DOCSLIB.ORG

Persian) Literature Homayun Shahpesandy Consultant Psychiatrist, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS, United Kingdom

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Persian) Literature Homayun Shahpesandy Consultant Psychiatrist, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS, United Kingdom JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, 2020 VOL 9, NO. 1, PAGE 1 – 4 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Open Access Illustration of alcohol use in classical Farsi-Dari (Persian) literature Homayun Shahpesandy Consultant Psychiatrist, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS, United Kingdom ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Alcohol has been known to people of Central Asia for millennia, and in line with local Received May 30, 2020 mythology, wine was used as an anaesthetic for the Caesarean birth of the mythical hero Accepted June 07, 2020 Rostam. In classical Farsi-Dari (Persian) literature, the term alcohol and/or wine is used in Published June 23, 2020 two different contexts; firstly, as an allegory; referring to a ‘divine wine’ and as a source of spiritual intoxication bringing the consumer closer to his Creator. This school of thoughts is symbolised by Rumi and Sufi poets; secondly, as a source of physical intoxication, bringing KEYWORDS the drinker happiness and the ability to forget about everyday concerns. This school of Alcohol, wine, Farsi-Dari, Persian, opinions is represented by Khayyam and Manuchehri. From a religious point of view, Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia, self- alcohol is described as “the mother of all evil”. Nevertheless, there are also a lot of those, medication, anxiety, depression. who praise wine for its hypnotic properties describing it as ‘a remedy for sleepless nights’, or for its anxiolytic characteristics, ‘taking away worries and bringing peace to one’s mind’; and notably for its antidepressant effects declaring ‘there is nothing better than wine to banish sadness’. The aim of this paper is to review Persian literature of Central Asia and neighbouring regions between the 10th and 14th centuries with the focus on alcohol and its illustration in the works of influential authors of the period, including Rudaki, Manuchehri, Khayyam, Rumi, Hafez, etc. Introduction ‘Dokhtar e gham’ – daughter of sadness; ‘Esaa ye har dard’ – Jesus for every pain; ‘Gol e neshaat’ – the flower of happiness; Alcohol is forbidden in Islam and described as “the mother of ‘Hez e arous’ - the blood of the bride; ‘Jaan bakhsh’ – the all vice” or ‘the deadliest of the deadliest sins’ [1]. Abu Sahl exhilarator; ‘Khoun e kabouter’ – blood of the dove; ‘Khoun e Hamdawī of Balkh describes alcohol as ‘the introduction of khaam’ – raw blood; ‘Khoun e naamous’ – the blood of honour; the book of debauchery, the padlock of the doors of morality ‘Kimya ye jan’– elixir of soul; ‘Pardah soz’ – the veil-burner; ‘Rish and permanent drinking is the foundation of aberration.' In e qhaazi’ – the judge’s beard; ‘Ruh parwar’ – the soul-nourisher; his view, 'adoration of alcohol is the beginning of hatred, ‘Sang e mehak’ – the touchstone (benchmark); ‘Tolqh e rawaan’ and anyone who sits on the beast of alcohol is categorically a – the elixir of the soul; ‘Zabaan band e kherad’ – the tongue- deviant' [2]. Notwithstanding of its official prohibition, post- clamper of sense [4], etc. are a clear testimony of alcohol being Islamic Persian literature of the period between 10th and 14th a desired beverage and broadly consumed. century Anno Domini (AD); reflecting a relatively thriving socio- economic environment alongside a relative freedom indicates Methods and Objectives that alcohol was relatively freely consumed, especially by This is a literature review of Persian poetry and prose focusing nobilities and rulers, as well as by intellectuals. There were on alcohol and its illustration in the works of influential taverns (‘sharabkhana, maykadah, maykhana’) owned largely authors of the period, including Rudaki, Manuchehri, Khayyam, by Zoroastrians and other non-Muslims that were recurrently Jalaluddin Balkhí (Rumi), Hafez, etc. This paper aims to examine visited [3]. Words such as ‘may’ (wine), ‘mast’ (drunk), representations of alcohol use in classical Farsi-Dari (Persian) ‘sharabkhana’ (tavern) alongside the ‘sáqhee’ (cupbearer) and literature between the 10th and 14th century AD in Afghanistan, ‘sháhed’ (beauty) are probably the most common words used Iran and bordering regions of Central Asia. in classical Persian literature. The use of terms and pseudonyms for wine such as ‘Aab e aatash noma’ – fire-showing water ; Results ‘Aab e atashin’ – firing water; ‘Aab e haram’ – the prohibited Alcohol representation in local mythology and the pre-Islamic water; ‘Aab e torab’ - water of joy; ‘Aaftaab e zard’ - yellow sun; era ‘Aatash e be dud’ - smokeless fire; ‘Aatash e mahlul’ - liquefied fire; ‘Aatash e sayaal’- fire of the soul; ‘Aatash e toba soz’ – the As reported by the Zoroastrian holy descriptions from around repentance-burning water; ‘Aqhiqh e nab’ – pure onyx; ‘Arous the 5th century BC, the drinking of wine was a relatively common e khaak’ – bride of the soil; ‘Ashk e taak’ - tear of grape tree; phenomenon in Central Asia and the Middle East. Therefore, ‘Barqh’ – electricity; ‘Dokhtar e aaftaab’ – sun’s daughter; Zoroastrian religious authorities recommended moderate Contact Homayun Shahpesandy [email protected], [email protected] Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS, United Kingdom. © 2020 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Homayun Shahpesandy drinking; ‘if you drink, drink moderately and like wise men, Illustrations of alcohol use by rulers and nobilities because from excessive drinking, sins will grow as plants from Despite its official prohibition, wine often appears to be the spring rain’ [1]. Wine was produced in Kapisa near Bagram, consumed by rulers and aristocrats of the region. King north of Kabul (the summer capital of the Kushan Empire) from Kaykawus bin Eskanadr bin Qābus bin Vashmgir (1021 AD – the 2nd century AD until 10th century AD, and was exported c. 1084 AD), the Ziarid ruler of Tabarestān (north west Iran) to India [5-8]. in his Qabusnamah (or as The Mirror for Princes known in As claimed by Abul Qásem Firdausi (c. 940-1020 AD, Tus, Iran), English literature), advises his son Gilānshah “as far as alcohol the author of the Sháhnáma (Book of Kings) wine was consumed is concerned, I don’t say drink it, but I also can’t say don’t drink in ancient Iranian territories for millennia and people of the it because young people don’t take advice seriously. If you region knew wine even before the discovery of fire. As stated by don’t drink you will succeed in both worlds. Besides you would Firdausi, after the accidental discovery of fire by king Hushang not be subject to public criticism. However, if you drink try to and him believing the fire being given to him as a gift from repent, ask God for forgiveness, and express your regret about God; the king ordered his people to worship fire and that very drinking. If you do not know how to drink, alcohol will become night ‘they had a feast and drank wine’ [9,10]. Corresponding venom. However, if you know how to drink, it will become an to the legend, the discovery of fire was subsequently annually antitoxin" [11]. celebrated as the festival of fire “Saddah” (century), which As claimed by Abul Fadl Baihaqī (995-1077 AD) the author has still been celebrated in some parts of the Middle East and of the Tārīkh-e Baihaqī or The History of Beyhaqi, written Central Asia. Alcohol was consumed during festivals, including by that provides information on the ruling dynasties of the the festival of ‘Nau Roz’ or New Year until the 5th century AD region such as the Samanids, Ghurids, Buyids and mainly when it was forbidden by king Bahram, the fifteenth king of the the powerful Ghaznavid empire, ruling a vast region of Sasanian Empire [9,10]. As narrated by Firdausi, king Bahram nowadays Afghanistan, Iran, North India and Transoxiana, had forbidden the wine following an incident when one of wine is consumed by rulers and aristocrats during the state his noblemen, called Kebrui, whilst drunk and asleep, a black holidays, post victorious conquests, but also just for fun [12]. raven pecked his eyes out. Wine was forbidden for a year until; Bayhaqī gives a rather shocking illustration of a feast of wine a shoemaker’s son married a rich woman. But the shoemaker’s and merriment by Abu Sahl Zuzani, chief secretary of Sultan boy had erectile dysfunction, so his mother advised him to Mas’ud Ghazanwi organised after the execution of the famous “drink some wine and when you feel you are ready, go to statesman, Hasanak the Vizier (Hasanak Mikáili). Hasanak the her again; you will break her steal once you two are alone - Vizier served Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi from 1024 AD to 1030 a pickaxe made of felt cannot split a stone". The boy drank AD. Nevertheless, he was later charged with infidelity and in the wine, and the fire of passion flared up in him immediately. The year 1032 AD, he was executed by hanging in Balkh, Afghanistan. wine made him bold and he was able to open the recalcitrant It is believed that Abu Sahl Zuzani was Hasanak's opponent door. It happened that a lion had escaped from the king’s and played an essential role in the conspiracy against him. lion’s den and was wandering around. The cobbler’s son, still Following his death, Abu Sahl took Hasanak's position. Baihaqī drunk, ran out and sat on the roaring lion's back and hung on describes, "I heard that one day he (Bu Sahl) was drinking wine; by grasping hold of the animal’s ear. When king Bahram heard he prepared a big party; with several slaves serving and the of this, he was astonished and inquired what kind of man he musicians singing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Transformations of Iran Sufism in the 12Th and 13Th Centuries
