Prince Iraj Mirza (Persian: ایرج میرزا, literally Prince Iraj; October 1874 – 14 March 1926), titled Jalāl-ol-Mamālek (Persian: جلال‌الممالک), was a prominent Iranian poet. He was the son of Prince Gholam-Hossein Mirza. Iraj Mirza was known for his modern poetry, which often critiqued traditional customs. In addition to his original works, he translated literary pieces from French into Persian.

Early life

thumb|left|Iraj Mirza’s paternal house at [[:fa:خیابان سی تیر|30 Tir Street, Tehran]]

Iraj Mirza was born in October 1874 in Tabriz, northwestern Iran. He was a great-grandson of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, the second shah of the Qajar dynasty (r. 1797–1834). His father, Prince Gholam-Hossein Mirza, was the son of Prince Malek Iraj Mirza, who was himself a son of Fath Ali Shah.

Gholam-Hossein Mirza served as the poet laureate, or official court poet, for Mozaffar al-Din Mirza in Tabriz, since traditionally, all Crown Princes during the Qajar era resided in Tabriz. Mozaffar al-Din Mirza, later known as Mozaffar al-Din Shah, the Crown Prince of Iran at the time, was the son of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the fourth shah of the Qajar dynasty (r. 1848–1896).

2. The second poem, known for its creative use of proverbs in each line, was performed by Sobhan Ganji as the track "Che Ajab Shod" in his album "Dore Doori."

References

  • Iraj Mirza Jalaalol-Mamalek: A Reference Article on the First Iranian Master of Colloquial Poetry by Manouchehr Saadat Noury
  • A survey of biography, thoughts, and works and ancestors of Iraj Mirza, Dr. Mohammad-Ja'far Mahjub, Golshan Printing House, Tehran, 1977
  • Mo'in Persian Dictionary, Amir Kabir Publishers, Vol.5,
  • From Saba To Nima, Vol. 1, Yahya Aryanpur, Tehran, Zavvar Publishers, Tehran
  • Photographs of the grave of Iraj Mirza, Zahir od-Dowleh cemetery: (1), (2).
  • "Aman az in Del" sung by Ghamar on Iraj Mirza's death [https://web.archive.org/web/20111109082815/http://www.setar.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:tasnif-ghamar-aman-az-in-del&catid=39:audio-ressources&Itemid=66]