Questions & Answers about من به تاریکی نگاه میکردم که جیرجیر در را شنیدم.
How does ke mean "when" in this sentence? Doesn't it normally mean "that" or "who"?
You are right that ke usually means "that" or "who." However, in this specific structure, it acts as a narrative interrupter meaning "when" or "suddenly." It links an ongoing background action in the past continuous (negâh mi-kardam) to an unexpected new action in the simple past (šenidam).
Why do we need the preposition be before târiki?
The compound verb negâh kardan (to look) always takes the preposition be (to/at) to show the target of your gaze. While in English you look "at" the darkness, in Farsi you literally say "to the darkness I was doing a look" (be târiki negâh mi-kardam).
Is jirjir a specific type of vocabulary word?
Yes, it is an onomatopoeia, meaning a word that imitates a sound. Jirjir mimics a repetitive squeaking or creaking noise, like an old wooden floor or a rusty hinge. As a fun fact, a cricket is called a jirjirak in Farsi because of the sound it makes!
Why does the direct object marker râ come after dar (door) and not after jirjir (creaking)?
The direct object of the verb šenidam (I heard) is the entire phrase "the creaking of the door" (jirjir-e dar). The rule for the object marker râ is that it must always sit at the very end of a noun phrase. It attaches to dar to avoid breaking up the hidden "e" sound (the Ezafe) that links the two nouns together.