TEHRAN – French Orientalist and Hafez expert Charles-Henri de Fouchecour has been honored for translating the articles of Shams-i Tabrizi, the wandering sage who later became the mentor of the Persian poet and mystic Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi in the 13th century CE.

The honoring ceremony took place at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (Inalco) in Paris last Wednesday in collaboration with Iran’s cultural office in the French capital.

De Fouchecour has published the book under the title “La Quête du Joyau: Maqâlât-e Shams al-din Tabrizi” in October 2017.
 
The book contains the direct teachings of the outstanding master Shams, having been restored through notes taken by his disciples.

Born in the city of Tabriz, Shams lived together with Rumi in Konya for several years, and has been immortalized in Rumi’s collection of poetry named the “Divan of Shams ad-Din of Tabriz”.

A number of Iranian and French scholars including the France-based Iranian scholar Leili Anvar and French philosopher and Islamologist Christian Jambet attended the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Iranian Islamologist Mohammad Amir-Moezzi, who has been friends with De Fouchecour for over 40 years, called the book unique for a distinctive character like Shams.

Jambet also regarded the translation as clear and lucid due to his comprehensive knowledge of Persian history and culture.

De Fouchecour for his part called the book full of secrets and mysteries that feature traditions and thoughts.

De Fouchecour is also famous for his translation of the Divan of Hafez. He served as the director of the Iranology Department of l’Institut Français in Tehran from 1975 to 1979. From 1972 to 1985, he also held the chair of Persian literature at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris. 

His work in the field of classical Persian literature is vast. He was the founder and director of Abstracta Iranica, a bibliographical and critical review of Iranian studies. He has published over 50 articles on Persian literature.

Photo: Enthusiasts of Persian literature come together at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (Inalco) in Paris on January 24, 2018 to attend a ceremony held to honor French Orientalist Charles-Henri de Fouchecour (3rd L).

RM/MMS/YAW