Ferdowsi, The Shahnameh, The Reign of Sekandar, Part 36

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The Reign of Sekandar (Alexander) – Part 36: The Wall of Alexander

He (Sekandar) went toward the west when he saw the east; from the world, he chose the counsel of going. On the road, he saw a pure (prosperous) city, as if wind and dust had never passed over it. When the sound of kettledrums came from the back of elephants, the great ones came to welcome him for two miles.

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The People's Complaint

When the world-seeker saw them, he honored them; he raised their necks to the sun (i.e., he honored them). He asked: "What wonder is there here, beyond which thought cannot be taken?"

They opened their tongues to the Shah, complaining of the turning of time: "We have a hard work before us; we will tell the victorious Shah. On this mountain, whose head reaches the clouds, our hearts are full of toil, pain, and blood. From a thing against which we have no strength—from Yājūj and Mājūj (Gog and Magog)—we have no sleep. When they come, a part of them comes to our city; grief and toil are our portion. Their faces are like the face of a camel; their tongues are black, their eyes full of blood. They are black-faced, with teeth like boars; who dares to go near them? Their bodies are full of hair, their hair is like indigo; their chests and ears are like elephants'. One sleeps with their ear as a bed; another makes a tent of their body. From every female, a thousand young are born; who knows the count of their little and much? When they gather, they become like cattle; they rush and become like wild asses.

"In spring, when a roar comes from the cloud and the green sea boils, the cloud raises the dragon (a whirlwind) from the wave; the air roars like a lion. The cloud casts down the dragon like a mountain; groups of them come. Their food, year after year, is what fills their breasts and manes. Their plants are their food; they bring them from every side. When it is cold, they become very thin; they cry out like doves. In spring, you see them like wolves; they roar like mighty elephants.

"If the king would devise a remedy, so that our hearts might be freed from this grief, he would receive much praise from everyone, and after that, he would remain long in the world. Do greatness and make our toil easy; you are not without need of the Pure God."

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Sekandar's Decision

Sekandar remained astonished at them; he grew sorrowful and took up thoughts. He gave this answer: "From us is treasure; from your city, aid and toil. I will raise this path of theirs by counsel, by the power of the Good-Giving One God."

They all said: "O Shah, may evil time be far from you! Whatever you need from us, we are all your servants; we will serve as long as we live. We will bring as much as you wish; we have no work beyond this."

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The Construction of the Wall

Sekandar came and looked at the mountain. He brought that group of philosophers. He commanded: "Bring blacksmiths! Bring copper, brass, and heavy hammers! Bring clay, stone, and firewood beyond count, as much as is needed."

They brought without measure whatever he asked. When the work was prepared and the thought was set straight, from the wall-builders and blacksmiths—everyone who was a master in those crafts—came from the world before Sekandar; they became helpers in that necessary work. Groups of knowledge came from every land.

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The Two Walls

He made two walls on the two sides of the mountain, from the base to the peak. Their height was a hundred shāh-rash (a unit of measurement), and their width was thirty (or: a hundred in height and thirty in width). Within them, he placed copper, brass, and sulfur. He mixed naphtha and oil, and poured them over the metals. He commanded that fire be kindled. A hundred thousand blacksmiths brought bellows, by the command of the victorious Shah. The sound of the bellows rose from the mountain; the stars grew weary from the heat of the fire.

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The Melting

For a time, the work of the fire and the toil of the blacksmiths continued. They fused the metals together and melted them with that fierce fire. The world was freed from Yājūj and Mājūj; the earth became a place of walking and sitting.

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The Wall's Dimensions

Its height was five hundred (cubits), and its width was three hundred (cubits). From that famed Wall of Alexander (the Sad-e Eskandarī), the world was freed from evil judgment.

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The Praise

The great ones offered praise to him: "May time and earth never be without you!" From whatever was in that place, they brought much to the Shah. He accepted nothing from them and left; the world remained astonished at that work.

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End of Passage

This passage describes the construction of the Wall of Alexander, a legendary barrier against Gog and Magog:

1. The city — A prosperous city near a mountain, plagued by Yājūj and Mājūj (Gog and Magog), a race of wild, destructive people.

2. The description of Yājūj and Mājūj — They are described as monstrous: camel-like faces, black tongues, bloodshot eyes, boar-like teeth, hairy bodies, with ears like elephants. They breed rapidly (a thousand young from every female). They are fierce in spring and thin in winter.

3. The request — The people ask Sekandar to build a wall to protect them.

4. The construction — Sekandar uses philosophers, blacksmiths, and craftsmen from many lands. He builds two walls of iron, copper, brass, and sulfur, and melts them with fire. The wall is huge: 500 cubits high and 300 cubits wide.

5. The result — The wall protects the people from Yājūj and Mājūj. The world is freed from their evil.

6. The praise — The people praise Sekandar.

7. The departure — Sekandar accepts no gifts and leaves.

The Wall of Alexander (the Sad-e Eskandarī) is a famous legend in Persian and Islamic tradition. It is identified with the historical wall built by Alexander the Great (or by the Sassanian kings) in the Caucasus or Central Asia. The mention of Yājūj and Mājūj (Gog and Magog) connects the story to the Qur'anic account (Surah al-Kahf, 18:83-98) of Dhul-Qarnayn (the "Two-Horned One"), often identified with Alexander. The Shahnameh follows this tradition. The Shahnameh is now moving toward its final events. The epic is near its end. The end is approaching. The next sections will describe Sekandar's return journey and his death. The construction of the wall is one of Sekandar's greatest deeds, protecting humanity from a monstrous threat. The end is near.