Prisoner Song

Compiled by: Islamic Revolution Website
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2023-9-7

Among the hymns that we recited in Hosseiniyeh was the “Prisoner" hymn. One of the famous slogans of the people was "freedom of political prisoners". My mind was busy with this position and I was looking for an opportunity to do something in this field. Prominent figures such as late Taleghani and Mr. Montazeri were considered symbols of political prisoners. When we talked about the "freedom of political prisoners", our mouths were mainly directed to these characters. We considered these to be the leaders of political prisoners.

It was at the end of October 1978 that I composed the song of the prisoner with this view and alone. After joining the friends of Hosseiniyeh Ershad, we recreated the hymn there with a new arrangement. I had two images in my mind; One is the picture outside the prison and the other is the picture inside the prison. I described the atmosphere outside the prison as follows:

May the sky be filled with stars

The cloud’s fragments reach each other

I also wrote like this to describe the atmosphere inside the prison:

You look behind the bars

To the silent and cold, tight and dark night

In the new version, I had used a little demonstration mode. From outside the prison, this cry could be heard:

Prisoner!

I used to shout this "prisoner" myself. Then, in response to this call, the group would say:

Our eyes are on the way to freedom

Then I shouted:

the freedom!

The group also said:

Your name is a song of happiness

I had to go to one of the rooms on the fifth floor of Hosseiniyeh in order to shout the word "prisoner". This floor, which was considered the Hosseiniyeh administrative building, was almost empty. I went to one of the rooms and left the doors of the other rooms open. The room was both empty and large. When I shouted "Prisoner..." it got a special echo. When I shouted "Prisoner..." other comrades said from across the room: "Our eyes are on the way to freedom" as if my voice was coming from the bottom of a well. We were rehearsing and were doing the same things when Mohammad Reza Sharifinia, without prior planning, picked up Dr. Shafiei Kodkeni's poetry book, opened it and started reading. He sings with a special and dictational tone:

What did you recite in the prayer of love?

Which has been for years

You went to the gallows and these old sheriffs

They still avoid your dead...

Mohammad Reza was reading these phrases very well. Haj Hossein was also walking in the room. I also said "prisoner..." and came to them. We were in the same mood when Haj Hossein Agha suddenly passed out. Suddenly, he started saying "Ah..." with an attractive tone. He was just saying oh. He sang very beautifully; Ah... Ah... Ah... Mohammad Reza started singing again: "What did you recite in the prayer of love?" However, Haj Hossein again repeated the previous song. He went to Isfahan and how beautiful it is. I found it very interesting. I pointed to Haj Hossein to continue like this. Mohammad Reza recited and Haj Hossein sang. I also started recording the same sounds. A great composition was formed, that too spontaneously, without prior planning and will, and without even a single rehearsal. These were all recorded. Haj Hossein had a double-edged tape. He recorded these on one edge and a few other things on the other. We combined these and the work was finished. This was the first time that our work came out with a classy and quality piece. It turned out to be a very fine work. God bless Mr. Sobhdel. He was a really nice person. He used to work heartily. He attached his heart to God and worked. What did you recite in the prayer of love?