Ey Ajaba or ای عجبا means "Oh I Wonder" in Farsi. It kicks off Time is Fire's third release on their new EP "Stories Untold." It's about being able to shout out your words freely. The song takes its lyrical inspiration from the13th-century Persian Sunni Muslim poet, Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī. Rumi asks to be one with his love and life and not to be filtered for his beliefs. After all back in his time, no one was open to wine and dance and praying to God within. The music draws from the off-kilter verve and left-of-center punk-groove politics of such bands as Gang of Four, the Pop Group, and Killing Joke. Lead singer Kamyar Arsani credits some of the group’s intensity to the atmosphere of his adopted home town. “I’m from Tehran, the capital of Iran, a city I thought was tense — before I came to D.C. I come here and people are going down this fast-paced highway in their head. Every day." Well, it's been an intense year and there's no shortage of outrage regarding the current state of the union but thankfully there's also a thriving, activist arts community in the nation's capital city that supports a platform to turn frustration into expression. The new 3-song EP was recorded in one afternoon at the legendary Inner Ear recording studio by Eamonn Aiken.
lyrics
Ey Ajaba (Rumi)
Zin do hezaran e, man o ma
Ey ajaba, man che manam?
Gush beneh in arabde ra
Dast maneh bar dahanam
Var benahi, pa benaham
Har che biabam shekanam
Ey ajaba, man che manam?
Gush beneh arbadeh ra dast maneh bar dahanam
Talkh koni, talkh shavam
Lotf koni, lotf shavam
Ba to khosh ast ey saname, lab shekare, khosh zoghanam
Asl toi, man che kasam?
Ayeneh i , dar kafe to
To be sefatm sarve chaman
Man be sefat sayeyeh to
Ey ajaba, man che manam?
Gush beneh arbadeh ra dast maneh bar dahanam
To be sefat, sarve chaman
Man be sefat, sayeye to
Bi to agar gol shekanam
Khar shavad dar kafeh man
Har nafasi, kuzeyeh khod
Bar dar saghi man shekanam
Dast baram har nafasi
Suyeh gariban e boti
Translation:
Amongst couple thousands of you and I
Oh I wonder who am I
Listen to my uproars
Do never cover my mouth
If you do, I shall step on everything
I will shatter everything I find
Oh I wonder, who am I
Listen to my uproars, Do never cover my mouth
Do bitter, I get bitter
Be kind, I will be kind
Joy is to be with you, my sweet lips my sweet spoken
You are the root, who am I
A mirror at your hand
You like a green cedar,
I’m like a shadow behind you
Oh I wonder, who am I
Listen to my uproars, do never cover my mouth
You like a green cedar,
I’m like a shadow behind you
Without you if I pull a flower
In my hand it will turn into a thorn
Every breath I will bring my empty jar to the sommelier
Every breath I will hold onto another false God
Ey Ajaba (Farsi)
ای عجبا
زین دو هزاران من و ما ای عجبا من چه منم
گوش بنه عربده را دست منه بر دهنم
ور بنهی پا بنهم هر چه بیابم شکنم
ای عجبا من چه منم
گوش بنه عربده را دست منه بر دهنم
تلخ کنی تلخ شوم لطف کنی لطف شوم
با تو خوش است ای صنم لب شکر خوش ذقنم
اصل تویی من چه کسم آینه‌ای در کف تو
تو به صفت سرو چمن من به صفت سایه تو
ای عجبا من چه منم
گوش بنه عربده را دست منه بر دهنم
تو به صفت سرو چمن من به صفت سایه تو
بی‌تو اگر گل شکنم خار شود در کف من
هر نفسی کوزه خود بر در ساقی شکنم
دست برم هر نفسی سوی گریبان بتی
ای عجبا من چه منم
supported by 4 fans who also own “Ey Ajaba ای عجبا”
A fantastic album. I can see why they didn't continue under the name The Evens, as it's a different sound with the bass added. Coriky is the Evens + Joe Lally from Fugazi on bass. If you can imagine The Evens with a slightly more funky, aggressive sound like Fugazi... that's what you get! And there's no way that can ever go wrong. What a great debut album!! smiledozer
On their first new record in six years, the Virginia garage punkers take on the end of the world with the requisite clang and clamor. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 9, 2024
Buoyant one-off release from a long-running Atlanta band who juggle garage rock, folk, and power pop; don't miss the Mark Morrison cover. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 9, 2024
