January 27 - March 24, 2027
Online, Weekly
Instructor: Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
Languages: English
Duration: 9 weeks (27 hours of instruction)
Frequency: 1 class per week (Wednesdays)
Duration of a Session: 3 hours (with a 20min break)
Deadline for Applications: December 30
Classes Start: January 27 (6:00pm Yerevan Time)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Requirement: Knowledge of Arabic script by the start of the course. (contact for consultation)
Participation Fee: 450 USD
Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Complete all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.
Payment Method: Bank Transfer, Paypal
Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor
Background Image: A fragment of a painting from Anṣārī’s Tomb entrance chamber.
Second Image: A scene from ‘Aṣṣār-i Tabrīzī’s masnavi “Mihr-u Muštarī”. Inventory number: 78/2006. © The David’s Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Pernille Klemp. The courtesy of Navid Mollaaghaei.
A scene from 'Aṣṣār-i Tabrīzī's masnavi "Mihr-u Muštarī" © The David's Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Introduction
As the title suggests, this course is a complete beginner’s introduction to Classical Persian, designed for everyone interested in learning this wonderful language and gaining access to its rich literary heritage, which may seem hidden behind seven walls to those unfamiliar with Persian.
The course will begin with a basic introduction to Classical Persian grammar and will gradually, step by step, build towards a better understanding of the language, its grammar, morphology, phonetics, and stylistics.
By the end of the course, you will be able to access and read intermediate-level texts (I would include Bal’amī’s History, Hudūd al-‘Ālam, Tarsūsī’s Dārābnāma, Mujmal al-Tawārīkh, Sa’dī’s Gulistān, and many others in this category) independently, with the help of a dictionary. Moreover, provided that you complete all the homework assignments, you may even be able to venture into more challenging texts, both in prose and verse.
Course Outline
The classes will meet once a week, on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM Yerevan time, and will last three hours. Each class will be divided into two sections, with a 20-minute break in between.
On the first day, I will give a brief introduction to Classical Persian, its geographical and historical position, and some linguistic background on the development of the language. We will also take an initial look at the main features of Classical Persian grammar, an overview of which we will continue in the second class. The second class will serve as the main preparation for beginning our work with the texts.
The course will be focused primarily on a practical approach to learning. We will therefore be working with authentic texts from the very beginning. Our first readings will include Balʿamī’s translation of al-Ṭabarī, a historical text that is particularly well suited to our purposes. We will also look at Ṭarsūsī’s Dārābnāma, a more epic narrative belonging to a somewhat later period.
As for poetic texts, we will read a selection of quatrains by Khayyam, alongside passages from other Persian poets. Finally, we will turn to Saʿdī’s Gulistān, from which we will read a number of selected passages.
A considerable part of the course will be devoted to homework assignments. These will play an essential role in your progress, and I strongly encourage you to complete them regularly. Provided that you do the assigned work, you should be able to make substantial progress over the relatively short duration of the course.
Course Objectives
The main objective of the course is to bring participants to an intermediate level of reading proficiency in Classical Persian and enable them to work analytically with Classical Persian texts.
By the end of the course, provided that you attend the classes regularly and complete all the assigned homework, you will:
Gain a firm and solid grasp of Classical Persian grammar.
Acquire a vocabulary of approximately 800–1,000 lexical items, with the possibility of learning even more.
Develop the ability to analyse sentence structures and understand the grammatical relationships between different elements of a Classical Persian sentence.
Become familiar with some of the major literary works and authors of Classical Persian literature.
Learn to use the main reference tools, resources, and scholarly editions available for working with Classical Persian texts.
Acquire the necessary knowledge and practical skills to continue your studies independently.
Key Points to Know
There are a few important things I would like you to keep in mind before enrolling in the course.
1. Learning Classical Persian in a relatively short period of time
The first thing to note is that it is indeed possible to acquire a certain level of proficiency in Classical Persian within a relatively short period of time. Persian grammar, in general, is not an overly complicated subject, provided that it is taught in a methodical and concise manner, without overwhelming the learner with unnecessary information.
Another important point is that, although the vocabulary can sometimes pose challenges, depending on the text and the edition you are working with, knowing which materials to use and having the right strategy for approaching a text can make a considerable difference. With the right approach, even a fairly basic knowledge of grammar can allow you to analyse and understand texts.
2. Knowledge of the Arabic script
The course will proceed on the assumption that participants have at least a basic knowledge of the Arabic script. Learning the alphabet is largely a matter of practice and familiarisation, and I believe that even if you have no prior knowledge of it, you can acquire a sufficient level of familiarity within the two months preceding the beginning of the course.
Nevertheless, we will cover the phonetics and the sounds represented by individual letters as part of our studies. So, even if you already know the Arabic script but are not entirely familiar with the sounds of the individual letters in Persian, there is no need to worry.
In any case, if you are unsure whether your knowledge of the Arabic script is sufficient, or if you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact the school and ask for clarification.
3. Classical Persian pronunciation
One final point worth emphasising is that we will study Classical Persian using its historical pronunciation. Classical Persian pronunciation differs in certain respects from that of modern Iranian Persian, particularly when it comes to the pronunciation of some vowels.
Our goal is therefore not specifically to learn the pronunciation of modern Iranian Persian, but rather to become familiar with the historical pronunciation of Classical Persian and to be able to read texts accordingly.
These are the main points I wanted to bring to your attention. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the course. I will be happy to clarify anything you might be unsure about.
Testimonials
