Your Sweet Essence
Ghazal 22531
23879 Your beautiful face (is) the light of my heart, (and) your
happy disposition is my wings and feathers.
23880 Your laughter (is) my religious Festival2 and (day on the
Plain) of 'Arafa3, (and) your sweet fragrance (is) my musk and
rose (perfume).
Your (beautiful face like the) disk of the moon (is) my rising sign,4
(and) your lovely hair (is) my shady place.
The dust of your doorway (is) my spot for prostration,5,(and) your
delightful neighborhood (is) my place for agitated wandering.
(My) heart doesn't go toward others, since it has gone (in) your fair
direction.
And if (my) heart should go toward others, your sweet essence6
will draw it back.
23885 My drunkenness (is) from your existence, (and) your
pleasant stream is my diving place.
I became golden from your silvery breast, (and) I became single
from your delightful uniqueness.7
I laid down (my) head. How should your joyous (polo) ball [which
is my head] not lay down (its) head (before) your mallet?
23888 I will be very quiet, since my shouting is broken by your
sweet sigh.
--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
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)
First published on "Sunlight" (yahoogroups.com), 10/10/98; revised 2/04
Notes on the text, with line number:
1Ghazal 2253: Compare to the translation by A.J. Arberry,
"Mystical Poems of Rumi: Second Selection," 1979, no. 285, pp.
66-67; compare to the version by Coleman Barks (based on
Arberry's translation), "Open Secret," 1984, p. 54.
2religious Festival (`îd): celebrated after the annual Pilgrimage
ends in Mecca.
3Plain of `Arafa: where pilgrims pray while standing on the 10th
day of the Pilgrimage; often described as the spiritual climax of the
Hajj.
4rising sign: the planet which rose on the day of a person's birth.
An idiom meaning good fortune.
5spot for prostration (sajda-gah): a place for prayer, involving a
prostration of the head on the ground during the ritual prayer to
God.
6your sweet essence: literally, "he-ness" [ôy-yé khwosh-é tô]:
Arberry translated, "your sweet 'person'." See Mathnawi II: 1987,
translated by Nicholson, "You are (really) he: seek yourself in his
'he' (personality)." Nicholson explained this as follows: "The
Shaykh, being essentially one with God, is the disciple's real self,
which he must seek in the Shaykh, not in himself." (Commentary
on Book II)
7single from your uniqueness: a word play which can also mean
"single-fold from the fold of your garment."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
23879 nûr-é del-é mâ rôy-ê khwosh-é tô
bâl-o par-é mâ khôy-é khwosh-é tô
23880 `îd-o `arafah khandîdan-é tô
moshk-o gol-é mâ bôy-é khwosh-é tô
ay Tâli`-é mâ qurS-é mah-é tô
sâya-gah-é mâ môy-é khwosh-é tô
sajda-gah-é mâ khâk-é dar-é tô
jawlân-gah-é mâ kôy-é khwosh-é tô
del mê-na-raw-ad sôy-é degar-ân
chûn rafta bow-ad sôy-é khwosh-é tô
w-ar del be-raw-ad sôy-é degar-ân
ô-râ be-kash-ad ôy-é khwosh-é tô
23885 ay mastiy-é mâ az mastiy-é tô
ghôTa-gah-é mâ jôy-é khwosh-é tô
zarîn shod-am az sîmîn-bar-é tô
yak-tô shod-am az tôy-é khwosh-é tô
sar mê-neh-am-o chûn sar na-neh-ad
chawgân-é to-râ gôy-é khwosh-é tô?
23888 khâmosh kon-am-o khâmosh, chô suk-ast
hây-o hôy-am az hôy-é khwosh-é tô
Meter: XX oXX XX oXX
(Mutaqârib aslam sâlim)
