Poems and Rhymes
Kabootare Khasteh
(Tired Pigeon)
An ancient Persian “Once Upon a Time” tale
Translated by:  Mahin Motamedi
Daughter of Mohamad-Ali, granddaughter of Ostad Mehdi
Yeki bood yeki nabood, zire gonbade kabood,
zire baroone khoda, rooye shaakheye derakht,
kabootari neshasteh bood, paro baalesh baste bood. Ba nokesh bazi mikard, ba khodash az geryehash naleh mikard.
Migoft khoda, chera adam gham nadare? Mageh dard o ranj nadare? Ma chikar kardeh boodim, ke bayad khasteh bashim, paro bal basteh bashim. 
Ama oon khabar nadasht, ke khisieh balo paresh, mal ashkesh nabood, Abe cheshme ye yare del shekasteh bood.

Once upon a time there was a tired pigeon,
Sitting on a tree branch under a dark dome,
With wings closed up, beak toying around,
The bird spoke with Almighty, missing home.
“Egad!” cried the wet pigeon, “What have we birds done,
To deserve having closed wings, stuck on a tree pad?
And what about humans, don’t they ever hurt?
Don’t people ever feel pain? Don’t they ever feel sad?”
But the poor soaking pigeon was truly unaware,
That the water dripping from its wings, was in most part,
Not rain, nor tears falling down its downcast eyes,
But those shed by a sad lover with a broken heart.
Attal Mattal Tootooleh
An ancient Persian Nursery Rhyme
and Children’s Game
Explained by:  Mahin Motamedi
Daughter of Mohamad-Ali, granddaughter of Ostad Mehdi
Children sit on the ground in a circle with the moderator/parent sitting in the center. They all recite the following nursery rhyme while the moderator touches one of the legs per each word recited. The child whose leg is touched last each time the nursery rhyme ends has to hide that leg. Children then continue to recite anew and the game goes on, children hiding their legs, until the winner is the child whose leg is the last to be touched at the end of the recital. The winner then receives a prize, usually a toy.

Attal Mattal Tootooleh
Gaave Hassan cheh joore
(how is Hassan’s cow)
Nah shir daareh na pestoon
(neither has milk nor breast)
Gaavesho bordand Hendestoon
(They’ve taken his cow to India)
Yek zan-e kordi bestoon
(take a Kurdish wife)
Esmesho bezar Am Ghezzi
(name her Aunt Ghezzi)
Doreh kolaash ghermezi
(Red band around her hat)
Aacheeno Vaacheen, ye paato varcheen.
(Hide one leg)
Persian Poem
By: Persian Poet Sa'adi
Human beings are members of a whole, 
In creation of one essence and soul. 
If one member is afflicted with pain, 
Other members uneasy will remain. 
If you have no sympathy for human pain, 
The name of human you cannot retain.

Persian Poem
By: Persian Poet Khayyam