Radio broadcasts of the poems of Persian poet Sa’di for Tajiks under a program named ‘Nasihat Goush Kon Jana’ (Oh Dear, Heed the Advice) have been launched every morning since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in Sughd Province, northwest Tajikistan.
The program is coordinated by Masoud Ahmadvand, cultural counsellor at the Iranian Embassy in the capital Dushanbe, and a popular radio channel ‘Shahr-e Man’ (my city) based in Khujand, the provincial capital. The radio service has 30 episodes corresponding to each day of the holy month (June 7-July 6), IRNA reported.
Persian is the dominating language in most parts of Tajikistan.
Verses from Sa’di’s first book ‘Boustan’ (Orchard), will be rendered during the fasting month. The book contains a vast collection of anecdotes considered as fruits of Sa’di’s personal experience and his judgments on life.
People of Sughd can “heed” Sa’di’s advice by turning on their radios at 9:00 am. According to Ahmadvand, Boustan has been selected for the program for its particular form and instructive nature.
The anecdotes in the book contain moral lessons befitting the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan. In terms of writing style, “Boustan is neat, making it a good example for all those who want to hone their Persian literary skills,” he said.
The radio program is popular with short and simple anecdotes accompanied by music.
