Translation: If the soul of a lover spoke, fire would rain down on this world smashing this baseless world like atoms The Sky will burst, time and space torn to shreds A passion fills the world, Joy triumphs over death. The Sun falls short, as the inner light glows …
Amazing Ghazal of Rumi
Another great translation from Prof. Nicholas Boylston… Translation: At every breath the song of love Arrives to us from left and right We’re setting out to the celestial sphere Who has the guts to come with us? The celestial sphere was once our home We were the friends of angels there We go again to…
Rumi—It’s a lie!
Wonderful ghazal, wonderfully translated by Prof Nicholas Boylston: Translation: They say, “The king of love has no loyalty.” It’s a lie. They say, “The morning does not lead to eve.” It’s a lie. They say, “Why do you kill yourselves for the sake of love? After the annihilation of the body nothing remains.” It’s a…
Yunus Emre-The Watermill
Thanks to Serdar Kiliç for introducing me to this poem and translating it: Translation Why do you groan, O Watermill; For I’ve troubles, I groan I fell in love with the Lord; For It do I groan They found me on a mountain; My arms and wings they plucked Saw me fit for a watermill;…
Baba Zahin Shah Taji
I was recently introduced to this amazing 20th-century Urdu Sufi poet and scholar (he translated and Ibn al-‘Arabi’s Fuṣūṣ al-Hikam and Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya and al-Ḥallāj’s Kitāb al-Ṭawāsīn into Urdu) in these beautiful translations by Amer Latif from this article: Latif, Amer. “Ẕahīn Shāh Tājī’s (d. 1978) Signs of Beauty (Āyāt-i Jamāl).” Journal of Sufi Studies…
Sana’i and Hafez Bilingual Poems (Molamma’āt)
One of Hafez’s Molamma’āt (mixed Persian and Arabic) ghazals illustrates not only the unique transformation of Arabic prosody in Persian poetry, but also Hafez’s unique gift for copying, transforming, and improving the verses from previous ghazals (in this case a ghazal by the seminal master of the ghazal, Sanā’ī): Sana’ī Translation: Last night a…
Uyghur dutar and poetry-Uchrashqanda
Amazing poem by Abdurehim Ötkür and performance by Abdurehim Heyit Translation (thanks to Arthur Schechter for help): At sunrise, I saw the Sultan of my eyes I said: “Are you the Sultan?” She said: “No, no.” Her eyes are blazing, her hands are hennaed; I said: “Are you Venus?” She said: “No, no.” I said:…
‘Eid al-Adha
Rumi Translation: When love sacrifices me, then that day will be my ‘Eid Were it not my ‘Eid, I’d not be that real man, but a whore Original: عشق چو قربان کندم عید من آن روز بود ور نبود عید من آن مرد نیم بلک غرم al-Harraq Translation: If you appear,…
Loving you
Minnie Ripperton Lyrics: Lovin’ you is easy, ’cause you’re beautiful Makin’ love with you is all I wanna do Lovin’ you is more than just a dream come true And everything that I do is out of lovin’ you La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la-la Dodin-dodin-do-do, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah No one else can make me feel the colors…
The qibla of love
Qu’ran 2:144 We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven. And now verily We shall turn you toward a qibla [direction of prayer] which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye, wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces toward it. Lo! Those who have…