Mirza Shafi Vazeh | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of Vazeh in Tausend und ein Tag im Orient by Friedrich von Bodenstedt (1850) | |
| Native name | Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh |
| Born | Mirza Shafi Sadykh-oglu late 18th–early 19th century Ganja, Ganja Khanate |
| Died | 16 November 1852 Tiflis, Russian Empire |
| Resting place | Pantheon of prominent Azerbaijanis |
| Pen name | Vazeh |
| Occupation | Poet, Teacher |
| Language | Azerbaijani, Persian |
| Genre | Poems, Ghazals, Mukhammas, Mathnawis and Rubais |
Mirza Shafi Vazeh (Azerbaijani: Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh; میرزا شفیع واضح; died 16 November 1852) was an Azerbaijani[1][2] poet and teacher. Under the pseudonym "Vazeh", which means "expressive, clear", he wrote in both Azerbaijani and Persian, developing the traditions of poetry in both languages. He compiled the first anthology of Azerbaijani poetry and a Tatar-Russian dictionary for the Tiflis gymnasium with Russian teacher Ivan Grigoriev.
He wrote multiple ghazals, mukhammases, mathnawis and rubais. His poems are mostly intimate, lyrical and satirical. The main theme of Vazeh's works is the glorification of romantic love and the joy of life, but in some of his poems, he denounces the vices of feudal society and opposes slavery and religious fanaticism.
The German poet Friedrich von Bodenstedt, who took oriental language lessons from Vazeh, published translations of Vazeh's poems in his book A Thousand and One Days in the East in 1850. Bodenstedt's book, titled Songs of Mirza Shafi, was published in 1851.
- ^ ALGAR, HAMID (15 December 1996). ḎU'L-LESĀNAYN, "possessor of two tongues"; epithet often bestowed upon bilingual poets. Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ H. Algar (15 December 1984). "ĀḴŪNDZĀDA". iranicaonline.org. Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
He was deflected from this career by an encounter in Ganǰa with the celebrated Azerbaijani poet, Mīrzā Šafīʿ Wāżeḥ, who not only taught him calligraphy but also dissuaded him from pursuing his religious studies and introduced him instead to modern learning.