Coldly, sadly descendsThe autumn-evening. The fieldStrewn with its dank yellow driftsOf wither'd leaves, and the elms,5Fade into dimness apace,Silent;—hardly a shoutFrom a few boys late at their play!The lights come out in the street,In the school-room windows;—but cold,10Solemn, unlighted, austere,Through the gathering darkness, ariseThe chapel-walls, in whose bound°13Thou, my father! art laid.°There thou dost lie, in the gloom15Of the autumn evening. But ah!°16That word,gloom,°to my mindBrings thee back, in the lightOf thy radiant vigour, again;In the gloom of November we pass'd20Days not dark at thy side;Seasons impair'd not the rayOf thy buoyant cheerfulness, clear.Such thou wast! and I standIn the autumn evening, and think25Of bygone autumns with thee.Fifteen years have gone roundSince thou arosest to tread,In the summer-morning, the roadOf death, at a call unforeseen,30Sudden. For fifteen years,We who till then in thy shadeRested as under the boughs°33Of a mighty oak,° have enduredSunshine and rain as we might,35Bare, unshaded, alone,Lacking the shelter of thee.°37O strong soul, by what shore°Tarriest thou now? For that force,Surely, has not been left vain!40Somewhere, surely, afar,In the sounding labour-house vastOf being, is practised that strength,Zealous, beneficent, firm!Yes, in some far-shining sphere,45Conscious or not of the past,Still thou performest the wordOf the Spirit in whom thou dost live—Prompt, unwearied, as here!Still thou upraisest with zeal50The humble good from the ground,Sternly repressest the bad!Still, like a trumpet, doth rouseThose who with half-open eyesTread the border-land dim55'Twixt vice and virtue; reviv'st,Succourest!—this was thy work,°57This was thy life upon earth.°What is the course of the life°59Of mortal men on the earth°?—60Most men eddy aboutHere and there—eat and drink,Chatter and love and hate,Gather and squander, are raisedAloft, are hurl'd in the dust,65Striving blindly, achievingNothing; and then they die—Perish;—and no one asksWho or what they have been,More than he asks what waves,70In the moonlit solitudes mildOf the midmost Ocean, have swell'd,Foam'd for a moment, and gone.And there are some, whom a thirstArdent, unquenchable, fires,75Not with the crowd to be spent,Not without aim to go roundIn an eddy of purposeless dust,Effort unmeaning and vain.Ah yes! some of us strive80Not without action to dieFruitless, but something to snatchFrom dull oblivion, nor allGlut the devouring grave!We, we have chosen our path—85Path to a clear-purposed goal,Path of advance!—but it leadsA long, steep journey, through sunkGorges, o'er mountains in snow.Cheerful, with friends, we set forth—90Then, on the height, comes the storm.Thunder crashes from rockTo rock, the cataracts reply,°93Lightnings dazzle our eyes.°Roaring torrents have breach'd95The track, the stream-bed descendsIn the place where the wayfarer oncePlanted his footstep—the sprayBoils o'er its borders! aloftThe unseen snow-beds dislodge°100Their hanging ruin°; alas,Havoc is made in our train!Friends, who set forth at our side,Falter, are lost in the storm.We, we only are left!105ith frowning foreheads, with lipsSternly compress'd, we strain on,On—and at nightfall at lastCome to the end of our way,To the lonely inn 'mid the rocks;110Where the gaunt and taciturn hostStands on the threshold, the windShaking his thin white hairs—Holds his lantern to scanOur storm-beat figures, and asks:115Whom in our party we bring?Whom we have left in the snow?Sadly we answer: We bringOnly ourselves! we lostSight of the rest in the storm.120Hardly ourselves we fought through,Stripp'd, without friends, as we are.Friends, companions, and train,°123The avalanche swept from our side.°But thou would'st notalone125Be saved, my father!aloneConquer and come to thy goal,Leaving the rest in the wild.We were weary, and weFearful, and we in our march130Fain to drop down and to die.Still thou turnedst, and stillBeckonedst the trembler, and stillGavest the weary thy hand.If, in the paths of the world,135Stones might have wounded thy feet,Toil or dejection have triedThy spirit, of that we sawNothing—to us thou wast stillCheerful, and helpful, and firm!140Therefore to thee it was givenMany to save with thyself;And, at the end of thy day,O faithful shepherd! to come,°144Bringing thy sheep in thy hand.