"He constructed for him a tomb by “som” of hoofed quadrupeds"

Subject Areas : Persian Language and Literature

Hamidreza Shaygan Far ¹

1 - Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, North Tehran Brnach, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2012-02-04 Accepted : 2012-05-22 Published : 2012-08-22

Keywords:

Abstract :

One of the masterpieces of Persian literature is the epic of “Rostam and Sohrâb”. One of the difficult couplets In this story, is at a time when Sohrâb is killed by mistake by Rostam and Rostam wants to construct a tomb for him; Rostam says: “If I construct a golden tomb for Sohrâb, when I leave the tomb, it will not abide; accordingly he construct a tomb with an underground cote (or hoofs) of hoofed quadrupeds (The word of “som” in Persian language conveys two meanings: 1.hoof, 2. underground cote). Researchers asked: why Rostam says such speaking? And why Rostam construct a tomb with underground cote (or hoofs) of hoofed quadrupeds. They tried to answer these questions with mythological approach and they disregard to atmosphere of the story. The author attempted to answer to these questions by considering the atmosphere of the story. In this tragedy, Sohrâb numbered an enemy; therefore if Rostam constructed a trimmed tomb for Sohrâb, the Iranian soldiery might to destroy that tomb; therefore Rostam chose an underground cote to bury Sohrâb and then hid the ground.