Learn Persian With Chai And Conversation

This lesson is an introduction to one of Iran's most lauded modern poets, Forough Farrokhzad. An extremely influential voice in a time of great change in Iran, she wrote about the nature of being an artist and an independent woman in a society that often did not make these pursuits easy. Here we learn more details about this extraordinary woman's life, and analyze one of my favorite poems of hers, Conquest of the Garden (fathé bāgh) with musician Fared Shafinury.

In the first part of our detailed study of Rumi's poem Rooz ō shab, we cover the first two lines, which are:dar havāyat bee gharāram rooz ō shabsar ze pāyat bar nadāram rooz ō shabWe go over the vocabulary and phrases in this segment of the poem, and also learn some concepts that are related to the words we are learning. We also learn about the Sufi concept, dar havāyat, of the intimacy of breath.

In this lesson, we learn Rumi's poem Rooz ō shab. In this poem, the words rooz, day and shab, night, are repeated like a mantra. Even though Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, his poems remain extremely relevant and relatable today. So, don't be intimidated by the unfamiliar sounding language. Over the next few weeks, we will dissect the words and phrases used in this poem until it sounds like ordinary language to you. This poem is so beautiful, it might make you fall out of your chair.Unfortunately, there's not an easy version of Lotfi's interpretation of this poem to link to- however, if you check out this video at minute 19:00, you can hear it in all its glory. He starts by singing the poem, and eventually gets lost in the zekr, rooz ō shab, rooz ō shab, rooz ō shab.

In this final part of our Sohrab Sepehri dar golestāné series we cover the rest of the vocabulary covered in the poem. After this lesson, you will be able to understand the entirety of the selection of the poem we heard. 

In this lesson, we continue the study of Sohrab Sepehri's dar golestāné by learning more about the words and phrases in the middle section of our selection.

In this introductory lesson to Sohrab Sepehri's beautiful poem dar golestāné, we're joined by musician Fared Shafinury to talk about the general theme and meaning behind this poem. 

In the last lesson of this series, we talk about the importance of poetry in Persian culture, and talk about why we're learning this magical language in the first place. To find out more about Persian miniatures, check out the wikipedia page!

In this lesson, we learn the langauge associated with one of the most important parts of Persian culture- food. We learn vocabulary for different Persian dishes, how to consume Persian food, and how to talk about it afterwards. This lesson might make you hungry, somake sure to have at least a little something to eat before listening to it! Also, here are some links to some of our favorite Perisan recipes and food blogs:  Najmieh Batmanglij's recipes are amazing Turmeric and Saffron is one of the best Persian food recipe blogs, with recipes for some of the foods we mentioned in the podcas Ariana Bundy has amazing videos with lots of delicious Persian recipes

In this lesson, we learn all the language associated with pregnancy, babies and small children.

In this lesson, we learn all the vocabulary associated with getting married in Persian! Includes the process of proposing, getting married, and language associated with the wedding ceremony. As promised, here are some links to some of our favorite Persian wedding songs!  Vigen, Shah Damad   vigen - shah damad original version, farsi   Shamaeezadeh, Ye Dokhtar Daram   Hassan Shamaeezadeh - Ye Dokhtar Daram | حسن شماعی زاده - یه دختر دارم     Hayedeh, Emshab Shabeh Eshgheh   Hayedeh - Shabe Eshgh (High Quality Audio)  

Lesson 56 covers language needed for talking on the phone, including etiquette used in greetings and saying goodbye on the phone.

If you’re around Iranians often, chances are you’ll be invited to their homes. Iranians love hosting, and it’s common to invite someone over as soon as you meet them. So, let’s learn some of the language and etiquette that goes along with being hosted.

In this lesson, we learn common Persian sayings that often don't make sense in English. Expressions, idioms- these are what make a language unique! We also learn some common Persian insults.

Respect is a big deal in Persian culture- respect for your family, respect for elders, among other things. We've learned about tārof- but this type of etiquette is just one aspect of showing respect for others. In this lesson, we learn other ways respect is demonstrated in the Persian culture.

In this lesson, we continue our discussion of the Persian concept of 'tārof'- we learn different situation in which 'tārof' comes into play, and how to successfully navigate through these situations. These situations include being paid a compliment, making a financial transaction at a store, interacting with guests and hosts, and much more.  

In this lesson, we talk about one of the most important concepts when it comes to learning about Persian culture- the concept of tārof. Tārof is basically the code of etiquette Iranians use in all social situations, and it's quite culturally pervasive. While western culture also has rules of engaging with others, Persians take it to a whole new level. For someone unfamiliar with the concept, sometimes the behavior of Iranians may seem a bit strange, but once these few simple rules are learned, a lot of cultural misunderstanding can be avoided. LINKS:  We also explored this concept in our popular Youtube video, which you can see here. In addition, Leyla was interviewed for PRI's The World about the concept- check it out on their webpage. Or checkout her interview with the LA Times, where again she championed the cause.