Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation

In this shabé shehr episode, we go over the poem khoshā emshō by the poet Baba Taher with special guest Yara Elmjouie. This poem is about enjoying the night, and the company of the night- it's short, simple and sweet, and reminds you to take pleasure in the joy of living.

In this lesson, we watch a clip of a conversation between Nader and Razieh, who he is hoping to convince to come work for him. We are joined in the lesson by Yara Elmjouie.

In this new series, we watch clips chosen by Yara Elmjouie from the movie A Separation .  To WATCH this lesson (highly recommended!), check it out on our website .

In this lesson, we go over the last lines of the poem payāmé naseem by Hafez:  می‌ای دارم چو جان صافی و صوفی می‌کند عیبش may-ee dāram chō jān sāfee ō soofee meekonad aybash خدایا هیچ عاقل را مبادا بخت بد روزی khodāyā heech āghel rā mabādā bakht bad roozee

In this lesson, we go over the following lines of the poem payāmé naseem by Hafez: جدا شد یار شیرینت کنون تنها نشین ای شمع jodā shod yāré sheereenat konoon tanhā nesheen ay sha'am که حکم آسمان این است اگر سازی و گر سوزی ké hokmé āsemān een ast agar sāzee ō gar soozee

In this lesson, we go over the following lines of the poem payāmé naseem by Hafez:  به صحرا رو که از دامن غبار غم بیفشانی bé sahrā rō ké az dāman ghobāré gham beafshānee به گلزار آی کز بلبل غزل گفتن بیاموزی bé golzār āy k’az bolbol ghazal goftan beāmoozee

In part 3 of our discussion of Hafez's poem payāmé naseem, we go over the 3rd and 4th lines of the poem:  چو گُل گَر خُردِه‌ای داری خُدا را صَرفِ عِشرَت کُن کِه قارون را غَلَط‌ها داد سُودایِ زَر‌اَندوزی chō gol gar khordeyee dāree khodā rā sarfé eshrat kon ké ghāroon rā ghalat-hā dād sodāyé zarandoozee

In this part 2 episode of Hafez's beautiful poem payāmé naseem, we look at the individual words and phrases in the first two lines of the poem, and learn how to use the words and phrases in current Persian conversation.

In this introduction to the poem payāmé naseem, we are joined by musician Fared Shafinury to discuss the full selection of the poem. In addition, we provide a detailed overview of Hafez, the poet, and his significance in Iranian culture. 

In this second part of the poetry lesson for Rudaki's poem shād zee, we go over the entire poem line by line, phrase by phrase so you can get a full grasp of the vocabulary in the poem. You'll then have a full understanding of how to use the vocabulary in everyday conversation.

This is the introduction to our shabé shehr (night of poetry) series, where we go over short selections of poems in Persian, and their overall meanings in English. In this episode, we're joined by Yara Elmjouie to talk about a poem by Rudaki about living in the moment.

Shally Zomorodi is one of the more well-known and incredibly prolific members of the Iranian diaspora. Her day job is as a news anchor of Fox 5 San Diego Morning News where she’s been waking up San Diego for more than a decade now. However, her journalism career spans over two decades at this point, including a two-year stint in Texas where I live. But over the years, she’s also been heavily invol...

Hollay Ghadery is is an Iranian-Canadian writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse , her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions (2021) and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box , came out Radiant Press in 2023 and her...

From the very beginning of this current stage of the conflict, after the horrific events of October 7th, the first person I turned to for an understanding of what was happening was Noam Shuster-Eliassi. I’d been following her for a long time because of her comedy about Israel and Palestine.  I had so many questions to ask her, and was so incredibly grateful that she took the time to speak to me. T...

In this episode of Growing Up Irooni, host Leyla interviews Farnoosh Torabi, renowned podcast host and author of the book "A Healthy State of Panic." Leyla and Farnoosh delve into the world of finances, personal development, and the positive aspects of fear. Farnoosh shares her insights on fear and how it can be a powerful force in our lives when understood and harnessed correctly. Related Links:...

I’m so excited to share with you my interview with Arya Shahi, author of the fantastic new debut novel, An Impossible Thing to Say . It’s coming out this week, September 26th 2023, so no matter when you’re listening to this interview, please drop everything and go buy it- you will love it. So as a brief introduction, Arya Shahi is an Iranian-American multidisciplinary artist. He is a co-founder of...

So excited to share that Navied Mahdavian's incredible debut graphic memoir, This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America is NOW OUT and available for purchase! And to celebrate, I’m so excited to share with you all the conversation I had with Navied after reading his incredible his work. The book is set in rural Idaho where Navied moved with his wife and dog in November 2016- yes, the...

In this episode, we dive into an enriching conversation with Samira Mohieddin, discussing her experiences growing up in a Persian family that migrated to Canada. We unpack the challenges and dynamics of navigating multiple cultures, languages, and political climates. Highlights : Samira reflects on her sudden rise in Instagram followers and the oddity of newfound attention. A mention of Ari's proj...

In the latest episode of the "Growing Up Irooni" podcast series, I had the unique privilege of sitting down with the iconic Gisue Hariri, one half of the brilliant duo behind Hariri & Hariri Architecture. In this intimate conversation, Gisue delves into the intricacies of growing up in the southern part of Iran, where the environment fostered imagination, resilience, and a profound connection...

"Finding Joonam: A Dialogue with Filmmaker Sierra Urrich" - Immerse yourself in a candid and emotive conversation with Sierra Urrich, the talented director behind the striking documentary, 'Joonam'. In this episode, Sierra shares her heartfelt experiences of creating the film and navigating her Iranian identity through the process. She provides us with an intimate glimpse into her journey, spannin...

Continuation of our discussion of Rumi's deevāné shō

In this second part of the discussion for Rumi's deevāné shō , we go over the first two lines of the poem in detail.

Host: Leyla Shams Guest: Marjan Kamali Introduction: Leyla Shams, host of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, introduces her guest Marjan Kamali, the award-winning author of the Stationary Shop. Topics Discussed: Marjan Kamali's The Stationary Shop Recommended by the founder of Ketab Club, Kimia, as the number one book by a middle eastern author. Leyla shares her experience reading the book...