"The living Spirit prayer of the universal poetry from the halo light of the home land that embracing in her wings a life" – Iris Calif

"The living Spirit prayer of the universal poetry from the halo light of the home land that embracing in her wings a life" – Iris Calif 

"Butterflies of Peace"-Iris Calif

On June 2nd 2024, a one-of-a-kind international, social, humanistic, ethical and prestigious exhibition, "Butterflies of Peace", was opened on the upper level of the Air Force House Gallery in Herzliya. The name of the exhibition was chosen by the poet, writer, translator and editor of worldwide poetry, Iris Calif, and was inspired by her own poem of the same name. Curator and producer of the exhibition: Shuki Cohen – shukiart. 

Shuki Cohen: "I thought to myself, how was this exhibition, "Butterflies of Peace", born?

Well... this exhibition was dreamed up by one lady- the poet, writer and dancer Iris Calif, who also chose the name for the exhibition. The artists, painters, photographers and sculptors who took part in the exhibition are among the best Israeli artists in the modern era, alongside with 21 international poets from around the world and from different countries, whose beautiful poems Iris translated and edited into literary, spiritual and poetic Hebrew. Next to each poem, a biography and a photo of the poet was showcased. All the poems were printed on caps measuring 70 x 50 cm and the biographies on those measuring 30 x 50 cm".

Iris: "To me, the structure of the poem reflects the living body, while the words are the spirit of the soul. In the poems I highlighted certain sentences, which create an additional poem within the original one, and so I created the core worlds of the poem, one within the other. Each shade of color has a great meaning to my soul, and the whole set of colors reflects the colors of emotions of the rainbow of supreme nature. In all the poems my image is presented in the visual aspect, in artistic photographs of me combined with the paintings of the artist, and my eldest sister, Zehava, who combined the photos and paintings into magical and fascinating art". Iris also presented sixteen of her poems with her daughter, the poet and artist Noa Calif, who presented six poems combined with her own paintings. 

The international poets that took part in the exhibition are: Dr. Zhang Zhi, Dr. Jiang Yimao, Dr. Tang Shi – China, Aziz Mountassir – Morocco, Masudul Hoq – Bangladesh, Kamal Dhungana – Nepal, Angela Kosta – Albania, Eralieva Umutkan Polotovna -Kyrgyzstan, Jasna Gugić – Croatia, Arslan Bayır – Turkey, Anna Ferriero – Italy, Danielle Traykovic- Serbia, Carlos Jarquín- Nicaragua, Jorge Daniel Tejeda Palafox- Mexico, Алексей Калакутин- Russia, Mbizo Chirasha – Zimbabwe, Pedro Alfonso Morales – Nicaragua, Taghrid Bou Merhi – Lebanon– Brazil, Zbigniew Roth- Poland, Natalia Esquivel, Benít – Costa Rica, Dr. Shailesh Gupta Veer– India.

Iris Calif is an international writer, poet, dancer, editor and translator of poetry to Hebrew. She is in charge of foreign relations in the online culture, literature and poetry magazine "In Direction of the Wind" ("Bekiovn Hroh") and is a translator and an editor of world-wide poetry in the magazine, as well as in the culture and lifestyle magazine "Mokasini" and in the "World Poetry" section on the literature website "Rooms" ("Hadarim"). She is also a member of the Composers' Association of Hebrew authors and publishers in Israel named "ACUM". 

Iris received the 2023 award for International Best Poets & POETS: THE JOURNAL OF RENDITION OF INTERNATIONAL POETRY (ITRC) [Multilingual] [China]. She also holds a diploma from the "Russian Professional Writers Union" and the international magazine "Arina NN", registered in the Ministry of Culture of Russia, for her contribution to the culture world "International Poetic Community" 2022.

Iris is the head of the Israeli liaison department of the Hong Kong Literature and Arts Magazine and a member of the Association of artists and writers of the World SAPS. She takes part in the editorial board of the World Poetry Yearbook 2024 (English edition) and holds an honorary doctorate from the International Forum for Creativity, Humanity and Coexistence, Kingdom of Morocco. 

