The melancholy music of the duduk
Reminds me of the crying of the Persian violin
The music I heard in Iran as a child
It reminds me of the lament of the violin
As it sang its melancholy song

The cry of the violin
Would tug at my heartstrings
And overwhelmed by emotion
I did not know if I should stay or run

Now, the sound of duduk takes me there
There is a deep melancholy
It can only express
As if it’s crying for all the injustice
In the world
All the crimes committed in the name
Of nation and tribe

The music takes a happier turn
I can let go of the sadness
Glad that melancholy and joy
Reside side by side

Sadness gives way to joy
And joy to sadness in time
This is the reality of this world
From which there is no escape
No matter how hard we try

The secret is to learn to
Sit with the sadness
Accept pain as part of life
Without sadness , there is no joy
Without night, no daylight

Lida Berghuis
December 16th, 2012