[178-10] Fix’d means halted. He caused his army to remain stationary while he rode forward.
[178-11] The corn is grain of some kind, not our maize or Indian corn.
[181-12] Kai Khosroo was one of the Persian kings who lived in the sixth century B. C., and is now understood to be Cyrus. He was the grandson of Kai Kaoos, in whose reign the Shah Nameh places the episode of Sohrab and Rustum. Here as elsewhere Arnold alters the legend to suit his convenience and to make the poem more effective. For instance, he compresses the combat into a single day, while in the Persian epic, the battle lasts three days. This change gives greater vitality and more rapid action to the poem.
[181-13] Zal was born with snowy hair, a most unusual thing among the black-haired Persians. His father was so angered by the appearance of his son that he abandoned the innocent babe in the Elburz mountains, where, however, a great bird or griffin miraculously preserved the infant and in time returned it to its father, who had repented of his hasty action.
[183-14] Ruksh, also spelled Raksh.
[183-15] Tale means count or reckoning. The diver had gathered all the pearls required from him for the day.
[184-16] This description by Arnold scarcely tallies with the idea we have obtained of the powerful Sohrab from reading the accounts taken from the Shah Nameh. Arnold’s is the more poetic idea, and increases the reader’s sympathy for Sohrab.
[185-17] Be governed, that is, take my advice.
[189-18] It is not natural for father and son to fight thus.
[191-19] In the Shah Nameh Rustum overpowers Sohrab and slays him by his superior power and skill. Arnold takes the more poetic view that Sohrab’s arm is powerless when he hears his father’s name.