Rostam e Dastān - Epic Iranian Music

Music by Farya Faraji, vocals by Farya Faraji and Kelareh Kabiri, lyrics by Ferdowsi, and artwork by Saeed Khazaei. This song is about the central character of the Shāhnāmeh, the Iranian national epic written in the 10th century by Ferdowsi, with the lyrics being from the same work.

The Shāhnāmeh is effectively Ferdowsi’s adaptation of Iranian mythology; Rostam and his adventures predate him by centuries, and there is attestation of his legend as far back as the Parthian era. The greatest and most well known of all figures of Iranian mythology; Rostam is to Iran what Herakles is to Greece, and his name is known by all Iranians, some baring his name, even in non-Iranic countries such as Turkey or Georgia.

The instrumentation harkens to both Classical Persian music as well as folk music like Kurdish and Khorasani music of Iran: the instruments used are the davul drums, the daf drums, the santour, qanun and tar.

Lyrics in Classical Persian:
یه دریا نهنگ و به هامون پلنگ
همان شیر جنگاور تیز چنگ
به بازوش بر اژدهای دلیر
به چنک اندرش داده چنگال شیر
اگر نیم از این پیکر آیدتنش
سرش ابر ساید زمین دامنش
چو رستم رسید به بالای هشت
بسان یکی سرو آزاد گشت

جهان آفرین تا جهان آفرید
سواری چو رستم نیامد پدید
ز ‌ پیکان تیر آتشی برفروخت
بدو خاک و خاشاک وهیزم بسوخت
کمندو پی رخش و رستم سوار
نیابد ازو دام و دد زینهار

ز دشت اندر آمد یکی اژدها
کزو پیل گفتی نیابد رها
بدو اژدها گفت که نام تو چیست
که زاینده را بر تو باید گریست
چنین داد پاسخ که من رستمم
ز دستان و از سام و از نیرمم
بزد تیغ و بنداخت از بر سرش
فرو ریخت چون رود خون از برش

وزان جایگاه سوی دیو سپید
بیامد به کردار تابنده شید
ز نیروی رستم ز بالای اوی
بینداخت یک ران یک پای او
همیدون به دل گفت دیو سپید
که از جان شیرین شدم نا ومید
فرو برد خنجر دلش بردرید
جگرش از تن تیره بیرون کشید

English translation:
May Rostam Dastan, a thousand times be victorious!

In the sea he was a crocodile, in the forest, a tiger,
A warlike lion with sharp claws,
A mouch like a brave dragon’s,

If his body were even half its height,
His head would reach the sky, the earth would be his skirt,
At the age of eight,
Already was he roaming freely,

Even since the Creator hath created the World,
Never had he seen one such as Rostam,
He put on his body the tiger’s skin,
And Zāl gave him many a felicitaton,

His arrows, flying, would light the earth below them,
And dust and all matter would burn,
And Rostam mounted his horse Raksh,
And no horse like him ever was seen riding,

From the field, a fierce dragon appeared,
So great you'd say even elephants were small,
And he asked unto Rostam: what is thy name?
Which mother shall be grieving tonight?

And Rostam unto him answered: I am Rostam!
Of the kin of Dastān, of Sām, of Neyram!
With his sword, he did cut off the dragons head,
And the blood poured down like rivers of red,

Rostam advanced towards the white Div,
And like a shining bright sun he seemed,
Rostam's strength far exceeded the Div’s,
And he threw it at its feet,
The Div declared: verily, I have lost all hope of sweet life!
Rostam threw his dagger into the Div’s heart,
And tore his liver out of his evil body.



[faryafaraji]

Music by Farya Faraji, vocals by Farya Faraji and Kelareh Kabiri, lyrics by Ferdowsi, and artwork by Saeed Khazaei. This song is about the central character of the Shāhnāmeh, the Iranian national epic written in the 10th century by Ferdowsi, with the lyrics being from the same work.

The Shāhnāmeh is effectively Ferdowsi’s adaptation of Iranian mythology; Rostam and his adventures predate him by centuries, and there is attestation of his legend as far back as the Parthian era. The greatest and most well known of all figures of Iranian mythology; Rostam is to Iran what Herakles is to Greece, and his name is known by all Iranians, some baring his name, even in non-Iranic countries such as Turkey or Georgia.

The instrumentation harkens to both Classical Persian music as well as folk music like Kurdish and Khorasani music of Iran: the instruments used are the davul drums, the daf drums, the santour, qanun and tar.

