Persian · Specialist course
A persian poetry class for reading Hafez and Rumi in the original
Persian poetry is quoted in ordinary conversation in a way English poetry has not been for a century. Reading it in the original is a different experience from reading a translation.
Who this is for
Is this the right course for you?
Learners with roughly intermediate Persian who want the literature, and heritage speakers who can read the words of a ghazal without following the argument.
What you cover
What the lessons cover
- Classical grammar and vocabulary, and where they differ from modern Persian
- The ghazal form, its conventions and its logic
- Hafez, Rumi, Saadi and Ferdowsi, read closely
- Imagery and its conventional meanings — the wine, the beloved, the nightingale
- Metre and how a line is meant to sound
- Reading independently with a classical dictionary
Persian literature occupies a place in everyday Iranian and Afghan life that has no close English parallel. Hafez is consulted for fortunes; lines from Saadi appear over the entrance to the United Nations; Rumi is quoted in conversation without ceremony.
Reading the conventions
Classical Persian poetry runs on a shared vocabulary of images — the wine, the tavern, the beloved, the nightingale and the rose — that carry conventional meanings a first-time reader will miss. Most of the work in early lessons is learning to read the conventions, not the words.
Translation and its limits
Popular English versions of Rumi in particular are often adaptations rather than translations, some made by writers who did not read Persian. Meeting the text directly is a different experience, and it is the reason most students give for taking this course.
Persian Poetry questions, answered properly
What level of Persian do I need before starting?
Roughly intermediate — comfortable reading the script, a working vocabulary, and a grasp of basic grammar. Below that, poetry is decoding rather than reading and the experience is frustrating. We will tell you honestly in the trial lesson if you are not there yet, and what to do first.
Can I take this if I already know the poems in translation?
Yes, and many students do. Knowing the shape of a poem in English is a genuine advantage when you meet it in Persian, because attention goes to the language rather than the plot. It is also, frequently, a surprise — translations of Rumi in particular can be some distance from the text.
Is this useful for improving my general Persian?
Indirectly, and it is not the fastest route. Classical vocabulary and syntax differ from modern usage, so poetry alone will not make you fluent in a conversation. What it does build is depth, cultural reference and reading confidence, which is why most students take it alongside general lessons rather than instead of them.
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