The Song That Unites Iranians
What is “Ey Iran”?
Ey Iran is one of the most beloved patriotic songs in Persian. Although it is not the official national anthem of Iran, it has long been held in deep affection by many Iranians and is often treated emotionally as an unofficial national anthem.
Download the printable PDF
If you want a clean Printable version for singing and pronunciation practice of Ey Iran ای ایران, you can download the printable PDF below.
Tip: On iPhone: tap Share / Save to Files if you want to download it 😊
Watch the karaoke video
I’m also preparing a karaoke-style video for Ey Iran ای ایران so you can follow the pronunciation, rhythm, and meaning more easily while singing.
In the karaoke version, I use a learner-friendly English meaning so the message stays clear while you sing. For a more literary rendering, I recommend checking the notes and source links further below.
The meaning and emotional place of “Ey Iran”ای ایران
One reason Ey Iran has remained so powerful is that it speaks directly to love of homeland. Its language is emotional, dignified, and deeply rooted in the idea of Iran itself rather than in a specific political system.
That is one reason so many Iranians across different backgrounds still connect to it so strongly.
Related blog: Ever wondered what the Persian ای (ey) actually means?
Who wrote “Ey Iran” ای ایران?
The lyrics were written by Ḥosayn Gol-golāb, and the music was composed by Ruḥ-Allāh Ḵāleqi. According to Encyclopaedia Iranica, the song was first performed in 1944 and quickly became popular because of both its stirring melody and emotionally charged words.
The historical origin of the song
The origins of Ey Iran go back to the World War II period. Encyclopaedia Iranica explains that the song emerged in the turbulent atmosphere following the Allied invasion of Iran in September 1941. The inspiration is connected to a painful moment witnessed by the song’s creators, when they saw Allied flags raised at the ʿEšratābād army barracks near Tehran.
That historical wound helps explain the intensity of the song. Ey Iran is not casual patriotism. It comes out of injury, dignity, and love for the land.
Why many people call it an unofficial national anthem of Iran?
Encyclopaedia Iranica notes that the song has long been recited and cherished by Iranians at home and abroad “almost like an unofficial national anthem.” It was also widely used in public culture for decades, including as the opening music of Tehran radio’s early morning broadcasts.
This is why, even today, many people feel that Ey Iran belongs to the emotional memory of the nation.
Lyrics, transliteration, and translation table
Below is the full study table with Persian, transliteration, a literary translation, and a learner-friendly meaning.
Translation note
The learner-friendly column is designed for pronunciation practice, singing, and quick understanding. The literary column is there for readers who want a more elevated and poetic English rendering.
| Transliteration | Learner-friendly meaning | Literary Translation | Persian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ey Irān, ey marz-e porgohar | O Iran, O bejeweled land | O Iran! O jewel-studded land! | ای ایران، ای مرز پرگهر |
| Ey khāk-at sarcheshme-ye honar | O land whose soil is the source of art | Your soil, springhead of artistry sublime | ای خاکت سرچشمهٔ هنر |
| Door az to andishe-ye badān | May thoughts of the wicked be far from you | May those who harbor you ill, banished be | دور از تو اندیشهٔ بدان |
| Pāyande māni, to jāvedān | May you remain everlasting and eternal | May you remain everlastingly strong | پاینده مانی تو جاودان |
| Ey doshman! ar to sang-e khāre-i, man āhan-am | O enemy! If you are stone, I am iron | If the foe is granite hard, I am clad in iron | ای دشمن! اَر تو سنگ خارهای، من آهنم |
| Jān-e man fadā-ye khāk-e pāk-e mihan-am | My life is sacrificed for my homeland’s pure soil | I offer my life for the pure soil of my land | جان من فدای خاک پاک میهنم |
