Quatrain 161 from Rubaiyat of Rumi
افکند مرا دلم به غوغا و گریخت
جان آمد و هم از سر سودا و گریخت
آن زهرهٔ بیزهره چو دید آتش من
بربط بنهاد زود برجا و گریخت
Description:
English Translation:
My heart plunged me into chaos and then escaped.
My soul, driven by intense longing, also took flight.
That lackluster Venus, when she witnessed my burning passion,
Quickly abandoned her lute and fled.
Literal Translation:
افکند مرا دلم به غوغا و گریخت (Afkand marā delam be ghoghā o gorikht): My heart threw me into turmoil and fled.
جان آمد و هم از سر سودا و گریخت (Jān āmad o ham az sar-e soudā o gorikht): My soul came and also from the head of passion fled.
آن زهرهٔ بیزهره چو دید آتش من (Ān Zohreh-ye bi-Zohreh cho did ātash-e man): That Venus without brilliance when saw my fire.
بربط بنهاد زود برجا و گریخت (Barbat benahād zud bar jā o gorikht): Quickly put down the lute in its place and fled.
Turmoil (غوغا - Ghoghā): This word signifies chaos, commotion, and a state of great disturbance. Love can create such a state within a person.
Fleeing of Heart and Soul (گریختن دل و جان - Gorikhtan-e del o jān): This fleeing doesn't necessarily mean physically running away. It symbolizes losing control and surrendering to powerful emotions. The lover's heart and soul become restless and disoriented in the face of intense love. They are overwhelmed and lose their usual composure.
Lackluster Venus (زهرهٔ بیزهره - Zohreh-ye bi-Zohreh): In Persian literature, Venus (Zohreh) is a symbol of beauty and love. "Lackluster" (bi-Zohreh) indicates that the beloved, in this context, lacks the usual allure or impact. This could imply that the beloved's outward beauty pales in comparison to the intensity of the lover's passion, or perhaps that the beloved doesn't truly understand the depth of the lover's feelings. Some commentators also interpret "Zohreh" as "courage" or "boldness," thus "bi-Zohreh" would mean "lacking courage" or "timid."
My Fire (آتش من - Ātash-e man): This phrase refers to the burning passion and ardor of the lover. It's a common metaphor for intense love.
Abandoned Her Lute (بربط بنهاد زود برجا - Barbat benahād zud bar jā): The barbat (oud or lute) is a popular instrument in classical Persian literature, often associated with music, poetry, and love. Abandoning the lute signifies a hasty retreat and a loss of composure.
This quatrain depicts a scene of intense, perhaps unrequited, love. The lover is consumed by inner turmoil, while the beloved, overwhelmed or perhaps frightened by the intensity of this passion, is unable to reciprocate and flees the scene, abandoning the symbols of love and music. It suggests that the beloved is either incapable of understanding or unwilling to face the depth of the lover's feelings. The poem encapsulates the overwhelming and sometimes destabilizing power of love.