TEHRAN -- Leili Anvar, a translator and professor of Persian literature at the Institut des Langues et des Civilisations Orientales in Paris, has said that Persian classical poets Jalal ad-Din Rumi and Omar Khayyam have been introduced with a misunderstanding.

She has said that American Persian literature expert Coleman Barks and English poet Edward FitzGerald have adapted Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Manavi and the Rubaiyat of Khayyam for English readers.

“FitzGerald claimed that he translated the Rubaiyat of Khayyam into English, but in fact, it did not so,” Anvar said in weekly literary meeting of the Ayandeh Bookstore in Tehran on Friday.

“Although, his English adaptation is very delightful, but you never think what you are reading is Khayyam’s perfect poetry,” she stated and added, “In fact, Khayyam has been introduced with a misunderstanding to the world.”

“This fact is also true about Rumi, because Barks’ adaptations of Rumi’s work have been welcomed in the United States, while it is his perception of Rumi’s poems,” she said.

Anvar is the translator of a French version of the Masnavi-ye Manavi, which was published by Entrelacs in 2011 under title of “Rumi”. Her translation of Attar’s “The conference of the Birds” (“Le Cantique des Oiseaux”) was released by Diane de Selliers in 2014.

“The first and most important basis of poetry is its music and tone and if a poem lacks music, it is not a poem at all,” Anvar said.

“The musical dimension of Rumi’s poetry is more extensive, because he listened to music when he was composing poems and I think music provided the inspiration for him to compose a poem,” she stated.

“Today, translators lack the perfect mystical revelations and poetical skills, consequently mystical poetry is hard to translate,” she added.

Anvar also criticized the French translation of the Divan of Hafez by Charles-Henri de Fouchécour.

“With all due respect to Mr. Fouchécour, his translation of Hafez’s ‘Divan’ is really bad, because the translated poems have no music,” she said.

“However, his perception of Hafez’s poetry is near perfect… his description of Hafez’s poetry is so comprehensive that some Iranian Hafez scholars do not have as much expertise as he had,” she added.

Anvar holds a Ph.D. in Persian literature and her publications also include “Orient, Mille ans de poésie et de peinture”, “Malek Jan Ne’mati: La vie n’est pas courte mais le temps est compté” and “Anthologie de l’Islam spiritual”.

Photo: Professor Leili Anvar delivers a speech at the Ayandeh Bookstore in Tehran on July 24, 2015.

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