The Death of Nazli was written by Ahmad Shamlou the great Iranian poet in the memory of Vartan Salakhanian. Vartan was a communist who was arrested and tortured to death after the 1953 coup in Iran and his dead body was thrown in Jajrud River. Shamlou replaced the name of Vartan with Nazli (a girl's name) in order to break through the barriers of censorship at the time, yet he has proliferated Vartan to the extent of all freedom fighters.
Vartan Salakhanian
This is a translation of Shamlou's poem:
The Death of Nazli
Nazli!
The spring smiled and the Judas tree has blossomed.
The old Jasmine has bloomed
under the window
at home.
Stop doubting!
Do not ever wrestle with the sinister death!
Being is better than perishing, especially in the spring!
Nazli said nothing!
She clenched teeth with anger on her wounded heart and left proudly.
Nazli! Say something!
The bird of silence has hatched in its nest,
awaiting birth of its chicken:
"a tragic death"!
Nazli did not say a word
Like the sun
She rose gloriously, broke the darkness of the horizon, then drowned in her blood
and left.
Nazli did not say a word
Nazli was a star
Suddenly in this gloomy night, she lit up, leapt,
and left.
Nazli did not say a word
Nazli was a violet
She flowered and shared the good tidings: "The winter has been defeated!"
and
left ...