Sohrab Sepehri Poems in Farsi and English
Sohrab Sepehri (Persian:سهراب سپهری) who was born on October 7, 1928, in Kashan, Iran, and died on April 21, 1980, was a prominent Iranian poet and painter. Sohrab Sepehri poems are delicate, profound, and full of symbols, just like Nima Jooshij’s poems. He’s famous for being one of the five most prominent Iranian poets who have practiced contemporary poetry, along with Nima Youshij, Forough Farrokhzad, Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, and Ahmad Shamlou, who are all among the country’s most famous poets. Many translators from languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Lithuanian, have translated Sohrab Sepehri poems. The Honar-haye Ziba (Fine Arts) Faculty of Tehran University is where he pursued his Bachelor of Arts degree after receiving his high school graduation. After graduation, he worked for many government departments while still following his interests in poetry and painting. In this article, we will introduce to you some of the best Sohrab Sepehri poems.
What Are Sohrab Sepehri Poems in English
Finally, he entirely resigned from his government post and started devoting all of his time and attention to poetry and painting full-time. He relocated to the United States and resided there for one year before moving to Paris for around two years. His paintings during this time were all done in the same soft and delicate manner, as is evident in Sohrab Sepehri poems. In Sohrab Sepehri poems, he combined Eastern thoughts with Western techniques to create a style that has never been in the history of Persian literature. Following his cancer diagnosis, he traveled to England for treatment, which was his final trip to the country. He died in Tehran a year later, in 1980, and is currently buried in Kashan, where he was born. However, Sohrab Sepehri poems are always alive. Let’s enjoy Sohrab Sepehri poems in English.
بزرگ بود و از اهالی امروز بود
و با تمام افق های باز نسبت داشت
و لحن آب و زمین را چه خوب می فهمید
صدایش به شکل حزن پریشان واقعیت بود
و پلک هاش مسیر نبض عناصر را به ما نشان داد
و دست هاش هوای صاف سخاوت را ورق زد
و مهربانی را به سمت ما کوچاند
به شکل خلوت خود بود
و عاشقانه ترین انحنای وقت خودش را برای آینه تفسیر کرد
و او به شیوه ی باران پر از طراوت تکرار بود
Transcript:
Bozorg bud va az ahaaliye emruz bud
Va baa tamaame ofoghhaaye baaz nesbat daasht
Va lahne aab o zamin raa che khub mifahmid
Sedaayash be shekle hozne parishaane vaagheiyat bud
Va pelkhayaash masire nabze anaaser ra be maa neshaan daad
Va dasthaayash havaaye saafe sekhaavat ra varagh zad
Va mehrbani ra be samte ma kochand
Be shekle khalvate khod bud
Va aasheghaaneh tarin enhenaaye vaghte khodash raa baraaye aayinee tafsir kard
Va ou be shivehye baran por az teravat tekrar bud
English Translation:
She was great
She was from the present days
She was related with all bright horizons
She could understand the language of the earth and water
Her voice
Was like a regret of a truth
Her eyelids
Showed us the heartbeats of elements
Her hands
Leafed the generous green air
And directed kindness
Toward our hearts
She was the image of her loneliness
She interpreted the most loving moments
To the mirror
Like rain,
She was full of sweet repetitions!
به سراغ من اگر می‌آیید
پشت هیچستانم
پشت هیچستان جایی است
پشت هیچستان رگ‌های هوا، پر قاصدهایی است
که خبر می‌آرند، از گل واشده دورترین بوته خاک
روی شن‌ها هم، نقش‌های سم اسبان سواران ظریفی است که صبح
به سر تپه معراج شقایق رفتند
Transcript:
Be soraghe man agar miayid
Poshte hichestanam
Poshte hichestan jayist
Poshte hichestan raghaye hava, pore ghased hayist
Ke khabar mi aarand, az gole vashode dortarin botehe khak
Roye shenha ham, naghsh haye some asbaan savarane zarifi ast ke sobh
Be sare tape me’raje shaghayegh raftand
English Translation:
If you come to me,
I am beyond nowhere,
Beyond nowhere is a place
Beyond nowhere, there are many dandelions in the air
They bring news of the bloomings bush in faraway places
On the sands, there are the footprints of delicate horsemen
Those who are mounting the hills of anemone flowers!
امشب
در یک خواب عجیب
رو به سمت کلمات
باز خواهد شد
باد چیزی خواهد گفت
سیب خواهد افتاد
روی اوصاف زمین خواهد غلتید،
تا حضور وطن غایب شب خواهد رفت
سقف یک وهم فرو خواهد ریخت
چشم
هوش محزون نباتی را خواهد دید
پیچکی دور تماشای خدا خواهد پیچید
راز، سر خواهد رفت
ریشه زهد زمان خواهد پوسید
سر راه ظلمات
لبه صحبت آب
برق خواهد زد،
باطن آینه خواهد فهمید
Transcript:
Emshab
Dar yek khaabe ajib
Ro be samte kalamaat
Baaz khaahad shud
Baad chizi khaahad guft
Sib khaahad oftaad
Baad chizi khaahad goft
Roye osaafe zamin khaahad ghaltid
Ta hozore vatan ghaayeb khaahad raft
Saghf yek vahm foro khaahad rikht
Cheshm
Hoshe mahzone nabati ra khaahad rikht
Pichaki dore tamaashaaye khoda khaahad pichid
Raaz, sar khaahad raft
Rishehye zohde zaman khaahad posid
Sare raahe zolmat
Labe sohbaye aab
Bargh khaahad zad
Baatene aayineh khaahad fahmid
English Translation:
Tonight,
In a strange dream
A journey will be opened
To the words
The wind will murmur
An apple will fall
Will roll over the earth
And travel the home of night
Illusions will fall off
Eyes
Will see the sad plant mind
Ivies will weave to look at the grace of God
Secrets will reveal
The roots of piety will fade away
The whispering waters
Will light
The dark roads
The mirror will understand by heart!
