Straw and Amber

Iraqi style
English

Straw and Amber

How long will you tell me to give up loving her, to calm myself with patience? Tell the amber not to pull; what can one poor scrap of straw do against it?
Explanation: Amber, when rubbed, attracts bits of straw, a classic Persian image for an irresistible pull between lover and beloved. The straw is helpless before it, just as the poet is helpless before his love.

Original · Persian

قطعه شمارهٔ ۱۷ - کاه و کهربا

چند گویی که مهر ازو بردار خویشتن را به صبر ده تسکین
کهربا را بگوی تا نبرد چه کند کاه پاره‌ای مسکین؟