    Journal of Social Science Studies ISSN 2329-9150 2020, Vol. 7, No. 2 Transformations of Iran Sufism in the 12th and 13th Centuries Seyed Mohammad Hadi Torabi PhD Research Scholar, University of Mysore, India E-mail: [email protected] Received: January 10, 2020 Accepted: March 20, 2020 Published: March 28, 2020 doi: 10.5296/jsss.v7i2.16760 URL: https://doi.org/10.5296/jsss.v7i2.16760 Abstract The 12th and 13th centuries are among the most important periods in the history of Sufism in Iran. During this period, the emergence of many great elders of Sufism and the establishment of the most famous ways and organized dynasty in Sufism by them, the formation of some of the most important treasures of Islamic Sufism, such as the dressing gown and the permission document of the dynasty, the systematic growth and development of the Monasteries as formal institutions and the social status of Sufis and the influence of Sufism in the development of Persian and Arabic prose and poetic, which in this study, briefly, the transformation and effects of Iranian Sufism are examined. Keywords: Cultural equations, Political equations, Religion, Sufism 1. Introduction Iranian Sufism, which has formed in the context of Islamic Sufism and its influence on the Sufism of the ancient religions in Iran, such as Zoroastrianism and Manichaean, has seen tremendous transformations over time, which undoubtedly caused cultural, political, social and even economic changes that have arisen in Iran has led to many ups and downs in the path of growth and excellence. Prior to the 12th century, Sufism continued to exist as a belief system based on knowledge and paths and a mystical view of religion, in which many groups and branches were formed, but differences of them were mostly in the field of thought and had little effect on the space of the community.
    [Show full text]
  • Rubai (Quatrain) As a Classical Form of Poetry in Persian Literature
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH CULTURE SOCIETY ISSN: 2456-6683 Volume - 2, Issue - 4, Apr – 2018 UGC Approved Monthly, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed, Indexed Journal Impact Factor: 3.449 Publication Date: 30/04/2018 Rubai (Quatrain) as a Classical Form of Poetry in Persian Literature Ms. Mina Qarizada Lecturer in Samangan Higher Education, Samangan, Afghanistan Master of Arts in English, Department of English Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India Email – [email protected] Abstract: Studying literature, including poetry and prose writing, in Afghanistan is very significant. Poetry provides some remarkable historical, cultural, and geographical facts and its literary legacy of a particular country. Understanding the poetic forms is important in order to understand the themes and the styles of the poetry of the poets. All the Persian poets in some points of the time composed in the Rubai form which is very common till now among the past and present generation across Afghanistan. This paper is an overview of Rubai as a classical form of Poetry in Persian Literature. Rubai has its significant role in the society with different stylistic and themes related to the cultural, social, political, and gender based issues. The key features of Rubai are to be eloquent, spontaneous and ingenious. In a Rubai the first part is the introduction which is the first three lines that is the sublime for the fourth line of the poem. It represents the idea if sublet, pithy and clever. It also represents the poets’ literary works, poetic themes, styles, and visions. Key Words: Rubai, Classic, Poetry, Persian, Literature, Quatrain, 1. INTRODUCTION: Widespread geography of Persian speakers during the past centuries in the history of Afghanistan like many other countries, it can be seen and felt that only great men were trained in the fields of art and literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Irreverent Persia
    Irreverent Persia IRANIAN IRANIAN SERIES SERIES Poetry expressing criticism of social, political and cultural life is a vital integral part of IRREVERENT PERSIA Persian literary history. Its principal genres – invective, satire and burlesque – have been INVECTIVE, SATIRICAL AND BURLESQUE POETRY very popular with authors in every age. Despite the rich uninterrupted tradition, such texts FROM THE ORIGINS TO THE TIMURID PERIOD have been little studied and rarely translated. Their irreverent tones range from subtle (10TH TO 15TH CENTURIES) irony to crude direct insults, at times involving the use of outrageous and obscene terms. This anthology includes both major and minor poets from the origins of Persian poetry RICCARDO ZIPOLI (10th century) up to the age of Jâmi (15th century), traditionally considered the last great classical Persian poet. In addition to their historical and linguistic interest, many of these poems deserve to be read for their technical and aesthetic accomplishments, setting them among the masterpieces of Persian literature. Riccardo Zipoli is professor of Persian Language and Literature at Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, where he also teaches Conceiving and Producing Photography. The western cliché about Persian poetry is that it deals with roses, nightingales, wine, hyperbolic love-longing, an awareness of the transience of our existence, and a delicate appreciation of life’s fleeting pleasures. And so a great deal of it does. But there is another side to Persian verse, one that is satirical, sardonic, often obscene, one that delights in ad hominem invective and no-holds barred diatribes. Perhaps surprisingly enough for the uninitiated reader it is frequently the same poets who write both kinds of verse.
