Lesson Report:
Title
– Sounding Rumi in Persian and Reading Archives: Popcorn Readings, Translation Talk, and Textual Preservation
– Synopsis: The session balanced sensitivity to a recent earthquake with focused literary work. Students free-wrote, then explored a Rumi poem in English and in Persian, discussing translation and poetic form, before connecting those ideas to an excerpt from Mukhtar MaÄŸauin’s Blue Haze about archives, curation, and the ethics of textual transmission. In groups, students selected poems from a Rumi anthology, located or approximated Persian versions, and delivered Persian readings; they also began building a vocabulary list of unclear words/phrases for analysis after the break, with peer review time planned later.
Attendance
– Absent students mentioned: 0
– Notes: Instructor noted “almost the full roster.â€� Breakout rooms formed (approximately 4 rooms); multiple students actively read aloud.
Topics Covered (chronological)
1) Community check-in and housekeeping
– Acknowledgement of the Afghanistan earthquake (Kunar province); invitation for students to prioritize safety, with understanding for anyone unable to attend.
– Housekeeping:
– Essay due tomorrow morning via email (not today). Students may email finished drafts; instructor will look at Yalda’s during peer review.
– No added pre-class assignment due to earthquake; Rumi materials handled in class.
– Clarification: private free write is not for submission; no Drive upload needed.
2) Private free write (3 minutes)
– Task: Open notebooks; write on any topic of choice. Prompt if needed: “one of the most difficult things you ever heard from a friend.â€�
– Timing: 3 minutes; reconvened at :09.
3) Popcorn reading: Rumi poem in English
– Method: Popcorn reading, exactly one line per student to maintain cadence.
– Instructor notes:
– Invited students to locate the original Persian text of the poem (in-class search).
– Emphasized the value of hearing poetry in the original language for sound and intent.
4) Reading and discussion: Rumi in Persian; form and translation issues
– Students attempted to source the Persian original; an initial Persian text shared appeared to be a translation of the English rather than an authoritative original.
– A student used ChatGPT to obtain a Persian version; class noted that it sounded closer to a poetic register, but authenticity remained uncertain.
– Form and terminology discussed:
– Qafieh (rhyme) and balance/metric symmetry across lines in Persian verse.
– Refrain at the start of lines (“bo/boâ€� as heard; students glossed this as “come, comeâ€� in meaning), illustrating how sound and rhythm shape the poem’s emotive effect.
– Lexical note: “mohabbat/mahabatâ€� = love (shared cognate with Kyrgyz; “janâ€� also shared across languages).
– Translation challenges highlighted:
– English versions can lose Persian sound-patterning and structural balance.
– Benefit of bilingual reading to recover musicality and layered meaning.
5) Bridge text: Blue Haze by Mukhtar MaÄŸauin (popcorn reading, ~2 pages)
– Reading method: Popcorn; students asked to track the concept of “the archive.â€�
– Guiding questions:
– What is the protagonist Edige’s job?
– How does he perceive the archive and his work?
– Key points elicited/clarified by instructor:
– Historical context: Set in 19th-century Russian Turkestan; Edige is a local hire engaging with compiled texts.
– Role: Identify significant manuscripts and produce fresh copies to preserve them (paper is impermanent; copying ensures survival).
– Archives as living spaces: “Seeds of the futureâ€� reside there; beyond the stereotype of dusty storage for old men.
– Editorial history: Published versions often altered (pruned/expanded/“correctedâ€�) for ideology or class outlook; archives may contain unexpurgated originals, “unsoundâ€� or bawdy materials, and unique items (e.g., an unduplicated “zeyrâ€�/poem on Tsarist letterhead) that reshape literary history.
– Edige’s transformation: From indolence to wonder; the archive as a boundless, disordered forest that invites discovery.
6) Group activity: Building a mini-archive of Rumi selections
– Materials distributed in chat:
– Rumi anthology PDF (with Persian calligraphy/artwork); instructor indicated a previously read poem appears on page 10.
– Blue Haze PDF excerpt (pages referenced ~264 in instructor’s file).
– Instructions:
– In groups, screen-share the Rumi anthology; visually browse and select three poems that “jump out.â€�
– Read the three poems together.
– Locate the original Persian versions for each selection (for in-class reading). Caveat: watch authenticity; avoid machine back-translations.
– Tech fix:
– Students couldn’t screen-share due to host settings; instructor switched to “All participantsâ€� can share.
7) Whole-class Persian poetry readings from groups; vocabulary noting task
– Performance format:
– Each group read their three chosen poems in Persian; instructor followed the English versions by page numbers when provided.
– Students asked to note one uncertain word/phrase per poem in their notebooks (to analyze after the break).
– Examples shared (as recorded):
– Group 1: Page 18 (poem with multiple short stanzas), page 59 (very short quatrain; “I’ll tear apart the seven skies…â€�), page 37.
