10 Ahmad Shamlou Poems in Farsi and English
Ahmad Shamlou (Persian:احمد شاملو) was a great Persian poet born on December 12, 1925, in Tehran, Iran, and died on July 23, 2000. Ahmad Shamlou poems touch the heart of any human being and invite them to love. Many critics believe him to be one of Iran’s most significant poets of the contemporary era. On the surface, Ahmad Shamlou poems seem to be sophisticated, depending significantly on imagery, yet they’re relatively straightforward in terms of their content. Traditional imagery in his poems that Iranian readers are familiar with is typically from other famous poets such as Omar Khayyám or Hafiz. Translators from all around the world translated many Ahmad Shamlou poems into other languages, and he has also translated some of French literature into the Persian language.
Ahmad Shamlou Poems Characteristics
Shamlou’s first book of poems, Forgotten Songs, was released in 1947. It was a compilation of poetry that included both contemporary and classical works. He was intensely fascinated by Iranian folklore, and he created a large piece of work called The Book of Alley, which consisted of thirteen volumes. Critics believe that Ahmad Shamlou poems have been a tremendous help to people learning Persian traditions and language. The poet Shamlou draws inspiration from the aspects of nature in his poetry. Forests, the sun, mountains, clouds, snow, day and night, spring, lightning, animals, and birds are examples of natural elements in Ahmad Shamlou poems. Furthermore, colors and their variations, which are one of nature’s most distinctive manifestations that take on symbolic meaning in poetry, play an important role in creating his poetry.
Aida and Shamlou
One thing you should know before reading Ahmad Shamlou poems is that his love poems are entirely about a lady called Aida, who was his wife and whom he loved with complete devotion.
Ahmad Shamlou Poems in English
Many critics believe that Shamlou got inspiration from Nima Jooshij. In the following, we provided the best Ahmad Shamlou poems. So, please keep reading!
زیباترین حرفت را بگو
شکنجه ی پنهان سکوت ات را آشکاره کن
و هراس مدار از آنکه بگویند
ترانه یی بیهوده می خوانید
چرا که ترانه ی ما
ترانه ی بیهوده گی نیست
چرا که عشق
حرفی بیهوده نیست
حتی بگذار آفتاب نیز بر نیاید
به خاطر فردای ما اگر
بر ماش منتی ست
چرا که عشق
خود فرداست
خود همیشه است
Transcript:
Zibatarin harfat ra begu
Shekanjeye penhane sokotat ra ashkareh kon
Va haras madar az anke begoyand
Taranehee bihodeh mikhanid
Chera ke taraneye ma
Taraneye bihodegi nist
Chera ke eshgh
Harfi bihodeh nist
Hata bogzar aftab niz bar nayayad
Be khatere fardaye ma agar
Bar mash menatist
Chera ke eshgh khod fardast
Khod hamisheh ast
English Translation
Tell your most beautiful words
Release your pain of silence
Don’t be scared if they say
Your words are useless
Because our words
Are not useless melodies
Because love
Is not useless
Even if the sun doesn’t rise
love is future
love is the everlasting!
تو را دوست دارم
و این دوست داشتن
حقیقتی است که مرا
به زندگی دلبسته می کند
Transcript:
To ra dost daram
Va in dost dashtan
Haghightist ke mara
Be zendegi delbaste mikonad
English Translation:
I love you
And this love
Is a fact
That makes me wanna live
دوست اش می دارم
چرا که می شناسمش
به دوستی و یگانگی
شهر
همه بیگانگی و عداوت است
هنگامی که دستان مهربانش را به دست می گیرم
تنهایی غم انگیزش را در می یابم
Transcript:
Dostash midaram
Chera ke mishnasamash
Be dosti va yeganegi
Shahr
Hame biganegy va edavat ast
Hengami ke dastane mehrbanash ra be dast migiram
Tanhayee gham angizash ra dar miyabam
English Translation:
I love her
Because I know her
As a good-hearted person
The city is full of cold eyes and evilness
When I hold her kind hands
I feel her sad loneliness!
