Belonging: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World by Niloufar Talebi (English)

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Introduces the readers to Iranian poets. This book features the spirit of the Iranian of the 21st Century, citizen of the world. It includes erotic poetry by Ziba Karbassi, formal poetry by Yadollah Royaii, experimental poetry by Naanaam, protest poetry by Maryam Huleh, and personal epic by Shahrouz Rashid.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

This book aims to provide an unprecedented and expansive connection between the reader and each contributing Iranian poet. These new voices of Iran demonstrate that this groundbreaking contemporary Iranian poetry belongs within the world literature genre. For the first time, this literary translation brings new Iranian poetry to students and enthusiasts of literature and language worldwide.Recent political developments, including the shadow of a new war, have obscured the fact that Iran has a long and splendid artistic tradition ranging from the visual arts to literature. Western readers may have some awareness of the Iranian novel thanks to a few breakout successes like Reading Lolita in Tehran and My Uncle Napoleon, but the country's strong poetic tradition remains little known. This anthology remedies that situation with a rich selection of recent poetry by Iranians living all around the world, including Amir-Hossein Afrasiabi- "Although the path / tracks my footsteps, / I don't travel it / for the path travels me." Varying dramatically in style, tone, and theme, these expertly translated works include erotic divertissements by Ziba Karbassi, rigorously formal poetry by Yadollah Royaii, experimental poems by Naanaam, powerful polemics by Maryam Huleh, and the personal-epic work of Shahrouz Rashid. Eclectic and accessible, these vibrant poems deepen the often limited awareness of Iranian identity today by not only introducing readers to contemporary Iranian poetry, but also expanding the canon of significant writing in the Persian language. Belonging offers a glimpse at a complex culture through some of its finest literary talents.

Author Biography

Niloufar Talebi founded The Translation Project , whose mission is to bring contemporary Iranian literature to worldwide audiences in multiple languages and media. She lives in San Francisco. Zack Rogow has translated Colette's Green Wheat, Marcel Pagnol's play Marius, and other works. Dan O'Connell is an award-winning poet and the author of Different Coasts, a full-length collection of poetry on the theme of alienation.

Table of Contents

Introduction xiiiNotes on Selection xxiiiNotes on Translation xxvAmir-Hossein Afrasiabi, b. 1934 (The Netherlands) Red Rose 1Red Rose 2The Grayest Port Ghosts Two Poems Mina Assadi, b. 1943 (Sweden) Yearning for Saari 1 Sketch 4 Sketch 13 Sketch 25 Waking Dreams 3 Waking Dreams 6 Waking Dreams 7Because of Boredom 21Nader Naderpour, 1929—2000 (U.S.) Conversation in the Dark Point and Line Yadollah Roya'i, b. 1932 (France) Name Stone Bosom Stones (3) Lipbrimmings (4) Esma'il Kho'i, b. 1938 (U.K.) To the Aged Mulberry Branch In a Thousand Years Song Losing Image of Kindness Partow Nooriala, b. 1946 (U.S.) Many Happy Returns Four Springs Majid Naficy, b. 1952 (U.S.) Narcissus Flower Night To a Snail Abbas Saffari, b. 1951 (U.S.) Tomorrow A Bird Is a Bird Saturday Night Dinner Revenge Tanka for Loneliness Reza Farmand, b. 1956 (Denmark) My Mother Did Not Become Beautiful (excerpt) Saghi Ghahraman, b. 1957 (Canada) The Dead Dear One I Hang Myself Jamshid Moshkani, b. 1958 (Sweden) Book of Fears 1 Book of Fears 27 Book of Fears 30 Book of Fears 41 Book of Fears 45 Behzad Keshmiripour, b. 1958 (Germany) If You Danced the Wind Barefoot on Nightvelvet Shahrouz Rashid, b. 1960 (Germany/U.S.) Seasonless Years (excerpt) Downfall on the Horizon (excerpt) Icarus (excerpt) Letter to Father Naanaam, b. 1966 (Canada) Untitled 19 One Must Not Sleep with Juliet and Not Be Romeo 37 AntiPoem 2 Granaz Moussavi, b. 1973 (Australia) Moving Sale Post-Cinderella Half-Bottle Song of a Forbidden Woman Ziba Karbassi, b. 1974 (U.K.) Gravequake Love Is Lemony Revolution Song of Ruin Maryam Huleh, b. 1978 (Sweden) The Sticky Dream of a Banished Butterfly (excerpt) Mana Aghaee, b. 1973 (Sweden) My Death Come What May Woman Seeking Man Majnun Tree Partial List of Iranian Poets around the World Acknowledgments

