In Commemoration of Armenian Genocide
Little Armenia
In memory of Vazgin Mansourian*
by
Majid Naficy
The king hung you like a crucifix
From the neck of my city, Isfahan
With your cathedral and cobblestones
With your taverns and goldsmiths
And your blushing daughters.
The city remained apart from you
Lying beyond Zaiandeh River.
Only poets of midnight
Knocked at the door of your taverns
And hikers of early morning
Disturbed your trickling spring.
For hundreds of years
We grew apart
Until the canals of Zaiandeh River
Brought our hearts together
And the blood of Vazgin
Flowed into my veins.
Oh, little Armenia!
The tyrants wanted you as a crucifix
But you rose again
Like the crucified Christ.
January 29, 1986
* My Armenian friend, Vazgin Mansourian was executed in July 1983 in Evin prison, Tehran. He is survived by his son, Narbeh. In this poem, "Little Armenia" refers to "Jolfa", the Armenian neighborhood in Isfahan. Shah Abbas I (1571-1629) forced Armenians to migrate from their homeland to his capital, Isfahan, Iran.
بهمناسبت سالگرد كشتار ارمنيان
جلفای اصفهان
به ياد وازگن منصوريان
مجید نفیسی
شاه عباس تو را
چون زنجیر خاجی
به گردن شهر آویخت
با کلیسا و میدانچه سنگیات
با پیالهفروشیها و زرگرخانههایت
و با گونههای سرخ دخترانت.
شهر برای تو
همیشه آن سوی رود بود
و تنها شاعران آخر شب
درهای میخانههایت را میکوبیدند
و کوهنوردان دم صبح
چک چک "آب خاجیک" ات را میآشفتند.
صدها سال در برابر هم روئیدیم
تا عاقبت "مادی" های زایندهرود
دلهامان را به هم آمیخت
و خون وازگن
در رگ من جوشید.
جلفای ارمنی!
ستمگران از تو زنجیر خاجی میخواستند
اما تو چون مسیحی مصلوب
دوباره بهپاخاستی.
بیستونه ژانویه هزارونهصدوهشتادوشش
from Lillian Boraks Nemetz:
Dear Majid
Little Armenia is a powerful poem
With amazing imagery. It also honors
The quest of justice for the Armenian
Massacre.
Warm wishes
Lillian
Ali Sadr:
Very powerful poem! Thanks as always.
from Michael Simms, the Editor, Vox Populi:
Majid,
Your beautiful poem Little Armenia is featured in Vox Populi today.
Thank you!
M.
Narbe, the Son of Vazgin:
Oh wow!!! Thank u for sharing Majid joon <3 <3 <3
from Barbara Huntington:
I was fortunate to visit Isfahan before the revolution where, whether it was real or the result of illness, I saw a vision of a young man. I am thankful.
I was able to go there.
Thank you for a poem and a memory.
from Rose Mary Boehm:
Very moving. Yes, I knew about the Armenian genocide. I wrote a poem bout it a while back.
Lovely poem.