Translations
Divan-e Shams by Rumi, in translations by A. J. Arberry
This page shows only poems with translations by A. J. Arberry.
Poems with translations
غزل شمارهٔ 441بنمای رخ که باغ و گلستانم آرزوست
Show your face, for the orchard and rosegarden are my desire; open your lips, for abundant sugar is my desire.
غزل شمارهٔ 446گر چپ و راست طعنه و تشنیع بیهدهست
Though from left and right there is useless criticism and vilification, that man who has lost his heart turns not away from Love.
غزل شمارهٔ 449جانا جمال روح بسی خوب و بافرست
My soul, spiritual beauty is passing fair and glorious, yet your own beauty and loveliness is something beside.
غزل شمارهٔ 455آن روح را که عشق حقیقی شعار نیست
That spirit which wears not true love as a garment is better not to have been; its being is nothing but a disgrace.
غزل شمارهٔ 463هر نفس آواز عشق میرسد از چپ و راست
Every moment the voice of Love is arriving from left and right; we are departing for the skies—who has a mind for sightseeing?
غزل شمارهٔ 478وجود من به کف یار جز که ساغر نیست
My being is but a goblet in the Beloved’s hand—look at my eyes, if you do not believe it.
غزل شمارهٔ 481چه گوهری تو که کس را به کف بهای تو نیست
What pearl are you? For in no man’s hand is the price of you. What does the world possess that is not your gift?
غزل شمارهٔ 485سه روز شد که نگارین من دگرگونست
Three days it is now since my fair one has become changed; sugar is never bitter—how is it that that sugar is sour?
غزل شمارهٔ 499عشق جز دولت و عنایت نیست
Love is nothing but felicity and lovingkindness, it is nothing but gladness and right guidance.
غزل شمارهٔ 509مرغ دلم باز پریدن گرفت
The bird of my heart has again begun to flutter, the parrot of my soul has begun to chew sugar.
غزل شمارهٔ 524بی گاه شد بیگاه شد خورشید اندر چاه شد
The hour is late, the hour is late, the sun has gone down into the well, the sun of the soul of lovers has entered the seclusion of God.
غزل شمارهٔ 526ای لولیان ای لولیان یک لولییی دیوانه شد
Fair ones, fair ones, a fair one has gone mad; his bowl has fallen from our roof, he has gone to the madhouse.
غزل شمارهٔ 528آن کیست آن آن کیست آن کاو سینه را غمگین کند
Who is that, who is that who makes the breast sorrowful, then when you make complaint before Him, He turns your bitter sweet?
غزل شمارهٔ 532مر عاشقان را پند کس هرگز نباشد سودمند
Advice from anyone is never of profit to lovers; love is not the kind of torrent that anyone can dam up.
غزل شمارهٔ 536آمد بهار عاشقان تا خاکدان بستان شود
The springtide of lovers has come, that this dust bowl may become a garden; the proclamation of heaven has come, that the bird of the soul may rise in flight.
غزل شمارهٔ 543یار مرا مینهلد تا که بخارم سر خود
My Beloved leaves me not so much as to scratch my own head; it is the body of my Beloved that presses me in its breast.
غزل شمارهٔ 558یار مرا چو اشتران باز مهار میکشد
The Friend is toggling me like a camel; in what train is He dragging His drunken camel?
غزل شمارهٔ 563دلا نزد کسی بنشین که او از دل خبر دارد
My heart, be seated near that person who has experience of the heart, go under that tree which bears fresh blossoms.
غزل شمارهٔ 566بتی کو زهره و مه را همه شب شیوه آموزد
A fair idol that all the night teaches tricks to Venus and the moon, his two eyes by witchery sew up the two eyes of heaven.
غزل شمارهٔ 576دل من چون صدف باشد، خیال دوست دُر باشد
My heart is like an oyster shell, the Beloved’s phantom is the pearl; now I am no more contained, for this house is filled with Him.
غزل شمارهٔ 579دگرباره سر مستان ز مستی در سجود آمد
Once again the drunkards’ head from drunkenness has come into prostration; has perchance that minstrel of the souls struck up music from the veil?
غزل شمارهٔ 581مه دی رفت و بهمن هم بیا که نوبهار آمد
The month of December has departed, and January too; come, for the spring has come, the earth is green and joyous, the time of the tulips has come.
غزل شمارهٔ 594امروز جمال تو سیمای دگر دارد
Today your beauty has another lineament, today your delectable lip has another sweetmeat;
غزل شمارهٔ 598یارانِ سحر خیزان تا صبح که دریابد؟
Morn-arising friends, who is there that discovers the dawn, who discovers us dancing in confusion like atoms?
