Zabihollah Safa (; May 7, 1911 in Shahmirzad,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

– April 29, 1999 in

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

) was a scholar and professor emeritus of

Iranian studies Iranian studies ( '), also referred to as Iranology and Iranistics, is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the research and study of the civilization, history, literature, art and culture of Iranian peoples. It is a part of the wider field ...

at the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

. His main contribution to the field of

is seen in his seminal and comprehensive works on the history of Persian literature. He was also a regular contributor to the ''

Encyclopaedia Iranica An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries that are arranged alphabetically by artic ...

''.

Education and professional life

Awards

Z. Safa has won several awards: a.o. Decoration (medal) for Science (1. class) (Cultural Ministry (1936), ''Nešān-e Sepās'', 1. class (1947), ''

Palmes Académiques Palmes is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Sir Brian Palmes, English landowner and politician * Sir Guy Palmes, English politician * Brian Palmes MP * Lieutenant General Francis Palmes * Major Billie Palmes * Captain Laurence P ...

'' Rang Commandeur (French Government) (1970), ''Neshān-e Tāj'' (1977), ''

Ehsan Yarshater Ehsan Yarshater (; April 3, 1920 – September 1, 2018) was an Iranian historian and linguist who specialized in Iranology. He was the founder and director of the Center for Iranian Studies, and Hagop Kevorkian Professor Emeritus of Iranian Stud ...

'' prize (1997)

Bibliography

Persian literature

* ''Hamâse-sarâyi dar Irân'', Tehran 1945 (2000) * ''Târikh-e tahawwol-e Nazm-o- Nasr-e Pârsi'', 1952 (1331), 8. ed. 1974 (1353), * ''Ayên-e sokhan. Dar ma’âni wa bayân'', Tehran 1952 (1959), 18. ed. 1994 * ''Târikh-e adabiyyât dar Irân'', Tehran 1953, 16. ed. 2001 8 vol. * ''Gandj-e Sokhan'', 1370 pages, 1968 (1348), ed. 1976 (1355), Tehran, 1995 3 vol. * ''Gandjine-je Sokhan'', 1969 (1348), 3. ed. 1974 (1353), ?. ed. 1983, Tehran, 6 vol. * ''Gandj va Gandjine'', Tehran 2002

Persian history and history of thought and science

* ''Gâh-shomari wa Djashn-hâ-je Melli –je Irâniân'', 1933 -1976 (1312–1355)) * ''Dânesh-ha-ye Iunâni dar Shâhanshâhi-ye Sâssâni'', 1952 (1331) Tehran * ''Mazdâ-Parast-i dar Irân-e Ghadim'', 1957 (1336), 3. ed. 1978 (1357) (2537) * ''Târikh’e olum’e aghli dar tammaddon’e eslami ta awwasate gharne panjom'', Tehran, 1952 (1977) * ''Târikh-e Oulum wa Adabiyyât-e Irâni'' * ''Moghâddem-e-ï bar Tassâwof'', 1975 (1354), 4 ed. 1976 (1355), Tehran * ''Nazar-i beh Târikh-e Hekmat wa Oulum dar Irân'', 1976 (1355), Tehran * ''Âmuseshgâh-ha wa Âmusesh-hâ dar Irân'', 1975 (1354), Tehran * ''Dur-namâ-ï as Farhang-e Irâni wa Assar-e Djahâni-ye Ân'', 1971 (1350), Tehran * ''Khollasseh-ye Târikhe Siyâssi wa Edjtemâï dar Irân'', 2. ed. 1978 (1357), Tehran * ''Siri dar Târikh-e Sabân –hâ wa Addab-e Irâni'', 1976 (1355) Tehran * ''Niki-nâmeh'', 1971 (1350), Tehran * ''Âyin-e Shâh-han-shâhi-ye Irân'', 1967 (1346), Tehran * ''Târikh-e Shâhanshâhi-ye Irân wa Maghâm-e Manawi-e Ân'', 1975 (1354), Tehran * ''Shâhanshah dar Târikh wa Addab-e Irâni''