Ahmad Shamlou Poems in Farsi
Shamlou was a skilled and influential journalist, researcher, translator, and critic, in addition to his revolutionary skill in poetry. In his research books Ketab-e Kuche, he performed a fantastic job preserving Iran’s vernacular and colloquial culture. His noteworthy translations of authors and poets such as Octavio Paz, Langston Hughes, and Federico Garcia Lorca opened the doors of international literature to Persian speakers. Let’s read more of Ahmad Shamlou poems.
در خلوت روشن با تو گريسته ام
براي خاطر زندگان
و در گورستان تاريک با تو خوانده ام
زيباترين سرودها را
زيرا که مردگان اين سال
عاشق ترين زندگان بودند
دستت را به من بده
دست هاي تو با من آشناست
Transcript:
Dar khalvate roshan ba to geristeham
Baraye khatere zendegan
Va dar gorestane Tarik ba to khandeham zibatarin sorodeh hara
Zira ke mordegane in sal
Asheqtarin zendegan budand
Dastat ra be man bedeh
Dasthaye to ba man ashenast
English Translation:
I have wept in solitude with you
Because of the living beings
And I have laughed in a dark graveyard with you and sung
The most beautiful songs
This year, the dead
Are most living beings
Give me your hands
Your hands know me
اي دير يافته با تو سخن مي گويم
بسان ابر که با توفان
بسان علف که با صحرا
بسان باران که با دريا
بسان پرنده که با بهار
بسان درخت که با جنگل سخن مي گويد
زيرا که من
ريشه هاي تو را دريافته ام
زيرا که صداي من
با صداي تو آشناست
Transcript:
Ey dir yafteh ba to sokhan migoyam
Besan abr ke ba tofan
Besan alaf ke ba sahra
Besan baran ke ba darya
Besan parande ke ba bahar
Besan derakht ke ba jangal sokhan migoyad
Zira ke man
Rishehhaye to ra yafteham
Zira ke sedaye man
Ba sedaye man ashnast
English Translation:
Oh you who have been found at last
I speak with you
As the cloud with the storm
The weed with soil
The rain with the sea
The bird with green spring
As the tree speaks with the jungle
Because
I have discovered your roots
Because my voice
Is familiar with yours!
همچون زخمی
همه عُمر
خونابه چکنده
همچون زخمی
همه عُمر
به دردی خشک تپنده،
به نعره‌یی
چشم بر جهان گشوده
به نفرتی
از خود شونده،
غیاب بزرگ چنین بود
سرگذشت ویرانه چنین بود
آه اگر آزادی سرودی می‌خواند
کوچک
کوچک‌تر حتا
از گلوگاه یکی پرنده
Transcript:
Hamchon zakhmi
Hame omr
Khonabe chekande
Hamchon zakhmi
Hame omr
Be dardi khosh tapande
Be na’ree
Cheshm bar jahan goshodeh
Be nefrati
Az khod shavande
Ghiyabe bozorg chenin bud
Sargozashte virane chenin bud
Ah agar azadi sorudi mikhand
Kochak
Kochak tar hata
Az galogahe yeki parandeh
English Translation:
Like a wound
The whole life
It drips blood
Like a wound beating with a deep pain
With a cry
It opened the eyes to the world
To a hatred
Disappearing
The great absence was like this
The story of ruins was like this
Oh, if freedom could sing
Tiny
Tinier than,
A bird’s throat
Ahmad Shamlou Love Poems
You will read 3 of the best Ahmad Shamlou poems about love in the following. Aida Sarkisyan is Shamlou’s wife and his love of life. Aida was born on November 15, 1939; many of Ahmad Shamlou poems are about her. Read a part of Aida’s interview about Shamlou. “Work and music were an integral part of our daily routines. Despite our difficulties and fears, our united goal helped us persevere through our misfortunes. Our first meeting took place in the spring of 1962. Ahmad would write me poetry in his lovely handwriting, and I would store them in a tiny wooden box with inlaid patterns. We have been living in the same home since 1964.”
