S. R. Faruqi:

(1) My heart sent a message of pain but the message didn't reach the garden.
My lament was unable to reach even to the garden's enclosing wall.

[The speaker here is a bird in a cage (symbolizing a lover caught in love's snare).]

(2) Like a mirror's surface eaten away by rust
I sorrowed for her but my purpose--to gaze at her--was never attained.

[The mirror in classical Urdu and Persian poetry is typically made of some metal, generally steel, copper, or bronze. The mirror in the text grieves because its function to reflect figures and faces was not fulfilled. In effect, it is the mirror that gazes at a person looking into it. Here the mirror is grieving because the beloved never came before it.]

(3) The stranger's state, lonely as a footprint, arouses wonder:
he roamed far away from home but never reached his friend or beloved.

[A single footprint is the symbol of wonder and loneliness because, though created by a moving person, it does not move and has no companion. Stasis indicates wonder.]

(4) I was brimming with grievances but in front of you
my purpose of making a complaint never attained the stage of speech.

(5) No one with eyes moist enough to rain down tears and slake his thirst
came to him--even at his dying breath--who fell sick with your love.

(6) What dismal luck: from the garden of the world
not even a withered flower reached my turban.

(7) Beauty and concealment have never gone together.
Did anyone ever make or have a thing of beauty that didn't find expression?
(8) From Joseph to the rose, from the rose to the candle.
was there ever anyone or anything that beauty didn't drag into the marketplace?

(9) A thousand pities, Mir, for those who came hoping for martyrdom!
Their throats came nowhere near her sword.

 

FWP:

(inspired by SRF's translation)

(1) The message of inner grief didn't reach as far as the rose-bed--
My lament didn't reach as far as the garden wall.

(2) Like a metal mirror devoured by rust
My grievous longing couldn't reach out to see her.

(3) Like a footprint-- the bewildered strangeness
of the wanderer from his homeland who didn't reach the friend.

(4) My lips brimmed with complaints, but in your presence
the complaining didn't reach to the point of speech.

(5) Even to drip a few tears from moist eyes, nobody
in his last hours, reached out to the thirsting lover.

(6) Look at this sickly-green fortune-- from the garden of the world
Not even a withered rose reached as far as my turban-sash.

(7) Veiledness, fine looks-- may they not both go together!
Whose fineness of work didn't reach as far as expression?

(8) From Joseph to the rose; then from the rose to the candle
Whom has such beauty not caused to reach the bazaar?

(9) Alas, Mir, for those who came seeking martyrdom--
Then their throats never reached as far as her sword!

 

Zahra Sabri:

Zahra Sabri is a special guest translator for this site.

(1) My heart's message of pain failed to reach the rose-garden
The sound of my weeping failed to reach even the wall of the garden

(2) Like the mirror which is rust-eaten
I, in pained longing for her, did not succeed in seeing her.

(3) As dazed and bewildered as a footprint is the exile of that person
Who became separated from his homeland, but did not reach his beloved

(4) I was filled to overflowing with reproaches, but before you
My complaints failed to achieve expression

(5) To drip water into his parched throat, nobody with tear-moistened eyes
Reached her love-sick one, even in his final moments

(6) Look at this rank misfortune – from the garden of the world
Not even a faded rose reached my turban

(7) Being beautiful and remaining hidden cannot coalesce
Whose excellence did not find expression?

(8) From Joseph to the rose, and then from the rose to the candle
Whomever did beauty not transport into the marketplace

(9) How sad, “Mir”, that when they arrived, seeking martyrdom
Their throats could not achieve closeness to her sword