#mahsati

[creatediana]

Ruba'i by the Sufi poet Mahsati (1098–1185), translated by Paul Smith

After nearly 900 years, Mahsati is highly respected for her courageous poetry that condemned religious fanaticism and prejudices, hypocrisy and dogmas. In the city of Ganjeh in Azerbaijan, a street and a school, an academic institution, a museum and others have been named after her.

[hhoneyglasss]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰

☼ 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂 ☼

LMAOAOAOA it's been like. nearly a month since the last chapter. mY BADDDD

also i got to use one of my favorite words in this one—reconnaissance. it's a good day y'all

꩜ 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 ꩜

2.2k

꩜ 𝚊𝚘𝟹 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚔 ꩜

linky

꩜ 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 ꩜

existential terror & dread, incoming/looming threat that poses extreme danger to characters.

꩜ 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 ꩜

linky

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘳 𝘷 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 !!! 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 !!!

When I woke up the following morning, too much light poured in from the entrance of the den. I sat up in a huff, worried that I’d be late for training when my mother stepped in front of me. 

“Training is canceled today, Tarak,” she said, “I let you sleep in. You seemed like you needed it.” 

“What?” I asked, my breathing heavy from my wave of panic, “Training? Canceled? Why?” 

“I’m not sure. Your father and the other Ruling House members didn’t specify.” 

I looked behind her at her and my father’s shared nest. His side looked untouched. 

“Did he come home last night?” 

She looked away. “No.” 

I didn’t respond and turned towards the exit of the den. “I’m going to find Juno. Maybe she knows more.” 

“Alright,” she said, “Be careful.” 

I ran out of the den but stopped when I didn’t feel the warmth of sunlight through my fur. I looked up at the sky–it was completely overcast, not a single shred of blue visible through the thick sheet of clouds blocking the Sun. Everything was smothered in a pale, gray overtone, and the warm breeze that blew by was heavy, feverish. The air was thick and humid, making it difficult to breathe as I walked through the plaza. 

It was never overcast. 

For as long as I’d been alive, never once had I looked up in the sky and not been able to see the Sun. Even a mere cloud was rare, but overcast? Unheard of. 

I walked slowly, made nervous by the silence that passed through the plaza. Gone were the playful yips of pups and barks of strict guards—instead, all that was left was the wind. Suffocating wind. 

I caught the scent of another wolf from my right and turned to see them leaving the Ruling House den. It was my father’s second-in-command, or Kahn’sôja, Sabik. She appeared to be heading towards the exit from the plaza, her gait quick, yet steady. 

But when I trotted after her and called out to her, she didn’t respond. She kept walking, head straightened forward, focused on whatever path she was following. 

Strange, I thought and followed after her when she disappeared behind the outline of another den. 

While tracking her scent, I felt the unease trickle into my core. What could be wrong? I thought, trying to think of the possibilities, Daemons and demons haven’t been a problem, nor have sunbound vampires… What could have the Ruling House so distressed that we can’t even talk to them? Who could it be? 

My thoughts were interrupted when I picked up the scent of other wolves mixing with Sabik’s. Ahead, I saw she was now speaking to two new wolves—one of them was Mahsati, another Ruling House member, and the other was… 

Juno. 

Her voice was muffled and echoey from afar, but I could hear the anger in it. She stomped her paw against the ground when she finished, looking between them both, her eyes searching for answers. 

I trotted closer to hear Mahsati’s response. “This matter doesn’t concern you, Juno. If I had answers you should be aware of, I would provide them.” 

“No, it does concern me and you do have answers,” she said, her voice laced with a growl, “When I first came over here, you wouldn’t even talk to me. You ignored me, ignored my questions, ignored my request for answers! We deserve answers, Mahsati-kahn!” 

Sabik spoke next and I saw her, Mahsati, and Juno’s ears twitch. They knew I was here. 

She said to Juno, “Go back to your family’s den. The matters being discussed here do not pertain to you or any other wolf not a member of the Ruling House.” 

Juno looked around them to see me and jerked her head in my direction. “Fine! If they don’t pertain to me, some ‘random’ wolf, then maybe they’ll pertain to the Kahn’méja’s child.” 

