“I Never Even Had a Driver’s License”: The Untold Stories of Iran’s National Poet, Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar

According to Saed News, new insights shared by Shahriar’s son and close associates aim to separate fact from fiction in the public memory of one of Iran’s most cherished literary figures.

Among the most remarkable revelations is the account of Shahriar's total disinterest in material wealth. Despite rumors that circulated ahead of 2018’s "Tabriz: Capital of Islamic Tourism" event, Shahriar never owned a car, had no money to buy one, and never even held a driver’s license. The claim that he had once received a Renault was debunked by his son, who clarified that a car had been registered in his father’s name solely for bureaucratic reasons—Shahriar neither bought nor saw the vehicle.

Another powerful anecdote describes Shahriar’s refusal to accept monetary gifts. During the Iran-Iraq War, when the current Supreme Leader was serving as President, Shahriar was sent a check as an honorary gesture. Without even opening the envelope, he endorsed the check to be donated “to the battlefronts of truth against falsehood.” The amount—three million tomans—was considerable for the time.

The report also rebuffs widely circulated fabrications about a supposed lover named Sorayya Ebrahimi, allegedly living in the U.S. According to literary scholar Asghar Fardi, this tale is pure invention; Shahriar never disclosed the identity of his beloved and remained famously reticent on the subject.

Other lesser-known stories include his late-life return to calligraphy under the guidance of master artist Mir-Hossein Zonouzi and his role in naming Tabriz’s now-famous cemetery "Valley of Mercy" ("Wadi Rahmat")—a poetic allusion drawn from Hafiz.

Despite temptations of official recognition, Shahriar even refused the post of head of the Royal Library, along with a house in affluent northern Tehran. His decision, associates say, was rooted in a lifelong aversion to power and a desire to remain close to his roots in Tabriz.

Together, these stories form a more grounded portrait of Shahriar—not as a mythical figure ensnared by legend, but as a man of modesty, principle, and enduring literary brilliance.