M.

Malek 4/13/05 1
Manu Malek, Ph.D.
Industry Professor of
Computer Science and Telecommunications Management
http://www.cs.stevens.edu/~mmalek/
Humanities Forum
Stevens Institute of Technology
April 13, 2005
Persian Poetry:
from classic to modern
M. Malek 4/13/05 2
Outline
A quick geographical/historical
perspective on Iran (Persia)
Background on the Persian
language
Persian poetry - its structure and
styles
Some prominent classical poets
with samples of their work
A short musical piece
Some contemporary and modern
poets and a sample of their work
M. Malek 4/13/05 3
Iran vs. Persia
Iran: the land of Aryans, a name used by natives for
1000s of years
Aryans: a branch of Indo-European people who migrated to
the Iranian plateau some time in the middle of the 2
nd
millennium BC
Persia:
Around the 6
th
century
BC, the Persian Empire
included 20 provinces,
each with its own king
The seat of King of
Kings was called Pars
(Persia)
The Greeks referred to
the capital as Persepolis
Remains of Persepolis (Shiraz, Iran)
M. Malek 4/13/05 4
Iran - 6
th
Century
Source: National Geographic
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Iran - 17
th
Century
Source: National Geographic
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The Persian Language (Farsi)
A branch of Indo-European languages
An old form of this language, called Pahlavi, prevailed as early as
6
th
century BC.
In the 2
nd
century BC, a new alphabet, known also as Pahlavi, was
created which remained in use until the 7
th
century.
Since the 10
th
century, Persian has been written in extended Arabic
script.
However, Persian is different from Arabic.
Despite invasions by the Arabs and the Mongols, Persian remained
as the literal, cultural, royal, and legal language.
Arabic became the religious and scientific language.
Many Persian philosophers and scientists, like Avicenna, Farabi,
Kharazmi, Razi, and Khayyam, wrote their scientific works in Arabic.
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Persian Poetry
There is a vast treasure of Persian poetry. I
have selected a few great Persian poets whose
works have been documented.
Youll hear recitations of some of their poems in
English
Musical poetry of Rudaki
Epic story-telling of Ferdowsi
Doubt and Hedonism of Khayyam
(Love) story-telling of Nezami
Union with God through the poetry of Rumi
Humanism of Saadi
Symbolic mysticism of Hafez
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Styles of Persian Poetry
There are several poetry styles.
The classical/traditional styles follow a strict rule and structure.
Here are some popular styles:
Masnavi - a series of couplets where the last word(s) of each couplet rhyme.
Ghazal (ode) - usually 6 to 10 lines (couplets) where the last word(s) of the first
couplet and all the second parts of the following couplets rhyme.
Quatrain (Robayi) - has two couplets, where the first, second, and the 4
th
piece
rhyme.
New Poetry - a modern style of poetry. It has a harmonious cadence, but does
not follow the strict rules regarding rhyme and the number of syllables.
Using metaphors and symbolism is very popular in Persian poetry.
M. Malek 4/13/05 9
Musical Poetry of Rudaki (10th Century )
Rudaki is the first major Persian poet for whom there is a body of
work.
He was the court poet of the Samanid kings.
He is famous for his lyric poems.
Following are a few verses from a Rudakis ghazal:
Reunion after Separation (translated by A. V. William Jackson):
Of the pangs of separation I have suffered and borne more,
Than, through all the distant ages, any mortal being bore;
And my heart had quite forgotten all the charms of union sweet,
But what joy tis, after severance, with ones idol to meet.
M. Malek 4/13/05 10
The Epic Story Teller: Ferdowsi (940 1020)
Ferdowsi was born and is buried in Toos, in
Khorasan province in north eastern Iran.
He is known for his epic poetry and nationalistic old
Persian stories in his Shah-Nameh (Book of Kings).
Ferdowsis tomb, Toos
Shah-Nameh is considered the
greatest work in Persian literature
and poetry.
He rightly says:
I endeavored for 30 years and
preserved the Persian language
for all time.
M. Malek 4/13/05 11
The Hedonist Poet: Khayyam (1048 1131)
He was born in Neishabur, also in
Khorasan.
He was primarily a mathematician,
astronomer, and philosopher.
He questions the purpose of creation and
is inclined towards the philosophies of
Epicurism and Hedonism.
Khayyams tomb,
Neishabur
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A Robayi by Omar Khayyam
The most famous Khayyam quatrain in
English is the following Fitzgeralds
translation:
A Book of verses underneath the bough,
A jug of wine, a loaf of bread - and thou;
Beside me singing in the wilderness,
Oh, wilderness were Paradise enow.
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(Love) Story Teller: Nezami (1141 1218)
His has written five long poems:
Makhzanol-Asrar (The Treasury of Secrets)
Khosrow-o-Sheerin (a love story)
Leili-o-Majnoon (another love story)
Eskandarnameh (The Book of Alexander)
Haft-Peykar (The Seven Wise Princesses)
Leili-o-Majnoon Haft-Peikar
Nezami was born in Ganjeh in present-day
Azarbaijan.
He is considered one of the greatest Persian
poets, comparable to Ferdowsi and Rumi.