I walked to stand next to her—Sabik glared down at me. “I thought ignoring you was enough of a hint, Tarak-mé, but it appears not.”

I lifted my head to look at her. “My apologies, Sabik-sôja, but what do you expect me to do when the Ruling House mysteriously cancels training? Then, you and Mahsati-kahn refuse to answer Juno and me? None of it makes any sense and no one is offering an explanation.” 

I looked up. “Have you seen the sky today? It’s gray, Sabik-sôja. The Sun’s blocked from any wolf’s view—it’s frightening. Fear is in the air. You can smell it. 

“All we want is an explanation. We’re afraid—everybody’s afraid.” 

Both Mahsati and Sabik took a deep breath, glanced at one another, then looked back at us. Sabik spoke first. 

“The Kahn’méja is supposed to make a formal announcement tonight at dusk. He, along with all Ruling House members, will explain what’s happening.” 

Her gaze was softer when she asked, “Does that help you both at all?” 

I nodded. Juno thanked her. 

Mahsati said, his voice less stern and scathing now, “Let the other wolves know and spread the word–we want to make sure every wolf is there to listen.”

“We will,” I promised, “Thank you again, Sabik-sôja. Mahsati-kahn.” 

Juno and I bowed before leaving to return to the village plaza. I could feel the waves of dread emanating from her core, albeit less intense than they were before. 

She didn’t look at me when she broke the silence. “I hope everything’s gonna be okay, Tarak. This has all got me really freaked out.” 

“I get it,” I replied, “It’ll be fine, though. Especially after my father talks tonight, I’m sure it’s not a big deal.” 

I barely believed my own words—Juno could tell. “I don’t know,” she murmured as she looked up at the sky, “We can’t even see the Sun.” 

She looked back down, her head hanging low. “We can always see the Sun.” 

I saw that her right paw began to tremble while we were walking—something she always did when she was nervous. I laid my tail over it. “Maybe it’s just having an off day,” I joked and lightly bumped her side. 

Her quiet laughter echoed in my head, but the amused sparkle didn’t glint in her eyes like it usually did. I pulled her closer with my tail and brushed my fur against hers. 

She leaned into me. “The warmth coming from you might just rival the Sun. Are you coming down with something or what?” 

I chuckled. “Maybe that’s why it didn’t want to come out today. I’ve got it beat.” 

“Next thing I know, we’ll toss you in the sky and swear the actual Sun’s shining,” she quipped, her tail wrapping around mine, “Try not to blind me, okay?” 

“I will,” I said, my head nudging hers, “Promise.” 

~ 

The hours of the overcast day seemed to drag on into oblivion before dusk finally reached us. Juno and I’s paws were tired from visiting each den in the village and letting them know about tonight’s meeting, and the insistence for more answers had our heads aching. 

We both bet that this was how Mahsati and Sabik felt when we wouldn’t leave them alone—we swore to apologize to them later. 

All of the wolves had gathered in the center of the plaza, anxious whispers caught in the wind. Juno and I were standing with Marici while my mother and hers, Aruna, were talking, Anatoly huddling under my mother’s legs. 

Juno’s right paw had begun to quiver again, a nervous fervor that tap-tap-tapped against the ground. I laid my paw on top of it–it slowed until it finally stopped. 

She turned to look up at Marici. “Were you able to find out anything from the other trainers?” 

“No,” she answered, “They’re keeping this all under wraps, Ju, but Rasalhague-méja will be out soon. I’m sure everything’s alright.” 

“Yes,” I agreed, “Maybe it’s just a Ruling House matter they couldn’t talk about until now, like some new treaty that’s been passed with the vampires, daemons, or demons. It’s happened before.” 

Juno met neither of our eyes. “I hope you guys are right.” 

Before either of us could respond, the powerful footsteps of the Ruling House pounded against the ground. Juno flicked my tail as she walked away with Marici towards her family, who were under the House of Pisces. I followed my mother and brother to the opposite side of the clearing where my father was talking. A few of our distant relatives joined us. 

