.jpg "Moshfeq Kashani attends a ceremony that the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on August 12, 2013 to honor the poet.")
TEHRAN -- The Iranian poet Moshfeq Kashani, who is considered one of the restorers of Persian classical poetry, passed away due to heart failure while reading a poem during a session in Tehran on Sunday evening. He was 89.
“He was immediately transferred to the Iranmehr Hospital, but physicians’ efforts to save him were in vain and this prominent poet died,” poet Afshin Ala, who also was in attendance at the poetry session, told the Persian service of ISNA on Sunday.
He said that the session was organized by the Iranian Poets’ Society to celebrate the 54th birthday of poet Soheil Mahmudi.
Born as Abbas Kaymanesh in the central Iranian city of Kashan, he began writing under the penname Moshfeq Kashani.
He composed over ten collections of poems and books, including “Ballade of Life”, “Memoires”, “Wine of Sun”, “Lightening”, “The Mirror of Imagination”, “The Red Spring of Ballade” and “The Mystery of Winter”.
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance commemorated Moshfeq Kashani for his lifetime achievements during a ceremony in August 2013.
His works were highly regarded by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
“Mr. Moshfeq Kashani is one of the eminent poets of our time… His odes are full-blown, full of meanings and well-composed,” the Leader said in a meeting with the organizers of an event held last year to honor to Moshfeq Kashani.
Many Moshfeq Kashani’s works were performed by singers, including Hesameddin Seraj, Abdolhossein Mokhtabad, Bahram Hasiri and Mohammad Esfahani.
His death came as a shock to Iranian poets and literati.
“I heard, but could not believe, the news of the death of my dear lifelong friend, Moshfeq Kashani, who was the honor of Persian literature and poetry,” poet Hamid Sabzevari said in a message of condolences published by some Persian news websites on Monday.
“His death was really devastating for me,” he added.
Poet Saed Baqeri called Moshfeq Kashani the spiritual father of all the Iranian poets who were born after him.
“In my opinion, he was a master of Persian ode and love,” he stated.
Poet Ali Musavi Garmarudi said, “In his nineties, Moshfeq Kashani composed odes in which young blood flows.”
Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Academy of Persian Language and Literature Director Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani, and Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Seyyed Abbas Salehi also sent messages of condolence.
His funeral procession will begin in front of the Iranian Poets’ Society today.
MMS/YAW
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