Soul of the world! The soul,
The world – these things do not endure;
Only the ancient love and pure,
Idol and saki, this abideth whole.

About the shrine of naught
The lover if he will process,
Go, find him in his nothingness;
Not in the infinite skies may he be sought.

Èy-jân-e jahân, jân -ô- jahân bâqî nîst,
Jûz èshq-e qadîm shâhed -ô- sâqî nîst.

Bar ka’beh-e nîstî tavâfi dârad,
Âsheq chô ze ka’beh ást âfâtî nîst.

Vocabulary

Èy = Lo! O’thou!
Jân-e Jahân = Soul of the World
Ô = also can be written “va” means and
Bâqî = Eternal, durable
Nîst = It is not
Jûz = Except, unless
Èshq = Love
Qadîm = Ancient
Shâhed = Idol
Sâqî = Cupbearer
Bar = Around
Ka’beh = The sacred temple at Mecca, the most spiritual pilgrimage site
for Muslims
Nîstî = Naught
Tavâf = Circumambulation of Ka’beh
Dârad = To have, here to make “pilgrimage”
Âsheq =Lover
Chô = Like
Ze = “Áz”, from
Ást = Is
Âfât = Calamities, plagues, sigular form is “Âfat”

by Eliza Tashibi