Rumi- translated by: Mahnaz Badihian and John Timpane

Ghazal# 56

ببستي چشم يعني وقت خواب است
نه خواب است آن،‌حريفان را جواب است

closed your eyes, that is, time to sleep
It’s not sleep; it’s a response to an opponent

You know that we do not last long
But your drunken eyes are rushing

Be cruel! Your cruelty is pleasant
Do wrong! Your mistake is right

You fall your firing eyes to sleep
That our eye and heart are in flame

So many heads have stolen Saki’s eyes
with a sword which is a droplet

One Said:” It is from Saki’s love”
The other said:” It is from the wine”

What are wine and Saki? Nothing but truth
God knows the origin of this love
—————–
translated from Farsi