SohrabandRus

tum:Summary&Anal
ysi
s

HomeEngl
ishSohrabandRus
tum:Summary&…

Thepoem begi nswi ththescenewher e,thetwopower f

ularmiesoft he
Tartarsandt hePer siansar eencampedal ongt hebanksoft heOxusRi ver .
Duringtheni ghtt hesol diersareasleep.Thef ollowingday,theyar eabout
towi t
nessagr eatbat t
le.Sohrab,theherooft heTar t
ararmy ,fai
lstosleep.
Inthegr aynessoft heear lydawn, heleaveshisbedandmakeshi ssol
itary
wayt hrought hebl ackt entsoft hegreatencampmentt othequar t
ersof
Peran-Wi sa,commanderoft heTar t
ararmy .Sohr abisthey outhful
champi onoft heTar tars.Hardlymor ethanaboy ,
hehaddev elopedintot he
mightiestfight eroft heTar t
arhost.Youngi ny earsandf amousi narms, he
i
snev erthelessr estlessanddi scontented.Abov eeverythi
ngel se,hewant s
tofindhisf atherwhom hehasnev erseen, t
hei ncompar ableRust um,
i
nvinciblechief tainoft hePer sians.

Peran-WisaawakenswhenSohr abentersandasksanunusual f
avorofhi m:
Sohrabwi shest ochallengeal eaderoft hePer sianstosinglecombat .He
hopest hathisfameasaf i
ghterwil
ltherebyr eacht heearsofhisfather.
Peran-Wisaur gespatienceandquest ionshiswi sdom inthustempt i
ngfate.
Hef earsthathewoul dl ose.Headv i
seshi mt ousest hemeanofnon-
vi
olencet ofindhisfather .Butyoungashei s, Sohrabisnotreadyt oli
sten
tohim.Si ncehehashear dthatheisthesonofaf amouswar ri
or,hetoo
want stoimpr esshisunknownf at
herwi thhisst rengt
h.Justasal ionsclub
cannotbehel dback,Per an-Wisareali
zedt hathecoul dhol dbackSohr ab
andgr antshimt heper missiont ofi
ghtaDuel .

Thefoll
owingmorning,bot
hthearmiescomeoutf ormtheircamp.The
hostswerereadytoengagethemselvesinthewar.Ther
eisascenewher e
boththearmiesawaitt
heorderoftheirr
espect
ivecommander .Justas
theywereabouttoengageinthebattl
e,Per
ena-Wisaappearedont he
batt
lefr
ont.Hethenannouncedthatinst
eadofwar ,t
her
ewoul dbeaduel .
Thismeantthatonechampionformt hePersi
anarmyandt heotherform
t
heTar
tarar
mywouldfi
ghtwi
theachother.Thiswasadeathmat
chwher
e
i
nthel
astmanst
andi
ngwouldgai
nv i
ctor
yf orhisent
ir
ear
my .

Meanwhi l
einthePer si
ancamp, Gudur z,oneofthememberoft hecouncil
goestocallRustum t ofacet hechampi onoftheTar t
ararmy.ButRustum
saysthatthekinghi mselfshoul dchoosesomey oungment omeetupt o
thechall
engeputbySohr ab.Headmi tsthatheisolderthanhisopponent.
Therefor
eher efusest otakepar tinthebat t
le.Gudurzthentauntshim by
aski
nghi m arhetori
cal questionast owhatt hepeoplewoul dsayonce
Rustum saysnot ot hechal l
enge.Hewar nsRustum totakeheedl estt
he
peoplewouldconsi derhisday sconcluded.

Thesewor dsofGudur z,t

ri
ggersthewar r
ior’
sspir
itwit
hinRustum andhe
deci
dest otakepartintheduel.Gudurzthenretur
nedtot hecampwhi l
e
Rustum call
shisfoll
owersandcommandst hem tobri
nghisarmsandhi s
shi
eldtotakedownhi sopponent .HealsobidhishorseRuksht ofol
low
hi
m.Thehor sefol
lowshiml i
keaf ai
thfuldog.Aft
erthi
s,Rustum makeshis
wayt owardsthearena.

Boththeheroesmaket heirwayi nt
othearena.Atthi
spointRustum t
ell
Sohrabtobackout .Rust
um t el
lthi
sbecausehefeelspit
yont heyout
h-
hoodofSohr ab.Rustum alsopoint
soutthatSohrabisl
ikeasont ohim,
wit
houtknowi ngthefactthatSohrabwashisactualson.

Sohrablooksatthemi ght
yfigureandashelooks,
ast rangehopeisbornin
hisbreast
.Herunsf or
wardandkneel i
ngbefor
ethemi ghtywarri
orsays,
“ArtthounotRustum?Speak!Ar tt
hounothe?”Sohrabwasonl ytol
dabout
thenameofhi sfather
.Therefor
ehopingtobehisfatherhefal
lsonhisfeet
catcheshisl
egsandaskshi mi fheisRust
um.

