"Few people have been more closely related in origin and throughout
history than the people of India and the people of Iran"
– Jawahar Lal Nehru
“I used to dream of a Persia where bulbuls made love to the roses, where
in dreamland gardens poets sat around their wine cups and invoked visions of
ineffable meanings. But now that I have come to your country my dream has been
formed into a concrete image that finds its permanent place in the inner chamber
of my experience … I have visited Sa’di's tomb; I have sat beside
the resting place of Hafiz and intimately felt his touch in the glimmering green
of your woodlands, in blossoming roses. The past age of Persia lent the old
world perfume of its own sunny hours of spring to the morning of that day and
the silent voice of your ancient poet filled the silence in the heart of the
poet of Modern India”
– Rabindranath Tagore, 09 May 1932.
By the favor of chief editor Mr. C.P. Aboobacker who kindly chose me as the
Guest Editor of the current issue , I have this opportunity to introduce Iranian
literature to the international readers of Thanalonline.
Here is some samples of our great classic poets translated by our great translator
Mr. ALEXANDERIAN MANAVAZ, accompanied by precious translations of ALI SAMAVATI
. Most professional poetry readers believe that for achieving a good translation
of poetry ,one must be a good poet. That is why I have added some samples of
these translator’s own pure poetry . I humbly have added my own translations
of Nima Yusij who was the father of modern Iran poetry and I hope I can introduce
more samples of classic and modern Iranian poetry in the far or near future
.
At the end I give my deep thanks to C.P. Aboobacker for his love and interest
in the poetry of my motherland :Iran regarding this reality:
The peoples of India and Iran, two ancient neighboring civilizations, have enjoyed close historical links through the ages. They had a common homeland and share a common linguistic and racial past. Over the several millennia, they interacted an enriched each other in the fields of language, religion, arts, culture, food and other traditions. Today the two countries enjoy warm, friendly relations and cooperate in a wide range of fields.
Farideh Hassanzadeh-Mostafavi