Iran: Simin Behbahani : “My Country I Build You Again.

My country, I will build you again,

If need be, with bricks made from my life.

I will build columns to support your roof,

If need be, with my bones.

I will inhale again the perfume of flowers

Favored by your youth.

I will wash again the blood off your body

With torrents of my tears.

Once more, the darkness will leave this house.

I will paint my poems blue with the color of our sky.

The resurrector of old bones will grant me in his bounty

a mountains splendor in his testing grounds.

Old I may be, but given the chance, I will learn.

I will begin a second youth alongside my progeny.

I will recite the Hadith of love and country

With such fervor as to make each word bear life.

There still burns a fire in my breast

to keep undiminished the warmth of kinship

I feel for my people.

Once more you will grant me strength,

though my poems have settled in blood.

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Once more I will build you with my life,

though it be beyond my means.

– Simin Behbahani –

Simin Behbahani was a renowned Iranian poet, writer, and activist. She was
born on June 20, 1927, in Tehran, Iran, and passed away on August 19, 2014, at
the age of 87. Behbahani's literary career spanned over six decades, during
which she authored several poetry collections, including "Let us Believe in the
Dawn of the Cold Season," "In My Country's Grace," "A Cup of Sin," and
"Rage Against the Silence."

Behbahani's poetry often addressed political and social issues, including

women's rights, freedom of expression, and democracy. She was also known for
her criticism of the government and its policies, and her poetry often reflected
the experiences and struggles of the Iranian people.

In addition to her literary contributions, Behbahani was a prominent activist

who advocated for human rights, women's rights, and freedom of speech. She
was a member of several literary organizations, including the Iranian Writers'
Association, and was recognized with numerous awards and honors for her
literary and social contributions.

Behbahani's legacy as a leading voice in Iranian literature and human rights

advocacy has continued beyond her passing, with her work and activism
inspiring generations of Iranian writers and activists.

Simin Behbahani was a renowned Iranian poet, literary critic, and women's
rights activist who is often referred to as the "lioness of Iran." She was born in
Tehran in 1927 and began writing poetry at a young age. Behbahani's poetry
often tackled themes of social justice, women's rights, and political activism,
and her work was beloved by many Iranians for its passionate and emotional
tone.

Throughout her life, Behbahani was an outspoken advocate for women's rights
and played a key role in advancing the cause of gender equality in Iran. She was
also a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic's oppressive policies and was
imprisoned several times for her activism.

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Despite the challenges she faced, Behbahani remained committed to her art and
her activism until her death in 2014. Her poetry continues to inspire and
resonate with Iranians and people around the world, and her legacy as a lioness
of Iran endures to this day.

Line 1: The speaker declares her commitment to rebuilding her country.

Line 2: She is willing to sacrifice her own life to achieve this goal.

Line 3-4: The speaker promises to build strong columns to support the roof of
her country, even if it means using her own bones.

Line 5-6: The speaker recalls the perfume of flowers from her youth, suggesting
a nostalgia for a time before the country suffered.

Line 7-8: She promises to wash the blood off her country's body with torrents of
her tears, suggesting the country has suffered greatly.

Line 9: The speaker expresses hope that the darkness will leave her country's
house, symbolizing an end to the suffering and hardship.

Line 10: She pledges to use her poetry to bring color and beauty to her country.

Line 11-12: The speaker believes that even old bones can be resurrected and
made splendid again.

Line 13-14: Despite her age, the speaker promises to learn and start a new life
with her progeny.

Line 15-16: She vows to recite the Hadith of love and country with such fervor
that each word will bear life.

Line 17-18: The speaker expresses her enduring love and warmth for her
people.

Line 19-20: She asks for strength to rebuild her country, even though her poems
have been written in blood.

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Line 21-22: The speaker reiterates her commitment to rebuilding her country
with her life, even if it means going beyond her means.

The passionate tone of the poem can be seen through the determination and
devotion expressed by the speaker towards their country. The first line itself
indicates the intensity of the speaker's emotions as they declare their intention to
rebuild their country. The use of the first-person point of view adds a personal
touch and emphasizes the speaker's personal investment in their country.

The speaker's readiness to sacrifice their life and body, as mentioned in the
second and third lines respectively, also conveys their passionate commitment
to their homeland. The repetition of the phrase "If need be" further emphasizes
the speaker's readiness to do whatever it takes to rebuild their country.

Moreover, the speaker's desire to restore the beauty and youth of their country,
as seen in the fourth and fifth lines, portrays their deep emotional attachment to
it. The imagery of washing the blood off their country's body with tears,
coupled with the promise to paint their poems blue with the color of their sky,
showcases the speaker's deep emotions and longing to restore their country to its
former glory.

