Ahmad Shamlou

infobox_person
name = Ahmad Shamlou


imagesize = 185px
birth_date = birth date|1925|12|12|mf=y
birth_place = Tehran, Iran flagicon|Iran
death_date = death date and age|2000|7|24|1925|12|12|mf=y
death_place = Karaj, Iran flagicon|Iran (Shamlou is buried beside Emamzadeh Taher's Shrine (صحن امامزاده طاهر، کرج)
occupation = Poet, writer, interpreter and journalist.

Ahmad Shamlou (PerB|احمد شاملو) (December 12, 1925 — July 24, 2000) was a Persian poet, writer, and journalist. His poetry was initially very much influenced by and was in the tradition of Nima Youshij. Shamlou's poetry is complex, yet his imagery, which contributes significantly to the intensity of his poems, is simple. As the base, he uses the traditional imagery familiar to his Iranian audience through the works of Persian masters like Hafez and 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 German and 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 six-volume "Ketab-e Koucheh" (The Book of the Alley) is a major contribution in understanding the Iranian folklore beliefs and language.

Aside from his first passion which was poetry, he had a number of other activities which included writing stories and film scenarios, contributing to children’s literature, and journalism.

Biography

Chronology of Ahmad Shamlou's Life & Work

1925- Ahmad Shamlou (or Shomloo) was born on December 12 in Tehran to a family that was to move around Iran because of the duties of his father who was an army officer.

1938- Shamlou leaves high school to enroll in the Technical College of Tehran.

1942- His father takes him to the north of Iran, which was occupied by the Soviet Army. Shamlou is arrested by the Red Army for his political ideas and is sent to Rasht.

1945- Shamlou is released from jail and leaves with his family for Azerbaijan. The separatists arrest him and his farther for a short time. They are sent back to Tehran. Shamlou decides to leave school for good.

1947- First marriage. First collection of poems: The Forgotten Songs.

1948- He writes in a literary weekly called "Sokhan".

1950- His first short story is published: "The Woman Behind the Brass Door".

1951- Second collection of poems: Manifesto. He shows clear inclinations toward Socialist ideology. Shamlou serves as one of the editors of "Khandaniha".

1952- He gets a job in the Hungarian embassy as their Cultural Advisor.

1953- His third collection of poems, Metals and Sense, is 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 Mór Jókai, together with all data gathered for his work on the colloquial culture of urban Iranian life (to be known as The Book Of Streets) are also confiscated and destroyed. He escapes and goes into hiding.

1954- He is arrested and kept in jail for 14 months.

1955- He is freed. His four new collections of poems are taken and lost by a publisher. He translates and publishes three novels by European writers.

1956- He becomes the editor-in-chief of "Bamshad" literary magazine. He is separated from his wife after having two sons and one daughter.

1957- His masterpiece, The Fresh Air, a collection of poems that will influence Persian poetry profoundly, is published. He also publishes a few studies on classic Iranian poetry. He marries for a second time.

1958- His translation of Barefoot, a novel by Zaharia Stancu, is released, establishing Shamlou's authority as a translator.

1959- He begins publishing short stories for children, as well as directing documentary films and working for film studios.

1960- A new collection of his poems, The Garden of Mirrors, is released.

1961- He suffers a bitter separation from his second wife. He becomes editor-in-chief of "Ketab-e-Hafte", a magazine that changes the tradition and language of literary journalism in Iran.

1962- He meets Ayda, beginning a loving relationship that has lasted until today. His translations of Andre Gide and Robert Merl are published.

1964- He and Ayda are married. Two collections of his poetry are published: Ayda in Mirror and Moment and Eternity.

1965- A new collection of poems is released: Ayda, Trees, Memories And The Dagger. He has a new translation published. He also begins his third attempt to compile The Book of Streets.

1966- Another new collection of poems is published: Qoqnus In The Rain. His literary magazine is banned by the Ministry Of Information.

1967- He becomes editor-in-chief of "Khushe". His new translation of Erskine Caldwell is published. He participates in the formation of the Union of Iranian Writers and gives several poetry readings at Iranian universities.

1968- He begins his study of Hafiz, the classical grand poet of the Persian language; translates Garcia Lorca's poems and the Song Of Solomon from the Old Testament; organizes a week of poetry reading for established and new Iranian poets, which is very well received. The poems debuted at this event appear in a voluminous book edited by Shamlou.

1969- His weekly magazine is closed down by the police. Of The Air And Mirrors, a selection of older poetry, is published, together with his collection of new poems, Odes For The Earth.

1970- New collection: Blossoming In Mist. He directs a few documentary films for television and publishes several short stories for children.

1971- He redoes some of his earlier translations. His mother dies.

1972- He teaches Persian literature at Tehran University. Several audio cassettes are released of Shamlou reciting other classical and modern poets' work. He obtains membership in the Iranian Academy of Language. He publishes several new translations and writes a few film scripts. He travels to Paris for medical treatment.

1973- Two new collections, Abraham In Fire and Doors And The Great China Wall, are released, along with several new translations.

1975- Publication of his work and study of Hafiz.

1976- Travels to the United States and gives poetry readings in many cities. He participates in the San Francisco Poetry Festival before returning to Iran.

1977- New poem: "Dagger On The Plate". He leaves Iran in protest of the Shah's regime and stays in the United States for a year, giving lectures in American universities.

