Ahmad Shamlou: On The Frost Inside Tremor in the hands, The heart tumbling down, in doubt: If Loveis not

to be the flight, then, can it be the shelter? If Loveis not to be the flightthen, can it be the escape? Alas! The visage of Love, The blue visage of Love, is invisible in this night. Tremor in the hands, The heart tumbling down, in doubt: If Love, is not to ignite the lightin the bitter, obscure inside, then, can it be a quenching reliefto a burning, flaming sore? Alas! The visage of Love, The ruby visage of Love, is invisible in this night. **&** For, A thick dust of comfortafter the raid of doubts... A concealing but boundless spaceto set on the loosethe trail of thoughts... A darkened spotover the pale surface of calm. And, an evergreen leafto adorn the heap of lilacs... But, Alas! The face of Love,

The familiar face of Loveis long, so long, lost in this endless night. Translation: Maryam Dilmaghani, April 2011, Halifax This poem (Bar Sarma-ye Daroun) was first published in the anthology Abraham in Fire (1973, Tehran). Artwork: Afshin Naghouni: https://www.facebook/naghouni .