Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
A Note on Translation, Transliteration, and References xi
Introduction: Life and Work 1
Persian Women Poets 7
A Historical Sketch of Zhale's Time 10
Zhale's Poetry 12
Themes in Zhale's Poetry: Her Husband 19
The Position of Women 29
Living in a Harem 36
Zhale as a Mother 38
The Samovar 43
The Mirror as a Companion 44
The Curler as a Companion 46
Conclusion 48
Zhale's Collected Poetry 51
A Message to Women of the Future 53
What Would Have Been? 55
Women and the Mirror 57
Depiction of Existence 59
Far from a Child 63
The Difference between Men and Women 65
Love and Benevolence 67
To Unborn Child 71
On Child's Death 73
Reproach to My Husband 75
The Dungeon of the Harem 81
A Mother's Duty 83
The Rights of Men and Women 85
The Night of Apprehensions 89
Love 91
Conversation with a Sewing Machine 93
Advice for the Sisters 97
Complaint against the Comb 99
Answering the Letter of a Friend 101
Sharing Pain with the Samovar' 105
Mother's Love 109
Longing for Love 111
A Favor from the Mirror 113
A Childish Judgment 117
Jealous 121
The Widow 127
A Memory of the Time I Was Married 131
Sharing Pain with a Mirror 133
A Picture in Golden Frame 139
Claiming Chastity 145
A Husband, Not an Intimate 147
A Fitting Husband 151
A Love Poem 153
Thoughts of a Concubine 155
Insult 159
Throwing Insults 163
After My Husband's Death 167
The Lover of Love 171
Predicting Women's Freedom 173
Impossible Love 177
Confession 179
Bandit 181
Hair Curler 185
Message to the Unborn 187
An Unstable Wish 191
Problem 193
A Serious Joke 195
The Trace of Oh 199
Far from the Child 199
Cutting the Hand 199
Bidding Farewell 199
A Firm Answer 201
Works Cited 203
Index 209