Iris is a descendant of a lineage of Kabbalists, blessed with the prophecy of the spirit of the heart and the ability of communication and vision, which are expressed in her mystical and Kabbalistic writing, endowed with spiritual touches of holy upper and hidden worlds. For her, it is a blessing to shine with the spirit of the Jewish voice from the depths of love, life, and faith in the creator of the world- our father in heaven

"And as I soar with the flight of my spirit soul, I will carry the holy halo of the light of my Jewish loving voice, in the eternally world of the wings of the Dove of God spirit of the land-living peace"-Iris Calif

Three of Iris's books have already been published: "In a fascinating lane breathes Lolita" (2001), "Wild moon" (2017), and "The daughter of God" (2020), and she is currently working on her fourth book. Her poems have been published and read on the radio, on television, on the internet, in national and international magazines and newspapers and in anthologies around the world, and were translated by international poets into numerous languages such as Spanish, Bengali, Nepali, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, Assamese, Russian, Albanian and Italian. 

Iris's poems were presented in many prestigious and international exhibitions in Israel such as "Crowns of Winter" (January 2023), where a poem of hers translated into Bengali was displayed alongside poems by seven international poets, each translated and edited into Hebrew by her. Also the exhibition "Black-Red-White" displayed Iris's translated versions of poems written by five international poets. Most recently, Iris's poems, also translated into Chinese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic, were presented in the universal exhibition "Butterflies of Peace", which also included the poems of 21 poets from around the world, translated by Iris into Hebrew.

Iris's poetry reflects the inner journey of her soul, which looks through love, dreams of life and breathes holy and hidden worlds. Her poetry is a symbol and an expression of her victory over anorexia and her courageous decision to choose life and love.

"And in my living Iris soul, my spirit dances the living voice of the holy God life" -Iris Calif

On the opening night of "Butterflies of Peace", Yehudit Malik Shiran attended and read a unique and fascinating article about Iris Calif. Yehudit Malik Shiran is an author, poet, journalist, literary critic, editor, founder of "On the Way" magazine, owner of "Efi-Log" radio, director of the center for creative writing named after Shoshana Malik, and publisher of "Bat-Or" publishing company. Her article addressed Iris's exemplary poetry and translations, that shine as a dance of light and holiness and bear poetry from the ancient Kabbalah's sacred language, brilliance and hidden higher worlds, all of which are unique in the Israeli literary and cultural landscape. 

"A poem and its mission", an article by Yehudit Malik Shiran:

It's an honor to be here tonight at the "Butterflies of Peace" exhibition, as a world peace ambassador for poetry, love and compassion. This exhibition's curator is Shuki Cohen, who combined painters, sculptors, two Israeli poets- a mother and her daughter, Iris and Noa Calif, and 21 international poets in an exhibition where poetry speaks art and art speaks poetry.

Iris Calif is a writer, dancer, poet, translator and editor of worldwide poetry. Her poetry includes a dance of light and holiness in its writing and movement. She is a freedom fighter, married to Tzachi and a mother of three daughters, one of whom, Noa, won a prize in the national youth writing competition named after the Malik family, which I have been managing for about eleven years. Noa's poetry is different from Iris's and can be found in the book "The Eternal Lands", alongside her beautiful paintings

Iris's poetry is very unique in the Israeli literary and cultural landscape, due to the language innovations that she embeds in her poems, like the cohen's breastplate stones embedded in his white robe. Her poetry is the ancient poetry of Kabbalah which includes the sacred language, the Zohar, hidden higher worlds, the spirit of life, love, creation, erupting femininity and soft motherhood.

Iris' poetry is prophetic poetry

"In God's garment to my body I clear silence The wind, and the summer candle is lit by a holy life, reigns in the crown of winter Writings of my soul/The evening creates my passion that gives birth to existence" (page 19). "

 The garment of prophecy changes the image and appearance. The prophetic writings Iris foretells will be brought by the winter with the sounds of water which is rain and the tears of the body and soul. "The Crown of Wind", the scriptures are meant to purify the body and the mind and maintain the balance in both. The evening is compared to the night which creates a desire for life, a desire for a sense of mission, a desire for existence. And how do we know she accepted the mission upon herself? Unlike the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, who passed tests to get their position, and Jonah who was chosen to be a prophet yet refused, she did not pass a mental test, but a series of physical tests I would call life lessons, as she accepts the mission with these words: "I am the iris, the ballerina of your life dancing in the land of love/ As the vine, the stems of my soul are formed" (page 22). 

