A Song for Peace
Majid Naficy
Oh, war!
How long do you knock
At the gates of my city?
Let me become a shouting voice
To silence the echo
Of your heavy fists,
A voice louder
Than the roar of the fighting planes
Over a city at war,
A voice deeper
Than the moaning of death
In the shameless mouth of earth.
I am not a man of epics
Who blows your lying leaders' horn.
For years my Rostam* has died
In his well of loneliness.
I am a man of lyrics,
A bard for peace.
Let me take again the harp
That you have stolen from these people
And sing about their painful wounds.
Let me compose a song for peace
Beyond your phony epics.
April 13, 1988
*-A hero in Iranian mythology comparable to Hercules, thrown by his half-brother Shaghad into a well, where he dies.
ترانهی صلح
مجید نفیسی
ای جنگ
تا چند دروازههای شهر مرا میکوبی؟
بگذار فریادی شوم
تا دیگر طنین کوبههای سنگین ترا نشنوم
فریادی بلندتر از غرش طیارههای جنگی
بر فراز شهر جنگزده
فریادی ژرفتر از نالههای مرگ
در دهان بیشرم خاک.
من مرد حماسه نیستم
تا در بوق دروغ پیشوایان تو بردمم
رستم من سالهاست
که در چاه تنهایی خود مرده است.
من مرد غزلوارهام:
ترانهسرای صلح.
بگذار چنگی را که تو از چنگ این مردم ربودهای
دوباره برگیرم
و از زخمهای جانکاه تو بسرایم
بگذار ترانهی صلحی بسازم
رساتر از حماسههای دروغینت.
سیزدهم آوریل هزارونهصدوهشتادوهشت
From Ali:
Thank you Majid jan. This is beautiful. With your permission, I may use it in Peyk.
Best,
From Jan:
Thank you for this. I was in Iran in November (I've always wanted to see Persepolis). I was surprised at the outpouring of love and friendship I received from everyone I met everywhere I went. I was also surprised how many Iranians love Americans, support Israel, and want progress and peace. I saw the date on your poem and thought how sad it is this cycle of violence that is not wanted by the people, but by madmen who do terrible things while we can only watch. I am Jewish and support Israel's right to exist but Netanyahu has no understanding of the meaning of the central tenet of Judaism - tikkun olam - the call to every Jew to repair the world. Yes, the mullahs do terrible things. Yes, Hamas does terrible things but Netanyahu is making Israel
a pariah iin the world when it should be a beacom of light and hope.
Anyway, I appreciate that I am still on your list to recieve poems. I hope you don't mind my response. I wanted you to know that it is a time for good people to stretch out their handle in frendship and to continue the drumbeat for peace and reconciliation wherever possible. I wanted you to know that your reaching out your hand with poetry is honored by me. I am not a pacifist. Sometimes war is necessary but there is too much acceptance of the unnecessary killing of innocents on all sides. I have also been to Ukraine and have friends there.
I hope you and your family are safe and happy.
With love,