Translating Classical Persian Poetry: Culture, Context, and the Question of Meaning Introduction Language and literature cannot be separated from culture. Vocabulary and grammar alone are never sufficient for genuine understanding, especially when dealing with classical literary traditions. A reader may possess complete knowledge of a language’s lexicon and syntactic rules yet still fail to grasp…
Omar Khayyam occupies a singular and compelling position within the tradition of classical Persian poetry. Although he shares the formal structure of the rubāʿī with many poets of the Persian canon, his philosophical orientation sets him distinctly apart. Unlike figures such as Sanaʾi, Saʿdi, or Hafez, whose poetry is deeply rooted in mystical metaphysics and…
Introduction Kurdish dance, commonly referred to as helperke or wašt, constitutes one of the most enduring and symbolically charged expressive traditions in the cultural landscape of Kurdistan. Far beyond a form of entertainment or celebration, Kurdish dance functions as an embodied language through which communities articulate historical memory, spiritual belief, emotional expression, and collective identity…
