The Silken Cocoon
 
Your nightly dreams suffice me, therefore with moon
                                                What business have I?
Lain within the dusk's silken cocoon, therefore with dawn
                                                What business have I?
 
I prostrate to kiss Your courtyard, lips without words [1]
Since I am content with the dust, therefore with sugar
                                                What business have I?
 
I see not those smiling lips fearing for my life [2]
Stones thrown afar, then with pearls and jewels
                                                What business have I?
 
I was fathered so that one day You would kill me
Otherwise playing with you handsome lad [3]
                                                What business have I?
 
If it is dying from Your love destinal, fine!
Then questioning the destiny and fate [4]
                                                What business have I?
 
I am called to piety and lured into pleasures
Your sorrow and I, with other affairs
                                                What business have I?
 
Divorce the heart, mind and reasoning Khosrow
Going around Your valley with this bunch [5]
                                                What business have I?
 
 
 
End.
 
 
 
 
[1] Prostrating one’s face upon the ground like placing the lips on dust to kiss to respect to adore the Lordship of Beloved, leaves no room for words on the lips. And if one has gone that far, silent dusted lips, why would he want the sugar of this life? That dust is sweeter than any sugar.
 
[2] According to Araqi terminology, lips to mean words relating to revelations and words of holy messengers and prophets. Here he acts like the lips are that of a beautiful woman guarded and he is chased away by stones leaving the jewels of her lips behind because of fear for his life. The jewels of lips are indication of precious and rare words from Beloved. Here the poet is talking about this life chasing him away from the words of his Creator. Note that lips do not mean Beloved has mouth and teeth...
 
[3] Man is born only to be killed by the Creator the giver/taker of all life. So the poet finds other than that reason there is no other cause then why he has to play with this boy i.e. himself. To play means to deal with himself in this life. So the only reason man has to deal with himself is to prepare for Beloved’s will to wheel him away from life.
 
[4] If truly I am dying because of excess of love for Beloved i.e. a lover obsessed by the love of his Beloved, then does my fate and destiny in this life matter?
 
[5] “Your valley” refers to the valley of love or path of love where words lose their meanings, reasoning evaporates, good and evil become one, happiness and sorrow become one, bliss and afflictions one, there is no distance, there is no step, no past no future and above all no more 'I'…


© 2003-2002,  Dara Shayda