3.2.7. The Visions of the Night
1211 It came and brought to me, that nightly vision rare, A message from my love,- what feast shall I prepare? Where with shall I feast the dream which has brought me my dear one’s Messenger?
1212 If my dark, carp-like eye will close in sleep, as I implore, The tale of my long-suffering life I’ll tell my loved one o’er. If my fish-like painted eyes should, at my begging, close in sleep, I could fully relate my sufferings to my lord.
1213 Him, who in waking hour no kindness shows, in dreams I see; and so my lifetime goes! My life lasts because in my dream I behold him who does not favour me in my waking hours.
1214 Some pleasure, I enjoy when him who loves not me in waking hours, the vision searches out and makes me see. There is pleasure in my dream, because in it I seek and obtain him who does not visit me in my wakefulness.
1215 As what I then beheld in waking hour was sweet. I saw him in my waking hours, and then it was pleasant; I see him just now in my dream, and it is (equally) pleasant.
1216 And if there were no waking hour, my love in dreams would never from my side remove. Were there no such thing as wakefulness, my beloved (who visited me) in my dream would not depart from me.
1217 The cruel one, in waking hour, who all ungracious seems, why should he thus torment my soul in nightly dreams? The cruel one who would not favour me in my wakefulness, what right has he to torture me in my dreams?
1218 And when I sleep he holds my form embraced; and when I wake to fill my heart makes haste! When I am asleep he rests on my shoulders, (but) when I awake he hastens into my soul.
1219 In dreams who ne’er their lover’s form perceive, For those in waking hours who show no love will grieve. They who have no dear ones to behold in their dreams blame him who visits me not in my waking hours.
1220 They say, that he in waking hours has left me lone; In dreams they surely see him not, these people of the town; The women of this place say he has forsaken me in my wakefulness. I think they have not seen him visit me in my dreams. 3.2.8. Lamentations at Eventide
1221 Thou art not evening, but a spear that doth devour the souls of brides; farewell, thou evening hour! Live, O you evening are you (the former) evening? No, you are the season that slays (married) women.
1222 Thin eye is sad; Hail, doubtful hour of eventide! Of cruel eye, as is my spouse, is too thy bride? A long life to you, Oh dark evening, you are sightless. Is your help-mate (also) as hard-hearted like me.
1223 With buds of chilly dew wan evening’s shade enclose; my anguish buds space and all my sorrow grows. The evening that (once) came in with trembling and dimness (now) brings me an aversion for life and increasing sorrow.
1224 When absent is my love, the evening hour descends, as when an alien host to field of battle wends. In the absence of my lover, evening comes in like slayers on the field of slaughter.
1225 O morn, how have I won thy grace? What good have I done to morning (and) what evil to evening?
1226 The pangs that evening brings I never knew, till he, my wedded spouse, from me withdrew. Previous to my husband’s departure, I know not the painful nature of evening.
1227 My grief at morn a bud, all day an opening flower, Full-blown expands in evening hour. This malady buds forth in the morning, expands all day long and blossoms in the evening.
1228 The shepherd’s Pipe is like a murderous weapon, to my ear, for it proclaims the hour of evening’s fiery anguish near. The shepherd’s flute now sounds as a fiery forerunner of night, and is become a weapon that slays (me).
1229 If evening’s shades, that darken all my soul, extend; from this afflicted town will would of grief ascend. When night comes on confusing (everyone’s) mind, the (whole) town will lose its sense and be plunged in sorrow.
1230 This darkening eve, my darkling soul must perish utterly; remembering him who seeks for wealth, but seeks not me. My (hitherto) un-extinguished life is now lost in this bewildering night at the thought of him who has the nature of wealth.
3.2.9. Wasting Away
1231 Thin eyes grown dim are now ashamed the fragrant flowers to see, thinking on him, who wandering far, leaves us in misery. While we endure the unbearable sorrow, your eyes weep for him who is gone afar, and shun (the sight of) fragrant flowers.
1232 The eye, with sorrow wan, all wet with dew of tears, as witness of the lover’s lack of love appears. The discoloured eyes that shed tears profusely seem to betray the unkindness of our beloved.
1233 These withered arms, desertion’s pangs abundantly display, that swelled with joy on that glad nuptial day. The shoulders that swelled on the day of our union (now) seem to announce our separation clearly (to the public).
1234 When lover went, then faded all their wonted charms, and armlets’ golden round slips off from these poor wasted arms. In the absence of your consort, your shoulders having lost their former beauty and fullness, your bracelets of pure gold have become loose.
1235 These wasted arms, the bracelet with their wonted beauty gone, The cruelty declare of that most cruel one. The (loosened) bracelets, and the shoulders from which the old beauty has faded, relate the cruelty of the pitiless one.
1236 I grieve, ’tis pain to me to hear him cruel chid, because the armlet from my wasted arm has slid. I am greatly pained to hear you call him a cruel man, just because your shoulders are reduced and your bracelets loosened.
1237 My heart! Say ought of glory wilt thou gain, if to that cruel one thou of thy wasted arms complain? Can you Oh my soul! Gain glory by relating to the (so-called) cruel one the clamour of my fading shoulders?
1238 One day the fervent pressure of embracing arms I checked, Grew wan the forehead of the maid with golden armlet decked. When I once loosened the arms that were in embrace, the forehead of the gold-Bracelet women turned sallow.
1239 As we embraced a breath of wind found entrance there; the maid’s large liquid eyes were dimmed with care. When but a breath of breeze penetrated our embrace, her large cool eyes became sallow.
1240 The dimness of her eye felt sorrow now, beholding what was done by that bright brow. Was it at the sight of what the bright forehead had done that the sallowness of her eyes became sad?
3.2.10. Soliloquy
1241 My heart, canst thou not thinking of some medicine tell, Not any one, to drive away this grief incurable? O my soul, will you not think and tell me some medicine be it what it may, that can cure this incurable malady?
1242 Since he loves not, thy smart is folly, fare thee well my heart! May you live, O my soul! While he is without love, for you to suffer is (simple) folly.
1243 What comes of sitting here in pining thought, O heart? He knows No pitying thought, the cause of all these wasting woes. O my soul! Why remain (here) and suffer thinking (of him)? There are no lewd thoughts (of you) in him who has caused you this disease of sorrow.
1244 O rid me of these eyes, my heart; for they, Longing to see him, wear my life away. O my soul! take my eyes also with you, (if not), these would eat me up (in their desire) to see him.
1245 O heart, as a foe, can I abandon utterly Him who, though I long for him, longs not for me? O my soul! can he who loves not though he is beloved, be forsaken saying he hates me (now)?
1246 My heart, false is the fire that burns; thou canst not wrath maintain, If thou thy love behold, embracing, soothing all thy pain. O my soul! When you see the dear one who Remove dislike by intercourse, you are displeased and continue to be so. Nay, your displeasure is (simply) false.
1247 Or bid thy love, or bid thy shame depart; for me, I cannot bear them both, my worthy heart! O my good soul, give up either lust or honour, as for me I can endure neither.
1248 Thou art be-fooled, my heart, thou follow him who flees from thee; you are a fool, O my soul! to go after my departed one, while you mourn that he is not kind enough to favour you.
1249 My heart! My lover lives within my mind; roaming, whom dost thou think to find? O my soul to whom would you Repair while the dear one is within yourself?
1250 If I should keep in mind the man who utterly renounces me, my soul must suffer further loss of dignity. If I retain in my heart him who has left me without befriending me, I shall lose even the (inward) beauty that remains.