Category: Translation

Amirhossein Cheheltan: In One of These Summers

As long as he was in the house, he was depressed. When he went out on the street, it was time to worry. An endless anxiety that sometimes became so strong that he wished it would burst from his throat. Fariborz was just an excuse. He knew they were lying, but the illness had stayed […]

Forough Farrokhzad: Only the Voice Remains [Tanha Sedast I Mimanad]

Why should I stop, why When birds have flown in search of the azure realm, The horizon is vertical, The horizon is vertical and movement is effervescent, And within the limits of perception, The luminous planets revolve, The earth repeats itself aloft, And air shafts Become tunnels of connection, And the day is a vastness […]

Rumi: Ghazal 1334

What a miracle: we are in the fall, and the sun has entered the sign of Aries. My blood begins to boil in the flow of my body like a camel going wild and setting my being in motion.   Watch the play of these waves of blood! See how the plains fill with Majnuns! […]

Jalal Al-e Ahmad: The Life Which Fled [Zendegi ke Gorikht]

Jalal Al-e Ahmad: The Life Which Fled [Zendegi ke Gorikht] The sun’s heat tormented the mind and deserted the road along the riverbank. Coming and going was impeded, as if it had paused. On the other side of the river, amidst the palm groves, a mist seemed to dance — a mist interwoven with dust. […]

A Home in the Sky By Goli Taraghi

A Home in the Sky By Goli Taraghi It was a harsh summer, humid, without water, without electricity. War loomed, fear and darkness. Masoud D. was like a man who had plunged into the depths of a troubled dream, confused and angry. He clasped the hands of his wife and children and hurriedly made his […]

Sohrab Sepehri: Smoke Rise [Doud Barmikhizad]

Smoke Rise [Doud Barmikhizad] Smoke rises from the cave of my solitude. Who could fathom the ruins I carry? I speak to my inwardly burned self. When will my story reach its end? I have withdrawn my hand from the cloak of night To cling to the braids of dawn as my hope. From the […]

In the Tar of Night [Dar Qir-e Shab] by Sohrab Sepehri

In the Tar of Night [Dar Qir-e Shab] Long has this solitude been, Where silence paints the design of lips. A distant call beckons to me, But my feet are sunk in the tar of the night. There is no gap in this darkness: Walls and ceilings merge into one. Should a shadow glide across […]

The Sin (Gonah) by Forough Farrokhzad

The Sin (Gonah) I have sinned, a sin full of pleasure, In an embrace that was warm and fiery. I sinned in arms That were eager, vengeful and steely. In this dark and silent sanctuary, I gazed into his eyes full of secrets. My heart trembled restlessly in my breast At the longing of his […]

Throne of Solomon [Takht-e Abunasr] By Sadeq Hedayat

Throne of Solomon [Takht-e Abunasr] In the second year of the excavations at the Metropolitan Museum of Chicago near Shiraz, on the hill of “Takht-e Abunasr”,” scientific investigations were carried out. But apart from the cramped and acidic tombs, which often contained the bones of several people, nothing worth mentioning had been discovered except red […]

Madeline By Sadeq Hedayat

The other evening I was there, in the little parlor. Her mother and sister were also present, the mother in gray and the daughters in red, matching the crimson velvet of the sofas. I leaned my elbow on the piano and watched them. There was silence, except for the needle of the gramophone playing the […]

Three Drops of Blood [Se Qatreh Khun] By Sadeq Hedayat

Only yesterday they granted me solitude in my chamber. Could it be that, as the warden promised, I am now completely cured and will be released to freedom next week? Did I feel unwell? A year has passed, and during that time my pleas for pen and paper have gone unanswered, no matter how much […]

In a Coffin Made of Nothing, Carried on the Shoulders of No One By Amin Faghiri

He has built himself a room in the center of the world, surrounded by a wasteland of sand and wind. Perhaps now and then, when he goes up on the roof and shields his eyes with his hand, he sees the tree of his childhood and perhaps birds sit on this tree whose species he […]

Twenty Four Hours in Waking and Dreaming By Samad Behrangi

Dear Reader, I did not write the story of “Waking and Dreaming” to teach you a lesson. My intention is to make you more familiar with the children of my homeland and to encourage you to think about the cure for their ailments. If I were to endeavor to document everything that happened to me […]

