his heart the feast’s delight.
He came to Rostam smiling, free of guile,
As though last night they shared the feast awhile.
Come, let us leave this battlefield aside,
And feast together, seated side by side.
Shame Wets My Face. Are You Not Rostam?. Steady, Cold, and Clear.
My heart turns toward you with a strange accord;
Shame wets my face before I lift the sword.
Are you not Rostam, sprung from Zal’s great line,
Whose glory through the ages still shall shine?”
Then Rostam answered, steady, cold, and clear:
“You speak too boldly of a name you hear.
I Stand for Combat. Sohrab's Face Grew Hard.
I stand for combat, firm in what I do;
The end shall show what fate has set for you.
Then Sohrab’s face grew hard, his voice grew cold:
“You have rejected all that I have told.
They Tied Their Steeds to Stones. Like Lions Locked in Strain.
They tied their battle-steeds to stones nearby,
Their hearts oppressed beneath the open sky.
They grappled then like lions locked in strain,
Their bodies pressed in fury and in pain.
A Cry That Shook the Battleground. He Hurled Him to the Ground.
He gave a cry that shook the battleground;
It seemed earth’s face had split beneath the sound.
He raised the hero, hurled him to the ground,
With all his mighty weight and force profound.
Colour page. The Water-Blue Khanjar.
Then Sohrab drew his water-blue khanjar bright,
Prepared to sever Rostam’s head outright.
One Fall Alone Gives No Man Leave. The Young Man Bowed. Where Antelope Went Crossing.
One fall alone gives no man leave to kill;
A second throw must prove the victor still.
The young man bowed to what the elder said,
And took the words as truth within his head.
He turned away into the desert wide,
Where antelope went crossing at his side,
Houman Came to His Tent. Now Freed, Will Rise Again. Houman Gave Up Hope.
After a time came Houman to his tent,
And questioned him on how the combat went.
The lion you had held within your hand,
Now freed, will rise again and make his stand.
He spoke; then Houman gave up hope for him,
And stood amazed, his heart with sorrow dim.
His Neck Beneath the Yoke. He Sought a Running Stream.
He will return, and then you all shall see
His neck beneath the yoke imposed by me.”
He sought a running stream with weary tread,
Like one whose soul returned to one thought dead.
Colour page. What Sun and Moon Designed.
He did not know what sun and moon designed,
Nor what the hidden portion they assigned.
His Feet Sank Deep in Stone. Strength Returned, and Grew. Like a Mad Elephant.
Men say the Maker gave him strength so great,
His feet sank deep in stone beneath his weight.
Pure Yazdan heard, and strength returned, and grew;
His limbs regained the mighty force they knew.
Like a mad elephant Sohrab charged the foe,
Kamand on arm, and in his hand his bow.
You Slipped Alive from My Grasp. While Hostile Fortune Wheeled. As Though Heaven Had Bound His Arms.
“You slipped alive from my lion’s grasp;
Why come again where these same hands can clasp?
They tied their steeds while hostile fortune wheeled,
And doom above them shaped what fate concealed.
Sohrab’s strength seemed fettered in the fight,
As though high heaven had bound his arms outright.
He Seized Him by the Neck. Rostam Dashed Sohrab upon Earth. He Drew His Khanjar.
Then Rostam, troubled, seized him by the neck,
The warlike nahang, holding him in check.
Then like a lion striking down its prey,
Rostam dashed Sohrab upon earth that day.
He knew the youth would rise if left alive,
And drew his khanjar lest he should revive.
A Bitter Sigh. You Bear No Guilt. I Die Without One Sight of Him.
Sohrab writhed and breathed a bitter sigh,
Then left all thought of good and ill to die.
You bear no guilt; crooked Time’s command
Raised me, then struck me down with its own hand.
My quest is vain; in vain my labor wrought;
I die without one sight of him I sought.
My Father Still Would Rise. He Lay There Senseless.
Or like a star beyond all mortal sight,
My father still would rise to avenge my plight.
