So in honor of the brave women of Iran, I translated one of my favorite poems to English.
This is 'THE BEST' by Nordahl Grieg:
«Death burns like Thor's lightning;
Clearer we see than before
each life in its white pain:
it is the best of us who go.
The strong, the pure of heart
who wanted and dared the most;
calmly they bid us farewell,
as one by one journeyed west.
The living rules this world;
a herd will always remain,
the indispensable clever,
life's second best (wo)men.
The best are murdered in prison,
swept away by bullets and sea.
The best will never be our future.
The best are busy being free.
Thus we honor them, with apathy,
with all the emptiness we know,
but then we betray the best of us,
when we bitterly let them go.
They don't want our sorrow,
but to live with courage and faith.
Only in the hearts of the daring
the blood of the fallen remains.
Is not each one who knew them
richer than the dead ever were –
for (wo)men have had them as friends
and children have had them as parents
They raised the life they left.
In new (wo)men they haunt us again.
On their graves shall be written:
The best will ALWAYS remain.»
🕯️