Overall, the passionate tone of the poem conveys the speaker's unwavering love
and devotion towards their country, highlighting their willingness to do
whatever it takes to rebuild and restore it.

The poem "My Country I Build You Again" by Simin Behbahani reflects
themes of sacrifice, devotion, and patriotism. The speaker expresses a deep
sense of loyalty and love for her country, and is willing to make significant
sacrifices to rebuild it. The lines "If need be, with bricks made from my life"
and "If need be, with my bones" demonstrate the speaker's willingness to give
everything, even her life, to rebuild her country.

The speaker also shows her devotion to her country through her determination
to wash the blood off its body with "torrents of my tears," and to bring back the
light by painting her poems with the color of the sky. Her commitment to her
country is also evident when she says she will recite the Hadith of love and
country "with such fervor as to make each word bear life."

Overall, the poem is a powerful expression of patriotism and the sacrifices that
individuals are willing to make for the love of their country. It shows how

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deeply connected one can be to their homeland and how much they are willing
to do to rebuild it, even if it means sacrificing their own life.

Simin Behbahani's poem "My Country I Build You Again" speaks to the
enduring spirit of devotion and sacrifice that many Iranians feel for their
country, despite the challenges it has faced in recent history. The references to
bloodshed and violence ("I will wash again the blood off your body / With
torrents of my tears") suggest the deep scars left by years of conflict, including
the Iran-Iraq War and ongoing tensions with other nations. Similarly, the lines
"Once more, the darkness will leave this house" and "Old I may be, but given
the chance, I will learn" point to the challenges of political oppression and a
lack of freedom that many Iranians have faced in recent decades.

However, the poem also contains a strong sense of hope and determination. The
speaker promises to rebuild their country with their own life and bones,
showing a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. They also speak of
reciting the Hadith of love and country with fervor, suggesting a deep
commitment to the values of their culture and the importance of democracy and
human rights. The reference to a "mountains splendor" also suggests a sense of
natural beauty and wonder that can inspire and uplift the spirit even in difficult
times.

Overall, the poem speaks to a complex mixture of emotions and experiences,

including both pain and hope, sacrifice and devotion, and a deep sense of
connection to the land and people of Iran.

In "My Country I Build You Again," Simin Behbahani employs various poetic
devices to convey her message of patriotism and sacrifice.

One prominent device is imagery, which is used to create vivid mental pictures
of the speaker's actions. For example, the line "I will wash again the blood off
your body with torrents of my tears" is a powerful image that conveys the
speaker's determination to restore their country despite the violence and
bloodshed that has occurred. The use of the colors blue and mountains also
serve as symbols of freedom and hope, as they evoke a sense of vastness and
possibility.

Another poetic device used in the poem is paradox, which creates a sense of
tension or contradiction. For example, the line "Old I may be, but given the
chance, I will learn" seems to contradict the idea that age implies a lack of

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ability or willingness to change. This paradox creates a sense of resilience and
determination in the speaker, despite the obstacles they may face.

Symbolism is another prominent device used in the poem. For instance, the
"resurrector of old bones" can be interpreted as a symbol of hope or redemption,
as it suggests that even the most damaged parts of the country can be restored.
Additionally, the imagery of building with bricks made from the speaker's life
and bones represents the speaker's willingness to sacrifice themselves for their
country's restoration.

Overall, the poem is a powerful piece that employs a range of poetic devices to
create a vivid picture of the speaker's devotion to their country and their
willingness to sacrifice everything to rebuild it.

This poem uses a variety of poetic and literary devices to convey its message of
sacrifice, devotion, and patriotism.

1. Metaphor: The speaker uses the metaphor of building a house to represent

rebuilding her country.

2. Personification: The darkness is personified as leaving the house, which

could symbolize the end of oppression and political problems.

3. Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to describe the rebuilding process,
including the use of bricks made from the speaker's life and columns
made from her bones.

4. Symbolism: The color blue is used as a symbol for the sky and could also
represent hope and freedom.

5. Paradox: The speaker paradoxically refers to herself as old, but also

expresses a desire to begin a second youth.

6. Repetition: The repetition of "Once more" emphasizes the speaker's

determination to rebuild her country.

7. Rhyme scheme: The poem does not have a consistent rhyme scheme, but
there are instances of internal rhyme, such as "columns" and "bones," and
"strength" and "settled."

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Overall, the use of these poetic and literary devices helps to convey the
speaker's message of love and devotion for her country, as well as her
willingness to make sacrifices to rebuild it.

Alliteration is a literary device in which the repetition of the same sound occurs
at the beginning of multiple words in a phrase or sentence. In the poem, "My
Country I Build You Again," Simin Behbahani uses alliteration to emphasize
certain words and create a musical effect.

