Billie Holiday
by
Majid Naficy
Oh Billie, I dance with you.
Holding your waist with my hand
I circle around on tiptoe.
Your playful rhythm leaks into my veins
And the salt of your skin sinks into my blood.
The sea is far but I hear its sound
The sea is big but fits in my body.
Let us cast off our shoes
And step on its sandy carpet.
Little waves grab our feet
and draw us toward green waters.
Oh Billie, I dance with you
Holding the hem of your long skirt
I walk gently on the skin of the sea.
A wandering wind wraps around our bodies
And an albatross opens its wings on our shoulders.
There, across the sea is the land of my childhood
With fragile trees that like the tips of your fingers
Are now growing all over my skin.
The sea is borderless but beats in my heart
The earth is vast but fits into my skull.
Tonight no border can separate you from me.
But... suddenly my hand lets go of the radio antenna.
The blues singer begins to whine.
Ah, my dance partner is not imaginary!
I hold her waist as before.
Her velvet voice rises again
And takes me back to the nightly dance.
February 28, 2001
بیلی هالیدی*
مجید نفیسی
دختر سیاه! با تو می رقصم
دست بر کمرگاهت می گذارم
و پاورچین، پاورچین چرخ می زنم.
رِنگ بازیگوشت در هر رگم رخنه می کند
و شوری پوستت در خونم ته نشین می شود.
دریا دور است، اما صدای آن را می شنوم
دریا بزرگ است، اما در تن من خانه می کند.
بگذار از همین جا به پیشوازش رویم
کفش هایمان را درآوریم
و بر فرش دستبافش پا بگذاریم.
موج های کوچک به پاهایمان چنگ می زنند
و ما را به سوی آبهای سبز می خوانند.
دختر سیاه! با تو می رقصم
گوشه ی دامن بلندت را می گیرم
و نرم نرمک بر پوست آب پا می گذارم.
باد سرگردان بر گرد ما می تند
و مرغ توفان بر شانه هامان بال می گشاید.
آن دوردستها سرزمین کودکی من است
با درختان شاخه¬ تردی که اکنون چون سرانگشتان تو
بر سراسر پوست من سبز می شوند.
دریا هرچند بیکران است، اما در دل من می تپد
زمین هرچند پهناور است
اما در کاسه ی سر من می گنجد.
امشب هیچ مرزی نمی تواند مرا از تو جدا سازد.
... اما دستم ناگهان از موج گیر رادیو رها می شود.
دختر سیاه من به ناله می افتد.
آه! پس همپای رقص من خیالی نیست
دستم را از نو به کمرگاهش می گذارم .
صدای مخملی اش بار دیگر اوج می گیرد
و مرا با خود به رقص شبانه می کشاند.
۲۸ فوریه ۲۰۰۱
* ۱۹۵۹-۱۹۱۵ Billie Holiday
بلوزخوان سیاه آمریکایی
Firoozeh Khatibi:
Loved it. It made me dance.
Wendy Pippin:
One of my favorite poems!
Lillian Boraks Nemetz:
Dear Majid
Your poem
The dance with Billie
Is a universe inside us.
Your images are larger than life
And take the reader on the undulating
Waves of visual metaphor.
Warmest
Lillian
Mohammad Naficy:
Thanks Majid jon; any reason for Billie in the English version and Dokhtar Siyah (black girl) in Persian...?
Because of immediacy. Billie Holiday is an icon in America but not in Iran.
Beau Beausoleil:
Dear Majid,
Your poem is as lovely and truthful as her voice!!
Thanks for sending this
Beau
Liz Gray:
This is moving, Majid!
Will send it on to friend.
Stay safe and well,
Liz
Suzanne Lummis:
Thank you for this poem, Majid! I also love Billie Holiday.
-- Suzanne
Liz Camfiord:
Excellent! Will share now.
Be well Majid!
Liz
Michael Simms, the editor of Vox Populi:
A lovely poem, Majid. I have a backlog of poetry, but I should be able to fit it in a couple of weeks.
I’ll drop you a note when it goes live. M.
Shoja Adel:
Beautiful as always
Your poems in English and Farsi, keeps the freshness of poem.
BA mehr
Shoja
Mehri Yalfani:
A very beautiful poem, full of clear images.
I liked it very much. Once I listened to Blues music a lot
I liked the English version of your poem.
ba mehr
Mehri
Nasser Mohajer:
Majid jaan
Thank you. Thank you so very much. You are doing a fantastic job! Unprecedented in amongst us the Iranians!!! Keep on my friend. keep on my friend.
Wasn't feeling well for a while. But now I am back on the track.
Stay safe and all the best,
Nasser
Diane:
Nice poem! When my parents were dating, they went to night clubs in Harlem to hear her sing.
Billie usually wore two gardenia in her hair. My Dad would stop at a flower shop to get gardenia for my Mom.
Best wishes,
Diane
Moin Heidari:
Thank you Majid jaan,
It is posted in my Facebook now.
Love
Moin
Kimars Baghbani:
Salam Majid aziz, mesl e hamishe ziba ast sheart.
Shad bashi
Kiamars