غزل شمارهٔ 605ای دوست شکر خوشتر یا آنک شکر سازد
Friend, is sugar sweeter or He who makes the sugar? Friend, is the moon fairer or He who makes the moon?
غزل شمارهٔ 614آن بنده آواره بازآمد و بازآمد
That wandering slave has returned, returned; he has come before You burning and melting like a candle.
غزل شمارهٔ 621در تابش خورشیدش رقصم به چه میباید
Why must I dance in the glow of His sun? So that when the mote dances, He may remember me.
غزل شمارهٔ 622جان پیش تو هر ساعت میریزد و میروید
Every moment the Soul is decaying and growing before you, and how should any man plead with you for the sake of a single soul?
غزل شمارهٔ 631نومید مشو جانا، کاومید پدید آمد
Do not despair, my soul, for hope has manifested itself; the hope of every soul has arrived from the unseen.
غزل شمارهٔ 636بمیرید بمیرید در این عشق بمیرید
Die now, die now, in this Love die; when you have died in this Love, you will all receive new life.
غزل شمارهٔ 638ملولان همه رفتند در خانه ببندید
The weary ones have all gone; close the door of the house; laugh all in union at aweary reason.
غزل شمارهٔ 644تا نقش تو در سینه ما خانه نشین شد
Since your image dwelt within the house of our breasts, wherever we sit has become like highest paradise.
غزل شمارهٔ 649بر چرخ سحرگاه یکی ماه عیان شد
At the dawn hour a moon appeared in the sky, came down from the sky and gazed upon me.
غزل شمارهٔ 656مرغان که کنون از قفس خویش جدایید
Birds, who are now parted from your cage, show your faces again and declare where you are.
غزل شمارهٔ 662اگر عالم همه پرخار باشد
Though the whole world be full of thorns, the heart of the lover is wholly a rosebower;
غزل شمارهٔ 668رجب بیرون شد و شعبان درآمد
Rajab has gone out and Sha‘b¯an has entered; the soul has quit the body, and the Beloved has entered.
غزل شمارهٔ 692رفتیم بقیه را بقا باد
We have departed—may the remainder long remain! Inescapably every man who has been born must depart.
غزل شمارهٔ 707آن یوسف خوش عذار آمد
That Joseph handsome of cheek has come, that Jesus of the age has come;
غزل شمارهٔ 728دشمن خویشیم و یار آنک ما را میکُشد
We are foes to ourselves, and friends to him who slays us; we are drowned in the sea, and the waves of the sea are slaying us.
غزل شمارهٔ 730اینک آن مرغان که ایشان بیضهها زرین کنند
Behold, those birds which lay golden eggs every morning saddle the swift colt of the skies.
غزل شمارهٔ 735دوش آمد پیل ما را باز هندستان به یاد
Last night our elephant remembered India again, in frenzy he was rending the veil of night till dawn.
غزل شمارهٔ 745آمدم تا رو نهم بر خاک پای یار خود
I have come to lay my face in the dust of the Beloved’s feet, I have come to beg pardon for a moment for my actions.
غزل شمارهٔ 762بدرد مرده کفن را به سر گور برآید
The dead would rend his shroud and rise from the tomb, if that dead man had tidings of my Idol.
غزل شمارهٔ 765هله نومید نباشی که تو را یار براند
Say, do not despair because the Beloved drives you away; if He drives you away today, will He not call you back tomorrow?
غزل شمارهٔ 771هله عاشقان بکوشید، که چو جسم و جان نماند
Ho, lovers, labour so that, when body and soul remain no more, your hearts may fly to heaven, not remain heavy like the body.
غزل شمارهٔ 779همه خفتند و من دلشده را خواب نبرد
All slept, and yet sleep did not transport me, heart-forlorn as I am; all night my eyes counted the stars in the sky.
غزل شمارهٔ 782خبرت هست که در شهر شکر ارزان شد
Have you heard that sugar has become cheap in the town? Have you heard that winter has vanished and summer is here?
غزل شمارهٔ 791این کبوتربچه هم عزم هوا کرد و پرید
This fledgling pigeon essayed the air and flew off when he heard a whistle and a call from the unseen.
غزل شمارهٔ 806یا رب این بوی خوش از روضه جان میآید
Lord, is this sweet scent coming from the meadow of the soul, or is it a breeze wafting from beyond the world?
غزل شمارهٔ 809طرفه گرمابهبانی کو ز خلوت برآید
Amazing keeper of the hot baths! When he comes forth from seclusion, every painted figure of the baths falls into prostration!