Manifestation (Tajalli) By Sadeq Hedayat

As dusk began to weave its shadowy carpet across the sky, Hasmik pulled the brim of her hat down to cover her eyebrows and pulled the collar of her cloak closer, as if to ward off the encroaching cold. With swift, deliberate steps, she made her way home, her mind so ensnared by confused thoughts […]

The Couple By Ghazaleh Alizadeh

1 Dear listeners, think about the eternal truths that lie before us. Examine your conscience. The world stands on the edge of an unknown precipice. In these turbulent times, people’s actions are deviating from their past by engaging in endeavors far removed from the complexities of brain surgery. I assert this as one of the […]

Buried Alive [Zendeh Be Goor] By Sadeq Hedayat

My breath escapes me in ragged gaspings, tears run from my eyes, a bitter taste lingers in my mouth. My head spins, my heart clenches, my body lies exhausted, beaten, limp, weak on the bed. My arms, covered in marks from the injections, bear witness to my misery. The bed reeks of sweat and the […]

Seeking Redemption [Talab-e Amorzesh] By Sadeq Hedayat

Amidst the sweltering winds that whipped up the hot dust and sand and slapped the travelers in the face, the unyielding sun scorched and melted everything in its path. The monotonous clanging of iron and brass bells could be heard, synchronized with the camels’ steps. Their drooping necks and sullen, slack expressions signaled their dissatisfaction […]

The Vortex (Gerdab) By Sadeq Hedayat

Homayoun muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper, “Can it really be? Is it conceivable? So young, she lies there in Shah Abdol Azim among thousands of other departed souls, nestled in the damp, cold earth… The shroud that envelops her. Never again will she experience the beginning of spring or the end of […]

The Indian Crow By Fereshteh Molavi

I wake up in Delhi to the cawing of a crow perched on a willow branch, to the dance of light on the shadow of a dream, to the scent of a tropical morning. Spring. The awakening of spring. The elation of travel. I pull aside the cotton curtain, open the window and the quiet […]

Who Should I Greet Now? By Simin Daneshvar

Who should I greet now? The lady principal has left us, Haj Ismail has disappeared without a trace and my precious daughter has become the prey of wolves in the wilderness… The cat has breathed its last, the tongs fell on the spider and sealed its fate. And now the snow envelops everything in its […]

The Behind-the-Curtain Doll By Sadeq Hedayat [Arusak Posht-e Pardeh]

The summer vacation had begun. In the corridor of the boys’ grammar school in Le Havre, the boarders left the school whistling and cheering with their suitcases in their hands. Only Mehrdad was standing still, holding his hat like a merchant whose ship had sunk, looking despairingly at his suitcase. The principal with his bald […]

The Claws By Sadeq Hedayat

When Seyyed Ahmad entered the house, he cast a suspicious glance across the courtyard, then knocked with his stick on the brown door of the room above the cistern and called softly: “Robabeh… Robabeh…!” The door opened and a pale, frightened girl came out: “Brother, is that you? Come up here.” She took her brother’s […]

The Last Day By Bahram Beyzai

As the 48-year-old Iranian writer Sadeq Hedayat makes his way to his apartment in the 18th arrondissement at 37 Rue Championnet bis on a gloomy afternoon in Paris, he meets two men who are waiting for him. They immediately inquire whether he has returned from the police station and whether he has received the necessary […]

The Chicken Coop By Mohammad Mohammadali

The phone rang. It was Kashefi. “What’s the status of Mr. Vali’s retirement?” “It’s likely to be finalized today or tomorrow.” “I’ve been considering something for him.” “Thank you for remembering our request, sir!” “Just a question, is he fit for strenuous work?” “Don’t be deceived by his bulky and flabby appearance; he single-handedly oversees […]

Contemplations on Death By Sadeq Hedayat

What a terrifying and awe-inspiring word that is! Hearing it evokes heart-rending emotions: it robs the lips of laughter, the hearts of joy, brings darkness and depression and causes a thousand kinds of disturbing thoughts to pass before our eyes. Life is inseparable from death. Without life there would be no death, and without death […]

