Publication of the Book 'Mirrors; Contemporary Songwriting in Iran'; A Collection of Ardalan Sarfaraz's Songs in English

A collection of songs by Ardalan Sarfaraz, a renowned Iranian poet and songwriter, has been published in English in Canada. The book 'Mirrors; Contemporary Songwriting in Iran' includes 40 songs by Ardalan Sarfaraz, which were previously performed by prominent singers such as Hayedeh, Googoosh, Ebi, and Dariush, and Iranian art lovers have many memories associated with them. 'My Land', 'Two Windows', 'Escape', and 'Year 2000' are among the songs in this book, translated by Sara Akrami, a writer residing in Toronto. Sara Akrami became acquainted with Ardalan Sarfaraz through Farid Zaland, a musician and composer living in California, and due to her interest in his works, she decided to translate his songs into English. The writer and translator told Voice of America: 'I chose to translate the lyrics of Ardalan Sarfaraz among Iranian songwriters for two reasons; I have a special emotional connection with them. This feeling was shaped from my childhood in Iran through listening to the songs that Master Sarfaraz wrote for Iranian singers.' She further adds: 'The second reason is that at a time when the majority of so-called intellectuals and artists in Iran were producing numerous artistic works praising the regressive 1979 revolution, Ardalan Sarfaraz was one of the few artists who predicted the calamity that has plagued the Iranian nation for 44 years.' Ardalan Sarfaraz welcomed the idea of translating his works and collaborating with Sara Akrami, personally selecting the songs for this collection. Mr. Sarfaraz told Voice of America: 'The selected works in the book Mirrors are songs that I personally connected with more, and both the singer and composer of these works reflected my emotions in a better and more complete way.' Sara Akrami discusses these songs: 'One of the important features of most of these songs is their political-social themes, which were very appealing to me, and for this reason, I feel that the English-speaking audience will connect well with these works of Master Sarfaraz as a poet who cares about his homeland.' One section of the book Mirrors includes an interview with Parviz Sayad, a prominent artist in cinema, theater, and television in Iran. Mr. Sayad explains in this book about the film 'In the Continuation of Night' starring Googoosh and Saeed Kangarani; a successful work he wrote and directed in 1977. 'Healing' performed by Googoosh is one of Ardalan Sarfaraz's songs that was used in this film and gained significant fame. Parviz Sayad elaborates on his reasons for choosing the song Healing for the film and collaborating with Ardalan Sarfaraz. Mr. Sayad states about this poet: 'Ardalan Sarfaraz was the greatest songwriter of his time, and what distinguishes him from other Iranian songwriters is his beautiful poetry and not focusing on the toxic political themes of that era.' Sara Akrami shares her experience of translating these songs into English: 'In the process of translating the songs, I did not face any specific challenges because Ardalan Sarfaraz's songs are not like those of some songwriters of that era whose works are elegies for guerrilla terrorist operations, filled with metaphors and fabricated vocabulary. Ardalan Sarfaraz's songs are smooth, pleasant, and understandable for the listener.' Ardalan Sarfaraz expressed his happiness about the publication of this book, saying: 'I am very happy that an enlightened friend translated the worldview of my poems, thoughts, and feelings into a universal language for those who love poetry and song anywhere in the world, clearly and with attention to the depth of thoughts and emotional weight of the words, and I thank him.' The book 'Mirrors: Contemporary Songwriting in Iran' has been published in 80 pages by Khordmand Publications in Canada, providing an opportunity for English-speaking audiences to become acquainted with the works of one of Iran's prominent songwriters.