The Journal of Epic Literature
Year:2011 | Volume:7 | Issue:11|Papers Count:18

The most important Persian mystical book in the 9th century Hijri is Nafahat al-Ons Men Hazarat al-Qods written by Abdol al-Rahman Jami. Since the specialists at the time were not aware of the existence of the unpublished Persian manuscript, Tohfat al-Morshedin Men Hekayat al-Salehin or due to the inconsistencies that existed in the content of this copy with that of Nafahat al-Ons, they have not acknowledged the significant part this manuscript played in Nafahat al-Ons and instead they have given its share to Rozat al-Riyahin Fi Hekayat al-Salehin.Tohfat al-Morshedin written by Jalal al-Din Mohammad Ebadi Kazerooni is in fact the translation of the well-known Arabic mystical book Rozat al-Riyahin Fi Hekayat al-Salehin written by the distinguished Sufi in the 8th century Hijri, namely Abdollah al-Yafee al-Yamani and the two Persian manuscript copies of this work, one found in Lahoor in 818 Hijri and the other found in the city of Ayasufieh in 838 Hijri are at present at the disposal of the writers of this article.This article attempts to provide evidence by comparative approach. Evidence such as Jami’s reference to Tohfat al-Morshedin in the manuscripts of Nafahat al-Ons, identical selection of some anecdotes both in Nafahat al-Ons and Tohfat al-Morshedin, Jami and Ebadi, both have taken common pieces from the text of Rozat al-Riahin, Jami’s interest to use Persian sources and how he could find access to Tohfat al-Morshedin, is cited to acknowledge the significance of this work.

Sheikh Mahmud Shabestari, mystical poet and the great thinker of the 8th century Hijri believes that one can attain the ultimate certainty by reason (aql) and oriental Illumination (Ishraq).  He attempts to merge the religious sayings with philosophical argumentations and with illuminations of the oriental thinkers and thus plays the role of a Moslem philosopher, gnostic and oriental thinker.Like Ghazali, Shabestari believes that beyond the theoretical reason, there is another way available to man with which he can recognize the mysteries hidden from the reason.Like all mystical poets, he is overtly opposed to the Greek philosophy and reason yet he is not against wisdom and philosophy hence although he is inclined towards oriental Illumination in mystical matters, he is inclined towards reason and arguments in scientific matters.  Shabestari praises the religious wisdom, the kind discussed by the prophets and thousand and one verse in Koran is attributed to it.  Meanwhile Sheikh believes in having a master and a perfect man, an intermediary guiding us towards the truth.  According to him the nearest path towards the truth is thinking and a two way search (ascending and descending curve) a dialectic search in which movement from multiplicity to unity, from many to one, from noumenon to phenomenon from drop to the sea and the vice versa, the soul of man is refined and refreshed and the dust of otherness is removed from his heart and the perfect man attains real Truth.

Information and knowledge from different sciences have always enriched Persian literature and filled it with scientific and technical terms. One of the important factors of this phenomenon in the domain of Persian Poetry especially from the 4th century onwards is the expansion of rational sciences and different branches of disciplines, expansion of universities and learning centers and emergence of outstanding scientists in the Persian land. Consequently a number of jewelries and precious stones with their characteristic properties found their way into the poetry of certain poets. Some used them for their color and shape in metaphors and similes, some referred to them for their magical properties in Medicine and Horoscope. This article is concerned with the introduction of stones and their symbolic role in the Persian Poetry.

Saadi is given the title of “master of speech” because his words since antiquity till present are quoted everywhere and by everyone and his unequalled prose and eloquent poetry stays forever enchanting. Saadi’s prose style described as simple but impossible to imitate flows quite naturally and effortlessly.  His manner of oration has inspired many researchers and poets to investigate different aspects of his art to reveal the esthetics of his discourse.In this article attempt is made to investigate the artistic application of verb in Golestan’s prose. Examining rhetorical characteristics, semantic range of verbs,… reveal only a small part of the linguistic art of this great master.

Mirsa al-Ibad is a mystical work and is regarded as one of the major prose works in the Persian Literature and its like is almost rare among Sufi works. According to Razi during the first and second writing of this work he has been wondering for thirty years in Asia Minor, Egypt, and Rome where according to historians and scholars were the cradle of Gnostic and Manichaean thoughts and mythology therefore it is not surprising that Razi was acquainted with their mythology in this environment as he repeatedly refers to his acquaintance with the following sects such as Isma’ilis, Ebahieh, Molahedeh, and Tanasokhieh. Therefore, according to the evidence found in Mirsa al-Ibad this article is concerned with pointing out similarity in frameworks of some stories of Mirsad al-Ibad with Gnostic and Manichaean mythology.

