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Eight Poems by Simin Behbahani

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Translated by

Abstract

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Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Association For Iranian Studies, Inc 2008

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References

1 From Clothes Like Paper (San Jose, CA., 1992 [1987]), 37–38. The historical setting of this poem is the war with Iraq, which produced over a half-million Iranian casualties.

2 From Clothes Like Paper (San Jose, CA,1992 [1985]), 95–96.

3 Quotation from the Koran, the apocalyptic Sura of Darkening (Sura 81∶8, 9): “when the seas shall be boiling,/when the souls shall be coupled,/when the buried infant shall be asked for what sin she was slain,/when the scrolls shall be unrolled,/when heaven shall be stripped off,/when Hell shall be set blazing.” (trans. Arthur J. Arberry [New York, 1974]).

4 Twelve is the number of bullets in a clip used by semiautomatic guns used by the Iranian military at the time, here used to execute the poet's student.

5 Allusion to Koranic/Biblical prophet Joseph and to the bloody shirt which the jealous brothers brought back to Jacob as proof that Joseph (abandoned in a well) was killed by a wolf.

6 From A Window to Freedom (Tehran,1995 [1985]), 265–66.

7 From A Window to Freedom (Tehran,1995 [1981]), 129–30.

8 From Plains of Arzham (Tehran, 1983 [1982]), 137–38.

9 From Plains of Arzhan (Tehran, 1983 [1982]), 43–44.

10 From Resurrection (Tehran, 1973), 21–22.

11 From Marble (Tehran, 1963), 15–16.