Quatrain 104 from Rubaiyat of Saadi Shirazi
By
@hamed
|
8
6
من بندهٔ بالای تو شمشاد تنمفرهاد تو شیرین دهن خوش سخنم
چشمم به دهان توست و گوشم به سخنوز عشق لبت فهم سخن مینکنم
Description:
English Translation:
Literal:
"I am servant of your cypress-like lofty stature,
your Farhad, with your sweet-speaking like Shirin.
My eye is on your mouth, and my ear is on your speech.
From the love of your lips, I do not understand speech."
Poetic:
"Your cypress form, my lord, I do adore,
Your Farhad, I, with words so sweet and pure.
My gaze is fixed upon your lips so fine, My ears attuned to every word of thine.
Your love has stolen all my wit away, So lost in you, I cannot what you say."
Analysis:
This quatrain by Saadi Shirazi is a passionate declaration of love and devotion. It paints a vivid picture of a lover completely consumed by their affection.
Metaphors: Saadi employs several powerful metaphors to convey the depth of the speaker's love:
"Cypress-like servant": This suggests the speaker is tall and slender, like a cypress tree, and is completely devoted to their beloved, serving them like a loyal servant.
"Farhad and Shirin": These are characters from a Persian folk tale known for their tragic love story. By comparing himself to Farhad, the speaker is alluding to the intensity and depth of his love.
Focus on the Beloved: The speaker's entire attention is focused on their beloved's mouth and speech. This emphasizes the sensual and auditory aspects of their love.
Loss of Understanding: The final line suggests that the speaker is so overwhelmed by love that they can no longer comprehend the words of their beloved. Their love has rendered them speechless and almost childlike in their devotion.
Themes:
Devotion: The speaker is completely devoted to their beloved.
Passion: The love described is intense and passionate.
Obsession: The speaker's focus on the beloved's physical attributes and speech suggests a degree of obsession.
Loss of Self: The speaker's loss of understanding suggests a merging of their identity with that of their beloved.
Deeper Meaning:
This quatrain captures the intoxicating and all-consuming nature of love. The speaker's intense devotion and loss of self suggest a love so profound that it borders on the mystical.
This quatrain is a beautiful and evocative expression of romantic love. It showcases Saadi's ability to capture the nuances of human emotion through his poetry.