1/24/2008

The Sun Rises (Aftab Mishavad)

Narenjestan-e Ghavam, Shiraz, Photo by Parviz Forghani
There is a strange symmetry between how the sun and the clouds have been fighting each other all day and how my body and that awful virus have been going at it. Our rainy and cold day gave way briefly to that beautiful patch of sunshine which did manage to come out a little while ago, only to get obliterated quickly by raining clouds. I'm happy, but my body has given in to the fatigue and ickiness of the virus, making me feel weak and achy. I had to stay home another day to rest. When we live by ourselves, there is no other person to hear us coughing and feel us sweating all night, and telling us in the morning that we must stay home and take it easy. We have to do it for ourselves. That process is not always easy, because usually the sick person is stubborn and won't heed our call easily and we have to get mean to return them to bed to rest! I have had to be mean to myself to shut down my usually very elaborate and active life. I sit here and think and go lie down and think some more, and try to sleep, and can't. I hate being sick. I want the sun to come out and I want to feel good again, fast.
Speaking of the sun, let me try again to post that Forough poem today. It is appropriate, I believe.
The Sun Rises (Aftab Mishavad)
Look how sorrow in my eyes
melts to water drop by drop,
how my rebellious shadow falls
captive to the sun.
Look. Sparks ignite me,
flames engulf me,
carry me high,
trap me in the sky.
Look how my universe
now streams with shooting stars.
You came from far, far away,
from the realm of perfume and light,
seated me on a canoe of ivory, of glass and clouds.
Take me now, my hope, my solace,
to the place of desires,
carry me to the city of rapture and rhymes.
You draw me up a flickering path,
seat me higher than all the stars,
but look these stars scorch me,
burn me, and I, like a feverish red fish,
nip at them in the pool of night.
How distant did our world once lie
from these chambers of the sky,
but now your voice reaches me,
the sound of angels' snow wings.
Look how I've soared to galaxies,
to shorelessness, eternity.
Now that we have come so high,
wash me in the waves of wine,
fold me in each silky kiss,
crave me through the lingering nights.
Don't release me, do not
part me from these stars.
Look how night along our path
melts like wax in drops, in drops,
my dark eyes drink sleep's wine
from your cup of lullabies.
Upon the cradles of my poetry
you waft your breath and look,
the sunrise floods us with light.
From Sin, Selected Poems of Forough Farrokhzad, Translated by Sholeh Wolpe, The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, 2007.

12 comments:

jeerjeerak said...

Nazy joonam, YOU MUST STAY HOME, AND TAKE IT EASY!

how come all of you guys are sick all of a sudden? first you, then Roja. then Mehran... I'm beginning to believe that the virus spreads through the internet;)

I sent Mehran a super easy Aash recipe, i'll forward it to you too. Take good care of yourself now:)

Tameshk said...

My Dearest Lovely Nazy

I am so sorry to hear you caught a cold. I am very sick as well. I hope you rest and get better very soon. I have to ask Jeerjeerak joonam to send me her Ash recipe as well.

By the way My mood is very much Frough-ish I was just reading :

The Green Illusion:
All they long I wept in the mirror
The spring has sold my window
To the green illusion of trees...

Anonymous said...

سلام
بهتر شدی؟انشالله!
یه پیشنهاد دارم برای جیرجان
اگه می شه لطف کن این دستور پخت آش رو بذار این جا لطفا جون من که اصلا بلد نیستم یعنی تا حالا نپختم ماشالله!!!!
دیگه بهتر نیست ترجمه شهر فروغ هم باشه؟ خودش به فارسی گفته و حس و حال دیگه ای داره...

خیلی ممنون نازی عزیز و هنرمند ما..
شاد باشی و سر خوششششش
مرضیه

Anonymous said...

شهر همون شعر است!!!

قربون حواس جمععععععععع
مرضیه

Chakameh Azimpour said...

I've heard they say: Del be del rah dareh", but haven't heard" Marizi be marizi rah dareh. I am sick too, stayed home and watched the pretty play of Sun rays with clouds, like they were playing Hide and Seek....

Tameshk said...

Nazy joonam

In my translation of Frough I mistakenly wrote THEY instead of DAY; Yet another sign that I am sick.

By the way I met my Dr. He gave me Antibiotics. His diagnosis was Acute Bronchitis that can lead to pneumonia.

Nazy said...

Salam Bar Jeerjeerak-e Mehraban!

Thank you so much for your advice and the recipe. Ha Ha, I don't think I got it through the internet! Most people at work have been sick with the flu, and I'm sure that's where mine came from. Please do post your Ash recipe here for others to enjoy, Jeer Jan.

Take care my friend.

Nazy said...

Tameshk Joonam:

I'm so sorry you got so sick. Flying certainly never helps our normal defense mechanisms. I am glad you went to see the doctor and that you are on your way to recovery. Thank you for your Forough contribution. It is perfect and timely as usual. Take super good care of yourself my beautiful friend and make sure I'm the first one you call when you hear about Hossein's news. Have a good weekend.

Nazy said...

Salam Marzieh Jan:

I am much better and certainly in good spirits, which is normally not what happens when I get sick! Thank you for your good wishes. If Jeerjeerak doesn't post the recipe, I'll forward it to you my friend. I hope you are gearing up for a lovely weekend Marzieh Jan. Take care.

Nazy said...

Salam Chakameh Jan:

Sorry to hear about your illness. Man, what's going on?!! Since I'm so much better at dispensing advice than taking it (!) I should recommend a regiment of water and rest for you. I hope you recover in no time at all and we all get back to our "up to no good" state! Take care my friend and have a good weekend.

Unknown said...

Here's my easy spinach soup recipe:

Lentils: 1/2 cup
brown rice: 1/3 cup (use white rice if you don't have
brown, but add it a bit later cause it cooks quicker)
chopped spinach: 1/2 frozen pack (about 1 cup i guess)
vegetable or beef broth : 1 can (optional)
[i use vegetables broth + 1 of those beef tablets, but
you could even go with plain water]
chicken tenderloin:2piece(optional)
Onion: 1 big
Garlic: 3 cloves (optional) [actually a lady told
me that boiled onion and garlic is good for a cold, so
i added them]
margarine or butter: 1 tbs
1 tbs turmeric (Zarchoobeh)

-chop the onion and garlic, add margarine and
turmeric, saute, you might need to add a little water
to make sure you're not browning the onions.

-add the broth, 2 cups of water and the rest of the
ingredients

-cook till the lentils are cooked. about 20 minutes.

This is a thin soup, and looks actually like Aaash,
but without the beans to make it hard to digest.
It will go very well with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Enjoy!

Nazy said...

Thank you very much Jeerjeerak Jan. I am going to try that recipe just as soon as I make it to the store to buy some of the missing ingredients. If Marzieh makes it before I do, I'd like to know how it turns out!

Thanks again my friend.