    [Show full text]
  • Jami and Nava'i/Fani's Rewritings of Hafez's Opening Ghazal
    Imitational Poetry as Pious Hermeneutics? Jami and Nava’i/Fani’s Rewritings of Hafez’s Opening Ghazal Marc Toutant To cite this version: Marc Toutant. Imitational Poetry as Pious Hermeneutics? Jami and Nava’i/Fani’s Rewritings of Hafez’s Opening Ghazal. Charles Melville. The Timurid Century, 9, I.B. Tauris, 2020, The Idea of Iran, 9781838606886. hal-02906016 HAL Id: hal-02906016 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02906016 Submitted on 23 Jul 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Imitational Poetry as Pious Hermeneutics? Jami and Nava’i/Fani’s Rewritings of Hafez’s Opening Ghazal Marc Toutant (CNRS Paris) He was the unique of the age (nadera-ye zaman) and a prodigy of the world (o‘juba-ye jahan). These are the first words with which Dowlatshah Samarqandi begins the notice he devotes to Hafez in his Tazkerat al-sho‘ara in 1486. Then he adds: ‘His excellence (fazilat) and his perfection (kamal) are endless and the art of poetry is unworthy of his rank. He is incomparable in the science of Qur’an and he is illustrious in the sciences of the exoteric (zaher) and the esoteric (baten).’1 Although Hafez died in 1389, his poetry was widely celebrated one century later, as shown by Dowlatshah’s eulogy.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi
    Official Digitized Version by Victoria Arakelova; with errata fixed from the print edition ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI YEREVAN SERIES FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES Edited by Garnik S. Asatrian Vol.1 SIAVASH LORNEJAD ALI DOOSTZADEH ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies Yerevan 2012 Siavash Lornejad, Ali Doostzadeh On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi Guest Editor of the Volume Victoria Arakelova The monograph examines several anachronisms, misinterpretations and outright distortions related to the great Persian poet Nezami Ganjavi, that have been introduced since the USSR campaign for Nezami‖s 800th anniversary in the 1930s and 1940s. The authors of the monograph provide a critical analysis of both the arguments and terms put forward primarily by Soviet Oriental school, and those introduced in modern nationalistic writings, which misrepresent the background and cultural heritage of Nezami. Outright forgeries, including those about an alleged Turkish Divan by Nezami Ganjavi and falsified verses first published in Azerbaijan SSR, which have found their way into Persian publications, are also in the focus of the authors‖ attention. An important contribution of the book is that it highlights three rare and previously neglected historical sources with regards to the population of Arran and Azerbaijan, which provide information on the social conditions and ethnography of the urban Iranian Muslim population of the area and are indispensable for serious study of the Persian literature and Iranian culture of the period. ISBN 978-99930-69-74-4 The first print of the book was published by the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi - Poems
    Classic Poetry Series Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi - poems - Publication Date: 2004 Publisher: Poemhunter.com - The World's Poetry Archive Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi(1207 - 1273) Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi (Persian: ?????????? ???? ?????), also known as Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (?????????? ???? ????), and more popularly in the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian[1][6] poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic.[7] Iranians, Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, and other Central Asian Muslims as well as the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy in the past seven centuries.[8] Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats. In 2007, he was described as the "most popular poet in America."[9] Rumi's works are written in Persian and his Mathnawi remains one of the purest literary glories of Persia,[10] and one of the crowning glories of the Persian language.[11] His original works are widely read today in their original language across the Persian-speaking world (Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and parts of Persian speaking Central Asia).[12] Translations of his works are very popular in other countries. His poetry has influenced Persian literature as well as Urdu, Punjabi, Turkish and some other Iranian, Turkic and Indic languages written in Perso-Arabic script e.g. Pashto, Ottoman Turkish, Chagatai and Sindhi. Name Jalal ad-Din Mu?ammad Balkhi (Persian: ?????????? ???? ????? Persian pronunciation: [d?æl??læddi?n mohæmmæde bælxi?]) is also known as Jalal ad- Din Mu?ammad Rumi (?????????? ???? ???? Persian pronunciation: [d?æl??læddi?n mohæmmæde ?u?mi?]).