°145And through thee I believeIn the noble and great who are gone;Pure souls honour'd and blestBy former ages, who else—Such, so soulless, so poor,150Is the race of men whom I see—Seem'd but a dream of the heart,Seem'd but a cry of desire.Yes! I believe that there livedOthers like thee in the past,155Not like the men of the crowdWho all round me to-dayBluster or cringe, and make lifeHideous, and arid, and vile;But souls temper'd with fire,160Fervent, heroic, and good,Helpers and friends of mankind.Servants of God!—or sonsShall I not call you? becausNot as servants ye knew165Your Father's innermost mind,His, who unwillingly seesOne of his little ones lost—Yours is the praise, if mankindHath not as yet in its march170Fainted, and fallen, and died!°171See! In the rocks° of the worldMarches the host of mankind,A feeble, wavering line.Where are they tending?—A God175Marshall'd them, gave them their goal.Ah, but the way is so long!Years they have been in the wild!Sore thirst plagues them, the rocks,Rising all round, overawe;180Factions divide them, their hostThreatens to break, to dissolve.—Ah, keep, keep them combined!Else, of the myriads who fillThat army, not one shall arrive;185Sole they shall stray: in the rocksStagger for ever in vain,Die one by one in the waste.Then, in such hour of needOf your fainting, dispirited race,°190Ye,° like angels, appear,Radiant with ardour divine!Beacons of hope, ye appear!Languor is not in your heart,Weakness is not in your word,195Weariness not on your brow.Ye alight in our van! at your voice,Panic, despair, flee away.Ye move through the ranks, recallThe stragglers, refresh the outworn,200Praise, re-inspire the brave!Order, courage, return.Eyes rekindling, and prayers,Follow your steps as ye go.Ye fill up the gaps in our files,205Strengthen the wavering line,Stablish, continue our march,On, to the bound of the waste,°208On, to the City of God.°
[p.149]
"I am occupied with a thing that gives me more pleasure than anything I have ever done yet, which is a good sign, but whether I shall not ultimately spoil it by being obliged to strike it off in fragments instead of at one heat, I cannot quite say." (Arnold, in a letter to Mrs. Foster, April, 1853.)
"All my spare time has been spent on a poem which I have just finished and which I think by far the best thing I have yet done, and I think it will be generally liked; though one can never be sure of this. I have had the greatest pleasure in composing it, a rare thing with me, and, as I think, a good test of the pleasure what you write is likely to afford to others. But the story is a very noble and excellent one." (Arnold, in a letter to his mother, May, 1853.)
The following synopsis of the story of Sohrab and Rustum the "tale replete with tears," is gathered from several sources, chiefly Benjamin'sPersia, inThe Story of the Nations, Sir John Malcolm'sHistory of Persia, and the great Persian epic poem,Shah Nameh. TheShah Namehthe original source of the story, and which purports to narrate the exploits of Persia's kings and champions over a space of thirty-six centuries, bears the same relation to Persian literature as theIliadandOdysseyto the Greek, and theAeneidto the Latin, though in structure it more nearly resemblesMorte d'Arthur,[p.150]which records in order the achievements of various heroes. In it the native poet Mansur ibn Ahmad, afterwards known to literature as Firdausi, the Paradisaical, has set down the early tales and traditions of his people with all the vividness and color common to oriental writers. The principal hero of the poem is the mighty Rustum, who, mounted on his famous horse Ruksh, performed prodigies of valor in defence of the Persian throne. Of all his adventures his encounter with Sohrab is the most dramatic. The poem was probably written in the latter half of the tenth century. As will be seen, the incidents narrated in Arnold's poem form but an episode in the complete story of the two champions.
