Elahe Eizadi
on translating Amir Houshang Ebtehaj
My translation of Ebtehaj’s "The Arghavan Tree" reflects my engagement with bringing modern Iranian literary voices to English-speaking readers.
about the author
Amir Houshang Ebtehaj, widely known by his pen name H. E. Sayeh (“Shadow”), was a contemporary Persian poet whose poems capture a spirit of nostalgia and longing, and often express subtle protest after the Iranian Revolution. Ebtehaj was imprisoned for several months during political crackdowns, and “The Arghavan Tree” was written during imprisonment. Although not formally exiled, increasing cultural and political restrictions led him to leave Iran in 1987, and he never returned. He passed away in 2022, leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary Persian literature.
about the translator
Elahe Eizadi is an Iranian master’s student in English and Anglo-American Studies at La Sapienza University in Rome, with a particular focus on literature and translation.
