Roʾyā-ye Ṣādeqe (The True Dream): Indictment of the Shiite Clerics of Isfahan, an English translation with facing Persian text

Abstract

The True Dream is a scathing condemnation in the form of a satirical play of what was perceived as major ills besetting late nineteenth-century society in Qajar Iran, such as corruption in the political and religious establishment, bigotry, and lawlessness. Given that during the Qajar period—not surprisingly—the text could be published only anonymously, the question of what actually constituted the original text as well as that of its authorship remained somewhat shrouded in mystery. In fact, it was not until after the end of Qajar rule when, in 1933, the journal Armaghān published a version that—notwithstanding some arguable defects—served as a textual foundation for Bahram Choubiné’s 1986 edition (Intishārāt-i Mardi-i Imrūz) and established the identity of its authors with reasonable certainty. In his introduction to this new parallel-text edition, which contains an English translation facing the Persian text, Ali Asghar Seyed-Gohrab accurately and diligently chronicles the genesis of the text itself and the history of its edition (19). He starts his introduction by pointing out the importance of this particular text as an instructive example for the interaction between history and literature (1), and mentioning the stir it created when it was first published in 1900–1901 (19). Before addressing the question of authorship (1), he briefly yet robustly touches upon the status of dreams in Islamic religious and intellectual tradition as a privileged access to truth (1). I would have wanted to see a few words concerning dreams as a topos and a metaphoric device in literature, particularly since, at the end of the introduction (19–20), he makes a number of very helpful observations on other literary characteristics of the text like the resurrection theme as a recurring motif in Islamic literature and its use of satire in connection with elements of stage drama. This would have further elaborated on the effective history of The True Dream in the environment of its time. But, then again, even a rigorously researched and translated text such as this has room for minor improvements. Seyed-Gohrab goes on to give information on the two main villains of the drama, the governor of Isfahan Ḍill al-Sulṭān, son of the Qajar ruler of the time Nāṣir al-Dīn (r. 1848–96), and the town’s senior cleric Āqā Najafī (1–2). Then, in the context of his discussion of the immoral and criminal acts they were accused of in The True Dream, he highlights their persecution of real (or suspected) followers of Bahāʾism (2). A little elaboration on the tenets of the Bahāʾī doctrine would have been in order, especially for readers less familiar with Iranian and Islamic studies to gain insight into the theological aspects of the conflict between the Shi‘ite establishment and Bahāʾism. But to be fair, Seyed-Gohrab’s remarks help readers understand that Bahāʾism was also used by representatives of the religious establishment as a convenient argument against those they saw as a challenge to their influence, notably reformers. Most of the introduction is an insightful presentation of the ideas of the three authors, who, interestingly, were themselves clerics (3–17). I would have liked to see remarks elucidating the ideas of Mīrzā Āqā Khān Kirmānī, who is mentioned as an acquaintance of Sayyid Jamāl al-Dīn (5), and what similarities or differences may have existed between the two thinkers. What makes Seyed-Gohrab’s depiction of the three authors especially palpable is his use of contemporary—sometimes even eyewitness—sources and, in the case of Sayyid Jamāl al-Dīn, the recollections of his son, the famous novelist Muḥammad ʿAlī Jamālzāda.Seyed-Gohrab’s discussion of the literary characteristics of The True Dream in the context of Persian literary history is the primary merit and advantage of this new edition compared to Choubiné’s edition. In his introductory remarks, Choubiné, whom Seyed-Gohrab refers to in his introduction, elaborates on the other topics Seyed-Gohrab addresses. Unfortunately, however, Choubiné’s observations, since they are in Persian, are lost on readers unfamiliar with this language, and Choubiné’s decision to translate the text of The True Dream into German and French rather than English may not have been the best in terms of accessibility for an international scholarly readership. Sen McGlinn‘s conscientious English translation opposite the Persian text and explanations for potentially unclear terms and contexts now makes The True Dream readable for students and researchers of Iranian history, society, politics, and literature. Exploring this text is rewarding indeed, for it voices many of Iran’s internal grievances that lay at the root of the country’s Constitutional Revolution. This is a good example of how an otherwise lesser-known text can come to world attention through conscientious scholarship and translation. The Iranian studies series at Routledge has a history of filling important vacuums in the field and this monograph is in line with that reputation.