Translation: May your charming face ever shine like the full moon; May you hold eternal sway over the domains of beauty. By your amorous glance you have killed a poor man like me; How magnanimous of you? May God give you a long life. Pray do not be cruel lest you should feel ashamed of…
Favorite Verses of Amir Khusro
Translation: Love of you brings news of a world beyond consciousness and brings the pious to down goblets of wine Your cheek broke the repentant vows of dozens of ascetic devotees and nearly had them wearing black Yearning for you is the sheriff who seizes sultan reason by the hair …
The Wisdom of Khusrau
Translation: Poverty is more pleasant than majesty; depravity, more pleasant than piety. Majesty has its headaches, and when last I looked beggary was more pleasant. Since kings let no one approach them, being indigent among the poor is more pleasant When pride gets into someone’s…
How many nights…
Translation: By God, how many nights I have spent in the sweetness of life, apart from the watchman Drinking my wine with the beloved as my companion as the glasses of love’s joys go ’round I reached by goal, beyond whatever I had hoped Longing, though it be perfect, for this pleasure to stay…
Clouds cry
Transliteration (first lines) Abr mi barad-o man shovm-e az yar-e judaa Choon kunam dil becheneen roz zedildar judaa. Abr baraan wa man-o yar satadah ba-widaa’ Man judaa girya kunaan, abr judaa, yaar judaa Translation: The cloud weeps, and I become separated from my friend – How can I separate my heart from my heart’s friend…
Every night, every day
https://vimeo.com/70399018 Lyrics and Translation Har shab manam futada, Ba girde sarai e tou Har roz ah o nala kunam az barai e tou Every night have I fallen, around the circle of Thy tavern every day, do I wail and cry, in yearning of Thee Jana ba iin shakista dil-bewafa ma shou Umre…
Two Ghazals from Hafez
I’ve quoted from these before, but here are two of my favorite ghazals in their entirety: (If the videos on the other pages on this site don’t appear for you, try emptying your cache and reloading the page) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0CRm37FQr4 Translation: The outward ascetic has no knowledge of our state …
Envy of the ancient idols…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqSS7O7zKsM Translation: O you whose beautiful face is the envy of the idols of Azar (Abraham’s father and famous idol maker); However I describe you, your beauty is still lovelier. All over the world have I traveled; many a maiden’s love have I tasted; Many a beauty have I seen; but you are…
You make me forget myself…
Amir Khusro Translation: I dressed myself up to go see my Love but when I saw him, I forgot myself you robbed me of everything when our eyes met You made me drink love’s elixir and I got drunk when our eyes met My fair arms with green bangles you took by the…
Don’t ignore my sorry state
One of the most popular of Amir Khusrau’s ghazal’s this poem features lines of alternating Persian and Hindavi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGp6kSGc3Ck Translation: Do not ignore my sorry state She rolls her eyes and makes excuses For I cannot bear this separation Why won’t she take me in her arms? Long like curls are the nights of…