English
Poem 22: Nothing Without You
Worn out, I can't rest for a single breath without you.
With what heart could I find patience, my love, without you?
How could I choose the path of patience when I've given my heart to the wind?
My soul can find no peace at all without you.
By the dust of your feet, my idol, if I sit in this corner of grief,
it's only out of necessity, never by choice, without you.
If they dragged me off toward hell, I'd go along gladly;
but I would never set foot in paradise without you.
What joy could a garden or an orchard give me, my love,
when the whole world looks fake and gilded to my eyes without you?
To breathe in for even a moment the scent of being with you is better, my dear,
than living a whole lifetime like this, heartbroken, without you.
Don't imagine that Saadi chose you as just one companion among many:
by your own life, he has no desire for any companion without you.