Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Professor of Persian language and literature. University of Kurdistan
Abstract
Within the Shahnameh curriculum in departments of Persian literature, two of the four units are dedicated to the story of Rostam and Sohrab. A considerable number of textbooks and commentaries have been produced for teaching this section. In addition to instructional materials compiled for students, scholarly works-such as critical editions, annotated texts, and academic articles-have offered interpretations of vocabulary, expressions, and problematic or controversial verses. Collectively, these contributions have enriched both pedagogy and research. Yet in certain cases, the explanations lack the necessary precision and fail to engage critically with previous scholarship. The present article underscores the need for revising the lesson notes on the story of Rostam and Sohrab. It discusses key terms and expressions such as zende bar dār kardan (“to hang alive”), āz (avarice/greed), konj/gang/kang, and bahāneh (pretext), while also identifying and correcting instances of imprecision in existing commentaries. Further attention is given to the narrative structure, interrogative statements, Ferdowsi’s technique of storytelling, and the interplay between names and their referents. Moreover, based on the narrative framework and the interpretation of rāh-e rāst as “the clear and open path,” the phrase nagoshād lab in printed editions is emended to bogoshād lab.
Keywords: “Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh”; “Rostam and Sohrab”; “narrative technique”; “āz”; “zende bar dār kardan”; “konj/gang/kang”
Keywords
- “Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh”
- “Rostam and Sohrab”
- “narrative technique”
- “āz”
- “zende bar dār kardan”
- “konj/gang/kang”
Main Subjects
)