# Ey Iran

"Ey Irân" (ای ایران 'O Iran') is an Iranian patriotic song serving as the country's de facto national anthem. The music was composed by Ruhollah Khaleqi, and the lyrics were written by Hossein Gol-e-Golab. This anthem was first performed by Gholam-Hossein Banan.

## History

The song's history dates back to World War II. In September 1941, Allied forces occupied Iran following an Anglo-Soviet invasion that overthrew Reza Shah. Hossein Gol-e-Golab was inspired to write a poem on Iranian nationalism when he saw Allied flags waving from an Iranian military barracks in Tehran. One day, when visiting Tehran, Gol-e-Golab witnessed a heated conversation between a British soldier and an Iranian officer. When Gol-e-Golab recounted the incident, he wanted to write a poem to keep Iran and the Iranian spirit alive in it. Khaleqi decided to compose the song and Banan would sing the poem.
Gol-e-Golab was inspired to write this song by his patriotism. He was quoted as saying:
   In 1944, the footsteps of the invading armies in the streets were enough to rattle any patriot and inspired me to write this anthem. Professor Ruhollah Khaleqi wrote the music and despite all the political opposition, it found its way into the heart and soul of the people.
"Ey Irân" served as the country's de facto national anthem for a brief period with the establishment of Iran's interim government following the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

## Performances

Its first performance was held for two consecutive nights on 27 October 1944 in the military primary school, performed by Banan on Istanbul Street. "Ey Irân" garnered a lot of popularity that listeners demanded its repetition; thus, it was renewed three times. The reception and impact of this anthem caused the then minister of culture to invite the musicians to the Sound Broadcasting Center to record a page of it and broadcast it daily on Radio Tehran.
After the Revolution of 1979, several people were imprisoned for collaborating in the preparation of this anthem, and singing it was considered a crime, but after a while, it was used to inspire soldiers in the Iran–Iraq War.
In 1990, Golnush Khaleqi, the daughter of Ruhollah Khaleghi, who was in Tehran for the 25th anniversary of her father's death, re-arranged the anthem for orchestra, solo and group singing, which was released on the album May Nab by Sorush Publications. The monologue in this version is performed by Rashid Vatandust.