Rustum (or Rustem), having killed a wild ass while hunting on the Turanian frontier, and having feasted on its flesh, composed himself to sleep, leaving his faithful steed, Ruksh (or Raksh), to graze untethered. On awakening, he found his horse had disappeared, and believing it had been stolen, the warrior proceeded towards Semenjan, a near-by city, in hopes of recovering his property. On the way, he learned that Ruksh had been found by the servants of the king and was stabled at Semenjan, as he had surmised. Upon Rustum's demand, the steed was promptly restored to him, and he was about to depart when he was prevailed upon to accept the king's invitation to tarry awhile and rest himself in feasting and idleness.
Now the king of Semenjan had a fair daughter named Tahmineh, who had become enamoured of Rustum because of his mighty exploits. Susceptible as she was beautiful, she made her attachment so evident that the young hero, who was as ardent as he was brave, readily yielded to the power of her fascination. The consent of the king having been obtained, Rustum and Tahmineh were married with all the rites prescribed by the laws of the country. A peculiar feature of this alliance lay in the fact that the king of Semenjan was feudatory to Afrasiab, the deadly enemy of Persia, while Rustum was her greatest champion. At this time, however,[p.151]the two countries were at peace.
For a time all went happily, then Rustum found it necessary to leave his bride, as he thought, for only a short time. At parting he gave her an onyx, which he wore on his arm, bidding her, if a daughter should be born to their union, to twine the gem in her hair under a fortunate star; but if a son, to bind it on his arm, and he would be insured a glorious career. Rustum then mounted Ruksh and rode away—as time proved, never to return.
The months went by, and to the lonely bride was born a marvellous son, whom, because of his comely features, she named Sohrab. Fearing Rustum would send for the boy when he grew older, and thus rob her of her treasure, Tahmineh sent word to him that the child was a girl—"no son," and Rustum took no further interest in it.
While still of tender years, Sohrab showed signs of his noble lineage. He early displayed a love for horses, and at the age of ten years, according to the tradition, was large and handsome and highly accomplished in the use of arms. Realizing at length that he was of lofty descent, he insisted that his mother, who had concealed the fact, should inform him of the name of his father. Being told that it was the renowned Rustum, he exclaimed, "Since he is my father, I shall go to his aid; he shall become king of Persia and together we shall rule the world." After this the youth caused a horse worthy of him to be found, and with the aid of his grandfather, the king of Semenjan, he prepared to go on the quest, attended by a mighty host.
When Afrasiab, the Turanian ruler, learned that Sohrab was going to war with the Persians, he was greatly pleased, and after counselling with his wise men, decided openly to assist him in his enterprises, with the expectation that both Rustum and Sohrab would fall in battle and Persia be at his mercy. He accordingly sent an army of auxiliaries to Sohrab, accompanied by two astute[p.152]courtiers, Houman and Barman, who, under the guise of friendship, were to act as counsellors to the young leader. These he ordered to keep the knowledge of their relationship from father and son and to seek to bring about an encounter between them, in the hope that Sohrab would slay Rustum, Afrasiab's most dreaded foeman, after which the unsuspecting youth might easily be disposed of by treachery.
Sohrab, with his army and that of Afrasiab, set out, intending to fight his way until Rustum should be sent against him, when he would reveal himself to his father and form an alliance with him that would place the line of Seistan on the throne. On the way southward, Sohrab overthrew and captured the Persian champion, Hujir, and the same day conquered the warrior maiden Gurdafrid, whose beauty and tears, however, prevailed upon him to release her. Guzdehern, father of Gurdafrid, recognizing Sohrab's prowess, and alarmed for the safety of the Persian throne, secretly despatched a courier to the king Kai Kaoos to warn him of the young Tartar's approach. Kaoos, in great terror, sent for Rustum to hurry to his aid. Regardless of the king's request, Rustum spent eight days in feasting, then presented himself at the court. Kaoos, angered at the delay, ordered both the champion and the messenger to be executed forthwith; but Rustum effected his escape on Ruksh, and returned to Seistan, leaving Persia to her fate. The king's wrath, however, soon gave place to fear; and recognizing the danger of his throne unsupported by Rustum's valor, he despatched messengers to him with humble petitions and apologies. After much protesting, Rustum finally yielded and accompanied the Persian army, under the king Kai Kaoos, which at once set forth to encounter Sohrab.
The morning before the opening of hostilities, Sohrab, taking the Persian Hujir, whom he still held a prisoner, to the top of a rocky eminence, ordered him to point out the tents of the chief warriors[p.153]of the Persian army, particularly Rustum's. But Hujir, fearing lest Sohrab should attack Rustum unexpectedly and so overcome him, declared that the great chieftain's tent was not among those on the plain below. Disappointed at his failure to find his father, Sohrab led his army in a fierce onslaught on the Persians, driving them in confusion before him. In this dire extremity Kai Kaoos sent for Rustum, who was somewhat apart from the main troop. Exclaiming that the king never sent for him except when he had got himself into trouble, the warrior armed, mounted Ruksh, and rushed to the combat. By mutual consent the two champions withdrew to a retired spot, where, unmolested, they might fight out their quarrel hand to hand. As they approached each other, Rustum, moved with compassion by the youth of his foe, tried to dissuade Sohrab from his purpose, and counselled him to retire. Sohrab, filled with sudden hope,—an instinctive feeling that the father whom he was seeking stood before him,—eagerly demanded whether this were Rustum. But Rustum, fearing treachery, said he was only an ordinary man, having neither palace nor princely kingdom—not Rustum.
They marked off the lists, and, mounted on their powerful horses, fought first with javelins, then with swords, clubs, and bows and arrows. After several hours of fighting both were exhausted, and by tacit consent they retired to opposite sides of the lists for rest. When the combat was renewed, Sohrab gained a slight advantage. A truce was then made for the night, and the warriors returned to their tents to prepare for the morrow.
With daybreak the struggle was renewed. To prevent the armies from intervening or engaging in battle, they were removed to a distance of several miles. Midway between, Sohrab and Rustum met in the midst of a lonely, treeless waste. More convinced than before that his adversary was Rustum, Sohrab sought to bring about a reconciliation, but Rustum refused. This time they fought[p.154]on foot. From morning till afternoon they fought, neither gaining any decided advantage. At last Sohrab succeeded in felling Rustum to the earth, and was about to slay him, when the Persian called out that it was not the custom in chivalrous warfare to slay a champion until he was thrown the second time. Sohrab, generous as brave, released his prostrate foe; and again father and son parted.
Rustum, scarcely believing himself alive after such an escape, purified himself with water, and prayed that his wounds might be healed and his accustomed strength restored to him. Never before had he been so beset in battle.
With morning came the renewal of the combat, both champions determining to end it that day. Late in the evening Rustum, by a supreme effort, seized Sohrab around the waist and hurled him to the ground. Then, fearing lest the youth prove too strong for him in the end, he drew his blade and plunged it into Sohrab's bosom.
Sohrab forgave Rustum, but warned him to beware the vengeance of his father, the mighty Rustum, who must soon learn that he had slain his son Sohrab. "I went out to seek my father," cried the dying youth, "for my mother had told me by what tokens I should know him, and I perish for longing after him.... Yet I say unto thee, if thou shouldst become a fish that swimmeth in the depths of the ocean, if thou shouldst change into a star that is concealed in the farthest heaven, my father would draw thee forth from thy hiding-place, and avenge my death upon thee, when he shall learn that the earth is become my bed. For my father is Rustum the Pehliva, and it shall be told unto him, how that Sohrab his son perished in the quest after his face." These words were as death to the aged hero, who fell senseless at the side of his wounded son. When he had recovered he called in despair for proofs of what Sohrab had said. The now dying youth tore open his mail and showed his father the onyx which his mother had bound on his[p.155]arm as directed.