Sabik called for silence before my father began. “Wolves,” he started, “I and the rest of the Ruling House thank you for your continued patience throughout this uneasy day. We apologize for the distress we have caused you, and all will be explained in due time.” 

He paused when irritated growls vibrated from the crowd. “Order, please. … Thank you. … The Ruling House and I have called you here to inform you of a disturbance detected near the far-Southern border before dawn this morning. Training was canceled to ensure no trainers or their wolves traveled farther than the South wall before our guards identified the cause of the disturbance. 

“We have identified the disturbance as Shades.” 

The reveal caused howls to erupt from all Houses, frightened cries from young wolves sounding as they hid behind their parents. Numerous Ruling House members had to call for silence before my father could be heard over the noise again. 

Shades? I thought, perplexed, The trainers always made it sound like they were a creation of legend, a myth–the vengeful dead crawling their way back to life just to take it from others? It sounds like something out of a nightmare. 

I turned to my left and made eye contact with Juno. 

Her right paw was barely touching the ground with how fast it was shaking. 

My father continued. “Five Shades were detected at the Southern border, and the Ruling House has concluded that they traveled from a Northeast direction according to their scent trails. The five spotted were slain and their remains were properly disposed of—however, we remain unsure if this is simply a single occurrence or now a consistent threat. 

“Strongholds have been built over the past day on both the Southern border and South wall to ensure maximum security and we require that all wolves do not, by any means, leave their dens through the night unless it is an emergency. This is a safety precaution while we continue to investigate this matter. Training will also be canceled indefinitely.” 

He took a deep breath. “Are there any questions?” 

I winced when every wolf seemed to shout at him, the sound making my head split. My ears flattened against my skull and I cowered, my eyes narrowed as I glanced up at my father. He remained calm as he requested for one wolf from the House of Aries, to ask their question. 

“How do you expect us to be able to sleep tonight when you and the Ruling House have barely figured out the problem? My family is scared, Rasalhague-méja, they’re terrified!” The wolf cried. 

“I promise you that we’re doing everything we can and the problem will be solved as soon as possible. You and your family will be safe, the Ruling House and I will make sure of it,” my father replied. 

The wolf didn’t seem satisfied with his response as he stalked away. 

Another wolf howled over the others, “Simple strongholds will do nothing to keep Shades from attacking us! You might as well give them directions straight to the plaza!” 

My father called for Mahsati to respond to the wolf’s statement. “My guards and I have placed illusionary scent trails to lead any possible Shades away from the village. A second battalion of guards will be dispatched later this evening to refresh the trails and strongholds throughout the night.” 

The same wolf howled with frustration before disappearing into the crowd. 

Dozens more questions were thrown onto the Ruling House—by the end of it, the entire meeting was reduced to chasing tails in circles over and over again. 

The Ruling House finally ended the meeting with another promise that we would all remain safe and an order to retreat to our dens for the night. The reconnaissance battalion assigned to the Southern border led by Mahsati left as well. 

Before my mother dragged me and Anatoly back to our den, I ran over to Juno. 

“I’m going to see you tomorrow, okay?” I said, my eyes meeting hers, “We’ll go to the lake we visited yesterday, and maybe we can swim if the Sun isn’t too scared of me again.” 

I felt the amusement illuminate her core—I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay,” she said, “Try to give it a break, will you? I would actually like to see it tomorrow.” 

“I will, I swear,” I promised and brushed my head against hers, “Sleep well. Good night, Juno.” 

I didn’t head back to my den until I watched her disappear into hers. “‘Night, Tarak! I’ll see you and the Sun tomorrow.” 

I felt a chuckle within me, but it disappeared when I looked up at the sky–not a single star was visible beside the cold, unforgiving blanket of gray hanging above me.

[jadeyd]

Looks like I was overthinking about overthinking…got me to looking into what other had to say about it…

"Overthinking is the art of creating problems that weren't even there." - David Sikhosana

"Overthinking is the biggest cause of our unhappiness." - Steve Maraboli

"Overthinking is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere." - Ernie Zelinski

"Overthinking is the thief of time." - Charles Dickens

"Overthinking will not empower you over things that are beyond your control. So, let it be if it is meant to be and cherish the moments you have." - Mahsati A.