"I am the holy Iris in the pouring rain, fear streams through me... tiny is my tear that drops" (page 29).

Only holy individuals, who are humble and modest, are chosen to be the speakers of God's voice. She comes to him without any coverings, naked as on the day she was born, and God puts the garment of prophecy on her body. The nudity motif appears throughout all the poems in the book "Daughter of God". In this motif, she is ready for duty. I come as I am, "I am naked drumming forever in the spirit of your shadows/engraving love in the nature of my mercy" (page 31).

And in another poem "In front of your eyes I wander naked" (page 34).

"I am the iris Eve colliding in the human being's rib dripping my naked love" (page 36).

The nudity motif has something sacred about the prophetic role assigned to her and about being a man's wife, a beloved wife, a mother of three daughters. The language of prophecy is also divided into two: on the mystical level she accepted the role, on the realistic level she fulfilled her motherhood and tuned her man to "trumpeter of the desert",

 "My beloved; you are the one racing my heart filled with heaven's irises as a woman in your shadows, as a human being in my blood" (page 39).

About the language of poetry, editing and translation

Beyond the poetry that emanates from the gates of the Zohar and the spiritual world, she chooses to translate 21 poets from around the world in her own language and leaves her mark on the translation.

Angela Kosta

Dr. Zhang Zhi

Dr. Aziz Mountassir

Eralieva Umutkan Polotovna

Dr. Jiang Yimao

Dr. Tang Shi

Jasna Gugić

Kamal Dhungana

Danijela Trajković

Arslan Bayır

Taghrid BouMerhi

Masudul Hoq

Carlos Javier Jarquín

Anna Ferriero

Natalia Esquivel Benitez

Zbigniew Roth

Shailesh Veer

Pedro Alfonso Morales Ruiz

Jorge Daniel Tejeda Palafox

Mbizo WaChirasha

Alexey Evgenievich Kalkutin

What do you think? Is it easy to translate poetry? Everything can be translated except for one thing, poetry cannot be translated from foreign languages into Hebrew. 

The act of translation is difficult, it doesn't pass through the verbal layers of the language, neither in the spoken word nor the sophisticated language. What was the poet's intention when he wrote his poem? What was she trying to convey through the expressions in her mother's tongue? Expressions that are difficult to find in another language. 

Translation deals with the idea, the topic that the poets wrote about. Sometimes 3 lines are a whole world in poetry. The ability to choose 21 poets from around the world in order to translate their ideas and edit them in the sacred language of Iris Calif is a difficult job that requires hours of investment. In the exhibition "Butterflies of Peace" we'll meet the 21 poets I have just presented and Iris's translation and editing, which are a heavenly gift, an introduction to the sensitive worlds of the poets, who think about compassion, love of humanity, peace and brotherhood. Translating the poetry of their lives into Hebrew is a gift to all and Iris Calif does it with great love. Weaving us threads of happiness in a world full of suffering, pain and hatred. Teaching us that it's also possible to love. Through her translations it's possible to pass on a message of human compassion, human dignity and freedom to the world, and hopefully we'll see our hostages return home and this insane war we've gotten into finally come to an end and brings peace, just like our exhibition that reaches out for internal, regional and global peace.

The poet Iris Calif:

"Butterflies of Peace" is an exhibition that was born from the dream for peace and the light of life, love, hope, faith, humanity, the voice of nature and freedom of the humankind. 

I am grateful for the privilege to share my poems together with my beloved daughter, the poet Noa Calif, the best Israeli artists of the modern era and 21 legendary and unique international poets from different countries: China, Morocco, Bangladesh, Nepal, Albania, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Turkey, Serbia, Italy, Nicaragua, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Lebanon, Poland, India and Russia, who all dream of peace, the light of life, love, hope and humanity, my dear brothers and sisters of the spirit of the soul, who love Israel. I have chosen to present and shine a light on their beautiful and unique poetry in this humanistic and social exhibition with the best Israeli artists of the modern era. Together we become as one in the rainbow of heaven's spirit and in the light of God as butterflies of peace among the flowers of the light of life, embracing love, humanity, hope, faith and the voice of human freedom in the flight of our wings. We are all equal, children of God, creatures of creation, regardless of color, race, religion, nationality and sex, who all dream of life, peace, love, hope and humanity.