    [Show full text]
  • Contextual Study of Drunk and Wine Drinking (Binge) in the Teachers’ Work with an Emphasis on the History of Beyhaqi
    Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND March 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 Contextual study of drunk and wine drinking (binge) in the teachers’ work with an emphasis on the history of Beyhaqi *Hurieh Asadi Habib 1PhD Student in Persian Language and Literature, Department of Literature Humanities, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran Fatemeh kopa 2,4Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Department of Literature Humanities, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran Ali Pedram Mirzaee 3Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Department of Literature Humanities, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran Mostafa Gorji 2,4Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Department of Literature Humanities, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran *Corresponding author email: [email protected] Abstract As you know, many verses of the Quran, has strongly forbidden and discouraged drunk and wine drinking in Islamic society and, but the issue here is questionable why people believed and Muslims in an Islamic society attempt binge (get drunk) and drunk. Looking at the works of the ancients and the wine in most of their lives has emerged, the presence of wine in ancient societies can be realized; but on Beyhaqi, pause and reflection it seems to be necessary; because Beyhaqi is a Muslim and a believer and Ghaznawids had fanatical and Muslim rulers who were under the supervision of the Islamic Caliphate. In this paper, with an in-depth investigation, we are going to analyze the grounds of drunk and wine drinking in the Ghaznavid according to Beyhaqi history and understand the reasons of Ghaznavid kings drunk and binge (get drunk) and teacher and author’s thought namely Abolfadl Beyhaqi.
    [Show full text]
  • The Poetics of Commitment in Modern Persian: a Case of Three Revolutionary Poets in Iran
    The Poetics of Commitment in Modern Persian: A Case of Three Revolutionary Poets in Iran by Samad Josef Alavi A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Shahwali Ahmadi, Chair Professor Muhammad Siddiq Professor Robert Kaufman Fall 2013 Abstract The Poetics of Commitment in Modern Persian: A Case of Three Revolutionary Poets in Iran by Samad Josef Alavi Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Shahwali Ahmadi, Chair Modern Persian literary histories generally characterize the decades leading up to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 as a single episode of accumulating political anxieties in Persian poetics, as in other areas of cultural production. According to the dominant literary-historical narrative, calls for “committed poetry” (she‘r-e mota‘ahhed) grew louder over the course of the radical 1970s, crescendoed with the monarch’s ouster, and then faded shortly thereafter as the consolidation of the Islamic Republic shattered any hopes among the once-influential Iranian Left for a secular, socio-economically equitable political order. Such a narrative has proven useful for locating general trends in poetic discourses of the last five decades, but it does not account for the complex and often divergent ways in which poets and critics have reconciled their political and aesthetic commitments. This dissertation begins with the historical assumption that in Iran a question of how poetry must serve society and vice versa did in fact acquire a heightened sense of urgency sometime during the ideologically-charged years surrounding the revolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Craig Hillmann–Résumé Copy
    Michael Craig Hillmann–Résumé, 1996-2017 3404 Perry Lane, Austin, Texas 78731, USA 512-451-4385 (home tel), 512-653-5152 (cell phone) UT Austin WMB 5.146 office: 512-475-6606 (tel) and 512-471-4197 (fax) [email protected] and [email protected] (e-mail addresses) Web sites: www.utexas.Academia.edu/MichaelHillmann, www.Issuu.com/MichaelHillmann Academic Training_____________________________________________________________________________________________ • Classics, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester (MA), 1958-59. • B.A., English literature, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD), 1962. • Postgraduate study, English literature, The Creighton University, Omaha (NB), 1962-64. • M.A., Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, 1969. • Postgraduate study, Persian literature, University of Tehran, 1969-73. • Ph.D., Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, 1974. • M.A., English Literature, Texas State University at San Marcos (1997). Professional Positions since 1996__________________________________________________________________________________ • Professor of Persian, The University of Texas at Austin, 1974- . • President, Persepolis Institute (non-academic Persian Language consultants), Austin, 1977- . Teaching since 1996____________________________________________________________________________________________ Language • Elementary Colloquial/Spoken and Bookish/Written Persian (First-year Persian 1 and 2) • Elementary Persian Reading for Iranian Heritage Speakers • Intermediate
