O one who holds the halter of time,
O one who opens the door of the paradise of meanings!
Your divinity is what makes everything appear and scatter.
Your world of appearances is the ladder of wishes.
One who looks for You by following directions
has been expelled with the words, “You will never see me.”
O my Beloved, how long will You kill me with the words, “You cannot see me,”
destroy me with the words, “You cannot reach me?”
How many times will You invite me to Your door?
How many times will You turn me away from Your door?
How many times have You taken my soul in Your arms?
How many times have You sat next to me in the land of Absence?
For some time, You dressed me,
gave me food and drink.
For some time, You made me drunk
with a glass of wine among friends and musicians.
O heart, enough! Don’t talk so much.
O tongue, for God’s sake, be silent.
Divan-i Kebir, Volume 14, Gazel 178, verses 1953-1961, pages 103-104.