Biography of SOHRAB SEPEHRI

SOHRAB born on 15 October 1929 in KASHAN city. ASADOLLAH, his father worked as a post office clerk. SOHRAB was teenager when his father paralyzed in both legs. However ASADOLLAH had great interest in art, literature painting and was making Iranian music tool, Tar. SOHRAB lost his father in youth time. A year later, he wrote about his death in a poem by name Dad`s dream:

In an image world, I saw father

Suffering made his height like a bow

Blessed me by touching my head

Had not seen his son for a year

FOROUGH IRAN SEPEHRI the SOHRAB`S MOTHER assumed her responsibility after death of husband. SOHRAB loved mother a lot.

SOHRAB`S childhood passed in KASHAN. Spent six years of elementary in KHAYAM SCHOOL. He was regular in classes and loved literature and calligraphy. SEPEHRI was saying poems even in childhood.

One day when he became ill and stayed home, with his childish mind wrote: From Friday to Tuesday dormant weepy

Did not remember school

The pain caught me day and night

I don’t have a moment of quiet pain

In October 1941 he stepped school and in 1948 finished it.

When SOHRAB was in fourth year of high school, attended teachers college and after finishing two years course was employed by department of education in KASHAN. At this time he attended literature examination and got his diploma too.

The following year he went to college of Fine Arts in Tehran University.

When he was in college, he published the first series of his poems. When MOSHFEGH KASHANI saw his poems, predicted that in the future he will give valuable works of literature. The first book of SEPEHRI by name color of death was published in Tehran, which was in style of NIMA YOUSHIJ. He named second poem collections as dreams life in 1954. The same year he got his degree in painting in first class and received scientific reward too.

From 1954 onwards, SOHRAB`s life passed in surf and study in painting and engraving in Paris, Rome, India and participated in learning , teaching painting in art exhibitions, to the point that some called him a poet painter and some others painter poet.

In 1959, the books of Collapse of sun and East of sadness were ready to print. But he was not successful to do it. In 1962 he published the said books including the other one by name Dreams life under the heading Collapse book. In this book we can observe the special effects in his poems and collision and fusion with nature. Enthusiasm is quite clear in next verses. In East of sadness, he is under full influence of Rumi the Iranian poet. In this collection, poems are happy and interesting. Footsteps of water and passenger are his fifth and sixth books. Footsteps of water made him famous.in this book SOHRAB`s poems get harmony in lyrics and form. He describes a passenger who is travelling in his life. This long poem which brought popularity for him published in ARASH journal. SEPEHRI lived away from controversy, newspapers and magazines throughout his life. And lived alone with few friends. In 1963, by releasing long length poem of Passenger, he imposed his poetry and greatness on publications. PASSENGER is the reflection and journey of poet in life and philosophy. GREEN VOLUME is the seventh and most complete collection of his works.

GREEN VOLUME is the last search of SOHRAB in Traveler poems. As he found all answers to the questions and reached to the facts. The poet does not stand waiting for good news but himself decides to come and brings the message: one day I will come and bring the message. SOHRAB`s eighth and final collection of poems is We, nothing, We, watch. Unlike previous poems, poet follows despair. But apart from his colorful thoughts is not leaking out.in 1977, poet gathered all his works in a book called as EIGHT BOOKS. This one contains deep spiritual truth of poet. From political opposition to the mystical land of passion search. EIGHT BOOKS is one of the most effective and most popular collections in Iranian new type of poetry. In 1979, SEPEHRI suffered from blood cancer. And 1980 he went to England for treatment, but the disease had progressed, and in 1981 poet joined to eternity. First, according to his wish, they wanted to bury him in his own village GOLESTANE, but there was danger of river flood. So by the advice of one of his friends, they buried him in courtyard of SULTAN ALI shrine in MASHHAD ARDEHAL.

An example of poems from collection of GREEN VOLUME:

The garden of fellow traveler

Call me

Your voice is good

Your voice is chlorophyll of that strange plant

Which grows in the intimacy of grief

There is no body

Let us steal life and then

Divide it between two meetings

Come to find out what is rock state

Come early to see the things

Look, clock fountain in the pond

They change the time to powder

Come, become water, just like my silence row

Come and melt the luminous mass in my palm