Jalal Al-e Ahmad: The Superfluous Woman [Zan-e Ziadi]

How could I stay in my father’s house? It felt like the walls were squeezing my heart. This all started the day before yesterday. But could I have stayed there for even a moment in the last two nights? Sleep eluded me completely. I tossed and turned restlessly, my thoughts racing incessantly. It was as […]

The Autumn-Stricken Valley By Jalal Al-e Ahmad

In the afternoon, the final whistle of the mine sounded traditionally in the cold, misty valleys of Zirab. The sound meandered everywhere: it snaked through the branches of the barren trees, slipped under the iron roofs and wooden cladding visible along the valleys, and penetrated the long, dark tunnels where it turned people’s lives into […]

Hajji Murad By Sadeq Hedayat

Hajji Murad stepped from the threshold of his store with a bold leap, smoothed the folds of his robe and fastened his silver belt before running his fingers through his henna-stained beard. He summoned his apprentice Hassan with a shout. Together they secured the store for the day. From the depths of his generous pocket, […]

The Darkroom By Sadeq Hedayat

During our moonlit journey through Khonsar, we were joined by a man wrapped in his dark raincoat with his wide-brimmed hat pulled down over his forehead, apparently to shield himself from the outside world and avoid conversation with his fellow travelers. He had a parcel tucked under his arm and carried it with him throughout […]

I Swear I am not a Whore by Houshang Golshiri

It was 4:30 p.m., and not everyone was expected to arrive until 5:00 pm. The table was almost ready, all that was missing was some ice, cucumber yogurt, a can opener, and the like. Moqaddasi, who lived just two streets away, could help us if he managed to come. He had the job of bringing […]

Customs and Taxes By Jalal Al-e Ahmad

At the border checkpoint, the process was efficient. My identity was verified by comparing my photograph to my face, and upon presenting my recently acquired smallpox vaccination certificate from Khorramshahr, which cost two tomans, I was allowed entry. A diligent policeman took charge of my suitcase, escorting me to the riverbank a short distance away. […]

Eternity By Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh

It was Friday and the offices were closed for the day. In keeping with tradition, I paid a visit to my venerable companion. He was sitting alone at his desk, which was also his sleeping quarters, and was busy examining a shoehorn lying in the middle of the desk. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, […]

Kanizu By Moniroo Ravanipour

Kanizu was dead. When Maryam left school and reached the street, she saw men in front of the “Tavakkoli” liquor store, uproariously laughing as they dragged a woman whose foot had slipped into a roadside ditch. The liquor store, situated a few hundred meters from Maryam’s school, was a site of daily discord. As the […]

My Henna-Colored Coat By Rasoul Parvizi

In year thirty, the snow did swell, To column’s height, as elders tell. With flakes that fell both day and night, The sight became a sheer delight, A tale of winter’s spell they’d often retell.   The winter of 1928 in Shiraz was particularly harsh and unrelenting. The cold was so intense that it seemed […]

The Marriage Mender (Muhallil) By Sadeq Hedayat

Four hours before sunset, Pas Qaleh appeared abandoned in the mountains. There were glasses of yogurt drink and syrup and colorful glasses on a table in front of a picturesque coffee house. On a nearby pedestal stood an old gramophone playing heart-rending records. The coffee house owner stirred the brass samovar with his sleeves rolled […]

Someone Else’s Child By Jalal Al-e Ahmad

What could I do? My husband was unwilling to take care of the child with me. The child, from my previous marriage, was not his, and my ex-husband had refused to take the child. What would someone else in my situation have done? I had to live my life too. If my current husband also […]

The Cow [Gav] by Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi

As the morning sun shone, Mashdi Hassan’s wife emerged in distress. Islam was by the pool, readying his cart for a trip to Khatoon Abad with the village chief for a memorial service for Mashdi Hassan’s sister. The village chief, having intended to invite Mashdi Baba to join them, was met with excuses, as Mashdi […]

The Disgrace of Poverty by Iraj Pezeshkzad

Abolfath Khan, a friend of ours, bought a house for eighty-five thousand tomans. While this amount may seem trivial today, his friends and family considered it significant enough to warrant a celebration. However, Abolfath Khan opted for a modest gathering and invited ten to fifteen close and distant friends for tea and sweets to celebrate […]