The first example of alliteration, "bricks made from my life," highlights the
speaker's commitment and sacrifice to rebuild their country. The repetition of
the "b" sound emphasizes the idea that the speaker is willing to use their own
life as the foundation for their country's restoration.

The second example, "columns to support your roof," creates a strong visual
image of the speaker's determination to support their country. The repetition of
the "c" sound emphasizes the solidity and stability of the columns, which can be
interpreted as a metaphor for the strength and resilience of the country and its
people.

The third example, "torrents of my tears," creates a powerful image of the

speaker's grief and sorrow for the violence and bloodshed in their country. The
repetition of the "t" sound emphasizes the strength and intensity of the speaker's
emotions, while also creating a sense of movement and force, like a rushing
stream.

The fourth example, "paint my poems blue," highlights the speaker's desire to
create something beautiful and uplifting for their country. The repetition of the
"p" sound creates a light, airy feeling, like the brushstrokes of a painter. The
color blue can be interpreted as a symbol of hope and freedom, as well as the
sky that connects all people and nations.

The use of alliteration can create a rhythmic effect and make the language more
memorable or impactful for the reader. It can also help to create a sense of unity
and connection between the words or ideas being presented.

The darkness in this poem represents the suffering, oppression, and turmoil that
Iran has experienced. The poet, Simin Behbahani, uses this metaphor to convey
the idea that her country has been in a state of darkness, but she is determined to
bring light and hope back to it. The darkness leaving the house symbolizes the
end of the country's suffering and the beginning of a new era of peace and
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prosperity. The poet's strong will and determination to rebuild her country serve
as an inspiration for the Iranian people to overcome their difficulties and work
towards a brighter future.

"My country, I will build you again, If need be, with bricks made from my life."

The poem begins with a declaration of the speaker's commitment to rebuilding

their country. The use of the metaphorical language of "building" suggests a
process of construction, and the use of personal sacrifice ("bricks made from my
life") implies that this is a task that will require great effort and dedication.

"I will build columns to support your roof, If need be, with my bones."

The speaker emphasizes their willingness to sacrifice their physical well-being

for the sake of their country. The use of the metaphor of "columns" to support
the roof suggests a metaphorical role in society, and the use of "my bones"
reinforces the idea of personal sacrifice.

"I will inhale again the perfume of flowers Favored by your youth."

This line suggests a desire to return to a time when the country was thriving and
full of life, before the darkness descended. The use of the word "perfume"
suggests a sense of nostalgia and longing for better times.

"I will wash again the blood off your body With torrents of my tears."

This line suggests a desire to wash away the pain and suffering that the country
has experienced. The use of the metaphor of "washing" suggests a desire to
cleanse the country of its wounds, and the use of the word "torrents" implies
that this will require a great deal of emotion and effort.

"Once more, the darkness will leave this house."

This line suggests a desire to return to a time when the country was not
experiencing the pain and suffering that it is currently enduring. The use of the
word "darkness" implies a sense of despair and hopelessness, and the desire to
see it leave suggests a hope for a brighter future.

"I will paint my poems blue with the color of our sky."

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This line suggests a desire to use art and creativity to uplift the country. The use
of the metaphor of "painting" suggests a creative process, and the use of the
color blue implies a sense of hope and optimism.

"The resurrector of old bones will grant me in his bounty a mountains splendor
in his testing grounds."

This line suggests a hope for divine intervention to help rebuild the country. The
use of the metaphor of "old bones" implies a sense of decay and decline, while
the reference to "mountains splendor" suggests a hope for renewal and
regeneration.

"Old I may be, but given the chance, I will learn. I will begin a second youth
alongside my progeny."

This line suggests a hope for personal renewal and growth, even in the face of
old age. The use of the metaphor of a "second youth" suggests a desire to
reinvigorate oneself and be part of a new generation of change.

"I will recite the Hadith of love and country With such fervor as to make each
word bear life."

This line suggests a desire to invoke religious teachings to inspire change. The
use of the word "fervor" implies a sense of passion and intensity, and the
reference to "making each word bear life" suggests a desire to bring these
teachings to life and make them real.

"There still burns a fire in my breast to keep undiminished the warmth of

kinship I feel for my people."

This line suggests a deep sense of love and loyalty towards the country and its
people. The use of the metaphor of a "fire in my breast" suggests a deep passion
and emotion, and the desire to "keep undiminished the warmth of kinship"
implies a desire to maintain this connection in the face of adversity.

"Once more you will grant me strength, though my poems have settled in blood.
Once more I will build you with my life, though it be beyond my means."

In these final lines, the speaker declares their determination to rebuild their
country even if it means sacrificing their own life. The repetition of "Once
more" emphasizes their resilience and their unwavering commitment to their
country, despite the challenges they face. The phrase "settled in blood"

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highlights the sacrifices made by the speaker and their compatriots in the past,
while also suggesting the potential for further bloodshed in the future.

