Updated: 8 July 2019
The Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, is perhaps the most notable piece of Persian literature. Ferdowsi is credited with having saved the Persian language with this masterpiece because not a single word with Arabic roots was used in it. Persian names are still taken from the Shahnameh. In fact, for me, there are three main categories of Iranian names: Islamic, Shahnameh, and Other. Everyone has their favorite story and hero, and not knowing the stories opens room for teasing. The Shahnameh is not only culturally significant, but it also plays a role in some Persian proverbs.
شاهنامه آخرش خوش است
Shâhnâmeh âkharesh khoshe (the end of the Shahnameh is pleasant): “Praise a fair day at night”
It was Sultan Mahmoud of Ghazni, Afghanistan who commissioned the poem. He promised Ferdowsi 60,000 pieces of gold (one for every couplet) to finish the Shahnameh. But when it was done, he showed disinterest and sent silver instead, prompting Ferdowsi to add the closing verses:
Thirty years of care,
urged on by royal promise, did I bear,
And now, deceived and scorned, the aged bard
is basely cheated of his pledged reward
Having been shamed by Ferdowsi, Sultan Mahmoud sent the gold that he had originally promised, but as his men entered the gates of Tus, they saw a funeral procession and realized they had arrived too late. The gold was given to his daughter instead, but she rejected it.
A few years ago when I lived in Washington, DC, I had an Afghan co-worker who had given another Afghan co-worker of ours the nickname “Sultan Mahmoud” because he had never read the Shahnameh. Remember when I told you not knowing the stories opens room for taunting?
جوجه را آخر پاییز می شمرند
jujeh râ âkhare pâeez mishmorand (Chickens are counted at the end of fall): Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
This proverb, though not Shahnameh-related, is sort of a synonym of the first one. In this clip from the movie Ātash Bas, the friend combines these two proverbs into Shāhnāmeh rā ākhare pāeez mishmorand (The Shahnameh is counted at the end of fall).
نوشدارو بعد از مرگ سهراب
nushdâru bad az marge Sohrâb (Medicine comes after the death of Sohrab): While men go after the leech, the body is buried
One of the most well-known stories (and a favorite of Hassan in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner) is Rostam and Sohrab. In a nutshell, Rostam is the strongest hero and nobody dares fight him. He leaves Tahmina before she bears him a son, Sohrab, but before he leaves, he gives her an armband to place on the child if it is a boy. Years later, Rostam and Sohrab come face-to-face on the battleground. Sohrab knows his father’s name, but neither one knows the other’s identity as they are fighting. Rostam finally stabs Sohrab in the heart, and it’s only after this that he sees the armband and realizes what he has done. Tahmina arrives at the battlefield and finds a weeping Rostam with Sohrab in his arms. It’s from this story that we get this proverb.
This painting behind the man in Tehran’s famous Azari Traditional Teahouse illustrates this scene.
Painting of Rostam and Sohrab in the Azari Teahouse
Just a little anecdote to this- my father’s name is Sohrab. He went on an interview when he first immigrated to the U.S. When the interviewer came out, he said, “I know you, and I know your father.” My dad, of course, knew this was impossible and had no idea what he was talking about. He continued, “But I don’t remember if you killed your father or if your father killed you.” My dad was impressed that he knew the story, but he said the stunned faces of the Americans waiting for their interview was priceless.
هفت خوان رستم
haft khâne Rostam (the seven labors of Rostam)
This is the final proverb related to Rostam. After Kay Kavus’s army is captured by the Div (demons), Rostam passes through seven labors in order to liberate them. In this clip from Shahgoosh, the mother and daughter go to the police station, but before they enter, they encounter a few people: first is the soldier who welcomes them, then the soldier who offers them candy, and finally the women who have to search their bags. The mother, annoyed that she can’t get on with her business, finally declares, haft khāne Rostam rā andākhtin? (What is this, the seven labors of Rostam?)
There is another example of this in the movie “To Va Man”. The son, played by Mohammad Reza Golzar, has brought his fiancee home to meet the family, but they don’t like her and give her a hard time. The mother falls ill, and the doctor says it’s best if the daughter or daughter-in-law takes care of her. The mother’s best friend says that there is no daughter-in-law yet, but if the fiancee can pass through haft khāne Rostam, she might be.
There you have it. Clearly, the Shahnameh is a significant part of Persian culture. Check out this beautifully illustrated version of the Shahnameh by Hamid Rahmanian, or for a more in-depth read, try the Dick Davis translation.
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