Masnavi · 15th century

A Heart Free of Love’s Pain

Jamiجامی

دل فارغ ز درد عشق دل نیست

A heart free of the pain of love is no heart;

تن بی درد دل جز آب و گل نیست

a body without heartache is nothing but water and clay.

ز عالم رویت آور در غم عشق

Turn your face from the world to the grief of love,

که باشد عالمی خوش عالم عشق

for the world of love is a happy world.

غم عشق از دل کس کم مبادا

May the grief of love never lessen in anyone’s heart;

دلی بی عشق در عالم مبادا

may there be no heart in the world without love.

فلک سرگشته از سودای عشق است

The heavens wheel, bewildered, from the passion of love;

جهان پر فتنه از غوغای عشق است

the world is full of turmoil from the clamour of love.

اسیر عشق شو کازاد باشی

Become love’s captive, so that you may be free;

غمش بر سینه نه تا شاد باشی

lay its grief on your breast, so that you may be glad.

می عشقت دهد گرمی و مستی

The wine of love gives you warmth and drunkenness;

دگر افسردگی و خود پرستی

anything else gives coldness and self-worship.

ز یاد عشق ، عاشق تازگی یافت

Through the memory of love the lover found new life;

ز ذکر او بلند آوازگی یافت

through its remembrance he found renown.

اگر مجنون نه می زین جام خوردی

If Majnun had not drunk wine from this cup,

که او را در دو عالم نام بردی

who would speak his name in both worlds?

From: Yusuf and Zulaykha
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

From the prologue of Yusuf and Zulaykha: the first couplets of the section in praise of love that leads into Jami’s account of why he wrote the poem. Love, he says, is what makes a heart a heart, and it is love alone that has kept Majnun’s name alive. A little later in the same section he advises the reader not to turn away from human love, since it can be a bridge to the love of God.