Sohrab Sepehri Poems in Farsi
Sepehri had his unique way of composing poetry, employing short phrases rather than extended ones, which is one of the most distinguishing features of Sohrab Sepehri poems. New forms were fresh ways of expressing his ideas and emotions to him. Sepehri uses romanticism and symbolism in most of his poetry to develop a new piece of writing. Sohrab Sepehri poems are beautiful because of his inspiration from nature and the sensitive and straightforward language he employs in his writings. Let’s continue enjoying Sohrab Sepehri poems.
از مرز خوابم می‌گذشتم
سایه تاریک یک نیلوفر
روی همه این ویرانه فرو افتاده بود
کدامین باد بی پروا
دانه این نیلوفر را به سرزمین خواب من آورد؟
در پس درهای شیشه‌ای رویاها
در مرداب بی ته آیینه‌ها
هر جا که من گوشه‌ای از خودم را مرده بودم
یک نیلوفر روییده بود
گویی او لحظه لحظه در تهی من می‌ریخت
و من در صدای شکفتن او
لحظه لحظه خودم را می‌مردم
بام ایوان فرو می‌ریزد
و ساقه نیلوفر برگرد همه ستون‌ها می‌پیچد
کدامین باد بی‌پروا
دانه این نیلوفر را به سرزمین خواب من آورد؟
Transcript:
Az marze khaabam migozashtam
Saye taarikeh yek nilofar
Roye hameye in viraneh foro oftadeh bud
Kodaamin baade bi parvaa
Daaneye in nilofar raa be sarzamine khaabe man miavarad?
Dar pase darhaaye shishehee royaaha
Dar mordaabe ayineh haa
Har jaa ke man goshehee az khodam raa mordeh budam
Yek nilofar royeedeh bud
Goyi ou lahze lahze dar tohi man mirikht
Va man dar sedaaye shekoftane ou
Lahze lahze khodam ra mi mordam
Baame ivan foro mirizad
Va saagheye nilofar bar gerde hameye soton haa mipi chad
Kodaamin baade bi parva
Daneye in nilofar ra be sarzamine khaabe man aavard?!
English Translation:
I was passing the border of my dream
The dark shadow of a morning glory
Darkened all those ruins
What fearless wind
Brought the morning glory seed to the land of my dreams?
Over the glass gates of the dreams
In the bottom swap of mirrors
Wherever I had left a piece of myself
A morning glory grew
Each moment it was pouring into the void of my soul
By the sound of its blossoming
I was dying in myself little by little
The balcony roof fell off
And the morning glory interwined all columns
What fearless wind
Brought the morning glory seed to the land of my dream?!
زن دم درگاه بود
با بدني از هميشه
رفتم نزديك
چشم، مفصل شد
حرف بدل شد به پر، به شور، به اشراق
سايه بدل شد به آفتاب
رفتم قدري در آفتاب بگردم
دور شدم در اشاره هاي خوشايند
رفتم تا وعده گاه كودكي و شن
تا وسط اشتباه هاي مفرح
تا همه چيزهاي محض
رفتم نزديك آب هاي مصور
پاي درخت شكوفه دار گلابي
با تنه اي از حضور
Transcript:
Zan dame dargaah bud
Baa badani az hamisheh
Raftam nazdik
Cheshm, mofasal shod
Harf badal shud be par, be shor, be eshraq
Saaye badal shud be aaftaab
Raftam ghadri dar aaftaab begardam
Dor shodam dar eshareh haaye khoshaayand
Raftam taa va’deh gahe kodaki va shen
Ta vasate eshtebah haaye mofarah
Taa hame chiz haaye mahz
Raftam nazdik aab haye mosavar
Paaye derakhte shekofeh haaye golaabi
Baa tanehee az hozur
English Translation:
A woman was at the door
Standing with a forever body
I approached her
Her image captured my eyes
Words turned to wings, passion and knowledge
Shadow became sun
I walked out under the sun for some time
I got faraway by pleasing signs
I got far as sands and childhood
As far as happy mistakes
As far as abstract concepts
I went to picturesque waters
And a tree full of pear blossoms
With a permanent trunk
Conclusion
Sohrab Sepehri is known for penning simple yet significant poetry on nature and its aspects. In his poems, you can find a lot of personifications or symbols. Humanity and care for human values characterize Sohrab Sepehri poems. He also pioneered a new painting method known as Texture, which was previously unknown to other artists for a lengthy period. “Ghariyeh Chenar” and the deserts around Kashan were among the sites where he used to make most of his artworks. To understand Sohrab Sepehri poems, you should look at the deep meaning, not just the appearance. This article provided 5 of the best Sohrab Sepehri poems for you.
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