A Letter From My Children’s Mother
Poetry
Just from two handfuls of clay,
I have fashioned for you, love,
A new life and a new world!
And my love so overwhelmed me,
That a rival for your love,
I created for myself!
When of loyalty brimful,
I, the world of madness, entered,
There I found this bright red ruby-
Of all rubies the most fair;
This, the emblem of my pride,
Is the answer to your prayers,
Those innumerable complaints,
That you, in the quiet evenings,
Were so softly wont to make;
This the roof of adoration,
Of my loyalty and faith.
When my soul absorbed the light,
Both his eyes commenced to glow;
This, the essence of my life –
Sometimes laughter, often pain;
And the eagle’s sheer swoop;
And the bulbul’s melody;
And an emperor’s proof of love;
An entreaty of the slave;
An invaluable prize of a priceless goblet, fine.
This the meaning of your dreams, and my longing’s lovely face;
From myself I have created
A true image of yourself; And across the wastelands, parched,
I have spread a spread of flowers;
On each breath I have inscribed,
The beloved’s name and love.
And when I went out in search of,
Rapturous madness of your dreams,
There I found for your Khanate,
A much better Khan than you;
And when I, in both your wings,
The wild eagle’s longing, saw,
From your spirit I created,
This, the eagle of your dreams,
And the longing of your life.
These two finely-formed red lips
Of the Saki, and red wine;
In the burning of desire,
Music’s melody divine;
And atop the niche of prayer,
Goblet bubbling with delight.
In the commons of oblivion,
I hav demarcated life;
Expectations of tomorrow
Have exchanged for yesterday;
And when I became a dream,
Both of longing and of search,
In your dark, benighted palace,
Radiant candles were then lit.
From two handfuls of bare clay,
Two new things have I today,
Freshly fashioned for your use;
A new life and a new world;
And my love, ever so strong,
Has compelled me to create,
Yet another love for you.
My entire life, complete,
I have wagered on just one
Of your longings; indiscreet,
To the potter, I gave up
All my consciousness, to make
On the wheel, for you, a cup.
And when all of you became
For Majnoon, another name,
All of me was then transformed
Into Laila of the night;
When you became all colour,
And Khayyam, I then took on
The ‘flower-limbed’ form of Saki,
And the sparkling wine of spring,
And when you became Moses,
And the Mount of Toor as well,
I became a flash of beauty,
And a spark of blinding light!
And when you became the longing,
And commotion of my love,
I became rapturous communion’s,
Perfect setting, wherewithal;
And when you became a spark,
Of the fire as it burned,
I became the raging flame,
As it crackled and it curled.
When your heart went out searching,
I became the path and guide;
When your lips thirsted for wine,
The red wine of ecstasy,
Then my own dear beloved,
I became the cup and wine;
And when you asked for light,
I became the true dawn of Spring.
When you fall in love with darkness,
I became a winter’s eve.
When you took the name of Uzza,
Then I lit up a candle,
To the entity of death.
When you expressed intent,
To perform the rites of Haj,
Then I put on, instantly,
The white robes of Haj — Ihram.
Just from two handfuls of clay,
I have fashioned for you, love,
A new life and a new world!
And my love so overwhelmed me,
That a rival for your love,
I created for myself!
