In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, and his pure progeny, and may God’s curse be upon all their enemies.
The image that I had and have in my mind today regarding poetry, and I mentioned this last year as well, became clearer and more defined this evening. Praise God, poetry in our country is truly advancing and reaching its peak, not just in terms of quantity, but also in quality. This should be appreciated and pursued.
I would like to address a few points. Firstly, poetry is a medium. In today’s world, challenges and conflicts are carried out through the media. While rockets, drones, airplanes, war tools, etc. are effective in pushing back the enemy, it is the media that leaves the most profound impact by influencing hearts and minds. It is a media battle. Whoever possesses a stronger media presence will be more successful in achieving their goals — in any goal they’re pursuing.
So, that is what needs to take place regarding our poems and poets. The poetic heritage of us Iranians is rare in the world. The reason why I don't say it is "unparalleled" is because I don't know about many of the other civilizations. As far as I am aware, our poetic heritage is unmatched, with perhaps the exception of Arabic poetry, which too holds great prominence and distinction. Therefore, our literary and poetic heritage, equips us with a powerful, effective, and influential media weapon.
The next point is that the impact of poetry is dependent on a certain condition and that is that poetry must be an art in the truest sense of the word. It should be created as a piece of art. We have certain works that are labeled as "poetry," but there is no or very little art in them. These are not impactful. Poetry should be a work of art.
In Farsi poetry, you can see for example that Hafez’s poetry which is actually at the peak of our artistic poetry, leaves an impact on Goethe, Iqbal — individuals who are not even familiar with the Farsi language. Iqbal did not know Farsi. The renowned Iqbal, who has a collection of Farsi poems, had never studied Farsi, and his family did not know Farsi either. He became familiar with the Farsi language through the poems of Hafez and others like him. That is how he was able to write that detailed poetry book in Farsi. This is the effect of poetry. This is how artistic poetry leaves an impact. Or Goethe and the rest of those whom you are completely familiar with [were similarly influenced].
So, what should we focus on the most if we want our poetry to be artistic? It’s obvious: on body and spirit [of a poem], that is, on the words and theme. If the words we choose are weak and lack firmness, strength, and meaning, it is not possible to create a work of art. I sometimes read poems in certain newspapers. If a person reads the entire piece of poetry — which is a ghazal or whatever — they will get really angry by the end of it. The only impact it has is that it leaves you angry and bitter. The words have no artistic aspect.
And then you have the theme. The theme [of a poem] arises from both the topic and the quality of expressing the topic. If you happen to mention a topic, any topic, in a poem, but fail to mention it with a unique and impactful expression, it will not elevate your poem. Many of the topics that are in the poems of Saib or Kalim, who wrote in Sabk-e Hindi [Indian style in Persian poetry], are also in the poems of other poets. However, the quality of their [poets like Saib or Kalim] expression is such that it raises the level of poetry. Therefore, both finding [the right] theme and using a rich vocabulary are necessary.
Another point to consider is about the poem’s message. We have chosen the theme and we have selected appropriate words for it, what is the message that we wish to convey to our audience? Now, imagine, for example, that some messages are made up of complaints about circumstances. Most of the long poems that have been composed throughout history were like this. You will rarely find a poet who has not complained about the circumstances of the period they were in. Now some were intense, others were less intense. But this is not a message that has an important meaning or benefit for the audience. Sure, some of them might portray history to some extent, but it is just this much, nothing more. The thing that we have in mind, which is able to convey a good message [to the audience] is the message of religion, ethics, civilization, and Iranianness for us Iranians.
We have a multitude of messages. We have plenty to say. We have countless civilizational messages. Our religious knowledge, our moral knowledge, our Iranian knowledge, and the message of the courageous steadfastness of the Iranian nation are all things that can be transmitted. They should be conveyed as the message [of the poems]. Now, [for example,] one of the sources of credibility of the Iranian nation is its courageous stand against oppression around the world. In the face of tyranny and greed — currently embodied by the US, the Zionists, etc. — the Iranian nation expresses it position clearly, without consideration or reservation. This is a very important thing which is highly desirable worldwide.
When the political figures of our country, including some of our presidents and others, went to certain countries, now not so much with the governments of those countries, but rather during meetings with people in mosques and gatherings, their encounters ignited excitement among the people. I myself delivered a speech in Pakistan (in January 1986), in front of thousands [of people]. Their president was also sitting there. This meeting was truly moving in the same way that a pulse beats and moves and it was due to the content that was being shared regarding the strength and steadfastness of the Iranian nation. And from what we have heard and have been informed about, the same thing was experienced by others as well. So, these things need to be conveyed. Our messages are: the message of steadfastness, the message of civilization, and the message of Islam.
