Epic poem · 1905–1925

The Shahnama of Firdausi

Done into English by Arthur George Warner and Edmond Warner

by Firdausi

Translated by Arthur George Warner and Edmond Warner (1905–1925)

The Warners' complete blank-verse English translation of Firdausi's Persian national epic; all nine volumes, from the creation of kingship under Gaiumart to the war with Mazandaran, Suhrab, Siyawush and the coming of Kai Khusrau, then Kai Khusrau's long wars with Turan (Piran, Kamus, the Khan of Chin, Bizhan and Manizha, the Twelve Rukhs, the fall of Afrasiyab) and the reign of Luhrasp, then the reign of Gushtasp (the coming of Zarduhsht, the wars with Arjasp, Asfandiyar's Seven Stages, the fight of Rustam and Asfandiyar, the death of Rustam), Bahman, Humai and Darab, and the last two reigns of the Kaianian line, Dara and Sikandar, the legend of Alexander; then the Sasanian dynasty, from the Ashkanians and the rise of Ardshir Papakan through the reigns of his successors, Bahram Gur's hunts and adventures, Nushirwan's justice with the tales of Buzurjmihr and Mahbud and the invention of chess, and Hurmuzd, to the long reign of Khusrau Parwiz (the revolt of Bahram Chubina, Khusrau's flight to Rum, Shirin, and his fall), then the brief reigns of his successors (the lament of Barbad, the death of Shirin, the women Shahs Purandukht and Azarmdukht), and last the reign of Yazdagird: the Arab conquest, the death of Rustam at Kadisiya, the flight to Khurasan and the murder of Yazdagird by the miller, ending with Firdausi's own closing words.

Contents · 70 parts

• The Preludeabout 440 lines
• Gaiumartabout 110 lines
• Hushang57 lines
• Tahmuras68 lines
• Jamshidabout 310 lines
• Zahhakabout 830 lines
• Faridunabout 1890 lines
• Minuchihrabout 3240 lines
• Naudarabout 970 lines
• Zav72 lines
• Garshaspabout 430 lines
• Kai Kubadabout 410 lines
• Kai Kaus I: The War with Mazandaranabout 1620 lines
• Kai Kaus II: The Doings in Barbaristan and Other Talesabout 1170 lines
• Kai Kaus III: Suhrababout 2290 lines
• Kai Kaus IV: The Story of Siyawushabout 4800 lines
• Kai Kaus V: How Rustam Avenged Siyawush and How Giv Brought Kai Khusrau to Iranabout 2490 lines
• Kai Khusrau I: How Kai Khusrau, to Avenge Siyawush, Sent a Host against Turanabout 3070 lines
• Kai Khusrau II: The Story of Kamus of Kashanabout 2680 lines
• Kai Khusrau III: The Story of Rustam and the Khan of Chinabout 2610 lines
• Kai Khusrau IV: The Story of the Fight of Rustam with the Div Akwanabout 400 lines
• Kai Khusrau V: The Story of Bizhan and Manizhaabout 2340 lines
• Kai Khusrau VI: The Battle of the Twelve Rukhsabout 4250 lines
• Kai Khusrau VII: The Great War of Kai Khusrau with Afrasiyababout 5840 lines
• Luhraspabout 1640 lines
• Gushtasp I: The Coming of Zarduhsht and the War with Arjaspabout 2820 lines
• Gushtasp II: The Story of the Seven Stagesabout 1580 lines
• Gushtasp III: The Story of Asfandiyar's Fight with Rustamabout 3120 lines
• Gushtasp IV: The Story of Rustam and Shaghadabout 630 lines
• Bahmanabout 300 lines
• Humaiabout 600 lines
• Darababout 260 lines
• Daraabout 860 lines
• Sikandarabout 3490 lines
• The Ashkaniansabout 1260 lines
• Ardshir Papakanabout 1180 lines
• Shapur son of Ardshirabout 160 lines
• Urmuzd son of Shapurabout 150 lines
• Bahram son of Urmuzd73 lines
• Bahram son of Bahram52 lines
• Bahram Bahramiyan25 lines
• Narsi son of Bahram51 lines
• Urmuzd son of Narsi61 lines
• Shapur son of Urmuzd, surnamed Zu'l Aktafabout 1130 lines
• Ardshir brother of Shapur30 lines
• Shapur son of Shapur59 lines
• Bahram son of Shapur57 lines
• Yazdagird son of Shapurabout 1250 lines
• Bahram Gurabout 4880 lines
• Yazdagird son of Bahram52 lines
• Hurmuz40 lines
• Piruzabout 260 lines
• Balashabout 370 lines
• Kubad son of Piruzabout 760 lines
• Nushirwan I: Nushirwan's Administration of the Realm, his Wars with Frontier-Tribes and with Rum, and the Revolt of Nushzadabout 1940 lines
• Nushirwan II: The Story of Buzurjmihr and of the Seven Banquets of Nushirwanabout 1150 lines
• Nushirwan III: The Story of Mahbud and Other Mattersabout 2060 lines
• Nushirwan IV: The Introduction of the Game of Chess into Iran, the Legend of its Invention, and the Discovery of the Book of Kalila and Dimnaabout 1670 lines
• Nushirwan V: The Fall and Restoration to Favour of Buzurjmihr, and the Wisdom of Nushirwanabout 1260 lines
• Nushirwan VI: The Shah's Last Yearsabout 880 lines
• Hurmuzd son of Nushirwanabout 3540 lines
• Khusrau Parwizabout 7410 lines
• Kubad (Shirwi)about 1140 lines
• Ardshir son of Shirwiabout 160 lines
• Guraz (Farayin)about 170 lines
• Purandukht57 lines
• Azarmdukht21 lines
• Farrukhzad59 lines
• Yazdagirdabout 1650 lines
• The Completion of the Shahnama52 lines

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