In the Struggle of the Mirror and the Image is a poem by Ahmad Shamlou, the renowned Iranian poet, translated by me. (I have translated and published a few of Ahmad Shamlou poems on Sinarium.) I don’t want to go into details to decipher this poem for the readers, as poetry is something to be understood by the readers themselves; but it truly makes me think of the current situation of the world, and my country (Iran) specifically. There are the governments and the “big brothers” who claim to fight for the wellbeing of the world, while in reality, all they do is to make life more miserable for the masses.

In the Struggle of the Mirror and the Image (2)

The Earth took the shape of human’s hands

when each wasteland

turned into a garden or a yard.

And the wastewater

all

streamed down into the ponds.

Because the human

had forged the shape of their hands

into nature.

□

From what creed are you?

Say it,

you who shout slogans!_

Except to blatantly lecture

the chained oppressed,

from behind the shield of the tyrants;

or to throw chunks of stones

from your hight rooftops

down onto the battle streets,

and let them fall on whoever’s head…

Though you fan the flames of every fight,

you are neither truly allied with one

nor are you bluntly at war with another.

From what creed are you?

Say it,

You who profess to be the human’s foster parents!_

What brand

on the face of the earth

is of your art?

or what classroom in this school?

در جدال آیینه و تصویر (2)

زمین به هیأتِ دستانِ انسان درآمد

هنگامی که هر برهوت

بُستانی شد و باغی.

و هرزابه‌ها

هریک

راهیِ برکه‌یی شد

چرا که آدمی

طرحِ انگشتانش را

با طبیعت در میان نهاده بود.

□

از کدامین فرقه‌اید؟

بگویید،

شما که فریاد بر می‌دارید! –

به جز آن که سرکوفتگانِ بسته دست را، به وقاحت

در سایه‌ی ظفرمندان

رجزی بخوانید،

یا که در معرکه‌ی جدال

از بامِ بلندِ خانه‌ی خویش

سنگ‌پاره‌ای بپرانید

تا بر سرِ کدامین کس فرود آید.

که اگرچه میدان‌دارِ هر میدان‌اید،

نه کسی را به صداقت یارید

نه کسی را به صراحت دشمن می‌دارید.

از کدامین فرقه‌اید؟

بگویید،

شما که پرستارِ انسان باز می‌نمایید! –

کدامین داغ

بر چهره‌ی خاک

از دست‌کارِ شماست؟

یا کدامین حجره‌ی این مدرسه؟

“In the Struggle of the Mirror and the Image (2)”
Original title: «در جدال آیینه و تصویر»
By Ahmad Shamlou
Translated by Sina Ghasemi