Mohsen Namjoo's Tche Bashad (What if)

Here’s yet another translated song of Mohsen Namjoo – this time, it’s Tche Bashad (What if). I’m translating this one because it’s just as beautiful and meaningful as some of his other works I’ve translated, but also because of the music video which is particularly cinematographic too.

Tche Bashad (What if / What would happen) conjures multiple scenarios and situations about existence, all converging on the reality that life is challenging.

Namjoo, as far as I’ve read and know, is agnostic–that is, he neither believes in nor denies the possibility of the existence of God. But from the Sufi tradition–to which traditional Persian poetry (and Namjoo’s music) owes much of its history, inspiration, and terminology–suffering is due to our perceived separation from God.

Just like the Hindu and Buddhist concept of maya illustrates, our consciousness exists within a temporary body whose limited experience of the world results in the illusion of our individuality, or separateness from others. This illusiory sense of separation, if not understood and integrated properly, can lead to experiencing pain–emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.

The song is below, followed by the Farsi lyrics and my translation underneath.

My comments on the meaning of the poem are further below.

Mohsen Namjoo - Tche bashad (What if) English Translation by Vahid Dejwakh	محسن نامجو - چه باشد
This distance and suffering from separation: I accept This distance and suffering from separation: I accept	دوری و رنجِ فاصله زاد اَزْم بَبْر دوری و رنجِ فاصله زاد اَزْم بَبْر
What if death slumbered inside of me What if the upright child born from me Vanished, like I, from this sustaining womb No other temporal love shall sprout, No other temporal love shall blossom	چه باشد اگر مرگ در من بخُسبد چه باشد اگر دستِ من بچّه مثبت نمی بود اگر هستم از بطنِ نصرت دگر عشقِ فانی نروید، نرُستد
What if the universe overflowed with gold at the seams Yet the hounding screams persisted even into our dreams No one understands the dinosaur they've never seen God has descended into the valley of the unknown	چه باشد اگر خَلقِِ دُرّاب چیده چپ و راستْ چپ صِیحه بر خواب دیده نداند کسی دایناسور ندیده خدا توُیِ درّه یْ نِئاندِر بریده
What if death grew inside of me What if no one revealed their secrets to anyone anymore No one would want my poor hand anymore To search for the secrets of the hidden word To search for the secrets of the hidden word	چه باشد اگر مرگ در من بروید دگر هیچ کس رازِ خود بَرنگوید دگر دستِ بیچاره من نخواهد که لیزیِّ سِرِّ مگو را بجوید که لیزیِّ سِرِّ مگو را بجوید
What if my health was not bad And it wasn't good either, and it even wasn't at all In every exhausted crevace, from my head to my toes A hundred sad wind orchestras would not play A hundred sad wind orchestras would not play	چه باشد اگر حالِ من بد نمی بود و خوش هم نمی بود و اصلاً نمی بود به هر یاخته یْ سُستِ سر تا به پایم صد ارکسترِ بادیِ غمگین نمی پود صد ارکسترِ بادیِ غمگین نمی پود
What if death slumbered inside of me What if the upright child born from me Vanished, like I, from this sustaining womb No other temporal love shall sprout, No other temporal love shall blossom	چه باشد اگر مرگ در من بخُسبد چه باشد اگر دستِ من بچّه مثبت نمی بود اگر هستم از بطنِ نصرت دگر عشقِ فانی نروید، نرُستد
What if death grew inside of me What if no one revealed their secrets to anyone anymore No one would want my poor hand anymore To search for the secrets of the hidden word	چه باشد اگر مرگ در من بروید دگر هیچ کس رازِ خود بَرنگوید دگر دستِ بیچارهٔ من نخواهد که لیزیِّ سِرِّ مگو را بجوید
What would happen if the hand of fleeting compassion Carried the weight and burden of one's destiny In a comforting tone heard by the middle ear, The melody sang, "Good news! Mohsen, you won't remain!" The melody sang, "Good news! Mohsen, you won't remain!" This distance and suffering from separation: I accept A broadly burning chest swiftly comes to a halt From the oppresion of the people will be born a savior From the ashes of catastrophe, your greatness will grow That pain of love has been released from you by the Friend That departed Friend will return from His journey--patience! This distance and suffering from separation: I accept	چه می شد اگر دستِ الطافِ فانی به تن بَرکِشاننده بُردِ یمانی به لحنِ خوشایندهِ گوشِ میانی !نوازش زند: مژده! محسن، نمانی !نوازش زند: مژده! محسن، نمانی دوری و رنجِ فاصله زاد اَزْم بَبْر سینه ی فراخ سوختر آید سِتَبْر از جوْرِ خَلق، ذهن بزاید مَجوس در حول و حوشِ فاجعه زایدْت گبْر آن دردِ عشق، کز تو بُرون کرده یار !آن یارِ رفته از سفر آید، صبر دوری و رنجِ فاصله زاد اَزْم بَبْر

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Comments

There is one major theme in this song, with several supporting propositions.

The main idea is that suffering is a necessary price we pay for existence. As I was explaining in the intro above, this suffering we experience is the result of God’s consciousness expressing itself through the limited prism of our body, and thereby perceiving limitations, separation, and death.

There are certainly Christian parallels here too. The line “God has descended into the valley of the unknown” can apply to Christ the Son being incorporated into the world.

The repeated line that starts and ends the song is also, in a way, a summary of the whole poem: “This distance and suffering from separation: I accept.”

Branching off from this main theme are several secondary propositions:

1. Existence is worth more than the price of suffering
2. We are each temporary and limited expressions of God’s love
3. No matter how much wealth we come across, it won’t satiate the pain of separation
4. There are hidden meanings behind superficial things (a very gnostic idea)
5. Our suffering leads to greater transformation

That’s what I got from the song anyway. Please share what you got from it.