Thursday, May 14, 2009

Perfect Love

Perfect Love

Who would be loved, let him possess
A true beloved like mine,
And share in secret blessedness
Love's mystery divine:
Lovers like us none else, I guess,
Are found in earth's confine.

'Soul of the world' - such was the name
My idol gave to me;
While I do live, her I proclaim
Soul of my world to be,
And none I know doth own the same
Dear loyalty as she.

Behold me now - take not as heard,
But ask, and all will say
That this is sooth: this was her word:
'I shall be thine for aye'
Truly she is, as she averred,
And I am hers alway.

A.J. Arberry
Taken from Persian Poems An Anthology of Verse Translations

No comments: