Saturday, November 28, 2015

always room for a ghazal

                    




                       What of It   ?                                            




                          Nesimi


                          

I myself took up the cloak of blame;
I smashed the bottle of honour and virtue on a stone.
        What of it?

Sometimes I rise up and watch the universe from above,
sometimes I go down to earth and lose myself in love.
        What of it?

Sometimes I study life’s meaning in the holy books,
sometimes I go to the tavern and get drunk.
        What of it?

Sometimes I enter my garden to pick roses for my darling;
I grew those roses and I gathered them.
        What of it?

The wine of this love is a sin, the orthodox think--
The sin is mine, I fill my glass and drink.
        What of it?

The pious bow to the niche in the mosque;
I bow at the Beloved’s doorstep, pressing my face up close.
        What of it?

My enemy says loving beauty is sinful.
I love my beloved so I’ll gladly pay that price.
        What of it?

They ask Nesimi,
are you and your beloved getting along?
Whether we get along or not, my Beloved is mine.
        What of it?






    

translated by Latif Bolat and Jennifer Ferraro
Posted by at

5 comments:

  1. sallyDecember 31, 2015 at 7:59 AM


    great poem

    &

    ReplyDelete
  2. jhJanuary 1, 2016 at 8:14 AM






    great poet
    word is he was skinned alive

    but enjoyed life for the most part
    and his disciples preserved all his poems

    and the poems are integral to Persian literacy

    what of it





    .../../!!!!!!!!!!!()*





    ReplyDelete
  3. jhJanuary 1, 2016 at 9:41 AM







    one delightful story is that after nesimi was skinned alive he took up his skin and through it over his shoulders and walked away singing curses at his judges...as if they could stop him

    :)



    ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. sallyJanuary 2, 2016 at 11:28 AM

    thanks for finding my comment
    and elaborating on this poet
    of whom i formerly knew nothing

    how is it
    i wonder
    that you can be squeamish
    about talk of surgery
    yet have no qualms speaking
    of a man being skinned alive?

    :-)

    &

    ReplyDelete
  5. jhJanuary 2, 2016 at 12:31 PM





    if nesimi were to describe his skinning to me
    I think I would be nauseous

    to read about it as a historical thing
    while not real pleasant
    leaves me some emotional safe space

    plus I guess it carries something of the "legend"
    do I know it actually happened or was this a way of exalting the
    poet

    you telling me about 'your' surgery
    now that makes me squeamish

    like I'm just about to pass out


    ;-} ..\!









    ReplyDelete

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