Bulgaria in the Mirror of Persian Literature from 10th to 20th Century
Bulgaria in the Mirror of Persian Literature from 10th to 20th Century

Summary/Abstract: Persian literature is a rich reservoir of philosophy, art, mysticism and practical wisdom. Spanning from the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire to Mesopotamia, India, and the edges of Russia and China, Persian poets have referenced various ethnicities in their poetry, symbolizing different peoples for qualities such as wisdom, mystery, art, and beauty. This article examined the early, medieval and transitional periods of Persian literature over the past millennium to explore references to Bulgaria and the Bulgarians attributions. Bulgarian people are praised for their art of war, bravery in the words of court poets, and regarded as a beautiful nation. During the medieval era, the Sufis developed the symbolism of “Bulgar” to represent Divine Beauty (Jamal) or Divine Power (Jalal). They created expressions such as “Bulgarian Turk” as a metaphor for “beauty and bravery” regardless of any ethnic implication of the term. The mystic poets of Persia as well allude to Bulgaria in various contexts as either a metaphor for the “spiritual realm” (Malakut) or the “material universe” (Mulk) and sometimes as the realm of the heart (Qalb). Finally, in the transitional period the poets refer to the current land of Bulgaria in Europe, echoing earlier associations between earthly beauty and divine intoxication.

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