Sunday, November 26, 2006

Yellow leaf without you...



Even though I have fallen like a little leaf apart from tree…
And hopeless, homeless and yellow, I am in the hands of the autumn wind…

Even though, I have nothing in hand to come to your place…
But, I know that, for sure, I have been looking for you all my life…

I am that single tiny yellow leaf without you…
Cause you are the only inspiration of spring in my heart…
The sweet smell of the beautiful spring flowers…


***
[Photo: "Autumn" (Paiz), courtesy of Mr. Kuresh Anbari, 2006]

Friday, November 24, 2006

O' The most compassionate...



هزار و يك‌ اسم‌ داري‌ و من‌ از آن‌ همه‌ اسم‌ «لطيف» را دوست‌تر دارم‌ كه‌ ياد ابر و ابريشم‌ و عشق‌ مي‌افتم. خوب‌ يادم‌ هست‌ از بهشت‌ كه‌ آمدم، تنم‌ از نور بود و پَر و بالم‌ از نسيم. بس‌ كه‌ لطيف‌ بودم، توي‌ مشت‌ دنيا جا نمي‌شدم. اما زمين‌ تيره‌ بود. كدر بود، سفت‌ بود و سخت. دامنم‌ به‌ سختي‌‌اش گرفت‌ و دستم‌ به‌ تيرگي‌اش‌ آغشته‌ شد. و من‌ هر روز قطره‌قطره‌ تيره‌تر شدم‌ و ذره‌ذره‌ سخت‌تر

من‌ سنگ‌ شدم‌ و سد‌ و ديوار . ديگر نور از من‌ نمي‌گذرد، ديگر آب‌ از من‌ عبور نمي‌كند، روح‌ در من‌ روان‌ نيست‌ و جان‌ جريان‌ ندارد.
حالا تنها يادگاري‌ام‌ از بهشت‌ و از لطافتش، چند قطره‌ اشك‌ است‌ كه‌ گوشه‌ دلم‌ پنهانش‌ كرده‌ام، گريه‌ نمي‌كنم‌ تا تمام‌ نشود، مي‌ترسم‌ بعد از آن‌ از چشم‌هايم‌ سنگ‌ريزه‌ ببارد.

يا لطيف! اين‌ رسم‌ دنياست‌ كه‌ اشك‌ سنگ‌ريزه‌ شود و روح‌ سنگ‌ و صخره؟ اين‌ رسم‌ دنياست‌ كه‌ شيشه‌ها بشكند و دل‌هاي‌ نازك‌ شرحه‌شرحه‌ شود؟
وقتي‌ تيره‌ايم، وقتي‌ سراپا كدريم، به‌ چشم‌ مي‌آييم‌ و ديده‌ مي‌شويم، اما لطافت‌ كه‌ از حد بگذرد، ناپديد مي‌شود.
يا لطيف! كاشكي‌ دوباره‌ مشتي، تنها مشتي‌ از لطافتت‌ را به‌ من‌ مي‌بخشيدي‌ تا مي‌چكيدم‌ و مي‌وزيدم‌ و ناپديد مي‌شدم، مثل‌ هوا كه‌ ناپديد است، مثل‌ خودت‌ كه‌ ناپيدايي... يا لطيف! مشتي، تنها مشتي‌ از لطافتت‌ را به‌ من‌ ببخش.

عرفان‌ نظرآهاري

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Thank God for all the great things we have...




"Awaken"
by Ralph S. Marston, Jr.
© 2006 Ralph S. Marston, Jr.
On the web at http://awaken.greatday.com


In your life
A new day is dawning
Awaken and touch the beauty

Wherever you've come from
Whatever you've been
New possibilities beckon
Right here and now
Awaken and make them real

There was a time when you held in your heart
The most magnificent of dreams
A time when life seemed to carry
Endless promises and possibilities

Those dreams are still with you
Awaken and bring them to life

What you long for
Is longing for you
What you dream of
Is what you are meant to create

The doubts you have exist only in your mind
The anxieties that seem so burdensome are of your own making
Now is the moment to awaken,
and allow those doubts to melt away

Awaken, and dive deeply into the beauty of this moment
Allow your spirit to fully experience the richness of it all

Awaken
Allow peace to fill you completely
Let it touch your deepest longings
Let it bring those longings to life
Your most treasured possibilities are real,
If you will simply let them live through you

Awaken to this moment, and life begins anew
Reach inside, and allow
your most treasured
dreams to awaken with you
Into a bright and shining new day

Remind yourself again and again
Of how beautiful life can be
Remind yourself again and again
That you can make it so

Awaken
Step boldly and lovingly forward
Into this day

You've already come
So very far

You're stronger, more experienced
and more determined than ever
To fulfill those longings
That tell you who you are

Now is your moment to create real meaning
Now is your moment to awaken
And to truly and fully live

© 2006 Ralph S. Marston, Jr.
On the web at http://awaken.greatday.com

***
[Watch the Ralph S. Marston Jr.'s clip of "Awaken" by clicking here
Many thanks to a very good friend of mine for whom I have tremendous amount of respect, for sharing this with us all]

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Let's talk about love...



Everywhere I go, all the places that I have been...
Every smile is a new horizon on a land I have never seen.

There are people around the world...
Different faces, different names...
But there is one true emotion that reminds me we are the same...

Let's talk about love...

From the laughter of a child to the tears of a grown man...
There is a thread that runs right through us and helps us understand

As subtle as a breeze, that fans a flicker to a flame...
From the very first sweet melody to the very last refrain...

Let's talk about love...
Let's talk about us...
Let's talk about life...
Let's talk about trust...
Let's talk about love...

It is the king of all who live and the queen of all good hearts...
It is the ace you may keep up your sleeve, till the name is all but lost.

As deep as any sea, with the rage of any storm...
But as gentle as a falling leave on any autumn morn...

Let's talk about love...



***
[Lyrics of "Let's talk about love", song by Celine Dion]

Monday, November 20, 2006

French Words of Wisdom (I)




"Mieux vaut plier que rompre"
Better to bend than to break...


"Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre"
All comes on time to the one who knows how to wait...


"Mieux vaut tard que jamais"
Better be late rather than never...


"L'arbre cache souvent la forêt"
The trees often hide the whole forest...


"Qui donne aux pauvres prête à Dieu"
The one who gives to the poor loans to God...


"Ce sont les tonneaux vides qui font le plus de bruit"
It is the empty barrels that make the most noise...


"Avec des "si" et des "mais", on mettrait Paris dans une bouteille"
With all the "If"s and "But"s, one can put the whole city of Paris into a bottle...


"Qui craint le danger ne doit pas aller en mer"
The one who has fear of the dangers, should not go to the sea...


"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien"
"Better" is the enemy of "Good"...
[It will not let you enjoy the good things you have right now]


"Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard"
Leave nothing to chance...


"La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure"
The strongest reason, is always the best one...


"Il ne faut jamais dire " Fontaine, je ne boirai pas de ton eau ! ""
You should never say that "Oh, Fountain! I will never drink your water"...
[You should not be that certain about the future events]


"À coeur vaillant rien d'impossible"
Nothing is impossible for a willing heart...


***
The first series of the French words of wisdom which hopefully will be continued in the future posts.
[Photo: University of Paris in winter, Sorbonne, Paris, France]
[Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Dedicated to "you", with all the best wishes I have...




شب سردي است، و من افسرده.
راه دوري است، و پايي خسته.

تيرگي هست و چراغي مرده.

***

مي كنم، تنها، از جاده عبور:
دور ماندند ز من آدم ها.

سايه اي از سر ديوار گذشت،
غمي افزود مرا بر غم ها.

***

فكر تاريكي و اين ويراني
بي خبر آمد تا با دل من

قصه ها ساز كند پنهاني.

***

نيست رنگي كه بگويد با من
اندكي صبر، سحر نزديك است.

هر دم اين بانگ بر آرم از دل:
واي، اين شب چقدر تاريك است!

***

خنده اي كو كه به دل انگيزم؟
قطره اي كو كه به دريا ريزم؟

صخره اي كو كه بدان آويزم؟

***

مثل اين است كه شب نمناك است.
ديگران را هم غم هست به دل،

غم من، ليك، غمي غمناك است

***

نيست رنگي كه بگويد با من
اندكي صبر، سحر نزديك است.

