Unseen Rain (poems of Rumi cycle)

 Many years ago, when Rumi was not as well known as he is now, I went to a bookshop in London and found a book of poems titled "Unseen Rain". It was translated from Persian into open verse, or rather into bits of prose, as is often done in English in recent years, but nevertheless it made an impression on me. I thought I would like to read these poems in their original language one day. So I started to learn Persian.

Some years later, with some knowledge of Persian already, I went to another bookshop in London, one that only sold books in Arabic and Persian. I went to the Persian section and found there a book titled "Kuliyat-e Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi", a large collection of ghazals and ruba'iyat of Rumi. I was very proud of myself that I could find it without anybody's help. However, my knowledge of Persian was not enough to translate these poems into Polish as I intended.

Still some years later I met somebody who helped me do just that. They were Persian-speaking poets Bashir from Afghanistan and Ziba from Iran. They explained the original so I could understand it and produce a Polish version. We communicated in English and by force some English versions also appeared.

All this exercise proved that I was right - one has to read these poems in their original language to really appreciate them. There is an unearthly rhythm in them, something like Bob Marley's reggae. Some Persian people even say that one can get drunk on Rumi. I tried to produce something approximate in English. I present some of them here. I also present the same poems as they appear in the "Unseen Rain". By no means I claim my versions are better, or anything like that. They are just my versions, that's all. I also present here the original Persian version, just in case any reader knows that language.  

67.

(my version)
I used to boast that I am the lord of myself;
Used to complain that I’m a slave of myself.
This is past, now I do not trust myself.
I understand: I don’t understand myself.

("Unseen Rain" version)

I thought I had self-control
so I regretted times I didn't.
With that considering over, the one thing I know
is I don't know who I am. 

(original)

گه می‌گفتم که من امیرم خود را

گه ناله‌ کنان که من اسیرم خود را

آن رفت و از این پس نپذیرم خود را

بگرفتم این که من نگیرم خود را

The rhyme (AAAA) is  خود را khod ra (of myself)

152

(my version)

A love without a lover – there is no better,

It’s like work without profit – there is no better.

You should stop being clever, forget all your cunning:

This is the real cunning – there is no better.

("Unseen Rain" version)

No better love than love with no object,

no more satysfying work than work with no purpose. 

If you could give up trocks and cleverness,

that would be the cleverest trick!

(original)

از بی‌یاری ظریف تر یاری نیست

وز بی‌کاری لطیف تر کاری نیست

هرکس که ز عیاری و حیله ببرید

والله که چو او زیرک و عیاری نیست

The rhyme here (AABA) is  نیست nist (is not)

681.

(my version)

In the shambles of love the best are being killed,

The bad mannered and disfigured are not being killed.

Don’t be afraid of death if you’re a true lover;

Only walking cadavers are scared of being killed.

("Unseen Rain" version)

In the shambles of love they kill only the best, 

none of the weak or deformed. 

Don't run away from this dying. 

Whoever is not killed for love is carrion.

(original)

در مطبخ عشق جز نکو را نکشند 

روبه صفتان زشت خو را نکشند

 گر عاشق صادقی ز مردن مگریز

 مردار بود هر آن که او را نکشند

The rhyme here (AABA) is  نکشند  nakoshand (they do not kill)