Abbas Mahyar Information

Biography of Abbas Mahyar

Abbas Mahyar (born 1937 in Ajabshir – died January 10, 2017, Tehran) was an Iranian scholar of classical Persian literature, professor at Kharazmi University, and one of the most prominent contemporary experts on Khaqani Sharvani. He is best known for his meticulous critical editions, commentaries, and analytical studies of Khaqani’s poetry, especially his difficult and highly rhetorical qasidas.

 Life and Education
Abbas Mahyar was born in 1937 in the city of Ajabshir, East Azerbaijan Province. He completed his primary and secondary education there before moving to Tabriz, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Persian Language and Literature from the Higher Teachers’ Training College (Daneshsaraye Ali) of Tabriz. He then continued his studies at the University of Tehran, receiving both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Persian Language and Literature. His Ph.D. dissertation was a critical edition of the Divan of Athir al-Din Akhsikati, one of the most important 12th-century Persian poets.

 Academic and Professional Career
Mahyar spent most of his academic career teaching Persian literature and related subjects at various universities in Iran. He was a long-time faculty member at Kharazmi University (formerly Tehran University of Teacher Training), where he trained numerous students and scholars in classical Persian poetry, textual criticism, prosody, and literary history.

He was especially renowned for his multi-volume commentary series titled Sharh-e Moshkelat-e Khaqani (“Explanation of the Difficulties in Khaqani”), which remains one of the most comprehensive and authoritative modern studies of Khaqani’s complex poetry.

Selected Works
Authored / Edited
– Sarf va Nahv baraye Daneshjo (“Morphology and Syntax for Students”)
– Critical edition of Tasliyat al-Ikhwan by Ata-Malik Juvayni
– Marja‘-shenasi 1 (“Bibliography 1”)
– Nazm 3 – Part One (prosody textbook)
– ‘Aruz-e Farsi: Sheva’i No baraye Amuzesh-e ‘Aruz va Qafiye (“Persian Prosody: A New Method for Teaching Meter and Rhyme”), Qatre Publications
– Sarf va Nahv-e ‘Arabi (“Arabic Morphology and Syntax”), SAMT Publications
– Gozide-ye Khaqani (“Selected Poems of Khaqani”), Qatre Publications
– Marja‘-shenasi-ye Adabi va Ravesh-e Tahqiq (“Literary Bibliography and Research Methodology”), Qatre Publications
– Simay-e Shir-e Yazdan dar Hadiqat al-Haqiqe (“The Image of the Lion of God in Sanai’s Garden of Truth”), Jam-e Gol Publications
– Multi-volume Sharh-e Moshkelat-e Khaqani (“Commentary on the Difficult Passages of Khaqani”):
– Vol. 1: Sari ta Sorayya
– Vol. 2: Khar-khar-e Band o Zendan
– Vol. 3: Nasim-e Sobh
– Vol. 4: Panj-nush-e Salamat
– Vol. 5: Ganjine-ye Asrar
– Sahr-e Bayan-e Khaqani (“The Magic of Khaqani’s Expression”), Jam-e Gol Publications
– Malek-e Molk-e Sokhan (“The Sovereign of the Realm of Speech” – commentary on selected qasidas of Khaqani), Sokhan Publications
– Nojum-e Qadim va Baztab-e An dar Adab-e Parsi (“Ancient Astronomy and Its Reflection in Persian Literature”), Ettela’at Publications, 2014

Legacy
Abbas Mahyar was widely respected for his deep philological knowledge, rigorous textual criticism, and lifelong dedication to making difficult classical Persian poetry accessible to modern readers and scholars. His commentaries on Khaqani are considered among the most authoritative modern studies of that poet’s highly rhetorical and intellectually demanding oeuvre. He passed away on January 10, 2017, in Tehran.