Ahmad Shamlou

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Ahmad Shamlou
Encyclopedia and Journalism
NationalityIranian
Period1947–2000
Literary movementModern literature
Notable worksIn This Blind Alley

The Book of Alley
Fresh Air
Ayda in the Mirror
Ayda: Tree, Dagger, Remembrance
The Manifesto
Forgotten Songs
Abraham in the Fire
Little Rhapsodizes of Exile
Panegyrics Sans Boon

The Tale of Mahan's Restlessness
Notable awards
Signature
Website
shamlou.org

Ahmad Shamlou (

Omar Khayyám
. For infrastructure and impact, he uses a kind of everyday imagery in which personified oxymoronic elements are spiked with an unreal combination of the abstract and the concrete thus far unprecedented in Persian poetry, which distressed some of the admirers of more traditional poetry.

Shamlou has translated extensively from French to Persian and his own works are also translated into a number of languages. He has also written a number of plays, edited the works of major classical Persian poets, especially Hafez. His thirteen-volume Ketab-e Koucheh (The Book of Alley) is a major contribution in understanding the Iranian folklore beliefs and language. He also wrote fiction and screenplays, contributing to children's literature, and journalism.

Biography

Early life

Ahmad Shamlou was born to Haydar Shamlou and Kowkab Araqi on December 12, 1925, in

Khash and Zahedan in the southeast of Iran, and Mashhad in the northeast, and Rasht in the north. Shamlou's childhood and adolescence were neither privileged nor easy and home was not an environment that could foster his sensitivities and he often found solace in solitude.[4]
Moving with his family from one town to the next proved a hurdle to Shamlou's education.

By 1941, his high school education still incomplete, he left

Mohammad Mosaddeq, Shamlou was arrested for being a member of the communist Tudeh Party of Iran
and imprisoned for more than one year.

Early work

I, an Iranian poet, first learned poetry from the Spanish

Mayakovsky [...] and the American Langston Hughes
; and only later, with this education I turned to the poems of my mother tongue to see and to know, say, the grandeur of Hafez from a fresh perspective.

Ahmad Shamlou

Shamlou's debut work, Forgotten Songs (

socialist ideology
. He got a job in the Hungarian embassy as their cultural advisor.

His third collection of poems, Metals and Sense (1952), was banned and destroyed by the police. His translations of Gold in Dirt, by Sigmund Motritz, and the voluminous novel The Heartless Man's Sons by

The Book Of Alley) were also confiscated and destroyed. In 1954 he was jailed for 14 months. in 1955 he translated and published three novels by European writers. He became the editor-in-chief of Bamshad literary magazine
in 1956.

1957–1959

He rose to fame from his next volume of poetry, Fresh Air (

Zia Movahed, poet and philosopher commented that "Anyone who reads Fresh Air today can see that this language, this texture, is different from anything else. In contemporary poetry, few have accomplished this kind of rhythm as Shamlou has. Fresh Air was the greatest event in our poetry—after Hafiz".[5]

His translation of Barefoot, a novel by

film studios
.

1960–1969

In 1960, a new collection of his poems, The Garden of Mirrors, was released.

In 1961, he became editor-in-chief of Ketab-e-Hafte, a magazine that changes the tradition and language of literary journalism in Iran. In 1962 his translations of André Gide and Robert Merle were published. Two collections of poetry were published in 1964: Ayda in Mirror and Moment and Eternity. A new collection of poems was released in 1965: Ayda, Trees, Memories and the Dagger, as well as a new translation. He also began his third attempt to compile The Book of Alley. In 1966, another new collection of poems was published, called Phoenix in the Rain, and his literary magazine was banned by the Ministry of Information (SAVAK).

In 1967, he became editor-in-chief of Khusheh. His new translation of

the Old Testament
; organized a week of poetry reading for established and new Iranian poets, which was very well received. The poems debuted at this event appear in a voluminous book edited by Shamlou. In 1969, his weekly magazine was closed down by the police. Of The Air And Mirrors, a selection of older poetry, was published, together with his collection of new poems, Odes for the Earth.

