Preziosa Stella

2008-05-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Verse of Sight

by Sohrab Sepehri

I take an oath to the sight

When the speech is to start,

And to the flight of the dove from the mind,

That a few words are in captivity.

My words were as bright as a piece of lawn.
I told them:
The sun is in front of your doorway,

Which will shine over your manner if you let the door ajar.

And I told them:
Stone is not the adornment for the mountain,

Just as a metal is not an ornament for the pickaxe.
There is a treasure concealed in the earth,

That prophets were astonished by its glow;

Look for that treasure!
Take your instants to the pasture of mission.

And I heralded the tread of the messenger,

The proximity of the day, and the up-raise of colors.
I heralded the stirring sound of the rose, hidden behind the hedge of harsh words.

And I told them:
The one, who sees a garden in the memory of the wood,

His face will be blown by an eternal enthusiasm.
The one, who befriends the bird,

Will have the most tranquil sleep on the earth.
The one, who catches the light from time,

Will open the windows by his sigh.

We were under [the shadow of] a willow.
I picked up a leaf and said:
Open your eyes; do you need a better sign than this?
I heard them saying:
Enchantment! He knows enchantment!

They saw a prophet on every mountain,

[But] they carried the clouds of denial.
We sent the wind for them to deceit them.
Their houses were full of chrysanthemums,

[But] we kept their eyes closed.
And kept their hands off the branch of consciousness;
And filled up their pockets with habits;

And made their dreams agitated by the sound of mirrors’ peregrination.

translated by: Sonia

***

سوره ی تماشا

سهراب سپهری

به تماشا سوگند
و به آغاز کلام
و به پرواز کبوتر از ذهن،
واژه ای در قفس است.

حرف هایم، مثل یک تکه چمن روشن بود.
من به آنان گفتم:
آفتابی لب درگاه شماست
که اگر در بگشایید به رفتار شما می تابد.

و به آنان گفتم:
سنگ آرایش کوهستان نیست،
همچنانی که فلز، زیوری نیست به اندام کلنگ.
در کف دست زمین گوهر ناپیدایی است
که رسولان همه از تابش آن خیره شدند.
پی گوهر باشید.
لحظه ها را به چراگاه رسالت ببرید.

و من آنان را، به صدای قدم پیک بشارت دادم
و به نزدیکی روز، و به افزایش رنگ.
به طنین گل سرخ، پشت پرچین سخن های درشت.

و به آنان گفتم:
هرکه در حافظه ی چوب ببیند باغی،
صورتش در وزش بیشه ی شور ابدی خواهد ماند.
هرکه با مرغ هوا دوست شود،
خوابش آرام ترین خواب جهان خواهد بود.
آنکه نور از سرانگشت زمان برچیند،
می گشاید گره ی پنجره ها را با آه.

زیر بیدی بودیم.
برگی از شاخه ی بالای سرم چیدم، گفتم:
چشم را باز کنید، آیتی بهتر از این می خواهید؟
می شنیدم که به هم می گفتند:
سحر می داند، سحر!

سر هر کوه رسولی دیدند،
ابر انکار به دوش آوردند.
باد را نازل کردیم
تا کلاه از سرشان بردارد.
خانه هاشان پر داوودی بود،
چشمشان را بستیم.
دستشان را نرساندیم به سر شاخه ی هوش.
جیبشان را پر عادت کردیم.
خوابشان را به صدای سفر آینه ها آشفتیم.

In Honor of Luciano Pavarotti...

2007-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, the world has lost one of its greatest people. The tenor Luciano Pavarotti died on the September 6, 2007. Many people know him for his unique tenor voice and the power of performance. I just wanted to honor him in this post, so I share one of his lyrics with you.I hope you enjoy it, buddies! May God bless him… Amen.

Last night I had a dream that there would be a morning after
Long days of sunshine and peace
Long nights of love, forgiveness, and laughter
Maybe it was just a dream but it could be reality
Children are like planting seeds, you’ve got to let their flowers grow...
Don’t you know...

Fa che piova, (Let it rain)
Fa che il cielo mi lavi il dolor (Let heaven wash away my pain)
Fa che piova (Let it rain)
che sia la pace il nome d'amor (That peace would be the name of love)...