## Lyrics
### Persian original

| Perso-Arabic script | Latin script | IPA transcription |
| ای ایران ای مرز پرگهر ای خاکت سرچشمه هنر دور از تو اندیشه بدان پاینده مانی تو جاودان ای دشمن ار تو سنگ خاره‌ای من آهنم جان من فدای خاک پاک میهنم :برگردان مهر تو چون شد پیشه‌ام دور از تو نیست اندیشه‌ام در راه تو کی ارزشی دارد این جان ما 𝄇 𝄆 پاینده باد خاک ایران ما سنگ کوهت در و گوهر است خاک دشتت بهتر از زر است مهرت از دل کی برون کنم برگو بی‌مهر تو چون کنم تا گردش جهان و دور آسمان به پاست نور ایزدی همیشه رهنمای ماست برگردان ایران ای خرم بهشت من روشن از تو سرنوشت من گر آتش بارد به پیکرم جز مهرت در دل نپرورم از آب و خاک و مهر تو سرشته شد گلم مهر اگر برون رود تهی شود دلم برگردان | Ey Irân ey marze por gohar Ey xâkat sarcešmeye honar Dur az to andišeye badân Pâyandeh mâni to jâvedân Ey došman ar to sange xâreyi, man âhanam Jâne man fadâye xâke pâke mihanam Bargardân: Mehre to con šod pišeam Dur az to nist andišeam 𝄆 Dar râhe to key arzeši dârad in jâne mâ Pâyandeh bâd xâke Irâne mâ 𝄇 Sange kuhat dorr o gowhar ast Xâke daštat behtar az zar ast Mehrat az del key borun konam Bargu bimehre to cun konam Tâ gardeše jahân o dowre âsemân be pâst Nure izadi hamišeh rahnamâye mâst Bargardân Irân ey xorram behešte man Rowšan az to sarnevešte man Gar âtaš bârad be peykaram Joz mehrat dar del naparvaram Az âb o xâk o mehre to serešteh šod gelam Mehr agar borun ravad tohi šavad delam Bargardân | [ej iː.ˈɹɒːn ej ˈmæɹ.ze pʰoɹ‿go.ˈhæɹ ǀ] [ej ˈxɒː.kʰæt sæɹ.t͡ʃʰeʃ.ˈme.je ho.ˈnæɹ ǀ] [duːɹ æz tʰo æn.diː.ˈʃe.je bæ.ˈdɒːn ǀ] [pʰɒː.jæn.ˈde mɒː.ˈniː tʰo d͡ʒɒː.ve.ˈdɒːn ǁ] [ej ǀ doʃ.ˈmæn æɹ tʰo ˈsæŋ.ɡe xɒː.ɹe.ˈjiː ǀ mæn ɒː.ˈhæ.næm ǀ] [ˈd͡ʒɒː.ne mæn fæ.ˈdɒː.je ˈxɒː.kʰe ˈpʰɒː.kʰe miː.ˈhæ.næm ǁ] [bæɹ.gæɹ.ˈdɒːn]: [ˈmeɦ.ɹe tʰo t͡ʃʰon ǀ ʃod pʰiː.ˈʃe.æm ǀ] [duːɹ æz tʰo niːst ǀ æn.diː.ˈʃe.æm ǁ] 𝄆 [dæɹ ˈɹɒː.he tʰo ǀ kʰej æɹ.ze.ˈʃiː dɒː.ˈɹæd iːn ˈd͡ʒɒː.ne mɒː ǀ] [pʰɒː.jæn.ˈde bɒːd ˈxɒː.kʰe iː.ˈɹɒː.ne mɒː ǁ] 𝄇 [ˈsæŋ.ɡe ˈkʰuː.hæt do.r‿o gow.ˈhæɹ æst ǀ] [ˈxɒː.kʰe ˈdæʃ.tʰæt beɦ.ˈtʰæɹ æz zæ.ˈɹæst ǀ] [ˈmeɦ.ɹæt æz del kʰej bo.ˈɹuːn ˈkʰo.næm ǀ] [bæɹ.ˈguː biː.ˈmeɦ.ɹe tʰo t͡ʃʰuːn ˈkʰo.næm ǁ] [tʰɒː ǀ gæɹ.ˈde.ʃe d͡ʒæ.ˈhɒː.n‿o ˈdow.ɹe ɒː.se.ˈmɒːn be‿pʰɒːst ǀ] [ˈnuː.ɹe iː.zæ.ˈdiː ˈhæ.miː.ʃe ɹæɦ.næ.ˈmɒː.je mɒːst ǁ] [bæɹ.gæɹ.ˈdɒːn] [iː.ˈɹɒːn ej ˈxo.ræm be.ˈheʃ.tʰe mæn ǀ] [ɹow.ˈʃæn æz tʰo sæɹ.ne.ˈveʃ.tʰe mæn ǀ] [gæɹ ɒː.ˈtʰæʃ bɒː.ˈɹæd be‿pʰej.ˈkʰæ.ɹæm ǀ] [d͡ʒoz ˈmeɦ.ɹæt dæɹ del næ.pʰæɹ.ˈvæ.ɹæm ǁ] [æz ǀ ˈɒː.b‿o ˈxɒː.kʰ‿o ˈmeɦ.ɹe tʰo se.ɹeʃ.ˈtʰe ʃod ˈge.læm ǀ] [meɦɹ ˈæ.gæɹ bo.ˈɹuːn ɹæ.ˈvæd tʰo.ˈhiː ʃæ.ˈvæd ˈde.læm ǁ] [bæɹ.gæɹ.ˈdɒːn] |

### English translation

    O Iran, the land of gems abound,
    O the wellspring of arts is your ground.
    Far from you may the thoughts of evil be,
    Long may you last and eternal be.
    O enemy, if you are of rock, I am of iron,
    May my life be sacrificed for my homeland's pure soil.
       Refrain:
          Since your love became my calling,
          Never far are my thoughts from you.
          𝄆 In your cause, when do our lives have value?
          Eternal may the land of Iran be. 𝄇
    The stones of your peaks are jewels and pearls,
    Greater than gold are your valleys' soils.
    When would I ever doff your ardor?
    Tell me what I'd do without your fervor?
    As long as the earth revolves and the sky cycles,
    The light of the Divine will always guide us.
       Refrain
    Iran, O my gorgeous paradise,
    Bright is my destiny because to you.
    Even if fire on my body rains,
    I'll cherish naught but my love for you.
    I am made of your love, your waters and your earth,
    If your love leaves my heart, empty it will become.
       Refrain