O WHAT is this
That is the circle’s bliss,
And ah! the heart’s perdition
When it is gone

It cometh so,
Unseen, and goeth: let all know
Not flute and drum the reason be
Of ecstasy.

* This Quatrain in Arberry’s book numbered mistakenly as Ruba’ie 21.
The correct citation is Ruba’ie number 27.

Ân chist káz ôu samâ’-hâ râ sharaf ást?
Vân chist ke chôn ravad mahal-e talaf ást?

Mi-âyad -ô- miravad nahân tâ dânand,
Kin zôq -ô- samâ’-hâ ná áz náy -ô- daf ást.

Vocabulary

Ân = That
Chi-st = Abbrivated form of “Chi Ást” means what is this?
Káz = Originally it was “Ke Áz” means “from which”.
Ôu = He/she
Samâ’-hâ = Samâ’ means Whirle, Sufi dance. “hâ” at the end is the plural sign.
Râ = Particle suffixed to a noun or pronoun as a sign of the definite
direct object.
Sharaf = Honour, dignity
Ást = Is
Vân = Abbriviated form of “Va Ân”, means “and that”…
Chôn = Like,
Ravad = It is gone
Mahal = Place
Talaf = Perdition, dead
Mi-âyad = It comes
Ô = also can be written “va” means and.
Miravad = It goes
Nahân = Hidden, unseen
Tâ = Which, that…
Dânand = They know
Kin = “ke In”, means “which this”…
Zôq = Taste, enthusiasm, but here means ecstasy.
Ná = No
Áz = From
Náy = Flute
Daf = Drum

by Eliza Tashibi