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Persian Poetry: from Classic to Modern

Manu Malek, Ph.D. Industry Professor of Computer Science and Telecommunications Management

Director, Certificate in CyberSecurity Program Stevens Institute of Technology Email: mmalek@stevens.edu

http://www.cs.stevens.edu/~mmalek/ http://www.cs.stevens-tech.edu/cybersecurity/

Presented at the

Stevens Institute of Technology Humanities Forum April 13, 2005

INTRODUCTION The Persian language has endured for more than a millennium in its present form. The main reason for this is the rich Persian literature and, especially, poetry. Persian speaking people today can read poems written more than 1000 years ago and understand and enjoy it as was done then. Perhaps, the best-known Persian poets in the West are Khayyam and Rumi. Although they deserve the fame, Persian poetry is so much more. I’ll try to give you a glimpse into the vast treasure of Persian poetry. Here is the outline of my presentation: I will

Provide a quick geographical/historical perspective on Iran and Persia Provide a background on the Persian language Introduce Persian poetry, its structure and styles Introduce some prominent classical poets with samples of their work Play a short musical piece Introduce some contemporary and modern poets and a sample of their work if time permits

In putting this presentation together, I have used many Persian and English references, but relied heavily, especially for translation of some poems, on the book “Anthology of Islamic Literature,” collected/edited by James Kritzeck, 1st printing 1964 by Holt, Reinhart &Winston, later in 1975 by Meridian (about 15 reprints). Geographical/Historical background: Iran is the name used by natives for 1000s of years. It literally means “the land of Aryans”, a branch of Indo-European people who migrated south to the Iranian plateau some time in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. During the rule of the Achaemenid dynasty (Cyrus the Great, Xerxex, Darius the Great …) around the 6th century BC, the Persian Empire included 20 provinces, one of which was called Persia, the capital province. It was known to ancient Persians as Pars, and to modern Persians as Fars. Each province had its own king. The Greeks referred to Tahkte-Jamshid, the seat of King of Kings, as Persepolis, The City of Persians. Before the Arab invasion of Iran and introduction of Islam in the 7th century, Iranians were Zoroastrians, believing in one God/Creator Ahura Mazda, The Lord of Supreme Wisdom, practicing Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds, and believed in the sanctity of Air, Water, Soil, and Fire.

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Figure 1. Iran - 6th Century (source: National Geographic)

Figure 2. Iran - 17th Century (source: National Geographic)

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Between the 3rd and 7th century, the Persian Empire extended to parts of today’s Turkey, Iraq, and Syria to the west, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of India to the east, and Azarbaijan, Tajikstan, and Uzbakistan to the north (see Figs. 1 and 2). Some cities with significance in Persian poetry are pointed out on this figure: Neishabur, and Toos (Khorasan), Shiraz (Fars), Tabriz, Konya (Turkey), Balkh (Afghanistan), Samarkand (Uzbakistan), and Ganjeh (Azarbaijan). The Persian language: The present-day Persian language, which the native speakers call Farsi, is derived from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages. An old form of this language, called Pahlavi, prevailed in the Persian Empire as early as 6th century BC, when it was written in cuneiform. Later, in the 2nd century BC, a new alphabet was created, known also as Pahlavi, which remained in use until the Arab invasion in the 7th century. Since the 10th century, Persian has been written in Arabic script, using the 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet, itself derived from the Aramaic alphabet, and 4 more letters (p, ch, zh, and g). Also, some Arabic words have been injected into Persian. However, Persian is different from Arabic, which is a Semitic language. So, the Persian language has had the same structure for more than 1300 years. It is also spoken in some parts of former Soviet Union (Azarbaijan, Tajikstan, and Uzbakestan), as well as Afghanistan, and parts of China, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. Iran was also invaded by the Mongols in the 11th century. In either invasion, many libraries and books were destroyed; yet Persian remained as the Lingua Franca. Persian was the literal, cultural, royal, and legal language, and 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. Consequently, some in the West mistakenly think of them as Arabs! PERSIAN POETRY Persian literature is multi-dimensional in its scope, and there is a vast treasure of Persian poetry. The works of many of the minor poets are lost. They died without biographers, leaving only a residue of scattered work and anecdotes. I have selected a few great Persian poets whose works have been documented. You’ll hear recitations of some of their poems in English. I’ll start with the musical poetry of Rudaki and story-telling of Ferdowsi; then continue with the spiritual journey of human understanding and experience, from doubt and Hedonism of Khayyam to union with God through the poetry of Rumi, humanism of Sa’adi, to symbolic mysticism of Hafez. Styles of Persian poetry There are several poetry styles. All have a harmonious cadence; the classical/traditional styles follow strict rules and structure regarding rhyming and the number of syllables. Here are some popular styles:

Masnavi is a series of couplets where the last word(s) of each couplet rhyme. All units of couplets have precisely the same number of syllables. Masnavi has an underlying theme (like a story) and could be short or run to hundreds of verses. The poet may sign his work by incorporating his name in one of the verses near the end. Masnavi is typical of poems by Ferdowsi and Nezami, and some of Rumi’s.

Ghazal (ode) is 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. Again, all units of couplets have precisely the same number of syllables. Ghazal has a general underlying theme, like love, separation, friendship, and such. The poet signs his work by incorporating his name in the last couplet. Ghazal is typical of poems by Hafez, and some of Rumi’s.

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Qasideh (elegy) has a structure similar to ghazal, but has a strict theme, such as a story; it is not restricted in length.

Quatrain (Robayi) has two couplets, where the first, second, and the 4th piece rhyme. All Omar Khayyam’s poems are Robayis.

New Poetry – This is a modern style of poetry. It has a harmonious cadence and an underlying theme, but does not follow the strict rules regarding rhyme and the number of syllables.

Using metaphors and symbolism is very popular in Persian poetry. A butterfly and a candle, a nightingale and a flower, are symbols for a lover and a beloved. A beloved starts with someone tangible like a woman, then it becomes a friend, a teacher/master, and then it transcends to God. CLASSICAL POETS One of the main reasons for flourishing classical poetry, and music for that matter, is that Persian kings supported poets and musicians to provide entertainment to the court. Kings supported poets in their courts as sort of storytellers as well as their semi-official biographer and historians, of course, with a slant toward establishing a good legacy for the king. Rudaki Samarkandi Rudaki is the first major Persian poet for whom there is a body of work. He lived in the early 10th century and was the court poet of the Samanid kings. He is famous for his lyric poems, which gave him great fame even during his lifetime. Born and buried near Samarkand, in today’s Uzbakistan, he became blind in his later years. Following are a few verses from a Rudaki’s 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 one’s idol to meet. Hakeem Abolghasem Ferdowsi (940 – 1020) Ferdowsi is one of Iran’s most revered poets. He was born in Toos in Khorasan province in northeastern Iran in the 10th century. He is well-known for his epic poetry and nationalistic old Persian stories in Shah-Nameh (Book of Kings), which he wrote in a span of about 30 years. His poems are read by every school child in Iran and are heard recited in tea-houses and traditional gymnasiums. Also, many operas and plays are produced based on his poems, and sung and acted in theaters. Ferdowsi’s Shah-Nameh, considered both quantitatively and qualitatively, is the greatest work in Persian literature and poetry. Indeed one can say that it’s one of the world’s literary masterpieces. He spent some 30 years completing it. The finished work contains over 60,000 couplets. He deliberately tried to use Persian words and avoid the Arabic vocabulary, which had flooded his native language. He rightly says: “I endeavored for 30 years and preserved the Persian language for all time.” Read it in Persian: The subject of Shah-Nameh is the history of Iran, its heroes and glory, from legendary times to those of the Sassanid kings. The major source of the Shah-Nameh, in which legend and history are almost inextricably mixed, is an old Pahlavi history of the early kings like Cyrus and Darius. One of his best-known chapters is the tragedy of Rustam and Sohrab, where Rustam, the