    [Show full text]
  • The Comparison of Sanai and Rumi's Outlooks Towards Women
    The Comparison of Sanai and Rumi's Outlooks Towards Women Abstract The position and prominence of women in any society is associated to the attitude of the time and individuals towards women. The place of women in Iranian society has always has been controversial. In the meantime, the works of poets can be a mirror for understanding the situation of women. By considering the fact that the worldview of every poet, writer, or thinker is influenced by the intellectual, social, and cultural memory of the time and place in which the person exists; Sanai and Rumi are prominent Iranian poets whose works reflect the political, social and cultural conditions of their life. The issue raised in this study is the transformation of the position of women in society during the time of the mentioned poets. This research is accomplished by a descriptive and analytical method and relies on library data. Findings show that from the Sanai to Rumi periods, a unique social and cultural change took place that led to the enhancement of the status of women and this has been effective in the depiction of women's personalities. Sanai has a mainly negative and critical view of women and rarely cares about her position as a mother and in the service of her religious attitude towards women; nonetheless, Rumi considers woman as a manifestation of divine beauty; furthermore, in Rumi's poetry, woman is the soul, earth, and essence, and she complements creation and this distinguishes the manner in which the female figure is depicted in the poetry of Sanai.
    [Show full text]
  • Four New-Found Verses of Rudaki in Ajayeb Al-Loqha: Original Or Forged?
    Journal of Research Literary Studies (Peer-reviewed Journal) Vol 53, No. 2 (2020) 29 Four New-found Verses of Rudaki in Ajayeb al-Loqha: Original or Forged? Dr. Zahra Nasiri Shiraz1*, Sajjad Dehghan2, Dr. Nasrallah Emami3 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. 2 MA in Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran 3 Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. (Received: July 18, 2020 Accepted: September 13, 2020) Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Authentication of the sources of poems from pioneering poets is of utmost importance due to the partial loss of cultural identity over time. Among these sources, dictionaries have always played a vital role in retrieving the scattered poems and verses of these poets, especially Rudaki Samarqandi. One of these dictionaries is the Persian-to-Persian dictionary of Ajayeb al- Loqha (written around the middle of the tenth century) by Adibi. He has attributed some verses to Rudaki, of which, two verses and two stanzas does not seem to be in any other dictionaries such as Farsi dictionary, Sehah al- Fors, Qawas dictionary, etc., which are probably the sources used by the author. Since the editor of this dictionary has not previously studied these verses in detail in his correction or a separate article, and also because this work has not been published in any of the editions of Rudaki's Divan, including Nafisi, Mirzayev, Sheaar, Emami, Hadizadeh, Qader Rostam and was not one of the sources of the correctors, it was necessary to study these verses that are seen with a new appearance in the dictionary.
    [Show full text]
  • Bust of Persian Poet Rudaki Unveiled at Moscow University
    Prayer Times Noon:12:01 Evening: 17:14 Dawn: 5:39 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 7:09 (tomorrow) DECEMBER 19, 2019 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 Bust of Persian poet Rudaki [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 unveiled at Moscow university Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. CULTURE TEHRAN — A bust of Tel: 88911433 deskRudaki, who is considered Webmaster: [email protected] as the father of classical Persian poetry, has Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 been unveiled at the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia. Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimesdaily The statue has been presented to the university by the Embassy of Iran, the Persian No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 service of IRNA reported on Tuesday. Zip Code: 1599814713 Lomonosov Moscow State University rector Victor Sadovnichy, Institute of Asian and African Studies acting director Igor I. Abylgaziyev, Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Sanai, some Tajik and Afghan diplomats and groups of students attended the unveiling ceremony. In his brief speech, Sadovnichy pointed to the close cultural ties between the Persian- speaking nations and the Russian people, and GUIDE TO stressed the need for the expansion of cultural SPIRITUAL AWAKENING and academic relations among the countries. He also expressed his thanks to the Being wealthy is a source of lustfulness.
    [Show full text]