A Poem For Today - Falcon Moon

[KEN DICKINSON]

Falcon Moon

From the glow of dawn a moon appeared

It swept from the sky—speared me with its eyes

With me in its talons, to the sky it soared--

Like a hawk which snatches a songbird by force

I glanced at myself--no me to be seen

The moon of mercy pared my body to a soul

Formless I flew, just seeing the moon--

The moon, and the world lit in its gleam

In the soul I traveled, with the moon as my beacon

Lay bare the secret of the time before time

Sky, and then sky, all merged with the moon

The raft that is me was drowned in the sea

Without the force of that Sunburst of Shams

Neither the moon nor the sea can be seen.

Jelalludin Rumi

 Ghazal 19

 (Translation by Shantanu Phukan)

Falcon Moon

Dar Charkh-e sahargah yaki mah ayan shud

Vaz charkh bazer amad o bar ma nigran shud

Chun  baz ke birbayad murghi ba-gahe said

Birbud mara an mah o bar charkh ravan shud

Dar khud chun nazar kardam, khud ra banadidam

Zeera ke dar an mah tanamaz lutf chun jan shud

Dar jan chun safar kardam juz mah nadidam

Ta sirr-e tajalliye azal jumle bayan shud

Na charkh-e falakjumle dar an mah firo shud

Kashtiyye vujudam hame dar  bahr-e nihan shud

An bahr bazad mauj o khirad baz bar amad

V-avaz dar afgand, chunin gasht o chunan shud

An bahr kafi kard ba har pareh az an kaf

Naqshi zi falan amad o jismi zi fulan shud

Be daulate makhdumiye shams al haqi tabrez

Nai mah tavan didan, o nai bahr tavan shud