The Persian Garden as a Metaphor for the Green City in Iranian-Islamic Resonance in English Literary Discourse

The concept of the "Iranian-Islamic Green City" is deeply rooted in a unique spiritual and ecological worldview that harmonizes urban life with nature, reflecting divine wisdom and order. This paper explores the literary manifestations of this ideal, primarily through the potent symbol of the Persian garden (bagh), and examines its potential for cross-cultural dialogue within English literature. The Persian garden, with its quadrilateral Chahar Bagh design, integrating water channels, fragrant flora, and shaded pavilions, is not merely an architectural feat but a profound metaphor for paradise on earth (jannat), a microcosm of a balanced, fertile, and spiritually nourishing urban environment. Classical Persian poetry, from the mystical verses of Rumi and Saadi to the epic narratives of Ferdowsi, consistently utilizes the garden as a space for contemplation, social justice, and ecological harmony—core tenets of the Green City. This literary tradition presents a model where the built environment and the natural world are in symbiotic relationship, governed by principles of stewardship (khalifa) and balance (mizan). This study investigates how these themes, translated into English through various hermeneutic and poetic traditions, can enrich contemporary Anglophone ecocriticism and environmental literature. It analyzes how the metaphysical and ethical underpinnings of the Iranian-Islamic garden city offer a contrasting yet complementary narrative to Western perspectives on urban sustainability. By tracing the reception and adaptation of these motifs, from the Romantic poets’ fascination with the Orient to modern postcolonial texts, this paper argues for the Persian literary heritage as a vital intellectual resource. It concludes that engaging with this corpus can inspire a more holistic, culturally nuanced, and spiritually informed vision of the sustainable city in global literary and ecological discourse.

کلیدواژه ها:

Persian Garden ، Ecocriticism ، Symbolism ، Cross-cultural Dialogue ، Sustainable Urbanism