هر دم اين بانگ بر آرم از دل:
واي، اين شب چقدر تاريك است


***
The beautiful poem by late Sohrab Sepehri, Iranian contemporary poet and painter, and amazingly subtle performance by Dr. Mohammad Esfahani has made the song as one of the most delighted airs ever for me.
You may enjoy listening to it here

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Looking at the eyes staring at you...



Looking at the eyes staring at you...at the eyes who might not have experienced happiness of the childhood even for one single moment...

Looking at the beautiful but sad faces...and see how awfully, the purity and innocence of the childhood is getting covered by all the pressures that a cruel environment can put on these little shoulders...

The little shoulders that never ever can bear this tremendous amount of poverty, hunger and suffer...

Have you ever seen those little staring eyes? You know, I am talking about those looks that can penetrate all the way through your heart...

What have I done for those cute eyes? what have you done for those beautiful lovely sad faces?
Are we getting lost everyday ignoring them more and more in a circle, we mistakenly ,have named it as daily life?

Looking at the eyes staring at you...have you ever thought about it that how great difference we all can make...

Monday, November 13, 2006

Thinking of the morning...



Thinking of the morning...I spend all the night...
May tomorrow be a better day...

Towards the shining sun, I open all the closed windows...
May this give happiness to the broken hearts...

From the house of my love, I heard that beautiful song again...
How rapidly I rushed towards the window with all my soul...

How beautiful that song was, singing of the dawn, of the green plains, of the woods...of the rain and of the sweet memories of childhood...





["Thinking of the morning" in Persian, by Mr. H. Panahi, contemporary poet and composer. Translated into English by H. Ataei]
[Photo: Historically-rich beautiful province of Fars, Iran]

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Beautiful Village of "Masouleh", Gilan, Iran



Masouleh is a village in the Gilan Province of Iran. Historical names for the village include "Maasalar" and "Khortab". It was founded in the 10th century, and its current population is estimated to be around 800 persons.


Geography and climate
Masouleh is approximately 60 km southwest of Rasht - center of the province of Gilan - and 25 km west of Fuman. The village is 1050 meters above sea level in the Alborz mountain range, near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The village itself has a difference in elevation of 100 meters.
Fog is the predominate weather feature of Masouleh.


Architecture
Masouleh architecture is unique. The buildings have been built into the mountain and are interconnected. Courtyards and roofs both serve as pedestrian areas similar to streets. Masouleh does not allow any motor vehicles to enter, due to its unique layout. It is the only village in Iran with such a prohibition. However, the small streets and many stairs simply also wouldn't make it possible for vehicles to enter.
Yellow clay coats the exterior of most buildings in Masouleh. This allows for better visibility in the fog.


["Masouleh" amazingly beautiful village in the province of Gilan, Iran. Courtesy of Wikipedia, Free online encyclopedia.
Photo: "Gilan, Village of Masouleh" by Said Mahmoudi Aznaveh"]

Friday, November 10, 2006

"Kuchalara Su Sapmisham"



Waiting for my beloved, I have sprinkled the alley with water...
May there be no dust on her clothes...and because of the dust, my love gets hurt of me...

Waiting for my beloved, I have sprinkled the alley with water...
I have put fire in samovar, I have poured sugar in the cups, I have prepared the tea...

But, what should I do, my love has gone and I am all alone...
How sweet is the memory of my beloved, how dear is this love to me...

Waiting for my beloved, I have sprinkled the alley with water...
Waiting for my beloved, I have sprinkled the alley with water...




***
[The poem "Kuchalara Su Sapmisham", is one of the most emotional and beautifully subtle folk Azeri love songs.
The poem is talking about a lover waiting for a dear guest as the love of his life. The guy has sprinkled the streets with water and cleaned them out of dust in order to show how much care he shows towards his beloved.
The extraordinarly subtle point here is that he is doing all these only to the memory of his beloved because this love does not seem that promising and the person is all alone complaining of this bitter seperation.
This song has been performed by late Azeri Tenor legend, Rashid Behbudov and may be heard by clicking here]

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

"Blue, Grey, Black",...The Poems I love so much, by late Hamid Mosaddegh...