– Group 2: Page 35 (“let me know myself moreâ€� line noted), plus an additional Persian selection (page not captured), and a third poem.
– Lexical aside: word for falcon—students offered “shaheenâ€� and “bozâ€� in Persian/Dari usage.
– Group 3: Page 59 (short quatrain), page 44; one additional poem read by a student who was technically in Group 4.
– Group 4: Page 27 (at least one poem read; one student’s selection overlapped with another group).
– Instructor language/culture notes during shares:
– Observed refrain patterns and Persian sonic symmetry.
– Encouraged mindful notation of unclear vocabulary for post-break analysis.
8) Preview of next segment and break
– Next: Return to the words/phrases students noted; unpack meanings and usage in poetic context; then resume peer review time for essays.
– Break: 10 minutes; target return time announced.
Actionable Items
Urgent (before next session)
– Student welfare and flexibility:
– Continue to check on students and families affected by the Kunar earthquake; maintain attendance flexibility and deadline leniency as needed.
– Start-of-class plan:
– Begin with the vocabulary debrief: collect a few unclear words/phrases per group and resolve meanings in context (invite native speakers to model usage; contrast with English glosses).
– Transition into the promised peer review block so Yalda and others receive feedback before the essay deadline.
– Technical:
– Keep “participants can shareâ€� enabled before group work begins to avoid delays.
High priority (this week)
– Essay logistics:
– Remind: Essays due tomorrow morning via email; confirm submission email address in LMS/chat and acknowledge receipt.
– Source authenticity:
– Provide guidance for locating authoritative Persian texts (e.g., Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, Masnavi) and reputable online repositories; discourage machine-generated back-translations presented as “originals.â€�
– Prepare a short reference/citation note for how students should attribute Persian sources alongside English translations.
– Archival literacy mini-lesson:
– Build on Blue Haze: outline best practices for textual comparison (original vs. edited versions), noting ideological edits, and documenting variants.
Follow-ups and housekeeping
– Materials archiving:
– Upload the Rumi anthology PDF and the Blue Haze excerpt to the LMS with page pointers (e.g., Rumi poem read earlier is on page 10; commonly referenced pages 18, 27, 35, 37, 44, 59).
– Glossary building:
– Compile class-noted terms (e.g., mohab(b)at = love; refrains heard as “come, comeâ€�; bird terms like shaheen/boz) into a shared running glossary with example lines from the poems.
– Peer review continuity:
– Schedule/structure the peer review segment (pairings or triads, time allotments, checklist) since last session was rushed.
– Reflection prompt (optional homework):
– Ask students to write a short reflection (5–7 sentences) connecting one Rumi poem they read aloud to MaÄŸauin’s idea of the archive as “seeds of the future,â€� focusing on how sound and form carry meaning across languages.
Homework and reminders
– Essays due tomorrow morning via email to the instructor (as stated in class).
– Bring your three noted vocabulary items (one per poem) to next class for group debrief.
– If possible, locate and bookmark the authoritative Persian versions of your selected Rumi poems for citation and re-reading.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Submit Your Essay (Due Tomorrow Morning via Email)
You will finalize and submit your current essay. This builds directly on the peer-review work we continued in class today; the goal is for you to incorporate feedback, strengthen your argument and organization, and deliver a clean final version. Given today’s events, no new reading was added—your focus outside class is to complete and send your essay.
Instructions:
1) Collect your materials:
– Open your current essay draft and any peer-review notes you received during last night’s and today’s sessions.
2) Revise for content and structure:
– Clarify your thesis so a reader can state your main claim in one sentence.
– Ensure each paragraph advances that claim with clear topic sentences and evidence.
– Strengthen transitions so ideas flow logically.
– Verify any quotations, paraphrases, or examples are accurate and clearly connected to your point.
3) Refine style and mechanics:
– Read your essay aloud once to catch awkward phrasing.
– Edit for concision, tone, grammar, and punctuation.
– Standardize any citations/references you use (if applicable).
4) Finalize presentation:
– Include on the first page: your full name, course/section, date, and a clear essay title.
– Check page numbers and spacing for consistency.
5) Save your file:
– Save as a single document.
– Use a clear filename, e.g., LastName_Essay.
6) Submit by email:
– Send your essay as an attachment to the instructor’s email (as stated in class, email is the preferred/“bestâ€� way to receive it).
– Use a clear subject line, e.g., “Essay Submission – Your Name.â€�
– If you have already sent a version, make sure the attachment is your latest, revised file.
7) Deadline:
– Submit by tomorrow morning (as announced in class).
8) Confirm submission:
– After sending, verify the email appears in your Sent folder with the attachment.
– If you do not receive any expected acknowledgment and are concerned, follow up politely.
9) If obstacles arise:
– If you anticipate issues (e.g., technical problems or personal circumstances), notify the instructor as soon as possible so they are aware.