S. R. Faruqi:

(1) In the past too, many were afflicted by love.
Did any of those survive who were sick at heart with love?

(2) Unveiling too is an essential part of love.
The mysteries of love are ultimately laid bare.

(3) Numerous prisoners got their release well before me.
I couldn't earn mine, because I was guilty of love.

(4) So you think I am alone in pining for death?
All are keen, actually, to sell their life, all those who would be buyers of love.

(5) Mansur had his head taken off, but it's nothing to wonder at:
not every head is found deserving of love.

[Mansur al-Hallaj (858-922) was imprisoned and then executed, some say stoned to death, for his blasphemous utterances, especially of the famous phrase "I am God." As the emblematic intoxicated lover, he achieved martyrdom and fame because he was totally immersed in the Ultimate Being.]

(6) An embodiment of unfulfilled desire: that's how everyone leaves this world
with whom love was much in love.

(7) There has never been a head offered for sale after mine, to this day.
For ages now there has been a slump in the market of love.

(8) Should your heart be entangled somewhere, keep it hidden in your soul.
There is no benefit or good omen in giving voice to your love.

(9) Liberated by death, he found himself in the fetters of language.
In short, did the prisoner of love ever find release?

[The text has qaid-e 'ibarat (literally, "confinement, fetters, bondage of the texts"), which remains obscure. Apparently it refers to a practice among the Shi'a Muslims whereby a handwritten paper is placed on the body before burial. This paper contains statutory answers to be given by the dead when questioned in the grave by the angels about his faith. It is called javab nama, "answer-sheet," or ahd nama, "covenant."]

(10) It's hard to live the life under the sword,
however strong a desire our friends may have in their heads for love.
(11) In this land we've seen even the Rustams of the world with their pretensions cut down
when they sustained a full blow from love.

[Rustam is the supreme warrior hero of the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic poem.]

(12) That newcomer, that novice ultimately lost his life.
How I wish Mir hadn't been so keen on love.

 

FWP:

(inspired by SRF's translation)

(1) In the past many have suffered like this, from passion.
Did anyone survive, who was sick from passion?

(2) Unveiling too is a necessary part of desire.
It is finally laid bare-- the mystery of passion.

(3) Hundreds of prisoners were released before me.
I alone remained-- I was guilty of passion.

(4) As if it's strange that I seek death!
They go around selling their lives, the buyers of passion.

(5) If Mansur got his head cut off, then so what?
Not every head is worthy of the punishment for passion!

(6) Made wholly of longing, he leaves this world--
the one who is greatly loved by passion.

(7) After me, to this day not a single head has been sold!
For a lifetime, there's been a slump in the market of passion.

(8) If your heart gets attached somewhere, then keep it to yourself!
It's an ominous thing, to manifest your passion.

(9) Freed by death, he was then imprisoned by words--
did he ever find release, the captive of passion?

(10) It's hard to live lifelong under a sword--
even if my friends have their heads full of passion.
(11) There we've seen even the Rustams' claims cut off,
when dealt a full blow by passion.

(12) He was a novice-- in the end he lost his life.
If only Mir had been less bent on passion!

 

Zahra Sabri:

Zahra Sabri is a special guest translator for this site.

(1) This affliction of passion has had many in its grip, in times gone by
But did anyone ever go on living, who was suffering from passion?

(2) The state of being unveiled, too, is an obligation of love
It becomes revealed, in the end – this secret of passion

(3) Hundreds of those in prison were released before me
The only one not freed was I, who had committed the crime of passion

(4) As if I’m perhaps new in becoming a desirer of death!
He goes around selling his life – each purchaser of passion

(5) So what if Hallaj got his head cut off!
When has every head become deserving of passion?

(6) Only he has been heard of leaving the world, entirely unfulfilled
The person for whom passion has felt great love

(7) Subsequent to me, a head has never become sold to this day
For a long while, there’s been a downturn in the market of passion

(8) If your heart gets attached somewhere, keep it locked within you
It does not augur well at all – the expression of passion

(9) Whoever became freed in death, became ensnared in explanations
In a word, how can he ever be freed – the prisoner of passion?

(10) It’s difficult to go through life, with one’s neck beneath the sword
However much our friends might have heads filled with the thought of passion

(11) We have seen the claims of numerous Rustams come to naught at the point
Where they are dealt a full blow by the hand of passion

(12) Naïve and untried – see, he went and lost his life, didn’t he?
How one wishes “Mir” had not been a seeker of passion!