Iranian researcher and translator Soheila Salahi Moghaddam is translating William Blake’s oeuvre into Persian. She has decided to release her PhD thesis which is about comparing Rumi with Blake.

IBNA: Salahi Moghaddam told IBNA that she is currently translating all of the English poet, painter, and printmaker’s works into Persian.

The works include "Africa", “The Book of Thel”, Visions of the Daughters of Albion”, “America a Prophecy”, “Europe a Prophecy”, “The Book of Urizen”, “The Book of Los”, “The Four Zoas”, “Milton”, “Beitol Moghadas”, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” and “Songs of Innocence”. The poems are all themed on romantic, political and social issues.

She said that Blake’s ideas have gone international just like Rumi. Thus his poems are deep and conceptual and symbolic as well.

Moreover Salahi Moghaddam added that the poems cannot be translated fully but a precise explanation can be presented.

She added: “Blake wasn’t familiar with Hafez or Rumi however his poem’s concepts are close to their works particularly Rumi. Thus evaluating and comparing Rumi or Hafez’s works need a correct comprehension of Blake’s works.”

A part of my thesis was released few years ago named “Comparison between Jalal-e-Din Mohammad Molavi Rumi and William Blake” and currently I am preparing the complete version which will be published as well.

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language".

Blake used illuminated printing for most of his well-known works, including Songs of Innocence and Experience, The Book of Thel and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

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