The sight of his own signet rendered Rustum quite frantic; he cursed himself, and would have put an end to his existence but for the efforts of his expiring son. After Sohrab's death he burnt his tents and carried the corpse to his father's home in Seistan, and buried it there. The Tartar army, agreeable to Sohrab's last request, was permitted to return home unmolested. When the tidings of Sohrab's death reached his mother, she was inconsolable, and died in less than a year.
In the main the story as told by Arnold follows the original narrative. A careful investigation of the alterations made, and the effect thus produced, will lend added interest to the study of the poem and give ample theme for composition work.
1And the first grey of morning fill'd the east.Note the abrupt opening. What is gained by its use? At what point in the story as told in the introductory note does the poem take up the narrative? Be sure to get a clear mental picture of the initiative scene.Andis here used in a manner common in the Scriptures. Cf. "And the Lord spake unto Moses," etc.
2Oxus.The chief river of Central Asia, which separated Turan from Iran or the Persian Empire, called Oxus by the Greeks and Romans, and the Jihun or Amu by the Arabs and Persians. It takes its source in Lake Sir-i-Kol, in the Pamir table-land, at a height of 15,600 feet, flows northwest, and empties into the Aral Sea on the south. Its length is about 1300 miles.
"The introduction of the tranquil pictures of the Oxus, both at the beginning and close of the poem (ll. 875-892), flowing steadily on, unmoved by the tragedy which has been enacted on her shore, forms one of the most artistic features in the setting of the poem."
3Tartar camp.The Tartars were nomadic tribes of Central Asia and southern Russia. The so-called Black Tartars, identified with the Scythians of the Greek historians, inhabited the basin of[p.156]the Aral and Caspian Seas, and are the tribe referred to in the poem. They are a fierce, warlike people; hence our expression, "caught a Tartar."
11.Peran-Wisa.A celebrated Turanian chief, here in command of Afrasiab's army, which was composed of representatives of many Tartar tribes, as indicated in ll. 119-134.
15.Pamere, or Pamir. An extensive plateau region of Central Asia, called by the natives the "roof of the world." Among the rivers having their source in this plateau are the Oxus, l. 2, and the Jaxartes, l. 129.
38.Afrasiab.The king of the Tartars, and one of the principal heroes of theShah Nameh, the Persian "Book of Kings." He is reputed to have been strong as a lion and to have had few equals as a warrior.
40.Samarcand.A city in the district of Serafshan, Turkestan, to the east of Bokhara; now a considerable commercial and manufacturing centre, and a centre of Mohammedan learning.
42.Ader-baijan.The northwest province of Persia, on the Turanian frontier.
45.At my boy's years.See introductory note to poem.
60.common fight.In the sense of a general engagement. Be sure to catch the reason why Sohrab makes his request.
61.sunk.That is, lost sight of.
67.common chance.See note, l. 60. Which would be the more dangerous, a "single" or "common" combat? Why?
70.To find a father thou hast never seen.See introductory note to poem.
82.Seistan.A province of southwest Afghanistan bordering on the Persian province of Yezd. It is intersected by the Helmund River (l. 751), which flows into the Hamoon Lake, now scarcely more than a morass. On an island in this lake are ruins of fortifications called Fort Rustum. This territory was long held by Rustum's[p.157]family, feudatory to the Persian kings.Zal.Rustum's father, ruler of Seistan. See note, l.232.
83-85.Whether that ... or in some quarrel, etc. Either because his mighty strength ... or because of some quarrel, etc.
85.Persian King.That is, Kai Kaoos (or Kai Khosroo). See introductory note to poem; also note, l.223.
