Fieldnotes on Humanity

Eid is arriving everyone is in preparation, Everyone is taking pleasure whether rich or poor But me, without you, I look at my state I see that Ramaḍān is still in distance. عید آمد و هر کس پی کار خویش است می نازد اگر غنی وگر درویش است من بی تو به حال خود نظرها کردم دیدم که هنوز هم رمضان در پیش است Eid āmad-o har-kas payī kār khish ast mināzad agar ghanī wa-gar darwīsh ast man bi-tu ba hāli khod nazarhā kardam dīdam ki hanuz ham Ramaḍān dar pish ast Poet: Mirza Abdul-Qadir Bidel (Trans. Nasim Fekrat, July 06, 2016) Ustad Sarahang has sung this lyrics in a very commendably touching sense. Here is the video that you can enjoy listening.

Across ages, we are being amused at expressing worthlessness and we are the opener of pages of the stories of nothingness You could expect nothing from us, but name we are the messengers of the world of nothingness عمریست که سرگرم ِ بیان ِ هیچیم طومارگشای  داستان ِ هیچیم با نامی از آن میان، ز ما قانع باش ما قاصد ِ پیغام ِ جهان ِ هیچیم ’aumr î st k î sargarm-e bay â n-e heech îm tum â r gush â yee d â st â n-e heechim b â n â mi az â n m îy â n, zi m â qane ’a b â sh m â q â sed-e paigh â m-e jah â n-e heech îm                                                                       By Mirza Bidel                                   ...

هرکه رفت از دیده داغی بر دل ما تازه‌ کرد در زمین نرم نقش پا نمایان می‌ شود Harkî raft az dîdah dâghe bar dîl-e mâ tâzah kard dar zamîn-e narm naqsh pâ nomâyân meshawad whoever left us  ailed us,  like fresh wounds in our heart  And like the footprints left in the sand                                                                          Poem by Mirza Bidel                                                                       Translated by Nasim ...

O the consumer of the residue of imagination, blessing is something else You are being vain with illusion; the truth is something else The paradise that is adorned with gems and gold reflects your avarice -- the paradise is something else ای زلـّه کش ِ خیال! نعمت، دگراست مغرور توهّمی، حقیقت دگر است خـُلدی که به گوهر و زر آراسته اند مجموعۀ حرص تست، جنت دگر است   Ai zalla-kashî khiyâl, ne’mat digar ast maghror-e tawahumî, haqîqat digar ast kholdî ki ba gawhar wa zar ârâsta-and majmo’aee heers-e tust, janat digar ast                                                                             Poem by: Mirza Bidel                              ...

قناعت ساحل امن است افسون طمع مشنو مبادا کشتي درويش در کام نهنگ افتد qanā’at sāhīl amn ast afsūn-e tam’a mashnaw mabādā keshtīyi dervish dar kām-e nahang oftad Contentment is a safe shore; don't be bewitched by cupidity Lest the dervish’s ship fall prey to the whale.                                                                                   Poem by: Mirza Bidel                                     ...

You cannot quaff the ocean  if you are not a whale You cannot prance through mountains if you don't have the will of a tiger The sea of time and place, for you, is but one gulp  Oh, the patience of inspiration boundlessness is desired دریا نکشی، اگر نهنگی نکنی بر کوه نتازی، ار پلنگی نکنی یک جرعۀ تست، قلزم ِ کون و مکان ای حوصلۀ خیال تنگی نکنی Dary â nakash î, agar nahang î nakun î bar kooh nat âz î, ar palang î nakun î yak jur'a-e tust, qulzam-e kown wa mak ân ai hawsêla-e kh î y âl tang î nakun î                                                                                  ...

به هزار کوچه دویده ام، به تسلی نرسیده ام ز قد خمیده شنیده ام، که چو حلقه شد به دری رسد Ba hazār kūcha daw ī dam-am, ba tasallī narasidam-am Z ī qad khamida shin ī da-am, k ī chū halqa shud ba dar ī rasad Running into thousands of streets brought me no tranquility I heard from an elder that the one who turns to a ring reaches the door.                                                                                Poem by: Mirza Abdul Qadir Bidel                                                         ...