"Overthinking is a dream killer." - Richard Carlson

"The more you overthink the less you will understand." - Habeeb Akande

"Overthinking ruins you. Ruins the situation, twists things around, makes you worry, and just makes everything much worse than it actually is." - Unknown

"Overthinking is a parasite that feeds on logic and breeds fear." - Jenim Dibie

"Overthinking is a monster that can devour your soul." - Nikki Rowe

"Don't ruin a new day by thinking about yesterday. Let it go." - Unknown

"Overthinking is like trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The answer's always wrong, but it keeps your mind occupied." - Unknown

"Overthinking is the biggest cause of our unhappiness." - Unknown

"Thinking too much leads to paralysis by analysis. It's important to think things through, but many use thinking as a means of avoiding action." - Robert Herjavec

"Overthinking is a sign of fear. Trust the process." - Dianna Agron

"You can't control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen." - Kody Keplinger

"Overthinking will keep you busy, not productive." - Unknown

"Overthinking is the art of creating problems that don't even exist." - Unknown

"Overthinking is the enemy of progress." - Terry David Church

"Stop overthinking. You can't control everything, just let it be." - Unknown

Remember, it's natural to think and analyze, but excessive overthinking can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Sometimes, it's essential to trust your instincts and let go of things beyond your control. Focus on the present and take small steps towards resolving your concerns

[ligiarlana]

//NEW POST//

#CREDITS MELODY//

MELODY MAHSATI  EXCLUSIVE BEAUTY EVENT

HUD 60 COLORS-40 HODDIE-20 LEGGINS SIZES:MAITREYA-LEGACY-REBORN-BELLEZA GEN X CLASSIC AND CURVY 

EVENT: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Good%20Girls/46/212/22

STORE: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sky%20Castle/185/62/22

                                    *********************************

#CREDITS H2//

//      H2 - Animesh Snowman - Righ and Lefth Hand (pose bento)     //

Animesh Snowman - Righ and Lefth Hand (pose bento) AO Compatible + [REZZ] Animesh Snowman 

MKP: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/H2-Animesh-Snowman-Righ-and-Lefth-Hand-pose-bento/24320240

[bombonvermilion]

#Credits #Melody #FAGA #BeautyEvent #TresChicEvent

☪ ♥MELODY MAHSATI EXCLUSIVE BEAUTY EVENT 

HUD 60 COLORS-40 HODDIE-20 LEGGINS SIZES:MAITREYA-LEGACY-REBORN-BELLEZA GEN X CLASSIC AND CURVY☪ ♥

FAGA - Elsa Hairstyle - [PRO PACK] New in @TRES CHIC EVENT 

Pose and accesorie for him (car included). .:Tribal Tuesday:. Just Chillin' This Pose is now available in Store  and Marketplace 

...:::Beautiful Dirty Rich:::... When I Cared (Sneakers)

♥Piercing: PUNCH / Devil {wear to unpack} (unpacked) ~~Ysoral~~.:Luxe Piercing collarbone Alexia.(Legacy) ~~ Ysoral ~~.:Luxe Piercing Anita:.(Legacy) PUNCH / Spiked Nose Stud {wear to unpack} (unpacked) 03~~ Ysoral ~~.:Luxe Cleavage Piercing Laureen:.(Legacy)

♥Skin: ♥TRES BEAU - Lelutka EvoX - Melissa Skin (2.7) ♥VELOUR: The "Ipanema Body" for Legacy (CHOCOLATE)

♥Shape: ::Midori's Store:: Zuri Shape (Lelutka Briannon 3.1 Evo X)

♥Head: LeLUTKA Briannon Head 3.1

♥Mesh Body: [LEGACY] Meshbody (f) Special Edition (1.4)

[hywl]

[hekatosmistart]

A Moment of Rest

Queen Mira really needs to give herself a break

click for better quality!

This is the other piece I did for Audire back in November, which I ALSO forgot to post. Whoops.

