March 26, 2024
Meghan O'Toole
Ahmad Sadri’s ‘Shahnameh’ translation featured by Kamala Harris
For the third time, the White House included Gorter Professor of Islamic World Studies and Professor of Sociology Ahmad Sadri’s translation of the Shahnameh in the Nowruz display at the White House.
Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris shared a message wishing a happy new year to those celebrating Nowruz in the United States and worldwide. Nowruz is the Persian New Year, and it falls on the spring equinox, which marks the first day of the new year in the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar.
Sadri's translation of the Shahnameh, or the Epic of the Persian Kings, was prominently on display on the spread of Haft sin at the White House. Haft sin is an arrangement of seven symbolic items whose names start with the Persian letter S.
While the original epic poem was written by Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi over a thousand years ago, Sadri's translation has been praised for bringing new life to the stories of Persian kings. Sadri's adaptation was first published in 2013 and features intricate illustrations by Hamid Rahmanian.