...

واي، باران؛
باران؛
شيشه پنجره را باران شست .
از دل من اما،
- چه كسي نقش تو را خواهد شست ؟


آسمان سربي رنگ،
من درون قفس سرد اتاقم دلتنگ .
مي پرد مرغ نگاهم تا دور،
واي، باران،
باران،
پر مرغان نگاهم را شست .

*****

خواب روياي فراموشيهاست !
خواب را دريابم،
كه در آن دولت خاموشيهاست .
من شكوفايي گلهاي اميدم را در روياها مي بينم،

و ندايي كه به من ميگويد :
« گر چه شب تاريك است
« دل قوي دار،
سحر نزديك است

دل من، در دل شب،
خواب پروانه شدن مي بيند .
مهر در صبحدمان داس به دست
آسمانها آبي،
- پر مرغان صداقت آبي ست -
ديده در آينه صبح تو را مي بيند .
از گريبان تو صبح صادق،
مي گشايد پرو بال

تو گل سرخ مني
تو گل ياسمني
تو چنان شبنم پاك سحري ؟
- نه؟
از آن پاكتري
تو بهاري ؟
- نه،
- بهاران از توست .

از تو مي گيرد وام،
هر بهار اينهمه زيبايي را .
هوس باغ و بهارانم نيست
اي بهين باغ و بهارانم تو !

*****


تو اگر باز كني پنجره را،
من نشان خواهم داد ،
به تو زيبايي را .
بگذر از زيور و آراستگي
من تو را با خود تا خانه خود خواهم برد
كه در آن شوكت پيراستگي
چه صفايي دارد
آري از سادگيش،
چون تراويدن مهتاب به شب
مهر از آن مي بارد .

باز كن پنجره را
من تو را خواهم برد؛
به عروسي عروسكهاي
كودك خواهر خويش؛
كه در آن مجلس جشن
صحبتي نيست ز دارايي داماد و عروس .
صحبت از سادگي و كودكي است .
چهره اي نيست عبوس .
كودك خواهر من،
امپراتوري پر وسعت خود را هر روز،
شوكتي مي بخشد .
كودك خواهر من نام تو را مي داند
نام تو را ميخواند !
- گل قاصد آيا
با تو اين قصه خوش خواهد گفت ؟! -

باز كن پنجره را
من تو را خواهم برد
به سر رود خروشان حيات،
آب اين رود به سر چشمه نمي گردد باز؛
بهتر آنست كه غفلت نكنيم از آغاز .
باز كن پنجره را ! -
- صبح دميد ! .

*****

گل به گل، سنگ به سنگ اين دشت
يادگاران تواند .
رفته اي اينك و هر سبزه و سنگ
در تمام در و دشت
سوكواران تواند .
در دلم آرزوي آمدنت مي ميرد
رفته اي اينك، اما آيا
باز بر مي گردي ؟
چه تمناي محالي دارم
خنده ام مي گيرد !

*****

و چه روياهايي !
كه تبه گشت و گذشت .
و چه پيوند صميميتها،
كه به آساني يك رشته گسست .
چه اميدي، چه اميد ؟
چه نهالي كه نشاندم من و بي بر گرديد .

دل من مي سوزد،
كه قناريها را پر بستند .
كه پر پاك پرستوها را بشكستند .
و كبوترها را
- آه، كبوترها را ...
و چه اميد عظيمي به عبث انجاميد.

*****

در ميان من و تو فاصله هاست .
گاه مي انديشم ،
- مي تواني تو به لبخندي اين فاصله را برداري !
تو توانايي بخشش داري .
دستاي تو توانايي آن را دارد ؛
- كه مرا،
زندگاني بخشد .
چشمهاي تو به من مي بخشد
شور عشق و مستي
و تو چون مصرع شعري زيبا،
سطر برجسته اي از زندگاني من هستي.

