Kisses But No Lips Were Visible
Ghazal 1006*1
Love chose me over all others; it came and drunkenly bit my
cheek.
Thanks (be to God) that rare pincers reached my face from the gold
mine of a Ja`far!2
If there is an air of grandeur in my head, it is also from his breath
that he breathed into me.
He made the moon angry toward me and it pulled a silken blue veil
over my face (from) the blue dome (of the sky).
10625 Wine (was) plentiful, but (there was) no cup; kisses were
continuous, but no lips (were) visible.
By your moon, the disbelieving night (became) the day of religion.
(And) by your breath, Yazîd (has) become Bâyazîd.3
Say: "Let the dog of ego seize the entire world!" (Yet) the bank of
the sea will never become polluted by the dog.
Although the locked bar of God shed much of its blood,4 since the
key arrived, I am shedding its blood.
The spirit will happily kill the ego so that the happy fortunate ones
will be together with the martyrs.5
No prey will escape from that Hunter, since he has escaped from
the doggish qualities of the dog of the body.6
O senile old man, become young from the start! (For) thousands of
old (worn-out) clothes became new by means of the Beloved.
O dead body, come out from the grave! (For) the Trumpet (of the
Resurrection) is blown from the glorious Throne (of God).
(Be) silent and listen to the drum of the silent ones! (For) God will
strengthen you and give new life.
--From The Dîwân-é Kabîr (also known as "Kulliyat-é Shams" and
"Dîwân-é Shams-é Tabrîz") of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard, 6/3/06
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)
Notes on the text, with line number:
1Ghazal 1006: Compare to: the translation (from the Turkish
translation of Golpinarli) by Nevit Ergin, "Mevlana Celaleddin
Rumi: Dîvân-i Kebîr," Meter 11, Volume 11, 2000, pp. 92-3.
2the gold mine of a Ja`far: refers to ure gold made by an
alchemist named Ja`far. The sixth Shi`ite Imam, Ja`far al-S’diq
was also reputed to know alchemy. See Mathnawi I: 2778.
3Yazîd (has) become Bâyazîd: Yazîd was the infamous seventh
Caliph, who ruled the Islamic empire from Damascus. Abu YazÓd
al-Bist’mÓ was a famous 9th century sufi master. See Mathnawi I:
2275.
4its blood: this verse also refers to the "dog of ego."
5the martyrs: refers to the saints and mystics whose self-centered
egotism has been killed.
6the dog of the body: egotism and selfish cravings are rooted in the
bodily self.
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`ishq ma-râ bar hama-gân bar gozîd
âmad-o mastâna rokh-am-râ gazîd
shukr k-az-ân kân-é zar-é ja`farê
rôy-é ma-râ nâdira gâzê rasîd
bâd-é takabbur agar-am dar sar-ast
ham ze-dam-é ô-st ke dar man damîd
kard ma-râ khashm mah-wo bar rokh-am
gonbad-é nîlî sara-nîlî kashîd
10625 bâda farâwân-o yakê jâm nê
bôsa payâpay shod-o lab nâ-padîd
ay shab-é kufr az mah-é tô rôz-é dîn
gashta yazîd az dam-é tô bâyazîd
gô sag-é nafs în hama `âlam be-gîr
kay shaw-ad az sag lab-é daryâ palîd?
qofl-é khodâyî-sh basê khûn ke rêkht
khûn-ash be-rêz-am chô âmad kalîd
jân ba-sa`âdat be-kosh-ad nafs-râ
tâ ba-ham oft-and sa`îd-o shahîd
10630 hêch shikârê na-rah-ad z-ân Siyâd
k-ô ze-sagî-hây-é sag-é tan rahîd
ay kharaf-é pîr, jawân shô ze-sar
tâza shod az yâr hazâr-ân qadîd
w-ay badan-é morda, berûn â ze-gôr
Sûr damîd-and ze-`arsh-é majîd
khâmosh-o be-sh'naw dohol-é khâmosh-ân
ayyad-aka 'llâha ba-`aysh-in jadîd
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Meter: (XooX XooX XoX)
Meter 11: sarî` maTwiyy makhsûf
