Ghazal · 17th–18th century

Temple and Kaaba Were Our Excuse

Bidel Dehlaviبیدل دهلوی

سعی دیر و حرم بهانه ما

Our striving after temple and Kaaba was an excuse

برد ما را ز آستانه ما

that carried us away from our own threshold.

بس‌که در پرده دل افسردیم

We grew so cold behind the veil of the heart

تار شد شوخی ترانه ما

that the brightness of our song went dark.

حرف زلف مسلسلی داریم

We speak of tresses curled like chains;

کیست فهمد زبان شانه ما؟

who understands the language of our comb?

جلوه کردیم و هیچ ننمودیم

We showed ourselves and revealed nothing;

نیست آیینه در زمانه ما

there is no mirror in our age.

From: The Divan of Bidel
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

The opening of a ghazal in a short, quick metre. Its first couplet, that the pilgrim’s search for God in the temples of other faiths and in the Kaaba only led us away from our own door, states a theme dear to Bidel: what is sought outside is to be found within. In the second couplet ‘went dark’ (tar shod) also means ‘became a string’, a play on music.