Article

2010-03-09 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran slaps travel ban on 82 year-old poetess

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Posted by Fred 2010-03-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran

#1
GRACEFULLY SHE APPROACHED

Gracefully she approached,
in a dress of bright blue silk;
With an olive branch in her hand,
and many tales of sorrows in her eyes.

Running to her, I greeted her,
and took her hand in mine:
Pulses could still be felt in her veins;
warm was still her body with life.

"But you are dead, mother", I said;
"Oh, many years ago you died!"
Neither of embalmment she smelled,
Nor in a shroud was she wrapped.

I gave a glance at the olive branch;
she held it out to me,
And said with a smile,
"It is the sign of peace; take it."

I took it from her and said,
"Yes, it is the sign of...", when
My voice and peace were broken
by the violent arrival of a horseman.

He carried a dagger under his tunic
with which he shaped the olive branch
Into a rod and looking at it
he said to himself:
"Not too bad a cane
for punishing the sinners!"

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2010-03-09 02:30|| 2010-03-09 02:30|| Front Page Top

#2 The full poem:

GRACEFULLY SHE APPROACHED

Gracefully she approached,
in a dress of bright blue silk;
With an olive branch in her hand,
and many tales of sorrows in her eyes.

Running to her, I greeted her,
and took her hand in mine:
Pulses could still be felt in her veins;
warm was still her body with life.

"But you are dead, mother", I said;
"Oh, many years ago you died!"
Neither of embalmment she smelled,
Nor in a shroud was she wrapped.

I gave a glance at the olive branch;
she held it out to me,
And said with a smile,
"It is the sign of peace; take it."

I took it from her and said,
"Yes, it is the sign of...", when
My voice and peace were broken
by the violent arrival of a horseman.

He carried a dagger under his tunic
with which he shaped the olive branch
Into a rod and looking at it
he said to himself:

"Not too bad a cane
for punishing the sinners!"

A real image of a hellish pain!
Then, to hide the rod,
He opened his saddlebag.
in there, O God!

I saw a dead dove, with a string tied
round its broken neck.

My mother walked away with anger and sorrow;
my eyes followed her;
Like the mourners she wore
a dress of black silk.

Posted by Steve White 2010-03-09 07:57|| 2010-03-09 07:57|| Front Page Top

#3 Which is, I must say, a damned good poem. Thanks for finding it grom.

Posted by Steve White 2010-03-09 07:58|| 2010-03-09 07:58|| Front Page Top

#4 De Nada

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2010-03-09 11:39|| 2010-03-09 11:39|| Front Page Top

#5 Presumably that's a translation. Translating poetry is exceedingly hard to do well, as anyone who had to read one of the many bad translations of the Iliad or anything by Aeschylus can attest -- doubly good find, g(r)omgoru. :-)

Posted by trailing wife 2010-03-09 11:59|| 2010-03-09 11:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Wow. Thanks grom.

And good point TW: I am still trying to dig up an old english book of mine in which the translator of a Moliere play was able to translate it and keep the rhyming couplet style. I read the play in French, and was astounded at how good the translation was.

Poets and Musicians should share a primordial dislike of Islam: A poetess was murdered on orders from Mohammed because her poems and songs were more effective at pointing out his flaws and dangerousness than anything the men said.

Posted by Ptah 2010-03-09 12:31|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org 2010-03-09 12:31|| Front Page Top

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