Happy Nawruz! Wishing peace and happiness to AAN readers in 1396

After a long, cold, hard winter, Nawruz is finally here. Spring itself seems a little late this year. By 1 Hamal 1395, the trees were already in full bloom in Kabul. Not this year. Still, we are sure that balmier days will soon be here and, as the gardens awaken, the fragrance of flowers will fill the air. Here at AAN, we would like to wish all our readers and friends a blessed year to come. We’ve found some favourite Nawruz poetry and photos to celebrate.

نداند باغ ویران جز زبان باد نوروزی
به قول او کند ایدون همی آباد ویران‌ها

The ruined garden knows nothing but the language of the Nawruz breeze,
At the behest of that breeze, it will now mend all the ruins

– Naser Khosraw

Afghan kids celebrating Nawruz in Kabul. Photo: Christine Roehrs

نوروز رخت دیدم خوش اشک بباریدم
نوروز و چنین باران باریده مبارک باد

I shed tears of happiness upon seeing the Nawruz of your face,
May Nawruz and such a rain of happy tears be blessed!

– Rumi

راغی پسرلی بیا به وطـــــن ګل و ګلــــــزار شــــي
بیا به په وطن کې د بلبلـــو چــــغـــــهــــار شــــــــي
Spring has arrived and the country will again become colourful with flowers
The nightingales will being to sing their songs all across the country

ډکه به لمنه د صحـــرا لـــــــه زیــــــړو ګلـــــو وي
بیا به شنه شالونه غرو رغو بانـــدې اوار شـــــــي
The yellow flowers will fill the desert margins
Greenery will cast its shawl over all the mountains and hills

کډې به باریږي د اوښانو غــــــرغـــــــړې بــــه وي
رنګ په رنګ ټیکري به بیا ښکاره په دغه لار شي
The Kuchis will begin to move and their camels will make their sounds
This way will again become beautiful with the colors of the beautiful shawls of girls

وايي به شپانه د شوق سندرې بیا د غرو په ســــر
وچ سپیره ډاګونه به رنګین او لاله زار شــــــــي
The shepherds will be singing lovely songs from the hilltops
The dried and dusty deserts will again be colorful and green.
– Gul Pacha Ulfat