I drew Queen Mira from the Second Citadel. She canonically wears a headscarf, so I did some research and decided to base my design of her on a portrait of the 12th century Persian poet Mahsati Ganjavi. Mira’s pose and the overall composition is based on the 1915 Waterhouse painting “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott.”

[catboydogma]

Tell me more about the space opera bullshit 👀

MADDIE I HOPE U KNOW I WOULD DO LITERALLY ANYTHING FOR U. HOMICIDE? CHECK. ARSON? CHECK. LARCENY? CHECK. HOME BAKING? DOUBLE CHECK.

be prepared this is long and i have a tendency to Ramble and when i say this is the Real Self Indulgent Shit i rly mean it!!

ok so essentially

> be me

> watch tcw

> be angry about japanese imperialization and the subsequent blending of chinese, korean, and japanese cultures (especially when americans think of the three)

> make space korea (kahal)

technically it's like. ok well it could just work in really any setting but it works BEST in medieval / space opera (star wars) and there are specific uhh ways it slots into the star wars universe because u know. go big or go home? it DOES have elements of chinese and japanese culture (mainly in the fashion of the upper castes) but mostly bc u know. Space Colonisation

so ESSENTIALLY there's This Guy and his name is sepehr fainn but he prefers to go by "blue" (or "sek" in kahali, his mother tongue, which also means blue) which is partially bc 1) when he was in the kahali military, he had blue-lacquered armor and 2) he dyes his hair THEE most obnoxious shade of blue to ever exist. i make a lot of picrews of him but it's difficult because he has a lot of non-euro features bc he's the space equivalent of half-korean, half-egyptian and has VERY curly hair so it's usually shaved short on the sides and back and in lots of long, skinny braids on the top and let me tell you. the true test of a picrew's range is whether or not you can make that hairstyle!

long story short, the space opera bullshit wip is blue as the general of the fifth systems army of the GAR because i wanted to write a jedi oc and i wanted to write clone ocs and in the name of efficiency i did both in one go (and also there's no one cited as the leader of the 5th systems army and it's described as a skeleton army and u know what that is the PERFECT setup for this guy)

long story LONG--bullet point backstory bc i don't talk nearly enough abt this guy 8)

- has the most massive mommy issues in existence

- short king (5'7)

- ex-assassin, ex-soldier. see kahal USED to operate in castes (for a couple centuries spanning the time between the two kahali civil wars) and blue was born into the military caste. kahali soldiers operate on the basis of quality over quantity and are essentially highly trained assassins from birth but this is Not a good process

- so blue is born with the force (this is rare in the military caste; kahali does have force wielders, but they almost solely belong to the elite upper caste)

- his mom sends him to the jedi temple in coruscant to learn how best to utilize the force. while there, blue learns about the power of love and friendship, returns to kahal at the young and tender age of 17, and proceeds to overthrow the state with his friends

- returns to coruscant to finish his training, serves as the liaison (along with a few others) between the republic and kahal, which largely remains neutral but has a VERY strong anti-slavery + anti-colonialism stance because Old History Reasons

- general of the 421st and his second is clone commander shrike :)

- other ocs that are kahali that i've probably talked about: kalausi kakudsi, arichizi alttari, mahasim mahsati, formosa fuyue, hassaleh hezeri (blue's padawan!), zhelan nox, adeth del, and the endless parade of leithar nenzes (blue's best friend is 27)

- fun fact! most upper caste names (the long ones) are the names of stars / constellations in other languages :)

- yellow lightsaber but also favors a pair of deer horn knives

[saraftop80]

Overthinking will not empower you over things that are beyond your control. So, let it be if it is meant to be and cherish the moment. -Mahsati A #quotes #motivation #qotd #quote #inspiration #quoteoftheday #motivationalquotes @motivationapp #dailyquotes #inspirational #quotestoliveby #mqapp1 #motivationapp #inspirationalquotes #instamotivation #instainspiration #downloadmotivation #instalife #instaquotes #motivationdaily https://www.instagram.com/p/CR3y6AeD3ZL/?utm_medium=tumblr

[screamingay]

still loving this picrew so i made a few of my ocs! this is alex (they're trying to quit smoking), mahsati (her favorite color is pink), pepper (it's a nickname), and reneé (she's a romantic, can u tell?)

