PERSIAN LITERATURE QUARTERLY
Year:2009 | Volume:5 | Issue:20|Papers Count:11

The present article discusses and analyzes the following points:1. The meaning of translation and its difference from commentary2. The characteristics of a good translator, includingA. The knowledge and command of both languages and the subtletiesB. The knowledge and command of grammatical rules and literary expressions in both languagesC. The knowledge and command of lexical and semantic variety in both languages

The enigma that has preoccupied grammarians for more than a century is due to lack of awareness of linguistic government. What is meant by government is that if a noun phrase occurs in the dependent and independent clauses of a complex sentence with different functions, the noun phrase with a marker (ی in مردی) governs. The enigma can be solved with an example. In the sentence .همان مردی که روزنامه می خواند دوست من است, the word مردی is indefinite for the dependent clause and definite for the main clause. Because the definite noun does not have a sign in Persian and the indefinite noun does (ی in مردی), the indefinite noun governs.

Sufism, which was originally established in Baghdad and Iraq and introduced such great people as Hossein ibn Mansoor Hallaj, Joneid and Shebli, could later appear in Khorasan, particularly after the Ghaznavids were overthrown and the Seljuks were crowned. In Khorasan, it introduced prominent figures such as Abulhassan Kharaqani, Sheikh Abolqassem Qosheiri and Abu Saeed Abu al-Kheir. In this regard, Sufism gradually became so popular that  at the time Mongols’ raid, its popularity was no less than the Sufism in Iraq and Shaam, and it was especially after the appearance of Sheikh Najm al-din Kobra, the founder of Kobravieh Sect, that a new spirit was poured into Sufism, and Khorasan and Kharazm became the destination for the wise, and people from here and there devoutly turned to Sheikh and after they studied under Najm al-Din's guidance, they grew to be the virtuous preachers of his righteous ideas in other lands. In the present article, the researcher first introduces Najm al-Din Kobra and proceeds to introduce the people who were related to him: some of whom being his instructors and others his pupils and disciples.

The wonderful universe of myths is so glorious, enormous, complicated, mystifying and mysterious that it not only takes man to the depth of history and ethnic relics, but also makes him so astounded as if he keeps asking himself, “Virtually, who am I? Do I descend from water or sun?” The man, who is said to be half godly (ahurayi) and half satanic (ahrimani), is surprised when he finds that his ancestors thought water to be Ahura’s son and the sun to be Ahura’s daughter. More wonderful is that it is sometimes said that Ormazd appeared when water and sun joined. Amid all this, where does Ahriman stand? Can we find an appropriate answer to this question by studying the poems of some poets of this age?

As the cradle of Sufism, Khorasan has considerably affected the growth and development of Sufism since early times. A look at the history of Sufism and mysticism reveals that cities and towns in Khorasan have had renowned Sufis, with outstanding works, famous paths and elevated ideas. Sufism in Khorasan has some important features: renowned sages, a combination of Sufism with chivalry, audition (samaa’), the teachings of Malamatieh sect, Khanqah’s regular programs, the propagation of poetry in Khanqahs, efforts for global peace, relations with Shiite Imams staunch following of  the religion, resisting suppression and cruelty, scientific endeavors, etc. Such features led to the creation of significant works and results, such as Sufism, chivalry, mystic poetry, the close relation of Sufism with Shi`ism, and religious and social movements.

Sheikh Ahmad Jaam Jendehpil (440-536 A.H.) and his knowledgeable, cultured and educated descendents were effective and outstanding figures in the mystic literaure and the Sufism of the great Khorasan as well as Iran.The various works of Sheikh Ahmad and his descendents are unfortunately not yet known to a majority of researchers; hence, many of the literary manifestations, subtleties and values, historic perspectives and the ideas in these works are yet to be discovered.This article introduces an unknown but invaluable work: Hadiqat al-Haqiqa (The Real Garden) by Qotb al-Din Mohammad ibn Motahhar ibn Ahmad Jaam.

Since the old days, there has been a strong and deep link between poetry and music, that is why the best poets have always been trying to enhance the musical qualities of their poems in different ways. Ghazals (lyrical poems) also enable the poet to examine his skills in this respect. The combination of mystical meanings with this poetic form has not only affected the content but also strengthened the link between music and poetry in such a way that we may consider mystical poetry with its musical structure as a reflection of the poet’s thoughts, ideas and spiritual states.This article deals mainly with mystical poems of Attar–who is considered as a great pioneer of this kind of poems–and studies the musical features in three categories:1. External music (prosody)2. Internal Music (figures of word and figures of thought)3. Marginal music (synthetic and identical rhymes)Special attention has also been paid to the effects of Attar’s thoughts, states and ideas on the music of his poems.

Orfi Shirazi (d. 999) lived at the time when the Safavid (Hindi) style was being formed. Orfi was born in Shiraz and traveled to India in his youth. Safavid biographers have mentioned different reasons for his migration. He lived in an era when Persian poetry was undergoing a stylistic change. With the appearance of poets like Vahshi Baafqi and Baba Faghan Shirazi, the heritage of outstanding poets, such as Ferdowsi, Nezami, Khaqani, Sa’di and Hafez, underwent many changes.The traditional bases of ghazal, historically strengthened by Sa’di and Hafez, were shattered in Orfi’s time or even earlier in Baba Faghan Shirazi’s time. Orfi was at the threshold of this revolution. Safavid era's outstanding poets, who were strongly influenced by Orfi’s poems, have considered him to be a pioneer and master in composing ghazalsThis article studies the extent and nature of this influence and compares Orfi’s poems with those of later poets.

Sadeq Choobak is one of the founders of modern short story in Iran. In spite of his technical undulation, he has been an able and impressive writer in the history of Iranian story writing. Likewise, Ernest Hemingway’s role, in viewpoint of effect, in shaping short story as a serious artistic global form is undeniable. Choobak has written many of his short stories in Hemingway’s style and his traces are obvious in some of Choobak’s short stories. In addition, in his novel Tangsir, this impression is clear. But some of his writing features are mentally and technically different from Hemingway’s and in some points these differences manifest themselves completely.This article studies the similar and different aspects of Choobak’s writing style in comparison with Hemingway’s. A consideration and comparison of their stories have been done in both the themes and structures of the stories. The results show that Sadeq Choobak is the first Iranian writer who has imitated Hemingway’s style. Objectivism, the use of anti-heroes and the application of Hemingway’s special writing style are the main cases of similarity in the two writers’ works. However, one difference is that Choobak does not follow a single style; another is the use of evident and clear themes in Choobak’s stories. A final difference is his tendency to stories with psychologically superficial layers. These features are not observed in Hemingway’s stories.

To make up for his weakness and inefficiency, mankind’s imagination has expressed many of the facts and values in the form of myths. The symbolic aspects of myths have caused them to change into legends.The main aim of this article is to compare some mythical features of Iran, India, China, Japan, Greece, Rome and Mesopotamia and to illustrate their similar and different aspects. This article focuses on some important mythical features, including the legend of creation, gods, numbers, champions, animals, plants, elements of the nature and religious stories. It then studies the beliefs and customs of these nations separately.The conclusion is that lands and nations have been close to each other in their myths and legends during the primary and previous centuries; the difference only existed in a few small aspects in religious and cultural areas.