The New Lifetime Reading Plan

It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of Firdausi's work in Persian literature. He set the standard for ali poets who came after him, in the concision and the tight rhyme schemes of his couplets, in the highly rhythmic cadence of his verse, and in his poem^?s dramatic narrative scope. The Shah Nameh acquired the status of a Persian national epic, and until very recent times many quite ordinary people were capa- ble of reciting long passages from it. By glorifying Persia's pre- Islamic past, Firdausi undoubtedly contributed to Persia's strong commitment to its own national culture in the face of Islamic universalism.

Finally, the Shah Nameh for centuries has served painters of miniatures in the Persian style as a source of stories, such as the exploits of Rustam and his knights, that they could illus- trate. The finest of many illustrated editions of the Shah Nameh, commissioned by Shah Tahmasp in the early sixteenth century and now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is one of the great masterpieces of world art. If you have access to a large urban library or museum research library, ask to see its copy (such a library almost certainly will have one, but as part of its special and rare book collection, not in general circulation) of the facsim- ile edition of this so-called Houghton Shah Nameh. This luxu- rious book, titled A Kings Book of Kings and published by the Metropolitan Museum in 1972, comes as close as possible to reproducing the look and feel of the magnificent original. If you are able to see a copy of this facsimile after youve read the Shah Nameh yourself, it will give you a sense of the almost reverent esteem accorded Firdausi's great work in his native land.

J.S.M.

27

SEI SHХNAGON

ca. gфs-¹^ The Pillow-Book

We know almost nothing about the life of Sei Shхnagon, one of the most brilliant writers that Japan has ever produced. The dates of birth and death conventionally given for her are guesses, based on an assumption that she was in her thirties when she was active as a writer and on a tradition that she died under difficult circumstances at an advanced age. She was born into the aristocratic Kiyowara clan, may have married an official named Tachibana no Norimitsu, and may have borne him a son. Even her personal name is not known for certain; Shхnagon was only her title as an imperial lady-in-waiting. The sole mention of her in the writings of her contemporaries is an uncomplimentary remark by Lady Murasaki [28], who disliked Sei Shхnagon^ arrogance. Like most people, she would quickly have slipped into the obscurity of the past, save for her one stunning achievement: For a few years, exactly a thousand years ago (as of this writing), she kept a "pillow book" of ran- dom jottings about her life as a court lady that has enthralled and entertained readers ever since.

Sei Shхnagon lived during the Heian Period (795-1085), a very remarkable era of Japanese history. Blessed with a thriv- ing agricultural economy, enriched by cultural influences from China and Korea, secure both from externai attack and inter­nai strife, the Japanese developed during that time an aristo- cratic society as refined and luxurious as any in history. In the beautiful city of Heian-kyх (now Kyoto), filled with villas, palaces and temples, emperors reigned but did not rule much, surrounded and flattered by an aristocracy that devoted itself to Buddhism and aesthetics. Persuaded by their faith that life on earth is both illusory and ephemeral, these aristocratic men and women made their time here as beautiful as possible; fash- ion, art, poetry, and many other aesthetic pursuits flourished. Eventually this way of life came to an end, overwhelmed by the rise of a provincial warrior class—the samurai who would dominate Japan for the next eight centuries.

While the Heian Period lasted, women enjoyed a degree of personal independence quite unusual in the history of tradi- tional societies, and which they would lose under the rule of the samurai. They could and did inherit, own, and bequeath property. It was common for a man to marry into the family of his wife, and to be dominated by his father-in-law. Premarital and extramarital sex was winked at; men and women alike were free to pursue love affairs as long as they were discreet and considerate of the sensibilities of others. Men monopolized the administration of both government and private estates and were supposed to practice such martial arts as archery and swordsmanship. Women had little to do except to beautify their lives through the elegant arts.