Elegy for the Silent Days

for the BlackBox Ensemble

Composer: Soheil Shirangi

March 8, 2026

San Francisco State University

for Quintet Ensemble:

Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano

 

Asked, “How are you?”

He answered, “How can a people be who are in the sea, whose ship has broken, and each of them is left on a piece of wood?” Said, “It must be hard.”

He said, “My state is like that too.”

Hasan Basri From Tazkirat al-Awliya

By Sheikh Attar of Nishapur

For the days that could have unfolded differently, for the thoughts that could have chosen another path, for the people who have no choice and are condemned to a fate they never wanted, and for the inner voice that remained silent, just like the world they built for us, the hope and faith that never faded away, yet…

 

My narrative of people who did not lose their hope in the days of silence.