Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi

Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi

Teknonym	Sayyid al-Shu'ara'
Place of Birth	Firuzkuh, Iran
Era	Pahlavi Dynasty • Islamic Republic of Iran

Sayyid Karīm Amīrī Fīrūzkūhī (Persian: سید کریم امیری فیروزکوهی) (b. 1909-10 – d 1984), He was known by the pen name Amir, was a Shi'a poet and writer of the 14th/20th century who wrote poetry in praise of the Ahl al-Bayt. He was an admirer of Sa'ib Tabrizi and followed the Indian style in his poetry. Firuzkuhi's poetry covers themes such as love, the praise of Prophet Muhammad (s), the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the Iran-Iraq War, and ethics.

He left behind works such as a Diwan of poetry, a translation of the letters of Nahj al-balagha, a translation of Nafas al-mahmum, and a correction and introduction to the Diwan of Sa'ib. The book Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi by Ali Taqawi, in addition to providing a biography of Firuzkuhi, introduces his works and thoughts and analyzes his poems.

Biography

Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi (1909-10 –1984), with the pen name Amir, was a Shi'a writer, and composer of qasidas and ghazals in the 20th century. Sayyid Ali Khamenei, "The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran introduced him as the best composer of ghazals of his era.” and referred to him as "Sayyid al-Shu'ara' " (The Master of Poets).

Amiri was born in Firuzkuh, a city in the Central District of Firuzkuh County, Tehran province, Iran,. He completed his primary and secondary education in Tehran. Subsequently, he studied logic, Islamic theology, and Islamic philosophy under masters such as Shaykh 'Abd al-Nabi Kajuri and Sayyid Husayn Mujtahid Kashani. Amiri Firuzkuhi began teaching at the Faculty of Literature of the University of Tehran in 1971.

Works such as a Persian translation of the letters of Nahj al-Balagha, a Persian translation of Nafas al-Mahmum, a poetry collection (diwan), and a critical edition with an introduction to two works—the Diwan of Sa'ib and Ihqaq al-Haqq—are among the major contributions of this poet and writer. Furthermore, in 1934, concurrent with the atmosphere created by the government of Reza Shah for the unveiling of hijab, Firuzkuhi composed the poem 'Afafnama (The Book of Chastity) regarding the necessity of Hijab.Amirbanu Karimi, a leading scholar of Sa'ib and a professor of Persian literature at the University of Tehran, and the wife of Mazaher Mosaffa, is among the children of Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi.

Amiri Firuzkuhi passed away in 1984 in Tehran and She was laid to rest at the threshold of Imamzada Tahir, in the courtyard of the Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani (a).

Book cover of Yādgār-i gul-i surkh

Sa'id Baqiri and Suhayl Mahmudi in the introduction to the book Yadgar-i gul-i surkh, they present an account of Firuzkuhi’s life and artistic style. The book includes a selection of the poet’s poems and was published in 2011. The book Sayyid Karim Amiri Firuzkuhi, in Persian language, by Ali Taqawi was also published by Sura Mehr Publications in 2021, which deals with his biography, an introduction to his works and ideas, and a critical analysis of his poetry..

Style and Poetic Themes

Amiri Firuzkuhi was a devotee of Sa'ib Tabrizi and a follower of the Indian style (also known as Sabk-i Hindi) in composing poetry. He also composed poetry in Arabic. His poetic work engages with themes including devotion to Prophet Muhammad (s) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a), alongside reflections on the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the Iran-Iraq War, love, wisdom, ethics, and social criticism.

Amiri's poems are considered to express his extensive knowledge of history, literature, and Iranian and Islamic teachings. However, critics argue that there is sometimes a sense of hopelessness and negative romanticism in his works. Nevertheless, critics maintain that a sense of pessimism and negative romanticism can at times be found in his works, that genuinely new and innovative imagery and themes appear less frequently, and that he remains largely faithful to the literary tradition of earlier poets. From a formal and aesthetic perspective, however, he demonstrates considerable skill in employing rhetorical devices such as simile, metaphor, allusion, irony, and tawjih al-muhal (justification of the impossible).