Rustum, t
hinksthati
tisat r
ickandr ebukesSohr ab’
samazement .Het el
l
s
him ofhisfameasapr ooft
hathehi msel
fisRust um.Henarratestohim
thestorybesideswher ei
nhe“ chal
lengedoncet hetwoarmiescamped
besidestheOxus, al
lthePersianlord,t
ocopewi thhiminsinglefight
:but
theyshrank”.Hetauntshimt ogetupt ohisfeetandchall
engehi m.
Sohrabget suponhisfeetanswer sbacksayi
ngthathewasnotscar
edof
him.“Iam nogir
l,t
obemadepal ebywor ds.
”Healsowarnshi
m sayi
ng
thatthoughthewasy oung,yetvi
ctoryit
sel
fwasnotsurei
nwhosecourti
t
wouldf al
li
nand“onlyevenwi l
lteachusintour”

Withthisconver
sationthetwogr eatheroesfightfort
hehonoroftheir
ki
ngdom.Theyf ightwithspearandcl ubandbot hhavegainedmast er
y
overtheirr
especti
veweapons.I nthefightSohrabgainstheupperhand.He
managest oimpressdamageonRust umsar mor.Rustum int
urntri
esto
fi
ghtbackbyat t
ackingSohr abwithhisclub,butSohrabbeingyoungand
usi
nghi sagil
i
tyskil
ls,dodgesthestri
kesf orm ofRustum.Thestri
kehits
Rustum inret
urnandRust um fal
lstothegr ound.Sohrabremoveshis
swordf r
om hissheathandpi er
ceRust um.

Sohrabthentaunt
sRustum askinghimtoprovehi
smi ght.Heremindshim
that“BoyasIam.Ihaveseenbat t
lest
oo-Havewadedf oremostinthei
r
bloodywavesandheardtheirholl
owroarofdyi
ngmen” .Hetheninvi
tes
himt ogi
vehisbesti
nthefightandnottoholdback.

AsSohr abspoke,Rustum getupandget sholdofhisspear.Hewasf ul

lof
rageandshout sback“gi
rl
, nimbl
ewiththyfeet,notwit
hthyhands!”He
tel
lshimt hathewil
lfi
ghthim wit
hallhismightandhenol ongerfeel
spity
forSohrabbecausehehadshamedhi minfrontoftheenti
rearmywith
“l
ightskippi
ngtri
cksandgir l
’
swiles”
.

Att hispointboththewar r
iorsrusht owardseachot herwi t
halltheir
strength‘astwoeagl esononepr ey’anddasheachot her.Rustum st ri
kes
theShi eldofSohrabwi t
hhi sspearandmanagest omakeahol et hroughit
buti snotabletor eachSohr absskin.Sohrabst ri
kesRust umsHel m
(helmet )wit
hhisswor d.Thisway ,therei
sat oughf ightbetweent het wo
war ri
orseacht r
yingt ogett hebetterofeachot her.Becauseoft hef ight,
a
thi
ckdustemer gesf rom thegr oundandcov ersthebat tl
ef i
eldandnoone
coul dseeany t
hing.Rust um f i
nal
lymanagest opi ercehisspeart hrough
Sohrabsbody.Sohrabtakesafewst
epsbehindandt henfall
totheground
forthel
astti
me.Finall
ywhenthedustset
tl
es,thetwoar miesseeRustum
standi
ngonhisfeetwhileSohr
ablyi
ngonthegr ound.

Rust um wit
habi tt
ersmi l
ebegintosarcast
icall
ypraiseSohrab.Hetel
ls
thathewast ough.Het el
l
shi mthathehasmadehi sfat
herandhi sf
ri
ends
proudf orhavingfacedat oughwarri
orashimself.Butattheendhecal l
s
him afool f
orhav i
ngchallengedhim andgett
ingkil
ledbyanunknownman.
Hei nsult
shim bysay i
ng,“dearert
otheredjackalsshallt
houbet hantothy
fri
end,andt othyfatherold”

Sohrabthenrepl
iesbackt oRustum andt ellshi
mt hatitwasnotan
unknownmanbutRust um whosl ewhi m.Heal sotellshimthatift
here
were10mor epeopl easstrongasRust um againsthim hewoul dstil
ldefeat
them.Butitwasthenameof‘ Rustum’ whi chtroubledhim.Becauseoft he
namehehel dbackwhi lefi
ghti
ng.Hegi vesRust um theshockofhisl i
fe
whenhei r
onical
l
yt ell
sthathisfather‘Rust um’will
av engehisdeath.Til
l
nowbotht hewarri
orshav enoideat hatt heyarerelatedtoeachother

Rust um rebukest hi
sst at
ementandt ellsthat,“ThemightyRust um nev er
hadason” .Sohr abt henrev ealsthatRustum di dhaveason, i
twashe
himsel f.Heal sor ev ealsthatRust um wasnev erinformedt hathehadason.
Heal sot ellshi mt hathepi ti
eshi smot her“whoi nader-bai
jandwel lswho
withherf ather,whogr owsgr eywithage, andrulesoverthev ali
antkoor ds
camp” .Rust um findsi tdi
f f
iculttoswallowt hefactthatthesameper son
whoi sdy i
ngi nf rontofhim washi sownson.Thepoett hengi vesusa
gli
mpseoft hepast .OnedayRust um wasanhonor edguestatt heking’s
palacei naf arawayci ty.Her ehesawt heking’sdaughter,Tami neh,whom
hel ovedf orherbeaut yandwi sdom.Sot heywer emar ri
ed,fortheki ngwas
gladt omakeanal l
i
ancewi thRust um.Ti mecamewhenRust um hadt ogo
backt ohi sownci ty.Hewassadandcoul dnott akehiswifewi thhim.He
didnotwi sht hathi speopl eshoul dknowabouthi smar ri
agef orthey
expect edhi mt omar r
yamai denofhi sownpeopl e.Sohet ookat ender
farewel lofTami nehandgav eheranamul etmadeofony xst onewhi chhe
gotfrom hisar
m,andsaid:“
IfHeavenshoul
dgrantt
heealit
tledaught
eri
n
myabsencebi ndt
hisonyxinherhair
;buti
fason,pl
aceituponhisarm,
thenshallhebest
rongofli
mbasSahm, mygrandsi
re,
andgracefulof
speechasZal ,
myfather
.”

Af t
ersomet ime,Taminehgav ebir
tht oal ovel
yboywhosmi ledatt heworld
from themomenthecamet oi
t;andsot heycall
edhim Sohr ab, orthechil
d
ofsmi les.Hewasasmi ghtyashisf at
her .Whenhegr ewt oniney ears,
he
couldf i
ghtandridebettert
hananygr ownmani nthatl and.Tami nehwas
afraidforRustum wil
lbeproudofsuchasonandt akehi mf rom her .Whil
e
stil
lababysheboundt heamul etofony xonhi sarm andsentmessaget o
Rust um thatadaughterhadbeenbor ninstead.Rustum wasdi sappointed
forhehadhopedf orabr av
eson; buthesentf i
vejewel sforthechi l
dbade
themot hertot
akegoodcar eofher .Hewasbusyi nt hebat t
lefiel
dand
couldnotcomet oseeher .

WhenRust um woul dsti

llnotbelievethatSohr abwashisson, Sohr abt hen
giv
eshi m apr oof.Heloosenedhi sbeltandt henr emovest hear morand
showshi mt hesealwhichwasgi ventohi m byhi smother .Rustum is
shatteredlookingatthepr oof.Her eali
zest hattheSohrabwashi ssonand
hehimsel fhadki l
ledhi
m.I ngr i
efheut tersoutal oudcry ,“Oboy -t
hy
fat
her !
”.Heembr acesSohr abandki sseshi m.Buthi sgriefistoomuchf or
himt obear .Hepicksuphi sswor dandi sint heactofcommi t
t i
ngsui cide.
ButthenSohr abstopshim bygi vinghim sol ace.Hetell
shi m“ come, sit
besidemeont hi
ssand, andt akemycheeksandwasht henwi ththytear s
andsay–MySon” .

Ruksh,thesamehor segivenbyTami nehtoRustum comesont hescene.

Beingananimal ,
heisabletocompr ehendthesadfatebefallenonhi s
masterandhi sson.Sohrabir
onicall
yprai
sesRukshforhav i
ngpr i
vil
egeof
spendingmor eti
mewi thhisfat
herthanhisownson.Fi nal
lySohr abmakes
hisfi
nalwishtobecar r
iedtoseistanandtobeplacedonabed, and
mournedf orhim.Healsorequeststoputaninscri
pti
onwhi chr ead,‘Sohrab,
themightyRustum’ssonl i
esthere,whom hi
sgreatfatherdidini gnorance
ki
l
l’
.Rust
um promiseshi
mt hathewoul
dful
fi
ll
hisl
astwi
sh.Healso
pr
omisesthathewouldl
etallhi
smengoinpeacewit
houtanybl
oodshed.

Attheend,Rust
um dr
ewoutt
hespearf
rom t
hesi
deofSohr
abl
ethi
m pass
awaypeaceful
ly
.