No doubt, one of the strongest subject matter in Roudaki’s poetry manifested in a significant and multitude of form is death.  Roudki’s conception of death is a profound one.Apart from the fact that the subject of death in elegies is brought about with such openness and with some remorse, such an outlook towards death brings to mind a kind of Khayyamic mode of thought whose recurrent theme is a Carpedieum motif, an invitation to joyful life because of its short duration. Moreover, manifestation of death in Roudaki’s lyrical poetry, where he creates an image of his own death in a conversation with his beloved, a kind of sympathizing with the beloved, later finds expression in a more serious form in Persian lyrical literature is discussed along the main subject.

The purpose of this article is to recognize the social standpoint of women in Shahnameh by answering the following questions:-What was the social standpoint of women in the Sassanid era in Shahnameh?-Among the women, who has occupied the highest social position?-What was Ferdousi’s standpoint towards women and her position as a man in a male-dominated society of the 4th and 5th century?The statistical society in this research includes all women in Shahnameh from renowned influential characters to less influential ones goddesses and witches. For more precision and also representation of new scientific data, among the statistical examples two groups Iranian women and non-Iranian ones have been chosen. Social standpoint, the only variant in this study with two features of social credit, and seeking consultation were analyzed. After collecting the data via library -documentary approach, using the method of “content analysis” the data was analyzed, interpreted and the final result was determined. Despite being in a patriarchal society at the time, both groups of women enjoyed high social position, the non-Iranian ones occupied slightly higher positions.

One of the characters whose presence in Shahnameh creates bitter and painful events is Ghoshtasb. The image of this Kiani king in Shahnameh is different from the images drawn in religious texts be it Avesta or Pahlavi. While in Shahnameh he is a shortsighted, voracious, vow breaker and selfish, in Avesta and Pahlavi texts, he is quite holy.May be in the mind of the reader of Shahnameh this question arises: How such a reversal in character has appeared had Ferdousi been fidel to the sources he had used according to his own emphasis in Shahnameh?It is the purpose of this article to explain the factors responsible for this change of character. It could be assumed that one factor is ferdousi’s and other patriots’ opposition towards the Turk or Arab rulers. Ghoshtasb’s change of character is the product of political aims of the poet and the narrators who have published narratives contrary to the Zoroastrian religious texts. Since with Ghoshtasb’s change of character, Sassanid who claimed to be related to Ghoshtasb were criticized that is a governorship which Mahmud Ghaznavi claimed to be related to and of course to a great extent his reign resembled that of Sassanid. Therefore in this way the poet reveals the true picture of Turks and Arabs kingdom which followed the same example of Sassanid and turned toward religious dictatorship and centralization of power. Ferdousi and his fellow thinkers changed the character of Ghoshtasb to fight with all those who thought, spoke and acted like him.

One of the discussions in the contemporary Poetry especially in the last few decades which has won great favor by the scholars and had produced valuable works is the field of literary criticism. Sociological criticism, one of its branches studies the work in its social milieu especially in terms of engaged literature examines the social ills in a society in order to reveal and express the bitter realities and pains so that the audience could reflect upon them and in this way get aid to find a remedy for those crisis. (farzad, 1378, 71)The subject which ought to be dealt with utmost sensibility is the problem of growing superstition and ignorance in the contemporary poetry in Iran from the beginning of Constitutionalism till 1357. A major problem which is unfortunately not dealt with seriously by the scholars in contemporary literature. For this reason we were encouraged to study and examine the impact of superstition on the poetry at the time of constitutionalism and at Nima’s time. As a background of the study, briefly the roots of the problem in Iran’s past and contemporary history were dealt with and where possible evidence and example from the contemporary poetry were presented and analyzed.

Masnavi is a grand oeuvre filled with a variety of meanings and multiplicity of ideas that drowns and bewilders the reader in the perpetual turbulence of its waves. For this reason and for the repeated hesitation and reflection of the reader in every turn of the couplets of Masnavi, the main directions of thought and the general purpose of the book remains usually hidden and the reader is incapable of grasping the grand thoughts of this literary masterpiece.In this article attempt is made to first specify the themes in the third book of Masnavi, using the frequency analysis approach, and second to present schematically anecdotes employed by the poet in the form of interconnected lyrics to induce one common theme and finally to analyze the results drawn from them.

