Where Sitting on the Ground Is a Virtue

The 19th of Mehr may pass like any other day, lost amid the bustle of daily life, but for those who feel the pulse of this land through words, this date recalls a powerful and unmasked poet.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan, Aaghat newspaper wrote: "Autumn on Elkhebal street, with its half-yellow plane trees and the smell of autumn and its bookstores, finds a different mood every year in the middle of October." The 19th of Mehr may be lost in the hustle and bustle like any other day, but for those who take the pulse of this land through words, this date is a reminder of a powerful and unmasked poet. At a time when spiritual and everyday erosion has left no room for collective celebrations and the shadow of small and large anxieties weighs heavily on our heads, remembering his name is like opening a window to a late-year garden. For us, especially for the younger generations who feel that their ties with history, past and meaning are breaking, Mohammadreza Shafiei-Kedkani is not just a corrector of ancient texts or a well-known poet; He is a light that is still kept on in the cultural field of this land.

To understand him, you have to follow his footsteps far away; to a village near Neishabur and Torbat Heydarieh called Kodkan. where his childhood days began not in the splendor of today's libraries, but with his father's quotes and his mother's whispers with poems and prayers. After that, years of practice and austerity took place in the traditional cells of Mashhad; Kneeling before writers Nishaburi Sani and Sheikh Hashem Qazvini, reading thousands of lines of syntax, jurisprudence and logic and tasting the taste of old words in their ancient origins. But the success of this talented Khorasani student did not stop in the classroom.

His move to Tehran in the 40s and sitting on the chair of a great writer such as Badiul Zaman Forozanfar was the meeting point of two worlds. Forozanfar, strict and slow-witted, realized at the first glance that this young man from Khorasani has a fiery soul. Shafi'i became an apprentice, boasted and became a support. He slowly reached a position where today he can confidently be called "the last living bridge"; A strong and stable bridge that connects old poetry, Bayhaqi's language, Attar's passion and Khayyam's witty humor directly to new poetry, Jahan Nima, Khlut Akhwan and the questions of today's world. Standing between two centuries, between the thousand-year tradition and the burning modernity, is not everyone's job; Shafi'i filled this gap with Taropod Omari's patient study and understanding.

When you are not, you are more visible

In a world where every second is defined by the thirst of being seen, producing content and hunting for likes, Mohammadreza Shafiei Kadkani's lifestyle is like a silent rebellion. He has been living away from the noise of cameras for decades; He doesn't show off in any press interviews, he doesn't write daily statements, and he doesn't have a social media page to frame his daily activities. This rarity is not an escape from social tyranny or anger. In an age where everyone shouts to be heard and flaunts their presence every moment, it is precisely the one who is silent and does original work in his solitude that produces the loudest voice.

Shafii has created a clear charisma and a deep influence with his smart avoidance of drama. His words were never auctioned; This is the reason why, after years, when he writes a new introduction to a book or notes a short note in the margin of a correction, people of culture read it with passion and go hand in hand. His credibility does not rely on overnight trends, algorithms of virtual networks or the support of the powerful; This credit has been obtained bit by bit from the dirt of libraries, from years of hard work on manuscripts and from the ink of a pen that did not sit on paper in vain. He reminds us that the weight of the word is not made in noise, but is rooted in the deep calm of thought.

Our happiness is based on this name

If we put two parallel lines of his life together - that is, his passionate classes with the audience sitting on the floor and this silence and his stubborn withdrawal from the media - the secret of his longevity will be revealed; pure originality He doesn't want to appear anything other than what he really is; A teacher from Khorasani, guardian of the Persian language and a researcher who has dedicated his entire existence to the introduction of the gentle and deep spirit of Iranian culture. For this very reason, his connection with his audience is not an advertising or temporary connection, but a deep and rooted emotion. At a time when the anxiety of separation and forgetfulness scratches our souls, the presence of this master of Persian literature gives us encouragement that the roots are still intact. His birthday is the celebration of the awakening of words; A sweet twist reminds us that although many storms have passed over this land, as long as such anchors stand among us, the language and soul of this culture will remain alive and beating.

