TEHRAN –“Heidar Babaya Salam”, the most famous Azerbaijani poetry collection of Iranian poet Shahriar, has recently been published in English by Tabriz University Publications.

Iranian scholar Behruz Azabdaftari is the translator of the poetry collection.

The majority of the words and phrases employed by Shahriar in this collection revolve around rustic customs, serving as a nostalgic nod to the linguistic heritage of generations past, Azabdaftari explained on Wednesday.

They possess a captivating allure, deeply rooted in local traditions, he added.

For a translator who is not familiar with the customs of the local villagers, and therefore not familiar with the words used to describe these customs, it can be challenging to fully comprehend and appreciate the profound meaning behind Shahriar's words, he explained. 

“Once I grasped the essence and comprehended the concept, I encountered no difficulty as a translator in conveying these ideas into English,” he noted.

“However, I must emphasize that the same meaning and concept can be expressed in various ways in the target language and the choice of which expression is more captivating relies upon the translator's personal taste and talent.”

Mohammad-Hossein Behjat Tabrizi, known as Shahriar, is of the most prominent figure of contemporary Persian poetry. 

He was mainly influenced by the poetry of Hafez, a Persian poet writing in the 14th century. 

Shahriar, who also composed works in Azerbaijani, published his first book of poems in 1929 with prefaces by Persian literature scholars Mohammad-Taqi Bahar, Saeid Nafisi and Pejman Bakhtiari.

His “Heidar Babaya Salam” highlights his birthplace, the village of Heidar Baba.

ABU/