Ali Noori

on translating Mohammad Ali Bahmani

“Crossing” is a translation of an untitled ghazal in Persian. The ghazal is a poetic form central to many languages and poetic traditions, including, but not limited to, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, and Arabic, since at least the ninth century. The past few decades have seen a surge in English ghazals. The ghazal is defined by two sets of characteristics. First, the form: the “aa-ba-ca” rhyme scheme is the most recognizable formal feature of the ghazal; there are also rules governing meter. Second, the content: the ghazal tradition comes with a cluster of themes, images, devices, and conventions.

“Crossing” places separation, a typical ghazal theme, in an urban setting. Using a curious combination of contemporary and archaic Persian, it invokes the expected characters of a ghazal, namely the beloved and the lover, through several less-expected juxtapositions, like the “with” and “without” prefixes. It culminates in a moment of self-reflection. Bahmani’s phrasing and style that result in a dense poem, riddled with allusions to elements from the ghazal tradition as well as his playful use of different registers of Persian, are not transportable into English. Nonetheless, this translation has attempted to draw out and highlight dynamic characteristics of the poem — the aforementioned juxtapositions for instance — that do lend themselves to translation into English.