67055 - Persian Language 2 B

Learning outcomes

Through the completion of this course the student is supposed to acquire stronger abilities in the intermediate level of Persian language. He/She is therefore supposed to able to approach the relevant literature and the problems related to it, by having recourse to the most updated bibliography.

Course contents

The course, is called “Persian Language and Literature 2B” for students of the Master’s Degree and “Persian 2B” for those of the Bachelor’s Degree. It is divided into two parts: linguistic (first part of the course) and literary (second part). In the latter, wide space will be given to the reading and analysis (also grammatical) of original Persian texts.

1. linguistic part
During this first part of the course, each lesson will include: grammar-syntactical analysis, exercises and conversation.
- In the grammar study we will in particular adress the following topics: morphology and use of compound verbal tenses, causative and passive form, use of the indicative and the subjunctive, syntax of the sentence (coordinated and subordinate propositions).
- The learning of grammar will be consolidated with reading exercises, translation and analysis of texts, in particular contemporary prose.
- Another part of the lessons will be dedicated to interactive conversation in today’s standard spoken Persian, with a communicative-situational approach. This part will sometimes include listening to Persian music and reading and translating the song's lyrics.

2. literary part
During the second part of the course, dedicated to classical Persian literature, the mathnavi genre (narrative poems) will be illustrated with particular attention to the verse romance. Three verse romances will be presented: the Vis o Rāmin by Gorgāni (11^th century), the Khosrow va Shirin by Neẓāmi (13^th century) and the Homāy o Homāyun by Khwāju of Kerman (14^th century), with the reading of selected passages in original Persian, whose literary (structure, motifs, images, rhetoric etc.) and linguistic (grammatical analysis of the text) aspects will be studied.

 

Readings/Bibliography

FOR THE LITERARY PART:

A. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY REQUIRED FOR THE 6 CFU EXAMINATION:

1. one translation is to be chosen from the following:

- Nezami, Majnun e Leyla, a cura di G. Calasso, Adelphi, Milano 1985

- Khwāju di Kerman, Homāy e Homāyun. Un romanzo d'amore e avventura dalla Persia medievale, a cura di N. Norozi, presentazione di J.C. Bürgel, Mimesis, Milano 2016

- Neẓāmi, Khosrow e Shirin, a cura di D. Meneghini, Ariele, Milano 2017

- Hātefi, I sette scenari, edizione critica e traduzione a cura di M. Bernardini, Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli [https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istituto_Universitario_Orientale_di_Napoli], Series Minor, Napoli 1995.

2. And ONE of the following book chapters are to be carefully read in order to deepen the historical-literary aspects:

- The chapter on the genre mathnavi in: Bausani A, La letteratura neopersiana, in Pagliaro A. - Bausani A, La letteratura persiana, Sansoni-Accademia, Firenze-Milano 1968, pp. 356-489

- OR: The chapters on the epic and the verse romance in: J. C. Bürgel, “Il discorso è nave, il significato un mare”. Saggi sull’amore e il viaggio nella poesia persiana classica, Carocci, Roma 2006, pp. 19-75, AND: Nahid Norozi, Alle origini del romanzo persiano medievale: il Vis o Rāmin di Gorgāni (XI sec.), in “Quaderni di Meykhane. Rivista di studi iranici” VI (2016), pp. 1-52, freely accessible online.

- Further materials will be handout or sent in form of pdf, during the course(,in the form of handouts or pdf.)

B. STUDENTS WHO NEED TO TAKE AN EXAM WITH 12 CFU have to add to the said bibliography 1 book choosing from the following list of texts of mainly contemporary works:

Prose:

- Samad Behrangi, Il pesciolino nero, a cura di M. Casari, Roma, Donzelli, 2008

- Sadeq Hedayat, La civetta cieca. Tre gocce di sangue, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2006

- Shahrnush Parsipur, Donne senza uomini, a cura di A. Vanzan, Milano, Tranchida, 2004

- Zoya Pirzad, Spengo io le luci, a cura di A. Vanzan, Brioschi, Milano 2019

- Simin Daneshvar, Suvashun. Una storia persiana, trad. di A. Vanzan, Brioschi, 2018

- Machaeva O. - Pistoso M. (a cura), Fiabe di Samarcanda, Arcana, Milano 1994.

