Arts and Literature

Last ditch effort for redemption

The song of thanksgiving for the coming of the redeemer, is Jewish in origin but Christian in tone, as the expression of redemption and hope. For instance the song is used at funerals at the moment of internment when such matters are of sudden urgency. So it is only fitting that this clever little play about an Israeli Arms dealer, and an Iranian Mullah is called "Benedictus". The play is set in a Roman church for secret meetings between estranged, and unlikely friends, to help fend off a war with the US, and the ever present specter of religion serves as the backdrop for a poignant, sometimes funny, and always eerily accurate look at Middle East tensions today, and in particular the impending war against Iran. >>>

I Do Not Want You, Petroleum

I don't want you, petroleum!
For a long time,
I thought that you burnt for me.
Now I see that I am burning for you.

I'm not saying that it's not pleasant
Sitting near a kerosine heater
And enjoying the falling snow. >>>

نمی خواهمت ای نفت!

نمی خواهم
نمی خواهمت ای نفت!
دیر زمانی می پنداشتم
که تو بر سر من می سوزی
اینک می بینم
که من بر سر تو می سوزم
>>>

Khayamesque

How many nights this way I’ve spent
How many more will go misspent
A chance to dream wasted once more
Under this old and starless tent.
One spins a yarn, one twists a twine
And all awhile one waits in line
One weaves a cloth, be white it may
A newborn’s wrap, or shroud of mine. >>>

Ultimate saviors

I wanted to poke a bit at Persian history and highlight my belief that many of the personal problems of the men in my book were actually ancient cultural problems that got a bit twisted through the filters of time. From the moment they were given their very DNA, even before they were tagged with their names, that very rich history was going to define their every step. It seems obvious but I think this is very different for many Americans, for instance, who often come from many different places—various European countries mixed with Native American blood, mixed with Black or Hispanic blood, etc.>>>

Political love story

In the midst of winter, suddenly an early spring showed on the horizon. The sun stood at the equinox, the heat woke the nature from her deep sleep, the heap of snow slid down the domes, forming layers of ice over muddy streets which crunched under footsteps, melted and streamed down the brooks. Nature was yawning, stretching, brightening, birds were singing, flower buds rippling, farmers ploughing. All unaware that winter had not yet departed, but waited in the shade of the moon planning his next return. Should he suddenly decide to return, gale-force winds and snowstorms would regain life and an embargo would put the city under an icy siege>>>

دو نيمه خوشبختی

آنشب مسعود آمد. بوسه ای روی لبانم نشاند و گفت كه خسته است. می خواستم او را بر سر شوق بياورم. آهنگی شاد و ايرانی گذاشتم و شروع كردم به رقصيدن. حركات من او را هم به جنبش در آورد و مرا بوسيد و در گوشم زمزمه كرد: "دوستت دارم". لحظه دادن اين خبر خوش فرا رسيده بود. در حالی كه گردنش را می بوسيدم آرام گفتم: "مسعودم من و تو بچه دار میشيم. خدا كنه شبيه تو بشه".>>>

ماههای آخر

فکر نمی کنم بتوانم تاب بیاورم. دردهای جسمی ندارم، یعنی جسمی که درد می کرد، دیگر نیست. پنج ماه و دوازده روز پیش از من جدا یش کردند. آن را ا ز من گرفتند." چپم " را همان روزهای اولی که به جبهه رفتم، هنوزعرق ام خشک نشده بود، که از دست دادم....دومی را؟ خیلی باها ش کنار آمدم، اما حالا آن را هم ندارم. درد جسمی هم ندارم. دیگر نیستند که به مجرد کم شدن اثر مُسَکن، درد را روانه کنند.اگر هم بودند، دیگر کاری ازشان ساخته نبود. اما درد فکری چرا، خیلی هم دارم. گاه مدتها سرم را روی دست هایم می گذارم و درمانده، جان می کنم.>>>

Thus, the dialogue began...

In the small set of San Francisco's Tick House, four theatre artists sit around a table and talk. What is different about this theatrical discussion is who these people are and what has brought them together. Who could imagine that the Israeli playwright Motti Lerner, the Iranian director Mahmood Karimi-Hakak, the American dramaturge Roberta Levitow and Golden Thread Theatre Company's Iranian-Armenian artistic director Torange Yeghiazarian would get together to make a play -- Benedisctus -- about the relationship between Iran, US and Israel?>>>

Gold mines in America

I had gone to all-boys kindergarten, grade school,
high school and college.
It was time to do some thing about it. Being a short
Iranian male is a serious handy cap in America and
a reason for rejection by all the non-fat Amercan females.
That was when I discovered the overweight American
females. >>>

Astrology II

Step out of everyday
and into the starry sky
for without science
you have no aim. >>>

شعرهايی که ديگر بوی گيلاس نمی‌دهند

عکس‌اش را که کناراش می‌گذاری
از خجالت آب می‌شود
انگار که خاک مرده ریخته باشند
سکوت به هزار زبان داد می‌زند
>>>

سر به سرم می گذارد این باد

باد میان موهایت ایستاده بود
و من دیگر نه راه پیش و
نه راه پس از خطوط رنگ پریده ی انگشتان تو
>>>

مجال

کاکلی‌ها
لای میله‌های نگاه مضطربت
تا آخر
شادمانه پَرپَر زدند...ا

>>>

آخر

آخر شب قصه به دام افتاد
آخر خواب پری ناز بدست گرگ افتاد
آخر راز باد قدر به آس پیک افتاد
>>>

Watch out, here they come! (part 2)

Arash Sobhani: ... it took us 3 or more years to write and record "Adam e Mamooli". Everytime I listened to it I could hear how I had changed during that period of time, and it gave me an idea how I was evolving (if you can call it that), but right after the album was out, I moved to the States, and I had to adjust myself to the new environment, so I was very busy "adjusting" myself to the new speed of life here, although I was surprised about how "Adam e Mamooli" had become popular and we felt very happy! But I had lost hope of doing a new album, first because I was outside Iran and thought that I have no right to talk about Iran anymore, and second because of the recording costs.>>>