Iran Press/ Iran news: Today (15th of May) is the day of commemoration of the famous Iranian poet, Ferdowsi.
Ferdowsi was born in 940 CE in Tus, Iran, an ancient city near modern-day Mashhad. Little is known about his early life. It is believed that Ferdowsi came from an aristocratic family, had a wife from the same social class, and a son, whose death at the age of 37 is mourned in his masterpiece, Shahnameh.
It has been said that before Shahnameh, it is possible that Ferdowsi wrote other poems, none of which are available today.
The book, as the national epic of the Persian-speaking world, is a literary masterpiece that tells the mythical partially historical past of the Persian Empire, beginning from the creation of the world up until the Islamic invasion of Persia in 651. Today, this masterpiece is celebrated in several countries, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey.
Shahnameh consists of three parts: The Mythical Age, the Heroic Age, and the Historical Age. Throughout the book, Ferdowsi does not adhere strictly to a chronological pattern but a general movement through time can be seen.
It is indisputable that the existence of many cultural and social aspects and characteristics of the Persian-speaking world, as well as the Persian language and identity, can be attributed to this great tale of kings and queens, heroes and villains, royalty and slaves, and farmers and warriors.
At the end of Shahnameh, Ferdowsi gives his personal insight into his masterpiece and its legacy in a few words. This is what Ferdowsi believes about his work and his life purpose:
"Much I have suffered in these thirty years,
I have revived the Ajam1 with my verse.
I will not die then alive in the world,
For I have spread the seed of the word.
Whoever has sense, path, and faith,
After my death will send me praise."
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Read more:
Iran Marks Ferdowsi Day
May 15, Persian Language Day, National Ferdowsi Day in Iran