He fell upon the ground in stunned despair,
And lay there senseless, stripped of strength and care.
Colour page. I Am That Rostam.
“I am that Rostam; let my name depart;
No warrior speak it when my life shall part.
He Tore His Hair. If You Are Rostam. This Came from Your Father.
He tore his hair and raged in anguish wild,
While near him lay the stricken, dying child.
“If you are Rostam, then you struck me dead,
By harshness and blind anger you were led.
‘This came from your father; guard it well,
And see what use its hidden sign may tell.’
Colour page. He Saw the Sign.
Rostam undid the khaftan, saw the sign,
Then tore his clothes, undone by grief’s design.
He Cast Dust on His Head. The Deed Is Done. Both Horses Standing in the Plain. Rostam Is Not Found!.
He tore his hair and cast dust on his head;
His face ran wet with tears for one near dead.
What profit lies in grief that comes too late?
The deed is done; this was the hand of fate.”
They found both horses standing in the plain,
Dust-covered, waiting by the field of pain.
“The field lies silent; Rostam is not found!”
A cry of grief and terror spread around.
Let the Buq and Koust Ring Loud. Let Not One of Them Now Fall. How Could I Know?.
Then Kavus bade the buq and koust ring loud,
And summoned Tus as dread swept through the crowd.
They trusted me and followed at my call;
Let not a single one of them now fall.
How could I know, renowned and mighty one,
My father’s hand would end his very son?
Let No Vengeance Strike His Head. I Came Like Lightning; Now Like Wind I Fly. He Mounted Rakhsh.
Find him, but let no vengeance strike his head;
Let not my death bring further bloodshed.
I came like lightning; now like wind I fly;
So brief the road that carried me to die.
He mounted Rakhsh, his face with anguish stained,
Cold sighs upon his lips, his heart blood-drained.
They Bowed Face to Ground. His Own Right Hand Had Wounded His Own Son. Seek No More War.
The Iranians saw him and bowed face to ground,
Their foreheads pressed to earth in ranks around.
He told the dreadful wonder he had done:
His own right hand had wounded his own son.
Seek no more war with Turan on this plain;
The evil I have done today is enough pain.”
In Old Age I Have Slain My Very Heir. The Sword of Vengeance Sheathed. Zavareh Went Across the Plain.
In old age I have slain my very heir,
And cut the root of one so young and fair.
He sent to Houman then this stern command:
“The sword of vengeance sheathed shall firmly stand.
He gave to Houman Rostam’s message whole,
And spoke each word entrusted to his soul.
Hajir Concealed the Chief. The World Went Dark with Grief. The Nobles Pulled Hajir from Death.
Then Houman answered: “One man caused this blight:
Hajir concealed the chief from Sohrab’s sight.
Rostam stood stunned; the world went dark with grief,
And anguish surged through him without relief.
The nobles crowded close with urgent plea,
And pulled Hajir from death and set him free.
Tus, Gudarz, Gostaham Approached. The Chiefs Clung Fast. Who Lives Forever Here?.
The chiefs went with him, sorrow in each face:
Tus, Gudarz, Gostaham approached the place.
The chiefs clung fast and held the hero tight,
While blood-like tears ran down before his sight.
But if the youth must leave this mortal sphere,
Look through the world; who lives forever here?
Companions Part at Last. Tell Kavus All the Grief I Bear. The Nush-Daru.
Whether the road be long or swiftly crossed,
Companions part at last, and all is lost.”
Go swiftly now and carry what I say;
Tell Kavus all the grief I bear today.
Within your treasury you keep in store
The nush-daru that heals the deepest sore.
Gudarz Sped Like Wind. Together They Would Strike My Fortunes Down. Who Is Kavus to Me?.
Then Gudarz sped like wind to bear the word,
And told to Kavus all that he had heard.
He then would rise, his father’s strength to crown;
Together they would strike my fortunes down.
