A version of Ferdowsi’s epic book Shahnameh (Book of Kings), edited by Jalal Khaleqi-Motlaq (PhD), was unveiled on Thursday at a ceremony attended by cultural figures in Tehran.
He said the preface of the first copy published in the US is also included in the second edition, published by Sokhan Publications in two volumes.
Khaleqi-Motlaq, who has spent many years editing the Shahnameh, stated that the latest edition is considered the “final copy as of now since older copies of the book might be found in future on which basis Shahnameh must be re-edited.”
“We can say a copy is final when it is known to be the original text,” IBNA quoted him as saying.
Referring to other editions of Shahnameh, Khaleqi-Motlaq said, “Some editors have used other dialects in Shahnameh verses that make it sound different from the original. This is while Shahnameh cannot be read with other dialects.”
The well-known linguist Ali-Ashraf Sadeqi (PhD) also said at the event, “Khaleqi Motlaq has spent 50 years of his life editing Shahnameh and has also translated the book into Arabic in four sections and substantially described the life and content of Shahnameh in the preface.”
He added that Khaleqi-Motlaq has used 16 copies for the edition of this version.