*****

من به بي ساماني،
باد را مي مانم .
من به سرگرداني،
ابر را مي مانم.
من به آراستگي خنديدم .
من ژوليده به آراستگي خنديدم .
- سنگ طفلي، اما،
خواب نوشين كبوترها را در لانه مي آشفت .
قصه بي سر و ساماني من،
باد با برگ درختان مي گفت .
باد با من مي گفت :
« چه تهي دستي، مَرد!
ابرباورميكرد.

*****

من در آيينه رخ خود ديدم
وبه تو حق دادم.
آه مي بينم، مي بينم
تو به اندازه تنهايي من خوشبختي
من به اندازه زيبايي تو غمگينم

*****
بي تو در مي يابم،
چون چناران كهن
از درون تلخي واريزم را.
كاهش جان من اين شعر من است .
آرزو مي كردم،
كه تو خواننده شعرم باشي .
- راستي شعر مرا مي خواني ؟ -
نه، دريغا، هرگز،
باورم نيست كه خواننده شعرم باشي .
- كاشكي شعر مرا مي خواندي ! -

*****

گاه مي انديشم،
خبر مرگ مرا با تو چه كس مي گويد ؟
آن زمان كه خبر مرگ مرا
از كسي مي شنوي، روي تو را
كاشكي مي ديدم .

شانه بالا زدنت را،
- بي قيد -
و تكان دادن دستت كه،
- مهم نيست زياد -
و تكان دادن سر را كه،
- عجيب ! عاقبت مرد ؟
- افسوس !
- كاشكي مي ديدم !

من به خود مي گويم :
« چه كسي باور كرد
« جنگل جان مرا
« آتش عشق تو خاكستر كرد ؟

*****

با من اكنون چه نشستنها، خاموشيها،
با تو اكنون چه فراموشيهاست .

چه كسي مي خواهد
من و تو ما نشويم
خانه اش ويران باد !

من اگر ما نشوم، تنهايم
تو اگر ما نشوي،
- خويشتني

از كجا كه من و تو
شور يكپارچگي را در شرق
باز بر پا نكنيم

از كجا كه من و تو
مشت رسوايان را وا نكنيم .

من اگر برخيزم
تو اگر برخيزي
همه بر مي خيزند

من اگر بنشينم
تو اگر بنشيني
چه كسي برخيزد ؟
چه كسي با دشمن بستيزد ؟
چه كسي
پنجه در پنجه هر دشمن دون
- آويزد

*****

دشتها نام تو را مي گويند .
كوهها شعر مرا مي خوانند .

كوه بايد شد و ماند،
رود بايد شد و رفت،
دشت بايد شد و خواند .

در من اين جلوه اندوه ز چيست ؟
در تو اين قصه پرهيز - كه چه ؟
در من اين شعله عصيان نياز،
در تو دمسردي پاييز - كه چه ؟

حرف را بايد زد !
درد را بايد گفت !
سخن از مهر من و جور تو نيست .
سخن از
متلاشي شدن دوستي است ،
و عبث بودن پندار سرور آور مهر
...

*****

سينه ام آينه اي ست،
با غباري از غم .
تو به لبخندي از اين آينه بزداي غبار .

...

من چه مي گويم،آه ...
با تو اكنون چه فراموشيها؛
با من اكنون چه نشستنها، خاموشيهاست .

تو مپندار كه خاموشي من،
هست برهان فراموشي من .

من اگر برخيزم
تو اگر برخيزي
همه برمي خيزند

[From: "Blue, Grey, Black", by late Hamid Mosaddegh, Iranian contemporary poet]

Never...oh, never...




[By: Hamid Mosaddegh, late Iranian contemporary poet, 1943-2001]

Sunday, November 05, 2006

The words of wisdom...



What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche


You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat.
-- Christy Mathewson


Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails, Explore, Dream.
-- Mark Twain


You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
-- Mahatma Gandhi


Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
-- Thomas Alva Edison


By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.
-- Charles Wadsworth


You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.
-- Naguib, Mahfouz


Brain: an apparatus with which we think that we think.
-- Ambrose Bierce


The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.
-- Bertrand Russell





[Thanks to my dear friend Mr. H. Okhravi for his great collection of the words of wisdom]
[Photo: "Anzali" national preserve and flower of lotus, beautiful province of Gilan, Iran]