The speaker's willingness to rebuild their country "beyond [their] means"

underscores their selflessness and their dedication to their cause. It also suggests
that the task of rebuilding will not be easy or simple, and that it may require
significant sacrifices from others as well.

Overall, the poem is a powerful tribute to the enduring spirit of the Iranian
people, even in the face of great adversity. Through vivid imagery and stirring
language, the speaker portrays their love for their country and their willingness
to do whatever it takes to rebuild it and make it thrive once again.

The poem "My Country I Build You Again" by Simin Behbahani has an
optimistic tone, but at the same time, it is interspersed with the grim reality of
the poet's country. The poem's optimistic tone reflects the poet's unwavering
hope and love for her country, despite its many challenges and hardships. She
speaks with conviction and determination to rebuild her country, even if it
means sacrificing her own life.

The use of alliteration and vivid imagery in the poem helps to convey the
optimism in the poet's words. For instance, she uses the phrase "bricks made
from my life" to signify her willingness to give everything she has to rebuild her
country. She also talks about inhaling the perfume of flowers, washing the
blood off her country's body with torrents of her tears, and painting her poems
blue with the color of her country's sky, all of which are images that evoke hope
and renewal.

However, despite the optimistic tone of the poem, the grim reality of the poet's
country cannot be ignored. She speaks about the darkness that has enveloped
her country and how she will bring back the light, and she talks about washing
off the blood from her country's body, which is a clear reference to the violence
and turmoil that has engulfed her homeland.

The poet employs this duality of tone to emphasize the need for action and
change in her country. The optimistic tone helps to instill hope and motivate her
people to work towards rebuilding their country, while the grim reality reminds
them of the harsh realities they face and the urgency of the situation. In other
words, the poet uses both tones to convey that hope and action must go hand in
hand if real change is to happen.

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The poet Simin Behbahani uses a variety of stylistic approaches in "My Country
I Build You Again" to create a vivid and powerful image of her commitment to
rebuilding her country. One of the key approaches she uses is descriptive and
picturesque language, which helps to paint a vivid picture of the world she
wants to create. For example, she describes how she will build her country
"with bricks made from my life," and build columns to support the roof "with
my bones." These powerful images evoke a sense of sacrifice and dedication, as
if she is willing to give up everything she has to rebuild her country.

Another key stylistic approach used by Behbahani is the color scheme of her
poem. She describes how she will paint her poems blue with the color of the
sky, which is significant because it represents a sense of hope and optimism.
Blue is often associated with the sky, which is seen as a symbol of freedom,
openness, and infinite possibilities. By using this color, Behbahani is creating a
sense of hope for the future, as if she believes that her country can be rebuilt
and that there is still beauty in the world.

Finally, Behbahani's use of poetic language is also significant. She uses

metaphor and imagery to convey the strength of her commitment to her country,
describing how she will "wash again the blood off your body with torrents of
my tears." This powerful image conveys a sense of grief and pain, but also a
sense of renewal and rebirth. It is as if she is willing to undergo any hardship in
order to rebuild her country and create a better future for her people.

Overall, Behbahani's stylistic approach in "My Country I Build You Again" is

both powerful and effective. By using descriptive and picturesque language, a
bold color scheme, and poetic language, she creates a powerful image of her
commitment to rebuilding her country and creating a better future for her
people.

Simin Behbahani's poem "My Country I Build You Again" employs a range of
stylistic approaches, including:

1. Imagery: The poem is rich in visual and sensory imagery, using concrete
details to create a vivid picture of the speaker's country and her
commitment to rebuilding it. For example, she describes the bricks of her
life and the columns of her bones, the perfume of youth and the torrents
of her tears, and the blue paint of her poems and the splendor of the
mountains.

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 2. Repetition: The poem also employs repetition to create a sense of rhythm
and emphasis. The repeated phrase "If need be" underscores the speaker's
determination to rebuild her country at any cost. The repetition of the
phrase "Once more" suggests a cyclical sense of history and a hope for
renewal.

3. Symbolism: The color blue, which the speaker uses to paint her poems, is
a symbolic representation of the sky and the heavens, which are often
associated with transcendence and spiritual freedom. The mountains, too,
are a powerful symbol of strength and resilience.

4. Allusion: The speaker's reference to the Hadith of love and country is an

allusion to the Islamic tradition, which emphasizes the importance of both
love for one's homeland and love for God.

5. Tone: The poem's tone is a complex mixture of determination, sorrow,

and hope. The speaker acknowledges the dark history of her country and
the sacrifices that have been made, but she also expresses a deep
commitment to rebuilding and a faith in the resilience of her people.

