10 Persian Phrases That Will Make Your Heart Melt

Updated: 31 October 2021

It wasn’t too long ago that I went to an event featuring Bosnian poet Enes Kiševič. A selection of his poems (including one inspired by the film A Separation that he read for director Asghar Farhadi who was also present) had been translated into Persian. When he stood up to talk, he said that he was learning how to speak for the second time in his life. The first time was when he was growing up in Bosnia, speaking his mother tongue. The second time was on that night in Tehran since his poems had been translated into “the mother tongue of poetry,” to use his words. And with that line, he absolutely stole the hearts of his [mostly] Iranian audience.

Call me biased, but I think Mr. Kiševič certainly had the right idea. And just as his words stole the hearts of the audience members, I’m hoping that maybe these beautiful Persian phrases (that I daresay are more beautiful than the English) will also steal yours. When it comes to matters of the heart, Persian is quite rich.

Iranians don’t feel sorry for someone or take pity, but their “heart burns.” 

There’s a stronger variety of this one, too. Your heart burning for someone expresses compassion, but when your heart is grilled like a kebab (delam kabob shod), it’s extremely intense.

.دلم برایش میسوزد

Delam barâsh misuze. (I feel bad for him/her.)

Iranians don’t make amends, but “take ‘it’ [the wrongdoing] out of your heart.”

.از دلش در آوردم

Az delesh dar âvordam. (I made amends.)

Iranians don’t do/eat something to their heart’s content but “take their heart out of mourning.”

.چند وقت بود آلبالو نخورده بودم. دلی از عزا درآوردم

Chand vaght bud âlbâloo nakhorde budam. Deli az azâ dar âvordam. (I hadn’t eaten sour cherries in a while. I ate them to my heart’s content.)

Iranians don’t have unfulfilled wishes, but “are left with wishes on their hearts.”

.آرزو به دل ماندم یک زمستان برفی ببینم اینجا

Ârezu be del mundam yek zemestun-e barfi bebinam injâ. (I have an unfulfilled wish to see a snowy winter here.)

Iranians don’t become ecstatic, but “melt sugar cubes in their hearts.”

.وقتی نامه به دستش رسید داشت قند توی دلش آب میشد

Vaghti nâmeh be dastesh resid, dâsht ghand tu-ye delesh âb mishod. (When s/he got the letter, s/he was ecstatic.)

Iranians don’t have reciprocal feelings, but “telepathy between hearts.”

This one is sometimes jokingly phrased as دل به دل لوله کشی دارد / del be del luleh keshi dâre. (There’s a pipeline between hearts.) More about this phrase and its use here.

.دل به دل راه دارد

Del be del râh dâre. (There’s a telepathy between hearts.)

Iranians don’t experience gloom, nostalgia, or heavy hearts, but “tight hearts.”

This goes back to the expression of “I miss you”, or delam barât tang shode / deltangetam (my heart has become tight for you).

.دلتنگی از غم انگیزترین احساسات است

Deltangi az gham angiztarin ehsâsât ast. (Gloom/melancholy is one of the most tragic feelings.)

Iranians don’t really, really miss you, but their “hearts become a speck.”

This is when you miss someone to the point where your heart isn’t just tight anymore. It shrivels up to the size of a speck.

.دلم برات یک ذره شده

Delam barât yek zare shode. (I miss you so much.)

Iranians don’t become sad or depressed, but their “hearts become obstructed.”

.دلم گرفته

Delam gerefteh. (I’m sad. / I have the blues.)

Iranians don’t know about a person’s innermost thoughts, but “have news of their hearts.”

.از دلش خبر نداری

Az delesh khabar nadâri. (You don’t know what’s going on in his/her heart.)

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