The
15th of May and its following week is dedicated to the memorial of
Abul-Qasim Ferdowsi Tusi, or Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi is renowned for his
work, the “Shahnama”, or “Book of Kings”. The world's longest epic
poetry written by a single poet. Putting such literary treasure in
writing and having it revised, in 500,000 verses, is the result of to
the least 30 years of constant effort around more than thousand years
ago. This literary masterpiece contains Heroes, Myth, and the history of
Iran from its beginning with the creation of the world and the very
beginning of the arts of civilization (discovery of fire and metal,
learning how to cook, and the rule of law) , and ending with the
Islamic Conquest of Persia in the 7th century.
Shahnama
has as well had a great influence on international literature. In 1835,
Alphonse de Lamartine (French author and poet), on the Civilization
Magazine discussed the Tale of Rostam around the topic of contemporary
and history's greatest and the most genius. Amongst many tales and
stories in Shahnama, the tale of Rostam and Sohrab became very famous in
Europe and was translated into multiple languages and created profound
literary beauty. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer, and
statesman who had a great deal of respect towards Persian literature
mentioned Ferdowsi and his greatness at the end of his poetry book West –
östlicher Divan. Victor Hugo (Victor Marie Hugo, French poet, novelist,
and dramatist) in his work, Les Orientales, has been inspired by
Ferdowsi and mentioned him on numerous occasions.
We
acknowledge Ferdowsi as the beholder and savior of the Persian
language. In his time, Arabic was the language of science and literature
in Iran. Ferdowsi put Shahnama in words with such objective that if it
was not for him, Persian language would not have built such foundation
that would travel as far as Chinese Turkestan to the Mediterranean
coast, and from India, Kashmir, Bengal to Caucasus and central Asia,
more than half of Asia and even in Europe as far as Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Ferdowsi concludes the Shahnameh by writing:
بسی رنج بردم در اين سال سی
عجم زنده کردم بدين پارسی
نميرم از اين پس که من زنده ام
که تخم سخن را پراکنده ام
هر آنکس که دارد هش و رای و دین
پس از مرگ بر من کند آفرین
I've reached the end of this great history
And all the land will talk of me:
I shall not die, these seeds I've sown will save
My name and reputation from the grave,
And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim
When I have gone, my praises and my fame.
Translated by Dick Davis.
Ferdowsi concludes the Shahnameh by writing:
بسی رنج بردم در اين سال سی
عجم زنده کردم بدين پارسی
نميرم از اين پس که من زنده ام
که تخم سخن را پراکنده ام
هر آنکس که دارد هش و رای و دین
پس از مرگ بر من کند آفرین
I've reached the end of this great history
And all the land will talk of me:
I shall not die, these seeds I've sown will save
My name and reputation from the grave,
And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim
When I have gone, my praises and my fame.
Translated by Dick Davis.
Written by Amir Khojasteh