1970–1979

In 1970, Blossoming in the Mist was published. He also directed a few documentary films for television and published several short stories for children. In 1971, he redid some of his earlier translations.

In 1972, he taught Persian literature at

medical treatment
.

In 1973, two new collections, Abraham in Fire and Doors and the Great China Wall, were released, along with several new translations. "The Song of Abraham in Fire" in the collection, Abraham in Fire is one of the most well-crafted and famous contemporary Persian poems written by Ahmad Shamlou. Shamlou connects his poem to the collective consciousness of the whole world, presenting characters of the hero and even the social scapegoat rather in a curious way as we read about the case of a man who sacrifices himself for land and love and, yet, who is betrayed by others due to their ignorance and biases. In 1975, he published his work and study of Hafez. In 1976, he travelled to the United States and gave poetry readings in many cities. He participated in the San Francisco Poetry Festival before returning to Iran.

In 1977, he published his new poem, Dagger on the Plate. He left Iran in protest of

American universities
.

In 1978, he left the United States for Britain to act as the editor-in-chief for a new publication called Iranshahr; he resigned after 12 issues and returned to Iran just after the advent of

the revolution. He rejoined the Union of Iranian Writers and began publishing a new periodical, Ketab-e Jom'e
to great success. 1978 was a very active year in his life, and he published many poems and translations, as well as giving numerous lectures and readings. He was also elected to the membership of the Writer's Union's leadership. 1979 was also a year of intense activity. The first and second volumes of The Book of Alley went to print. He was also re-elected as a member of the Writer's Union's leadership.

1980–2000

Starting in 1980, owing to the harsh political situation in his country, he led a rather secluded life that would last for the next eight years, working with Ayda on The Book Of Alley, as well as many other literary endeavors, including a translation of And Quiet Flows The Don by

the Nobel Prize in Literature
.

In 1988 he was invited by Interlit, the World Literary Congress. He toured Europe giving many lectures and readings. His complete collection of poems was printed in Germany, and he returned to

Freedom of Expression
presented him with their annual award. Several works were published in his poetry and his overall literary contribution.

In 1991 he toured Europe again and returned to Iran for another four years of intensive work. That same year, he won the Freedom of Expression Award given by the New York–based Human Rights Watch. In 1992, his work Sacred Words appeared in Armenian and English. In 1994, he toured Sweden, invited by his Swedish editor Masoud Dehghani Firouzabadi, giving numerous lectures and readings.

In 1995, he finished the translation of

Persian poetry. His Aurora! was also published in Spanish. In 1999, he was presented with the Stig Dagerman Prize
by the Swedish Foundation.

Personal life

Ahmad Shamlou writing

Shamlou was married three times. In 1947, he married Ashraf Isslamiya (d. 1978), and together they had three sons and a daughter: Siavash Shamlou, (1948–2009),[6] Sirous Shamlou, Saman Shamlou, Saghi Shamlou. They divorced in 1957 after several years of conflict and long separation. His second marriage to Tusi Hayeri Mazandarani [fa] (1917–1996) who was older than Shamlou, ended in divorce in 1963 after four years of marriage.

He met Aida Sarkisian in the spring of 1962 and they were married two years later in 1964. Aida came from an

Islamic background of Shamlou's family. Moreover, Shamlou was older, and had been divorced twice.[7] She became an instrumental figure in Shamlou's life, and they remained together until his death in 2000. Her name appears in many of his later poems. She currently lives in Karaj
.

