جام زهر

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Persian

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Etymology

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Referencing a 1988 speech by Ruhollah Khomeini regarding Iran's agreement that year to end the Iran–Iraq War, having made no gains despite extensive casualties:

و بدا به حال من که هنوز مانده‌ام و جام زهرآلود قبول قطعنامه را سر کشیده‌ام، و در برابر عظمت و فداکاری این ملت بزرگ احساس شرمساری می‌کنم []
va badâ be hâl-e man ke hanuz mânde-am va jâm-e zahr-âlud-e qabul-e qat'nâme râ sar kešide-am, va dar barâbar-e 'azamat o fedâkâri-ye in mellat-e bozorg ehsâs-e šarmsâri mi-konam []
And woe to me that I am still alive and have quaffed the poison-filled chalice of accepting the resolution, and I feel shame facing the grandeur and the sacrifices of this great nation []

Pronunciation

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Readings
Iranian reading? jâme zahr

Noun

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جامِ زَهر (jâm-e zahr)

  1. (Iran, politics) "poisoned chalice"; difficult decision which goes against one's beliefs or ideology, but must be made nonetheless