On a recent Moment Story, I misattributed a quote to Molana.
When you are coming, the sound of your footsteps comes from all roads
It is not like it's coming from a distant city
But from all of the world
Iran is one of the few countries in the world where a majority of educated people are literate in poetry and culture of that great civilisation. Americans are notoriously ignorant about their culture and history (many people do not even know on whose side Americans fought during the Vietnam war 50 years ago, such short is their memory). I also found Cubans and educated South Americans very literate about their countries and literature, especially poetry. Most educated South and Central Americans can recite Pablo Neruda’s Puedo escribir los versos mas triste este noche.. so can I, because of my travels in their lands. Well rounded people from India like my friends Abid and Brijesh as well as the Syrian Christians of Cochin are great conversationalists and a pleasure to be with .
It was not long before a note arrived from Tehran. The saying you attribute to Molana is actually penned by a popular song writer Ardalan Sarafaz. Then the name Hayede came up, that illustrious Persian who propagated Persian culture in Los Angeles until her untimely death and the song Soghati Souvenir is associated with her even though there are many versions. I was also sent a version by Shakila. And I was so gratified when someone in Tehran sent me a link to the Israeli singer Yasmin Levy singing a version of Soghati . Yasmin Levy sings in the language of the Andalusia before the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 in the vernacular Ladino (Judeo-spanish)
Thank you my well educated Iranian friends from Iran. Come to Australia, Come to USA, Come to Canada, their loss is our gain ..
وقتی ميای صدای پات
When you are coming,The sound of your footsteps comes
از همه جاده ها مياد
From all roads
انگار نه از يه شهر دور
Not from a far city
كه از همه دنيا مياد
From whole world
تا وقتی كه در وا می شه
Until the door opens
لحظه ی ديدن می رسه
The hour of union is struck
هر چی كه جاده ست رو زمين
Every single road on Earth
به سينه ی من می رسه
Reaches through my heart