1978- He leaves the United States for Britain to act as the editor-in-chief for a new publication called "Iranshahr"; resigns after 12 issues and returns to Iran just after the advent of the Revolution; rejoins the Union of Iranian Writers; begins publishing a new periodical, "Ketab-e-Jom'e" to great success. This very active year in his life sees him publishing many poems and translations, as well as giving numerous lectures and readings. He is also elected to the membership of the Writer's Union's leadership. He is at this point considered the finest Iranian poet.

1979- Another year of intensive activity on different fronts. The first and second volumes of The Book of Streets go to print. He is re-elected as member of Writer's Union leadership.

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

1984- He is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1988- He is invited by Interlit, the World Literary Congress. He tours Europe giving many lectures and readings. His complete collection of poems is printed in Germany. He returns to Iran.

1990- He tours the United States. Human Rights and The Fund For Free Expression present him with their annual award. Several works are published on his poetry and his overall literary contribution.

1991- He tours Europe again and returns to Iran for another four years of intensive work. This same year he wins the Freedom Of Expression Award given by the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

1992- His work appears in Armenian and English: Sacred Words.

1994- He tours Sweden giving numerous lectures and readings.

1995- He finishes the translation of And Quiet Flows The Don. There is a special gathering in Toronto of Iranian writers and critics to discuss Shamlou's contribution to Persian poetry. His works are published in Spanish: Aurora!

1996- His physical condition deteriorates. He undergoes several operations.

1997- His right foot is amputated due to severe diabetic problems.

1999- He is presented with the Stig Dagerman Award by the Swedish Foundation.

2000- Ahmad Shamlou passes away on Sunday July 23 at Iran-Mehr Hospital in Tehran due to complications from his diabetes.

- Ahmad Shamlou has published more than seventy books: 16 volumes of poetry; 5 anthologies of poetry; 5 volumes including novels, short stories & screenplays; 9 volumes of children's literature; 9 translations of poetry into Persian; 21 novels translated into Persian; 5 collections of essays, lectures and interviews; 6 volumes (to date) of The Book Of Streets.

Early life

Shamlou was born to the family of an army officer in Tehran. Like many children who grow up in families with military parents, he received his early education in various towns, including Khash and Zahedan in the southeast of Iran, and Mashhad in the northeast. By 1941, his high school education still incomplete, he left Birjand for Tehran. He intended to attend the Tehran Technicum and learn the German language. In 1945, he made a final attempt at completing his high school degree in Urumieh, but he failed.

In 1984 was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Marriages

He married three times. His first marriage in 1947 gave him four sons but did not last long. Neither did his second marriage with Tooba Hayeri in 1957 that ended in divorce in 1963. But his third marriage in 1964 to Ayda Serkisian lasted. His wife became a very instrumental figure in Shamlou's life and remained with him until his death in 2000. Her first name, Ayda, appears in many of his later poems.

Sample of his poetry

:Nocturnal :Translation: Maryam Dilmaghani

::The river is :the recurring anthem of dawn:performed at the proximity :of the lake of night.

:And day begins :with the last breath of the lingering dark.

:And at present the dawn :that is taking slowly away :the blaze of my torch,:that is tenderly awakening :the colourful birds on the carpet’s garden,:seems like a sun :rising with might in my blood :for the sake of reconciliation.

:***

:It is :the shrine of that eternal faith :in which divinity, devotee, prayer and temple :have the same facet::Creature worships the creator:and the creator the creature.

:All the springs and the leaves:lay upon your fingers,:This vast sky:is burning in the silver shine of your palm.

:And it is how :waters:are refreshed in rain and light.

:***

:Recite your most beautiful verse,:Deliver the veiled torment of your soul:And do not fear :That they say it is a vain tale.:Because it is not a vain tale:For love is not a futile incident.

:And if it takes :The sun not to rise tomorrow:Let it be this way,:For love :is itself the next day,:is itself forever.

:***

:I yield to you :the greatest love of this world :saved from the cruel course of epic wars and cry:For nothing has ever meant to me:as profoundly as you,

:For your heart:is like a butterfly:delicate, light, tender.

:My beloved,:Proud of your feminine soul,:Serene, tolerant, caring:Your triumph is the fruit of your truth:

:You :Defeated deluge, storm and snow :and the fiery sun :with your patience.

:Now stand :till your pride ripe.

:My beloved:My woman:You carry the feast of sun:in the flavour of your robes.

:The triumph of love:is yours!

:***

:There is no instance:nor instant :for you::-a butterfly in flight:a river in passage-

:Nothing can return:And life reaches the end::The butterfly sat on a rose:And the river joined the sea.

ee also

*List of Iranian intellectuals
*Intellectual movements in Iran

External links

* [http://www.shamlou.org The Official Website]
* [http://www.shamlu.com/index.swf Another very good website about Shamlou]
* [http://www.ahmadshamlou.com/ English Translation of Shamlou's poetry]
* [http://www.geocities.com/shamloulives/ A Tribute to Shamlou, Art & Poetry]
* Photograph of the graveside of Ahmad Shamlou, by NaSima, [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sisimaa/1096130276/sizes/l/in/set-72157604004524049/ flickr] .
* Mojtaba Pourmohsen in conversation with Pegah Ahmadi and Mehrdad Fallah on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the death of Ahamd Shamlou, in Persian, Radio Zamaneh, July 24, 2008, [http://radiozamaaneh.com/pourmohsen/2008/07/print_post_134.html] . Audio recording of the conversation: [http://www.zamahang.com/podcast/2008/20080723_Shamlou_Memorial_Program.mp3] .