OK, I loved the thank you note on the wedding invitation, but not sure I got the meaning.  It says:

هر نفس آواز عشق مى رسد از چپ و راست 
    ما بفلك مى رويم عزم تماشاكراست
ما بفلك بوده ايم يار ملك بوده ايم 
    باز همانجا رويم جمله كه آن شهر ماست

Cool.  I think it sounds like this, with the parts I am not sure of in color:

har nafas AvAze eshq miresad az chap o rAst  
mA be falak miravim azme tamAshAkarAst
mA be falak bude-im yAreh malak* bude-im  
bAz hamAnjA ravim jomleh ke An shahre mAst

*Note I had initially thought this was “molek”, but was corrected in post below.  Apparently Molek isn’t even a word

So I think it means: 

Each breath brings a song of love from the left and right.
We go to our destiny (or the heavens) resolved spectators (OK, I have no idea what azme tamAshAkarAst is)
We were at our destiny (or the heavens), we were (already) the companion of angels,
and we’re going there again because in sum - that’s our hood (well, “city”, but hood is more hip).

OK, whaddaya think?  Am I on the right track?

So, this bit:

ما بفلك بوده ايم يار ملك بوده ايم 
    باز همانجا رويم جمله كه آن شهر ماست

mA be falak bude-im yAreh malak bude-im  
bAz hamAnjA ravim jomleh ke An shahre mAst

has the spirit kind of like: “Been there, done that, and we’re going to do it again.” 

Or maybe it’s about how we came from heaven and angels and we’re going back ultimately, a circle of spirit.

Rezwan - 03 December 2006 02:59 PM

So, this bit:

ما بفلك بوده ايم يار ملك بوده ايم 
    باز همانجا رويم جمله كه آن شهر ماست

mA be falak bude-im yAreh molek bude-im  
bAz hamAnjA ravim jomleh ke An shahre mAst

has the spirit kind of like: “Been there, done that, and we’re going to do it again.” 

Or maybe it’s about how we came from heaven and angels and we’re going back ultimately, a circle of spirit.

ای بابا، خوب شد من از فارسی تو تعريف کردم... ببين تو با حرکات (vowels) تو فارسی مشکل داری

البته frankly اينی که اينجا اشتباه کردی بيشتر عربيه تا فارسی. من پيشنهاد می کنم تو از  َ ِ ُ بيشتر استفاده کنی تا اشتباه کمتر بکنی.

ملک رو چند جور ميشه خوند : مُلک molk به معنی باغ  و بهشت، مَلَک malak به معنی ملائک و فرشتگان، مِلک melk به معنی دارائی property. من فکر می کنم  توی اين شعر با توجه به معنی و وزنِ فَلَک « مَلَک » از همه مناسبتر باشه.

but you pretty much got the meaning right, although the literal meaning would go we were in heavens once and were friends with the angels, so now we go back since that’s our hometown. it’s a sexist statment that underlines how the female (eve) is at fault for everything we’re going through )

اى بابا.يك اشتباه كوچولو تو تلفظ.  جريمش چيزى نيست.  ولى مرسى كه گفتى.
راستى خودت هم اشتباه داريد:  مُلك ميشه كشور، سرزمين.  مَلَكوت ميشه باغ و بهشت.
آره، مجبورم كردى فرهنگ را باز كنم.
معمولاً با يك مطلب تازه، حوصله باز كردن فرهنگ تا حدى دارم - ولى بعد از ٣ كلمه مى پرم به حدس زدن.
And there, I hit my limit.  Had to look up “molk”, then I had to see about how to spell “hoseleh” and “hads”.  Which “s” to use. Now I’m maxed out and wouldn’t want to bother anymore with this pesky language.  o

And that’s the beauty of this forum.  Whatever my limits, your eagle eyes kick in and show me the light!  And it looks like you did that off the top of your head.  Living dictionary.  Keept it up.  Thanks.  o

but you pretty much got the meaning right, although the literal meaning would go we were in heavens once and were friends with the angels, so now we go back since that’s our hometown. it’s a sexist statment that underlines how the female (eve) is at fault for everything we’re going through )

Um, where’s the sexism?  This line doesn’t mention Eve or say what caused the separation.  o
جنسيت گرايى كو؟  هوا را اينجا به نام نمى آورند.  ه

oh come on now rez;

persian poetry is the most concise and succinct form of communication in mankind’s history; you don’t really expect the poet to elaborate on the topic and refer us to the appendices of his ‘divaan’ for further insight into his subtle references now, do you?

1 - the poet is clearly pissed that he’s not in heavens by referring to it as his origin and his destiny but not his current residence.
2 - we all know eve did it, that’s exactly what the poet’s getting at.
3 - the first verse implies the women around the poet and how they’re trying to entrap him by their mundane and earthly love for his body, and in the second verse he’s basically replying that they need not as he’s not interested since he belongs to a better world of heavenly acquaintances.
4 - even if he had said ‘samaavar’ or ‘aab limoo’ or anything else it could still be a sexist statement, basically the persian males have been and still are genetically mediocre and as chauvinist as it gets, one needs not seek evidence for that in everything a persian male utters anyways.

thanks and have a nice day.

Thanks!  I stand corrected.    o
I had no idea Iranian men were genetically mediocre.  This explains so much!  Or that women’s love was mundane and earthly.  Or that this is what Rumi’s poetry is about.  What an education.  o

Wait a minute!  Is this t’Arof?  o
دارى شكسته نفسى مى فرماييد؟  ه

What is “genetically mediocre” in Persian? 
خنگ؟

Rezwan - 28 December 2006 04:05 AM

What is “genetically mediocre” in Persian? 
خنگ؟

عقب افتادهء ژنتيکی.

Shahin - 27 December 2006 04:18 PM

2 - we all know eve did it, that’s exactly what the poet’s getting at.

Dude, you have been so brainwashed by this Judeo-Christian world we’re in.  The Holy Qoran CLEARLY indicates that Adam was the one that was tempted.  Eve just hung out and helped sew their clothes of shame.  A simple glance at Sura 20, verse 120-121 reveals:  o

(120) But Satan whispered evil to HIM:  He said “O Adam!  Shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom That never decays?  (121)  In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them:  they began to sew TOGETHER, for their covering, leaves from the garden.  Thus did Adam disobey his lord and allow himself to be seduced.

Yes, actually, they both sewed.  Another clear message from God that housework is for men, especially considering they were the ones who brought all this mess about.  o

(120) But Satan whispered evil to HIM:  He said “O Adam!  Shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom That never decays?  (121)  In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them:  they began to sew TOGETHER, for their covering, leaves from the garden.  Thus did Adam disobey his lord and allow himself to be seduced.

nice try rez, i’m sure you intentionally left the rest of the sura unquoted :

(122) Once covered, the Lord appeared in a flash of light : “I left upon thee two temptations to avoid : the fruit of the forbidden tree and the soothening voice of the Devil in your head. I shall forgive thee of the former sin if thou never commits the latter again.” (123) Adam never got to answer, for Eve let him ponder not : “I shall always listen to the words of whoever comes in a white satin suit and red suede shoes.” And they were both sentenced to eternal sufferings beneath the heavens.

and that’s why we constantly complain housework is not ours, if it weren’t for Eve we’d never had have to do it in the first place…

I think you got 122 & 123 from the AyehAyeh SheytAn.

Hey Newbies!  AyehAye sheytAn = satanic verses.

آيه هاى شيطان

So…something tells me you own a white satin suit and red suede shoes?  Or can often be seen chatting with someone who does.

My bad.  I meant
آيه هاى شاهين
Shahin’s verses.