from Vol. #6, Fall 2015
translated by Sassan Tabatabai

Qazal 170
from the Persian of Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

I was dead, now I'm alive. I was crying, now I'm laughing.
I was struck by the power of love; now I am love everlasting.

I have seen my fill, my soul is bold,
I have the lion's heart; now I am a Venus lit.

He said "You are not crazed, not suited for this house."
I wandered and went mad; now I am bound in chains.

He said "You are not drunk. Leave, for you are not of this suit."
I left and I got drunk; now I am drenched in bliss.

He said "You are not slaughtered, not drowned in delight."
I faced his life-giving face; now I am cast down and slain.

He said "You are shrewd, but lost in day-dreams and doubt."
I was tricked, I was confused; now I am uprooted from it all.

He said "You are a flame; you are the center of this feast."
I'm no flame, I'm no feast; now I am wind-blown smoke.

He said "You are the lord and head, the leader and guide."
I'm no lord, I'm no guide; now I am a slave to your will.

He said "You have wings and feathers, I will not give them to you."
I lusted for his wings; now I am wingless and bare.

New-found luck said to me "Don't go. Don't be pained.
I have sympathy for you; now I am drawn to you."

Ancient love said to me "Do not leave my side."
I said "Okay, I won't." But now I am rooted and ground.

You are the fountain of the sun, I am the shade of the willow.
You came and struck my head; now I am see-through and low.

My heart unearthed a blazing soul; my heart split and opened wide.
My heart spun the freshest silk; now I am this beggar's foe.

At dawn, the soul's silhouette pranced without care.
I was a mule-driver and slave; now I am a king and lord.

Your infinite sugar sweetens this grateful scroll.
He came and sat beside me; now I am his friend.

The afflicted earth pays tribute to heaven's wheel;
It turned and gazed at me; now I am receptive to light.

The turning wheel gives thanks to angel, lord and realm.
I have felt his merci; now I am noble and bright.

Gnostic truth is pleased to see us soar.
I have climbed the seven floors; now I am a shining star.

I was Venus, now I'm the moon. I am the two-hundred-fold sky.
I was a hidden Joseph before; now I am a Joseph come forth.

I am like you, illustrious moon; look upon me as yourself.
For I have heard you laugh; now I am a garden of smiles.

Be like a chess-piece, glide without sound.
I have seen the face of the lord; now I am exulted and blest.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, known popularly simply as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. His literary works—including among them the famous quatrains (rubayat) and odes (ghazal) of the Divan—have been widely translated.

About the translator: Sassan Tabatabai is Editor of Pusteblume. He is author of Uzunburun, and editor of Father of Persian Verse: Rudaki and His Poetry.

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