6. Figurative Language: The poem uses a range of figurative language,

including metaphor, simile, and personification. For example, the speaker
compares her life to bricks and her bones to columns, using these
metaphors to convey the strength and durability of her commitment. The
personification of the darkness leaving the house and the resurrector
granting splendor to the mountains both imbue the poem with a sense of
agency and possibility.

Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something as if

it were something else. The poem uses several metaphors to describe the
speaker's commitment to rebuilding her country. For example, the line "If
need be, with bricks made from my life" uses the metaphor of a building
to describe the speaker's dedication to rebuilding her country, even if it
means sacrificing her own life.
Repetition: Repetition is a literary device that involves repeating words or
phrases to create emphasis. The poem uses repetition in several ways,
such as repeating the phrase "Once more" to emphasize the speaker's
determination to rebuild her country, and repeating the word "I" at the
beginning of each line to emphasize the speaker's personal commitment
to this task.
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 Imagery: Imagery is the use of vivid and descriptive language to create
sensory experiences for the reader. The poem uses several types of
imagery, such as visual imagery (e.g. "I will paint my poems blue with
the color of our sky"), olfactory imagery (e.g. "I will inhale again the
perfume of flowers"), and tactile imagery (e.g. "I will wash again the
blood off your body with torrents of my tears"). This imagery helps to
create a vivid and emotional picture of the speaker's commitment to her
country.
Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or
qualities. The poem uses several symbols, such as the color blue, which
represents hope and optimism, and the resurrector of old bones, which
symbolizes the speaker's belief in the power of renewal and rejuvenation.
Personification: Personification is a figure of speech that gives human
qualities to non-human things. The poem personifies darkness as a
physical entity that can leave the speaker's house, which helps to create a
sense of hope and optimism for the future.

Overall, the poem employs a range of stylistic approaches to convey the

speaker's determination to rebuild her country, despite the challenges and
hardships she has faced. The use of repetition, imagery, and metaphor help to
create a vivid and emotional picture of this commitment, while the use of
symbolism and personification add depth and meaning to the poem.

In the poem "My Country I Build You Again," Simin Behbahani uses the
phrase "mountain splendor" to describe a bounty granted by the
"resurrector of old bones" in his testing grounds. The term "mountain
splendor" can be interpreted as a metaphor for strength, beauty, and
resilience, qualities that are often associated with mountains.
Mountains are often seen as symbols of stability, durability, and
grandeur. They are massive natural formations that have stood the test of
time and weathered countless storms, symbolizing the enduring spirit of
humanity. The phrase "mountain splendor" suggests that the bounty
granted by the resurrector of old bones is something that is powerful,
majestic, and enduring, like a mountain.

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 The use of "mountain splendor" in the poem is significant in that it
emphasizes the idea that the speaker's commitment to rebuilding her
country is a long-term and arduous process that requires strength,
resilience, and endurance. The phrase also suggests that the speaker's
commitment is not just for herself, but for the generations to come, as the
bounty granted by the resurrector of old bones is said to be given in his
testing grounds, a place where one is tested and prepared for the future.
Therefore, the "mountain splendor" could represent not only the strength
and endurance needed to rebuild the country but also the hope and
promise of a better future.
In the context of Simin Behbahani's poem "My Country I Build You
Again," the phrase "testing grounds" refers to the challenges and
difficulties that the Iranian people have faced and will continue to face.
The "resurrector of old bones" may refer to a divine being who grants
strength and resilience to the people, or it may simply represent the
strength that people can find within themselves. The phrase "a mountains
splendor in his testing grounds" suggests that the challenges faced by the
Iranian people are formidable, but that they can be overcome through
strength, perseverance, and resilience. The mountains may symbolize the
obstacles that need to be overcome, while the splendor suggests the
beauty and triumph that can be found in overcoming these challenges.
Overall, the phrase "mountains splendor in his testing grounds" represents
the belief that the Iranian people can rise above their difficulties and
create a better future for themselves and their country.
In the context of the poem, the phrase "the resurrector of old bones" is
likely a metaphorical reference to a divine or higher power that has the
ability to revive or bring back to life what has been lost or destroyed. This
power is being invoked by the speaker, who is expressing her
determination to rebuild her country, even if it requires sacrificing her
own life and physical being. The image of the resurrector of old bones
granting the speaker "a mountain's splendor in his testing grounds"
suggests that the rebuilding process may involve overcoming challenges
and undergoing a difficult, transformative process, but that there is the
potential for something beautiful and powerful to emerge from it. Overall,
the phrase emphasizes the speaker's faith in the possibility of restoration
and renewal, even in the face of destruction and loss.

