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balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully written and translated collection of poems centered on loss and displacement. While you could read "the lover" invoked throughout as an actual person - and may, in some instances, be referencing someone specific - I feel like the poet means to reference country and culture. The speaker has been forcibly removed from his culture and so mourns it like a lost lover.
Read for the 2017 Read Harder challenge.
Read for the 2017 Read Harder challenge.
allieeveryday's review against another edition
I'm not standing in this long line for bread and milk.
I'm standing here to turn over my language.
Everything gets lighter when it crosses the border.
I'm standing here to be translated.
- from section VI, "The Poem"
This was a very difficult collection of poetry for me, so I'm not going to give it a rating, as there are entire pages where I absolutely did not understand what Emadi was trying to say. Though the prose was beautiful when I did understand it! How much more would I have appreciated this if I were better at poetry and metaphor (I went in knowing it was about the author's exile from Iran, and basically nothing else, so the repeated symbols of snow, horses, kisses, and the poem-as-object are largely lost on me).
So look into my eyes
as you pack your bags
and say your goodbyes.
Without regret
you will carry the joy of your last cigarette
until the train starts to leave,
because truth is the child of regret
and I don't want to be your truth.
- from "The moon always shines in vain"
I would recommend it if you enjoy reading poetry! These are a few of the verses that jumped out at me; there was still plenty to like even if the collection as a whole was a little over my head.
On your planet, an apple falls from the tree
and Newton discovers the laws of gravity.
On my planet, the telephone rings.
Newton picks up the receiver,
is hurled into the air,
and gets stuck in the branches of a tree.
I prefer to sit
on the principles of natural philosophy
and bite
floating apples —
which is to say,
I want to weep a little.
- part I, "Laws of Gravity"
I'm standing here to turn over my language.
Everything gets lighter when it crosses the border.
I'm standing here to be translated.
- from section VI, "The Poem"
This was a very difficult collection of poetry for me, so I'm not going to give it a rating, as there are entire pages where I absolutely did not understand what Emadi was trying to say. Though the prose was beautiful when I did understand it! How much more would I have appreciated this if I were better at poetry and metaphor (I went in knowing it was about the author's exile from Iran, and basically nothing else, so the repeated symbols of snow, horses, kisses, and the poem-as-object are largely lost on me).
So look into my eyes
as you pack your bags
and say your goodbyes.
Without regret
you will carry the joy of your last cigarette
until the train starts to leave,
because truth is the child of regret
and I don't want to be your truth.
- from "The moon always shines in vain"
I would recommend it if you enjoy reading poetry! These are a few of the verses that jumped out at me; there was still plenty to like even if the collection as a whole was a little over my head.
On your planet, an apple falls from the tree
and Newton discovers the laws of gravity.
On my planet, the telephone rings.
Newton picks up the receiver,
is hurled into the air,
and gets stuck in the branches of a tree.
I prefer to sit
on the principles of natural philosophy
and bite
floating apples —
which is to say,
I want to weep a little.
- part I, "Laws of Gravity"
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