Zabihollah Safa

Zabihollah Safa in his office in Tehran, ~ 1975

Zabihollah Safa ( Persian ذبیح‌الله صفا; * May 7, 1911 in Shahmirzād , Iran ; † April 29, 1999 in Lübeck ) was Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Tehran . He gained importance through his comprehensive work on the history of Persian literature , his editions of classical texts as well as the illumination of individual aspects of the intellectual and scientific history of Iran. He regularly contributed to the Encyclopædia Iranica .

education

Zabihollah Safa attended school in Babol and grammar school in Tehran and passed his Abitur in 1933. He completed his studies in philosophy and Persian literature at the University of Tehran in 1943 with a doctorate.

Professional background

Afterwards he became a private lecturer at the University of Tehran in 1943 , in 1948 he was appointed full professor for Persian literature and literary history there, in 1961/62 he was visiting professor in Hamburg , in 1963 he was director of the department for Persian literature at the University of Tehran until his on own request followed emeritus in 1968. He was also editor-in-chief of the magazine Mehr (1937-1941), together with Parwiz Natel Chanlari co-editor of the magazine Sokhan (1941-42), founder of the literary magazine Shabâhang (1942-1946) and editor-in-chief of the magazine for the Faculty of Literature at the University of Tehran (1946–1968).

In addition, he held a number of administrative activities. For example, he was Secretary General of the Iranian Commission for UNESCO (1948–1964), Deputy Director of the same commission since 1964, and also a member of the UNESCO Commission at its international meetings in Beirut (1948), in Paris (1949), in Florence (1950) , in Paris (1952), in Montevideo (1954) and in New Delhi (1956), as well as a member of other UNESCO assemblies in Damascus , Calcutta , Brussels , Jakarta and Paris. 1971–1978 he was Secretary General of the “Ministry of Culture and the Arts” ( Wesarat-e Farhang o Honar ), 1973 member of the Supreme Council of Iran's National Television and Radio Companies, permanent member of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature ( Farhangestân-e Sabân o Adab-e Fârsi ) and administrative member of the Iranian Red Cross ( Shir o Khorshid-e Sorkh - Red Lion with Red Sun) (1946–1975).

Scientific work

Safa's scientific work encompasses the entire field of Persian literature, but also areas of Iranian culture such as mysticism , the Iranian festivals and much more. There are also some translations from French.

Like many of his contemporaries in Iran, he took a liking to the French Romantics. The translation of two works by Lamartine dates from this period . He later devoted himself to the translation of Les Kayanides by Arthur Christensen , a Danish scholar in the field of Iranian studies.

A collection of his own poems entitled Naš'at-e gâm ("Rush of the Cup ") has been published several times since 1976.

meaning

Zabihollah Safa in Lübeck / Travemünde, 1996

Of the two forms of Persian poetry, the epic and the lyrical , at least judging by his work, the former - and here especially hero poetry - was more important to him. His book Hamasarâ'î dar Irân (“History of Heroic Poetry in Iran”), which was one of his earliest scientific works, was groundbreaking in this area. This topic, which had previously only been dealt with in an introductory manner by scholars such as J. Mohl, Th. Nöldeke, W. Barthold and H. Taqizade, was first examined in detail by Zabihollah Safa, which has not been surpassed since it was first published in 1945 until today has been. He devotes the first two chapters to the prehistory of the Persian epic; in the third chapter he deals with about fifty works of Persian heroic poetry, which he divides into national, historical and religious epics. Of course, the Schahname takes up most of this. In the fourth chapter he deals with the content of Iranian hero poetry.

The other area that Safa dealt with for several years is the history of Persian literature, about which eight volumes (5920 pages) have appeared.

“ For Safa, the term adabiât ('literature') does not just mean aesthetics in the narrower sense, but the entire Persian literature. This literary history grew into a truly monumental work. As for the aesthetic literature in particular, the author has illuminated the life and works of many poets, of whom the Iranians previously knew little more than the names. "

- Djalal Kaheleghi-Motlagh : Iranzamin , Bonn 1991.1

Awards

For his years of service in the country's cultural life, Zabihollah Safa u. a. The following awards: the Order for Science, First Class from the Ministry of Culture in 1936 (possibly date error), the Order of Gratitude ( Neshân-e Sepâs ) first class in 1947, the Palmes académiques Rank Commandeur from the French government on February 11, 1970 , the Neshân-e Tâj ( crown award ) 1977, and the Yarshater lectureship award of the Roudaki Foundation ( Rudaki ) ( Vancouver , Canada ) 1997.

