S. R. Faruqi:

(1) My cold sighs in the morning doused the fire in my heart.
That was some breeze, it put me out like a lamp.

(2) The morning breeze was so foolish: unaware of the danger, it made her rise from bed.
For nothing it awoke that mischief of the age.

(3) My love had remained secret so far, and today
the faintness of my heart forced the curtain up.

(4) In this world where the surf swells all the time, what a pity the fates
erased me like a bubble of water.

(5) Her sword was my adversary. So finally, love
organized a combat and made us hug each other.

(6) They all passed on, the tumult of "we" and "I" in their heads.
That fiction ultimately put them all to sleep.

(7) When I asked, is there any sign of those whom love made wanderers in the wilderness?
The breeze took a handful of dust and scattered it.

(8) All the organs in my body streamed away like water.
The melting power of love made my life flow away.

(9) There was nothing not in the treasury of eternity when time began, but my stars just weren't right.
A broken heart was all that the fates made my portion.

(10) It's as if I alone had to settle love's account,
a thing of such value as my heart: and I invested it there.

(11) It will long remain in my memory, that mere glimpse of your face
that erased from my heart the radiance of the moon.

(12) Simpleton that I was, I surrendered my life:
I gave her my heart, but that wasn't all, I gave my head too.

(13) I can smell something like a burnt kabob.
It seems that the fire of sorrow has burned away my liver as well.

(14) It did no good when my friends made me tell of the ache in my heart.
The pain of my story brought tears to everyone's eyes.

(15) She merely drew her sword, Mir, but the daring of my love
made a spectacular show for a glorious moment.

 

FWP:

(inspired by SRF's translation)

(1) The sigh of dawn erased the turmoil of my heart.
That breeze blew me out like a lamp.

(2) The dawn breeze foolishly went and woke her up--
needlessly it aroused that 'mischief of the age'.

(3) The secret of passion had remained hidden-- till today
the heart's lack of strength unveiled it.

(4) From this wave-creating universe, destiny, ah!
wiped me out like a water-bubble.

(5) Her sword loved and hated me-- so passion
made us embrace each other in combat.

(6) They all, with the clamor of 'we and I' in their heads, died.
In the end, this story put the friends to sleep.

(7) When I asked for a trace of the wanderers of passion
The breeze took a handful of dust and blew it around.

(8) All the parts of the body melted into water, and flowed away.
In the end, passion melted me and washed me away.

(9) As if anything was lacking in pre-eternity! But the stars were unfavorable.
Destiny gave me a wracked and ruined heart.

(10) So to speak, I had to make up the account of passion.
Thus I added in even something like the heart.

(11) I'll remember it for ages, that glimpse of your face--
which made me forget the radiance of the moon.

(12) Through simplicity, I destroyed myself.
If I gave my heart, then I gave it-- but I also gave my head.

(13) The smell of a roasted kabob has come to my nose.
Perhaps the fire of grief has burnt up my liver too.

(14) Uselessly, my friends made me speak of the pain in my heart.
The pain of my speaking made every one of them weep.

(15) She had grasped the sword; but boldly venturing, Mir,
I, in the space of a breath, showed a spectacle of my own.

 

Zahra Sabri:

Zahra Sabri is a special guest translator for this site.

(1) The cool sigh of morning erased the commotion of my heart
That breeze truly extinguished me like a lamp

(2) The morning breeze was foolish that it came and stirred her from sleep
It roused that cosmic calamity for no good reason

(3) The secret of love had persisted as hidden, until today
When the heart's lack of strength lifted that veil

(4) In this stormy, turbulent world, fate has – alas!
Annihilated us like a flimsy bubble of water

(5) Her sword was my loving adversary; hence, passion
Made our necks embrace in battle

(6) All died, with their heads filled with the vain clamour of “we” and “I”
That illusory tale at last put all the companions to sleep

(7) When I asked about the whereabouts of the ones lost in love
The breeze took a fistful of dust and blew it away

(8) Each element of my body turned to water and flowed away
Ultimately, the melting power of passion caused me to ebb away

(9) Pre-eternity was rich with possibilities, but my stars did not align
Fortune allotted me a broken heart

(10) It was as if it had fallen to me to settle passion’s account
To that end, I paid with something as precious as my heart

(11) It will linger with me for a long time – the glimpse I caught of your face
Which drove out of my mind completely the glittering splendour of the moon

(12) Even losing my heart and soul was something I did with artless innocence
I didn’t just stop at giving my heart – I also gave up my head

(13) The whiff of burned meat came to my nostrils
Perhaps the fire of sorrow has now also consumed my liver

(14) Profitlessly, my fellow companions exhorted me to recite my heart’s painful tale
The sorrow of my words brought each of them to tears

(15) She had only just drawn her sword, but demonstrating ardent valour, “Mir”
In the space of a breath, I displayed a fine spectacle