I

To this degree is the heart affected by the love of Layla,
That Majnun, for aye, uttereth the praises of Layla.

He repeated no other lesson whatever, in this world,
Save that, on the black mole, and the ringlets of Layla.

This, unto him, is sleep, from pain and anguish free,
That he be occupied, day and night, with thoughts of Layla.

If, by the sword of anguish, he to death's agonies be brought,
He grieveth not, so that it be in the presence of Layla.

Lovers, that cry out, "Layla! Layla !" and mourn and bewail-
Kill the body, and make it immortal, by the name of Layla.

He desireth grief out of excessive woe, but findeth it not:
The lover is ever happy, in grief and sorrow for Layla.

The whole of his love-pangs will, in a moment, disappear,
When the long sought interview is brought about with Layla.

Draw near, Ahmad SHAH! learn thou love from Majnün!
For he is famous, in the world, for his love of Laylä.

II

Lay thine hand very gently upon me, O physician!
Behold my condition, and take pity upon me, my beloved!

My heart, for this reason, is wholly filled with anguish,
That, thro' evil destiny, it beholdeth not its dear one near.

She is perfect and exquisite, in the excess of'her beauty;
Hence my heart, distracted and disordered, raveth for her.

Tho' the dear one, by her mouth, many favours conferreth;
Still, every one recei'veth the portion, by destiny dccreed.

Notwithstanding, when I make many supplieation~ unto her,
She saith unto me, "Grieve not, poor soul! I am thine !"

But next day, when I approach her, then, O my friend!
She saitb, "Who is it? wherefore hath the rude fellow come

Tho' I would tear her from my heart, yet it will not be;
For she is, by nature, exceedingly generous, and noble withal.

The long sable locks hang her fair white face about-
She is gay and cheerful in disposition, and elegant in form.

Since God hath given unto the heart-ravisher the rose's beauty,
Wherefore should not the nightingale lover weep and bewail?

O AHMAD SHAH! the parrot-like soul weepeth and is sad:
It hath come again, O destiny! from the country of its love.

III

May God annihilate thee, thou fly of human nature!
For no one mouth will have been left unpolluted by thy kiss!

Every wound, that may be thy place of alighting upon,
Will for ever be afflicted with the irritation of thine eggs.

Thou deafenest the ears of the whole world, with thy din;
Still thy mouth becometh not mute of its unpleasant buzz.

The whole world, through thee, hath into mere carrion turned;
Yet sorrowfully, and in spite, wringest thou still thine hands.

O thoughtless man! follow not the nature of the fly!
These seeing eyes of thine from their ophthalmia cure!

Thou art the servant; then do thou the Almighty seek!
Existence, without God, consider utterly valueless and vain!

Take unto thee implicit faith; and scepticism's dark house,
Thereby shalt thou whiten with the whiteness of its lime.

Lowliness and humility are the height of perfection for thee:
The fiery nature of carnality, from peppe; take thou not!

Thine own original element thou wilt again obtain,
When the neck of thy pride thou shalt from the yoke set free.

Seize thou, O AHMAD SHAH! the good sword of courage;
And the Hindu temptations of the devil expel from thy breast!

IV

Alas! alas! for the dreadful, rolling rock of bereavement;
That for aye conimitteth such ravages loving hearts upon!

It scattereth and separateth kind friends in all directions:
O my God! let the night of separation be always brief!

Since it thus, so ruthlessly, its arrows dischargeth,
The abode of the lover only an empty cavern remaineth.

For his poor heart there will be no relief save weeping;
He, like a widow sigheth, with raiment wet with tears.

His grief for the beloved rendeth the garment of reserve:
The torrent of his tears furroweth the channels of his eyes.

Wherefore should not the afflicted heart weep flesh and blood,
When the tears of bereavement form a lake therein I

Since separation giveth not to the lover so much respite,
The blood of' his heart gusheth forth in streams from his eyes.

He will have no hope of finding relief in any direction:
His very frame becometh a load of anguish to bear.

If woe shall afflict, and press upon thee, O AHMAD SHAH!
In all sincerity and love, flee thou thy God unto?

V

Would that the crows were not assembled in the nightingale's bower!
That loving friends were ever assembled in the parterre of flowers!

When the rose, without the presence of the beloved, may be looked upon,
The eyesight will merely encounter a bed of thorns and brambles.

The garden bloometh in beauty from the face of the beloved;
Then, without her, let not the heart unto the parterre incline!

Those clouds which may not contain the water of beneficence,
Forbid that such clouds should the face of the sky overcast!

When the snaky curls fall all dishevelled round her face,
Save mine own head, I see none other suitable penance to pay.

Since the dark mole upon her cheek is destroyed thereby,
Forbid that the rain of tears should ever her face suffuse!

The countenance of the beloved one is like unto the rose:
Let not autumn affect it: be it ever fresh in the parterre!

The blast of autumn, that scattereth the leaves of the rose-
Would to heaven that blast into the flames could be cast!

The anguish of separation consumeth AHMAD SHAH's heart:
O then once more unite him, the company of his friends unto!

VI

O heart-ravisher! there will be none other in the world like unto thee:
Draw aside thy veil, or thy lover will of sorrow and grief expire!

With breast consumed by passion, I ever follow in search of thee;
But thy abode is neither on earth, nor in the heavens to be found.

I will wander throughout the world, as a Santon or a Darwesh;
Or I will saturate my garments with the flood of my tears.

O fragrant zephyr of the morn! news of her bring thou to me!
Make thou my heart to smile the parterre of flowers within!

When thus I weep and bewail, my object, in so doing, is this,
That my heart may a nightingale be in the rose-bower of thy face.

The heart, at the depredations of thy beauty, lamenteth,
Like as the nightingale's heart bewaileth when autumn arriveth.