The Shahnameh Volume I Second Edition: A New English Translation Paperback – January 26, 2026

Completed in the year 1010 by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, The Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, stands among the great epics of world literature. For over a millennium, it has shaped Persian cultural memory through its sweeping chronicle of kings and heroes, cosmic origins and tragic destinies, rendered in verse that is lyrical, evocative, and enduring.This second edition of The Shahnameh: A New English Translation by Josiane Cohanim presents the epic in clear, modern, unrhymed verse, preserving the spirit, grandeur, and symbolism of Ferdowsi's original while making it accessible to contemporary English-language readers. Drawing on more than sixteen years of study, this volume offers a faithful literary adaptation of the poem's foundational narratives, from the philosophical creation story to the legendary and tragic battle of Rostam and Sohrab.A distinguishing feature of this edition is the inclusion of the Moghaddameh (Prelude), a metaphysical and philosophical opening often omitted from other English translations. Its inclusion provides readers with deeper insight into Ferdowsi's vision of creation, kingship, and heroism, setting the poetic framework for the epic as a whole.The second edition has been carefully revised, with refined language and updated phrasing throughout, and includes a comprehensive index to guide readers through the work's rich cast of characters, places, and themes.Whether approached as myth, semi-historical epic, cultural foundation, or philosophical meditation on fate, virtue, and justice, The Shahnameh continues to resonate with undiminished power more than a thousand years after its composition. Read more