Kaija Saariaho's Circle Map

KAIJA SAARIAHO “Circle Map”
Poems by Rumi (read by Arshia Cont in Persian for the electronics part)

I. Morning Wind
The morning wind spread its fresh smell.             Sobh ast o sabâ moshk feshân migozarad
We must get up and take that in,                          Daryâb ke az kooye folan migozarad
that wind that lets us live.                                     Barkhiz—ché khosbi? ke jahân migozarad
Breathe, before it’s gone.                                     Booyi besetân ke kârevân migozarad

II. Walls closing
Seeing you heals me.                                          Déltangano didaré to darmâne manast
Not seeing you, I feel the walls closing.              birange rokhat, zamâné zendâne manast
I would not wish for anyone else                         bar hich déli mabâd o bar hich tani
such absence.                                                     ânche az ghame héjrâne to bar jâne manast

III. Circles
Walk to the well.                                                 Dar noh ghadami ke cheshmé heyvânast
Turn as the earth and the moon turn,                 migard cho charkh tâ gérânast
circling what they love.                                       jânist tora bégard hazrat gardân
Whatever circles comes from the center.           in jâne gardân ze gardéshé ân jânast

IV. Days are Sieves
Days are sieves to filter spirit,                             In rouzé cho gharbâl be beyzan jân râ
reveal impurities, and too,                                  Peydâ ârad ghorâzeye penhân râ
show the light of some who throw                      jâni ke konad khiré mahé tâbân râ
their own shining into the universe.                    bi pardé shavad, noor dahad keyvân râ

V. Dialogue
I am so small I can barely be seen.                   Goftam ke ze khordi délé man nist padid
How can this great love be inside me?              Ghamhâye bozorgé to dar oo chon gonjid
Look at your eyes. They are small,                   Goftâ ké zé del bédidé bâyad négarid
but they see enormous things.                          Khord ast o dar oo boroghâ bet-vân did

IV. Day and Night, Music
All day and night, music,                                   Âvâzé torâ tab’é délé mâ bâdâ
a quiet, bright                                                    Andar shab-o-rouz shâdo gouyâ bâdâ
reedsong. If it                                                    âvâze khaste-ye to gar khaste shavad
fades, we fade.                                                 khaste chavim âvâzé to chon nâye shékar-khâ bâdâ


Translations from Unseen Rain: Quatrains of Rumi, by John Moyne and Coleman Barks
Threshold Books, Putney, Vermont 1986