Persian poetry owes its glory to Abu Abdullah Roudaki and we are all indebted to his tireless efforts and other great literary figures of the region, of whom we are proud.
According to the ECO Cultural Institute, the full text of the message is as follows:
The scent of the river Muliyan is coming.
The memory of a dear friend is coming
The roughness of the Oxus gravel
Under my feet feels soft as silk
Glad at the friends return
The Oxus water reaches my horse knees
O, Bukhara, live long and be happy
Joyous towards you hastens my Amir
Amir is the moon, Bokhara is the sky:
The moon is ascending into the sky.
Since 2002, the birth anniversary of Abdullah Abdullah Roudaki is celebrated every year on September 22 in his birthplace, Tajikistan.
To mark the birth anniversary of Abdullah Abdullah Roudaki, the father of Persian poetry seminars and conferences and other ceremonies are organized on this day.
Roudaki is a familiar name for all the people of the ECO countries and almost everyone has heard the above verses and the story behind it, which testifies to the power of the words of Roudaki.
Why Roudaki's name and works still remain after more than a thousand year and has become the candle of every literary circle, in fact requires detailed research, but I want to mention it in a few short lines.
Roudaki is a poet who composed almost all types of poetry, including ode, lyric, quatrain, Masnavi, and verse perfectly on which most biographers agree and call him "the master of poets". Roudaki promoted poets and poetry from isolation for the first time during the thriving reign of the Samanids, and his poetry became a mean to express his pure humanitarian and spiritual thoughts in the form of rhythmic words and gained a popular stance in the court of Amir of Samanid.
It is worth to mention the significant role of Roudaki and his contemporaries in the dynamism of the Persian language, and with his efforts and ingenuity, this language which abounds with outstanding concepts, gained a high position and made him the king of poets. Due to his unparalleled genius, he composed the best and most eloquent chants and sermons.
Another reason for the immortality of the name of the master of poets is his talent and potential memory, to which most biographers make clear references. According to some sources, he wrote more than 1.3 million verses, which, although seems exaggerated, approve his unique talent.
Roudaki has been unquestionably acknowledged as the founder of Persian poetry by all Eastern and Western scholars. The glory of Persian poetry came from Abu Abdullah Roudaki, and we are all indebted to his tireless efforts and those of other great literary figures in the region.
I congratulate this occasion to all the people in the ECO region.