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legendary Iranian hero, wounds Sohrab in battle without realizing he’s his own son until it’s too late. Hakeem Omar Khayyam (1048 – 1131) Next is Omar Khayyam. He was born in Neishabur, also in Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, and lived in the 11th-12th century. He was primarily a mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. He has contributions, like solving cubic equations, binomial expansion, as well as solar calendar reform. He wrote short pieces of poetry as a hobby. He wrote only about 100 quatrains, but because of the excellent translation of his quatrains into English by Edward Fitzgerald, he became world famous for his poetry. Also, because of an excellent translation of his poetry into Arabic, many Arabs mistakenly think that Khayyam wrote his poems in Arabic. Khayyam’s poetry represents the doubt of a scientist: he questions the purpose of creation and hence is inclined towards the philosophies of Epicurism and Hedonism, of enjoying life. The philosophy of Robaiyat is one of skepticism, but not of despair. The poet is incredulous, but not defiant; disillusioned but compassionate. Khayyam was dreaded by the Sufis, whose practices he ridiculed. The most famous Khayyam quatrain in English is the following Fitzgerald’s 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.

The literal translation is as follows: We have been told that ultimate happiness is being with angels in heaven, (Through religious belief, many suffer in this world so that they can enjoy heaven.) I am on the belief that having wine in this word is a much better deal. (Wine was banned by Islam, but respected by ancient Zoroastrian religion, Khayam is giving a hint: let me go back to my old root and enjoy this world first, I will worry about the other world when I get there.) Take the cash in hand and let go of those far out promises,

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Drumbeat sounds great only from a distance. (Drumbeat typically relates to being hollow, empty, and loud.) An almost literal translation goes like this:: Heaven is incomplete without a heavenly romance, Let a glass of wine be my present circumstance; Take what is here now, let go of a promised chance, A drumbeat is best heard from a distance. Nezami Ganjavi (1141 – 1218) Nezami was a student of Khayyam’s. He was born in the 11th century in Ganjeh in present-day Azarbaijan. He was an outstanding teacher and philosopher, and is considered one of the greatest Persian poets, comparable to Ferdowsi and Rumi. He established the masnavi style as a form for long and continuous narrative, thereby setting a pattern that was to be imitated well into the 17th century and never equaled, except perhaps by Jami. He is now acclaimed by many nations; among other honors, he was regarded as a hero of the former Soviet Union. The fact is, however, that Nezami, though no Sufi and no mystic, was a devout Moslem and a poet securely planted in the Persian tradition. Nezami is remarkable in that he treats his themes and his characters in a fashion that we think of as contemporary. A translator states, “Nezami is unquestionably obscure. He employs images and metaphors to which there is no key, save in the possession of the poetic sense and of sound judgment.” His greatness was established by 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), and Haft-Peykar (The Seven Beauties). One of the stories of Haft-Peykar is the source of Pucini’s opera Turandot. Also, an opera in English has been produced based on Leili-o-Majnoon, the Persian Romeo and Juliet (The Song of Majnun, composed by Bright Sheng, 1995). Farid-ud-din Attar (1157 – 1229) The next significant Persian poet is Attar. He lived also in Neishabur, Khorasan, during the 12th-13th century. He was a Sufi master who wrote about the mystical search for God. He traveled extensively, to Egypt, Damascus, Mecca, India, and Turkestan (southern Russia) in search of knowledge. Attar’s most famous work is Manteq-o-Tair (The Conference of the Birds). It is an allegory of Man’s contemplative journey toward union with God. The main story is interspersed with a variety of subsidiary tales. It is this combination of the planned and the random that gives the book its distinctive character in Sufi literature. The story goes like this: All the birds of the world assembled together. They said, “ No country in the word is without a king. Why is then that the kingdom of the birds is without a ruler? We must make an effort together and search for one; for no country can have a good administration and a good organization without a king.” They’re told by the hoopoe that they do have a king – the Simorgh (a satirical Persian bird, literally meaning 30 birds), but that he lives far away and the journey to him is difficult and hazardous. So they fly off to find their king, but their number gradually diminishes: some make excuses to return. The hoopoe counters each excuse with anecdotes that show how their desires and fears are mistaken. Finally, 30 birds make it to the court of the Simorgh. But they don’t see any bird-king, realizing that their king, the Simorgh, is none other than themselves!

