9/12/2007

The Story of Khosrow and Shirin (VI)

Let me tell you one of the most beautiful love stories ever written in Persian Literature. It will be summarized. If you would like to read more or in Farsi, let me know and we will figure out a way to make sure you get to see this gem of an Iranian tale. Remember this story. Tell it to your children. They will always remember that they heard about love from you first. Celebrate love Persian style. (Part I here. Part II here. Part III here. Part IV here. Part V here.)
Single again and in love with Shirin, Khosrow went to Shirin's castle to see her. Shirin let Khosrow into the courtyard of her castle, but would not let him to come into her living quarters. She told him that she wouldn't let a drunk man into her home, and that if Khosrow was truly interested in her, he would have to respect her as a Princess and a woman of integrity and sound values. She told him she had waited for him all these years and was not interested in anything but a respectable union with a man she loved. After their quarrel, Khosrow returned to his palace, feeling sad and rejected. Shapour consoled Khosrow, telling him that Shirin truly loved him as he loved Shirin and they were meant to be together. Khosrow finally proposed marriage to Shirin, treating her with the respect she had commanded from the first day. A wedding ceremony, worthy of a King and a Princess became underway and the lovers finally married and began their life together. Shirin was a true Queen to Khosrow, helping him become a better King, kind and forgiving to his people.
Khosrow had a son, Shirouyeh, from his marriage to the Roman Princess, Maryam. Shirouyeh was an unruly and mean spirit who had been in love with Shirin since he was 10 years old. As soon as he came of age, he imprisoned his father, Khosrow, and crowned himself the King. Khosrow was in prison and the only thing keeping his sanity was Shirin and her company. Shirouyeh finally murdered his father, Khosrow, in his sleep while his wife, Shirin was asleep. When she woke up and saw Khosrow dead, Shirin was devastated. Shirouyeh sent a messenger to Shirin, telling her that she was allowed to mourn Khosrow for one week and after that she would have to marry him. Shirin prepared Khosrow's body for his funeral. She then put on makeup, dressed herself in lavish clothing, dressed her hair, and put on beautiful jewelry, following her husband's coffin. It appeared to all watching that Shirin wasn't terribly sad at her husband's passing. They took Khosrow's body to a mausoleum. Once there she asked everyone to leave her alone with Khosrow. She undid Khosrow's shroud and kissed his chest where the knife had made a wound. She put a knife to her chest and pushing herself against the knife and Khosrow's body, she cut herself, held Khosrow, kissed his lips, and put her head on his shoulder and died.
زهی شیرین و شیرین مردن او...............زهی جان دادن و جان بردن او چنین واجب کند در عشق مردن...............به جانان جان چنین باید سپردن
"The End"

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

wonderful work
we gonna miss this

Anonymous said...

Thanks Nazy jan.

I was waiting for this part.
If any one does not know the story, he/she won't even think how the story goes and how it ends...This means a real art...

I wish someday our very good directors pay more attention to all these fantastic ancient persian stories and make movies from these...

Priceless pieces of art we have but...

Best wishes,
Pardis

jeerjeerak said...

Thanks Nazy Jan for the time and energy you put into this wonderful love story.

Nazy said...

Salam Mehran Jan: Thank you my friend, and thank you also for the link. I am glad it's finished. Nezami is a man for all centuries. I cannot believe that writing the last passage of the story, I was crying again. He really adores Shirin. He says in the last few verses of his Khosrow va Shirin, that he has based Shirin's character on his late wife, Afagh. In Nezami I see a man who was capable of love and respect for women. Be good doost-e-azizam.

Nazy said...

Pardis-e Ziba, Salam: Thank you for coming and reading again. Yes, Nezami tells the story poignantly and dramatically.

When I saw Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam's performance over the weekend, there was a dance dedicated to Shirin. It was beautiful. He said later that he reveres Nezami as a master of poetry. I agree with you that more Iranian artists need to concentrate on the fantastic characterizations of Irania poets such as Nezami and Ferdowsi.

The ending of the story is sad, but appropriate. I asked my teacher, Dr. Taheri, about the similaities of the ending scene to that of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. As you remember, Juliet committed suicide in what she thought was Romeo's deathbed. She agreed that the scenes were somewhat similar. Nezami wrote this poem about 300 years before Shakespeare wrote his story. I think Nezami may have even touched Shakespeare.

Be good azizam and come again my friend.

Nazy said...

Jeerjeerak Jan, Salam. Thank you my friend! You know, I had no idea how big this task was going to get! I'm glad it's finished and the commitmet is fulfilled. I hope you have enjoyed it and that you will share it with your Armenian friend now.

I will take a break from this "abbreviation" and "translation" task for a little while, but we will have to decide which Iranian love story to do next. You had mentioned Leili and Majnoon, but though Nezami turned the small story into a love story, Leili and Majnoon is not an Iranian story. It is Arab. Certainly it can be done, but I thought I would give you a few other choices and see what you would say then. Do you know the story of "Sheikh-e-Sanaan" by Attar? How about "Bijan o Manijeh" by Ferdowsi? Or "Mehr o Mah" by Molana Jamali?

