To the lady of Persian story telling, Simin Daneshvar
My country, I will build you again,
if need be with bricks made of my life.
I will build columns to support your roof,
if need be, with my bones.
Once more I’ll breath the perfume
of flowers loved by your youth.
Once more I will wash the blood stains
on your body with my flowing tears.
Once more, the darkness will leave this house,
and I will paint my poems blue
with the color of our sky.
And in his generosity the “resurrector of old bones”*
will grant me the splendor of your mountains.
Old I may be, but I can still learn,
given another chance.
I will begin a second youth alongside my progeny.
I will recount the hadith of “Love of Homeland”**
with such passion as to bring life to every word.
The fire still burns in my breast
of the love for my people.
My poems may be drenched in blood
But you shall make me strong.
I will build you again with my life,
however meager my means.
* Or “Azm-e Ramim,” Qoranic reference to the day of resurrection, when God will reconstitute human beings from their rotten bones (Surah 36:78, “Ya Seen”)—trans.
** Refers to a Hadith (a “Tradition” or account of the Prophet, his companions or the Imams) known as “hob-ol-vatan,” or “Love of country/homeland,” in which the Prophet is reported to have said, “hob-ol-vatan min-al iman” or “Love of country/homelands is from faith.”—trans.
Simin Behbahani’s English Translations from the book entitled A Cup of Sin Courtesy of Syracuse University Press