Death

Suffering from several illnesses at the same time, Shamlou's physical condition deteriorated in 1996. He underwent several operations, and in 1997, his right foot was amputated due to severe

diabetic problems. He died on Sunday, 23 July 2000, at 9 p.m. at his home in Dehkadeh Fardis in Karaj due to complications from his diabetes.[8] On 27 July thousands took part in Ahmad Shamlou's funeral.[9][10] He was buried in Emamzadeh Taher, Karaj.[11]

Works and style

You can find recording of his poetry, in his own voice, in almost every Iranian home. He had turned into a myth years ago. His words have had the charisma and magic of a prophet. He did not lead by decree. He just lived and his life and words scattered through the minds and hearts of several generations of Iranian humanists and liberals, giving them hope, faith and aspiration.

Esmail Nouriala

Ahmad Shamlou has published more than seventy books: 16 volumes of poetry; 5 anthologies of poetry; 5 volumes including novels about kids, short stories & screenplays about soup; 9 volumes of children's literature about Clifford; 9 translations of poetry into Persian; 21 novels translated into Persian; 5 collections of essays, lectures and interviews; 10 volumes (to date) of The Book Of Alley.

Ahmad Shamlou's poetic vision accords with both western

Yadollah Roya’i, Nosrat Rahmani, and Nader Naderpour
.

Shamlou is known for employing the style and words of the everyman. He developed a simple, free poetic style, known in Iran as Sepid Persian Poetry (literally meaning white), which is a kind of free verse that departs from the tightly balanced rhythm and rhymes of classical Persian poetry. The themes in his poetry range from political issues, mostly freedom, to the human condition.

Shamlou's poems are filled with

symbols
to glorify seemingly simple and ordinary figures who are politically condemned for their revolutionary beliefs that, regardless of governmental suppression, actually reflect the activists’ deep love of their nation and people. Even though his focus is the purity of such individuals, many of whom were his close friends, Shamlou writes his elegiac poems boldly, and does not hold back from criticizing and denouncing hypocrisy and cruelty of his society.

Political views

Shamlou was a

Marxist and a socially minded intellectual who has woven personal love and affection together with his social attitudes. He was a major force in the intellectual movement opposed to the former Shah of Iran before the 1979 revolution. During his long life, Shamlou was politically active and imprisoned twice, first after the end of World War II and then after the 1953 coup, but he continued to remain socio-politically active by writing poems devoted to political and social critique even after the Iranian Revolution. In 1976, he left his country as a form of protest against censorship and the suffocating political atmosphere. In 1977, one year before the collapse of the Shah's Regime, he signed an open letter which supported the rights of gathering for members of The Writers Association of Iran.[12] New Islamic regime wasn't favorable to him, considering him as an anti-Islamist nationalist element, a traitor and a Westernised writer.[13] However, with a view to his popularity, the ruling clerics could not arrest him, but at the same time didn't allow publication of his works for many years. Since the early 1990s his poems have appeared in many literary journals.[13]

Awards

Books

  • The Forgotten Songs (1947)
  • The Verdict (1951)
  • Poems of Iron and Feelings (1953)
  • Fresh Air (1957)
  • The Mirror Orchard (1960)
  • Ayda in the Mirror (1964)
  • Moments and Forever (1964)
  • Ayda: Tree, Dagger, Remembrance (1965)
  • Phoenix in the Rain (1966)
  • Blossoming in the Mist (1970)
  • Abraham in the Fire (1973)
  • The Doors and the Great Wall of China (1973)
  • Of Airs and Mirrors (1974)
  • Poniard on the Plate (1977)
  • Little Rhapsodizes of Exile (1979–1980)
  • Unrewarded Eulogies (1992)
  • The Cul-de-Sac and the Tigers in Love (1998)
  • The Tale of Mahan's Restlessness (2000)
  • The Book of Alley (1978–present)

Books in translation

In English translation

  • Talebi, Niloufar (2019). Self-Portrait in Bloom. Wisehouse.
    OCLC 1088892324
    .    , includes translations of 30 works.
  • Shāmlū, Aḥmad (2015). Born upon the dark spear : selected poems of Ahmad Shamlu. New York.
    OCLC 944092723.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  • Shāmlū, Aḥmad; Papan-Matin, Firoozeh; Lane, Arthur (2005). The love poems of Ahmad Shamlu. Bethesda, Md.: IBEX Publishers.
    OCLC 56329283
    .

