Excerpts from Classic Persian Poems and Middle Eastern Poetry. Selections from Raba’a, Firdausi’s “Shahnama”, Laili and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi, Iraj Mirza and more.
Raba’a
At last I was recaptured by his love
Resisting had no effect
Love is like an ocean without a shore
How can one swim there, oh wise one?
Love must be taken right to the end
Many unsuitable things must be accepted
Ugliness must be seen as if it were good
Poison must be taken as if it were sugar
I was disobedient and did not understand:
The harder you pull, the tighter the rope
Rustam and Tahmina, from Firdausi’s Shahnama
Behind the curtain there was a face like a moon
Like the shining sun, full of colour and scent
Rustam spoke to her, asked her name:
‘What are you seeking in the darkness of night? What is your desire?’
‘Tahmina is my name’ was how she replied.
‘Sorrow has cut my heart in two.
Daughter of the king of Samangan am I, and
From the stock of lepards and panthers.
There is none so royal in the whole world as me –
Beneath the wheel of the firmament there are very few like me.
No man has ever seen me byond the curtain
No man has ever heard my voice.’

Gurgani, Vis and Ramin
Around Vis Ramin put his arm
Like a golden necklace around a tall fair cypress.
If they were seen from Paradise
No one would have been more beautiful
The bed full of flowers and precious stones
The pillows full of musk and amber
Lips upon lips, and face turned to face
Playful like a ball in a field
The closeness, holding the beloved,
Turned their two bodies into one –
If rain had fallen on these two fair bodies
A raindrop would not have moistened their chests.
From Laili and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi
Love came and ransacked the house
And raised the sword of recklessness
It gave them sorrow and stole their hearts
Giving their hearts to each other
They lost their tranquillity.
They fell prey to gossip
Their cover was torn in every way
Their secret heard in every alleyway.

From Laili and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi
When Majnun arrived at the tent
Drunkenly he began to sing
Speaking the name of Laili and being stoned
He danced merrily as the stones rained on him.
Iraj Mirza
If you wish, I shall put my fingers together
And form a stirrup with my two palms
So you can put your foot in my hands
And warm yourself in my heart
Or put the soles of your feet on my shoulders
And slip down into my arms.
Softly and lightly, let me embrace you
So I can spread you like grass on the ground.

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