86-91.There go!etc. The touching solicitation of these lines is wholly Arnold's.
99.Why ruler's staff, no sword?
101.Kara Kul.A district some thirty miles southwest of Bokhara, noted for the excellence of its pasturage, and for its fleeces.
107.Haman.Next to Peran-Wisa in command of Tartar army. See Houman, in introductory note to poem.
113-114. Casbin.A fortified city in the province of Irak-Ajemi, Persia, situated on the main route from Persia to Europe, and at one time the capital of the Iranian empire. Just to the north of the city rise theElburz Mountains(l. 114), which separate the Persian Plateau from the depression containing the Caspian and Aral Seas.
115.frore.Frozen, from the Anglo-Saxonfroren.
"... the parching airBurns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire."—MILTON.Paradise Lost, ll. 594-595, Book II.
119.Bokhara.Here the state of Bokhara, an extensive region of Central Asia, touching the Aral Sea to the north, the Oxus to the south, and Khiva to the west. It has an estimated area of 235,000 square miles, and contains nineteen cities of considerable size, of which the capital, Bokhara, is most important.
120.Khiva.A khanate situated in the valley of the lower Oxus, bordering Bokhara on the southeast.ferment the milk of mares.An intoxicating drink,Koumiss, made of camel's or[p.158]mare's milk, is in wide use among the steppe tribes.
121.Toorkmuns.A branch of the Turkish race found chiefly in northern Persia and Afghanistan.
122.Tukas.From the province of Azer-baijan.
123.Attruck.A river of Khorassan, near the frontier of Khiva; it has a west course, and enters the Caspian Sea on the east side.
128.Ferghana.A khanate of Turkestan, north of Bokhara, in the upper valley of the Sir Daria.
129.Jaxartes.The ancient name of the Sir Daria River. It takes its source in the Thian Shan Mountains, one of the Pamir Plateau ranges, and flows with a general direction north, emptying into the Aral Sea on the east side.
131.Kipchak.A khanate some seventy miles below Khiva on the Oxus.
132.Kalmucks.A nomadic branch of the Mongolian race, dwelling in western Siberia.Kuzzaks.Now commonly called Cossacks; a warlike people inhabiting the steppes of southern Russia and extensive portions of Asia. Their origin is uncertain.
133.Kirghizzes.A rude nomadic people of Mongolian-Tartar race found in northern Turkestan.
138.Khorassan.(That is, the region of the sun.) A province of northeastern Persia, largely desert. The origin of the name is prettily suggested by Moore in the opening poem ofLalla Rookh:—
"In the delightful province of the sunThe first of Persian lands he shines upon," etc.
147.fix'd.Stopped suddenly, halted.
154-169.Note the effect the challenge has on the two armies.
156.corn.Here used with its European sense of "grain." It is only in America that the word signifies Indian corn or "maize."
160.Cabool.Capital of northern Afghanistan, and an important[p.159]commercial city.
161.Indian Caucasus.A lofty mountain range north of Cabool, which forms the boundary between Turkestan and Afghanistan.
173.King.See note, l.85.
177.lion's heart.Explain the line. Why are the terms here used so forcible in the mouth of Gudurz?
178-183.Aloof he sits, etc.One is reminded by Rustum's deportment here, of Achilles sulking in his tent and nursing his wrath against Agamemnon.—Iliad, Book I.
199.sate.Old form of "sat," common in poetry.
200.falcon.A kind of hawk trained to catch game birds.
217.Iran.The official name of Persia.
221.Go to!Hebraic expression. Frequently found in Shakespeare.
223.Kai Khosroo.According to theShah Nameh, the thirteenth Turanian king. He reigned in the sixth century B.C., and has been identified with Cyrus the Great.
230.Not that one slight helpless girl, etc.See ll. 609-611, alsointroductionto the poem.
