Old Miniatures

A young warrior grows up surrounded by affection and silence. His mother guards a secret about his father, while the men who direct his life teach him strength, honor and obedience. When Sohrab learns that he is Rustam's son, he imagines a reunion that will transform both his own future and the rival kingdoms of Turan and Iran.

To bring his father into reach, he takes an army across the frontier. But on the battlefield, political calculation, pride and incomplete knowledge turn recognition into an increasingly dangerous possibility. Miyamoto Yuriko gives the legendary encounter an intimate emotional life, following both the eager young man and the aging warrior whose suspicions cannot overcome his habits of combat.

First published in the Otaru Shimbun in 1924, Old Miniatures is presented here in a complete English translation of all fifty-two supplied sections. Notes explain adopted names, traditional measures, reference emphasis and unusual source wording. The final unanswered question remains the work's ending. AI-assisted translation.