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.