Seek, O Lovers
Sanaiسنایی
طلب ای عاشقان خوش رفتار
Seek, O lovers of the graceful step!
طرب ای شاهدان شیرین‌کار
Rejoice, O beauties of the sweet ways!
تا کی از خانه هین ره صحرا
How long in the house? Come, take the road to the open plain!
تا کی از کعبه هین در خمار
How long at the Kaaba? Come, to the wine-seller’s door!
زین سپس دست ما و دامن دوست
From now on, our hand and the hem of the Friend;
بعد از این گوش ما و حلقه یار
after this, our ear and the ring of the Beloved.
در جهان شاهدی و ما فارغ
A beauty in the world, and we unmoved?
در قدح جرعه‌ای و ما هشیار
A draught in the cup, and we sober?
خیز تا ز آب روی بنشانیم
Rise, and with the water of our faces let us lay
گرد این خاک توده غدار
the dust of this treacherous heap of earth;
پس به جاروب «لا» فرو روبیم
then with the broom of ‘No’ let us sweep
کوکب از صحن گنبد دوار
the stars from the courtyard of the turning dome.
A note for readers
The opening of a qasida that calls the seeker out of the house and even away from the Kaaba to the tavern, the image Sanai helped make central to Persian mystical poetry. The ‘water of our faces’ is honour, which the lover is ready to spend, and also tears. The ‘No’ is the first word of the Muslim profession of faith, ‘There is no god but God’, which sweeps away everything but God.
More poemsشعرهای دیگر
مرغی دیدم نشسته بر باره طوس
در پیش نهاده کله کیکاووس
I saw a bird perched on the ramparts of Tus,
with the skull of Kay Kavus set down before it.
A Bird on the Walls of Tus
یکی قطره باران ز ابری چکید
خجل شد چو پهنای دریا بدید
A drop of rain fell from a cloud;
it was ashamed when it saw the breadth of the sea.
A Drop of Rain
ابتدای کار سیمرغ ای عجب
جلوه‌گر بگذشت بر چین نیم‌شب
The beginning of the Simorgh’s story, how wonderful:
in all his splendour he passed over China at midnight.