Poetry:

- Sohrab Sepehri, Sino al fiore del nulla. 99 poesie con il testo a fronte, a cura di N. Norozi, presentazione C. Saccone, Arcane, 2014

- Forugh Farrokhzad, È solo la voce che resta, a cura di F. Mardani, Riccardo Condò Editore, Roma 2018

- Norozi N. , Il cavallo selvaggio dell’ira. Introduzione all’opera di Ahmad Shamlu, poeta ribelle del ‘900 persiano, con ampia antologia, prefazione di M. Pistoso, Centro Essad Bey (Collana "Kharabat"), Charleston 2017 (libro - Edizioni CreateSpace IPP) disponibile su Amazon.

Moreover we recommend one of these optional readings only for those students who would like to do more in-depth studies, perhaps with a view to a thesis on an Iranian topic:

- Buergel J.C., Il discorso è nave, il significato un mare. Saggi sull'amore e il viaggio nella poesia persiana medievale, a cura di C. Saccone, Carocci, Roma 2006

- Nahid Norozi, Esordi del romanzo persiano. Dal Vis e Rāmin di Gorgāni (XI sec.) al ciclo di Tristano, con una premessa di F. Benozzo, Collana "Il cavaliere del leone", diretta da Andrea Fassò, Edizioni dell'Orso, Alessandria, 2021

- De Bruijn J.T.P., Persian sufi poetry. An introduction to the mystical use of classical poems, Curzon, Richmond 1997

- Saccone C., Il re dei belli, il re del mondo. Teologia del potere e della bellezza nella poesia persiana medievale,Storia tematica della letteratura persiana classica, vol. III, Aracne, Roma 2014

- Zipoli R., “Poetic Imagery”, in: De Bruijn J. T. P. A, History of Persian Literature, Vol. I, Tauris, London-NewYork 2009, pp. 172-232

- Meneghini D., Letteratura persiana in epoca selgiuchide (429-615 / 1037-1218), Cafoscarina, Venezia 2004

- Orsatti P, Materials for a History of the Persian Narrative Tradition. Two Characters: Farhād and Turandot, Edizioni Ca’ Foscari,Venezia 2019

- Stefano Pellò, Ṭūṭiān-i hind. Specchi identitari e proiezioni cosmopolite indo-persiane (1680-1856), Società Editrice Fiorentina, Firenze 2012

- Tornesello N. L., a cura, La letteratura persiana contemporanea tra novazione e tradizione, numero monografico di ''Oriente moderno'', I, 2003

- Vanzan A., Figlie di Shahrazad. Scrittrici iraniane dal XIX sec. a oggi, Bruno Mondadori, Milano 2009.

 

FOR THE LINGUISTIC PART, reference works are:

- (NECESSARY for NON-attending students) Meneghini D.; Orsatti P., Corso di lingua persiana (con 2 CD audio), Hoepli, Milano 2012

- Coletti A.; Gruenbaum H., Dizionario Persiano-Italiano, Centro Culturale Italo-Iraniano, Roma 1978

- Further material will be sent during the course in the form of handouts or pdf.

 

Only for students who would like to deepen grammatical subjects (optional):

- Lambton A. K. S., Persian grammar, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1966

- Coletti A., Grammatica della lingua persiana, Nuova Cultura, Roma 2007

- D’Erme G. M, Grammatica del neopersiano, Istituto Universitario Orientale, Napoli 1979

- Piemontese A. M., Grammatica persiana in nuce, Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali, Pisa-Roma 2004.

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures, language exercises, listening to some songs and reading their lyrics, seminars related to the Iranian area. Furthermore students can attend optional meetings in order to review the lessons during the office hours (Friday from 6.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.).

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

For students who take the examination of LINGUA E LETTERATURA PERSIANA 2B (LM) - 6 CFU, a component of the integrated course of LINGUA E LETTERATURA PERSIANA II (C.I.) (LM), please note that, if the student's study plan includes the integrated course (12CFU), the final mark will be the arithmetic mean of the marks obtained in the two components ((“LINGUA E LETTERATURA PERSIANA 2B (LM)” and “LINGUA E LETTERATURA PERSIANA II (C.I.) (LM)”) 

The Persian Language and Literature 2B/Persian2B exam will be held in both written form (linguistic part) and oral form (literary part). The final grade will be based on the average score of the two tests.

The top marks will be given to students who display an ability to provide a full-fledged linguistic and historical commentary of the selected texts and an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be given to students who memorized the main points of the material and are able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

Students will be deemed to have failed the exam if they display significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

 

Teaching tools

Books, paper and pdf handouts, online audio-visual materials indicated during the course. Further useful materials can be found on the website of “Meykhane. Voci e memorie persiane”: http://meykhane.altervista.org/, which you are welcome to consult freely to view the many rich materials available there.

Office hours

See the website of Nahid Norozi