232.snow-haired Zal.According to tradition, Zal was born with snow-white hair. His father Lahm, believing this an ill omen, doomed the unfortunate babe to be exposed on the loftiest summit of the Elburz Mountains. The Simurgh, a great bird or griffin, found him and cared for him till grown, then restored him to his repentant parent. He subsequently married the Princess Rudabeh of Seistan, by whom he became father of Rustum.
243-248.He spoke ... men.Note carefully Gudurz's argument. Why so effective with Rustum?
257.But I will fight unknown and in plain arms.The shields and arms of the champions were emblazoned with mottoes and devices. Why does Rustum determine to lay aside his accustomed arms and fight incognito? What effect does this determination[p.160]have upon the ultimate outcome of the situation? Read the story of the arming of Achilles (Book XIX., Homer'sIliad), and compare with Rustum's preparation for battle.
266.device.See note, l. 257.
277.Dight.Adorned, dressed.
"The clouds in thousand liveries dight."—MILTON.L'Allegro,l. 62.
286.Bahreinor Aval. A group of islands in the Persian Gulf, celebrated for its pearl fisheries.
288.tale.Beckoning, number.
"And every shepherd tells histale,Under the hawthorn in the dale."—MILTON.L'Allegro,ll. 67-68.
306.flowers.Decorates, beautifies with floral designs.
311.perused.Studied, observed closely.
318.In a letter dated November, 1852, Mr. Arnold speaks of the figures in his poem as follows: "I can only say that I took a great deal of trouble to orientalize them, because I thought they looked strange, and jarred, if western." What is gained by their use?
325.vast.Large, mighty.
326.tried.Proved, experienced.
328.Never was that field lost or that foe saved.Note the power gained in this line by the use of the alliteration.
330.Be govern'd.Be influenced, persuaded.
343.by thy father's head!Such oaths are common to the extravagant speech of the oriental peoples.
344.Art thou not Rustum?See introductory note to poem.
367.vaunt.Boast implied in the challenge.
380.Thou wilt not fright me so!That is, by such talk.
401.tower'd.Remained stationary, poised.
406.full struck.Struck squarely.
[p.161]
412.Hyphasis, Hydaspes.Two of the rivers of the Punjab in northern India, now known as the Beas and Jhylum. In 326 B.C. Alexander defeated Porus on the banks of the latter stream.
414.wrack.Ruin, havoc. (Poetical.)
418.glancing.In the sense of darting aside.
435.hollow.Unnatural in tone.
452.like that autumn-star.Probably Sirius, the Dog Star, under whose ascendency, according to ancient beliefs, epidemic diseases prevailed.
454.crest.That is, helmet and plume.
466.Remember all thy valour.That is, summon up all your courage.
469.girl's wiles.Explain the line.
470.kindled.Roused, angered.
481.unnatural.because of the kinship of the combatants.
481-486. for a cloud, etc. A distinctly Homeric imitation. Cf. the cloud that enveloped Paris—Book III., ll. 465-469, of theIliad.
489.And the sun sparkled, etc. Why this reference to the clear Oxus stream at this moment of intense tragedy?
495.helm.Helmet; defensive armor for the head.
497.shore.Past tense ofshear, to cut.
499.bow'd his head:because of the force of the blow.
508.curdled.Thickened as with fear.
516.Rustum!Why did this word so affect Sohrab? Note the author's skill in working up to this climax in the narrative.
527-539.Then with a bitter smile, etc. Compare these words of the victor, Rustum, with the words of Sohrab, ll. 427-447, when the advantage was with him.
536.glad.Make happy.
"That whichgladdedall the warrior train."—DRYDEN.
538.Dearer to the red jackals, etc.[p.162]Cf. I. Sam. xvii. 44: "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." Careful investigation will show the poem to abound with Biblical as well as classical parallelisms.
556-575.As when some hunter, etc.One of the truly great similes in the English language.
563.sole.Alone, solitary. From the Latinsolus.
570.glass.Reflect as in a mirror.
