Those who know Iran well say that ordinary Iranians can have a surprisingly limited or scrambled view of their history.
Yet they also have a grasp of poetry and literature that puts their Western equivalents to shame. The manner in which they are able to pluck out a line of Hafiz or Ferdausi to illustrate a point is enviable. Iranian poetry, because its oblique and sometimes coded nature allows it to reconcile or evade contradictions, may offer the nearest to a synthesis of Islamic and pre-Islamic identity as can be found.
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An Iranian friend of mine, who often quotes from Hafiz, sent me these pieces by Forugh Farrokhzad just yesterday. Forugh is known and loved by both men and women in Iran. She lived and wrote in the 50s and 60s. Her poetry reflects an underlying feminist/erotic rage in Iran. Poetry corrodes the dogmatics who rule Iran.
Regards,
Mike B)
Gift
I speak out of the deep of night out of the deep of darkness and out of the deep of night I speak. if you come to my house, friend bring me a lamp and a window I can look through at the crowd in the happy alley.
Forugh Farrokhzad Translated by Ahmad Karimi Hakkkak The Persian Book Review VOLUME III, NO 12 Page 1337
The Wind Will Take Us
The Wind Will Take Us In my small night, ah the wind has a date with the leaves of the trees in my small night there is agony of destruction listen do you hear the darkness blowing? I look upon this bliss as a stranger I am addicted to my despair. Listen do you hear the darkness blowing? something is passing in the night the moon is restless and red and over this rooftop where crumbling is a constant fear clouds, like a procession of mourners seem to be waiting for the moment of rain. a moment and then nothing night shudders beyond this window and the earth winds to a halt beyond this window something unknown is watching you and me. O green from head to foot place your hands like a burning memory in my loving hands give your lips to the caresses of my loving lips like the warm perception of being the wind will take us the wind will take us. Forugh Farrokhzad Translated by Ahmad Karimi Hakkak The Persian Book Review VOLUME III, NO 12 Page 1337
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