Shahnameh: the Persian book of Kings
Dublin Core
Title
Shahnameh: the Persian book of Kings
Subject
Epic poetry, Persian -- Translations into English
Iran -- History -- To 640 -- Poetry
Iran -- History -- To 640 -- Poetry
Description
Among the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia. This prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, Shahnameh belongs in the company of such literary masterpieces as Dante's Divine Comedy, the plays of Shakespeare, the epics of Homer--classics whose reach and range bring whole cultures into view. In its pages are unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief. Now Dick Davis, the greatest modern translator of Persian poetry, has revisited that poem, turning the finest stories of Ferdowsi's original into an elegant combination of prose and verse.
Among the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia. This prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, Shahnameh belongs in the company of such literary masterpieces as Dante's Divine Comedy, the plays of Shakespeare, the epics of Homer--classics whose reach and range bring whole cultures into view. In its pages are unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief. Now Dick Davis has revisited that poem, turning the finest stories of Ferdowsi's original into an elegant combination of prose and verse.
Among the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia. This prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, Shahnameh belongs in the company of such literary masterpieces as Dante's Divine Comedy, the plays of Shakespeare, the epics of Homer--classics whose reach and range bring whole cultures into view. In its pages are unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief. Now Dick Davis, the greatest modern translator of Persian poetry, has revisited that poem, turning the finest stories of Ferdowsi's original into an elegant combination of prose and verse.--From publisher description.
Among the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia. This prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, Shahnameh belongs in the company of such literary masterpieces as Dante's Divine Comedy, the plays of Shakespeare, the epics of Homer--classics whose reach and range bring whole cultures into view. In its pages are unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief. Now Dick Davis has revisited that poem, turning the finest stories of Ferdowsi's original into an elegant combination of prose and verse.
Among the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia. This prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, Shahnameh belongs in the company of such literary masterpieces as Dante's Divine Comedy, the plays of Shakespeare, the epics of Homer--classics whose reach and range bring whole cultures into view. In its pages are unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief. Now Dick Davis, the greatest modern translator of Persian poetry, has revisited that poem, turning the finest stories of Ferdowsi's original into an elegant combination of prose and verse.--From publisher description.
Creator
Abolqasem Ferdowsi
Publisher
New York : Viking
Contributor
translated by Dick Davis ; with a foreword by Azar Nafisi
Text Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Book
Files
Citation
Abolqasem Ferdowsi, “Shahnameh: the Persian book of Kings,” Humanities Hub, accessed May 19, 2024, https://humanitieshub.sdsu.edu/omeka/items/show/1266.