A Poem by Bijan Jalali

 
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Bijan Jalali [ بیژن جلالی ]

Translated by Hamed Kashani & Gary Gach

Art by Fariba Hajamadi

 


our sweet smiles

of comings & goings

will turn to bitter sorrow

so pity

the myth

we’re spinning like a spider

which some nameless housewife

merely rips apart rubs together & throws away



 
 

Spring / Summer 2023
The Iran Issue



Bijan Jalali

Bijan Jalali (1927–2000) was a unique, if lesser-known, voice among seminal modernist Persians writing sepid [white] poetry – a type of modern Persian poetry free of classical forms and concepts. His works include The Color of Water, Days, Dailies, Our Heart and the World, Play of Light, and The Water and the Sun.



Hamed Kashani

Hamed Kashani (born 1978) is an Iranian poet and translator. He was a member of poetry workshops at the Karnameh Institute of Arts and Culture in Tehran.



Gary Gach

Gary Gach (born 1947) teaches Zen Buddhism at the University of San Francisco. His translations include Flowers of a Moment (BOA Editions, 2015) by Ko Un, co-translated with Brother Anthony and Young-moo Kim. He dwells on Ohlone Ramaytush lands, in the City of Saint Francis.



Fariba Hajamadi

Fariba Hajamadi (b. Esfahan, Iran) lives and works in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. She received her BFA from Western Michigan University and her MFA from CalArts. Since 1982, Hajamadi has made work that investigates displacement, loss, trauma, tragedy, war, culture, and gender identity. Her work has been exhibited in the US and internationally and is included in prestigious collections worldwide.



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