Ancient Land
(O You Ancient Land, I Love Thee)
Poet: Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid)
Translator: Ahreeman X
August 24, 2008

Index
Introduction
Ancient Land (Persian)
Ancient Land (English)

Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid)

Introduction

Once a while there comes a poem which sets the heart and soul of every true Persian Nationalist on fire. “Ancient Land” is one of those poems and Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid) is the poet. This type of poem is exactly the type which I would find time to translate in to English. Why do I do it? To make you burn with the passion of Nationalism!

This poem shows the depth of Mehdi Akhavan Sales’ Nationalism. M. Omid was a solid nationalist. He was a political poet. Omid means hope and M. Omid never had lost the hope of the better days for Iran. He was not a fan of monarchy or Islam, but he was a lover of democracy and Iran. This poem has been dedicated to Dr. Jalil Dustkhah Esfahani and All the Liberated Freethinking Iranians. Dr. Jalil Dustkhah is a valuable and well accomplished Avestan scholar of the late 20th century. Dr. Jalil Dustkhah is mostly known for his contributions for the translation of the Avesta text from the Avestan Persian to the Modern Persian. Dr. Jalil Dustkhah was a student and colleague of Professor Ebrahim Pour Davoud.

There is a beautiful song by Farhad Mehrad by the name of “Ancient Land” which its lyrics are a selected part of this poem.

Kohan Bum (Ancient Land) by Farhad

More Farhad Mehrad Songs:

IPC Multimedia Library

Eventually this poem and the song made from this poem had become a National Treasure and one of the most nationalistic rhymes that Iran ever had. Today as always this poem and song are cherished and highly valued by the Iranian Nationalists.

I shall try my best to translate this poem accurately; however, when you translate a poem from Persian to English, then you must somewhat revise the poem, be creative and even add a spice of your own poetry to the English version, so the end results would make sense in English! M. Omid had done his best to put teardrops in your eyes and emotions in your hearts while reciting this poem. I shall do my best to keep these teardrops wet and these emotions alive!

And now on to the poem,

Back to top 

Kohan Bum
(To Ra Ey Kohan Bum O Bar Dust Daram)
Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid)

Back to top

Ancient Land
(O You Ancient Land, I Love Thee)
Poet: Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid)
Translator: Ahreeman X

From all meaningless earthly possessions, if I acclaim
Thee oh ancient land, I adore

Thee oh ancient eternal great
If I adore any, thee I adore

Thee oh priceless ancient Iran
Thee oh valuable jewel, I adore

Thee ancient birthplace of the great nobles
Thee famous creator of the greats, I adore

Thine art and thoughts shines through the world
Both thine art and thine thoughts I adore

May it be legend or history
Critics and ancient stories, all I adore

Thine fantasy, I worship as truth
Thine reality, as news I adore

Thine Ahuramazda and Yazatas, I revere
Thine glory and Faravahar, I adore

To thine ancient prophet, I take an oath
Who is a bright and wise sage, I adore

The noble Zarathustra, more so than
All other sages and prophets, I adore

Humanity better than him has not seen and will not see
This noblest of humanity I adore

His trios are the greatest guide for the world
This impactful yet brief guide, I adore

This great Iranian was a leader
This Iranian leader I adore

He Never killed, nor asked others to kill
This noble path I adore

This truthful ancient sage
Who went beyond the legend, I adore

The eternal intellect of the glorious Mazdak
From all angles and aspects, I adore

He died bravely in the war with injustice
That just lion-heart I adore

Global and just thoughts he had
More of his thoughts in our path I adore

Praising thine great Mani
The artist and messenger I adore

That painter of the higher spirits
The truth of his paintings I adore

All types of your fertile lands
All your fields, deserts, springs and rivers I adore

Thine brave and noble martyrs
Who were prides of the humanity, I adore

With the help of the morning breeze, their spirits
Made of Iron, I sense and I adore

Their exciting thoughts which had turned the centuries
Upside down I adore

Their works of experience and messages
Or maybe a few lines of news I adore

Those legendary noblemen of
Just a few in each century, I adore

All thine poets and poems
Same as the morning breeze I adore

Thine Ferdowsi, the legendary literary tower he erected
placed in the hall of fame and glory, I adore

Thine Khayyam, the eternal anger and passion he created
In our hearts and souls I adore

Thine Attar, the pains and mourns he created
Takes away our breaths I adore

From that admirer of Shams, the passion
That enflames the heart, I adore

From Sa’di, Hafez and Nizami
All the cheers, poetry and fruits I adore

Great art thine Rasht, Gorgan and Mazandaran
The same as Caspian Sea I adore

Great art thine Karoun River and Ahvaz
Sweeter than sugar I adore

Glory to thine great Azerbaijan
That first step to danger I adore

Esfahan, thine half of the world
More than the other half I adore

Great art Khorasan the birthplace of the wise
With all my heart and soul, that vast land I adore

Great art thine beautiful Shiraz
The center of talent and art I adore

Thine lands of Kurdistan and Balushistan, same as
The noble fruit tree I adore

Great art thine Kerman and Southern borders
Thus dry and wet, sea and desert I adore

Afghanistan, our same roots which is a garden
In the hands of better than the best I adore

Soqd and Kharazm and their deserts
Alas Qajars had lost, but I adore

Thine Iraq and the long strips of Persian Gulf
Similar to the wall of China I adore

Our ancient Caucasia to Iran
A son in father’s house I adore

Thine yesterday’s legend and tomorrow’s dream
In each its own, both I adore

Thus better than these two, art thee alive
Thine today’s entity I adore

Thine beauty and depth were on top of the world
That ultimate value and danger I adore

Once more arise to the maximum depth
This new color and beauty I adore

Not Easternization, Not Westoxication, Not Tazi-fication
For thee O Ancient Land I adore

Until the world remains, victorious thou shalt be
Strong, awake and fortunate thou shalt be

Back to top
Back to M. Omid index
Back to Poetry index
Back to Art Literature index

.