کیستی که من اینگونه به اعتماد
نام خود را
با تو می گویم
نان شادی ام را با تو قسمت می کنم
به کنارت می نشینم و
بر زانوی تو اینچنین به خواب می روم
کیستی که من این گونه به جد
در دیار رویاهای خویش با تو
درنگ می کنم
Transcript:
Kisti ke man ingone be etemad
Name khod ra
Ba to migoyam
Nane shadyiam r aba to ghesmat mikonam
Be kenarat mineshinam O
Bar zanoye to inchenin be khab miravam
Kisti ke man ingone be jed
Dar diyare royahaye khish ba to
Derang mikonam
English Translation:
Who are you that I trust you with my name
I talk with you
I share my happiness with you
I sit beside you
I sleep on your feet
Who are you that
I see you in my dreams
د‌ل های ما که به هم نزدیک باشن
دیگر چه فرقی می کند
که کجای این جهان باشیم
دور باش اما نزدیک
من از نزدیک بودن‌های دور می‌ترسم
Transcript:
Del haye ma ke be ham nazdik bashan
Digar che farghi mikonad
Ke kojaye in jahan bashim
Dor bash ama nazdik
Man az nazdik bodan hayed or mitarsam
English Translation:
When hearts are close
What’s the difference
Where our bodies are
It’s okay to be far away, but be close to me
I’m scared of close bodies that are strange to each other!
Ahmad Shamlou Quotes
Let’s read more of Ahmad Shamlou poems and quotes in the following.
!آیداى خوب نازنینم
مدت هاست که برایت چیزى ننوشته ام
زندگى مجال نمى دهد: غم نان
با وجود این، خودت بهتر مى دانى
نفسى که مى کشم تو هستى؛
خونى که در رگ هایم مى دود و حرارتى که نمى گذارد یخ کنم
امروز بیشتر از دیروز دوستت مى دارم و فردا بیشتر از امروز
و این، ضعف من نیست: قدرت تو است
Transcript:
Aida khobe nazaninam
Modathast ke barayat chizi naneveshtam
Zendegi majal nemidahad: ghame nan
Ba vojode in, khodat behtar midani
Nafasi ke mikesham to hasti;
Khoni ke dar raghayam midavad va hararati ke nemigozarad yakh konam
Emruz bishtar az diruz dostat daram va farad bishtar az emruz
Va in za’fe man nist: ghodrate tost!
English Translation:
My dear lovely Aida
It’s been some time since I wrote you a letter
Life limited me: hardworking for surviving
Still, you better know me
You’re my breath (you’re the reason why I’m alive.”)
(you’re) the blood in my vessels
The warmth of my heart
Today, I love you more than yesterday
And tomorrow I will love you
More than today
This is not my weakness: it’s your power!
Ahmad Shamlou poems show the true love of a person for someone.
بالاﺧﺮﻩ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﺪ ﺁﻣﺪ
ﺁﻥ ﺷﺐﻫﺎیی ﮐﻪ ﺗﺎ ﺻﺒﺢ
ﺩﺭ ﮐﻨﺎﺭ ﺗﻮ ﺑﯿﺪﺍﺭ ﺑﻤﺎﻧﻢ
ﺳﺮﺕ ﺭﺍ ﺭﻭﯼ ﺳﯿﻨﻪ ﺍﻡ ﺑﮕﺬﺍﺭﻡ
ﻭ ﺑﻪ ﺗﻮ ﺑﮕﻮﯾﻢ ﮐﻪ ﺩﺭ ﮐﻨﺎﺭﺕ
چقدﺭ ﺧﻮﺷﺒﺨﺖ ﻫﺴﺘﻢ
Transcript:
Belakhare khahad amad
An shabhayi ke ta sobh
Dar kenare to bidar bemanam
Sarat ra roye sineham begozaram
Va be to begoyam ke dar kenarat
Cheghadr khoshbakht hastam
English Translation:
Finally, nights would come
That I stay awake beside you till morning
(I will) put your head on my chest
And tell you that
I’m happy beside you!
Conclusion
Persians have always loved poetry; that’s why they respect and care for the great figures in Persian literature. One of the great poets all Iranians love is Shamlou. Ahmad Shamlou poems open our hearts to acceptance of love. In this article, we provided 10 of the best Ahmad Shamlou poems.
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