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Mowlana Jalaled-din Mowlavi Rumi (1207 – 1273) I now take you to the most creative mystic and visionary Persian poet, Molana Jalaleddin Rumi. He was born in the early 13th century in Balkh, in today’s Afghanistan, which at the time was part of the Persian Empire. Because of the imminent invasion of the Mongols and the grudges his father had with the local government, his father decided to immigrate westward. Rumi was 5 years old when his father, a well-known scholar and teacher, went to Neishabur and had a visit with Attar. After a brief encounter with the young Rumi, Attar recognized his potential. He gave Rumi a copy of his book and informed the father of his son’s potential. His family finally settled in Konya, in present-day Turkey, where Rumi’s father felt more secure with the Saljuk dynasty. Since the Byzantine Empire to the west of Iran was known as Rume (Rome), the nickname “Rumi” was added to his name and that is how he is known in the West. Rumi studied Islamic jurisprudence and traditional sciences. At the age of 38, he met a wandering dervish, 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 for which he is rightly called great. Note: Darvish refers to one who follows the path of Darioush (Darius), the great Persian king who was promoted righteousness, truth, and justice. A Darvish is detached from earthly and monetary values and stands by the truth and self-purification as means of reaching and ultimately becoming one with God. The Book of Shams-e-Tabrizi is a huge collection of his odes and quatrains, written in a span of 30 years, and dedicated to his friend Shams. Later he composed Masnavi, several volumes of couplets. Considered as the masterpiece of Rumi, Masnavi is based on parables, anecdotes, and mystical experiences. It is second only to Ferdowsi’s Shah-Nameh as a masterpiece of Persian literature. The translation of some of Rumi’s poems by two US professors, Coleman Barks and John Moyne, have been among the best sellers. Many CDs have been produced of recited translations of Rumi poems, including one by Madonna. Prof. Arberry of Cambridge University, an orientalist who has translated many books from Persian and Arabic into English, said about Rumi: “It can well be argued that he is the supreme mystical poet of all time.” Prof. Eric Fromm, the famous psychoanalyst who fled Germany before WW II because of his Jewish background, said: “Rumi was not only a poet and mystic and the founder of a religious order, he was also a man of profound insight into the nature of man.” Rumi viewed life as a journey, believed that oneness with God was attainable through acts of ecstatic devotion. He said, “We love, that’s why life is beautiful.” His splendid tomb is in Konya, Turkey. Here is a translation of a few verses from Rumi (translated by R. A. Nicholson): You I choose, of all the world, alone; Would you suffer me to sit in grief? My heart is as a pen in your hand; You are the cause if I am glad or melancholy. Save what you will, what will have I? Save what you show, what do I see? You make grow out of me now a thorn and now a rose; Now I smell roses and now I pull thorns. If you keep me that, that I am; If you would have me this, I am this.

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Poetry is also central to Persian music. Indeed, it is rather unusual to hear a musical performance without a singer. Now I will play a few Rumi verses sung by the popular Persian vocalist Shajarian (Track 10 of Shajarian’s Dar Khial album). Here is my rough literal translation of what you’ll hear: I’ve come for your love; I’ve come quietly like the soul and wisdom. If you don’t accept me, I’ll just enjoy the sight of your beautiful self. The arrow of your love cracks mountains; but I don’t intend to use a shield for protection. Sheikh Mosleh-ed-din Sa’adi (? – 1292) From Rumi, let’s move on to the mysticism and humanism of Sa’adi. He is one of the greatest figures in classical Persian literature. He was born in Shiraz in the 13th century and is buried there. He traveled through the Middle East, North Africa, and India for about 30 years, was enslaved by the Franks and forced to work in the trenches of Tripoli for some time! Sa’adi’s writings are collected in three books: 1) Golestan (Rose Garden) consisting of stories in prose mixed with verses of poetry; 2) Boostan (Orchard), a book of poems. These two books represent wisdom, advice, and ethics. His third book, Ghazaliyat, is mainly lyrics on love and personal anecdotes. The following translation of Sa’adi’s humanistic poem adorns the entrance to the UN headquarters in Geneva: 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. The original Persian goes like this:

