Peter Avery
Encyclopedia
Peter Avery OBE
(May 15, 1923 – October 6, 2008) was an eminent British
scholar of Persian
and a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge
.
He contributed to English language work on Persian history and literature, such as The Age of Expansion and Medieval Persia and published Modern Iran. One of Avery's best known works is a translation (with poet John Heath-Stubbs
) of the Persian text of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
, first published in 1979. His final work was The Collected Lyrics of Hafiz of Shiraz
, published in 2007. His translations are published with copious notes explaining allusions in the text and filling in what the poets would have expected their readers to know.
Avery was born in Derby
and educated at Rock Ferry High School, Birkenhead
and Liverpool University. War Service in the Royal Navy
interrupted his studies, which he resumed after the war at the London School of Oriental and African Studies
, graduating in 1949. He learned Arabic and Persian and knowledge of these led to his appointment as chief language training officer with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
in Abadan
, South-West Iran. In 1951 the government of Iran nationalised the oil industry and Avery moved to Baghdad
, where he taught English. In 1952, he published, with John Heath-Stubbs his first translations of Hafiz. In 1958 he was appointed Lecturer in Persian Language Literature and History at Cambridge University, becoming a Fellow of King's College in 1964. He retired from the Lectureship in 1990, but continued researching and writing as a Fellow of King's, and continued to lead an informal reading group in Persian poetry, despite ill health, until his last months.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(May 15, 1923 – October 6, 2008) was an eminent British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
scholar of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
He contributed to English language work on Persian history and literature, such as The Age of Expansion and Medieval Persia and published Modern Iran. One of Avery's best known works is a translation (with poet John Heath-Stubbs
John Heath-Stubbs
John Francis Alexander Heath-Stubbs OBE was an English poet and translator, known for his verse influenced by classical myths, and the long Arthurian poem Artorius .- Biography :...
) of the Persian text of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám , a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer...
, first published in 1979. His final work was The Collected Lyrics of Hafiz of Shiraz
Hafez
Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
, published in 2007. His translations are published with copious notes explaining allusions in the text and filling in what the poets would have expected their readers to know.
Avery was born in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and educated at Rock Ferry High School, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
and Liverpool University. War Service in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
interrupted his studies, which he resumed after the war at the London School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
, graduating in 1949. He learned Arabic and Persian and knowledge of these led to his appointment as chief language training officer with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
Anglo-Persian Oil Company
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. It was the first company to extract petroleum from the Middle East...
in Abadan
Abadan
Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...
, South-West Iran. In 1951 the government of Iran nationalised the oil industry and Avery moved to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, where he taught English. In 1952, he published, with John Heath-Stubbs his first translations of Hafiz. In 1958 he was appointed Lecturer in Persian Language Literature and History at Cambridge University, becoming a Fellow of King's College in 1964. He retired from the Lectureship in 1990, but continued researching and writing as a Fellow of King's, and continued to lead an informal reading group in Persian poetry, despite ill health, until his last months.
Selected works
- Modern Iran, Praeger, 1965.
- The Cambridge History of Iran, edited by P. Avery, G. R. G. Hambly and C. Melville, Cambridge University Press (1991) ISBN 0-521-20095-4.
- Peter Avery, The Collected Lyrics of Hafiz of ShirazHafezKhwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
, 603 p. (Archetype, Cambridge, UK, 2007). ISBN 1-901383-09-1
Note: This translation is based on Divān-e Hāfez, Volume 1, The Lyrics (Ghazals), edited by Parviz Natel-KhanlariParviz Natel-KhanlariParviz Natel Khanlari Mazandarni , Iranian literary scholar, linguist, author, researcher and professor at Tehran University.-Biography:...
(TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, 1362 AH/1983-4). - Peter Avery, The Speech of the Birds, Mantiqu't-Tair, of Faridu'd-Din 'Attar / Farid ad-Din Attar, 560 p. (The Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, UK, 1998). ISBN 0 946621-69-1 (cloth), 0-946621-70-5 (paper).
External links
- "Distinguished Iranologist passes away", IRNAIslamic Republic News AgencyThe Islamic Republic News Agency , or IRNA, is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is government-funded and controlled under the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The agency also publishes the newspaper Iran. , the Managing Director of IRNA is Ali Akbar...
, London, Oct 9, 2008 - Obituary: Peter Avery The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, October 18, 2008. - Obituary: Persian Scholar Peter Avery, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, October 16, 2008. - Peter Avery talks about Hafiz, April 1, 2007.
- Peter Avery interviewed by Alan Macfarlane 8th June 2008 (film)