Quatrain 1 from Rubaiyat of Saadi Shirazi
هر ساعتم اندرون بجوشد خون راوآگاهی نیست مردم بیرون را
الا مگر آن که روی لیلی دیدهستداند که چه درد میکشد مجنون را
Description:
English Translation:
Within me, every hour my blood boils over,
Yet those outside have no understanding.
Only one who has seen Layla's face can know
The pain that Majnun endures.
Analysis of the Quatrain:
This quatrain by Saadi Shirazi, a renowned Persian poet, beautifully encapsulates the concept of unrequited love and the isolation that accompanies it.
The Boiling Blood: The poet metaphorically describes his intense emotional turmoil as "boiling blood." This vivid imagery conveys the depth of his suffering, which is a constant, consuming force within him.
The Ignorance of Others: The second line emphasizes the poet's sense of isolation. Those around him are oblivious to his inner turmoil, as if they are living in a different world.
The Reference to Layla and Majnun: The poet invokes the legendary love story of Layla and Majnun, one of the most famous love stories in Persian literature. Majnun, driven mad by his love for Layla, wandered the desert in despair. By comparing his own suffering to Majnun's, the poet suggests that only those who have experienced a love as intense and consuming can truly understand his pain.
Themes explored in the quatrain:
Unrequited love: The central theme is the pain and isolation that come with unrequited love.
The universality of human experience: Although the poet references a specific love story, the themes of love, loss, and suffering are universal.
The limitations of language: The poet suggests that words are inadequate to fully express the depth of emotional pain.
In essence, this quatrain is a poignant expression of the human condition, capturing the universal experience of heartbreak and the longing for understanding.