“The issues Hafez addressed in his poems belong to all ages, though they were composed centuries ago, and any one who reads them today feels Hafez is addressing him/her,” she added.
A seminar on Hafez, Goethe, and Sikelianos was held in Athens on Monday.
The professor, who read the poetry of Hafez before attending the seminar, said, “I was so impressed by Hafez that I began to translate over 50 pages of his divan into the Greek language, despite all my work.”
Unfortunately, the Greeks are not very familiar with Hafez, she observed, adding that holding seminars can pave the way for more cultural exchanges.
She described Hafez as one of the world famous poets whose thoughts and words are universal, saying contemporary man can make the best use of his advice written in the poetic style.
Iran and Greece have ancient civilizations, and countries of great antiquity always call for dialogue, she said, adding, “The best way to achieve world peace is dialogue among civilizations. The countries with ancient history seek peace through dialogue, while younger countries find peace in wars.”
The Athens chapter of the Goethe Institute and the city’s Iranian Cultural Center held a seminar today commemorating Iranian poet Mohammad Shamsoddin Hafez (1325?-1389?), German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), and Greek poet Angelos Sikelianos (1884–1951).
Iranian, Greek, and German cultural figures gave lectures at the one-day gathering.
RM/HG
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MNA
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