In French translation

Adaptations

The Fairies Opera

In 1989 the Persian-Canadian composer Sheida Gharachedaghi wrote an opera based on the English translation of Shamlou's The Fairies.[15] The Fairies Opera had a Live performance in Toronto in 1989. The CD of the 1989 - live performance of this opera was released in July 2020 in Europe on the occasion of Shamlou's 20th death anniversary. Kayhan Kalhor had sung The Fairies in Persian with solo instrument Setar in one part of the live performance, however this part is not included in the CD. The composer had tried to obtain the permission to release this CD in Iran as well, but due to ban of solo female singing, the permit had not been issued.[16][17] The British journal Opera writes: "with lyrics such as ‘everybody sing and dance/ this is a real person’s chance’, ‘darkness away, devils die!’... it's not hard to fathom why the work has been banned in Iran for three decades."[18]

Abraham in Flames

Abraham in Flames ابراهیم در آتش,[19] an opera created by Niloufar Talebi with composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and director Roy Rallo, world premiered on May 9–12, 2019 at San Francisco's Z Space as an immersive performance. Abraham in Flames is inspired by the imagery in Shamlou's life and poetry, and trials by fire in our search for truth, a metaphor Shamlou often used in his poetry. The opera was called "...An amazing achievement for everybody involved, and truly a worthy addition to the opera world" [20] and became a San Francisco Chronicle 2019 "Best in New Music and Classical Performance" [21] selection.

See also

References

  1. ^ "1999 ĺrs Stig Dagermanpristagare Ahmad Shamlou". Dagerman.se. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Fatemeh Keshavarz (2006). "Recite in the name of the red rose". USA: The University of South California Press. p. 2.
  3. ISBN 964-8787-10-7
    . (Persian title: شاعرعشق و سپیده دمان ).
  4. ^ آرمان هنر جز تعالی تبار انسان نیست. Adineh Magazine (in Persian). Tehran. 1993. p. 20.
  5. ^ "Ahmad Shamlu: Master poet of Liberty". Iran-bulletin.org. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  6. ^ "Fars News Agency : سياوش شاملو درگذشت". Farsnews.ir. May 18, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  7. ^ Papan-Matin, Firoozeh (2005). "The Love Poems Of Ahmad Shamlou". USA: IBEX Publishers. p. 18.
  8. ^ "Ahmad Shamlou, 75, one of Iran's finest poets, who fell..." The Baltimore Sun. July 25, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  9. ^ "Feature, Shamlou's funeral". The Iranian. August 1, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  10. ^ "Photography, Shamlou's funeral, Nader Davoodi". The Iranian. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  11. ^ "Visiting old friends at Imamzadeh Taher". Payvand.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  12. ^ Zahraie, Babak; et al. "Words for the Shah". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  13. ^ a b "Journal Page jur00lr". Solopublications.com. July 26, 2000. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  14. ^ "1999 ĺrs Stig Dagermanpristagare Ahmad Shamlou". Dagerman.se. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  15. ^ "The Fairies: SOS Newsletter" (PDF). SIS. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "THE FAIRIES: An opera banned in Tehran is released in Amsterdam". Payvand News. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  17. ^ "Three Decades of Ban of a Musical Tribute to Shamlu". BBC News فارسی. BBC Persian Service. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Features: The Fairies by Gharachedaghi". OPERA. October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  19. ^ "Abraham in Flames opera live performance film".
  20. ^ "There Will Be Bloom, Review of Abraham in Flames opera".
  21. ^ "Top Selection: In classical and New Music for 2019, Women Had All the Best Tunes".

Further reading

External links

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