The Indo-Persian poet Muḥammad Iqbāl (1877-1938), author of an Eternal Poem (Jāvēd-nāma) on the theme of the journey to the afterlife, was well aware of the Oriental prototypes of the above theme (the miʿrāj cycle, the Book of Ardā Wirāz). Nevertheless, thanks to his long stays in Europe and his exposure to European philosophy, Iqbāl shows a considerable Dantesque influence in his Eternal Poem. For example, he chooses a great poet such as the mystic Rūmī (d. 1273) to guide him on his journey to the other world, where he will meet, among other contemporary figures, the philosopher Nietzsche. On the one hand, this paper aims to highlight the points of encounter between the Eternal Poem and the Divine Comedy, and to contextualise Dante’s reception in Iqbāl’s work; on the other hand, it wants to reflect on the reasons why the Indo-Persian poet privileged Dante’s work as a model, rather than others closer to him and more present in his cultural background.
Il poeta indo-persiano Muḥammad Iqbāl (1877-1938), autore di un Poema celeste (Jāvēd-nāma) che tematizza il viaggio nell’aldilà, aveva ben presenti i prototipi orientali del suddetto tema (ciclo del miʿrāj, il libro di Ardā Wirāz). Nondimeno, anche grazie ai suoi lunghi soggiorni in Europa e alle sue frequentazioni della filosofia europea, nel suo Poema celeste Iqbāl rivela un notevole imprinting dantesco. Egli, per esempio, sceglie un grande poeta come il mistico Rūmī (m. 1273) a guida nel suo viaggio ultraterreno, dove incontrerà, fra gli altri personaggi a lui contemporanei, anche il filosofo Nietzsche. Il presente contributo da un lato intende evidenziare i punti d’incontro tra il Poema celeste e la Divina Commedia e contestualizzare la ricezione di Dante nell’opera iqbaliana; dall’altro, vuole riflettere sulle ragioni per cui il poeta indo-persiano ha privilegiato, come modello, l’opera di Dante piuttosto che altre a lui più prossime e ben presenti nel suo retroterra culturale.
Norozi, N. (2025). La Divina Commedia e una “Divina Commedia dell’Asia”: Il poeta indo-persiano Iqbāl e Dante a confronto. Ravenna : Longo Editore Ravenna.
La Divina Commedia e una “Divina Commedia dell’Asia”: Il poeta indo-persiano Iqbāl e Dante a confronto
Nahid Norozi
2025
Abstract
The Indo-Persian poet Muḥammad Iqbāl (1877-1938), author of an Eternal Poem (Jāvēd-nāma) on the theme of the journey to the afterlife, was well aware of the Oriental prototypes of the above theme (the miʿrāj cycle, the Book of Ardā Wirāz). Nevertheless, thanks to his long stays in Europe and his exposure to European philosophy, Iqbāl shows a considerable Dantesque influence in his Eternal Poem. For example, he chooses a great poet such as the mystic Rūmī (d. 1273) to guide him on his journey to the other world, where he will meet, among other contemporary figures, the philosopher Nietzsche. On the one hand, this paper aims to highlight the points of encounter between the Eternal Poem and the Divine Comedy, and to contextualise Dante’s reception in Iqbāl’s work; on the other hand, it wants to reflect on the reasons why the Indo-Persian poet privileged Dante’s work as a model, rather than others closer to him and more present in his cultural background.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