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 The references to the "blue" color of the sky and the "splendor" of the
mountains in Simin Behbahani's poem "My Country I Build You Again"
are symbolic of Iran's natural beauty and majesty. The color blue is often
associated with the sky and represents freedom, openness, and vastness.
In the context of this poem, the blue color of the sky could represent the
limitless potential of the Iranian people and their aspirations for a bright
future.
Similarly, the reference to the "splendor" of the mountains is a metaphor
for the strength and resilience of the Iranian people. The mountains are a
prominent natural feature of Iran and have historically been seen as a
symbol of strength and stability. The use of the phrase "testing grounds"
in reference to the mountains suggests that the Iranian people have faced
many challenges and struggles, but have emerged stronger and more
resilient as a result.
Overall, the references to the blueness of the skies and greenness of the
mountains in this poem evoke a sense of hope and pride in the Iranian
people and their ability to overcome adversity and build a better future.

The poem by Simin Behbahani expresses a deep sense of love and

devotion for her country, Iran, and a desire to rebuild it after difficult
times. In the context of the poem, the references to freedom of spirit,
soul, and the right of the individual may be interpreted as a call for a
society in which people are free to express themselves, to pursue their
dreams, and to live without fear of oppression.
Behbahani's commitment to rebuilding her country with her own life and
bones suggests a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, and her
references to the color blue and the sky may represent a desire for
freedom and the unencumbered ability to soar to new heights. The
greenness of mountains may symbolize the hope for renewed growth and
prosperity.
Overall, the poem can be seen as a passionate call for the rebuilding of
Iran as a society that values individual freedoms and the pursuit of one's
own destiny, while also embracing a sense of national pride and kinship.
In the context of this poem, the phrase "tentative note" likely refers to the
cautious and hesitant way in which women express themselves in a

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 society that may not always value their opinions and voices. It suggests
that women may feel uncertain or hesitant to speak out, but that they still
have a desire to be heard and to contribute to the rebuilding of their
country. The poem acknowledges this struggle and suggests that the
speaker, Simin Behbahani, is willing to use her own voice and resources
to help rebuild Iran, even if it means overcoming obstacles and barriers.
In this way, the poem is a call for women to speak up and play a role in
shaping the future of their country.

The Hadith is a collection of sayings and actions of the Prophet

Muhammad that serve as a source of guidance for Muslims. The Hadith
of love and country is not a specific Hadith, but rather a sentiment
expressed by Simin Behbahani in her poem.
In the context of the poem, the Hadith of love and country refers to a call
for love and devotion to one's homeland. It emphasizes the importance of
loyalty and dedication to one's country, and the idea that this love should
be expressed through action and service to the people and the land.
Behbahani uses the phrase to express her own deep love for Iran and her
desire to rebuild and serve her country despite the sacrifices and
challenges that may come with it. She recites the Hadith with fervor,
highlighting the importance of this sentiment to her and her people.
In this poem, Simin Behbahani expresses her love for her country and her
people. She speaks of her willingness to rebuild her country, even if it
requires sacrificing her life and using her bones and tears as building
materials.

The lines "I will inhale again the perfume of flowers / Favored by your
youth" and "I will begin a second youth alongside my progeny" suggest
her deep attachment to the youth and future generations of her country.
She is willing to learn from them and work alongside them to rebuild and
restore their nation.

Simin Behbahani also expresses her kinship and love for her people,
saying "There still burns a fire in my breast / to keep undiminished the

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 warmth of kinship / I feel for my people." She is committed to using her
voice and her poetry to inspire and unite her fellow citizens.

Overall, the poem speaks to the importance of love for fellow beings, a
sense of connection and responsibility to one's country and people, and
the power of sacrifice and perseverance in the face of darkness and
hardship.
In the context of the poem, "youth" refers to the younger generation of
the nation, who represent its future. By "inhaling the perfume of flowers
favored by your youth," the poet is expressing her desire to reconnect
with the spirit of the younger generation and to draw inspiration from
them.

"Progeny" refers to the poet's own children and descendants, as well as to

the younger generation in general. By saying she will begin a second
youth alongside her progeny, the poet is expressing her willingness to
learn from the younger generation and to work with them to rebuild the
nation. The idea is that the poet is not alone in this endeavor, but is
working together with the younger generation to create a better future for
the country.

"Once more" in this context refers to the idea of rebuilding the country
again, as if it has been done before, but needs to be done again. "Still burns"
refers to the enduring passion and commitment that the poet has for her country
and her people, even though she has experienced great pain and loss.

"Open punctuation" refers to the practice of using minimal punctuation in

writing, with the intention of creating a more fluid and natural reading
experience. In this poem, there are no periods at the end of each line, and some
lines are joined by commas, which allows the poem to be read as a continuous
flow of thought.

"American spelling" refers to the spelling conventions used in American

English, which differ slightly from those used in other varieties of English.

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Some examples of American spelling in this poem include "color" instead of
"colour", and "center" instead of "centre".

