Naqqali Trilogy (سه برخوانی)
Azhdahak, Arash, Testament of Bondar Bidakhsh
By Bahram Beyzaie, Translated by Nikta Sabouri and Richard Saul Chason
Published by Harvard University Press, 2024
Widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Persia,” Bahram Beyzaie—playwright, director, screenwriter, and scholar—has indelibly impacted modern Persian drama. Naqqali Trilogy (سه برخوانی), translated into English for the first time by Nikta Sabouri and Richard Saul Chason, is a landmark work, blending traditional Iranian storytelling with modern dramatic techniques to reframe ancient narratives.
This trilogy explores themes of oppression and resilience through mythological revisionism, offering a psychodrama of outcasts against a backdrop of tyranny. Accompanied by a detailed introduction, this volume provides background on Beyzaie’s work, the mythological foundation of the plays, and the intricacies of Persian prose poetry that have been adapted into English.