Also, a translation of the last verse adorns one of the interior walls of the UN building in New York: If thou art not affected by the sufferings of others, thou shalt not deserve the name of a human being. Khajeh Shams-ed-din Mohammad Hafez (1346 – 1411) From Sa’adi we move on to Hafez, another poet from Shiraz, who lived in the 14th century. Hafez is honored as the greatest writer of ghazals (odes), the form which he brought to perfection. Hafez wrote in the tradition of Sufism, but he was not a true Sufi as Rumi was. He used metaphors and sophisticated symbolic mysticism in his poems. His book of poems is a symbolic

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rather than an allegoric expression of man’s fate. Wine, love, and roses do not stand for some religious equivalent as in the Sufi lexicon; rather, in these very objects of nature, spiritually is to be found. His poems project at once the sweetness of the joys of this world and its inadequacies. Hafez is critical of hypocrisy and lack of sincerity. Here is the translation of 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?” Find no fault, anchorite, with the drinker of dregs, For on the day of the Covenant, We were given no other gift. We lift to our lips, Whatever He pours into the wine bowl, The wine of Paradise or the cup of Hell. 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. The verses of the original Persian go like this:

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Hafez’s reputation, while he lived, spread as far as Iraq and India. Like Sa’adi, he is buried in Shiraz - their tombs are tourist attractions. Hafez is the most read poet in Persian speaking countries. But except for German speaking countries, he is not well known in the West. Goethe’s Divan of East and West, written in the early 19th century, is inspired by Hafez. In fact, it is believed that Goethe learned the art of calligraphy, and later the Persian language, because of Hafez. Jami (1414 - ?) Jami was born near Samarkand, in today’s Uzbakistan. He is considered the last great classical Persian poet. While he lived, he was highly praised, and his work had great authority. He had many imitators after he died. He was versatile and prolific. The theme of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (known as Zoleykha) from Genesis, chapter 39, verses 7 to 23, and the Qoran, chapter 12, verses 30 and 31, was an extremely popular one with the Persian poets. Embellishing the Old Testament and the Qoranic account, they turned it into a tragic love story, exonerating Zoleykha on the ground that Joseph’s beauty was irresistible. Jami’s book of Yousof-o-Zoleykha is one of his best works and one of the best treatments of it. 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 love’s bazaar, It suffers no rust the pure splendor to mar.

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CONTEMPORARY PERSIAN POETS From classical Persian poets, now I’ll make a 500-year leap to contemporary poets. I should point out that there have been hundreds of poets during the past five centuries, some perhaps not as famous and as prolific as the ones mentioned. The technique of using metaphors and symbolism is still popular with Persian poets. Some contemporary poets have used it in veiled political expression. There have been many traditional poets, including my own father and grandfather; also there are many modern poets who have written New Poetry. Some prominent contemporary traditional poets are Aref, Bahar, Eshghi, Shahriar, Sheida, Golzar, Sayeh, Sepehri, and Moshiri, as well as prominent lady poets, Ghorrat-ol-Ain, Etasami, and Farokhzad. Several contemporary poets wrote in both the traditional and new styles, like Farokhzad, Sepehri,and Moshiri. Three prominent contemporary poets who favored the new style are Yushij, Akhaven-e-Sales, and Shamloo. Given the limitations of time, I have selected two traditional poets for this segment. Mirzadeh Eshghi One is Eshghi from Tehran, who lived in the early part of the 20th century. He was a passionate nationalist, the editor of a nationalist newspaper, wrote political poems and satire. He was prolific and wrote poems in many styles. Some of his poems were used in Persian operas as well as in songs. He was assassinated at the age of 31. Hooshang Ebtehaj (Sayeh) The next contemporary poet is Sayeh, who 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, I’m usually quiet; this singing is from you. I don’t know why I’m sad, This uncontrollable crying is from you. I’m not concerned about my ship at sea, The storm is from you; the shore is from you. I’ll pass silent and unknown, The eternal song is from you. The first 2 verses in Persian go like this: Closing Poetry has played a central role in Iranian culture and is still an integral part of it. People use it in everyday life and conversation, and in their music.