Children’s room

[ Otag-he Sonnatieh Bache-ha ]

For a baby, nothing could be softer, warmer, and nicer than her mother’s chest. It was a heaven when I could sleep beside my mother and put my hand on her breast. The heaven became a hell when I had to become independent and leave my mother’s bed and move to the children’s room.

Eventually, I even had to do homework. Though I didn’t like school, I tried hard to do the heavy workload I brought home. Hours of math work, reading, and writing went by while my mother and my younger sisters and brothers were asleep.

اتاق سنَّتی بچه ها

[  تِرَدیشِنال چیلدِرِنز روم ]

براي كودكان هيچ كجا آرامتر- گرمتر و لذت بخشتر از آغوش مادر نيست. آرميدن  تنگاتنگ مادرم براي من مثل بهشت بود واین بهشت وقتي جهنّم شد كه بعلّت بزرگتر شدن مجبور به خوابيدن دورتر از او شدم.

اگرچه به مدرسه علاقه نداشتم ولي مجبور به انجام تكاليف سنگين آن در منزل بودم. اين تكاليف كه شامل حل رياضي و خواندن و نوشتن بود تا پاسي از شب كه مادر و خواهر و برادرانم بخواب رفته بودند نيز ادامه مي یافت.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

The youngest child usually slept in the crib and other children slept on the floor. Usually boys and girls slept in separate bed rooms. In hot summers of Shiraz, all family members slept on an outside bed.

کوچکترین کودک خانواده معمولأ در گهواره یا ننّو و بقیّه روی کف اتاق می خوابیدند. معمولاً پسرها در اتاقهای جداگانه می خوابیدند. در تابستان های گرم شیراز تمام خانواده در فضای آزاد خارج از اتاقهاروی تختخوابهای چوبی یا فلزّی می خوابیدند.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

At that time, a Persian typewriter was a phenomena. While we didn’t need to use the typewriter; it was a kind of decoration for our living room.

درآن زمان ماشین تحریر فارسی بسیار کمیاب بود. گر چه ما از ماشین تحریر استفاده نمی کردیم، امّا آنرا به عنوان یک وسیله زینتی در اتاق نشیمن قرار میدادیم.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

The only books that we had were school books. Books for children were not developed at all. Adults had the opportunity to have many books (mostly regarding politics, poems, and religion).

تنها کتابی که در اختیار بچه ها بود کتابهای درسی آنان بود. کتاب های مخصوص کودکان وجود نداشت. بزرگترها امکان استفاده از کتابهای مختلف (بیشتر سیاسی، دیوان شعر، کتابهای مذهبی) را داشتند.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

There was electricity in our home, but in my maternal grandma’s home there was none. Oil lamps were used in all rooms.

در خانه ما استفاده از برق امکان داشت، امّا در خانهُ مادر بزرگ (مادری) من برق نبود. چراغ های نفتی در تمام اتاقها مورد استفاده بود.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

The wall was decorated with Western pictures. At that time, parents encouraged their children to become familiar with Western art and to learn French and English. Private tutors were a option for some prestigious families.

دیوار اتاقها با عکس هائی که سوژه غربی داشتند زینت شده بود. در آن زمان پدر و مادرها فرزندان خود دا تشویق می کردند که با فرهنک و هنر غرب بیشتر آشنا شوند و زبان فرانسه و انگیسی بیاموزند. استفاده از مربّی برای کودکان در خانواده های سرشناس رایج بود.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

Iranians tried to show their talent in everything. The bed spread in the crib looked like a piece of art. Everything was made by hand. But there was no appreciation for what they had.

ایرانیها دوست داشتند استعداد خود را در تمام کارها نشان دهند. پوشش روی گهواره (لحاف) مجموعه ای از کار هنری بود. هر چیزی با دست ساخته می شد. امّا ایرانیها ضمناً چندان قدر شناس چیزهائی هنری که داشتند نبودند.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

The crib was a piece of art, too. It was a hammock made of a very fine rug or embroidered fabric.

گهواره یک تیکّه کار هنری بود. آن گهواره ای بود که از یک فرش بسیار مرغوب، با یک لحاف دست دوزی شده ساخته شده بود.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

Sleeping next to my mother and feeling the warmth and delicacy of her chest was the strongest memory for me.

خوابیدن در کنار مادرم و احساس گرمی و عطوفت سینه او از لذّت بخش ترین خاطره هاست.

Diorama depicting the children's room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.
Diorama depicting the children’s room in her childhood Iran, growing up in Shiraz, Persia, by Niccu Tafarrodi, RememberingPersia.com.

My younger sister was often ignored and slept in the wrong place.

خواهر کوچک من اغلب فراموش می شد و در جائی که به او تعلّق نداشت بخواب می رفت.

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