Learning Persian Through Songs: Language, Poetry, and Culture Across the 12 Dastgāh

Mehdi Rezania

Short Course Description

This course introduces students to the Persian language and culture through the expressive world of Persian music. Drawing on selected songs from classical, regional, and contemporary repertoires, learners explore vocabulary, pronunciation, poetic expression, and cultural concepts embedded in musical performance. Each session focuses on one of the twelve dastgāh/āvāz and integrates guided listening, lyrical analysis, cultural commentary, and optional vocal practice. Through this creative and intuitive approach, students improve their language skills while gaining insight into the core aesthetic principles that shape Persian musical and literary traditions. Designed for learners of all levels, the course offers differentiated tasks to ensure accessibility for beginners while providing depth and nuance for advanced students. By the end of the course, students will not only strengthen their Persian but also develop a richer appreciation of Iranian cultural identity as expressed through sound and poetry.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Understand and interpret the lyrics of selected Persian songs across classical and contemporary genres.
Improve pronunciation, rhythm, and phrasing through guided listening and optional singing exercises.
Recognize key vocabulary, idioms, and poetic expressions frequently used in Persian musical and literary culture.
Identify fundamental elements of Persian classical music, including dastgāh, rhythmic patterns, and stylistic features.
Develop cultural literacy around major poets, composers, and performers featured in the course.
Engage with Persian music as a medium of storytelling, emotion, and cultural memory.
Strengthen overall language comprehension through multisensory learning (listening, reading, speaking).
Appreciate the relationship between sound, poetry, and cultural identity in Persian artistic traditions.

Integrated Weekly Schedule (12-Week Dastgāh Model)

Week 1 – Introduction: Why Learn Persian Through Music? Overview of the 12

Dastgāh with Emphasis on Shur

Course overview; music as language
Listening: “Āy Āmān” and short excerpts across several dastgāh
Vocabulary: national symbols & foundational emotion words

Week 2 – Melody and Meaning: Understanding Lyrics - Abuatā

Basics of rhythm, phrasing, poetic meter
Song sample: “Ey Kabutar”
Grammar: simple verbs; compound verbs in songs

Week 3 – Classical Repertoire: Dastgāh System - Bayāt-e Tork

Song sample: “Hamcho Farhād”
Musical focus: modal expression & emotional color
Pronunciation practice using melodic contour

Week 4 – Regional Voices: Simple Language, Deep Culture - Dashti

Song sample: “Majnun Nabudom”
Grammar: simple past & present; spoken vs. literary register
Cultural focus: regional dialects & expression

Week 5 – Contemporary Popular Music - Māhur

Song: “Morgh-e Sahar” (tradition, politics, modernity)
Vocabulary: modern expressions
Discussion: political symbolism & performance history

Week 6 – Expressing Longing Through Subtlety - Segāh

Song sample: “Mast-e Negāh”
Grammar: rhetorical repetition; poetic intensifiers
Musical focus: color, nuance, and vocal ornamentation

Week 7 – Classical Meets Popular - Māhur

Song sample: “Meyzadeh” (popular–modal blend)
Grammar: object markers & transitivity
Discussion: evolution of poetic language in modern songs

Week 8 – Language of Lament & Longing - Bayāt-e Esfahān

Song sample: “Buy-e Juy-e Muliān”
Cultural context: spirituality, ritual, and emotion
Vocabulary: existential and emotional lexicon

Week 9 – Dramatic Expression, Creative Workshop - Chahārgāh

Song sample: “Hezār Dastān”
Student practice: reciting or singing a short passage
Mini-presentations: “My favorite Persian song”

Week 10 – Poetry in Song (1): Rumi & Rhythm - Navā

Song sample: “Jān-e Jahān”
Vocabulary: symbolic imagery
Grammar: subjunctive mood in poetic language

Week 11 – Poetry in Song (2): Hafez & the Ghazal - Homāyun

Song sample: “Gol Barafshānim”
Themes: criticism, love, reflection
Grammar: ezafeh patterns; metaphor in poetry

Week 12 – Final Listening (introduction to advanced levels) - Rāstpanjgāh

Song sample: “Āhu-ye Vahshi”
Review of vocabulary, grammar, and cultural themes
Group listening, reflection, and closing discussion:
What did music teach us about language?

Assignments & Evaluation

Weekly vocabulary exercises
Short reflective notes or audio comments
Optional final project: analysis of a Persian song chosen by the student

Instructor Bio

Mehdi Rezania is a scholar, performer, and composer specializing in Persian classical music and ethnomusicology. He holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology, a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology, and a Master degree in Composition with research interests that include post-revolutionary Iranian music, creativity, and cultural aesthetics. His work has been featured in academic conferences, cultural institutions, and public programs across Canada, the United States, and Europe. As a professional musician, he has performed internationally and released award-winning recordings exploring the evolving language of Persian musical expression. Mehdi is deeply committed to interdisciplinary teaching and brings a unique approach that integrates language, poetry, and musical experience. His courses invite learners to explore Persian culture through listening, creativity, and embodied understanding.

Course Details

Schedule: Saturdays, 31 January 2026 – 11 April 2026

Time: 12:00–01:00 pm (US Pacific), 03:00–04:00 PM (US Eastern), 09:00–10:00 PM (Central European)

Format: 12 online sessions

Tuition: $300 (payable in 3 installments)

Note:

Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees.

Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/4DJhsMC9b8EQpUGu6