The exhibition featured some of Iris's beautiful poems that were translated into Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese by international poets and were published in magazines and newspapers around the world: in Italian: Angela Kosta – Albania, in Chinese: Dr. Zhang Zhi – China, in Arabic: Dr. Taghrid Bou Merhi – Lebanon-Brazil, in Spanish: Jorge Daniel Tejeda Palafox – Mexico.

On the exhibition's opening evening preformed and sang three of his own songs: 

Yossi Appelbaum, the singer, musical producer, soundtrack designer and composer in the Israeli and international film industry for about 30 years, and a lecturer on the subject. Five-time winner of the Israel Film Academy Awards and winner of the Television Academy Award for the soundtracks of the series " The Arbitrator", "Shtisel" and "Fauda".

Gave speeches:

Naama Meshiach Cohen – editor and founder of the prestigious culture and lifestyle magazine "Mokasini". Naama talked about Calif's unique poetry and about working with her as an editor and a translator of universal poetry in "Mokasini " and read Iris's poem "In the Israel moon of my living heart the human universal Iris flower of World of Peace". The poem was published in many magazines around the world and was translated into foreign languages.

Yehudit Malik Shiran – poet, journalist, literary critic, editor, founder of "On the Way" magazine, owner of "Efi-Log" radio, director of the center for creative writing named after Shoshana Malik, and publisher of "Bat-Or" publishing company. She read a unique article about Iris's translations and poems, as well as Noa's, who in 2019 was among the winners of the national youth writing competition named after Chaim, Shoshana and Efi Malik. Yehudit read the poem that Noa wrote in 2019 "When a hero falls", which won in the national youth writing competition. 

Article translated by: Yarden Zehavi

Literary quotes translated into English by the writer and poet: Iris Calif

Butterflies of peace in the living halo voice of the home of the human Iris Eve flower of the heaven world - Iris Calif

Translation from Hebrew to English by the poet Iris Calif

I am the dreamer of butterflies of peace between the halo flowers of the light of life that embrace in the flight of their wing, love, humanity, hope, human freedom in the living voice of God of Iris Eve of the heaven worlds.  

In the footsteps of God, the spirit wind breathes the life of the psalms of the human Iris flower of my heart

And in my spirit soul dancing a living dance of the virtue of the holy Zohar pure and wild angles of my body

In the blue-white valley of hidden dawn

I kneel with the wings of creations of the universal heaven-land 

The temple of holy hidden scriptures of heaven's sky of the Lord creator of the world

And in the fire crown of my body's ballet, I am naked

Arises Iris Eve my bare body and soul

God king of the angles of the world brave Jacob

And in eternal fields of Iris my woman humankind soul lifting the living Jerusalem

And I will pace and breath the living holly halo of Canaan land of angels of the Star of David

The land of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses of Israel of my heaven world

And I am gazing the secret halo of my green eyes iris of Zion to the living mighty Lord of the world, Lord of the all land world

Our father in heaven, guard of Israel

And I will pray to the holy voice of the living God the light of my dreams

And in the living heart of the Torah of royal wings of the scripture heaven arises and grows irus of Canaan soaring

As conductor of eternal butterflies of peace

The poem "Butterflies of Peace" was read by the poet Iris Calif at the opening on the eve of the event of the Universal Exhibition-"Butterflies of Peace" which was introduced in Israe in June 2024 the Air Force House Gallery in Herzliya

Together with 21 legendary poets from around the world and different countries and the best of Israeli artists of the modern era

"We are The Butterflies of peace in the holy halo light flowers of the great God Embracing with our home land wings, love, humanity, hope and faith, The voice of Life, The human voice of the Living Freedom dream-Iris Calif "

Iris Calif; 

King of the angels of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, father of voice and all worlds, I, the iris, kneel my love before you in thanks that all is good and blessed in your words – Amen. From my soul I carry an eternal prayer, that our hostages and our dear and beloved soldiers will return home safely and quickly, and that 

the war will come to an end. We love you all and pray for your return – Amen-Iris Calif