Hafez’s time, is the era of moral decline and loss of sound principles among the different classes of people especially rulers, sovereigns, Sufis and, ascetics. Chaos and disorder resulted from the oppression and cruelty of rulers and sovereigns on one hand and growing hypocrisy, fraud and deception of religious authorities and Sufis on the other hand led to the decline of religious and moral values.  Hafez is caught in the midst of this sinkhole of corruption and depravity, discord, and despair and in his own words he is caught “in the dark night with a fear of such frightful wave and whirlpool”. As a thinker and a social savior, Hafez is well aware of all the pains, corruptions, and evils of the time and like a surgeon with a weapon of criticism and irony wants to open up the wounds and with affection heal the social ills. To achieve this goal inevitably he had to choose a language, captivating and soothing enough to give new life to the otherwise lifeless words and with using variety of literary devices he creates a resurrection in the mental and customary habits and in conventional language. Therefore the best way to attack two groups of rulers and Sufis was through writing, grabbing hold of techniques such as defamiliarization, deviation from the norm, deconstruction, antilogism, paradoxical imagery, and finally what is in general contrary to the norm and habits of the populace. Such extensive application of literary devices won Hafez his fame.

Ebn Yamin Forumadi is regarded as one of the poets in the Mongol era when the social morality and mental and cultural foundations of people began to decline. Although the social-political upheavals, and fall in morality and humane values in the conquered lands in this era caused the emergence of the spirit of resignation and determinism among the populace yet among some of the proud Persian poets, and brigands rose the spirit of fighting against oppression and literary criticism began to take root. Each poet in this era, according to the existing atmosphere in the society at the time, chose certain approach to fight the moral and social meanness, social and political instabilities and injustices of the governors and their puppets. Although Ebn Yamin had praised extensively the rulers and ministers he had also criticized their actions and the social state of the society and social morality. Although his criticism in comparison with his contemporaries such as Saadi and Seif Forqani are less harsh and is ranked inferior to them, but on occasions he has criticized people from all walks of life, elites and common people alike. This article deals with the moral and social pathology in the poetry of Ebn Yamin.

In narrating a tale, the following questions such as who the author is, whether he differs from the narrator, what the angle of vision is, the author’s viewpoint and other issues like these are of prime importance for the technical success of the story, its understanding and its perpetual connection to the overall meaning of the story. Stendhal is one of the greatest writers of the 19th century in the French literature whose fame is for his specific manner of narration in writing successful novels. The purpose of this article is to provide reasons for the popularity of his stories, to discuss and analyze different perspectives in narrating a story, to compare his works with those of Balzac, another genius in writing novels and finally to study and distinguish Stendhal as a writer of the story and as a narrator inside his narrative using the new science of narratology.

No doubt nations throughout the centuries have experienced many ups and downs according to their political, social, cultural and religious states. The holy Koran points to their decline as forth: “And when we wanted to destroy a nation, we command the rich and pleasure seekers (when they disobeyed) and continued debauchery, the God’s absolute order was carried out on them, we shall destroy them” (Asra, 16). Having in mind the meaning of this verse, when a society becomes corrupted, corruption runs into all its classes and social relations and nothing is exempt from its raid. Under such conditions, insecurity emerges in all social institutions and instead of unity and cooperation they stand in opposition and in conflict with each other and certainly won’t have the desired function. It is exactly at this point that the existence of social critics and brilliant thinkers who by giving awareness to different classes of people, point to vices, corruptions and shortcomings in a society play an important role in influencing people at large to react against decadence, bad policies, oppression, and miseries. Criticism and analysis of social classes from Naser Khosrou’s and Sanai’s point of view as brilliant thinkers and critics is the purpose of this article.

Upon the victory of Constitutional Revolution, journalism came out of the monopoly of the court, and its adorned style soon fell out of favor. In this way at the same time that language as a means of power was set free from the influence of the court, freedom of speech began its short illuminating period. Dehkhoda who was regarded as one of the key literary figures of his time, in his political struggle, resorted to language and writing. He introduced in his prose variety of language genres that existed in that social climate and set it against the unique language of the Court. Taking advantage of the colloquial language, he removed the gap that existed for centuries between the written and spoken language and in this way paved the way for simplifying the Farsi writing style. This article is concerned with the study of Dehkhoda’s journalistic prose style and it demonstrates the different styles he has employed in his fight through the language.

Kimiya-yi Sa'adat (The Alchemy of Happiness) is a persian version of Ihya'ul ulumuddin in arabic, an outstanding work translated and summerized by Abu Hamed Imam Mohammad Ghazali. This book is divided into four major sections, each containing ten chapters: Ibadat (Acts of worship), Moamelat (Transactions), Muhlikat (The ways to perdition), and Munjiyat (The ways to salvation). Ghazali wrote this work with a prose style comprehensible to all in order to teach people from all walks of life way of living, social conduct, and to save them from vices and show them the path towards happiness and salvation in life and afterlife.