مرواريد جان در صدف تن سمبلي گنوسي در شعر فارسي

The Pearl of the Soul in the Oyster of Body A Gnostic Symbol in Persian Poetry

Symbol is the ambiguous and unknown part of the world that has been decoded and made known by the psychological and anthropological studies in the last hundred years. One of the most interesting parts of these studies is doing research on the manner and the initial formation of symbols. Persian poetry is full of various allegories and symbols, especially the mystical poetry whose poets and writers have always tried to express the inner and spiritual world of man through different signs and symbols. Decoding each of these signs and symbols is not only considered as a great improvement in the process of these studies, but also as a great step in getting to know the roots of Iranian and Islamic mysticism. This paper is an attempt to represent the history of using the symbol of pearl and its sanctity in different religions. Some old poems from all over the world and from Persian poetry are also provided to show how this symbol that arises from a Gnostic insight has found its way into Persian poetry and how poets and literary figures have made use of it in different manners. The symbols of pearl and oyster have existed in Gnostic and Manichean texts and have found their way into Persian and then into Mystical poetry by some poets such as Naser Khosro and Sana! who were familiar with these cultures. The pearl is the sign of soul and heart that is hidden in the oyster of the body. This precious gem can be found by great effort and by floating in deep seas. Finding the pearl of soul is the symbol of getting to know oneʹs self and of getting connected with the inner self.