Quatrain 169 from Rubaiyat of Rumi
امشب شب من بسی ضعیف و زار است
امشب شب پرداختن اسرار است
اسرار دلم جمله خیال یار است
ای شب بگذر زود که ما را کار است
Description:
English Translation:
Tonight, my night is filled with weakness and sorrow,
Tonight is a night for dwelling on hidden secrets.
All the secrets of my heart are thoughts of the beloved.
O night, pass quickly, for we have tasks to attend to.
امشب شب من بسی ضعیف و زار است (Emshab shab-e man besi za'if o zār ast): Tonight my night is very weak and distressed/wretched.
امشب شب پرداختن اسرار است (Emshab shab-e pardākhtan-e asrār ast): Tonight is the night of attending to/processing secrets.
اسرار دلم جمله خیال یار است (Asrār-e del-am jomleh khayāl-e yār ast): The secrets of my heart are all thoughts/images of the beloved.
ای شب بگذر زود که ما را کار است (Ey shab bogzar zud ke mā rā kār ast): O night, pass quickly, for we have work to do.
Weak and Sorrowful Night (ضعیف و زار - Za'if o zār): These words depict the speaker's emotional state. "Za'if" (ضعیف) means weak, feeble, or frail. "Zār" (زار) means distressed, wretched, miserable, or sorrowful. The combination of these words emphasizes the speaker's deep sadness and vulnerability. The night itself mirroring those feelings.
Attending to Hidden Secrets (پرداختن اسرار - Pardākhtan-e asrār): This phrase suggests that the speaker is preoccupied with inner thoughts and feelings, specifically "secrets" (asrār). This isn’t necessarily about keeping secrets from others, but rather about internally processing deep emotions and private thoughts. It's a night of introspection and reflection.
Thoughts of the Beloved (خیال یار - Khayāl-e yār): This line reveals the source of the speaker's distress and introspection. "Khayal-e yar" refers to thoughts, images, or memories of the beloved. This clarifies that the "secrets" being processed are related to love and longing. The speaker is consumed by thoughts of the beloved.
O Night, Pass Quickly (ای شب بگذر زود - Ey shab bogzar zud): This is a plea for the night to end. The speaker is so overwhelmed by their emotions and thoughts that they simply want the night to be over. "We have tasks to attend to" implies that there are other things the speaker needs to do, or perhaps they simply hope that with the arrival of daylight, their emotional state will improve. It's a desire to move on from the present state of distress.
This quatrain paints a picture of a night filled with emotional pain and longing. The speaker is consumed by thoughts of the beloved and yearns for the night to pass quickly. The poem captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by emotions and the desire for relief. It is a classic expression of lovesickness or the pain of separation. The speaker is not able to find comfort in the night, as it is a time for processing difficult feelings related to the beloved. Therefore, they long for the dawn and a change of emotional state.