Review

"Niloufar Talebi's accomplishment in gathering the poetry of the Iranian diaspora is unprecedented and breathtaking. It is as if she has, by force of commitment and vision, and by way of cultural hunger, bequeathed a new literary heritage to Iran and the world. Here is a lyric symphony of utterance in the voices of exiles, immigrants, refugees, and expatriates. That Talebi assembled such an extraordinary collection is impressive enough—that she translated most of these poems herself is nothing short of remarkable."—Carolyn Forché, editor of Against Forgetting: Twentieth Century Poetry of Witness"In Belonging, with literary skill and passion, Niloufar Talebi has made a major contribution to the recognition of contemporary Iranian literature in the West, to the appreciation of diaspora poetry by Persian speakers everywhere, and to the important project of producing good translations from rich but underrepresented literary canons for the anglophone reader."—Nahid Mozaffari, editor of the PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature"Poetry is a world art because of brilliant editors and translators like Niloufar Talebi ... Here are the poets, in all their power, defiance, dignity, wildness, and lyric grace, scattered across the earth, yet united in this book. Here is proof that poetry humanizes: now contemporary Persian culture has a face, and the Persian tongue a voice, for those of us in the English-speaking world, and we are all richer for it."—Martín Espada, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of The Republic of Poetry"After reading her introduction and the first few sections of Belonging, I realized that Talebi had accomplished perhaps the greatest service that a translator of Iranian poetry for American audiences can provide: she made the Iranian poetic landscape feel familiar. Not only familiar, but modern, full of laughter, rich with wonder, completely joyful and terrible and worthy of revisiting multiple times."—Peter Conners, Three Percent"Niloufar Talebi has accomplished the ultimate magic trick in her clean and modern translation. She has made the work of modern Persian poets read like original English ... an unparalled contribution."—Willis Barnstone, author of With Borges on an Ordinary Evening in Buenos Aires"The poems speak of lost places and missing people; of the fear and freedom that come with new surroundings; of love, sex, and passion; of prison and protest; of the commonplace and the universal; and of subjects classical, political, and taboo… In form and imagery these poems often allude to works of Persian classical literature, but they are also the heirs of Rimbaud, Lorca, Dante, Shakespeare, and the literatures of adopted countries… Talebi's translation process included thorough review and collaboration with the poets themselves… While one can always find phrases with which to quibble, the translations are of consistently high quality… not only do the poems work in English, but they adhere closely to the originals in tone, content, and format."—Harvard Review Online Journal"If you will trust me though, and don't want to read my justification, you can know that this is simply one of those books you need to have on your shelves, one you can look for and find at a party, and hand to one of your closer American friends and smilingly say, 'Here Bradley, this will explain everything!'"—Iranian.com"This collection is impressive by making a good sample of contemporary Iranian poets in the diaspora so beautifully accessible to English readers and by presenting them so deservingly as a part of world literature today."—World Literature Today Magazine

Review Quote

"Niloufar Talebi's accomplishment in gathering the poetry of the Iranian diaspora is unprecedented and breathtaking. It is as if she has, by force of commitment and vision, and by way of cultural hunger, bequeathed a new literary heritage to Iran and the world. Here is a lyric symphony of utterance in the voices of exiles, immigrants, refugees, and expatriates. That Talebi assembled such an extraordinary collection is impressive enough-that she translated most of these poems herself is nothing short of remarkable." -Carolyn Forché, editor of Against Forgetting: Twentieth Century Poetry of Witness "In Belonging , with literary skill and passion, Niloufar Talebi has made a major contribution to the recognition of contemporary Iranian literature in the West, to the appreciation of diaspora poetry by Persian speakers everywhere, and to the important project of producing good translations from rich but underrepresented literary canons for the anglophone reader." -Nahid Mozaffari, editor of the PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature "Poetry is a world art because of brilliant editors and translators like Niloufar Talebi ... Here are the poets, in all their power, defiance, dignity, wildness, and lyric grace, scattered across the earth, yet united in this book. Here is proof that poetry humanizes: now contemporary Persian culture has a face, and the Persian tongue a voice, for those of us in the English-speaking world, and we are all richer for it." -Martín Espada, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of The Republic of Poetry "After reading her introduction and the first few sections of Belonging , I realized that Talebi had accomplished perhaps the greatest service that a translator of Iranian poetry for American audiences can provide: she made the Iranian poetic landscape feel familiar. Not only familiar, but modern, full of laughter, rich with wonder, completely joyful and terrible and worthy of revisiting multiple times." -Peter Conners, Three Percent "Niloufar Talebi has accomplished the ultimate magic trick in her clean and modern translation. She has made the work of modern Persian poets read like original English ... an unparalled contribution." -Willis Barnstone, author of With Borges on an Ordinary Evening in Buenos Aires "The poems speak of lost places and missing peop≤ of the fear and freedom that come with new surroundings; of love, sex, and passion; of prison and protest; of the commonplace and the universal; and of subjects classical, political, and taboo… In form and imagery these poems often allude to works of Persian classical literature, but they are also the heirs of Rimbaud, Lorca, Dante, Shakespeare, and the literatures of adopted countries… Talebi's translation process included thorough review and collaboration with the poets themselves… While one can always find phrases with which to quibble, the translations are of consistently high quality… not only do the poems work in English, but they adhere closely to the originals in tone, content, and format." - Harvard Review Online Journal "If you will trust me though, and don''t want to read my justification, you can know that this is simply one of those books you need to have on your shelves, one you can look for and find at a party, and hand to one of your closer American friends and smilingly say, 'Here Bradley, this will explain everything!'" -Iranian.com "This collection is impressive by making a good sample of contemporary Iranian poets in the diaspora so beautifully accessible to English readers and by presenting them so deservingly as a part of world literature today." - World Literature Today Magazine

