‫كتیبه‬

The epigraph
‫ انگار کوهی بود‬، ‫فتاده تخته سنگ آنسوی تر‬
Lies the rock there over, as though a mountain it was
‫ خسته انبوهی‬، ‫و ما اینسو نشسته‬
And over here we sit, a tired throng
‫زن و مرد و جوان و پیر‬
Woman and man and young and old
‫ لیک از پای‬، ‫همه با یکدیگر پیوسته‬
All to each other bound, yet from the leg
‫و با‬
‫زنجیر‬
And with
chain
‫اگر دل می کشیدت سوی دلخواهی‬
If the heart towards a desire led you
‫ لیک تا آنجا که رخصت بود‬، ‫به سویش می توانستی خزیدن‬
You were able to crawl towards it, but only far as it was permitted
‫تا زنجیر‬
Far as the chain went
‫ندانستیم‬
We didn’t know
‫ندایی بود در رویای خوف و خستگیهامان‬
Was it a voice in the dream of our terror and tedium
‫ کجا ؟ هرگز نپرسیدیم‬، ‫و یا آوایی از جایی‬
Or was it a calling from somewhere, where? Never did we ask
‫چنین می گفت‬
Thus it said
‫ وز پیشینیان پیری‬، ‫فتاده تخته سنگ آنسوی‬
lies a rock there over, and a sage from the precursors age
‫ هرکس طاق هر کس جفت‬، ‫بر او رازی نوشته است‬
a secret written on’t, each person an arch each person a pair
‫چنین می گفت چندین بار‬
several times thus it said
‫ و آنگاه چون موجی که بگریزد ز خود در خامشی می خفت‬، ‫صدا‬
the voice, and then as a wave running away from itself it went out in silence
‫و ما چیزی نمی گفتیم‬
and nothing did we say
‫و ما تا مدتی چیزی نمی گفتیم‬
and for a while nothing did we say
‫پس از آن نیز تنها در نگه مان بود اگر گاهی‬
also thereafter ‘twas only in our gaze if sometimes
‫گروهی شک و پرسش ایستاده بود‬
a group doubtful and in question stood
‫و دیگر‬
 and the rest
‫سیل و خستگی بود و فراموشی‬
was flood and fatigue and oblivion
‫و حتی در نگه مان نیز خاموشی‬
and silence even in our gaze
‫و تخته سنگ آن سو اوفتاده بود‬
and the rock lay there over
‫شبی که لعنت از مهتاب می بارید‬
the night that from the moonlight damnation poured
‫و پاهامان ورم می کرد و می خارید‬
our feet were swollen and itchy
‫ لعنت کرد گوشش را‬، ‫یکی از ما که زنجیرش کمی سنگینتر از ما بود‬
one of us whose chain was a bit heavier than ours, cursed his ear
‫‌ باید رفت‬: ‫و ناالن گفت‬
and whimpered: one must go
‫و ما با خستگی گفتیم‬
and we wearily said
‫لعنت بیش بادا گوشمان را چشممان را نیز‬:
curse our ear and our eye also:
‫باید رفت‬
one must go
‫و رفتیم و خزان رفتیم تا جایی که تخته سنگ آنجا بود‬
and we went and crawling we went to there where the rock were there
‫ آنگه خواند‬، ‫ باال رفت‬، ‫یکی از ما که زنجیرش رهاتر بود‬
one of us of lighter chain, up went, then sang
‫کسی راز مرا داند‬
‫که از اینرو به آنرویم بگرداند‬
my secret shall be known by none other
than the one who turns me around from this side to another
‫و ما با لذتی این راز غبارآلود را مثل دعایی زیر لب‬
‫تکرار می کردیم‬
and with a pleasure did we repeat this dusty secret like a prayer in whispers
‫و شب شط جلیلی بود پر مهتاب‬
and the night was a lavishing river of moonlight full
‫ دیگر پار‬.... ‫ سه‬... ‫ دو‬... ‫ یک‬، ‫هال‬
Halla, one… two… three… another par
‫ دیگر پار‬.... ‫ سه‬... ‫ دو‬... ‫ یک‬، ‫هال‬
Halla, one… two… three… another par
‫ گاهی گریه هم کردیم‬، ‫ دشنام‬، ‫ عزا‬، ‫عرقریزان‬
sweating, lamentation, malediction, sometimes did we cry
‫ زینسان بارها بسیار‬، ‫ سه‬، ‫ دو‬، ‫ یک‬، ‫هال‬
Halla, one… two… three… excessive were such burdens
‫چه سنگین بود اما سخت شیرین بود پیروزی‬
how overbearing it was yet how overwhelmingly sweet was victory
، ‫و ما با آشناتر لذتی‬
and we with a more familiar pleasure
‫هم خسته هم خوشحال‬
droopy and delighted
‫ز شوق و شور ماالمال‬
 saturated with vehemence and verve
‫یکی از ما که زنجیرش سبکتر بود‬
one of us of lighter chain
‫به جهد ما درودی گفت و باال رفت‬
hailed our help and up went
‫خط پوشیده را از خاک و گل بسترد و با خود خواند‬
the concealed line he cleansed of mud and dirt and to himself did read
‫و ما بی تاب‬
and we impatient
‫لبش را با زبان تر کرد ما نیز آنچنان کردیم‬
with his tongue he wet his lip and so did we
‫و ساکت ماند‬
and he stayed silent
‫نگاهی کرد سوی ما و ساکت ماند‬
he looked at us and stayed silent
‫ پنداری زبانش مرد‬، ‫ خیره ماند‬، ‫دوباره خواند‬
again did he sang, and silent did he stand, as if his tongue went dead
‫ ما خروشیدیم‬، ‫نگاهش را ربوده بود ناپیدای دوری‬
his gaze was stolen by an unknown far away
‫بخوان !‌ او همچنان خاموش‬
sing! still silent was he
‫برای ما بخوان ! خیره به ما ساکت نگا می کرد‬
sing to us! him looking at us silently
‫پس از لختی‬
awhile went by
‫در اثنایی که زنجیرش صدا می کرد‬
while his chain made noises
‫ گرفتیمش که پنداری که می افتاد‬، ‫فرود آمد‬
down he came, we caught him as if he was falling
‫نشاندیمش‬
we sat him down
‫بدست ما و دست خویش لعنت کرد‬
he cursed our hand and his hand
‫ هان ؟‬، ‫چه خواندی‬
?what did you read, huh
‫مکید آب دهانش را و گفت آرام‬
swallowing his slobber, slowly said he
‫نوشته بود‬
‫همان‬
‫کسی راز مرا داند‬
‫که از اینرو به آرویم بگرداند‬
it read
the same
my secret shall be known by none other
than the one who turns me around from this side to another
‫نشستیم‬
down we sat
‫و به مهتاب و شب روشن نگه کردیم‬
and to the moonlight and light night we gazed
‫و شب شط علیلی بود‬
 and the night was a languishing river

