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Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1521, in poetic translations
by Khalili and Schimmel, a literal translation by Arberry, and a
version from Cowan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
only you
i choose among the entire world
is it fair of you
letting me be unhappy
my heart is a pen in your hand
it is all up to you
to write me happy or sad
i see only what you reveal
and live as you say.
all my feelings have the color
you desire to paint
from the beginning to the end
no one but you.
please make my future
better than the past
when you hide i change
to a godless person
and when you appear
i find my faith
don't expect to find
any more in me
than what you give
don't search for
hidden pockets because
i've shown you that
all i have is all you gave
-- Poetic translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1994.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've chosen you, of all the world, alone!
Can You allow then that I sit and grieve?
My heart is in Your fingers like a pen:
You cause my sadness and You cause
my joy.
What could I choose but that what
You have chosen?
What do I see but that what You are showing?
Now You make grow from me a thorn,
now roses –
Now I smell roses, now I feel the thorn.
When You keep me like that, that's how I am,
friend!
When You want me like this – again, this is it.
And in the vat where our hearts are colored –
How would I find what love is,
and what hatred?
You were the First and You will be the Last,
too –
Let better be my end than my beginning!
When You are hidden, I'm an unbeliever;
When You are manifest, I'm a believer.
And I own nothing but what you have granted –
Why do You search my pockets and my sleeves?
-- Poetic translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"Look! This is Love - Poems of Rumi"
Shambhala, 1991
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out of all the world I choose you alone; do you deem it right
for me to sit sorrowful?
My heart is like a pen in your hand; through you it is, whether
I am glad or grieve.
What shall I be other than what you wish? What shall I see
except what you show?
Now you cause thorns to grow from me, now roses; now I
smell roses, now I pluck thorns.
Since you keep me so, I am so – since you wish me so, I am so
In that vat where you dispense dye to the heart, what should I
be? What my love and hate?
You were the first, and you will be the last; do you make my
last better than my first.
When you are hidden, I am of the infidels; when you appear, I
am of the faithful.
What do I possess other than the thing you have given? What
are you searching for in my pocket and sleeve?
-- Literal translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of all the world I choose you alone;
Will you allow me to sit in grief?
My heart is as a pen in your hand;
You cause me to be either glad or sad.
Save what you will, what will have I?
Save what you reveal, what do I see?
Out of me you grow a thorn or a rose;
I small roses now, and pull out thorns.
If you keep me as I am, I am;
If you change me, I'm changed.
In the glass where you colour my soul
I'm who? Why is my Love or hate?
You were first, and last you shall be;
Make my last better than my first, do.
When you're hidden, I'm faithless;
When you're visible, I'm faithful.
I'm nothing, except what you've bestowed;
What do you seek from my breast and sleeve?
-- Version by James Cowan
"Rumi's Divan of Shems of Tabriz, Selected Odes"
Element Books Limited 1997
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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