متن پژوهی ادبی

Iran is considered one of the ancient and civilized countries of the world, with a culture and civilization that has persisted for thousands of years without collapse. Written storytelling is one of the defining features of ancient civilizations, with its origins in Iran dating back approximately three thousand years. This article examines storytelling models in classical Persian literature. The common narrative methods in classical Persian literature can be categorized into five models: the repetitive model, the pearl beads on a plate model, the string of pearls (pearl necklace) model, the cluster of grapes model, and the grand narratives containing smaller stories model. It should be noted that the diversity of these methods is closely linked to the customs, traditions, and tastes of ancient Iranian society. Traces of these storytelling techniques can be observed in classical Persian literature until the twentieth century. However, after this period, influenced by contemporary European literature, these models gradually faded and disappeared from contemporary Persian literature.

Abbās Quli Aqā Bākikhānov (1794-1847) and Mirzā FatḥʾAli Akhundzādeh (1812-78) both came from the same socio-economic class, performed the same professional function in Russian government service, and shared literary interests as shown by their membership of the same literary club in Tiflis. They also aimed at reforming and modernizing the Azeri and Iranian societies. However, it was also on this very subject that their differences became apparent. Not only did they disagree on what the nature of that change had to be, but they also diverged about the pace of change. Whereas Akhundzādeh wanted to travel in the fast lane to bring about modern and secular indigenous societies that were modeled after a modernizing Russia, Bākikhānov argued for traveling the slower lane, preserving what he considered was good and worthwhile of his traditional native cultures, which also included a modernized form of Islam and the teaching of Persian. The two men also differed in their approach to how to help bring about the desired changes. Akhundzādeh used his literary talent to mainly address the educated class by showing them in his plays and prose how backward their society was and, by implication, how necessary it was to secularize and Europeanize. Bākikhānov, being more of a Sufi-bent Muslim, wanted to reach Azeri society in a much more targeted way. Neither man was successful in their objective during their lifetime, although their works had a lasting influence on Azeri and Iranian reformers.

This article studies the role of ‘selving’ and creative interpretation in literary translation. Specifically, it analyzes one of Basil Bunting’s successful translations of Obayd Zākānī’s Mush-o Gorbeh, a picturesque and catchy poem in rhyme and rhythm, laden with animal characters, which was considered to be both a masterpiece of children’s literature and a very important political satire. Bunting, a translator of Persian classical poems into English, had both political and poetic missions as a spy and an up-and-coming poet. This study turns to the theories of translation by Steiner, Benjamin, and Bassnett, among others, to show the challenges of translating Persian poetry. Through an in-depth analysis of this translated work in dialogue with Bunting’s other works, this manuscript shows how the two missions sometimes overlapped. Ultimately, however, it is argued that literary translation functions as an aesthetic ‘other’ place where the translator can act as a cultural double agent, working to the advantage of both cultures.

This article explores the themes of national and cultural identity as depicted in the thoughts and works of Rabindranath Tagore- a pivotal figure in specifically sub-continental literature, and Ferdowsi- the legendary Persian poet. Both writers, separated by centuries and cultural contexts, utilized their literary genius to reflect on nationhood and cultural pride. Tagore, writing during the British colonial era in India, and Ferdowsi, during the formation of a unified Persian identity under various rulers, offer unique perspectives on how literature can serve as a vehicle for expressing and shaping national identity. This essay delves into how these literary giants contributed to forming cultural consciousness and national identity in their respective societies by comparing their thoughts and beliefs showcased in their works.

This article looks at Ralph Waldo Emerson’s translation of a poem by Shah Nimatullah Wali, “Song of Seid Nimetollah of Kuhistan,” and through a genetic reading of its avant-texts demonstrates, firstly, how despite its pretense to faithfulness, the translation is affected by Emerson’s prior knowledge of the original culture. It will also demonstrate how the translation provides Emerson with a space to express his concerns in disguise of a translator. That is to say, through conscious and unconscious manipulation of the original text and introduction of the translation as an emblem of the foreign culture, Emerson affirms and naturalizes his own ideological position. This article also attempts to demonstrate how through the translation Emerson is identifying with the speaker, “leaving” his identity, and temporarily experiencing the moment of trance a dervish describes. In order to achieve these, this article benefits from Lawrence Venuti’s “hermeneutic model of translation” and Branka Arsic’s idea of “leaving.”

