On the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Omid Kokabee sent his family a poem he wrote in jail. We are posting it here with the family’s permission. Kokabee, a graduate student at Texas University/Austin, is in Evin prison since 2011 for allegedly “communicating with an enemy government” and “illegal earnings.” CCS and many others protested his conviction as lacking due process. In his poem, Kokabee assures his parents of his determination to persevere in the righteous path they taught him and to learn from each experience no matter how painful.
از روزگار
1
مادر عزیزم، پدر بزرگوارمهرگز اشک نریزید
از روی ناراحتیی که به خاطر من به سراغتان آمده
اما اگر دل نگذاشت، هر چقدر خواستید اشک بریزید
آن هم از روی شادی و افتخار
2
اگر در تخاصم با آرزوها و راهی که در پیش گرفته اممرا به ناحق به اینجا افکنده اند
هرگز از راه روشنی که در پیش گرفته ام باز نخواهم گشت
فرزندتان که حلال زاده شده و حلال بزرگ شده
عمرش را با غرور و قدرتی که از شما گرفته خواهد زیست
3
چه کسی میدانست، چه کسی تصورش را می کردکه این چنین در چنین جایی به ناحق گرفتار شوم
به هر جایی که بیافکنندم، نه تنها صبر و استقامت خواهم داشت بلکه بسیار فراتر
هیچوقت دست نخواهم کشید
از بناکردن آینده با یاری دستانم
4
اینجایی که آمده ام زندان نیست،بلکه مکتب استجایی که آمده ام بهشت است
جای شهیدان و جوانانی است که
در راه آزادی و شادمانی جنگیده اند
مکتب ما پر است، پر است از استاد و شاگرد
5
مادر عزیزتر از جانم دلت قرص و محکم باشد، پدر بزرگوارم شاد و خرم باچرا که من اینجا مسافری بیش نیستم
خداوند خودش مرا به این مکانی که باید می آمدم آورده
شاید آمدن من به اینجا حکمتی داشته باشد
.صبور باش که در آینده، آن را در کنارهم و باهم از روزگار خواهیم پرسید
Farsi/Latin
1
Eziz Enem, beýik AtamAglamagyl hiç haçan
Meniň üçin gynançdan
Ýürek ýöne goýmasa, aglagaňyz her näçe
Siz begençden, buýsançdan
2
Öz duýgymyň, öz ýolymyň garşynaAtsalarda nahak meni bu jaýa
Hiç gaýtmaryn gön nurana ýolymdan
Halal dogon, halal ösen ogluňuz
Ýaşar ömrin, sizden alan guwançdan
3
Kim bilerdi, kim görerdi hiç zamanŞeýle nahak şeýle ýerde ýatjagim
Her ýerede atsala, önmekdende kän öte
El çekmerin hiç mahal
Gelejegmi ellerimle gurmakdan
4
Turme dälde mekdepdir, meniň düşen mekanimGelen jaýim jennet dir
Erkinligiň şatlygyň
Ýolyndaky şehitleň, ugrundäki ýigitleň
Dolydyr biz mekdepmiz ussatlardan şägirtden
5
Arkaýyn bol jan Enem, serhoş gez sen han AtamÝolji dir men bu ýerde
Taňry meni atybdyr, bu gelmeli ýurte
Belki bardyr hesaby bu ýere meniň gelmegim
Sorars oni bileje, gelejekde zamandan
Turkmen
1
My dear Mom, my great dadPlease never weep
In sorrow for me
But if your hearts don’t stop pushing you
Weep only in happiness and for honor
2
If against my desires and my own pathThey keep me here unjustly
I’ll never ever give up my right and bright course
Your son who was born and has grown up righteously
Will live his life with the pride and strength he got from you
3
Who ever knew, who ever imaginedThat I would be kept in unjustly here this way
Wherever they keep me in, even much more than being strong and patient
I will never give up
Building up my future with my bare hands
4
It is not a prison where I’m being kept in, it is a schoolIt is a paradise where I have come
Is a home of martyrs and young people
Who have fought for freedom and happinessOur school is full, full of masters and students
5
Don’t worry my beloved Mom, live happy and be proud my DadI am just a passenger here
God has brought me here where I must have come
Maybe there is philosophy behind it
In the future, we will ask it together from the “fortune”.
How You Can Help
Please add your signature to the Joint Petition for the Release of Omid Kokabee at freeomid.org