Dedicated to my Iranian sisters. 💚🤍❤️

A reading of Parvin E'tesami's profound and beautiful poem, "Tale of a Teardrop." (Translated into English by Paul Smith).  Parvin E’tesami پروین اعتصامی  (March 17, 1907 – April 4, 1941) is one of Iran’s unmatched cultural treasures. She was born in Tabriz in 1907. Her mother was a cultured woman and the daughter of a Qajar-era poet. Parvin began composing poetry at the age of 8. By the age of 11, she had already mastered the poetry styles of renowned Iranian poets such as Sanai, Saadi, Rumi, Khayyam, Hafez, and Naser Khusraw.  Parvin believed that the true foundation of any stable society lay in its ability to educate and empower women. Her poems illustrated the hardships of the poverty-stricken while exposing those who used religion as a political tool.  

Music: Shervin Hajipour - 'Baraye'

In an eye a teardrop was welling,  then it departed;  slowly it rolled, gently dropping, then, it departed. 

Upon the dark firmament of existence, it twinkled  like a star that begun shining… then it departed. 

In the sea of being it had taken its place and yet it  only a drop of blood was taking… then it departed. 

In the fountainhead of blood it was hiding itself…  the value of every drop weighing,  then it departed. 

When at the cruelty of Heaven I began weeping…  it laughed at me and my weeping  then it departed. 

We had no ill-feeling between us. No one knows Why so offended it was feeling… then it departed. 

The moment that sorrow was staining my heart, its white skirts it was gathering, then it departed. 

A wave of fear and trouble and confusion rose up: Storm took sea: it was trembling, then it departed! 

And like one drop of dew in the garden of this life, on a rosy cheek it was glistening, then it departed. 

It, was settling in the heart for a short while…it, soul’s store of secrets was seeing, then it departed. 

Through the mysteries of life, it was criss-crossing, it did it accounts and accounting then it departed. 

All the winding and twisting of the road it learnt, for end of our search was asking, then it departed. 

The heart and eye gave some lustre and shine to it: from each tree fruit it was taking, then it departed. 

Whatever was told to heart by far-sighted reason, it listened…all, it was hearing, then, it departed. 

It was savouring both the sweet and bitter in life, about all of life it was learning... then it departed. 

Love’s messenger on way to the loved one it was: lover’s face farewell was kissing, then it departed. 

On the scales of Divine Justice, it fell: if only its worth, before, it was weighing: then, it departed.  

~ Tale of a Teardrop ~ Parvin E'tesami پروین اعتصامی