That fortnight moon is veiled in mystery,
Or is it a heavenly maiden with hands dyed beautifully?
Is that kohl on the beloved's charming brows,
Or a rainbow resting upon the sun, aglow?
Floods of sorrow overwhelm me, dear one;
Cease your cruelty, let the torment be undone.
Return, for your absence leaves me bereft,
With eyes shedding tears, as if rivers are left.
Your harshness, cruelty, and untamed ways,
Only deepen your charm, earning you praise.
I obey your every word without strife,
Even as my soul hangs at the edge of life.
Your face, a doorway to heaven’s delight,
Your lips, a flavor setting my heart alight.
I sought to quench this burning pain,
But no water can soothe this flame again.
None can bear the patience love demands;
Sleepless my eyes, restless my hands.
On the path of the flood, all that is raised
Will surely be destroyed or erased.
O famed one, stirring hearts far and wide,
Day and night your beauty turns the tide.
Whoever feels no longing for your face
Is no human but a beast in disgrace.
O cure for my heart and healer of pain,
I’ve pledged my devotion, time and again.
You know I will never turn from your side;
Even your faults are virtues in my eyes.
Though you are sovereign, and I a captive,
Though you are exalted, and I diminutive,
Though you are rich, and I poor and weak,
Comforting your friends is the kindness I seek.
O walking cypress, radiant and rare,
Your moonlit visage, sunlit air.
Speak and listen; take and give—
Nights like these are not for sleep to live.
Tonight is for intimacy, till dawn we’ll stay,
O lucky star and fortune of my day.
Light a candle between us if you will,
Or leave it unlit—the moonlight fulfills.
Saki, bring a cup of reckless delight,
To my mindful companions, offer it right.
Leave this madman to his wild state,
For this drunkenness is of love, not of wine’s fate.
The pride of life is but wind’s deceit,
Youth’s brilliance vanishes in its fleeting beat.
Seize the moment, for it will not wait;
Hasten, for life rushes at a swift rate.
This merciless wolf of passing time,
Feeds endlessly on lives, sublime or prime.
Mankind is like wheat beneath its mill,
The grinding heavens crush at will.
Saadi, you are unworthy of such a union’s bliss;
Why boast and chase what you will miss?
O thirsty wanderer, why do you persist?
This path you follow leads to a mirage’s twist.