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A Poem by Ahmad Shamlu on How a Revolution Was Betrayed and Lost: The Blind Alley
15-May-2008
In This Blind Alley
They smell your mouth
lest you might have said: I love you,
they smell your heart:
Strange times, my dear.
They flog love
by the road-block:
Let's hide love in the larder.
In this crooked blind alley, at the turn of the chill
they feed fires
with logs of song and poetry.
Hazard not a thought:
Strange times, my dear.
There, butchers
posted in passageways
with bloody chopping blocks and cleavers:
Strange times, my dear.
And they chop smiles off lips,
and songs off the mouth:
Let's hide love in the larder.
Canaries barbecued
on a fire of lilies and jasmines:
Strange times, my dear.
Satan, drunk with victory
squats at the feast of our undoing.
Let's hide God in the larder.
Tr. Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak
From desire to disillusion: three poems by Ahmad Shamlu, Ahmad Shamlu, Iranian Studies, volume 30, numbers 3-4, Summer/Fall 1997
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Abarmard
by Anonymous 3 (not verified) on Fri May 16, 2008 12:14 PM PDTNo, People do not forget the IRI and their supporters. one day, they smell their mouth to know how often they dehumanize the people. Just wait to see!
Merci...albate ke Shamlu be
by sadegh on Thu May 15, 2008 03:37 PM PDTMerci...albate ke Shamlu be zaban e farsi kheili behtare...tarjome hargez manaaye vaagheiro aashkar nemekone.
Thanks but I like the farsi version better
by Roozegare-gharibist-Nazanin (not verified) on Thu May 15, 2008 02:36 PM PDTدهانت را میبویند مبادا گفته باشی دوستت دارم
دلت را میپویند
مبادا شعله ای در آن نهان باشد
روزگار غریبیست نازنین
وعشق را کنار تیرک راهبند تازیانه میزنند
عشق را در پستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
شوق را در پستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
روزگار غریبیست نازنین
ودراین بن بست کج و پیچ سرما
آتش را به سرخ بار سرود و شعرفروزان
میدارند
به اندیشیدن خطر مکن
روزگار غریبیست
آنکه بر در میزند شباهنگام
به کشتن چراغ آمده است
نور را در پستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
دهانت را میبویند مبادا گفته باشی دوستت دارم
دلت را میپویند
مبادا شعله ای در آن نهان باشد
روزگار غریبی ست نازنین
نور را درپستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
عشق را در پستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
آنک قصابانند برگذرگاهها مستقر
با کنده و ساتوری خون آلود
وتبسم را بر لبها جراحی میکنند
و ترانه را بر دهان
کباب قناری بر آتش سوسن و یاس
شوق را در پستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
ابلیس مغرور مست
شور عزای ما را بر سفره نشسته است
خدای را درپستوی خانه نهان باید کرد
روزگار غریبی ست نازنین
People forget
by Abarmard on Thu May 15, 2008 01:23 PM PDTDahant raa mibuyand mabada gofteh baashi doostat daaram
how soon people forget!
Thank you Tahirih...I am
by sadegh on Thu May 15, 2008 11:22 AM PDTThank you Tahirih...I am glad to see you enjoyed the poem. I greatly sympathise with your anguish and sincerely hope that one day all Iranians will be able to live together in peace and mutual respect for the beliefs and faith of one another...Kindly, Sadegh...
Sadegh , thank you for this poem and....
by Tahirih on Thu May 15, 2008 10:23 AM PDTFor your responsible comment on Mona's blog about recent arrest of Bahai's in Iran.Just like you my heart aches for the ills of this world,no matter where it happens . I realize what you said to me in the other article about us not caring about other nations and their suffering . I care , as a bahai I love humanity and they are all my brothers and sisters. But you have to realize how hard it is to know someone and see them tortured and raped and killed and then hearing people wanting proof and statistics for denouncing this cruel and backward regime.
I knew the Jasmines and lilies which were burned !
thanks again,
respectfully,
Tahirih