Tickets are not available on Tuesdays

If you were to pass by the fourth floor of the Faculty of Literature of Tehran University on Tuesday around 10 o'clock in the morning, you would be faced with a phenomenon that has nothing to do with the usual decay of today's universities. The hallway leading to the classroom is full of noise, but not an aimless noise. The crowd is standing tight and breathless behind the door. When you enter the classroom, there is no empty seat. On the floor of the classroom, several young (or old!) boys and girls are sitting knee-to-shoulder, some are leaning on the edge of the window, and there must be a few people listening on the threshold of the door. At first glance, you might think that these are all literature students who have come to take a specialized course, but if you look more closely, another amazing reality will emerge. One is a Sharif engineering student; One of the medical faculty has reached here and a little further on, some painting and graphics students are leaning against the wall with drawing books.

At a time when the university has given up most of its institutional, scientific, and passionate credibility and has been overshadowed by boring academicism, Shafii Kadkani's Tuesday class is no longer just a university classroom; This room is a sanctuary. The young generation seeks refuge there to taste the taste of authentic language, to see the form of unexplored knowledge and to remind itself that the world of thought is still breathing. Reza Zanganeh, a researcher and literature teacher, says about the atmosphere of the regular meetings on Tuesday with professor Shafii Kadkani: "Looking at the state of universities, especially universities that had a clear and well-known enthusiasm in these years, and perhaps one of the most obvious ones is Tehran University; Many of these have fallen and distanced themselves from the prosperity and vitality to some extent after the corona virus and after the numerous incidents of recent years.

One of the indicators of this vitality was the University of Tehran and specifically the faculty of literature and Dr. Shafiei's classes; Classes that are memorable for many. In fact, many of the teacher's words that are also in their books, and of course some points that perhaps came to the teacher's mind due to impromptu teaching in the classroom - such as memories or points that were historically valuable and especially contemporary history - many of these were brought up in these classes. Especially considering that the professor, especially in those years, was never interested in speaking in literary circles and meetings, after all, those words were a treasure and many considered it very valuable and rare, and of course it was right. Contrary to all this, there were always criticisms. Even we and some of those who were students and professors were not very satisfied with this process that the class had found a general audience and since there was no other access to Professor Shafii, everyone came and participated in his classes. In fact, the class did not always have enough space for the professor's own students.

Anyway, the professor's class had an audience beyond the university and often inspired many people; Those who came from far away were our fellow students from other universities, or they were students of other fields who, anyway, had interdisciplinary links and topics with literature and benefited from the professor's knowledge, and many times his words inspired them. Even though the professor had to repeat the discussions that he had previously scattered or written in books and articles, again for the general audience; The audience, many of whom had nothing to do with studying the master's works. This case may have been repeated for us, and it took away from the professor the opportunity to talk beyond the recorded discussions. These weekly classes have become a part of the collective identity and memory of the University of Tehran and have become symbolic, which of course was a treasure."

Beyond the official seats of the university and the awe of the strict professor who surgically examines the old manuscripts with philological precision, Shafiei has another biological codification; An emotional, lyrical and unpretentious scene that in its poetic title, "M. Sarshak" and its deep spiritual connection with the symbols of contemporary culture has been manifested. This dimension of existence shows that behind that academic professor, the life of a poet in love, pain and dependent on old friendships beats. The most obvious manifestation of this behavior was his clear and soulful friendship with Mahdi Akhwan Thalath (M. Omid). Shafi'i in his monograph "Halaat and my officials. Omid" narrates the Brotherhood not with a historical perspective or from a safe and administrative distance, but with the tears and smiles of the allied brotherhood; Sitting together in the nights of Tehran, traveling together in unrest and understanding the terrible loneliness of a poet who holds the historical failure of a generation in his chest.

Shafi'i's work about the Brotherhood is not just a literary criticism; The romantic devotion to the gem of poetry and the originality of Rafiq's life have been lost. The other wing of this Khorasani life was his soulful relationship with Mohammad Reza Shajarian. Both of them were born from the soil of Khorasan and as if they had divided the old songs of Tus and Neishabur among themselves. One in the clothing of words and rhetoric, the other in the veil of the larynx and singing. Shafi'i considered Shajarian to be the "conservator of Iranian music" and Hanjareh Shajarian's verses "M. Sarshak, like the ballad "Kisses of the Rain", linked to the emotional birth certificate of several generations. These gatherings away from the noise prove that Professor Shafii Kadkani was never a researcher away from the people; He is the beating heart at the center of a network of the most authentic human emotions, unexpected loyalties, and eternal literary and vocal bonds of this land.