Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sherveen haajipuur (1996-living), iranian song-writer singer who composed this protest song in support of liberation movement underway in iran. The song has become the unofficial anthem of street protests. The writer is in prison (perhaps out on bail) as of this posting. The thread of the song might appear disjointed because it is reporter that the song-writer took tweets from protestors that started with the word – baraa’e – and strung them together into a song.
1
khuli hava meN tujhe raqs¹ ki mohlat² ke liye
be-Khauf³ o Khatar⁴ pyaar o mohabbat ke liye
meri bahan ke liye, teri bahan ke liye, sub hi bahnoN ke liye
farsooda⁵ dimaaGhoN ke badalne ke liye    1.dance 2.time, permission, freedom 3.without fear 4.danger 5.wilted, rotted
To be free to dance out in the open
To love and kiss without fear or danger
For my sister, your sister, for all sisters
To change these rotten minds
2
ye sharmnaak¹ Ghariibi ke miTaane ke liye
madaaKhalat² se bari³ m’aamool⁴ ki hasrat⁵ ke liye
raddi⁶ chunte⁷ hue bachchoN ke bhi KhwaaboN ke liye
ye be-rabt⁸ haakemaana⁹ ma’eeshat¹⁰ ke raab’te¹¹ ke liye   1.shameful 2.interference 3.free of 4.normalcy 5.longing 6.trash 7.picking, sorting 8.uncordinated, unplanned, arbitrary 9.command 10.economy 11.coherence
To erase this shameful poverty
For the longing for a normal life without interference
For the dreams of ragpicking children
For some coherence to replace this arbitrary command economy
3
zahr-aalooda¹ havaaoN ki safaaii ke liye
vali-asr² ke ye pazshmurda³ daraKhtoN⁴ ke liye
piirooz⁵ ki fanaa⁶ ke andeshe⁷ ke liye
be-zabaan⁸ kuttoN ke Khaateme⁹ ke liye   1.poison laden, polluted 2.main boulevard – vali-asr 3.wilted 4.trees 5.endangered cheetah 6.annihilation, extinction 7.fear 8.helpless 9.finish off, kill (killed off in an animal shelter)
To clear up this polluted air
For the wilted trees on vali-asr boulevard
For fear of extinction of the piirooz
For the extermination of helpless dogs
4
mustaqil¹ ranj² meN rone ke liye
zulm³ ke har lahza⁴ ubharte⁵ hue manzar⁶ ke liye
phir bhi in muskuraate hue chehroN⁷ ke liye
ilm⁸ o Khirad⁹ ke taaliboN¹⁰ ke liye, un ke mustaqbil¹¹ ke liye    1.constant 2.sorrow 3.oppression 4.moment 5.emerging 6.scene 7.faces 8.knowledge 9.wisdom 10.seekers 11.future
For the constant sorrow that makes us cry
For this image of oppression that raises its head every moment
For all these smiling faces in the face of oppression
For the seekers of knowledge and wisdom and their future
5
maKhsoos¹ ek behisht² ki jabran³ qubooliyat⁴ ke liye
qaid⁵-e zindaaN⁶ ke daanishvaroN⁷ ke liye
afGhaan mohajeroN⁸ ke liye, un ke bachchoN ke liye
in hi aqvaal⁹ aur jo kahe na gaye un ke liye   1.special 2.heaven 3.forced 4.acceptance 5.improsoned 6.prison 7.learned, wise 8.refugees 9.sayings, declarations
For the special idea of heaven forced upon us
For the learned and wise who have put in prison
For the afGhan refugees and their children
For all that we have said and that which we have not yet
6
tumhaare sub na-mo’tabar¹ vaadoN² ke liye
ye sar pe TooTti, girti imaaratoN³ ke liye
bas ek jazba⁴-e sukooN⁵ ke liye
ab is taveel⁶ raat ki raushan⁷ sahr⁸ ke liye   1.unreliable 2.promises 3.buildings 4.feeling 5.tranquility, peace 6.long 7.bright 8.dawn
For all your unreliable, broken promises
For all these buildings that crumble and fall on our heads
For that one feeling of peace and tranquility
For the bright dawn of this long night
7
be-KhwaabiyoN¹ ki dard-e aa’saab² ki dava ke liye
insaaniyat³ ke liye, vatan⁴ ki aa’fiyat⁵ ke liye
sinf⁶ ki qaid⁷ meN pareshaan⁸ laRkiyoN ke liye
baraa’e⁹ zan¹⁰, baraa’e zindagi aur aazaadi ke liye   1.lack of sleep 2.nerves 3.humanity 4.home 5.safety, well-being 6.gender 7.prison, grip 8.confused, worried 9.for the sake of, because of
For all the pills taken for sleeplessness and nerves
For humanity, for the well-being of the homeland
For all the girls confused by the identity of their gender
For women, for life and for freedom
8
baraa’e aazaadi, baraa’e aazaadi, aur aazaadi ke liye   For freedom, for freedom, for freedom