You heard him cry, ‘Who is Kavus to me?
If he is Shah, then what can Tus still be?’
I Would Be Dust Within Their Hands. Who Feeds His Enemy. Bitter Fruit.
If such a son should live beside his sire,
I would be dust within their hands entire.
Who feeds his enemy and lets him thrive
Spreads an evil name while still alive.”
“The Shah’s ill nature like colocynth grows;
Forever bitter fruit its branch bestows.
You Must Go Yourself. On Silken Bed. A Coffin, Not a Palace.
You must go yourself before the king,
And light his darkened soul with what you bring.”
They laid the wounded youth on silken bed,
Then Rostam hastened back to where he bled.
“Sohrab has left the wide world for the grave;
A coffin, not a palace, does he crave.”
Colour page. He Cast Dust on His Head.
He sprang from Rakhsh and cast dust on his head,
His helmet cast aside beside the dead.
A Peerless Warrior. Has Any Man Endured a Grief Like Mine?. What Shall I Say to Her?.
He said: “O youth, exalted in your birth,
A peerless warrior walking on this earth,
Has any man endured a grief like mine,
To slay his son in age’s late decline?
What shall I say to her who bore this son?
What words can tell her what my hand has done?
The Mother Left Behind. He Grew Like Cypress.
And what of her, the mother left behind?
What grief will seize her heart, what torment bind?
He grew like cypress, set his heart on war,
And turned my day to darkness evermore.”
Veil the Face. The Whole Army Cast Dust.
He bade them bring rich brocade for the dead,
And veil the face from which all life had fled.
The whole army cast dust upon each head,
And mourned the cypress lying cold and dead.
Colour page. They Set the Royal Pavilion Aflame.
They set the royal pavilion aflame,
And fed the fire with splendor in his name.
Woe for Your Strength. I Uprooted the Garden's Cypress. They Sat Beside Him.
Woe for your strength, your wisdom, and your grace!
Woe for your form, your stature, and your face!
What will the chiefs say when this tale is known?
I uprooted the garden’s cypress, fully grown.”
The warriors of Kavus gathered round,
And sat beside him mourning on the ground.
One Hand of Heaven Holds the Crown. We Crumble into Clay. The Turning Sphere Sweeps All.
One hand of heaven holds the crown on high;
The other, the kamand for those who fly.
Though thoughts of treasure lengthen day by day,
We turn at last and crumble into clay.
“From Alborz’ peak to leaf upon the reed,
The turning sphere sweeps all, and pays no heed.
How Long Will Grief Consume You?. Yet Houman Waits. I Now Forgo All Vengeance.
What remedy remains? What can you do?
How long will grief consume the life in you?”
Then Rostam said: “My Sohrab’s day is done;
Yet Houman waits beneath the setting sun.
Your grief has filled my heart; I now forgo
All vengeance on the men who brought us woe.”
The Mourning Band. Before the Bier. They Shattered the Kousts.
At dawn Zavareh came with news in hand,
And Rostam moved at once his mourning band.
Before the bier the mourning army passed,
Their cries of sorrow rising deep and vast.
They shattered kousts and bronze tabiras round,
Till grief itself seemed beating through the ground.
Zal Beheld the Bier. They Lowered Sohrab's Coffin. Sahm the Rider Lies Within.
When Zal, great son of Sahm, beheld the bier,
He left his golden-reined horse and drew near.
They lowered Sohrab’s coffin from the camel’s side,
And mourned the famed young warrior who had died.
He said in grief: “Look; Sahm the rider lies
Within this narrow coffin, to our eyes.”
Blood-Tears Streamed Down. Few Mothers Bear Such Might.
Blood-tears streamed down where aged Zal now sighs,
As grief for Sohrab filled his broken cries.
Among the great he stood, a beacon bright,
Few mothers bear another of such might.”
Rudabeh Saw the Bier. Lift Your Head Once More.
Then Rudabeh saw the bier and cried in pain;
From both her eyes blood flowed in streaming rain.
