August 12, 2020
Dear friends of the Persian garden,
We are delighted to share a poem selected by Marjan and Cyrus Yaraghi, longtime supporters of Mehregan and other Persian events at Untermyer Gardens. It was written in the ninth century by Omar Khayyam in quatrain or ruba'i form, consisting only of four lines. Popular in several cultures, the quatrain is prized for its elegant simplicity. Like the four rivers that flow in a Persian garden, the four lines of this quatrain offer channels for contemplation. The Yaraghis have chosen a ruba'i that encourages readers to immerse themselves in the present.
Dear friends of the Persian garden,
We are delighted to share a poem selected by Marjan and Cyrus Yaraghi, longtime supporters of Mehregan and other Persian events at Untermyer Gardens. It was written in the ninth century by Omar Khayyam in quatrain or ruba'i form, consisting only of four lines. Popular in several cultures, the quatrain is prized for its elegant simplicity. Like the four rivers that flow in a Persian garden, the four lines of this quatrain offer channels for contemplation. The Yaraghis have chosen a ruba'i that encourages readers to immerse themselves in the present.
As fellow poetry lovers you might enjoy this article, which speaks to the abiding love of poetry by the Persian people. Earlier this year at Nowruz, a single person sparked a poetry movement in Teheran by hanging a poetry banner outside an apartment window to share the celebration with neighbors separated by quarantine. In no time at all, the whole neighborhood and then people across the city were hanging poetry from their windows to greet the spring.
So, too, do we gather together virtually to share poems to inspire one another. Please consider sending us a poem that brings you joy or sparks contemplation. While Mehregan will find us separated physically, may it find us united in spirit. Later this year, we will present the poems in a booklet with pictures of Untermyer Gardens to bring us all some Persian cheer for the winter!
So, too, do we gather together virtually to share poems to inspire one another. Please consider sending us a poem that brings you joy or sparks contemplation. While Mehregan will find us separated physically, may it find us united in spirit. Later this year, we will present the poems in a booklet with pictures of Untermyer Gardens to bring us all some Persian cheer for the winter!