Quatrain 10 from Rubaiyat of Saadi Shirazi
هشیار سری بُوَد ز سودای تو مستخوش آنکه ز روی تو دلش رفت ز دست!
بیتو همه هیچ نیست در ملک وجودور هیچ نباشد، چو تو هستی، همه هست
Description:
English Translation:
A wise one is intoxicated by the longing for you.
Blessed is he whose heart has been stolen by your beauty!
Without you, nothing exists in the realm of being,
And if nothing exists, as long as you are, everything is.
Analysis:
This quatrain by Saadi Shirazi beautifully encapsulates the intoxicating nature of love and the centrality of the beloved in the lover's world. Let's break down each line:
Line 1: هشیار سری بُوَد ز سودای تو مست
"A wise one is intoxicated by the longing for you."
Saadi suggests that even the wisest person can be overcome by the intoxicating effects of love. The word "مست" (intoxicated) implies a loss of control and a deep immersion in the beloved's memory.
Line 2: خوش آنکه ز روی تو دلش رفت ز دست!
"Blessed is he whose heart has been stolen by your beauty!"
Here, Saadi celebrates the state of being deeply in love. The lover's heart is seen as a prize that has been "stolen" by the beloved's beauty.
Line 3: بیتو همه هیچ نیست در ملک وجود
"Without you, nothing exists in the realm of being."
This line emphasizes the beloved's centrality in the lover's universe. The world, as the lover perceives it, loses all meaning without the beloved's presence.
Line 4: ور هیچ نباشد، چو تو هستی، همه هست
"And if nothing exists, as long as you are, everything is."
This line further emphasizes the beloved's importance. Even if everything else in the world were to cease to exist, as long as the beloved remains, the lover would feel complete.
Themes explored in the quatrain:
The power of love: Love is portrayed as a powerful force that can transform even the wisest person.
The centrality of the beloved: The beloved is seen as the center of the lover's universe.
The interconnectedness of existence: The quatrain suggests that the existence of the beloved gives meaning to everything else.