English
The Wealth of the Dervishes
You who deny the world of the dervishes,
you have no idea what passion and purpose live inside them.
The treasure of freedom and the corner of contentment form a kingdom
that no sultan can win by the sword.
A wise person does not chase perishable rank;
the wise one is the one who thinks about the end.
They gathered and hoarded, then left in regret;
what is there in this world worth leaving behind with such longing?
One leaves the garden heartbroken and scarred,
while another, arms strong with joy, shatters his prison.
Owning nothing, why should the fear of judgment day trouble him?
He is a water bird; why would he dread the storm?
The angel of death seizes a stranger's soul by force,
but no force is needed for the lover who gladly gives his life.
The wandering, love struck mystic sets his sights
neither on this world nor the next.
The pledge of love was sealed in eternity;
a true man will not break that promise, even if it costs his head.
I saw a lover burned out, ruined and homeless.
I said, my friend, do not throw your life away over a fixation.
He drew a cold breath, weak with pain, and said:
Leave me be, homeless and undone as I am.
Your sweet advice reaches my ear, but no use;
I who crave the pain, what would I do with a cure?
Saadi, life is precious; do not waste it in heedlessness.
Only a fool lets the moment of opportunity slip away.