596.bruited up.Noised abroad.
613.the style.The name or title.
625.that old king.The king of Semenjan. See introductory note to poem.
632.Of age and looks, etc. That is, of such age as he (Sohrab) would be, if born of his (Rustum's) union with Tahmineh.
658-660.I tell thee, prick'd upon this arm, etc. This is Arnold's conception. In the original story Sohrab wore an onyx stone as an amulet. The onyx was supposed to incite the wearer to deeds of valor.
664.corselet.Protective armor for the body.
672.cunning.Skilful, deft.
679.griffin.In the natural history of the ancients, an imaginary animal, half lion and half eagle. Here the Simurgh. See note, l.232.
708-710.unconscious hand.Note how the dying Sohrab seeks to console the grief-stricken Rustum.
"Such is my destiny, such is the will of fortune.It was decreed that I should perish by the hand of my father."—Shah Nameh.
717.have found(him). Note the ellipsis.
723-724.I came ... passing wind.TheShah Namehhas—
"I came like a flash of lightning, and now I depart like the wind."
736.caked the sand.Hardened into cakes.
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751.Helmund.See note, l.82.
752.Zirrah.Another lake in Seistan, southeast of Hamoon, now almost dry.
763-765.Moorghab, Tejend and Kohik.Rivers of Turkestan which lose themselves in the deserts to the south of Bokhara. The northern Sir is the Sir Daria, or Jaxartes. See note, l.129.
788.And heap a stately mound, etc. Persian tradition says that a large monument, in shape like the hoof of a horse, was placed over the spot where Sohrab was buried.
830.on that day.Shortly after the death of Afrasiab, the Persian monarch Kai Khosroo, accompanied by a large number of his nobles, went to a spring far to the north, the location fixed upon as a place for their repose. Here the king died, and those who went with him afterward perished in a tempest. Sohrab predicted Rustum would be one of those lost, but tradition does not have it so.
861.Persepolis.An ancient capital of Persia, the ruins of which are known as "the throne of Jemshid," after a mythical king.
878.Chorasma.A region of Turkestan, the seat of a powerful empire in the twelfth century, but now greatly reduced. Its present limits are about the same as those of Khiva. See note, l.120.
880.Right for the polar star.That is, due north.Orgunje.A village on the Oxus some seventy miles below Khiva, and near the head of its delta.
890.luminous home.The Aral Sea.
891.new bathed stars.As the stars appear on the horizon, they seem to have come up out of the sea.
875-892.Discuss the poet's purpose in introducing the remarkable word-picture of these closing lines of the poem. See also note, ll.231-250,The Scholar-Gipsy.
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In this poem Arnold has vividly presented a quaint legend of Judas Iscariot, popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Brandan (490-577) was a celebrated Irish monk, famous for his voyages. "According to the legendary accounts of his travels, he set sail with others to seek the terrestrial paradise which was supposed to exist in an island of the Atlantic. Various miracles are related of the voyage, but they are always connected with the great island where the monks are said to have landed. The legend was current in the time of Columbus and long after, and many connected St. Brandan's island with the newly discovered America. He is commemorated on May 16."—The Century Cyclopedia of Names.
7.Hebrides.A group of islands off the northwestern coast of Scotland.
11.hurtling Polar lights.A reference to the rapid, changing movements of the Aurora Borealis.
18.Of hair that red.According to tradition, Judas Iscariot's hair was red.
21.sate.See note, l.199,Sohrab and Rustum. (Old form of "sat," common in poetry.)
31.self-murder.After betraying Christ, Judas hanged himself. See Matt, xxvii. 5 and Acts i. 18.
38.The Leper recollect.There is no scriptural authority for this incident.
40.Joppa, or Jaffa. A small maritime town of Palestine—the ancient port of Jerusalem. There is also a small village called Jaffa in Galilee, some two miles southwest of Nazareth, which may have been the place the poet had in mind.