| Mehr-e to chon shod pīshe-am | Ever since your love became my life's path | Ever since your love became life’s path | مهر تو چون شد پیشهام |
| Door az to nist andishe-am | My thoughts are never far from you | From you have never strayed afar my thoughts | دور از تو نیست اندیشهام |
| Dar rāh-e to, key arzeshi dārad in jān-e mā? | What worth has this life of ours in your path? | To further your glory, we care naught for our lives | در راه تو کی ارزشی دارد این جان ما؟ |
| Pāyande bād khāk-e Irān-e mā | May the soil of our Iran endure forever | Eternal be the soil of our land | پاینده باد خاک ایران ما |
| Sang-e koohat dorr o gohar ast | The stones of your mountains are pearls and gems | The rocks of your mountains are pearls and rubies | سنگ کوهت درّ و گوهر است |
| Khāk-e dashtat behtar az zar ast | The soil of your plains is more precious than gold | Your desert sand worthier than gold | خاک دشتت بهتر از زَر است |
| Mehr-at az del key boroon konam? | How can I ever take your love out of my heart? | How can I remove your love from my heart? | مهرت از دل کی برون کنم؟ |
| Bargoo, bi mehr-e to choon konam? | Tell me, what shall I do without your love? | Tell me, how can I live without your love? | برگو، بی مهرِ تو چون کنم؟ |
| Tā gardesh-e jahān o dor-e āsemān bepāst | As long as the world turns and the heavens revolve | As long as the world turns and the heavens revolve | تا گردش جهان و دور آسمان بهپاست |
| Noor-e izadi hamishe rahnamā-ye māst | The divine light is always our guide | Divine light will always be our guide | نور ایزدی همیشه رهنمای ماست |
| Mehr-e to chon shod pīshe-am | Ever since your love became my life's path | Ever since your love became life’s path | مهر تو چون شد پیشهام |
| Door az to nist andishe-am | My thoughts are never far from you | From you have never strayed afar my thoughts | دور از تو نیست اندیشهام |
| Dar rāh-e to, key arzeshi dārad in jān-e mā? | What worth has this life of ours in your path? | To further your glory, we care naught for our lives | در راه تو کی ارزشی دارد این جان ما؟ |
| Pāyande bād khāk-e Irān-e mā | May the soil of our Iran endure forever | Eternal be the soil of our land | پاینده باد خاک ایران ما |
| Irān! ey khorram behesht-e man | Iran, o my joyful paradise | O Iran, my glorious paradise | ایران! ای خرّم بهشت من |
| Roshan az to sarnevesht-e man | My destiny is bright because of you | Through you, my fate brightly shines | روشن از تو سرنوشت من |
| Gar ātesh bārad be peykar-am | Even if fire rains upon my body | Even if my body is set on fire | گر آتش بارد به پیکرم |
| Joz mehr-at dar del naparvar-am | I will nurture nothing but your love in my heart | Only your love will I nurture | جز مهرت در دل نپرورم |
| Az āb o khāk o mehre to sereshte shod gel-am | From your water, soil, and love, my being was molded | My being was formed of your soil, water, and love | از آب و خاک و مهر تو سرشته شد گلم |
| Mehr agar boroon ravad, geli shavad del-am | If your love leaves, my heart will turn to mere clay | My heart turns to clay if your love departs | مهر اگر برون رود، گِلی شود دلم |
| Mehr-e to chon shod pīshe-am | Ever since your love became my life's path | Ever since your love became life’s path | مهر تو چون شد پیشهام |
| Door az to nist andishe-am | My thoughts are never far from you | From you have never strayed afar my thoughts | دور از تو نیست اندیشهام |
| Dar rāh-e to, key arzeshi dārad in jān-e mā? | What worth has this life of ours in your path? | To further your glory, we care naught for our lives | در راه تو کی ارزشی دارد این جان ما؟ |
| Pāyande bād khāk-e Irān-e mā | May the soil of our Iran endure forever | Eternal be the soil of our land | پاینده باد خاک ایران ما |
How I translated it for learners
For teaching purposes, I do not always use the most literary English phrasing as the main meaning line. In a karaoke or pronunciation video, people need clarity first. So I sometimes choose a simpler meaning that stays faithful to the spirit of the Persian while remaining easy to follow in real time.
