Sodom - 2nd Track of Chel Album

Shahin Najafi: Music, Lyrics
Habib Meftah: Percussion, & Flute  
Babak Rezvani: Mixing & Mastering, Guitar
Translation: Nick Rastin
Ali Baghban: Cover
Dyaloge Limited

سدوم

شرمنده اهل امید نیستم 
امید شهری بود که سوزوندنش
گفتن اهالیش مفید نیستن 
نمی‌ارزه جون کندنش
خاکی بود دوزار دهشی هرچی بود  بوی مامان داشت
بابا شکسته بود اما شکست نخورده بود  هنوز توان داشت
عصر طلایی این و اون نبود
  سختی بود نون نبود
هنوز رو بود اونقد که سود بده کار
مملکت شیرای پیر
گرگای جوون
جون‌ ارزون   آرزو گرون

آینده یعنی فردا پاشی پنجره‌های خونه سالم باشن
شب چشای کارگر پدر   با صدای آژیر پاشن
صف بربری شیر فاسد دلهره‌ی‌ طعم تلخ چک داداش
تخم دزدی غاز حامله  از لای سفیدیای پرهاش
پرخاش بود ولی مزه داش توی کوچه‌ی بچگی سنگ خوردن
آسمون کوتاه بود آویزوون کامیونا شدن و مردن
شست پات تو فوتبال بره از اجبار عشقش چپ پا شی
شب تو لباس  ملوان بخوابی و صب تو شورت آلمان پاشی 
 داغ
خشخاشی
  مث پوست بدن اولین دختر 
اولین  گناه بوسه
خوردن سیبای کوچیک کوثر
تو حیاط
یادت میاد
نامه‌های عاشقانه‌ی یه نیمچه شاعر شرور و عصبانی
تعبیر  معلمی که دوسش داشتم آقای قربانی
آب و باز کرد و دندون مصنوعیو‌ انداخت توی لیوان 
دارایی واقعیش اون بود از زندگی ساخت ایران
باز نشست تا بازنشستگی فرجی کنه توی قرضاش
باز  نشد چشاش و گره‌هاش جا مونده ازقلب قرصاش
چرا گریم گرفت؟
 گیرم لنگ پنجاه تومنی تو هم واسه شام
چرا گریم نگیره وقتی دستم بسته‌اس و بازه چشام؟
شرمنده اهل امید نیستم 
امید شهری بود که  نفس نداشت
خفگی رنگ سبز سپاهی بود
که واسه جوونی هوس نذاشت
من قرآن و خوب بلدم حافظ نیستم اما از حفظم
قرار بود که پشتم باشه و تحلیل برم توش بکنه حفظم
ولی لذت توی شعره که تخریب هم روح و هم جسممه
شاهین، دو شاه شکست خورده‌ی درونم  روی اسممه
تو مسیر تبعیدم خانی کردم تا شاه شم
حق با من بود تو این انتخاب سخت رضا یا میرزاشم نه؟
یا سرمو بزنه شاه یا شاه شمو سر بزنم
من هرچی بودم بنده‌ی ملتمس درگاه نشدمو پاشمو در بزنم
بچگی کردم و پاش موندم بزرگی به بزرگ‌سالی که نیس
گفتن: به کجا رسیدی؟ 
!موندم
به یه قلب ریش 
به چشای خیس
نه هنر ،سیاست و‌فلسفه بازی زشتی که بچه‌ جاش نیست
همسن انقلابی‌ام که شبیه هیچکدوم از بچه‌هاش نیست
مث اون پدر شهید که یه لنگه کفش میراث بچشه
تو خیالم هنوز جنگه و نگرانم پسرم کفش پاش نیست
بوی کافور و گلاب  پاهای سرد سردخونه آخر خط
بوی ناجور کباب پاهای زرد ترکیده‌ی ممد
قاتل نصف شهر موتور  بود و نصف دیگه روو عرق و مواد
تو دریا می‌شد غرق شی یا تو رویای یه زندگی شاد
به کجا رسیدم؟
 به پشت سبیلام
به دیسک وسیاتیک و بواسیر
به یه چشم خون به شهر ناامید
به مرگ تنهایی تو تبعید
ترسیدم
باد می‌بره آدمو
می‌برّه آدم
میترسیدم آینده چاه شه  نباشیم
یا اینکه بمیریم و دوباره توی این زندگی شوم پاشیم
بلعیدم آب و
نفس کشیدم تا قایق حراست رد شه
ماهی تو تور من 
ماهیگیر تو تور  خدا
ای خدا
رد شه
 

Sodom (1)

​

Sorry! I’m no fan of hope
Hope was a city, which they burned down They said its inhabitants are not utile
It’s not worth moiling (for it)

​

It was some soil, worthless, but at least had the Mom’s scent

Dad was broken, but not defeated yet, he had still power

It wasn’t the golden era of his and hers (Khomeini), there were adversity, but no bread

(But) it was clear that working would bring some benefits
The land of the old lions
Young wolves!

