Nazım’s poems to be translated into Farsi

TEHRAN - Anatolia News Agency

Iranian writer and poet Ahmet Puri will translate Nazım Hikmet’s works into Persian

The life, poems and philosophy of Nazım Hikmet Ran, one of Turkey’s most famous poets, will be translated into Persian in a single volume by Iranian writer, poet and translator Ahmet Puri.

Puri has been reading Nazım’s works since 1978 and is planning to translate 300 poems into Persian. The Turkish poet’s life and philosophies will also be highlighted in the same book, allowing Iranians to better understand the great writer, Puri recently told Anatolia news agency.

While he was studying in England, Puri became acquainted with Nazım’s works through a Turkish friend. Puri was able to read the Turkish original because of his Azeri background.

Puri said he had already translated some of Nazım’s poems. “I translated his first poetry book, ‘Seviyorum Seni Ekmeği Tuza Banıp Yer Gibi’ [I love you like dipping bread into salt and eating it] in 1989. I translated his second poetry book in 2006.”

He said Turkey had a number of very good writers and poets and added that he was familiar with the works of Yaşar Kemal, Aziz Nesin, Orhan Pamuk, Cemal Süreyya and Oktay Rıfat. “Turkish and Persian cultures share many things in common. More works should be translated.”

Last month Puri visited Istanbul to give a speech about Nazım and said his admiration for the poet, who died in exile in Moscow in 1963, led him to write a poem in honor of the Turkish icon