Proverbs, a cornerstone of folk literature, transmit societal thoughts and experiences across generations through concise and impactful sentences. Virtually every facet of human experience is reflected in proverbs, including the concept of peace, which is richly represented in Persian tradition. This study examines 30 Persian proverbs related to peace, employing a systemic-functional linguistics framework to analyze their ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions. The findings reveal that these proverbs frequently utilize or imply a relational process. Circumstantial elements within these processes often serve to compare peace with war, or to provide justification for the prioritization of peace. In terms of interpersonal function, the consistent use of the present tense underscores the timeless relevance of peace. Regarding textual function, the placement of peace-related concepts in the thematic position emphasizes their centrality for the audience. Furthermore, the cohesive juxtaposition of peace with war, or related concepts, reinforces the imperative to avoid conflict.

This article argues that despite differences in language, setting, and cultural context, the three narratives—Siavash (from the Shahnameh), Hasanak Vazir (from the Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī), and The Lion and the Cow (from Kelileh and Demneh)—each serve as a literary criterion of their respective time and culture. Structurally, however, they revolve around the same core motif: the destructive cycle of jealousy and conspiracy orchestrated by their negative heroes (Garsīvaz, Būshal, and Demneh), who manipulate the protagonists into downfall. These villains incite the antagonistic figures (Afrasiab, Mas‘ud, and the Lion) to provoke and ultimately execute the tragic killings of the virtuous heroes—Siavash, Hasanak, and the Cow. Through this shared framework, the narratives reveal a universal archetype of betrayal and power dynamics.

Hooshang Golshiri’s Shazdeh Ehtejab, as a very influential novel in the Iranian history of novel writing, has drawn attentions from plethora of critics with different approaches and attitudes. The present article draws on the ideas and concepts introduced by deconstructive theoreticians to investigate the nuances and delicate contradictions the novel offers about the nature of power relations. The article mainly centers around the opposition between the binary of author/reader, how it is reversed or subverted in the novel, and the way it is extended to the novels’ involvement with power relations which may be representative of the general social and power structure of particular historical era in Iran. To avoid the major critique against deconstruction's abstract armchair theorizing, the present article would also draw upon some of the well-known ideas and concepts used by famous writers in power relation namely Louis Althusser and Foucault to move the analysis beyond the text to the social sphere.

In this article, the ideas of some prominent Iranian and Western scholars about metaphor are analyzed comparatively. In addition to “the introduction”, the article includes two main parts: in “Metaphor in the West”, the ideas of some well-known figures of the West such as Aristotle, Richards, Lakoff, and Johnson about metaphor are analyzed; and, in “metaphor in Iran”, the ideas of some prominent Iranian scientists concerning metaphor are reviewed and analyzed, namely, Raduyani, Jurjâni, and Sakkākī Khwārizmī. This research shows that in the West, the viewpoints of Aristotle concerning metaphor have made the foundation of most of the discussions about metaphor even till the twentieth century. However, the ideas of Lakoff and Johnson in the 1980s changed the old consolidated Aristotelian-based perspectives toward metaphor. The research also indicates that there is a close similarity between the ideas of Iranian classical scholars' viewpoints about metaphor and those of Aristotle, and the viewpoints of some of them are also close to what latter has been said about metaphor in the framework of cognitive linguistics. 

This article attempts to explore the influence of T. S. Eliot’s modernist poetics on the works of Iranian poets, Ahmad Shamlou and Sohrab Sepehri. It examines how these Iranian poets engaged with the concepts of “tradition,” “language,” and “myth” in their writings, drawing upon Eliot’s critical perspectives. The article begins with an overview of T. S. Eliot’s significance as an Anglo-American figure of twentieth century literature, and how his modernist themes and techniques resonated with Iranian poets navigating their own cultural transformations. It then reviews relevant secondary sources that provide critical frameworks for understanding the relationships between Eliot, Shamlou, Sepehri, and the broader modernist poetic tradition. The core discussion analyzes how Shamlou and Sepehri, inspired by Eliot’s innovative spirit, may have sought to redefine their engagement with Persian classical poetry. They utilized new approaches to language and expression to challenge established forms, especially through using defamiliarization and mythical method, while still drawing upon their rich literary heritage. By tracing these intertextual and cross-cultural connections, the article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the transnational circulation of modernist poetic ideals, especially Eliot’s preoccupations, and how they were reinterpreted and reinvigorated within the Iranian literary context. In fact, this comparative analysis sheds light on the complexities of cultural exchange and the evolution of modern poetry across geographic boundaries.