Fonts

Persian literature

• Hamâse-sarâ'i dar Irân (Story of the Heroic Epic in Iran), Tehran 1945 (2000)
• Târikh-e Tahawwol-e Nasm-o- Nassr-e Pârsi ( History of the development of personal poetry and prose), 1952 (1331), 8th edition 1974 (1353),
• Ayin'e Sokhan. Dar ma'âni wa bayân (On Persian rhetoric and style), Tehran 1952, 18th edition 1994
• Târikh'e Adabiyyât dar Irân (History of Literature in Iran) 8 volumes, Tehran 1953, 16th edition 2001
• Gandj-e Sokhan , (Treasure Chest of Poetry / Speech / Expression / Word (Poetry)) 3 volumes, 1370 pages, 1960–61, 5th edition 1976 (1355),? Edition 1995 Tehran
• Gandjine-je Sokhan , (Small Treasure Chest of Speech / Expression / Word (Prose)) 6 volumes, 1969 (1348), 3rd ed. 1974 (1353),?. Ed. 1983, Tehran
• Gandj va Gandjine (Big and Small Treasure Chest Poetry / Prose) 1993 (1372), (2002)

Persian history, intellectual and scientific history

• Gâh-shomâri wa Djashn-hâ-je Melli -je Irâniân (calendar and national festivals of the Iranians), 1933–1976 (1312–1355))
• Dânesh-hâ-ye Iunâni dar Shâhanshâhi-ye Sâssâni (Greek Sciences during the Sassanid Period ) , 1952 (1331) Tehran
• Mazdâ-Parast-i dar Irân-e Ghadim (The Mazda Worship in Ancient Iran), 1957 (1336), 3rd edition 1978 (1357) (2537)
• Târikh'e olum'e aghli dar tammaddon'e eslâmi tâ awwasâte gharne panjom (History of the humanities in Islamic Iran up to the middle of the 5th century (the Islamic period), Tehran, 1952 (1977)
• Târikh-e Oulum wa Adabiyyât-e Irâni (History of Iran. Science and teaching)
• Moghaddam-e-ï bar Tassâwof , (Einf. Id Mystik) 1975 (1354), 4th ed. 1976 (1355), Tehran
• Nazar-i beh Târikh-e Hekmat wa Oulum dar Irân (A look at the history of philosophy and knowledge (science) in Iran), 1976 (1355), Tehran
• Âmuseshgâh-hâ wa Âmusesh-hâ dar Irân (On educational institutions and teaching in Iran), 1975 (1354), Tehran
• Dur-namâ-ï as Farhang-e Irâni wa Assar-e Djahâni-ye Ân , (Global traces of personal culture) 1971 (1350), Tehran
• Khollâsseh-ye Târikhe Siyâssi wa Edjtemâï dar Irân , (Brief History of Politics and Society in Iran) 2nd edition 1978 (1357), Tehran
• Siri dar Târikh-e Sabân -hâ wa Adab-e Irâni (The Impact of Prosperity on the Personal Linguistic and Cultural History), 1976 (1355) Tehran
• Niki-nâmeh (Report on Charitable Work in Iran), 1971 (1350), Tehran
• Ayin-e Shâh-han-shâhi-ye Irân (Imperial Ceremonies in Iran), 1967 (1346), Tehran
• Târikh-e Shâhanshâhi-ye Irân wa Maghâm-e Man'awi-e Ân (History of the personal emperors and their impact on the ideals of their time), 1975 (1354), Tehran
• Shâhanshâh dar Târikh wa Adab-e Irâni (Emperor in the history and culture of the Iranians)

