Shayda’s Wedding
by Majid Naficy
At this troubling time
I look forward to a wedding.
My niece Shayda wants to
Start a new life.
I saw her for the first time
When she was eight month’s old
In Temescal Canyon
In the arms of her father.
She was happy and playful
And uttered the name of our brother Hadi
As “howdy”.
When she grew older
She pitched a tent
Near the front door of their house
In the upstairs hall
Where she camped overnight
With the daughter of their neighbor.
As a teenager, she went to Ecuador,
Learned Spanish
And the language of water and trees.
In 2009, she went to Iran,
Learned Persian
and the language of the Green Movement.
Now, she wants to wed a man from India
Near a glacier in Montana.
May they go to the Himalayas
And take me with them, too.
February 17, 2020
عروسی شیدا
مجید نفیسی
در این روزگار ناخوش
به یک عروسی دلخوشم.
برادرزادهام شیدا میخواهد
زندگی تازهای آغاز کند.
نخستین بار او را به هشتماهگی
در "تمسکال دره" دیدم
در آغوش پدرش.
شاد بود و بازیگوش
و نام برادرمان هادی را
چون "هآدی"*بر زبان میآورد.
بزرگتر که شد
در راهروی طبقهی بالا
کنار در خانهشان چادر میزد
و شب در آن
با دختر همسایه اتراق میکرد.
در نوجوانی به اکوادر رفت
اسپانیایی آموخت
و زبان آب و درختان را.
در هزاروسیصدوهشتادوهشت به ایران رفت
فارسی آموخت
و زبان "جنبش سبز" را.
اکنون میخواهد
با مردی از هند عروسی کند
نزدیک یخچالهای مونتانا.
باشد که به هیمالیا بروند
و مرا هم با خود ببرند.
هفدهم فوریه دوهزاروبیست
*- "هآدی" در انگلیسی عامیانه بمعنای "چطوری؟" است.
from Hamid:
Mamnun majid jon for this poem about Shayda's wedding, it invokes good memories and future wishes.
from Fereidoun Farahandouz:
Beautiful. Thanks.
from Mohammad:
Thanks to Majid, I also would like to use this opportunity to say "Howdy" to everyone and wish all of you to be safe and healthy in this Persian New Year 1399.
In addition, I'd like to remind you of the common expression of the "Crazy World" and what it was in Colombia of the 19th Century during the "Cholera Pandemic" when you read Gabriel Marquez's book entitled "Love In The Time of Cholera". So, be ready and expect crazier thinks to happen during this 21st Century's killer Corona Pandemic. Probably, with this Poem, Majid started the first chapter of the book to be called "Love In The Time of Corona"! Someone else will finish it. It could be you.
from Moin:
Beautiful.
Love you
from Azad:
Hey Dad,
This is a beautiful poem. Love the picture that you chose too.
Hope you stay healthy during this weird time.