Kazim Pizishki

Pizishki Shirazi, Kazim (1913-1985), son of Muhammad Taqi Hakim (Physician), a poet and journalist hailing from Shiraz. Having received his primary and secondary education, he found an employment in Shiraz. Then, he worked for the Finance Ministry, serving at the Finance Administrations of different cities, including Mashhad. He was later transferred to Tehran. He cooperated with Baha’ al-Din Husamzadih Pazargad from 1942 in the publication of the new series of a critical newspaper, the Khurshid-i Iran, where he published his poetry and articles. He was arrested and imprisoned for publishing anti-British articles durring the English occupation of Iran. After his release, he was transferred to Shiraz. He obtained a permit in 1944 to publish the A’inih-yi Pars newspaper three issues of which appeared weekly for two years. He attacked the British colonial policy in his articles, but his newspaper was closed down upon the break out of insurgence in the South and the Qashqa’i resurgence in August-September 1946. Then, he departed for Tehran and settled there to his last days. He published his poetry and articles from the age of 15. He was 20 years of age when he sent some of his poetical compositions to Malik al-Shu’ara’ Bahar who had been sent in exile to Isfahan. Bahar composed a qasida as a reply to him in which he praised his calligraphic art and erudition in poetry and belles-lettres. He attended the sessions held at the Salar Society before August 1941 and thereafter attended the sessions held by the Persian Literature Society in Shiraz and those of the Shiraz Nights Society in Tehran. Late in life, Pizishki traveled to Shiraz to attend the sessions held by the Kanun-i Danish (Center for Knowledge) and Sadr Societies in which he recited his poetry. It was in 1964 that he wrote a long satirical poem in the genre of musammat, with the refrain:

‘Do not cast rocks when you are in a greenhouse’,

concerning the assassination of Hasan’ali Mansur, the then prime minister, in which he derisively attacked two parliament members. His poems spread at literary circles in Tehran and since copies were made of them, he was persecuted for a while by the Intelligence Organization (SAVAK), strictly banning him from writing articles and poetry. Although he was more inclined towards composing ghazals, but had mastery of writing qasidas and qit’as, particularly quatrains. He contributed his political and social articles within a period of 40 years in the ‘Asr-i Azadi and the Pars newspapers. His poetry appeared in the newspapers of Shiraz, e.g. the Uqiyanus, the Pars, and the Bahar-i Shiraz and those appearing in Tehran. Khurshid-i Iran, Kayhan, Gawhar, Yaghma, Wahid, and Khatirat-i Wahid. He died on Friday in the morning on the 28 November 1985 of cancer in Tehran and was buried at Bihisht-i Zahra’ Cemetery. His works include: Aftab-i Arizu; Tarkib-afarini dar Ash’ar-i Sa’di (Novel Compositions in Sa’id’s Poetry); and Divan (Collected Poetry).

Farhang-i Sha’iran-i Zaban-i Parsi az Aghaz ta Imruz (1/ 116-117); Gulzar-i Mashahir (125-126).