Parvin's poem on Ants

I inspected the route of an ant to find its nest.. Its nest was a small hole near the pomegranate tree. Some soft, sieved soil was on the side of its nest. A big stone was on the nest. Probably, it was its roof. I picked up a small branch and stretched it towards the ant, saying: “Little kid, jump on the branch. Jump on the branch to take you to your nest!” I don’t know how it did hear me with its little ears that weren't seen; it jumped on the branch, sat on it and I carried and dropped it in front of its nest and made it enter the nest. I don’t know why it was coming back and didn't want to go inside. I had to force it with the tip of the branch to go inside. It had hardly entered the nest that quickly rushed back. It was no more carrying its seed. Suddenly two ants came out of the nest and attacked my ant. The poor ant was lonely and couldn't fight them and those two bad ants beat bate it badly, leaving a number of wounds on its body. There was another nest nearby. Once again I picked up the ant with the little branch and dropped it near the new nest. As soon as it jumped down the branch it ran into the nest and didn't come out anymore. The ant and its measures surprised me. As if two horns were growing on my head. The ants, just like human beings, don't allow the strangers to enter their homes. Suddenly, I realized that my shadow too was astonished just like myself. It had crossed hands and was thinking. Perhaps it too… suddenly I heard that my shadow whispered:

With lot of efforts I carry a seed to my nest

I fail hundred times though I do my best

I don’t complain of hard work without rest

One cannot live successfully only by taking rest

No other duty for the ants except quest

Ants are alien to indolence, gluttony and rest

Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi