Ahmad Shamlou | |
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| Native name | احمد شاملو |
| Born | (1925-12-12)12 December 1925 |
| Died | 23 July 2000(2000-07-23) (aged 74) |
| Occupation | Poet,Encyclopedia andJournalism |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Period | 1947–2000 |
| Literary movement | Modern literature |
| Notable works | In This Blind Alley The Book of Alley |
| Notable awards |
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| shamlou | |
Ahmad Shamlou (Persian:احمد شاملو,Ahmad ŠāmlūPersian pronunciation:[æhˈmæd(-e)ʃɒːmˈluː]; 12 December 1925 – 23 July 2000), also known under his pen nameA. Bamdad (Persian:ا. بامداد)) was anIranian poet, writer, and journalist. Shamlou was arguably the most influential poet of modernIran.[2] His initial poetry was influenced by and in the tradition ofNima Yooshij. In fact,Abdolali Dastgheib, Iranian literary critic, argues that Shamlou is one of the pioneers of modern Persian poetry and has had the greatest influence, after Nima, on Iranian poets of his era.[3] Shamlou's poetry is complex, yet his imagery, which contributes significantly to the intensity of his poems, is accessible. As the base, he uses the traditional imagery familiar to his Iranian audience through the works of Persian masters likeHafez andOmar Khayyam. 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 toPersian 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-volumeKetab-e Koucheh (The Book of Alley) is a major contribution in understanding theIranian folklore beliefs and language. He also wrote fiction and screenplays, contributing to children's literature, and journalism.
Ahmad Shamlou was born to Haydar Shamlou and Kowkab Araqi on 12 December 1925, inTehran to a military family. Ahmad was the second child and the only son in a family of six children. In the manner of many children who grow up in families with military parents, he received his early education in various towns, includingKhash andZahedan in the southeast of Iran, andMashhad in the northeast, andRasht 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 leftBirjand for Tehran. He intended to attend the German-established Tehran Technical School, one of the best secondary schools of that period and learn the German language. He was admitted to this school on the condition that he be demoted two years. Soon in 1942, he and the rest of the family once again left Tehran to move toGorgan. In 1945, he made a final attempt at completing his high school degree inUrmia, but failed. At age 29, followingthe fall of Prime MinisterMohammad Mosaddegh, Shamlou was arrested for being a member of the communistTudeh Party of Iran and imprisoned for over a year.
I, an Iranian poet, first learned poetry from the SpanishLorca, the frenchmanÉluard, the GermanRilke, the RussianMayakovsky [...] and the AmericanLangston 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.
Shamlou's debut work,Forgotten Songs (Persian:آهنگهای فراموش شده), was a collection of classical and modern poetry which was published in 1947 with an introduction of Ebrahim Dilmaghanian. In 1948, he started to write in a literary monthly calledSokhan-no. Two years later, his first short story, "The Woman Behind the Brass Door" (Persian:زن پشت در مفرغی), was published. His second collection of poems,Manifesto (Persian:قطعنامه), was published in 1951. He showed inclinations towardsocialist ideology. He got a job at 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 ofGold in Dirt, bySigmund Motritz, and the voluminous novelThe Heartless Man's Sons byMór Jókai, together with all data gathered for his work on the colloquial culture of urban Iranian life (to be known asThe 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 ofBamshadliterary magazine in 1956.
He rose to fame from his next volume of poetry,Fresh Air (Persian:هوای تازه), published in 1957.Ziya Movahed, poet and philosopher, commented that "Anyone who readsFresh 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 ofBarefoot, a novel byZaharia Stancu, was released in 1958, establishing Shamlou's authority as a translator. In 1959, he began publishing short stories for children, as well as directing documentary films and working forfilm studios.
In 1960, a new collection of his poems,The Garden of Mirrors, was released.[6]
In 1961, he became editor-in-chief ofKetab-e-Hafte, a magazine that changes the tradition and language of literary journalism inIran. In 1962, his translations ofAndré Gide andRobert Merle were published. Two collections of poetry were published in 1964:Ayda in Mirror andMoment 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 compileThe Book of Alley. In 1966, another new collection of poems was published, calledPhoenix in the Rain, and his literary magazine was banned by theMinistry of Information (SAVAK).
In 1967, he became editor-in-chief ofKhusheh. His new translation ofErskine Caldwell was published, and he participated in the formation of the Union of Iranian Writers and gave several poetry readings atIranian universities. In 1968, he began his study ofHafez, the classical grand poet of thePersian language; translatedGarcía Lorca's poems andSong of Solomon fromthe 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.[7]
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 theUniversity of Tehran. Several audio cassettes were released of Shamlou reciting other classical and modern poets' work. He obtained membership in theAcademy of Persian Language and Literature. He published several new translations and wrote a fewfilm scripts. He traveled to Paris formedical treatment.