Lies the rock there over, as though a mountain it was

And over here we sit, a tired throng
Woman and man and young and old
All to each other bound, yet from the leg
And with
chain
If the heart towards a desire led you
You were able to crawl towards it, but only far as it was permitted
Far as the chain went
We didn’t know
Was it a voice in the dream of our terror and tedium
Or was it a calling from somewhere, where? Never did we ask
Thus it said
lies a rock there over, and a sage from the precursors age
a secret written on’t, each person an arch each person a pair
several times thus it said
the voice, and then as a wave running away from itself it went out in silence
and nothing did we say
and for a while nothing did we say
also thereafter ‘twas only in our gaze if sometimes
a group doubtful and in question stood
and the rest
was flood and fatigue and oblivion
and silence even in our gaze
and the rock lay there over
the night that from the moonlight damnation poured
our feet were swollen and itched
one of us whose chain was a bit heavier than ours, cursed his ear
and whimpered: one must go
and we wearily said
curse our ear and our eye also:
one must go
and we went and crawling we went to there where the rock were there
one of us of lighter chain, up went, then sang
my secret shall be known by none other
than the one who turns me around from this side to another
and with a pleasure did we repeat this dusty secret like a prayer in whispers
and the night was a lavishing river of moonlight full
Halla, one… two… three… another par
Halla, one… two… three… another par
sweating, lamentation, malediction, sometimes did we cry
Halla, one… two… three… excessive were such burdens
 how overbearing it was yet how overwhelmingly sweet was victory
and we with a more familiar pleasure
droopy and delighted
saturated with vehemence and verve
one of us of lighter chain
hailed our help and up went
the concealed line he cleansed of mud and dirt and to himself did read
and we impatient
with his tongue he wet his lip and so did we
and he stayed silent
he looked at us and stayed silent
again did he sang, and silent did he stand, as if his tongue went dead
his gaze was stolen by an unknown far away
sing! still silent was he
sing to us! him looking at us silently
awhile went by
while his chain made noises
down he came, we caught him as if he was falling
we sat him down
he cursed our hand and his hand
?what did you read, huh
swallowing his slobber, slowly said he
it read
the same
my secret shall be known by none other
than the one who turns me around from this side to another
down we sat
and to the moonlight and light night we gazed
and the night was a languishing river