Ziba Karbassi

Publication of translation with introduction in the 2005 issue of Two Lines magazine, Bodies

For Ali Abdolrezaei who stood by me and I never returned to myself

Now that you draw the pink veil
Off my face
Love is this very lemon
That goes lemon lemon to the orange

Lashes and neck, long
Lashes and neck, bent
Lashes back, neck askew

My head cockeyed out the nook
Over the shoulder, behind sight
Shoulders like square houses
Childhood doodle houses

We stand facing each other
Two mad souls
Neck to neck
Shoulder to shoulder
Lashes and neck

And then
A bit bent
Bend a bit to roll over
Let me blaze on your shoulder and eyes
Your eyes that kiss kiss wet my lips
Your eye that kisses wets my lips
Your eye that plunges
Into the furrow and once again we see
Nothing and coil like vine
And whirl in noise and rapture

Come! Come!
If you draw the soft pink
Aside
Love is this very lemon
That somewhat sour
Leaps
Lemon lemon
To the orange!

Read the original Persian poem here.