This page is dedicated to Persian poetry. Hope you will like it!
Testimonial!
Sometimes, it is really difficult to do something that is beyond the ability of your knowledge, especially when you have no valid resources and references, but at the same time you find it unfair to deny the demands of those who are asking you to do that. It’s a kind of dilemma!
Some of you have asked me to change the ‘Persian samples’ page into a bilingual zone. It is a very good suggestion and I agree with that. Now, I am trying to present this page in both Persian and English. Before I start, I want to make something clear from the very beginning. Many of these works you find in the Persian samples page, are somehow the masterpieces of contemporary Persian literature. Maybe, Persian literature will not be able to present such wonderful literary activities once more for generations to come. I am sure, for the rest of its life, our literature is going to miss Nima, Ahmad Shamlu, and many others who imposed a positive and creative revolution on the classical poetry in particular and on our literature in general.
Now, I am asked to translate such everlasting works into English! You see, it’s a very big and frightening duty! However, what I am going to do is providing you with a general explanation and idea that is based on these works. I confess that I am not an expert in this field and my works are really far from the original texts. I am not going to present a word for word translation, as it demands a lot of work. But I am trying to help you get a general knowledge and idea about each work wherever possible.
I need to beg for forgiveness from our literature for not being so loyal in translating these works, but I do promise and ensure you that I will never ever impose any kind of false theme, interpretation, and idea on these works. You may find the English version at the bottom of this page.
Note: as you see in the following text, there are no symbols (sounds) on or under the letters. We, as beginners, use these symbols during our lessons to learn the correct pronunciation of the words. Later, after you got enough familiarity with the words and the way they are pronounced you would find it redundant to use these symbols with letters, except for some ambiguous words that are not used very often.
Bright Horizon by Ahmad Shamlu
The poem reflects a kind of optimism and loyalty. The poet is talking about a day when we will find our doves, a day when kindness will unite (will take the hands of) beauty. A day, when the minimum (least) song is ‘kiss’, and each person is a brother to other person. A day when no one will close the door of his house to others. Locks will be found in the myths (tales) only, and hearts will be enough for living. He is talking about a day when the meaning of each word is love, and nobody will have to look for words to express his feeling. A day when the rhythm of each word is ‘life’, and you will not have to suffer difficulties to compose a poem. A day when each lip is a song, and kiss will become the least song. He ends his work by saying: “a day, when you will come, you will come forever, and kindness and beauty will become equal. A day when we will feed our doves again. And I will be waiting for that day even if I will be no more (to see that day).
Bright Horizon by Ahmad Shamlu
thank you for web music persian
You’re welcome!
What a beautiful poem. Alas, I cannot yet read Farsi, but I’m hoping to learn, and your translation and transcription are magnificent. Thank you.
Dear Hassan,
I am delighted to find such good source of learning persian.
I am from India (hend) and we have a saying that if one person said something to the other which the other did not understand, then the first person must have talked in Farsi.
Farsi is considered world’s toughest and sweetest language and that’s why i intend to learn it.
I am going to make your lessons as a base and move on. Please suggest how many lessons shall i do in a week. I intend to speak, read and write persian as soon as possible. Please help.
Also, I would like to know, this website is being run by you alone or there is some organizational backing it? You need not answer it if you wish.
Regards
Himanshu
Hi Himanshu,
“we have a saying that if one person said something to the other which the other did not understand, then the first person must have talked in Farsi.” :))))))
I don’t know how many lessons you can do every week! That’s not a good question!
Yes, I am running this website. There is no organisation behind me!
best,
Hassan
In greek, if someone “speaks farsi” means he is fluent, so you can hear people say “he speaks english farsi” meaning “he speaks english fluently” which doesn’t make sense and I don’t know why.. Maybe because to us, persian is an exotic language from far away and someone who is able to speak it appeared talented in learning foreign languages.
Anyway, I have a couple of ideas for the site but I am still in lesson 15 so I don’t know if I am repeating something you have already done later! I like your informal way of teaching, the way you write is friendly, not formal or impersonal. And you explain everything as if it is for dummies which is very wise because everyone thinks differently and what is clean to one is difficult for another, especially with so many cultural backgrounds.
So, I was thinking of lessons with themes, like “telling the time” where we learn how to ask, read and tell the time, or “giving directions” or “ordering food at a restaurant”etc. Also, some tests every 10 or 20 lessons, like we do at school where we fill gaps withought knowing the answer and then we press a button and see our scores! Also, links to nice modern and traditional songs on youtube or else like this یاد باد – سالار عقیلی or Shahin Najafi, Ranandegi Dar Masti or سالار عقیلی – مدامم مست . Of course everyone’s taste in music is different but some of them are classic and I have no idea what they say but they make my soul float on air on a persian carpet! :) And I would never have heard them, if I hadn’t met an iranian friend, which also taught me how kind and peaceful these people are.
that’s all. I have found an application on google chrome to type persian with english characters and persian appear, and a persian heyboard here:www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/persian.htm
Thanks Maria.
Will see what I can do regarding ‘telling the time’, ‘giving directions’ …
(but can’t promise! because I’m very busy now – maybe in the future).
Thanks again and wish you best,
Hassan
Hi Hassan! I know Dari and farsi (my parents talk) but I am not good to write it, I live in Norway and write Norwegian(bokmål) and english all the time.. So, I justwonder if you could give me some advise, because I have a test on dari/Farsi at the school soon ..:)
Regards
Rabie