This annual meeting that we have is very good. It is filled with blessings. There were prominent figures who brought repute to these meetings. The distinguished figures that were mentioned by these gentlemen would visit these meetings frequently. They would come and read poems. It is a good meeting. What I have in mind is that this meeting should not be ornamental. Now, we don’t want to say that there is a poetry gathering in the Islamic Republic that is being held at this level. That is not the issue. We want this gathering to continue. We want it to help pursue the objectives that exist in the field of poetry. Poetry circles, associations, and gatherings should be established and these things that are now being raised in this meeting in one way or another — you might mention them in your poems or I might mention them in my talk — should continue.
I have a few good points written down here. One is about translation. We have performed poorly in terms of translation. Some famous Arab poets are well-known in Iran, and everyone knows them because their poems have been translated into Farsi. However, our own poets' works are not widely known in Arab or non-Arab countries. Perhaps I am not fully informed, but to my knowledge, there is a lack of exposure of our poets in other regions. Why is this the case? These are exceptional poems and they deserve to be recognized by the international community.
As put by the poet: “Even the finest wine serves no purpose / As long as it is not poured into a goblet” (Saib Tabrizi). Your poems and your unique forms of expression need to be used in the world and in the minds of the public. Therefore, we need to start a movement in the field of translation to make this possible.
Translating poetry is distinct from translating prose. Poems, as you know, should usually be translated into prose, rather than into other forms of poetry. Some people have attempted to translate, for example, Rumi's poetry into Arabic, and we have seen that they have not been successful. I occasionally look through an Arabic translation of Rumi's Masnavi that I own. Abdul-Aziz Javaherkalam — the elder brother of the renowned Iraqi poet Muhammad-Mahdi Javaheri, who lived in Iran and had come to me and I had seen him — translated Rumi's Masnavi. Despite being a good poet, he couldn’t [be successful in translating Masnavi].
Translating poetry into poetry is a challenging task. The late Sayyid Mahdi Bahrul-Uloom, a renowned scholar of the 13th century AH, undertook a pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala on foot when he became a marja [religious authority]. It was a tradition of ulama [religious scholars] in Najaf to walk from Najaf to Karbala at times [to make a pilgrimage]. He too undertook a pilgrimage to Karbala on foot, along with a few companions, at the start of his time as a marja. Despite being a poet in both Farsi and Arabic himself, he took along a few additional poets to accompany him on the pilgrimage.
It is an important point that this marja did not go on a pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala without the company of three or four other poets. [On the way,] they arrived at a stopping place. He became tired. The other companions wanted to continue traveling, but he told them he couldn’t continue and read this poem by Talib Amoli: “Wherever we reached it became our home from weakness / And wherever we trod it became green from our tears.”
After reading this poem, the Arab poets with him inquired about its meaning, and he explained the poem to them. He then encouraged them to recreate the poem in Arabic. They translated Talib Amoli's original work, then made it poetic, and the result can be found in various books. Despite being outstanding poets, their Arabic translation fell evidently short of the original poem. The late Sayyid Mahdi Bahrul-Uloom also recreated the poem himself, which is also available in these books.
Poetry is not easily translatable into poetry; rather, it should be translated into prose that is poetic, eloquent, and powerful. Who can do this? Someone who is fluent in both languages, and I believe the translator’s mother tongue should be the target language of the translation. This is how it should be. I believe it is an important task and should be undertaken by the government. It is not for the general public to do, as it is quite challenging. Therefore, one of the recommendations I have is in the field of translation.
Another recommendation, which concerns the Ministry of Education and Edification, is to include poetry in school textbooks. Of course, the textbooks already do have some poetry in them, but the amount should be increased. Introducing poetry to children from a young age and continuing to emphasize its importance throughout adolescence can help them become well acquainted with it. Poetry plays a significant role in our civilization, culture, and teachings. Many of our teachings have been conveyed through poetry.
Another point that I have noted is the need to stimulate the literary memory of people and to cultivate more creativity in their minds and in the minds of the youth. The literary memory of our people is weak. They often struggle to recall poems accurately and in their proper context. Sometimes we hear incorrect recitations of poetry, even on television. We might see a television presenter recite a poem incorrectly which is very frustrating.
