Abstract
This essay explores the influence of Sainte-Beuve's article 'Le Livre des Rois, par Firdousi' (1850), a review of Julius von Mohl's translation of Firdausi's Shahnameh, on the conception of Arnold's 'Sohrab and Rustum' (1853), exposing the paradoxical nature of this influence, since Sainte-Beuve both enabled Arnold to write the poem and implicitly challenged the 'authority' of any modern poet to rival a 'primary' epic poet such as Firdausi. In order to expound the conflicting nature of this influence, this study first investigates the underlying constituents of Firdausi's 'Sohrab' and then focuses on Arnold's version of it. Knowledge of Firdausi's original is crucial not because Arnold knew it, but because he did not. In the chain of interpretation from Mohl to Sainte-Beuve to Arnold, only Mohl had access to the Persian text. Sainte- Beuve relied on the fidelity of Mohl's translation, and Arnold had access only to what Sainte-Beuve selected from Mohl.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 22-40 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Middle Eastern Literatures |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Literature and Literary Theory
Cite this
Persia by Way of Paris : On Arnold's 'Sohrab and Rustum'. / Taher-Kermani, Reza.
In: Middle Eastern Literatures, Vol. 18, No. 1, 01.01.2015, p. 22-40.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Persia by Way of Paris
T2 - On Arnold's 'Sohrab and Rustum'
AU - Taher-Kermani, Reza
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - This essay explores the influence of Sainte-Beuve's article 'Le Livre des Rois, par Firdousi' (1850), a review of Julius von Mohl's translation of Firdausi's Shahnameh, on the conception of Arnold's 'Sohrab and Rustum' (1853), exposing the paradoxical nature of this influence, since Sainte-Beuve both enabled Arnold to write the poem and implicitly challenged the 'authority' of any modern poet to rival a 'primary' epic poet such as Firdausi. In order to expound the conflicting nature of this influence, this study first investigates the underlying constituents of Firdausi's 'Sohrab' and then focuses on Arnold's version of it. Knowledge of Firdausi's original is crucial not because Arnold knew it, but because he did not. In the chain of interpretation from Mohl to Sainte-Beuve to Arnold, only Mohl had access to the Persian text. Sainte- Beuve relied on the fidelity of Mohl's translation, and Arnold had access only to what Sainte-Beuve selected from Mohl.
AB - This essay explores the influence of Sainte-Beuve's article 'Le Livre des Rois, par Firdousi' (1850), a review of Julius von Mohl's translation of Firdausi's Shahnameh, on the conception of Arnold's 'Sohrab and Rustum' (1853), exposing the paradoxical nature of this influence, since Sainte-Beuve both enabled Arnold to write the poem and implicitly challenged the 'authority' of any modern poet to rival a 'primary' epic poet such as Firdausi. In order to expound the conflicting nature of this influence, this study first investigates the underlying constituents of Firdausi's 'Sohrab' and then focuses on Arnold's version of it. Knowledge of Firdausi's original is crucial not because Arnold knew it, but because he did not. In the chain of interpretation from Mohl to Sainte-Beuve to Arnold, only Mohl had access to the Persian text. Sainte- Beuve relied on the fidelity of Mohl's translation, and Arnold had access only to what Sainte-Beuve selected from Mohl.
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U2 - 10.1080/1475262X.2015.1067015
DO - 10.1080/1475262X.2015.1067015
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84954391876
VL - 18
SP - 22
EP - 40
JO - Middle Eastern Literatures
JF - Middle Eastern Literatures
SN - 1475-262X
IS - 1
ER -