Saeed Nafisi, one of the remarkable characters in the literary field (Part 1)

Late Saeed Nafisi is one of the remarkable characters that emerged in contemporary literature who works with vast knowledge, exceptional intelligence and memory in the literary field and successfully managed it.

Late Saeed Nafisi, the famous Iranian scholar, literary writer and bibliographer, was born on 18 Khordad 1274 (8 June 1896), in Tehran. Nafisi was born in Tehran, where he conducted numerous research projects on Iranian culture, literature and poetry in a well known and well rooted family.  His paternal kin were all physicians. 

Saeed Nafisi did his schooling in Sharaf and Elmieh schools in Tehran.  Though it is said that he was not a regular and orderly student but he had unusual intelligence and memory, and would show extraordinary interest in reading Iranian historic and cultural books.

He, himself, wrote later on: “I had just learned how to read books and which books I should read first.  I would read books, in winter nights, near the heater and summer nights on the terrace, under a lamp, until I would fall asleep.  I always had a pencil with me and whenever I would come across an interesting sentence I would mark it on the margin.  Just as I was about to fall asleep I would place the pencil in the page I was reading and would close the book.  The next day I would write sentences that I had marked the night before, in a notebook and would write the name of the author at the foot of the sentence.  I have 23 such notebooks from those days.

Nafisi went to Switzerland and France to continue his studies.  He was away from Iran until 1297 (1918). After returning he was employed in the Ministry of Welfare and soon after, he accepted the post of Director of the Agriculture Department and principal of Commercial school.  In 1308 he was employed in the Ministry of Culture and started teaching French in St. Louise and Aghdasyeh schools and also taught in political science school, Darolfonoon, and industrial school.  He then entered the Faculty of Law and Literature as lecturer.  Soon, he became member of the National Culture Centre.

His cooperation with Malek ol Shoaraye Bahar, in the University’s Association, started in 1297 (1918) and wrote articles for the literature magazine of the university.  Nafisi was especially interested in doing research in the history of Iran.  He edited and printed a number of historic texts and also a number of valuable historic researches.  Books like the ‘Taherian Dynasty’ 1335 (1956), ‘About the History of Beyhaghi’ 1342 (1963), the Social history of Iran 1342 (1963), Christianity in Iran 1343 (1964), the History of Sassanian Civilization 1344 (1965), are his famous works. He also edited the books, “Advices of Anushiravan’ 1312 (1933), the History of Conquers 1317 (1938), Gardizi History 1332(1953).

He would also print literature texts and poetical works. Some of the poetical works that Nafisi printed (for those interested in the old poems of Iran), with an introduction note are:

His mastery of the history and literature of Iran and the wide scope of his knowledge helped him to create new books on his researches and publish many prose and poem texts in Farsi, in a scientific manner and bring them out of the dark and anonymity.  Especially, the rare personal library that he had gradually built helped him to access very important historic and literary references.

Other links:

Nima Yushij (The Father of Modern Persian Poetry)

Baba Taher Oryan Hamadani

Shahryar, an emotional poet

Parvin Etesami (Memoir)

Jalal Al Ahmad