In the Fight of Life

Ahmad Shamlou (1925 – 2000): In the Fight of Life!

On the throne of Earth, beneath the sky’s spark–
Covered with the lights or in the robe of dark,

Amidst the moans and groans of the mad waft–
Fronting the altar, the execution draft,

On the top of the hill, in the arms of the plains, in the sod–
or in the depths, the opaque depths of the bog,
In the repeating chant of the clock–
or in the foe’s lock,

On the canvas, in the shades, in the ruins of the town–
and in the hurling of the unleashed dogs,
In angst, in blood, in fright–
In bliss or in blight,

In the kiss, in the embrace or in the sudden stall–
In the happy times or when the pains call–
In the festivities or the mourning hall–
In the rise or the fall,

In the lakes of bleeding drips,
in the tangle of deceit, where the despair grips,
in the burning deserts, in the midst of the ruby tulips,
in the weeds and the rocks, in the seas where river dips,
in the meadows and in the brooks, in the eyes and the lips– 
of dark haired ladies,
in the absence–
or in being,

Everywhere is hiding–
the fear, the greed and also the dance–
in each place death has an instance,
in all the lands people are in pain–
from nights and days' chain,

In all the spots–
the unruly fate shouts,
In every road the plight–
rushes towards a man's heart–
everywhere the world calls us to a fight:

“Take out! 
Take out you double-edged knife, knife–
made of both your force and your weakness in life!”

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Translation: Maryam Dilmaghani, June 2013, Halifax.
Artwork: Matteo Arfanotti