Plant a Tree

I plant a tree with my hands.
At its feet I dig a water bank
where I toss in green seeds to show
and be a reminder of myself to
those who come to watch it grow.
  
As time passes, leaves sprout,
and my tree bears fruit
with turf, a green lawn,
an overhang like a king's crown,
greeting freely all around.

When summer arrives
my tree drafts a cool blind
and opens its branches
attracting every passer-by
  
Who naps at its feet
on a midsummer day,
tired at their feet,
later awaking, no longer
beat or feeling the heat.

He says: May you rest in peace,
you who have planted this tree.

Translation from Persian by Sheema Kalbasi