This is especially useful if you are learning Persian through singing and want to understand the line while you pronounce it.
Want a verse-by-verse explanation?
I’m also preparing a separate breakdown of each verse, where I’ll explain vocabulary, pronunciation, cultural meaning, and some of the deeper poetic choices in the song.
That version will be especially useful if you want more than a sing-along and are curious about how lines like these work in Persian.
Other versions of Ey Iran
Other Versions of Ey Iran
Over the decades, Ey Iran has been performed by many well-known singers and has remained deeply loved across generations. Encyclopaedia Iranica notes that the song has been sung by many famous performers, including Ḡolām-Ḥosayn Banān. Banān is also described there as one of the foremost Persian singers of the twentieth century, admired for the beauty and refinement of his voice.
Banan’s version
If you want to hear one of the most respected classic interpretations of Ey Iran, Banan’s version is essential. Iranica identifies the well-known recording of Ey Iran as a performance by Banān with the Golhā Orchestra, with music by Ruḥollāh Ḵāleqi and lyrics by Ḥosayn Gol-golāb.
Ey Iran — by Banan
Version by Arash Fouladvand
Version by Nima Masiha
A Note on a Famous Textual Variation
Many Iranians know this question well: in the last stanza, should the line be read as «مهر اگر برون رود، گِلی شود دلم» or «مهر اگر برون رود، تهی شود دلم»?
The version printed by Encyclopaedia Iranica gives the line as «گِلی شود دلم». Since Iranica’s article presents the text of the song and its translated stanzas, this is the strongest scholarly reference point for the form used in this blog.
At the same time, the variation «تهی شود دلم» is not random or strange. It has been used in performance and is familiar to many listeners, which is exactly why so many people still ask about it today.
Why do many readers consider «گِلی شود دلم» the more original and more poetic form? Because it connects beautifully to the line before it: «از آب و خاک و مهر تو سرشته شد گلم». The imagery is about being formed from soil, water, and love. So if that love leaves, the heart turning back into something like clay creates a strong inner poetic logic.
In other words:
گِلی شود دلم = the more textually grounded and poetically connected version in the scholarly source used here
تهی شود دلم = a familiar sung variation that many people still know and use
So if you grew up hearing «تهی شود دلم», you are definitely not alone. But if you are looking for the version most aligned with the scholarly text used in this blog, «گِلی شود دلم» is the one to follow here.
Sources and further reading
- Encyclopaedia Iranica – “Ey Irān”
- Iranica says Ey Iran was written by Ḥosayn Gol-golāb, set to music by Ruḥollāh Ḵāleqi, first performed in 1944, and sung by many famous singers including Banān. (source)
- Iranica’s Banān entry describes him as one of the foremost Persian singers of the twentieth century. (source)
- Iranica’s music entry for Ḵāleqi, Ey Irān identifies the classic recording as Banān (vocals) and the Golhā Orchestra. (source)
- The same Iranica Ey Irān text prints the stanza with «گِلی شود دلم», which is why that is the form this blog follows. (source)
A final note
Ey Iran is more than a song to many people. It carries memory, love of homeland, and a feeling of continuity across generations. That is part of why it remains so alive.
A Deeper Historical Echo
For many Iranians, the love of homeland expressed in Ey Iran also resonates with a deeper historical memory: the idea of Iran as a civilizational home larger than tribe, region, or sect.
This is one reason figures like Cyrus the Great continue to hold such an important place in Iranian cultural identity. They are often remembered not only as rulers, but as symbols of dignity, continuity, and a vision of order in which different peoples could belong to one shared land while remaining free beyond religion, ethnicity, or race.
If you’re curious about Cyrus the Great and what he represents in Iranian cultural memory, you can read more here →