Editorials and works on specific historic personalities

* Ayyuqi (Poet of the 5th century/isl.): ''Warqa o Golshâh'', Edition with Introduction, Glossary and Appendix. 1964 Tehran, (This novel written in verses was translated into the French language by ''Souren Melikian'' (In: ''Arts Asiatiques Tome XXII. Numéro Spécial. ''in 1970) after being published in Iran. (''Remark by Z. Safa in his handwritten CV'') * ''Djashn-nâmeh-je Ebn-e Sinâ''(3 volumes), vol 1: 1952 (1331), vol 2: 1955 (1334), vol. 3: 1956 (1335), Teheran * ''Yâd-Nâmeh-ye Kh. Tussi''(Congress Teheran 1957 (1336)) * ''Diwân-e Abdul-Wâse’ Djebli'', 1960 (1339), 2. ed. 1977 (1356), Tehran * ''Dârâb-nâmeh-je Bigami (or Firuznâmeh)'' 2 volumes, vol 1: 1960, (1339), vol 2: 1962 (1341) (both issues reprinted in 2003) Unesco - Translation into Englisch * ''Diwân-e Saïfu’d-din e Mohammade Farghâni'', 1962 (1341), 3. ed. 1965 (1344), 3 volumes * ''Dârâb-nâmeh-je Tarsussi'', 2 volumes, vol. 1: 1965 (1344), 2. ed. 1977 (1356), vol 2: 1967, 2. ed. 1977 (1356), Tehran * '' Bakhtiârnâmeh'', 1966 (1345) * ''Ahwâl wa Assâr-e Abu Reihân-e Biruni'', 1973 (1352), Tehran * ''Dalirân-e Djânbâs'', 1976 (1355), Tehran, 467 pages * ''Bahrâm-e Tshubin'' * ''Rostam wa Esfandijâr''(Rostam and Esfandiar – Heroes of the Shâhnâmeh * ''Tshâhar Maghâleh'' * ''Hakim-e Fârâb, 1974 (1353)'', Tehran

Works published in French

* ''Le livre du Millénaire d’Avicenne'', 1953 (1332) * ''Anthologie de la poésie persane'', Paris, Gallimard Unesco, 1964, ?. ed. 2003 * ''Un aperçu sur l’évolution de la pensée à travers la poésie persane'', 1969 (1348), Tehran * ''Al-Biruni, ses oeuvres et ses pensées'', 1973 (1352), Teheran * ''Djalal al-Din Mawlavi, grand penseur et poète persan'' 1974 (1353), Tehran * ''La prose rythmique persane'' (Asiathèque, 1976) * ''Comparaison des origines et des sources des deux contes persans:“Leyli et Madjnoun“ de Nizami et „Varqah et Golchah“ de Ayouqi'', Accademia Nazionale die Lincei, Roma, 1977

Translations into the Persian language

* ''Marg-e Soghrât'', (La mort de Socrate, Lamartine) 1935 (1314), 3.ed. 1968 (1347), Tehran * ''Râfâël'', (Raphael, Lamartine) 1938 (1317), 5. ed. 1978 (1357), Tehran * ''Leibnitz'', Mehr, 2. ed. 1949 (1328) * ''Kayâniân'', 1957 (1336), 4. ed. 1976 (1355), Translation of the Danish scholar Arthur Christensens: ‚Les Kayanides’

Own poetry

* ''Nas’at-e Djâm'', 1976 (1355) (2535), Teheran

Literature (selection)

* ''Iranshenasi. Papers in Honour of Professor Zabihollah Safa. '' Vol.III, No. 1, Rockville, Maryland, USA Spring 1991 * ''Iranshenasi. Commemorative Issue for Zabihollah Safa (1911–1999). '' Vol.XI, No. 3, Rockville, Maryland, USA Autumn 1999 * Djalal Khaleghi Motlagh: "Zabihollah Safa und sein Werk". (''Zabihollah Safa and his works''). In: ''Iranzamin'', Bonn 1991, 1 * Seyfeddin Najmabadi: "Ein Nachruf auf Professor Zabihollah Safa". (''Obituary for Professor Zabihollah Safa'') In: ''Orient'' 4/2000, Hamburg, S. 528ff. * Mohammad Torabi. ''Djaschn-nâmeh-ye Ostâd Zabihollâh Safâ'' (Honorary issue for Professor Zabihollah Safa). Nasr'e Shâhâb, Teheran 19

Quotes on Zabihollah Safa

* "The most outstanding historian of Persian literature" (BBC, Persian 11 November 1999) * "One of the most eminent and productive Persian scholars of our time and a Consulting Editor and regular contributor to the

" (Newsletter of the Center for Iranian Studies, Melac, Vol 11, No 1, Columbia University, New York, Spring 1999) * "An Eternal Name in the History of Persian Literature. " (''Ehsan Yarshater lecutreship'' prize signature, 1997)