Today I saw a child just like my child
Someone’s son or daughter
I watched as they played for a while
I wanted to cry, those babies just smiled
Maybe it was just a dream, but it should be reality
A child is just God’s sign that peace and
love are seeds that make tomorrows grow...

Fa che piova, (Let it rain)
Fa che il cielo mi lavi il dolor (Let heaven wash away my pain)
Fa che piova (Let it rain)
che sia la pace il nome d'amor (That peace would be the name of love)...

Go on, we’ve tried war
No one wants peace more
Than the children who ask their dads why...
Fa che piova, (Let it rain)
Fa che il cielo mi lavi il dolor (Let heaven wash away my pain)
Fa che piova (Let it rain)
che sia la pace il nome d'amor (That peace would be the name of love)...

The Intimate Sound of Love...

2007-08-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

In the tumultuous hush of my loneliness,
I am looking for a sentimental stirring sound,
cherished and close to me…

Suddenly, I hear the sound
that takes my soul to the highest point of tone,
of love,
and of life…
that makes my soul drown in luminosity
and infinity…

This is the intimate sound of love…
I am familiar with it,
have heard it many times…all the time…

That's always within me,
at the same time far from me…

This is the sound of your heart, my love,
your melodious amorous heart…

Your heart palpitates with mine,
until my life is filled
with mystical miraculous tone of love…

Dedicated to my Love
By: Sonia

Some Fun with Funny Words!!

2007-07-31T02:03:00.000-07:00

DORMITORY
When the letters are re-arranged:
DIRTY ROOM!

PRESBYTERIAN
When the letters are re-arranged:
BEST IN PRAYER!

ASTRONOMER
When the letters are re-arranged:
MOON STARER!

DESPERATION
When the letters are re-arranged:
A ROPE ENDS IT!

THE EYES
When the letters are re-arranged:
THEY SEE!

THE MORSE CODE
When the letters are re-arranged:
HERE COME DOTS!

SLOT MACHINES
When the letters are re-arranged:
CASH LOST IN ME!

ANIMOSITY
When the letters are re-arranged:
IS NO AMITY!

ELECTION- RESULTS
When the letters are re-arranged:
LIES- LET’S RECOUNT!

A DECIMAL POINT
When the letters are re-arranged:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE!

THE EARTHQUAKES
When the letters are re-arranged:
THAT QUEER SHAKE!

ELEVEN PLUS TWO
When the letters are re-arranged:
TWELVE PLUS ONE!

MOTHER IN LAW
When the letters are re-arranged:
WOMAN HITLER! ;-D

Taken from

Take part in My Poll!!

2007-07-29T03:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

As you can see, I have included a poll into my web log. I would be grateful if you make your choice in it and share your favorite answer with me and other visitors. In addition, if you like any question to be voted, you can leave a comment and share it with me, then I will add that poll!

I have inserted this poll in order to add some fun to my web log, and in order to see people's idea from all over the world!

So, let’s share the fun together! :)

At Last, I Am Back! :)

2007-07-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

Hi buddies!

Finally I managed to be signed in the Blogger! For almost one month, I couldn’t have any posts on my blog due to some internet connection problems, and I also couldn’t see my comments or even leave any comment on my friends' blogs.
I am sorry for that, I will check my comments soon, and I will post new interesting things, of course!
My very thanks to the ones who have left comments on it recently and I couldn’t answer them!
I will be back soon! :)

A New Day Has Come!

2007-05-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

A new day has come.
I was waiting for so long, for a miracle to come.
Every one told me to be strong.
Hold on and don’t shed a tear.
Through the darkness and good times,
I knew I’d make it through.
And the world thought I had it all, but I was waiting for you!

Hush! Now I see a light in the sky.
Oh! It’s almost blinding me.
I can’t believe I’ve been touched by an angel with love.

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears.
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears.
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun.
A new day has come!

Well, there was dark now there’s light.
Well, there was pain now there’s joy.
When there was weakness I found my strength, all in your eyes!

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears.
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears.
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun.

Hush! Now I see a light in your eyes.
Oh! In your eyes!

By: Celine Dion

Lateral Thinking!!!

2007-04-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Try to think outside the box. Also try not to look at the answers below and don’t think of this as a quiz.
1.
man
————
board
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: man overboard
Let’s see how you do next….

