Shabistari

The Rose Garden of Mystery (verses 122-130)

Reason’s light applied to the Essence of Lights

is like the eye of the head looking at the brilliance of the Sun

when the object seen is very close to the eye

The eye is darkened so that it cannot see it

This blackness, if you know it, is the very light of Being

in the land of darkness is the fountain of life

Since the darkness destroys the light of vision

Give up loooking, for this is no place for looking

What connection has dust with the pure world?

Its perception is the inability to perceive perception

…

What shall I say? since this saying is fine,

“A bright night in the midst of a dark day”

In this place of witnessing, which is the light of manifestation

 I have much to say, but silence is best.

Original:

بود نور خرد در ذات انور              به سان چشم سر در چشمه خور
چو مبصر با بصر نزدیک گردد              بصر ز ادراک آن تاریک گردد
سیاهی گر بدانی نور ذات است              به تاریکی درون آب حیات است
سیه جز قابض نور بصر نیست               نظر بگذار کین جای نظر نیست
چه نسبت خاک را با عالم پاک        که ادراک است عجز از درک ادراک
سیه رویی ز ممکن در دو عالم                       جدا هرگز نشد والله اعلم
سواد الوجه فی الدارین درویش                 سواد اعظم آمد بی کم و بیش
چه می‌گویم که هست این نکته باریک              شب روشن میان روز تاریک
در این مشهد که انوار تجلی است           سخن دارم ولی نا گفتن اولی است

Ibn al-Fāriḍ

Translation:

If he should visit one day, o my heart, tear yourself to shreds in love for him

            and if he should leave, o eye, pour out tears

But there is no harm in distance, for the one I love is with me

             For if he be absent from the pupil of my eye, yet still he is in me

Original:

إنْ زارَ، يوماً ياحَشايَ تَقَطَّعي،     كَلَفاً بهِ، أو سارَ، يا عينُ اذرِفي
ما للنّوى ذّنْبٌ، ومَنْ أهوى مَعي،       إنْ غابَ عنْ إنسانِ عيني فهوَ في

Shakespeare

Sonnet 43

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow’s form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
       All days are nights to see till I see thee,
       And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.