TEHRAN – The 26th Tehran International Book Fair hosted a ceremony on Friday, during which a Spanish translation of the Shahnameh, the epic masterpiece of the Persian poet Ferdowsi, was unveiled.
Venezuela's ambassador to Tehran, Amenhotep Zambrano, translator Beatriz De Salas, Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini and a number of officials attended the ceremony, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Friday.
In a short speech delivered at the ceremony, Salas said that it took over three years for her to render Shahnameh into Spanish and that she chose to translate the book to show the unity between the nations.
Salas, who teachs Spanish at the Islamic Azad University of Tehran, also said that the translation of Shahnameh helped her get to know the power and development of Persia in ancient times.
Ambassador Zambrano also delivered a brief speech and said that the Spanish translation of Shahnameh is a treasure they can take to their country.
Shahnameh’s Spanish translation is currently on show at the Venezuela pavilion at the 26th Tehran International Book Fair, which is underway at Imam Khomeini Mosalla until May 11.
Shahnameh, which is known as the “Book of Kings” in English, is the celebrated work of the epic poet Ferdowsi, in which the Persian national epic found its final and enduring form. It was completed in 1010. The Shahnameh millennium was accepted on UNESCO’s 2010 calendar of events.
According to historical sources on Persian literature, Ferdowsi spent 30 years writing the Shahnameh, which is comprised of nearly 60,000 verses.
RM/YAW
END