Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 4، July 2026 ، issue Number 122

Stylistic Strategies in Mehdi Azar Yazdi’s Retelling of the Marzban-nameh for a Young Audience

Fatemeh Kamran kalehbasti (Author in Charge)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the stylistic strategies employed by Mehdi Azar-Yazdi in his adaptation of Marzbān-nāmeh. The central issue is the challenge of transforming a complex classical work with nested, frame-story structures into a text suitable for children—a process requiring a reduction in cognitive load without compromising the moral and educational content of the original text.

METHODOLOGY: The research employs a descriptive-analytical method based on comparative studies. Relying on textual analysis, the macro-narrative structure of the original Marzbān-nāmeh was compared with Azar-Yazdi’s adaptation, extracting stylistic components of “structural simplification” and narrative modifications.

FINDINGS: The findings indicate that Azar-Yazdi utilized four key strategies: 1) Deconstruction and removal of complex political frames, replaced with intimate introductions; 2) “Linearization” of the nested structure, transforming sub-stories into independent tales; 3) Shifting the narrator’s voice from an “omniscient courtier” to a “kind and empathetic narrator”; and 4) Replacing logical-argumentative coherence with moral-educational coherence. These interventions transformed the text from a treatise on practical wisdom into a collection of fluent, accessible stories for children.

CONCLUSION: Azar-Yazdi’s adaptation is not a superficial reductionism but an “intelligent reconstruction.” By understanding the didactic nature of the ancient text, he converted it into “didactic-emotional stories.” This study proves that success in adapting classical texts for children does not depend merely on lexical simplification but requires an “intelligent restructuring of the narrative.” Azar-Yazdi successfully bridged the gap between ancient literary heritage and the cognitive needs of children, providing an unparalleled model of “adaptive-reconstruction” that remains a guide for researchers in children’s literature.

Keyword
Literary Adaptation , Mehdi Azar- Yazdi , Marzbān-nāmeh , Children’s Literature , Structural Simplification.