Lyrics in Classical Persian:
یه دریا نهنگ و به هامون پلنگ
همان شیر جنگاور تیز چنگ
به بازوش بر اژدهای دلیر
به چنک اندرش داده چنگال شیر
اگر نیم از این پیکر آیدتنش
سرش ابر ساید زمین دامنش
چو رستم رسید به بالای هشت
بسان یکی سرو آزاد گشت

جهان آفرین تا جهان آفرید
سواری چو رستم نیامد پدید
ز ‌ پیکان تیر آتشی برفروخت
بدو خاک و خاشاک وهیزم بسوخت
کمندو پی رخش و رستم سوار
نیابد ازو دام و دد زینهار

ز دشت اندر آمد یکی اژدها
کزو پیل گفتی نیابد رها
بدو اژدها گفت که نام تو چیست
که زاینده را بر تو باید گریست
چنین داد پاسخ که من رستمم
ز دستان و از سام و از نیرمم
بزد تیغ و بنداخت از بر سرش
فرو ریخت چون رود خون از برش

وزان جایگاه سوی دیو سپید
بیامد به کردار تابنده شید
ز نیروی رستم ز بالای اوی
بینداخت یک ران یک پای او
همیدون به دل گفت دیو سپید
که از جان شیرین شدم نا ومید
فرو برد خنجر دلش بردرید
جگرش از تن تیره بیرون کشید

English translation:
May Rostam Dastan, a thousand times be victorious!

In the sea he was a crocodile, in the forest, a tiger,
A warlike lion with sharp claws,
A mouth like a brave dragon’s,

If his body were even half its height,
His head would reach the sky, the earth would be his skirt,
At the age of eight,
Already was he roaming freely,

Even since the Creator hath created the World,
Never had he seen one such as Rostam,
He put on his body the tiger’s skin,
And Zāl gave him many a felicitaton,

His arrows, flying, would light the earth below them,
And dust and all matter would burn,
And Rostam mounted his horse Raksh,
And no horse like him ever was seen riding,

From the field, a fierce dragon appeared,
So great you'd say even elephants were small,
And he asked unto Rostam: what is thy name?
Which mother shall be grieving tonight?

And Rostam unto him answered: I am Rostam!
Of the kin of Dastān, of Sām, of Neyram!
With his sword, he did cut off the dragons head,
And the blood poured down like rivers of red,

Rostam advanced towards the white Div,
And like a shining bright sun he seemed,
Rostam's strength far exceeded the Div’s,
And he threw it at its feet,
The Div declared: verily, I have lost all hope of sweet life!
Rostam threw his dagger into the Div’s heart,
And tore his liver out of his evil body.

[behzod_]

Durud from Tajikistan to everyone who grew up reading poems from the Shahnameh.

[ramtin]

Rostam is one of the most underrated mythology heros
Well actually the whole Iranian mythology is underrated

[HistorywithCy]

Listening to this made me realize that I haven't read my Shahnameh in a while... and that's what I'm going to do tonight! Thanks Farya, this is another one of my favorites of yours along with Asbaran and Immortals!

[MatthewWilliams-bzxu]

"I am Rostam!
Of the kin of Dastān, of Sām, of Neyram!
With his sword, he did cut off the dragons head,
And the blood poured down like rivers of red"
That is the most power metal thing ive ever heard in my life. Thank you for introducing me to all this amazing history and music.

[amjthe_paleosquare]

As a Mexican, I know more about greek mythology than my own Aztec one. But reading the lyrics about Rostam 👀
We've been robbed of sick badass non-Grecolatin mythology.

[freshnote]

Namaste 🙏 🇮🇷 Iran ♥️
Namaste 🙏 From India 🇮🇳

[ThecatofCheshire]

Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.
Gustav Mahler
Thank you for everything mr Faraji! Much love from Greece!

[ElacTeubusht]

Farsi such a great language love from Tatarstan!!

[dariush]

درود بر فردوسی فرزانه و همه ایرانیان میهن پرست🌹

[jusuferg]

"which mother shall soon be grieved?"

wow, just wow!

[MusicMissionary]

I really respect you for what you're doing. So many of us have forgotten how precious culture is. We've lost touch with the earth. We need to appreciate music that comes from the roots. I say this as an American Southerner who wishes he'd listened to him great uncle play the fiddle when he had the chance.

[bigdaddy]

Your Iranian songs are quickly becoming my absolute favorites on your channel, and they're an amazing gateway into the beautiful and fascinating cultures of Iran. I actually started reading a translation of the Shāhnāmeh after listening to The Kayanians

[demonizer]

Sorry, but this is absolute. FIRE!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 I'm blasting this in my car as I cruise down the street, feeling like a guest in a Persian King's palace 😊

[arshiaparsamaram]

واقعا ممنونیم کاراتون حرف نداره you are the best

[nellyou]

Biz de Edebiyat içinde Rüstemi çok duyduk elbette. Çok çok hoş olmuş bu müzik!

[j.s]

Grown up with Iranian mythology, all of the stories have a special place in my heart

[kaiserwilhelmii]

Lol, this Persian music should be on Spotify, congrats, my friend 🤲!!!

[sal]

Also interesting parallels between Rostam and Marko Kraljević. In mythology they're both presented as physically colossal, for instance in a folk story I heard, a rocky hill in a region in Serbia with a flat top is said to once have been a mountain before Marko Kraljević used it as a stool, flattening it. Also, Marko Kraljević has a famous horse as well, Šarac, who is also described as the greatest horse on earth. I don't know why these elements are shared, maybe they're borrowings from Iran into the Balkan Slavs, or maybe they descend from some much much older Indo European archetypes

[dmcyd]

درود بررستم دستان پهلوان و دلیر مرد ایران شهر بزرگ روانش شاد منم از دیار رستم زابلستان