[quase-bruxa]

"Conta a sabedoria popular que as bruxas eram seres maléficos que faziam pactos de sangue em benefício próprio e de outros e aqueles que se aproximassem poderiam cair nos encantamentos e tamanha beleza perdendo o controle sobre seus atos. Mas o que não te contam e reside no inconsciente do planeta é que as bruxas eram apenas seres que detinham um grande conhecimento ancestral trazido de muito longe pelos primeiros habitantes do planeta terra. Um conhecimento sobre a sua energia e a do todo. Um conhecimento de como criar e cocriar a realidade ao seu redor. Uma bruxa nasce com todo o potencial ativo para desenvolver suas magias. Um olhar penetrante, uma voz envolvente, um toque inusitado... Muitos a temem pois sabem no seu interior da responsabilidade de estar ao lado de uma. Os olhos de uma bruxa não olham para seu exterior, mas olham profundamente para seu interior. Toda palavra proferida se não em verdade é apenas um chiado aos ouvidos da mesma. Pois quando te colocar a falar ela te observa profundamente já sabendo de tudo antes da primeira palavra dita. A voz de uma bruxa te envolve a ponto de trazer o melhor de ti a tona. Talvez quando estiveres conversando com uma as tuas sombras te digam que o que ela fala é uma grande besteira. Mas o tempo te mostrará que a grande besteira era uma grande verdade. O toque de uma bruxa transcende e te faz experienciar sensações nunca sentidas antes. Podes até buscar em outras pessoas mas não encontrarás. Porque bruxas se encontram na essência de tudo que já foi e é. As bruxas amam incondicionalmente. Quando uma bruxa se entrega, entrega não somente seu corpo mas sua alma para vivenciar a totalidade da expansão do amor. Solte sua bruxa interior e expanda todos seus potenciais. DESPERTE o olhar! DESPERTE a voz! DESPERTE o toque! DESPERTEM todas!" - Mehet Mahsati

[o-grimorio-wicca]

"Conta a sabedoria popular que as bruxas eram seres maléficos que faziam pactos de sangue em benefício próprio e de outros e aqueles que se aproximassem poderiam cair nos encantamentos e tamanha beleza perdendo o controle sobre seus atos. Mas o que não te contam e reside no inconsciente do planeta é que as bruxas eram apenas seres que detinham um grande conhecimento ancestral trazido de muito longe pelos primeiros habitantes do planeta terra. Um conhecimento sobre a sua energia e a do todo. Um conhecimento de como criar e cocriar a realidade ao seu redor. Uma bruxa nasce com todo o potencial ativo para desenvolver suas magias. Um olhar penetrante, uma voz envolvente, um toque inusitado... Muitos a temem pois sabem no seu interior da responsabilidade de estar ao lado de uma. Os olhos de uma bruxa não olham para seu exterior, mas olham profundamente para seu interior. Toda palavra proferida se não em verdade é apenas um chiado aos ouvidos da mesma. Pois quando te colocar a falar ela te observa profundamente já sabendo de tudo antes da primeira palavra dita. A voz de uma bruxa te envolve a ponto de trazer o melhor de ti a tona. Talvez quando estiveres conversando com uma as tuas sombras te digam que o que ela fala é uma grande besteira. Mas o tempo te mostrará que a grande besteira era uma grande verdade. O toque de uma bruxa transcende e te faz experienciar sensações nunca sentidas antes. Podes até buscar em outras pessoas mas não encontrarás. Porque bruxas se encontram na essência de tudo que já foi e é. As bruxas amam incondicionalmente. Quando uma bruxa se entrega, entrega não somente seu corpo mas sua alma para vivenciar a totalidade da expansão do amor. Solte sua bruxa interior e expanda todos seus potenciais. DESPERTE o olhar! DESPERTE a voz! DESPERTE o toque! DESPERTEM todas!"