An old musician once told me that when some singers go out of the dastgah [modal system] that they are singing, it sounds like a nail being hammered into your ear. That is how disturbing it is to hear. Similarly, reading a poem incorrectly can sometimes have the same effect. It is as though a nail is being hammered into your ear. This signifies the lack of people’s familiarity with poetry. There are solutions for this issue which should be acknowledged in order for people to become familiar and more acquainted with poetry.
A recommendation that I have for our dear poets, especially the youth, is that you should take the time to study poetic pieces and the brilliance that exists within them. Now you probably read Hafez, Shahnameh, or Nezami’s Khamseh, if you read them, but there’s more. We have many poets who have truly composed masterpieces. Some of our Sabk-e Hindi [Indian style] poets, and Sabk-e Voghoo [occurrence style] poets have written poems that soar at the peaks of poetry. Sometimes their poems leave a person astonished by their exquisiteness. One is truly amazed by how beautiful, profound, eloquent, and meaningful they are.
They should be studied, as their poems, their creative forms of art, and the chronograms [dates incorporated into Persian texts in disguised form, especially those in which the letters of the alphabet have numerical value] mentioned by some, truly leave a person amazed. In the Old Courtyard of Qom [the holy shrine of Lady Masoumeh], also known as the Small Courtyard, there is an inscription called the “Miraculous Inscription.” Each verse of this poem is a chronogram of the establishment of the courtyard. Apart from having chronograms in each verse, there are other intricate details in the inscription that I cannot recall. It was a long time ago [that I learned about it]. For instance, when two verses are combined, it becomes something, but when three verses are combined, it becomes something else. These are very important.
The poem itself is very strong. It is not sloppy. It is a very good poem. There are two courtyards in the shrine [of Lady Masoumeh] in Qom. This poem is in the Old Courtyard of Qom — the courtyard with the golden Iwan [a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open] and dome — and it is inscribed on top of the Iwan. It is called the “Miraculous Poem” and it truly is like a miracle. Our young poets should observe these as they show the power of a poet’s words and meanings. Now, I am not saying everyone should move toward using chronograms, for example. Rather, I am asking you to pay attention to how skilled these poets were that they could produce and incorporate such powerful terms and meanings in their poetry within that limited structure [of chronograms]. This is very important. It is another point that I wanted to emphasize.
Another issue is the preservation of the Farsi language. I believe that Farsi is not receiving the attention and support that it deserves. While some efforts have been made recently by certain associations, much more needs to be done to strengthen and fortify the language. Farsi is a flexible language that has the potential to develop. Because it is a combinative language, it has beautifully crafted combinations, and allows speakers to effortlessly express any concept without ever feeling at a loss for words. Any complex scientific concept, any delicate spiritual meaning, and any precise and exact notion can be expressed in Farsi, while they may be truly challenging to convey in some other languages. Some expressions [in Farsi] are not transferrable [to other languages] at all.
I once recited this poem somewhere: “I am glad that you passed by your rivals, your skirt trailing behind you / Even if a fistful of our dust has gone with the wind too” (Hazin Lahiji). How can “your skirt trailing behind you” be translated in Arabic? Say we are to translate this piece. I am fluent in Arabic, [but] how can this be translated? It cannot be translated. It is not possible to translate. However, the poet has beautifully expressed a very delicate, important meaning by using this phrase in the poem. We have these sorts of nuances in the Farsi language.
We are starting to neglect the Farsi language. Now, unfortunately, there has been a rise in the influx of foreign languages, particularly European and Western languages, notably English. These languages are being used excessively. In my opinion, the opposite should be practiced. Farsi equivalents should be promoted. We have changed “helicopter” to “balgard” which is both nicer and easier to utter than the word “helicopter.” It is both Iranian and it conveys the meaning of the object. Of course, the Afghans had used the term “charkhbal” [for helicopter], which was not correct. “Balgard” is better than “charkhbal.”
We do these things [creating equivalents] a lot. A few people had sent some notes to me for tonight’s meeting. In Mr. Feyz’s note, I saw a word which I really liked — “Rayaneh-Sepehr.” I don’t know who made this up, but it’s lovely! He used the term “Rayaneh-Sepehr” in place of “cyberspace.” There are many such examples and they should not seem strange to you. Once you get used to them, you realize that they are actually very nice.
I believe that this should also occur and I hope that our friends will be able to pursue it. That is, they should not allow the volume of foreign words to become more proliferated than this in the Farsi language. They should reduce it a bit and give the Farsi language some refinement in order to make it a pure Farsi language, God willing.
In any case, tonight was a lovely evening. We hope that, God willing, all our friends will achieve success. For those whose poetry we did not have the pleasure of hearing, we hope to have the opportunity to listen to their poetry in future.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you
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