ODE to DAMAVAND

   O'Shackled white demon!
   O'dome of the world, Damavand!

   You have a helmet on your head of silver
   And a belt on your waste of iron

  To cover your face from people
  You have hidden your face behind clouds.

  In order, to be left alone by these human-faced animals
  And these demon-like, sinister people,

  You have made a treaty with the lion of sky
  And unified with the lucky star

  When the earth became cold, dark and
  Silent by the celestial oppression,

  It threw its fist of rage up the sky,
  And you are that fist, O'Damavand!

  You are that mighty rough fist of earth
  Inherited through long centuries

  O'you the fist of earth! Soar the sky
  And hit “Rey” with a few throws.

  No, you are not the fist of earth
  I am not content with my saying.

  You are the depressed heart of the earth
  That has swollen by pain.

  In order to reduce the unhealthy swell
  A poultice has been applied on it.

  Explode, O'the heart of universe,
  Do not let your lidded fire remain hidden.

  Do not stay silent, speak
  Do not be depressed, laugh.

  Do not conceal your inside fire
  Take an advice from me, a suffering soul.

  O'gray haired mother, listen
  To the advice of this blackened fortune child.

  Take off from your head this white scarf
  Be seated on a bluish throne.

  If you keep your inside fire unrevealed
  It will burn you, I swear by your life.

  The white bearded, sly world has put
  A hard muzzle on your mouth

  I am going to take off your muzzle
  If they tear me into pieces

  I will send a flame from my inside fire
  That would burn that muzzle

  This is what I am going to do, hoping
  That it would please you.

  You would become liberated and roar
  Like a demon free from its chains

  Your roaring would shake the earth
  From Nishapour to Nahavand

  From the sparks of your inside furnace
  Rays of light would flood the distance from Alborz to Alvand.

  Attack like a poisonous dragon
  And roar like an enraged, furious lion.

  Make a matchless concoction
  Put together an unparallel mixture.

  Send a cloud made of fire's blaze, Hell's flame, gas & ill smell fumes
  From smoke, hot gas, rotten rocks

  All wrapped in the scorching sighs of the oppressed people,
  And the threatening fire of God’s punishment

  To rain down on "Rey"
  Made of terror, fright and pestilence

  Break down the Hell's gate and pour out
  Punishment for those disbelieving infidels

  In the same way that God by sending a terrible typhoon
  Annihilated the infidel city of 'Ad

  In the same way that the God's volcano
  Descended a hovering death sentence on Pompey

  Utterly, destroy this hypocritical foundation
  Tear up this race and all that connects them.

  Eradicate the roots of this monument
  As all monuments of injustice need to be uprooted

  Make these mean, foolish oppressors, pay
  For the ravages they have caused to men of worth and merit.

  Translated by Mahvash Shahegh

Foot notes: 1. Pompeii, is one of the ancient city in Italy. It was destroyed during a catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD.
2.Volcano