 Simin Behbahani was born in 1927 in Tehran, Iran. Her father, Abbas Khalili, writer and newspaper editor, had a number of publications to his credit. Her mother, Fakhr Azami Arghoon was also a writer, newspaper editor, and poet. Simin began singing poetry at the age of fourteen. She used the char pareh style of Nima, a renowned poet of Persian history, and subsequently, turned to ghazal . a free flowing, poetry style that is similar to the Western sonnet. She contributed to a historic development in the form of the ghazal, as she added theatrical subjects, daily events, and conversations into this style of poetry. Her contributions to the ghazals meant that she had created a unique form through her alterations. Behbahani has revolutionized the rhythms of Persian ghazal (lyrics)and the dynamics of producing it. More importantly, Behbahani became the first poet in centuries to have introduced new metric schemes to the complex system of quantitative meters of classical Persian poetry known as Owzan-e .aruzi . Working with inherited forms, she has not only become a master innovator of devices and techniques, but has also created a distinct poetic voice, at once traditional and provocatively contemporary. Simin is among the most prominent figures in modern Persian literature and the most outstanding living poet of the Persian language. Her poetry, written over a span of almost half a century, has had a huge effect on the Iranian literature today. Much of Behbahani's work reflects the traumatic experiences that have recently shaped Iranian history: Revolution and war. In the balance of artful inquiry and shocking realism, her words and imagery probe the depth of political, cultural, and moral oppression. As Javad Mojabi, a writer and literary critic observed, .Her poems .Ghazals. are the echoes of the contemporary Iranian women's voices, demeaning their share of love's beauty, universal justice, and individual freedom.. Meanwhile, the Miami Herald reported that, "Behbahani blends Eastern and Western Cultures, leaps from one time period to another, switches back and forth from masculine forms, and imbues the lines with multiple layers of meaning." Simin has produced a copious body of work. Her first book, Setar-e Shekaste (Broken Sitar)was published in 1951 when the poet was barely twenty-four. It was followed by Jay-e Pa (Footprint) 1956, Chelcheraq (The Lamp of Many Lights) 1957, Marmar (Marble) 1963, Rastakhiz (Resurrection) 1973, Khatti ze Sor .at-o az Atash (A Trajectory of Speed and Fire) 1981, Dasht-e Arzhan (The Arzhan Plain) 1983, Kaqazin Jameh (Paper-thin Vestment) 1989, An Mard,Mard-e Hamraham (That Man, My Companion of the Way) 1990, Kowli o Nameh o Eshq (The Gypsy, the Letter, and Love) 1994,Asheqtar az Hamisheh Bekhan (Sing More Lovingly than Ever)1994, Yek Daricheh be Azadi (A Window to Freedom) 1995, Ba Qalb-e khod che Kharidam?(What Did I Buy with My Heart?) 1996, Negareh-ye Golgun (Rose-Colored Design)1998, Jay-e Pa ta Azadi (From Footprints to Freedom) 1898, Yad-e Ba .zi Nafarat (Remembering a Few) 1999, Yeki Masalan Inkeh (For Instance) 2000, and Kelid-o-Khanjar (Key and Dagger) 2000. |