Editions and works on specific historical personalities

• Ayyuqi (poet of the 5th century Icelandic period): Warqa o Golshâh ( Warqa and Gulschah ), edition of the manuscript in the Topkapi Museum , Istanbul , m. Introduction, glosses, etc. Attachment. 1st ed. 1964 (1343), 2nd ed. 1983 (1362) (This novel, written in verse, was translated into French by Souren Melikian after printing [in Iran] (In: Arts Asiatiques Tome XXII. Numéro Spécial. 1970) - Note from Z. Safas in his curriculum vitae))
• Djashn-nâmeh-je Ebn-e Sinâ (Festschrift of Ibn Sina ), 3 volumes, B. 1: 1952 (1331), B. 2: 1955 (1334), B. 3: 1956 (1335), Tehran
• Yâd-Nâmeh-ye Khadje Nasiraddin [ ? ] Tusi (memorial book Kh. Tusis), (Congress Tehran 1957 (1336))
• Diwân-e Abdul-Wâse 'Djebli (Diwan des A. Djebli), 1960 (1339), 2nd edition 1977 (1356)
• Dârâb-nâmeh-je Bigâmi (or Firuznâmeh) (Dârâb-nâmeh from Bigami / Firusnameh ), 2 volumes, B. 1: 1960, (1339), B. 2: 1962 (1341) Unesco (both volumes 2003) - translation into English
• Diwân-e Saïfu'd-din e Mohammade Farghâni (Diwan des SM Farghani, 3 volumes, 1962 (1341), 3rd edition 1965 (1344)
• Dârâb-nâmeh-je Tarsusi (Dârâb-nâmeh from des Tarsusi), 2 volumes, B. 1: 1965 (1344), 2nd edition 1977 (1356), B. 2: 1967, 2nd edition 1977 (1356) , Tehran
• Bakhtiârnâmeh , (Book of the Bakhtiari ), 1966 (1345)
• Ahwâl wa Assâr-e Abu Reihân-e Biruni (Life and Work of Al-Biruni ), 1973 (1352), Tehran
• Dalirân-e Djânbâs (Daliran-i Janbaz), 1976 (1355), Tehran, (467 pages)
• Bahrâm-e Tshubin ( Bahram Chobin )
• Rostam wa Esfandiyar , (Rostam and Esfandiar - Heroes of Shâhnâmeh), 13th edition 1977 (2536)
• Tshâhar Maghâleh (Four Essays / Treatises)
• Hakim-e Fârâb, ( al-Farabi - Farab (EIr)) 1974 (1353) , Tehran

Works published in French

• Le livre du Millénaire d' Avicenne , 1953 (1332)
• Anthologie de la poésie persane , Paris, Gallimard Unesco, 1964 (2003)
• Un aperçu sur l'évolution de la pensée à travers la poésie persane , 1969 (1348), Tehran
• al-Biruni , ses oeuvres et ses pensées , 1973 (1352), Tehran
• Djalal al-Din Maulawi , [Moulawi / Molavi / Rumi ] grand penseur et poète persan 1974 (1353), Tehran
• La prose rythmique persane (Asiathèque, 1976)
• Comparaison des origines et des sources des deux contes persans: Leyli et Madjnoun de Nizâmi et Varqah et Golchâh de Ayouqi , Accademia Nazionale die Lincei, Roma , 1977

Translations into Persian

• Marg-e Soghrât , (La mort de Socrate, Lamartine) 1935 (1314), 3rd ed. 1968 (1347), Tehran
• Râfâël , (Raphael, Lamartine) 1938 (1317), 5th ed. 1978 (1357), Tehran
• Leibniz , Mehr, 2nd edition 1949 (1328)
• Kayâniân , 1957 (1336), 4th edition 1976 (1355), (translation of the work Les Kayanides by the Danish scholar Arthur Christensen)

Own poetry

• Nas'at-e Djâm (intoxication of the cup), 1976 (1355) (2535), Tehran

Quotes about Zabihollah Safa

• “ The most outstanding historian of Persian literature ” ( BBC Persian 11/11/1999)
• “ One of the most eminent and productive Persian scholars of our time and a Consulting Editor and regular contributor to the Encyclopaedia Iranica ” ( Newsletter of the Center for Iranian Studies . Melac, Vol 11, No 1, Columbia University , New York, Spring 1999 )
• “ An Eternal Name in the History of Persian Literature ” ( Yarshater Lectureship Prize Signature, Vancouver , Canada 1997)

literature

• Papers in Honor of Professor Zabihollah Safa . In: Iranshenasi . Vol. III, No. 1 . Rockville MD 1991.
• Commemorative Issue for Zabihollah Safa (1911-1999) . In: Iranshenasi . Vol. XI, No. 3 . Rockville MD 1999.
• A. Shariat Kashani: Zabihollah Safa et son oeuvre . In: Kâr-nâmeh, Littérature Persane . No. 5 . L'Harmattan, Paris / Montréal 1999, p. 7-11 (French).
• Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh, C-.H. de Fouchécour, Y. Rouyai, M. Torabi, H. Khatibi, M. Tehrani, Dj. Matini: Special Professeur Zabihollah Safa (1911-1999) . In: Kâr-nâmeh, Littérature Persane . No. 5 . L'Harmattan, Paris / Montréal 1999, p. 7-42 (Persian).
• Djalal Khaleghi Motlagh: Zabihollah Safa and his work . In: Iranzamin . No. 1 . Bonn 1991.
• Seyfeddin Najmabadi: An obituary for Professor Zabihollah Safa . In: Orient . No. 4 . Hamburg 2000, p. 528 ff .
• Mohammad Torabi: Djaschn-nâmeh-ye Ostâd Zabihollâh Safâ ("Festschrift of Professor Zabihollah Safa") . Nasr'e Shâhâb, Tehran 1998.