Excerpt from Book

Shahrouz Rashid was born in the northeastern part of Iran, in Fars-Abad of Dashte Moghan near the Caspian sea in 1960 to a tribal family. He believes living a nomadic life, with its spirit of transience and innate lyricism, has profoundly affected his poetry. He left for Germany in 1984. He is the author of more than ten books of poetry, prose, and translations, including poetry books Berlin Elegies, Circles and Never, and The Book of Never. He is the editor of an online literary magazine, Ketabe Siavash. His work has been translated into German and Swedish. A CD of his poetry set to music is called Landing. Though his work is not political, it has a social conscience. His profound awareness of his exile does not narrow his poetic potential, but it endows him with a historical context. Rashid is of the generation whose youth was spent on the revolution--without the desired results--but the tumultuous events of his early adulthood do not limit the scope of his work; instead they leave traces for the reader, echoes of historic events in the scenes he creates. Iran''s rich poetic history, both its classical and modern poetry, is a significant tradition for a poet to emerge from. Rashid not only gives us poetic elements such as attention to language, imagery, and symbol, but beyond creating beauty in lyric form, he gives us ideas. Rashid came of age after he left his country, equipped with references of both his Eastern and Western lives. He claims the Western literary and historical tradition as his own and at his disposal as they shape his work. In his poems, he addresses Dante in a journey to hell, as Dante conjured Virgil as his companion. He writes of Hamlet, Shakespeare and borrows from Hafez, Rimbaud, Marx, Shamlou, the Bible, the Koran, the myth of Sisyphus, the myth of Icarus. His is a personal-epic poem, a blend of what Eastern-Islamic and Western-Greek cultural imaginations present him to deliver us what speaks to our blended imagination. "Seasonless Years," "Downfall on the Horizon," and "Icarus" are excerpts from three long poems, narratives about falling, both vertically and horizontally. Seasonless Years (excerpt) We have landed from the heights of our flight And there is no seed by the trap Neglect and vanity have cultivated our lives Even our sleep doesn''t benefit from our fatigue Our mending ways rot under the audacious sun Charting our separation is an age-old habit. Sterile wounds, we will not be avenged. Yesterday Yesterday Yesterday Yesterday has us memorized. Do you remember When we blindfolded night With my purple scarf? And in our dreams ran toward a sea Without a shore? It dawned because of our mischief five hours early, Do you remember? I am not the restraint of forty dervishes Nor is the earth a meager sheath. The stars and the senate do not obey us, For we are not Caesars. We are the red rose in the wine tavern On nights of avarice, in hellish cities. Who made you into such a locust That you chew yourself, chew, Chew and spit Yourself onto passersby In the stammering day? In square rooms Infinitely reflected, A poet is on fire. Downfall on the Horizon (excerpt) At times, at dusk you see a man Standing on his terrace Heavy-headed, with a bitter mouth and lost words Staring at passing colors In the impenetrable narcotic air. Could you, for a second, In the flustered flow of a fall river, Address his ceramic eyes? Could you? I am tired. I wish I could become a bench this afternoon On this thirteenth bright-eyed weariness, Catch my breath, leave the body To become a drop of stone, hard, released, cold And appeal to earth, dreaming of snow. Something is always forgotten in the empty house. A little thing like a small mirror, A freckle-faced doll, a piece of agate, A line of poetry on the hem of a floral handkerchief. A small thing, Keeper of smells and memories. A few people always remain outside the circle. There is always one person weeping in the wet abandoned Fields in the sting of a white December. There is always one person denying his country Refusing to be the guardian of a crestfallen land, Errant on disinherited earth. There is always one person stretching to smell the red rose In the steepest slopes, in the state of descent. All seats are taken And there is no room to sit. I will sit on the loins of a stone Under the shadow of a thistle On the edge of the pit that separates us And I will watch the world''s little characters and heroes In days lost in fog In nights narrowed by rain, And I shall weep the flares of your pain In the verses of a winter''s solstice.

Details ISBN1556437129 Short Title BELONGING Series Scala Translation Language English Translator Zack Rogow ISBN-10 1556437129 ISBN-13 9781556437120 Media Book Format Paperback Year 2008 Author Niloufar Talebi Imprint North Atlantic Books,U.S. Subtitle New Poetry by Iranians Around the World Place of Publication Berkeley, CA Country of Publication United States DOI 10.1604/9781556437120 UK Release Date 2008-08-05 AU Release Date 2008-08-05 NZ Release Date 2008-08-05 US Release Date 2008-08-05 Illustrator Richard Friend Birth 1939 Affiliation both Research Scientists, Batelle Columbus Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio Position both Research Scientists Qualifications PhD Pages 256 Publisher North Atlantic Books,U.S. Publication Date 2008-08-05 Edited by Niloufar Talebi DEWEY 891.551308 Audience General We've got this

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