 "Once more" refers to the idea that the poet has been through difficult
times in the past, but is now ready to face those challenges again in order
to rebuild her country. It emphasizes the poet's determination and
resilience in the face of adversity.

 "Still burns" refers to the continued passion and commitment that the poet
feels for her country and her people. Despite the challenges and hardships
she has faced, she remains dedicated to the cause of rebuilding and
restoring her nation.

 "Open punctuation" is a style of punctuation in which punctuation marks

are used sparingly or not at all, allowing the reader to interpret the
meaning and flow of the text more freely. This style can create a more
poetic and fluid reading experience, and can also convey a sense of
openness or ambiguity in the meaning of the text.

 "American spelling" refers to the spelling conventions used in American

English, which can differ from the conventions used in other varieties of
English. In the context of the poem, it may simply reflect the poet's
preference or familiarity with this spelling style, or it may be intended to
create a sense of cultural specificity or identity.

The paradox in the line "Once more, the darkness will leave this house" lies in
the fact that darkness is an absence of light, and therefore it cannot physically
leave a house. However, in the context of the poem, darkness represents
oppression, despair, and hopelessness that has taken over the country. By stating
that she will make the darkness leave "once more," the poet is expressing her
determination to bring light and hope back to her country, even if it means
facing challenges and sacrifices once again. The paradox is a literary device
used to emphasize the magnitude of the task and the poet's unwavering
commitment to her cause.

There are a few paradoxes in this poem. One of the most significant paradoxes
is the idea of building a country "again" with the speaker's own life and bones.
This paradox suggests that the speaker is willing to sacrifice everything, even
their own life, to rebuild their country. The paradox arises because building
something again implies that it has already been built before, but in this case,

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the speaker is suggesting that the country needs to be built again from scratch,
using their own life and bones.

Another paradox is the speaker's assertion that they will begin a "second youth"
alongside their progeny. This paradox suggests that the speaker is willing to
defy the natural order of life and death, by suggesting that they can somehow
experience a second youth alongside their own children.

Finally, there is a paradox in the last stanza where the speaker acknowledges
that their poems have "settled in blood," yet they are willing to build their
country "once more" with their life, even though it may be "beyond my means."
This paradox suggests that the speaker is willing to continue creating art, even
in the face of violence and oppression, and that they are willing to risk
everything to rebuild their country.

There are several paradoxes in this poem by Simin Behbahani, including:

1. Building with bricks made from her life: This line suggests that
Behbahani is willing to sacrifice herself to rebuild her country, yet the
idea of using her own life to build something seems paradoxical. How
can she give her life and also build something from it?

2. Inhaling the perfume of flowers favored by youth: This line implies a

sense of nostalgia and longing for a time when the country was more
youthful and innocent. However, the speaker herself is not youthful, so
how can she inhale the perfume of flowers favored by youth?

3. Washing the blood off the body with tears: This paradoxical line suggests
that the speaker is willing to shed her own tears to cleanse her country of
its bloody past. However, tears cannot physically wash away blood, so
the image is both emotional and contradictory.

4. Reciting the Hadith of love and country to make each word bear life: This
line implies that words have the power to bring life to the country, yet
words are intangible and cannot literally bring things to life. The paradox
here is the power of language to evoke emotion and create change.

5. The warmth of kinship she feels for her people: This line suggests a deep
emotional connection to her country and its people, yet she is also willing
to sacrifice herself for them. How can she feel warmth and love for them
while also risking her life for their benefit?

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These paradoxes create a sense of tension and contradiction in the poem,
highlighting the complex emotions and actions involved in rebuilding a country
after a traumatic event.

May 17, 2010 12:00 AM EST

 JIM LEHRER:

Finally tonight: a second Iran story about a renowned poet and her struggle
amid the recent political turmoil in Iran.

Her story is told by a scholar in this country, who translates her work.

FARZANEH MILANI, University of Virginia: My name is Farzaneh Milani. I

teach at the University of Virginia. And I have been there for a quarter-of-a-
century. My area of specialization is women writers in Iran.

I have also had the great and distinct pleasure to be the translator of Simin
Behbahani, Iran's foremost poet alive, with my colleague Kaveh Safa.

Over the last six decades, Behbahani has published 19 books of poems. She is
the most prolific female poet in Iran, a country in which poetry is the national
scripture.

"My country, I will build you again."

This is one of the most anthologized poems of Simin Behbahani.

"My country, I will build you again, if need be, with bricks made from my life. I
will build columns to support your roof, if need be, with my own bones. I will
inhale again the perfume of flower favored by your youth. I will wash again the
blood off your body with torrents of my tears."

