“A nature warm to its own, kindly to all, cheerful, fond of sport and fun, and always fed from pure fountains, and with it a character so founded upon the rock, so humbly serviceable, so continuing in power and grace, must wake in all the responses of happy appreciation and leave the charm of memory.”
[173-1] The Oxus, 1300 miles long, is the chief river of Central Asia, and one of the boundaries of Persia.
[173-2] Peran-Wisa was the commander of King Afrasiab’s troops, a Turanian chief who ruled over the many wild Tartar tribes whose men composed his army.
[173-3] Pamir or Pamere is a high tableland called by the natives “the roof of the world.” In it lies the source of the Oxus. Arnold has named many places for the purpose of giving an air of reality to the poem. It is not necessary to locate them accurately in order to understand the poem, and so the notes will refer to them only as the story is made clearer by the explanation.
[174-4] Samarcand is a city of Turkistan, now a center of learning and of commerce.
[175-5] Common here means general. The idea is that little fame comes to him who fights in a general combat in which numbers take part. What is the real reason for Sohrab’s desire to fight in single combat? Arnold gives a different reason from that in the Shah Nameh. In the latter case it is that by defeating their champion Sohrab may frighten the Persians into submission.
[176-6] Seistan was the province in which Rustum and his father Zal had ruled for many years, subjects of the King of Persia.
[176-7] Whether that and Or in beginning the second line below may be understood to read Either because and Or because of.
[177-8] Frore means frozen.
[177-9] From mares’ milk is made koumiss, a favorite fermented drink of Tartar tribes.