Examining the Impact of Barthes’ Narrative Codes on the Reading of Qasidas by Nasir Khusraw and Masud Sa’d Salma

Abstract

Classical Persian literature, particularly the qasida form, represents one of the most significant mediums for expressing philosophical, religious, and social thought, structured through complex networks of signs and semantic relationships. This study aims to examine the impact of Roland Barthes’ narrative code theory on the interpretation of qasidas by Nasir Khusraw and Masud Sa’d Salman. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method grounded in structuralist narratology and semiotics. The theoretical framework is based on Barthes’ five narrative codes, including the hermeneutic, proairetic, semantic, symbolic, and cultural codes. The findings indicate that Nasir Khusraw’s qasidas exhibit a narrative structure centered on epistemological progression from ignorance to knowledge, with hermeneutic and semantic codes playing a crucial role in shaping philosophical meaning. In contrast, Masud Sa’d Salman’s qasidas demonstrate a narrative structure rooted in lived experience, particularly imprisonment, where proairetic and symbolic codes play a central role in representing suffering, isolation, and hope. Furthermore, cultural codes in both poets establish connections between poetic meaning and broader social, religious, and historical contexts. The results demonstrate that applying Barthes’ narrative theory reveals hidden narrative structures within classical Persian poetry and enables deeper interpretive engagement with the text. This approach highlights the narrative nature of poetic discourse and shows that the qasidas of both poets function as structured narrative systems in which meaning emerges through the interaction of multiple narrative codes.