2.
stand
————
i
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: I understand
Got how this works? Let’s see what’s next…

3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Reading between the lines

4.
-r
road
-a
-d
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: cross road

5. cycle cycle cycle
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: tricycle

6.
knee
————
light
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: neon light (knee-on-light)

7.
ground
—————————
feet feet feet feet feet feet
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: six feet underground

8. he’s X himself
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: He’s by himself

9. ecnalg
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: backward glance

10. death ...... life
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: life after death

11. THINK
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: thinkg big

12. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbbababaabbaaabbb ...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: long time no C (see) !!! :)

Lateral Thinking

The Mystery Cat!

2007-04-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat "Macavity" after it has started using the No. 331 several mornings a week.

The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400 m down the road, near a fish and chip shop. The cat, nicknamed Macavity, has one blue eye and one green eye.
The cat was nicknamed Macavity after the mystery cat in T.S Elliot’s poem. He gets on the bus in front of a row of 1950s semi-detached houses and jumps off at a row of shops down the road which include a fish and chip shop.

Driver Bill Khunkhun, 49, who first saw the cat jumping from the bus in January, said: “It is really odd, the first time I saw the cat jumping off the bus with a group of passengers. I hadn’t seen it get on which was a bit confusing. The next day, I pulled up on Churchill Road to let a couple of passengers on. As soon as I opened the doors the cat ran towards the bus, jumped on and ran under one of the seats, I don’t think any of the passengers noticed. Because I had seen it jump off the day before I carried on driving and sure enough when I stopped just down the road he jumped off - I don’t know why he would catch the bus but he seems to like it. I told some of the other drivers on this route and they have seen him too.”

Since January, when the cat first caught the bus he has done it two or three times a week and always gets on and off at the same stops.

Mystery Cat

Three Bullets!

2007-04-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer, but then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.

Still, the voice said again to him, "I said, Pray, Aim high and Stay focused."

So, the man decided to listen to God's voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey.

The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.

The snake was dead, simply because the man listened to God!!!

By: Anonymous

My Love Has Come to Me!

2007-04-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

My heart is like a singing bird
whose nest is in a water'd shoot…
My heart is like an apple tree
whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit…
My heart is like a rainbow shell
that paddles in a halcyon sea…
My heart is gladder than all these,
because my love has come to me!

Raise me a dais of silk and down:
Hang it with fair and purple dyes!
Carve it in doves and pomegranates
and peacocks with a hundred eyes!
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
in leaves and silver fleurs-de-lis,
because the birthday of my life
has come, my love has come to me!

by: Christina Rossetti

God Is Where You Are!

2007-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today I am very happy… I can’t tell you how much! I can't tell you how I feel!
I just wanted to share my happiness with my friends and wanted to say that God is always with you, me, all of us…
Always be hopeful, because there is a light of hope even in the darkest night when you think every thing is going wrong…
Always know that God is thinking of you when you think He has forgotten you…
Always know that you are not alone…
He is always with you, me, all of us!
Be strong, act for the best, and hope for the best…

Say Hello to 1386!

2007-03-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hi buddies,
Yes! Spring has come and brought happiness, prosperity, joy and life with it. Flowers have blossomed and made the nature colorful. People renew their lives as the nature does. They try to change their life into a better one, to throw away their past faults, and to start a new day with hope; hope for new and better achievements.
I always see the cheer and happiness in almost all the faces near Nowrooz in Iran. Some days before the New Year begins, all people clean their houses, buy new things for the New Year, and prepare a special table called “Haft Sin” which is a traditional custom from ancient time. This table contains seven different things which start with S; all of them are a symbol of something in life like happiness, blessing, sweetness, etc.

The “Haft Sin” Table:
“Sabze”–grass-plot,
“Sir”–garlic,
“Somagh”–sumac,
“Serke”–vinegar,
“Sekke”–coin,
“Sa’at”–clock,
“Samanu”–kind of dish with juice of germinating wheat.
Ofcourse they put some other things like colorful eggs and little red fish on this table. They sit around it at the transition to the New Year and pray for themselves and their family and who they know, love, and care for.

Iranians have a holiday of 13 days in the beginning of “Farvardin” –the first month of the solar calendar. They go and visit their relatives, go on trips or anything that people do in their holiday! Then the relatives would repay the visit. This is the most common tradition in Nowrooz holiday and is called “paying and repaying visits”.

