A first attempt at translating the work of Mowlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi ‘Rumi’ (in memory of my late grandfather, who would not have understood, but who i loved, and who loved me, nonetheless):
خنك آن دم كه نشستيم در ايوان من و تو
به دو نقش و به دو صورت به يكى جان من و تو
رنگ باغ و دم مرغان بدهد آب حيات
آن زمانى كه در آييم به بستان من و تو
اختران فلک آیند به نظاره ما
مه خودرا بنماييم به ايشان من ه تو
من و تو بى من و تو جمع شويم از سر ذوق
خوش و فارغ ز خرافات پريشان من و تو
طوطيان فلكى جمله جگرخوار شوند
در مقامى كه بخنديم بر آن سان من و تو
اين عجبتر كه من و تو به يكى كنج اين جا
هم در اين دم به عراقيم و خراسان من و تو
khonak an dam keh neshastim dar eyvan, man o to
beh do naqsh, o beh do surat, beh yeki jan, man o to
rang-e-bagh o dam-e-morghan bedahad ab-e-hayyat
an zamani keh dar ayyim bebostan man o to
akhteran-e-falak ayand beh nazzareh-ye ma
mah-e-khod ra benemayyim beh ishan man o to
man o to, bi man o to, jam’ shavim az sar-e-zowq
khosh o faregh ze khorafat-e-parishan man o to
tutiyan-e-falaki jomleh jegarkhor shavand
dar maqami keh bekhandim bar an san man o to
in ‘ajabtar keh man o to beh yeki konj inja
ham dar in dam beh ‘eraqim o khorasan man o to
/cool/that/moment/when/we sit/on/the veranda/you and I/
/in two images/in two forms/in one soul/you and I/
/colours of the garden/and the breath of birds/give/the water of life/
/that time/that/we enter/the garden/you and I/
/the stars of heaven/arrive/to gaze upon/us/
/the moon/itself/we show/to them/you and I/
/you and I/without/you and I/join together/in delight/
/happy/and free/from/scattered extravagant stories/you and I/
/parrots of heaven/all together/liver-eaten/become/
/in a place/where/we laugh/in that manner/you and I/
/this/most strange/that/you and I/in/one/corner/here/
/at once/in/this moment/in/Iraq/we are/and Khorasan/you and I/
Sitting here, you and I, the courtyard breeze is cool
Two images, two forms, one thought, you and I
The orchard-shades, the songs of birds give up the world’s secrets
When we find ourselves here in this garden
The stars of distant galaxies come to gaze on us
You and I, together, we show them the moon
You and I, without ‘you’ and ‘I’, we are absolute joy
Happy, free from empty words, such are you and I
All those birds of paradise, full of childish envy
While in that same place, you and I, we cannot help but laugh
What’s truly strange is you and I, here together, now
At once here in the west and at once here in the east
such we always were
You
and I
-translation by halewi
1 Comment
February 9, 2009 at 5:22 pm
jeez, great translation. You’ve officially qualified as a farsi speaker. (hell, you understand it better than half the native farsi speakers…)
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