Poem 1

My longing has passed all limits, and my patience under the weight of missing you is gone, my love. Heal this maddened heart of mine by letting me be with you. No ordinary doctor understands the pain of those who yearn; only Layla can cure the grief of frantic Majnun. If you were never going to care for the grieving and the helpless, you should not have shown us that beautiful face at the start. Since you showed yourself and stole all steadiness from my mind and all patience from my heart, now you must find a remedy for this restless soul. I never carried a passion for beautiful faces before this, but the moment I saw you, I chose the road of love and longing. All I want from this world and the next is to be with you; without you, faith and the world hold no value at all. I long so much to see you, my beloved, that from this separation a sigh rises from my heart hot enough to burn seven seas. Come, let us be happy together in private for one moment today, for no one in this world knows what tomorrow holds. You speak sweet words, Saadi, in spite of your enemies; but what does a man sick with unquenchable thirst know of the delight of sweets?