The epic of the kings

Were Ferdowsi to come back to life and come to my home town, I would drive to see him and then park my car 100 yards away and get out. I would run to him and kiss the ground before his feet. I would pour a bushel basket of $100 bills over his head. I would spray him with Clive Christian No.1 Pure Perfume for Men (more than $1400 a bottle). I would hire the best local band to play for him, and I would feast him with the unbelievably delicious clams, oysters, and salmon the local waters are known for, prepared by the best local chef. I would laud him like a lion. And I would thank him for having written an epic poem which brought me so much pleasure.

I'm surprised at how much I loved the Shahnameh. Davis's translation is clear, understandable, and at time quite lovely. The mix of poetry and prose worked for me really well. I tend to resent prose translations of poems, but to tell the truth I often find verse translations to be tedious. Davis gave me the best of both without the worst of either.

A few surprises. I was intrigued by how very similar the religious sentiment (and especially the pre-Zaroastrian period of the poem) is to that which is found in the Old Testament. And I was amazed at how similar it felt to medieval European stories. In particular I was gratified at how violent and frightening –how similar to the European model– the dragons are. None of these “Chinese dragons in their serene heights holding the pearl of wisdom” nonsense. These Persian dragons want to kill you, just like in real life.

Having read it, I love the Shahnameh, and I love Davis's translation.