User:Jpiyut/Shira-ye Hatani

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A judeo-persian wedding son, widespread among a number of communities in Iran

bridegroom’s song or wedding song

The Hebrew words shira and hatan have Persian suffixes ye (the Persian genitive sign ezafeh, e, is pronounced ye because of the final long vowel of shira) and i

The bridegroom is honored with blessings, often relating to the Patriarchs and the prophets. In addition, the personal joy of the groom is connected to the general cause of the Jewish people, for example with references to the coming of the messiah.

It can be categorized as a semi-religious synagogue song, and was originally sung during the shabbat hatan (shabbat-e zumadi or shabbat-e dumadi) after the wedding when the groom is called to read the Torah. However, the verses were also sung outside of the synagogue, for example during the bridal procession, or at other stages of the wedding.

Scholars argue that shira-ye hatani was most likely composed as a single literary work, and that over time due to its popularity it assumed a folk character. Unlike most folk songs of both Jewish and secular character, shira-ye hatani utilizes classical Persian and not local dialects.

The rhyming pattern mostly follows aaa b ccc b, ddd b and the Hebrew refrain rhymes bb with the last line of the verse. In classical Persian poetry, this form is called mosammat-e morabba’ (without the refrain) and many medieval Hebrew and Judeo-Persian poems follow this form. The fact that the written manuscripts of shirā-ye hatani strictly follow this form is indicative of a classical literary, and not folkloric, origin.