Poem
Ali Abdolrezaei
War & Peace
Peace. . .had no mother
to wear a veil as dusk descends
to go down the alley
and squat down to watch
the absence of her son
who instead of the ball
jumped on a mine. . .
He had two eyes of marine blue
We too who were minded to win
could drink of their waters
in the midst of Karbala desert
We who scored so many goals had no pitch to play
nor even boots with which to shoot
not even a ball or a friend
Nevertheless
we could still play by ourselves
in the pitch of a match without a ball
At times when we were high without a pitch
at least we would roam the alleys and bang someone
now what?!
When war tore loose
it had eyes like a wound
red on the face
and we who were mobilised
put together our all in all
to get together a plastic ball
to have to run after
Then
one by one we got together in Karbala
and arranged to play six a side
then there was breakfast and the train and the prayer mat and bye bye
When we arrived
we had a canon ball behind each dug out
Between the two goals the game was aerial
whoever ran quickest set foot in the goal fastest
Again we had no pitch but mines underground
as many as you like for our feet to score
instead of the ball
© Translation: 2012, Ali Abdolrezaei
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: London Skool, London , 2012
The context here is the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s where millions lost their lives and land mines played havoc with the young volunteer soldiers.
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: London Skool, London , 2012
جنگ و صلح
جنگ و صلح
صلح مادری نداشت
که چادر نماز سرش کند تنگ غروب
بیاید سر کوچه
و جای خالی پسرش را
که جای توپ روی مین پریده بود
توی دروازه به تماشا بنشیند
چشمهایی داشت
هر دو آبی
ما هم که آمده بودیم ببریم
میتوانستیم
در صحرای کربلا از آن آب بخوریم
مایی که آن همه گل کاشتیم
زمین نداشتیم
حتی یک کتانی که لااقل بتوانی شوت
نداشتیم!
گرچه توپی در کار نبود یا رفیقی
با این همه
خودمان را که می توانستیم بازی کنیم
در زمین مسابقه بی توپ
گاهی که توپ ِ توپ بودیم و زمین نداشتیم
لااقل میگشتیم توی کوچههای اطراف و یکی را میزدیم زمین
حالا چی!؟
جنگ که آمد
چشمی داشت
چون زخم بر صورت سرخ
ما هم که دیگر بسیج شده بودیم
هر چه داشتیم
روی هم گذاشتیم و توپی جور شد پلاستیکی
که باید پیاش میدویدیم
بعد
یکی یکی دورش جمع شدیم
قرار شد در کربلا گل کوچک بازیکنیم
بعد افطار بود و قطار و چادر نمازی که بای بای
وقتی رسیدیم
پشت هر خاکریز یک توپ داشتیم
بین دو دروازه هم بازی فقط هوایی بود
هر که تندتر میدوید
پایش زود تر به گل میرسید
باز زمین نداشتیم
ولی تا دلت بخواهد مین داشتیم
زیر زمین
که جای توپ
که چادر نماز سرش کند تنگ غروب
بیاید سر کوچه
و جای خالی پسرش را
که جای توپ روی مین پریده بود
توی دروازه به تماشا بنشیند
چشمهایی داشت
هر دو آبی
ما هم که آمده بودیم ببریم
میتوانستیم
در صحرای کربلا از آن آب بخوریم
مایی که آن همه گل کاشتیم
زمین نداشتیم
حتی یک کتانی که لااقل بتوانی شوت
نداشتیم!
گرچه توپی در کار نبود یا رفیقی
با این همه
خودمان را که می توانستیم بازی کنیم
در زمین مسابقه بی توپ
گاهی که توپ ِ توپ بودیم و زمین نداشتیم
لااقل میگشتیم توی کوچههای اطراف و یکی را میزدیم زمین
حالا چی!؟
جنگ که آمد
چشمی داشت
چون زخم بر صورت سرخ
ما هم که دیگر بسیج شده بودیم
هر چه داشتیم
روی هم گذاشتیم و توپی جور شد پلاستیکی
که باید پیاش میدویدیم
بعد
یکی یکی دورش جمع شدیم
قرار شد در کربلا گل کوچک بازیکنیم
بعد افطار بود و قطار و چادر نمازی که بای بای
وقتی رسیدیم
پشت هر خاکریز یک توپ داشتیم
بین دو دروازه هم بازی فقط هوایی بود
هر که تندتر میدوید
پایش زود تر به گل میرسید
باز زمین نداشتیم
ولی تا دلت بخواهد مین داشتیم
زیر زمین
که جای توپ
پای ما را گل میکرد
© 2011, Ali Abdolrezaei علی عبدالرضایی
From: حکمت س
Publisher: نشر کالج شعر,
From: حکمت س
Publisher: نشر کالج شعر,
Poems
Poems of Ali Abdolrezaei
Close
War & Peace
Peace. . .had no mother
to wear a veil as dusk descends
to go down the alley
and squat down to watch
the absence of her son
who instead of the ball
jumped on a mine. . .
He had two eyes of marine blue
We too who were minded to win
could drink of their waters
in the midst of Karbala desert
We who scored so many goals had no pitch to play
nor even boots with which to shoot
not even a ball or a friend
Nevertheless
we could still play by ourselves
in the pitch of a match without a ball
At times when we were high without a pitch
at least we would roam the alleys and bang someone
now what?!
When war tore loose
it had eyes like a wound
red on the face
and we who were mobilised
put together our all in all
to get together a plastic ball
to have to run after
Then
one by one we got together in Karbala
and arranged to play six a side
then there was breakfast and the train and the prayer mat and bye bye
When we arrived
we had a canon ball behind each dug out
Between the two goals the game was aerial
whoever ran quickest set foot in the goal fastest
Again we had no pitch but mines underground
as many as you like for our feet to score
instead of the ball
© 2012, Ali Abdolrezaei
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: 2012, London Skool, London
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: 2012, London Skool, London
War & Peace
Peace. . .had no mother
to wear a veil as dusk descends
to go down the alley
and squat down to watch
the absence of her son
who instead of the ball
jumped on a mine. . .
He had two eyes of marine blue
We too who were minded to win
could drink of their waters
in the midst of Karbala desert
We who scored so many goals had no pitch to play
nor even boots with which to shoot
not even a ball or a friend
Nevertheless
we could still play by ourselves
in the pitch of a match without a ball
At times when we were high without a pitch
at least we would roam the alleys and bang someone
now what?!
When war tore loose
it had eyes like a wound
red on the face
and we who were mobilised
put together our all in all
to get together a plastic ball
to have to run after
Then
one by one we got together in Karbala
and arranged to play six a side
then there was breakfast and the train and the prayer mat and bye bye
When we arrived
we had a canon ball behind each dug out
Between the two goals the game was aerial
whoever ran quickest set foot in the goal fastest
Again we had no pitch but mines underground
as many as you like for our feet to score
instead of the ball
© 2012, Ali Abdolrezaei
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: 2012, London Skool, London
From: No One Says Yes Twice
Publisher: 2012, London Skool, London
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