Mehet Mahsati

[aftaabmagazine]

Rabia Balkhi: Afghanistan’s Only Historical Period Film

By Farhad Azad

April 13, 2019

Produced over 45 years ago, Rabia Balkhi (رابعه بلخی) is Afghanistan’s only full-featured historical period film. 

Afghanistan's first independently produced film was released in 1974. Titled Rabia Balkhi (رابعه بلخی), the film centers on the 10th-century princess and poet from Balkh located in modern-day northern Afghanistan. She has been credited as the first poetess in the language of new Dari. 

Her love story ends tragically with an “honor killing.” Legend says she falls in love with Baktash, a slave at her father’s court. Her brother Hares becomes king. He discovers her secret at a party from the poet Rudaki. Intoxicated by wine, Rudaki reads a poem by Rabia confessing her love for this slave. Hares is outraged. He commands his soldiers to place Rabia in a bathhouse and have her jugular vein cut. As Rabia dies, she writes her last poem with her blood on the wall. Baktash receives the news of Rabia's death. He murders Hares and then kills himself. 

Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak spoke about this film in a 2009 interview, "It was created in the first private studios in Afghanistan and it was about a historical, classical subject that every Afghan learned at school. I remember seeing the posters and wanting to go and see it in a movie theatre. It had the most famous names of the day but it also faced a lot of problems in its making, with four directors working on it and no government funding."

The film survived the Taliban attack on the Afghan Film Organization.  From the same interview, Barmak remarks, "The Taliban, unfortunately, got other copies and burnt about 2,500 titles, but these were mainly Russian and Indian films, work from abroad. One of the advantages for the archivists is that the archive had no electricity in those days so it was completely dark inside. They could hide reels in roofs, underground and behind the wall. The Taliban came to search the premises because they wanted to wipe out and destroy Afghanistan's past. They said, quite simply, if they found any hidden films, they'd kill the nine colleagues. These people risked their lives to save the archive."

The film was written by Daoud Farani and Latif Nazemi. Sima Shadan starred as Rabia. Soon after the release, she and co-star Abdullah Shadan were married. 

The film is fascinating in the context that it is the only period film that Afghanistan has produced. Yet the region has a history that spans thousands of years. Maybe this work can encourage contemporary Afghan filmmakers to consider making films about other historical characters and time periods. 

The following film stills are from the showing of Rabia Balkhi at the Les 3 Continents film festival in Nantes, France, November 2004. 

[Sima Shadan as Rabia Balkhi]

[Sima Shadan as Rabia Balkhi and Daoud Farani as King Kab, Rabia’s father]

[Mashal Honaryar as Hares, Rabia’s brother]

[Abdullah Shadan as Baktash, the court slave and lover of Rabia]

[The throne room at the royal court]

[The royal court]

[A court dancer entertaining the guests]

[An army commander preparing for battle (Salaam Sangi perhaps?) ]

[Soldiers at the battle scene]

[The lovers, Rabia and Baktash unite but not for long]

More about Raiba Balkhi 

THE PRINCESS AND THE SLAVE—HOW LOVE KILLS IN AFGHANISTAN by Nushin Arbabzadah

RABIA BALKHI: HOW LOVE TURN POISON SUGAR SWEET

Rabia Balkhi and Mahsati Ganjavi (audio) 

The History Teacher and the Story of Rabia Balkhi (Afghan Women's Writing Project)

Jewel of Afghan cinema saved from the Taliban

The erotic and revolutionary poetry of Afghanistan

[animeclaro]

GLASS Heroes vs Villains Contest (Mahsati) by animeclaro

[hamza1417]

A world there is for those in love with mines of precious stones, But bards select a different world as setting for their thrones. The bird who eats love's magic grain lives on another plane - His nest beyond both worlds, ignoring riches, scorning fame.

-  Mahsati Ganjavi

[dandelionkeats]

I said, "Quick, bring some wine." He said, "Look here,

It's Friday's eve; shouldn't you sleep, my dear?"-

I said, "Each week there'll be another Friday-

The roses bloom for us but once a year..."

-Mahsati