Sohrab and Rustum

Matthew Arnold

If you attended the Literature class in high school, I'm sure you remember the tragic story of Sohrab and Rustum. It was a long, epic poem by Matthew Arnold about the mighty Rustum, who, mounted on his famous horse Ruksh, performed prodigies of valor in defense of the Persian throne.

Of all his adventures, his encounter with Sohrab is the most dramatic. Sohrab was the young champion of the Tartars, the enemy of the Persians. Rustum dueled with Sohrab, mortally wounding him before he realized Sohrab was his son.

It was from this poem that we learned the immortal qoute on the uncertainties of life of which we have no control of. This is the excerpt:

And though thou thinkest that thou knowest sure
Thy victory, yet thou canst not surely know
For we are all, like swimmers in the sea,
Poised on the top of a huge wave of fate,
Which hangs uncertain to which side to fall.
And whether it will heave us up to land,
Or whether it will roll us out to sea,
Back out to sea, to the deep waves of death,
We know not, and no search will make us know;
Only the event will teach us in its hour."

With nothing much to do in this pandemic, I wanted to re-read the poem to make a summary of it for this blog. But it was unbearably long, 892 lines of blank verse (verses that don"t rhyme).

Instead I searched for a synopsis, and that's what I'm posting here. For those who want to read the long, original version anyway, you can

Sohrab and Rustum (A Synopsis)

Long ago in Persia now called Iran, there lived a great soldier called Rustum. He was so brave that he was called the shield of Persia. The King Kaikoos was so proud of him that he used to say that had nothing to fear till Rustum was with them.

On the other hand, their enemies used to say that they could never dream to attack Persia till Rustum was there.

One day Rustum met a Tartar princess Tanimeh and fell in love with her. He married her, but he had to leave her soon because the king called him back. The princess had to bid him good-bye with sadness.

She was expecting a baby at that time. Rustum gave her a diamond and said that if a girl was born to her, she should marry her off and if a son was born to her, she should tie that diamond on his arm and keep their marriage a secret.

After some time, a son was born to Tanimeh, but she sent word to Rustum that a daughter was born to him thinking that he would her son away and make him a soldier. She named the child Sohrab. Sohrab grew up into a brave and handsome boy. He learned to use the sword and shield and became skilled in the arts of war.

One day a warrior to Soharab’s village and challenged people for combat. Sohrab got ready to fight him, but the warrior asked him his father’s name which he did not know. The warrior told Sohrab that he could not fight with people of an inferior race.

Sohrab was ashamed. He came back home and asked his mother who his father was. At first, she did not tell, but Sohrab insisted her, she told him that Rustum was his father. Sohrab was happy and went straight to the warrior. When he disclosed to him who his father was, the warrior ran away without fighting.

Sohrab now wanted to go in search of his father. His mother told him how he could recognize each other since they had never met. She tied the diamond on his arm and let him go. Meanwhile, Rustum had to go to his village to see his ailing father.

Sohrab went on fighting enemies on his way. He reached the border and started fighting with Persian army because they did not allow him to move ahead. Sohrab fought so bravely that the soldiers had to send word to Kaikoos that it was difficult to stop him and only Rustum could stop him.

When the king heard this, he sent for Rustum who came immediately leaving his ailing father in the village. When Rustum came, he told the king if it was necessary to call him back and if there was nobody who could fight that young man.

Rustum was told that he was very brave like him and only he could stop him. Besides, the young man had asked them that he wanted to fight with Rustum.

Rustum got ready to fight Sohrab, but he went there in his own dress and he did not wear the soldier’s dress. On his way, he met a soldier who told him about the qualities of Sohrab.

Rustum in his heart of hearts wished that Sohrab had been his own son. When Sohrab heard the mighty voice of Rustum, he thought that it was perhaps his father’s. He approached Rustum and asked eagerly if he was Rustum.

Rustum thought he was trying to be clever. He asked him if he was going to fight Rustum only thinking that he was ready for peace. He told him that he did not know who he was, but Sohrab was not frightened.

He drew his sword and the fight began. The fight continued for three days. Then Rustum thought that it be a disgrace if a young man defeated him. He took his sword and uttered his war cry ‘Rustum’ and attacked Sohrab.

When Sohrab heard this name, he was unnerved and he lowered his shield. In the meantime, Rustum’s sword pierced his side and he fell down. Rustum told him that he was killed by an unknown man, but Sohrab replied that it was not he who had killed him, but his war cry.

He told him that his father ‘Rustum’ would take revenge on his killing. Rustum was stunned. He told Sohrab that Rustum never had a son, but when Sohrab showed him the diamond on his arm Rustum was dumfounded and repented a lot.

Sohrab told his father Rustum not to weep and feel sorry. He made the last wish to his father. He told him that he should take his dead body to his village and bury him there so that people who pass by will say: “Sohrab, the mighty Rustum’s so, lies here, whom his great father did in ignorance kill!”