Number 23

RubāʿīLiterary Return
English

Number 23

They tell me not to be restless, not to weep through the nights of separation. But as long as the fire of his love burns over my head, I cannot stop my crying for a single moment, like a candle.
Explanation: The candle is a classic Persian image: it burns and melts (weeps) while its own flame consumes it, mirroring the lover undone by love.

Original · Persian

شمارهٔ ۲۳

گویند به من که بیقراری نکنم شبهای فراق اشگباری نکنم
تا هست مرا آتش عشقش بر سر یک لحظه چو شمع ترک زاری نکنم