Your mouth is being sniffed,

Lest you have pronounced: “I Love You”.

Your heart is be sniffed,

Lest there is a fire burning inside.

Such an eccentric era it is, Darling;

and love is being whipped next to the gate

Love should be hidden in closets

Passion should be hidden in closets

Such an eccentric era it is, Darling;

and in this askew dead end of coldness,

the heat of passion should be kept alive by lyrics and poems.

 

Don’t risk thinking

Such an eccentric era it is, Darling;

The one who’s knocking on the door at night,

has come to kill the light.

The light should be hidden in closets.

Your mouth is being sniffed,

Lest you have pronounced: “I Love You”.

Your heart is being sniffed,

Lest there is a fire burning inside.

Such an eccentric era it is, Darling;

The light should be hidden in closets

Love should be hidden in closets

Now, there are slayers waiting on pathways with knives in hand;

Operating smiles on the lips

and lyrics on the mouth

Grilling canaries on the fire of lilies and lilacs

Passion should be hidden in closets.

 

Drunkard devil is celebrating our funeral

God must be hidden in closets

 

By Ahmad Shamlu, translated by me
I dedicated this poem to someone for Xmas 2013