Behold, I stand at the door, and knock!
If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me*
(From Confidence series, episode 24)
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A text based performance art by
Ali Ettehad

Dedicated to Marina Abramovic
Writer, performer, sound and costume designer: Ali Ettehad

Turkish narration and translation by Nina Faten
English translation by Herman Mars
English narration by Nikoo Tarkhani
Arabic translation by Dr. Mohammad Mostafavi
Arabic narration by Sara Niroobakhsh
Kurdish narration and translation by Sara Hosseini
Hindi narration and translation by Ramendra Kr Chakarwarti

The Room is completely dark and the performer appears in a black shroud holding a seemingly ancient book in his hand. in the darkness of the room when the crowd are standing still around the performer; a recorded sound of some people reciting a poem in different languages is being played. Since the audiences are Iranians; only few of them who are familiar with any of those languages (Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Indian and at last English) would learn the meaning and the content of the poem. The performer wanders around people; sometimes opens his book and recite parts of the poem in Farsi. The poem is about love; but sick sadistic one in which the poet is talking about how he would rip his beloved apart and shows her what real love and freedom is! There is a verse in the poem when we find out that the poet is not talking about a single person but thousands and perhaps millions of people: “You will sleep quietly in my arms. You Shall sleep and you and you and you and you …”. This verse is being recited many times and each time the performer moves his hand and points to the audience or turn their head. After the poem is being completely recited; their being heard the terrifying sound of an air raid siren (similar to what Iranians have been experienced during the war with Iraq); and a red light is being flashing which causes a blood like illusion. The audience experience an atmosphere like bombardment in a war or an attack from the enemy; while the only one who cares about them is a sadistic lover sh wants to set them free by deleting the burden of their bodies and flesh; making them light souls with no body-ness!

here is the English translation of the poem: 


Behold. I am beside you; you have not seen me, open the gates of your abode to me. Unwellness shall flee your abode. No longer any disease shall enter your life nor will sadness conquer your mind. No longer any bitterness or any horrifying voices… I shall leave you in incomparable serenity. You will step on a safe far away paradise. A place without enemies where there is absolute safety. Your clothes shall not wear out. Your skin will not blister. Your heels will not crack. Your hair will not become grey. No grayness, no corruption, no sorrow, no anxiety and no hardship shall lead to you. Give me your hands. I will hold your hands in my hands. I will leave you to the warmth of my body. Leave me your hair. I shall kiss your eyes. You shall find a meaning in me. I shall give you my warmth and you shall escape any coldness and frostiness. You shall melt in me. You shall become one with me. Leave your hands in my hands. Your bones shall shatter one after another. Your white and pink nails… I shall remove your nails one by one. You shall put your head on my shoulder and I shall run my fingers through your full head of hair. You are safe now and no one shall intimidate you. I shall pull your hair out strand by strand.
The air that reaches your chest so difficultly shall flow similar to a stream of water. I shall cut your nose and you will inhale clean air with no difficulty. Your bitterness shall come to an end. Poison and joy shall become one in your taste. I shall cut your tongue. I shall cut off your tongue so you do not have to answer to anyone. I shall pour hot wax in your ears and you shall live in eternal tranquility far from insults. I shall kiss your eyes. With every kiss an eyeball sinks into my mouth. The hole left from the house of your eyes shall remain red and black and you shall not see another ruin. You see what I am. You will see what you want. You shall become what I am. You shall be what you want. You shall hear what I am. You shall hear what you want. You shall smell what I am. You shall smell what you want. You shall taste what I am. You shall taste what you want. You shall melt in me. You shall find a meaning in me. I shall give you my warmth and you shall escape any cold and frostiness. You shall melt in me. You shall become one with me. You and you and you and you and you and you…
You will sleep quietly in my arms. You shall sleep and you and you and you and you and you and you… And I shall pull out every single blood vessel of yours, your blood vessels yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours, quiet and quiet and quiet and quiet and quiet and quiet and noiseless and without any noise, voiceless in silence, in the position of the eternal voiceless ones you shall fall sleep in my arms… I shall rend your chest, break your ribs and rend your chest and your ribs and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours… I shall pull out your heart from your chest, your beating heart and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours… I shall chew your heart bit by bit, your heart and your heart and your heart and your heart… You shall fall sleep calmer than ever with a smile on your darkened lips… I shall shut your bruised lips and your lips and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and your lips I shall shut. You shall join me. To the safest place in the world, you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you shall join the safest place in the world. You shall be defined in me, you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you will become me myself. I love you and you and you and you and you and you.
You shall see what I am. You shall see what you want. You shall become what I am. You shall become what you want. You shall hear what I am. You shall hear what you want. You shall smell what I am. You shall smell what you want. You shall taste what I am. You shall taste what you want you shall melt in me. You shall find meaning in me. I shall give you my warmth and you will be free from any cold and frostiness. You shall melt in me. I shall bite your flesh and its every bit will be a part of me every bit of your body and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours… I will clean your bones. I will rub the surface of the bone to a blade, every one of your bones and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours… Your bones will be cleansed from blood vessels and ligaments and all pollution. And you will join me you and you and you and you and you and you…