“O hero, lift your head once more and see!
Give but a single glance, and look at me!
She Passed Behind the Curtain. Sorrow Lay Like Darkness.
She passed behind the curtain in despair,
Her heart in pain, her yellow cheeks laid bare.
Again the bier was brought before them all,
And sorrow lay like darkness on the hall.
He Showed the Body to the Gathered Great. Like Sahm Returned from Battle.
He showed the body to the gathered great;
Smoke seemed to rise from heaven at that fate.
Within the bier the noble form lay deep,
Like Sahm returned from battle, sunk in sleep.
Colour page. A Hoof-Curved Tomb.
Then in his grief he raised a vaulted tomb,
Hoof-curved, while tears left all the world in gloom.
He Summoned Patience. Houman Reached Turan's Royal Hall. Samangan's Grieving King.
At last he summoned patience to his side,
For no other road or remedy he spied.
Meanwhile Houman reached Turan’s royal hall,
And told Afrasiab all that did befall.
The news then reached Samangan’s grieving king,
Who tore his robes and mourned the dreadful thing.
Your Son Lies Slain. She Raised a Cry.
The tidings reached Tahmineh with a blow:
“Your son lies slain; his father struck him low.”
She raised a cry of anguish, fierce and deep,
Then swooned, revived, and sank again to weep.
Again She Swooned. I Watched the Road.
Blood-tears ran down her face in streams of red,
Again she swooned and fell as one near dead.
I watched the road and waited day by day,
And thought: ‘Perhaps he journeys home this way.’
Colour page. With Father Found at Last.
He will come home with father found at last,
And all his lonely wandering will be past.’
He Saw Your Face. I Raised You at My Breast. Whom Shall I Hold Now?.
He saw your face, your stature, and your hair,
Yet for your noble form he had no care.
I raised you at my breast through nights and days,
And watched you grow in strength and noble ways.
Whom shall I hold now close against my breast?
Who now shall bring my restless heart to rest?
You Sought Your Father. I Told You Every Sign. He Would Know My Face.
O lion, strength of armies, battle-brave,
You sought your father, and you found a grave.
I told you every sign your sire would show;
Why did you doubt the signs you came to know?
Had I been with you, he would know my face,
And love would rise between you in that place.
She Called Again Her Son. She Wept above His Crown.
Then she revived and called again her son,
While blood-dark tears across the floor would run.
She brought his crown and wept above its gold,
And clasped his throne, recalling hopes of old.
Colour page. She Clasped Its Head and Kissed It.
She clasped its head and kissed it in despair;
The world stood wondering at the grief laid bare.
She Pressed His Robe to Her Breast. O Battle-Seeking Lion, Hear!.
She took his robe and pressed it to her breast,
As though her son within its folds might rest.
She took his helm and jowshan, held them dear,
And cried, “O battle-seeking lion, hear!”
To the Poor She Gave. She Blackened Every Door.
To the poor she gave gold and treasures rare,
And saddled steeds she gave them as their share.
She blackened every door throughout the hall,
And dust rose through the eyvan, court, and wall.
Her Grieving Soul Went Forth.
She died of grief when that long year was done;
Her grieving soul went forth to Sohrab, her son.
Colour page. Do Not Set Your Heart upon This Earth.
So do not set your heart upon this earth;
Our brief sojourn here yields but little worth.”
Afterword: the wind and the citron; the three days on the field; the elixir refused; about this issue.
From the Poem: Tahmineh Hears of Sohrab’s Death (B8.25), couplets 1–30.
From the Poem: Tahmineh’s lament, couplets 31–62, and Rostam’s Lament for Sohrab (B8.23) from couplet 5.
From the Poem: Rostam’s Lament for Sohrab (B8.23), couplets 14–58.
Glossary of words and names in this issue.
The tale of Rostam and Sohrab is complete. Credits.
Back cover: the empty road under a wind-torn sky and a small bare citron tree.