By Nader Naderpour, Paris, February 1984.

Translated by Farhad Mafie January 1989

From the collection Blood and Ashes (Khoun va Khakestar)

For Imam Ommat (Ayatollah Khomeini, “The People’s Imam”)

O, infernal nature! Although the oppression of the sky

gave you the heritage of my land,

under the mirthful sun of that land

your hand planted nothing but the seed of inhumanity.

It is time to inform you what you have planted.

Till the moment that your death message arrives

O, despicable man!

Till the moment that your wicked blood flows

on the cold cobblestone,

Let me compose an anthem to your annihilation.

In my eyes you are a black wind that suddenly

has stolen several thousand young leaves.

After the sun’s death your dark spirit closed

several thousand thrilled eyes

to the morning and opened them to the night.

The starless nights that mothers’ eyes mourned tears

running down their cheeks for their children.

In your cold eyes, O, you iniquitous man!

No one has seen compassion nor read repentance.

The white-haired elderly that on the tombstone slab

have written the names of their loved ones

are crying blood in your days,

harvesting what they have never planted.

Although you removed the lion’s image and the face of the sun

from the three-colored flag of champions,

their memories are still the source of our enthusiasm.

And although the name of that eloquent Shahnameh writer[2]

was stolen from the books and tomes,

only his holy voice exists in our thoughts.

Wait till the groans of your prisoners

are too loud to fit in their chests,

let the people’s tears flood and their blood run

till red roses of revenge grow from the earth.

Wait till the morning of revenge

when you get up from your morning sleep

and young and old, small and big, scream

O, black-hearted devil!

Your death will be celebrated by all men and women,

your name will be removed from the journey of time …

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[1] Translator: Naderpour composed this poem in 1984, five years after the revolution, while he was living in exile in Paris and Khomeini was still alive.

[2] Translator: “Shahnameh writer” refers to Ferdowsi , who wrote Book of Kings (Shahnameh).