Readings - Naser Khusraw, “Safar-name” (Part 1, 2, 3, 4) & Keykavus ibn Eskandar, “Qabus-name” (1. 2).

Following the links provided above you will find excerpts from the two masterpieces of Classical Persian prose, Safar-name of Naser Khusraw and Qabus-name of Keykavus b. Eskandar. Both texts are written in clear and simple style which makes the reading and understanding of the text easier in comparison to later prose texts. The major difficulty of these texts are the high number of Arabic loanwords (although in later texts this number becomes even higher) and the technical terminology. The above word-list will help you with the reading of the texts.

Listening - The audio version of the Safar-name of Naser Khusraw (کتاب صوتی سفرنامۀ حکیم ناصر خسرو قبادیانی).

By following this link you will be able to find the audio version of the Safar-name. Listen to some part of it and try to see how much of it you are capable of understanding. Later the students will be provided with the opportunity to discuss their issues related to the excerpts they have listened to with their professor.

Subject of conversation - Prose writing in Persian literature (اهمیت نثر در ادبیات فارسی)

In this part of the lesson the students will be required to discuss their ideas about the relative importance (or unimportance) of the prose writing in the Classical Persian literature vs. the high importance of the poetic writings. The students who will prepare their materials beforehand and will present their own personal views in grammatically correct language, will be given priority when assessing the success of each student.

Vocabulary

محرم	moharram	1st month of the Islamic calendar
صفر	safar	2nd month of Islamic calendar
سنه	sane	year (Ar.)
ثمان ثلثین و اربعمائه	samān salasin va arba’ma’e	year 438 A.H.
قصبه	qasabi	center, capital
پیمودن	peymudan	measure
ولایت	velāyat	province
خطبه	xotbe	a sermon preached at the Friday noon congregational prayer.
ربیع الاول	rabi’ ol-avval	3rd month of the Islamic calendar
هلاک شدن	halāk šodan	to be killed
روانه شدن	ravāne šodan	to set out, go
شدن (= رفتن)	šodan	to go
فرسنگ	farsang	a measure of distance (=5.6km)
بی تحاشی	bi tahāši	blatantly
سرحد	sarhadd	border
تازی	tāzi	Arabic
ظن	zann	opinion
رطل	ratl	measure of capacity
رباط	rabāt	citadel
دمه	damme	cold wind
هنجار	hanjār	here: track, road
من	men	a measure of capacity
خیک	xik	churn or skin
قطران	qatrān	incense
بساتین	basātin (pl. of bostān)	pl. of garden
اشجار	ašjār (pl. of šajr)	pl. of tree
آدینه	ādine	Friday
گز	gaz	a measure of length
کنگره	kangar	niched battlement
صفت	seffat	description
تطویل	tatvil	delay
متوضا	motavaza	a place for ritual ablution in mosque
حجره	hojre	room
تحت الارض	taht ol-arz	underground
گرمابه	garmābe	bath
خویشتن دار	xištandār	self-restrained, modest
پژمرده	pažmorde	withered
شاطر	šāter	alert, clever
عز و جل	azz va jall	“may He be exalted and glorified, God Almighty”
درزی	darzi	tailor
تهی	tohi	empty
از قضا	az qazā	on account of destiny
هشیار	hošyār	smart
غره	γorre	haughty
آمرزش	āmorzeš	mercy
مجالست	mojālesat	sitting together, intercourse
ندیم	nadim	astrologer; sage
حرمت	hormat	respects
مسکت	mosakkat	silence
تماخره	tamāxere	joke, wit; mockery

Exercise (choose the right word):

شهر تبریز … آذربایجان است شهری آبادان (ولایت، روستا، دهستان، قصبه).
بدین شهر زلزله افتاد و گفتند چهل هزار آدمی ... شده بودند (زنده، هلاک، خویشتن دار، بیدار).
چهاردهم ربیع الاول از تبریز ... به راه مرند (پیمودیم، اخراج شدیم، روانه شدیم، روانی شدند).
در بازار آن جا گوشت خوک همچنان که گوشت گوسفند می‌فروختند و زنان و مردان ایشان بر دکان‌ها نشسته شراب می‌خوردند … (بی تحاشی، با خیکهای بزرگ، بی توجه، بدون ترس).
و در این شهر اخلاط به سه زبان سخن گویند … و پارسی و ارمنی (فرنگی، روسی، تالشی، تازی).

Day 18 - Classical Prose writers: Nasir Khusraw (Safarname)