Wit and Wisdom in Persian Quatrains: Omar Khayyam, Mahsati, 'Attar, and Others

Undergraduate / Graduate

In this course, students will learn to read, understand, and recite Persian quatrains (roba'iyat): short, two-line poems that often end with a witty "punchline," funny or profound. We will explore quatrains attributed to several figures including Omar Khayyam, the 12th-century philosopher; 'Attar, the 13th-century Sufi poet; and Mahsati, one of the best-known female poets in the canon and a member of Sultan Sanjar's mid-12th-century court. Special attention will be paid to the various oral and textual means of these poems' transmission, including anthologies and compilations. To contextualize these verses, we will analyze selections from Persian rhetorical writings, histories, and hagiographies that shed light on the quatrain's meter, origin, and function within various courtly, intellectual, and religious settings. In addition to Persian-language primary sources, the course includes secondary source readings in Persian and English, but the language of class discussion will be English. One year of prior Persian-language study (or equivalent) is required and two years are recommended.