The last day of Nowrooz holiday is called “sizdah-be-dar” which is on the 13th of Farvardin. People go out and pass this day in the nature, eat lunch, knot the grasses, place the plate of grass –sabze- in the water, and are happy in order to banish the dark thought from them. They pass this day beside their family merrily.

Obviously, there are many traditions and connotations behind all these customs which are almost forgotten and Iranian do it as remained traditional ethnic mores and as they heard them from their parents and grandparents.
Today is the fourth day of holiday and I try to enjoy it! I hope you enjoy it, too and be happy all the time!
Happy Nowrooz! :)

The Story of a Comet

2007-03-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, in a quiet town, on an empty street, there lived a girl who was so innocent, so cute, but so alone. She always wanted to have some one to rely on, to love and to say whatever her heart wanted to say; some one who was aware of her and valued her feelings. But there was no one she could trust in and give her love to.
At nights, she went out side, sat in the garden, looked at the sky, counted the stars, and thought with herself if only she had had one of those stars; the most beautiful one for herself. She spoke to them and imagined their answers; she cheered herself up in this way.

One night, she saw a petite pink rose in the garden which had blossomed newly. She started to talk to that rose and thought she would give this rose to whom she loved the most. Suddenly she warmed up in her heart, and then felt something shiny passed above her in the sky. She looked up quickly to find out what that light was and saw something more sparkling than a star was going forward quickly with a tail which was scratching the dark sky. After a short time it went and nothing could be seen anymore.

Being shocked and unable to move, she went inside and didn’t tell anyone what she had seen. Although it was very outlandish and strange, she wished to see that again. So she went outside in the garden every night waiting for that sparkle to come. She knew that it would come again one of those nights, and then she can find out what it was and where it came from. But nothing passed; there was no enormous shining star with an immense attractive tail scratching the sky.
One or two years passed and she couldn’t see that light again. She almost was forgetting about that night, thinking it was an imagination. She even went outside to see the sky less than before. One night, she was so heavy-hearted, went outside in the garden and started to cry, wanted to shout and get a thing off her chest. She saw that pink rose which was not alone any more; there were lots of them in the garden but still she could find that one. All of a sudden, she felt that warmth again in her heart and remembered that light. So turned her head upward, looking at the sky. She saw that glittering incredible light is coming so quickly as if it hastens to do something.

“Wait! Please wait!” she shouted. It reduced its speed and stopped after some moments. It was so bright that she couldn’t look at it straight. “Who are you? Please tell me!”
“I am a comet; the comet of this sky.”
“What do you do in there, just to turn around the world? And lightening the dark sky?”
“Not just that! I am not an ordinary comet; I can live, love, forgive, and be glad or gloomy. I have feelings, but unfortunately there is no other star or comet which can understand me. You are the first one, especially the first human being who have seen me and spoken to me.”
“Much time ago, I saw you in the sky, but you passed me so quickly that I couldn’t even see you exactly. I waited a long time for you to come, but you didn’t. I am as lonely as you are and there is no one who feels my heart either. I am so delighted now as if I have known you for all my life.”

They spoke for hours, laughed, cried, and sang with each other. The Comet told her about its star and the mystery of its shining tail. She felt it was the most valuable thing she’d ever had. It was like an angel or a gift of God to her.
“I don’t want you to go. Stay here and shine for me every night,” she cried.
“I can’t; I come only one night after a long time and should go that night. This is my nature.”
“But I will be alone again, without you.”
“You won’t,” then he slashed a part of its tail and gave her. “My tail is the most important part of me; I give some part of it to you, so it would be always with you. We are together and near, although there is a far distant between us…”

She remembered that rose, picked it up and gave it to The Comet. “Take it with you. I’ve wanted to give it to whom I really love and that’s you. Whenever you look at that, you would know that I think of you and love you.”
The Comet placed that little pink rose in the most magnificent place of its star.
“You would be the ‘Star's Flower’; the only flower of mine and my star. I haven’t had any Flower on my star so far.”
“I haven’t had any Comet so far, besides I think no one has any like me!”
“I may see you again. Take care of you, my Flower,” the Comet told this and went on and on till it couldn’t be seen…

Now, she’s living in a quiet town, on an empty street. She is in her room thinking of her Precious Star who she hasn’t seen for two years and who she feels so close to her heart in spite of the far distance between them. She knows that her Comet would come, soon or late, and she could love it more and more. She would wait until the time they see each other again, but until that time she just can dream…

Dedicated to my Comet

By: Sonia

The Last Tuesday of the Year in Iran!

