Persian Poetry

keep the flight in mind, the bird may die

[questcequecestqueca]

Amlash, Gilan Province, Iran.

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این نیز بگذرد

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[timebird84]

This moment when you realize that the Province of Mazandaran looks nothing like you have imagined it

Source of the photos: Wikipedia

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“Come, let me tell you about my infinite loneliness. It could never have foreseen this incursion of your shape. Such is the nature of love.”

— “The Way to the Orchard” from Sohrab Sepehri

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Infinite loneliness indeed

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Reviving this account soon...

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If you are coming to me Approach gently, softly lest you crack The fragile china of my solitude!

“Oasis in a Moment” from Sohrab Sepehri

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Come, let me tell you about my infinite loneliness. It could never have foreseen this incursion of your shape. Such is the nature of love.

“The Way to the Orchard” from Sohrab Sepehri

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my whole being is a dark chant, which will carry you

Forough Farrokhzad

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The Garden of Eram (باغ ارم)

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I don't suppose my heart was ever warm and red like this before.

‘’Fish’ by Ahmad Shamlou

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Forough Farrokhzad - To my sister

Sister, rise up after your freedom, why are you quiet? rise up because henceforth you have to imbibe the blood of tyrannical men.

Seek your rights, Sister, from those who keep you weak, from those whose myriad tricks and schemes keep you seated in a corner of the house.

How long will you be the object of pleasure In the harem of men's lust? how long will you bow your proud head at his feet like a benighted servant?

How long for the sake of a morsel of bread, will you keep becoming an aged haji's temporary wife, seeing second and third rival wives. oppression and cruelty, my sister, for how long?

This angry moan of yours must surely become a clamorous scream. you must tear apart this heavy bond so that your life might be free.

Rise up and uproot the roots of oppression. give comfort to your bleeding heart. for the sake of your freedom, strive to change the law, rise up.

[persianpoetry]

The first poem is my own translation. I translated it just after the attempted coup in Turkey in summer 2016, as the events back then (as well as the current events) reminded me strongly of the situation in pre-revolutionary Iran - and of this poem!

Ahmad Shamloo - In this dead end

They smell your mouth Lest you have said “I love you” They smell your heart These are strange times, my dear And they whip love by the road Bound to the pole You must hide love in the closet In this dead end and twisted chill They feed fire with song and poetry Do not risk a thought These are strange times, my dear He who knocks on the door at midnight Has come to kill the light You must hide the light in the closet There are butchers at the crossroads With bloody clubs and cleavers These are strange times, my dear And they amputate smiles from the lips And songs from the mouth You must hide joy in the closet Canaries are barbecued On a fire of lilies and jasmine These are strange times, my dear Satan drunk with victory Sits at our funeral feast You must hide god in the closet

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Hi, salam and doroud

I'll kick off this blog very soon! This blog will be (as you can tell) about Persian poetry. It'll accompany me as I track my own journey through Persian literature. I hope some other people will enjoy it, too. :)