The East of the Violet By Shahriar Mandanipour

Now that the veil has been lifted from the secrets hidden in the sentences you have read, now that every point of these words is before you, may the sweetness of Minoo’s wine caress your lips. For though fate has allotted you a portion of the bitter brew of this world, it has also endowed […]

The Story of my Glasses By Rasoul Parvizi

The event is so vivid that it penetrates the shadows of my memory and shines bright as daylight. It feels like it happened just hours ago and is still at the forefront of my memories. Until eighth grade, I considered eyeglasses a sign of foreign sophistication, much like education and neckties, worn by civilized people […]

Farsi is Sugar By Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh

Nowhere else in the world is everyone so indiscriminately lumped together as in Iran. After five years of nomadic life and emotional turmoil, I had not yet caught a glimpse of Iran’s holy ground from the deck of the ship when I heard the chants of the Gilaki boat people from Anzali singing “Balam jan, […]

The Tangled Skein By Bahram Sadegh

There is an invisible force, like an invisible hand, which I cannot see but can feel and sense. It moves me and guides my actions. “ Look alive! Tilt your chin upwards. Unfold your forehead. Show us a grin Direct your gaze at the camera. I’ll count to three and you’d better hold still like […]

Ask the Migratory Birds By Simin Daneshvar

I found myself dreaming that my mother was dreaming about me. In her dream, I was vividly acting out the scenarios she envisioned. It defied all logic, yet does everything in life adhere strictly to the realms of reason? In her dream, she witnessed a hand wielding scissors approaching my head, with freshly cut hair […]

Abji Khanum, The Spinster by Sadeq Hedayat

Abji Khanum was Mahrokh’s elder sister, but anyone who did not know their background would hardly believe that they were sisters. Abji Khanum was tall, slim and had a wheat-colored complexion, thick lips and black hair; overall, she was considered unattractive. In contrast, Mahrokh was short, fair-skinned, with a small nose, date-colored hair and enchanting […]

The Portraitist (Naqshbandan) by Houshang Golshiri

As we rounded the bend, a woman on a bicycle rode past us. I always remember her riding past, leaning slightly forward, dressed in a short-sleeved white blouse. She was pedaling, her hair fluttering over her shoulder, which was facing the sea, and her gaze was fixed on a place that we only noticed when […]

The School Principal: A Novel by Jalal Al-e Ahmad

The moment I sauntered in, cigarette in hand, I was more standoffish than a cat at a dog show. Lost in my own thoughts, I stood like a statue. After giving me the nod to park myself, the head of the Culture Department took a glance at my hand and then went back to scribbling […]

The Gilak Man (Gilehmard): A Short Story by Bozorg Alavi

A relentless rain poured down from the sky, and the winds were so violent that they seemed to shake the earth to its foundations. Old trees lay in a melancholy embrace, their branches swaying in the storm. In the distance, the plaintive cries of a woman pierced the air, carried by the raging storm that […]

The Song of the Reed Flute by Rumi [In Verse Translation]

The Masnavi, also known as Mathnawi, is a remarkable literary work crafted by the renowned Persian poet and mystic, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, more commonly known as Rumi. Comprising of an astounding 26,000 couplets divided into six volumes, this magnum opus stands as one of the most significant contributions to Persian mystical literature and Iranian […]

Lucifer: A Short Story by Reza Joulaee [English Translation]

The firmament glowed with an ominous hue, an ethereal crimson that cast an eerie pallor upon the desolate landscape. Gusts of wind, laden with particles of earth, swirled with an almost mournful grace, rustling the parched branches of the trees. Sensing the impending tempest, the man hastened to secure his surroundings, his hands deftly manipulating […]

Rasoul Parvizi: The Patched Pants [Shalvarhay-e Vasleh Dar]

Oh, joy and gloom were locked in a fierce battle. Our schoolyard was a chaotic mixture of laughter and tears. A student might walk down the hallway with a glum look on his face, but as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he was enveloped in a cloud of mirth and laughed along with […]