Simin Behbahani recognizes the power of words, and she has used them to write
a different kind of history of Iran. I sincerely believe that the history of the last
three decades of Iran, especially after the revolution, can be best studied through
her poetry.

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Because she is not an ideologue, because she doesn't belong to any political
party, because she loves the country she lives in, she has presented an image
that is fair and judicious, that is complicated and multilayered.

These are miniature portrayals of Iranian history, from the street level up. The
Islamic republic confiscated Behbahani's passport on March 8 as she was
leaving Tehran Airport for Paris. She had been invited there to deliver a speech
and read a few of her poems on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Despite her physical fragility and age, she was interrogated all through the night
and told to report to the Revolutionary Court. For now, Behbahani is under
country arrest. She is virtually a prisoner in her own country.

"Once more, the darkness will leave this house. And I will paint my poems blue
with the color of our sky. The resurrector of old bones will grant me in his
bounty a mountain's splendor in his testing grounds. Old, I may be, but, given
the chance, I will learn. I will begin a second youth alongside my progeny. I
will recite the Hadith of love of country with such fervor as to make each word
bear life. There still burns a fire in my breast to keep undiminished the warmth
of kinship. I feel for my people."

Simin Behbahani, neé Siminbar Khalili, also called Simin Khalatbari, (born
July 20, 1927, Tehrān, Iran—died August 19, 2014, Tehrān), Iranian poet who
earned the sobriquet “the lioness of Iran” for eloquently challenging national
authorities and expressing her steadfast opposition to oppression and violence in
more than 600 poems.

Prior to her birth, Khalili’s father, an editor and writer, was temporarily exiled
for works that were perceived as threatening to the government. Her parents
were reunited two years later but ultimately divorced, and Khalili remained with
her mother, a poet who encouraged her to write. She published her first poem at
age 14. Khalili briefly trained as a midwife but was expelled from the program
after being falsely accused of writing a newspaper article that criticized the
school. Her dismissal was likely due to her association with the communist
Tudeh (“Masses”) Party. Khalili married soon thereafter and assumed her
husband’s surname, Behbahani. While raising a family, Behbahani studied law
at the University of Tehrān. Following her divorce from her first husband, she
remarried (1969) and completed her law degree. However, rather than pursuing
a legal career, she found work as an educator, teaching high school for nearly 30
years.
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Britannica Quiz

Literary Favorites: Fact or Fiction?

Behbahani wrote prolifically throughout her life. Her first verse

collection, Setar-e shekasteh (“The Broken Sitar”), was published in 1951. She
was known for repurposing classical Persian poetic forms to explore
contemporary themes, often inverting the traditional ghazal structure by using a
female narrator. That was of particular note, as she began experimenting with
those forms just as blank verse was becoming popular with Iranian poets and
more classical forms were on the wane. Beginning in 1962, she also wrote lyrics
for the national radio station. After the Iranian Revolution (1979) installed an
Islamic regime, she increasingly gave voice to her abhorrence of human
rights violations through her poetry and other writings, thus facing the constant
threat of censorship and arrest.

Among her volumes of poetry were Jay-e pa (1954;

“Footprint”), Chelcheragh (1955; “Chandelier”), Marmar (1961;
“Marble”), Rastakhiz (1971; “Resurrection”), Khati ze sor’at va atash (1980;
“A Line of Speed and Fire”), Dasht-e Arzhan (1983; “The Plain of
Arzan”), Kaghazin jameh (1989; “Paper-Thin Vestment”), Yek daricheh
azadi (1995; “A Window to Freedom”), Kelid-o-khanjar (2000; “Key and
Dagger”), and Tazetarinha (2008; “The Latest”). Selections from many of her
poems were set to music by Iranian vocal artists, and she also wrote lyrics
specifically for them. Among the volumes that included English translations of
her works were A Cup of Sin (1998), Shayad ke-masee hast: guzide-ye
ashar (2004; Maybe It’s the Messiah), and Dobareh misazamet,
vatan (2009; My Country, I Shall Build You Again). She also penned the
memoirs An mard, mard-e hamraham (1990; “That Man, My Companion Along
the Way”) and Ba madaram hamrah: zendeginameh-ye khod-nevesht (2011;
“With My Mother: My Autobiography”).

Though persistently and unflinchingly critical of Iranian national politics,

particularly the country’s treatment of women, Behbahani maintained a love of
its culture and people. Nonetheless, political acts, such as advocating the One
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Million Signatures campaign, a women’s rights initiative in Iran, incensed the
Iranian authorities. In 2006 she was beaten by police while attending
an International Women’s Day rally in Iran. Four years later she was
interrogated in a Tehrān airport and, her passport revoked, prevented from
traveling to an International Women’s Day conference in Paris. Considered a
national treasure by many Iranians and a feminist icon globally, her treatment
sparked an international outcry.

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