In 1973, two new collections,Abraham in Fire andDoors 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 thecollective consciousness of the whole world, presenting characters of the hero and even the socialscapegoat 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 ofHafez. 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 toIran.
In 1977, he published his new poem,Dagger on the Plate. He left Iran in protest ofthe Shah's regime and stayed in the United States for a year, giving lectures inAmerican universities.
In 1978, he left the United States for Britain to act as the editor-in-chief for a new publication calledIranshahr; he resigned after 12 issues and returned to Iran just after the advent of theIranian 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 ofThe Book of Alley went to print. He was also re-elected as a member of the Writer's Union's leadership.
Starting in 1980, owing to the harsh political situation in Iran, he led a rather secluded life that would last for the next eight years, working with Ayda onThe Book Of Alley, as well as many other literary endeavors, including a translation ofAnd Quiet Flows The Don byMikhail Sholokhov. In 1984, he was nominated for theNobel 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 toIran. In 1990, he toured the United States. Human Rights and The Fund ForFreedom 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 toIran for another four years of intensive work. That same year, he won theFreedom of Expression Award given by the New York–basedHuman Rights Watch. In 1992, his workSacred 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 ofAnd Quiet Flows The Don. There was a special gathering inToronto of Iranian writers and critics to discuss Shamlou's contribution toPersian poetry. HisAurora! was also published in Spanish. In 1999, he was presented with theStig Dagerman Prize by the Swedish Foundation.
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),[8] Sirous Shamlou, Saman Shamlou, Saghi Shamlou. They divorced in 1957 after several years of conflict and long separation. His second marriage toTusi 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 anArmenian-Iranian family who lived in the same neighbourhood as Shamlou. Her Christian family objected to the marriage on the basis of theIslamic background of Shamlou's family. Moreover, Shamlou was older, and had been divorced twice.[9] 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 inKaraj.
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 severediabetic 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.[10] On 27 July thousands took part in Ahmad Shamlou's funeral.[11][12] He was buried inEmamzadeh Taher, Karaj.[13]
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.
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) ofThe Book Of Alley.
Ahmad Shamlou's poetic vision accords with both westernModernist concepts and the modern transformation of classical Persian poetry. The Spanish poet, Federico García Lorca, the African American poet Langston Hughes, the French thinker and writer,Louis Aragon, andNima Youshij are among the figures who influenced him. One of the disciples of Nima Youshij, Shamlou, standing among the generation who adopted his techniques, constantly sought untried ways, new poetic realms. He quickly became the flag bearer of young Iranian poets and writers that includedForough Farrokhzad,Sohrab Sepehri,Mehdi Akhavan Sales,Yadollah Roya’i,Nosrat Rahmani, andNader Naderpour.
Shamlou is known for employing the style and words of the everyman. He developed a simple, free poetic style, known in Iran asSepid Persian Poetry (literally meaningwhite), which is a kind offree 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 withmythological concepts andsymbols 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.
Shamlou was aMarxist 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 tothe last Shah of Iran beforethe 1979 revolution. During his long life, Shamlou was politically active and imprisoned twice, first after the end ofWorld War II and then afterthe 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 revolution, he signed an open letter which supported the rights of gathering for members ofThe Writers Association of Iran.[14] The new Islamic regime wasn't favourable to him, considering him as an anti-Islamist nationalist element, a traitor and a Westernised writer.[15] 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.[15]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)In 1989 the Persian-Canadian composerSheida Gharachedaghi wrote an opera based on the English translation of Shamlou'sThe Fairies.[17]The Fairies Opera had a Live performance inToronto 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 sungThe Fairies in Persian with solo instrumentSetar in one part of the live performance, however this part is not included in the CD. Thecomposer had tried to obtain the permission to release this CD inIran as well, but due to ban of solo female singing, the permit had not been issued.[18][19] The British journalOpera 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."[20]
Abraham in Flames (Persian:ابراهیم در آتش),[21] an opera created byNiloufar Talebi with composerAleksandra Vrebalov and director Roy Rallo, premiered on 9–12 May 2019 at San Francisco's Z Space as an immersive performance.Abraham in Flames was 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"[22] and became aSan Francisco Chronicle 2019 "Best in New Music and Classical Performance"[23] selection.
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