The First Sermon
 
 
Translated from Persian
By Mehran Shahidehpour
 
 
Holding love in one hand and
His life in his other, he
Ascends step by step onto
An elevated platform.
 
Midday is approaching ,
And the land below, engulfed
In an enlightening uproar, is
Waking up.
 
The uproar, as ready as it can be
Is waiting – like a revolving
Card.
 
This uproar, like the flow of
Strong waters, is made up of words
Upon words, and knowledge after
Knowledge, all representing an
Awakening.
 
Then, from the elevated platform a
sermon is delivered. This sermon
is love, the very essence of martyrdom, which,
similar to a skin of light, becomes unrolled
to embrace the whole land below.
 
Thus, all those below listening to the
Sermon, begin to rise, and the martyr,
Who is standing upon the platform, breathes
Out his life into the land below.
 
  ﺧﻄﺎﺑﻪﻯ ﻧﺨﺴﺖ
ﺟﺎﻥ ﺑﻪ ﺩﺳﺘﻰ ﻭ
ﺑﻪ ﺩﺳﺘﻰ ﻋﺸﻖ.
ﭘﻠﻪ، ﭘﻠﻪ
ﺑﻪ ﺍﻳﻮﺍﻥ ﺑﻠﻨﺪ، ﺑﺮﻣﻰﺷﻮﺩ
ﺗﺎ ﭼﻬﺮﻩ ﺑﻪ جوﺑﺎﺭﻩﻯ ﻧﺴﻴﻢ ﻭﺍﮔﺬﺍﺭﺩ.
ﻧﻴﻢْ ﺭﻭﺯﺍﻥ ﺑﺮﺩﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺗﻜﻴﻪ ﺩﺍﺭﺩ
ﺯﻣﻴﻦ، ﺩﺭﻫﺎﻳﻬﻮﻯِ ﺭﻭﺷﻦ ﺧﻮﺭﺷﻴﺪ ﺑﺮﻣﻰﺧﻴﺰﺩ.
ﺁﺷﻮﺏ، ﺩﺭ ﻭﺍﭘﺴﻴﻦ ﻛﻠﺎﻡ ﺍﻳﺴﺘﺎﺩﻩ ﺍﺳﺖ
                                  ﺑﻪ ﻭﺭﻕْﮔﺮﺩﺍﻧﻰ.
ﭼﺸﻤﻪ، ﭼﺸﻤﻪ ﺳﺨﻦ
ﺩريا ﺩريا ﺩرياﻓﺘﻦ.
ﺧﻄﺎﺑﻪﺋﻰ ﺳﺮﺥ ﺑﺮﻣﻬﺘﺎﺑﻰ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻩ ﻣﻰ ﺷﻮﺩ:
    ﻧﺎﻡﺍﺕ ﻛﻠﺎﻑ ﻧﻮﺭ ﺍﺳﺖ
    ﻛﻪ ﺑﺎﺯ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﺪ ﺷﺪ،
    ﺭﺷﺘﻪ ﺑﻪ ﺭﺷﺘﻪ
    ﻭﺟﻬﺎﻥ ﺭﺍ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﺪ ﮔﺮﻓﺖ
    ﺍﻯ ﻋﺸﻖ،
    ﺍﻯ ﻣﻌﻨﺎﻯ ﻋﻤﻴﻖ ﺷﻬﺎﺩﺕ!
ﭘﺲ، ﺑﺮﻣﻰﺧﻴﺰﻧﺪ، ﺧﻴﺰﺍﺑﻪﻫﺎﻯ ﻗﻴﺎﻡ
ﺍﺯ ﺩرياﻯ ﺩرياﻓﺘﻦ.
ﻇﻬﺮ، ﺍﺯ ﺍﻧﺪﺍﻡِ ﺷﻬﻴﺪ ﺑﻪ ﺳﺮﺧﻰ ﻣﻰﮔﺬﺭﺩ.
ﺷﻬﺮﻳﻮﺭ ۱۳۵۸