F. M. Faraz: The Scoundrel, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

These days, more than ever before, I keep thinking about the title of this story-thinking about what name could possibly be worthy of carrying my narrative. At first, my mind instinctively leapt toward grand, seductive titles, something along the lines of The Woes of Satan! But then I asked myself: why should Satan be blamed every time he finds his way into our affairs? To tell the truth, I believe Satan uttered the most righteous and well-timed "NO" in the entire history of existence when he refused to bow before Adam. He knew the truth of humankind better than anyone-better even than his Creator! I was searching for a title that would not only tell my story, but also reveal my essence and lay bare the core of my being. And at last, I found it: Bi-Hame-Chiz (Bi-Hame-Chiz is a Persian insult that can only be roughly translated by English words such as The Scoundrel, good-for-nothing, or dishonorable person, yet its meaning points to someone who lacks any genuine virtue or goodness at all.) This word is not merely a vulgar street insult-it is a philosophical truth and an existential concept. To me, Bi-Hame-Chiz means a person who seems to possess everything: lineage, social standing, education, wealth, career, spouse, reputation, a future-and all those things others spend years of their lives struggling to obtain-yet none of these "everything(s)" bring him any satisfaction. Bi-Hame-Chiz is someone whose hands appear full, yet who continues life with an inner emptiness; someone who outwardly owns everything, yet inwardly has less than anyone. Bi-Hame-Chiz is not merely the title of my story, it is my sentence. And perhaps every human being - if honest with themselves - has reached such a conclusion somewhere in the course of their life.