He is acclaimed by many nations; among
them the former Soviet Union.
The fact is, however, that Nezami was a
poet securely planted in the Persian
tradition.
M. Malek 4/13/05 14
Sufi Master: Attar (1157 1229)
Attar also lived in Neishabur, Khorasan.
He wrote about the mystical search for God, and traveled
extensively in search of knowledge.
His most famous work is Manteq-o-Tair (The Logic of the Birds).
All the birds of the world assembled together looking for a king.
Theyre told that they do have a king the Simorgh, but that he lives far
away and the journey to him is difficult and hazardous.
They fly off to find their king, but their number gradually diminishes due
to hardships of the journey.
Finally, 30 birds make it to the court of the Simorgh. But they dont see
any bird-king, realizing that their king, the Simorgh, is none other than
themselves!
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Another Sufi Master: Rumi (1207 1273)
Rumi was born in Balkh, in todays
Afghanistan
His father immigrated westward and
his family finally settled in Konya, in
present-day Turkey.
At the age of 38, he met a
wandering darvish, Shams of Tabriz.
This changed his life.
He gave up the Islamic religious sciences,
founded the Mowlavi order of darvishes, and
composed the two works:
The Divan of Shams-e-Tabrizi
Masnavi
Rumi believed that oneness with God was
attainable through acts of ecstatic devotion.
Rumis tomb, Konya
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Persian Music
Poetry is also central to Persian music.
Indeed, it is rather unusual to hear a musical performance
without a singer.
Rumis ghazal sung by Shajarian.
My rough literal translation:
Ive come for your love;
Ive come quietly like the soul and wisdom.
If you dont accept me,
Ill just enjoy the sight of your beautiful self.
The arrow of your love cracks mountains;
but I dont intend to use a shield for protection.
M. Malek 4/13/05 17
The Humanist Poet: Saadi (13-14
th
Century)
Saadi is one of the greatest figures in
classical Persian literature.
He was born in Shiraz and is buried there.
He traveled through the Middle East, North
Africa, and India for about 30 years.
All human beings are in truth akin;
All in creation share one origin.
When fate allots a member pangs and
pains,
No ease for other members then remains.
If, unperturbed, another's grief canst scan,
Thou are not worthy of the name of man.
Saadis tomb, Shiraz
The following translation of Sadis humanistic
poem adorns the entrance to the UN
headquarters in Geneva:
M. Malek 4/13/05 18
The Mystic Poet: Hafez (1346 1411)
Hafez, another poet from Shiraz, is
honored as the greatest writer of ghazals.
He wrote in the tradition of Sufism, but he
was not a true Sufi.
He used metaphors and sophisticated
symbolic mysticism in his poems.
Hafez is critical of hypocrisy and lack of
sincerity.
A poem by Hafez (translated by R. M.
Rehder):
Her hair in disarray, lips laughing,
Drunk in the sweet of revelry,
Singing of love, she came, flask in
hand.
Disheveled and her clothes rent,
Last midnight by my bed she bent,
Her lips curved in regret.
I saw sorrow quarrel in her eyes,
As her whispers spoke softly,
Is our old love asleep?
Hafezs tomb, Shiraz
Given such a wine before
dawn,
A lover is an infidel to love,
If he does not drink.
O how many vows of
repentance are undone,
By the smile of wine and the
tresses of a girl,
Like the vows of Hafez.
M. Malek 4/13/05 19
Jami (15
th
Century)
Jami, born in 1414 near Samarkand, is considered the last great
classical Persian poet.
Jamis book of Yousof-o-Zoleykha is one of his best works and one
of the best treatments of the theme of Joseph and Potiphars wife
(known as Zoleykha).
Here are the opening three verses (translated by Ralph Griffith):
Love is ill suited with peace and rest,
Scorn and reproaches become him best.
Rebuke gives strength to his tongue, and blame,
Wakes the dull spark to a brighter flame.
Blame is the censor of loves bazaar,
It suffers no rust the pure splendor to mar.
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Contemporary Persian Poets
The technique of using metaphors and symbolism is still popular
with Persian poets.
Some contemporary poets have used it in veiled political
expression.
Some prominent contemporary poets are:
Traditional style:
Aref, Bahar, Eshghi, Etasami, Shahriar, Sheida, Golzar, Sayeh
Traditional and New Poetry:
Farokhzad, Sepehri, Moshiri
New Poetry:
Yushij, Akhaven-e-Sales, Shamloo
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Contemporary Persian Poets (contd)
Eshghi, from Tehran, lived in the early part of the 20
th
century.
He was a passionate nationalist, wrote political poems and satire.
Some of his poems were used in Persian operas as well as in songs.
He was assassinated at the age of 31.
Sayeh, another contemporary Persian poet, is about 75 years old and
writes ghazals in the traditional symbolic style.
Here is my rough literal translation of a few verses from a ghazal written by
Sayeh on love:
O love, all excuses are from you,
Im usually quiet, this singing is from you.
I dont know why Im sad,
This uncontrollable crying is from you.
Im not concerned about my ship at sea,
The shore is from you, the storm is from you.
Ill pass silent and obscure (unknown),
The eternal song is from you.