Life (was) cheap, desire (was) costly
The future means when you wake up tomorrow, the windows are still intact!

At night the laboring eyes of father awake with the (air raid) siren’s noise!

The long queue at the bakery, (then buying some) spoiled milk, anguished over the bitter taste of the brother’s slap (on my face)

Stealing an egg from a pregnant goose, right through her white feathers!

It was rough, but pleasurable, being hit by the stones (while playing) in the alley of childhood

The sky was falling down, hitching ride on the back of the lorries and die!

Losing your big toe in soccer, then become a left-footed player for your severe passion for it
You go to bed wearing “Malavan” ’s (2) jerseys, next morning you wake up wearing Germany’s shorts!

Hot
Poppy (bread)

Like the skin of the first girl
First sin, a kiss
Eating “Kowsar” ’s tiny apples (sucking her breasts) In the garden
Do you remember?

Romantic letters of a “rebellious frantic half-poet”!
(It was) the interpretation of a teacher whom I liked, Mr. “Ghorbani”

(He) opened the water (tap) and threw his dentures in the glass

It was his real property of the made-in-Iran life!

He went on retirement so that the pension would untie his debts’ Gordian knot!

The knots and his eyes weren’t opened, so he lagged behind the pills for his heart!

Why did I start crying? Supposedly you need five dollars for a meal
Why shouldn’t I start crying, when my hands are cuffed and my eyes are open?

Sorry! I’m no fan of hope
Hope was a breathless city
Suffocation had an Army green color (3),

which took the youth their passion away!

​

I know the Quran very well, I’m not “Hafez” (4) but I know (the story) by heart

It was supposed to back me up, then I’d dissolve in it, it’d protect me

​

But the delight is in the poetry, which is the demolition of my body and soul

“Shahin” (5), two defeated inner kings of mine, are in my name

​

On my exile path, I acted as a master to become a king

It was my right, through this tough choice, to be either “Reza” (6) or “Mirza” (7)

​

Either I should lean on King’s head or I shall become the king and cut the heads off!
Whoever I was, I neither became the supplicant servant in royal court nor I knocked the (palace) door

​

I was childish and insisted on it. To be an adult (great person) doesn’t depend on the age!

They asked: “What have you achieved so far?” I had nothing to say!
I’ve achieved a shredded heart
I’ve attained wet eyes

​

Not Art, not Politics and not Philosophy! They’re awful games, no place for kids

I’m the same age as the revolution, which isn’t alike its children
(I’m) like a martyr’s father, whose son’s leftover is just a lone shoe
I think the war goes on and I’m worried that my son has no shoes on!

​

The smell of camphor and rosewater, the cold feet in the morgue at the end of the road

The awful smell of “Mamad”’s blistered yellow feet

​

Motorcycle was the murderer of half of the town’s people, the other half were killed by booze and drugs

You could drown in sea or in the dream of a happy life!

​

Where have I reached so far? Well, (I’m) behind my mustache!

(I’ve achieved) the Slipped Discs, Sciatica and Hemorrhoid

(I’ve reached) the death, loneliness in exile

​

I feared
The wind takes you
You’d back down
I was worried (for you) that the future becomes a deep well, we disappear

Or we die and wake up again in this ominous life

​

I swallowed water
I breathed until the coastguard leaves

The fish in my net
The fisher in the God’s trawl
Oh, God!
I wish it’d go away!

​

​

---

1. The cities of “Sodom” and “Gomorrah” are mentioned in Torah, Bible and Quran which were destroyed by the will of God due to their Inhabitants’ great sins.

2. Malavan F.C is an Iranian football club based in Bandar-e Anzali, northern Iran.
3. Referring to the uniform color of the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” (IRGC), which plays an

important role in suppression of civil protests in Iran.
4. A. Famous Persian poet (1315 – 1390) B. Someone who has completely memorized the Quran. 5. In Persian “Shah” means King. In Arabic the suffix “-in” (-ein) forms a dual noun (= two Kings).

6. “Reza Shah Pahlavi”, known as “Reza Khan” (15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944), was the King of Iran from 15 December 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on 16 September 1941.

7. “Mirza Kuchak Khan Jangali” (1880 – December 2, 1921) was an early twentieth century revolutionary leader who fought against the government forces led by colonel “Reza Khan” (the future Reza Shah Pahlavi).

​

Translation: Nick Rastin