Be good azizam.

Anonymous said...

Romeo and Juliet who?

This little taste of Khosrow and Shirin that you have given us has been wonderful.

Thank you.

Nazy said...

Lovely Assal: You make me laugh! Thank you for coming and for reading my friend. It was a pleasure through and through, if for nothing else, for the delight it gave me when you all came and looked, read, and left a comment! Did you tell the story to Parham?

Niloufar said...

I realy love the way you write it...
It is wonderful ...Nice....
Thank you sooo much
I'm still crying

Anonymous said...

نازی عزیز خواستم از زحمت و تلاش شما برای نوشتن چنین مجموعه ای بسیار سپاس گزاری کنم. توجه و عنایت شما به موضوع، شایسته و زیبا بود و برای خوانندگانتان آموزنده و درخور تامل

Anonymous said...

شخصا لیلی و مجنون را ترجیح می دهم،ولی هر دو شاهکارند...متن کامل این دو منظومه را می توانید اینجا بخوانید...
http://rira.ir/rira/php/?page=view&mod=classicpoems&obj=poet&id=30

Anonymous said...

دل به یار بی‌وفای خویشتن
دادم و دیدم سزای خویشتن
زخم فرهاد و من از یک تیشه بود
او به سر زد من به پای خویشتن
آشیانی دیدم از هم ریخته
یادم آمد از سرای خویشتن

sorry, It's a while I can't put comments for you here...
For example for september 11th... A friend of mine lost her father on those days ( he was a firefighter)....

Shaad zid

jeerjeerak said...

I haven't even heard of Mehr o Mah at all! That would be a totally new story to me.

From Bijan and Manijeh, I only can recall the part that they put Bijan in a well and Manijeh would bring food to him...I'm afraid this recollection of mine might be similar to my picturing Farhad digging a tunnel to Armenia, lol:)

Nazy said...

Dear Lotus: You have chosen the name of a beautiful flower (I know it is the name of a beautiful car, too, but I like the flower better!). Welcome to my humble abode. I should thank Ala Hazrat for sending me one of his friends! I only wished I hadn't made you cry on your first visit to my blog!

I stopped by your blog briefly this morning. Very nice. When I have time, I will come again. In the meantime, since you are in Southern California, won't you consider joining us for our bloggers' gathering next weekend? Thanks again for coming and leaving me that sweet note Lotus Jan.

Nazy said...

I am so happy you came again Alef Shin. Thank you for your kind remark. It was something very short on research and literary value, I admit. But for me it was a simple story that needed to be told in English, and I told it within the constraints of blogging.

For our next story, I am thinking about Attar's "Sheikh-e-Sanaan." What do you think? Do you think it can be done? Your advice is appreciated, as usual.

Nazy said...

Nima Jan. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for that valuable link! I am grateful to you. I will use it many times, I assure you!

Have you read Zendehyad Saeedi Sirjani's "In Do Zan?" It is about comparison of the characters of Shirin and Leili in Nezami's two famous poems, "Khosrow o Shirin," and "Leili o Majnoon."

The book came up again when I went to see a presentation about Leili o Majnoon in Berkeley a couple of weeks ago.

Nezami "chose" to write about Khosrow & Shirin. He was "ordered" to write about Leili & Majnoon. Do you see any difference in the texture of the poetry in the two stories?

Thanks again for coming my friend.

Nazy said...

Kind Shobeir:

I love those verses when they are sung by the legendary Parissa! My sister also sings it rather simply and beautifully, and I get goosebumps each time I hear her sing that song! Thank you my friend.

I'm sorry you couldn't leave a message on the 9/11 post. I don't know what is wrong with the comments section access from Tehran. It would have been really interesting to read your comment. Where was your friend's father? Naturally he must have been in New York. Was he an American? An Iranian? This is an amazing story. Tell us more Shobeir Jan. I do come by your delightful blog to visit you all the time, but sometimes I don't leave comments. Be good.

Nazy said...

Jeerjeerak Jan. I won't give any part of the story away, lest it might be the one I translate next, but you crack me up just the same! I hope that we have the cave sorted out by now. We will soon move on to the well! Take care Jeer Jan.

Anonymous said...

انتخاب با شماست نازی خانم عزیز. هر چه انتخاب کنید نیکوست. فقط در مورد مثنوی لیلی و مجنون و استناد شما به نوشته ی مرحوم سیرجانی چند نکته ای هست که انشاالله در فرصتی خدمت شما بازگو خواهم کرد

Nazy said...

Dear Alef Shin: I am all ears! Please tell me your thoughts.

Anonymous said...

...

kulsume said...

It is a lovely story beautifully retold... I read this story and told it to my little children too..they were fascinated, especially my daughter, who is also named shireen. Thankyou for putting this story together on the web.

Kulsume

kulsume said...

Lovely story retold beautifully. I told this story to my little children, who were fascinated, especially my daughter, who is also named shireen. Thankyou for putting this story on the net.

Saeed Tijani said...

really amzing,
thanks ..............