2007-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hi every body,
Today is the last Tuesday of the year in Iran. As you know, Iranian calendar is based on the Solar Calendar that is known as the most reliable and inclusive calendar. First, it has been used by Zoroaster and then has become the formal and main calendar in Iran.

There were various traditional ceremonies in Iran that have been forgotten with passing of time, but some of them still remain even though their form has been changed. One of them which is on the last Tuesday evening of each year is called “chahar-shanbe suri”. “Chahar-shanbe” means “Wednesday” in Persian.
Much time ago, there were some customs that women used to do at this night. One of them was “faal-gooshi” or “hearing the fortune”. Women used to go to crossroads and listen to the conversation of people passed by them and they used to interpret those words. It was kind of fortune telling mostly for the marriage of young girls. Another funny custom was “qaashoq-zani”. “Qaashoq” means “spoon” in Persian and women used to go and knock on the door of neighborhood’s houses by spoon for reaching their goals and desires! They used to wear a mask in order to be unknown and the member of that house used to give them some raw dried nuts. The person who used to knock on the door shouldn’t speak at all!
Beside these customs, people used to do fireworks which still are done in Iran. People do fireworks and jump over the fire. I remember my childhood that when we wanted to jump over the fire, we told something like an aphorism. The meaning of that aphorism is: “Fire! Your burning red face is from me, thus I am joyful rather than you. And my yellow face is from you, thus you are pale rather than me”! Elder people said that it will bring joy and happiness to the person.
Unfortunately, there have been a lot of dangerous fireworks in recent years and lots of people got injured at this night. I think the beauty of this ancient ceremony has been forgotten and the dangerous noisy fireworks have been replaced. But still I love this night as a traditional rite in the dear antique history of Iran. There are “Nowrooz” holidays, the official holidays of the New Year in Iran, a week later on Wednesday at three o’clock in the early morning. I will write for you about “Nowrooz” later! Happy “chahar-shanbe suri”! :-)

One Day and Thousand Years

2007-03-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

When it was two days before the end of the world, he found out that he hasn’t lived at all. His calendar had been filled with many days and just two days had remained. Being anxious, worry, and furious, he went to God in order to get more days from him.

He shouted but God remained silent.
He shouted louder and insulted angels and human-being but God remained silent.
He insulted God but still God didn’t say anything.
He became sad and started to cry. He cried and cried…

Then God broke his silence and said: “my dear son, you’ve lost another day just insulting me and saying nonsense words. Now, you have only one more day to live. At least live this day fully.”
“But what can I do with only a day?” he asked.
“The one who enjoys living only one day perfectly,” God replied, “indeed he lives a thousand years and the one who lose one day of his life, will also lose thousand years” and then poured the portion of one more day in his hands and continued: “now, my darling, go and live a perfect life in this day”.

He looked at the life in his hands astonishingly. He was frightened to walk and to lose his life, then he thought one moment that his fear is nonsense if he’s not going to have any more days. “So let’s live this day,” he said and ran…

He poured the life of that day on himself and ran more quickly. He tasted the life, smelled the life. He was in such an ecstasy that he could run until the end of the world.

He neither earned any money nor built any skyscraper that day. But he smelled flowers, slept on the grasses, looked at a lady-bug, prayed for those who loved him and those who didn’t. He forgave, forgot, laughed, loved, and over flew with joy that day. He passed and was finished at last…
He just lived that day, but angels wrote in the God’s calendar that “he, who had lived one thousand years, died today”!

by: Anonymous
Translated from Persian to English by Sonia

Hello Bloggers!

2007-03-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am a new member in this site and this is the first time that I’m blogging. I hope you enjoy visiting my blog and that I can make good friends here.

This is my first entry so I want to introduce myself. I am Sonia Rooshenas, a 20-year-old Iranian girl. I live in Tehran and I am a sophomore in Alzahra University in Tehran. I study English Literature and I am very interested in learning different languages and have a little acquaintance with French and German languages. I am also very interested in computer programming but unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to learn it so far!

Of course I am attracted to blogging and I want to thank my dear professor, Dr. Marandi, who encouraged me and my classmates to have our web logs. I thank her for her efforts and for all the energy she gives.