Reflections, essays, and translations from the world of Persian literature.

By Ali Hammoud

The Lost Joseph of Minab

A poem tracing the scent of Makan Nasiri.
Jun 16•Ali Hammoud

Oh, The Journeys We Have Traversed

How a song captures the soul of Iran and can heal a divided nation.
Apr 28•Ali Hammoud

The Perfumed Corpses

The Persian war poem that dispels the possibility of defeat.
Apr 18•Ali Hammoud

The Poet and The Ayatollah

Two legends, a dream, and a poem.
Feb 11•Ali Hammoud

I Left My Son For The Sake Of God

Well, not me. But Ibrahim of Balkh did.
Aug 26, 2025•Ali Hammoud

To Find Sermons In Stones

Nature as the site of worship in the poetry of Sohrab Sepehri.
Aug 6, 2025•Ali Hammoud

Ghurbat

The price you pay for living in the diaspora.
Jul 3, 2025•Ali Hammoud

The Most Beautiful Poem In The World Falls Quiet

The poetry of Parnia Abbasi, a young Iranian woman murdered by the IDF.
Jun 16, 2025•Ali Hammoud

The Half-Dead Muslim

My first ever Persian translation from back in 2020.
May 17, 2025•Ali Hammoud

To Die Of Love, Is To Live In It

The lovers of East and West unite.
Apr 22, 2025•Ali Hammoud

A Perfume Without Aroma

The confessional ode of Nasir-i Khusraw.
Apr 1, 2025•Ali Hammoud