Turkish Literature; Comprising Fables, Belles-lettres, and Sacred Traditions

Turkey -- Literary collections; Turkish literature -- Translations into English

And as these words the pining Bulbul heard,
    He turned himself to God with thankful heart.
    At last he came, with many a tender thought,
    Unto the festival the Rose ordained.
    The Rose all honor did him in her power;
    And took him to herself to cherish him.
    And said, “Ah, sad one, what has pained thee now?
    Thou art for all thy absence now consoled.
    And now it is ordained by happy fate,
    That I should give to thee a little pledge.
    My flight has put thy song quite out of tune,
    And turned aside the music of thy song.
    Now let thyself no longer rove away,
    For thou canst rightly linger here a while;
    For all the sickness I have caused to thee,
    A thousand faithful pledges be returned.
    It is the custom of the beauteous one,
    That she should crown affliction with her trust.”
    As to the Nightingale these gracious words
    Were in caressing accents thus addressed,
    He charged himself with fault a thousand times,
    And mute he stood, and weak and tottering.
    He said: “The word that falls from thee is good,
    And trust that follows after suffering
    Is good, and what thou doest is well done.
    For above all a loving sweetheart stands;
    And I have shed my blood for love of thee,
    And shouldst thou slay me I would not complain.
    For thee, the breath of life within me heaves,
    E’en separation as delight I hail.”
    ’Twas thus the Rose and Nightingale beguiled
    The time in conversation amorous.
    Then they began to quaff the ruddy wine;
    And many a goblet sparkled to the brim.
    Draughts of the rosy-tinted wine they took,
    And in the feast the pastoral pipes were heard,
    And Bulbul his clear notes with ardor poured.
    They rang through all the ranks of Gulistan,
    Like some sweet lute they floated on the air,
    And oft in loudest trills they burst like flame.
    His look was fixed upon the lustrous Rose,
    In ardent longing soft as a caress.
    Now his love burst in flame like aloe flowers;
    And in his glowing song he uttered sighs.
    Although made happy by his keen delight,
    He still in sighs the longed-for kisses craved.
    With golden draughts the goblet oft was filled,
    But kisses were the sugar in the cup.
    For while the bird began to sip the wine,
    He stole a kiss from the fair Rose’s lips;
    Warmer and warmer with the feast he grew,
    With hearts quite melted went they arm in arm,
    And as the liquor mounted to his brain
    The banqueter lay senseless on the ground.
    And the glass circled round amid the feast,
    Till heaven its circuit had to evening brought.




LVII

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NIGHT AND THE NIGHT-LONG REVEL AMID THE SOUND OF
TRUMPETS AND CASTANETS

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Turkish Literature; Comprising Fables, Belles-lettres, and Sacred Traditions

Turkey -- Literary collections; Turkish literature -- Translations into English

And as these words the pining Bulbul heard,
    He turned himself to God with thankful heart.
    At last he came, with many a tender thought,
    Unto the festival the Rose ordained.
    The Rose all honor did him in her power;
    And took him to herself to cherish him.
    And said, “Ah, sad one, what has pained thee now?
    Thou art for all thy absence now consoled.
    And now it is ordained by happy fate,
    That I should give to thee a little pledge.
    My flight has put thy song quite out of tune,
    And turned aside the music of thy song.
    Now let thyself no longer rove away,
    For thou canst rightly linger here a while;
    For all the sickness I have caused to thee,
    A thousand faithful pledges be returned.
    It is the custom of the beauteous one,
    That she should crown affliction with her trust.”
    As to the Nightingale these gracious words
    Were in caressing accents thus addressed,
    He charged himself with fault a thousand times,
    And mute he stood, and weak and tottering.
    He said: “The word that falls from thee is good,
    And trust that follows after suffering
    Is good, and what thou doest is well done.
    For above all a loving sweetheart stands;
    And I have shed my blood for love of thee,
    And shouldst thou slay me I would not complain.
    For thee, the breath of life within me heaves,
    E’en separation as delight I hail.”
    ’Twas thus the Rose and Nightingale beguiled
    The time in conversation amorous.
    Then they began to quaff the ruddy wine;
    And many a goblet sparkled to the brim.
    Draughts of the rosy-tinted wine they took,
    And in the feast the pastoral pipes were heard,
    And Bulbul his clear notes with ardor poured.
    They rang through all the ranks of Gulistan,
    Like some sweet lute they floated on the air,
    And oft in loudest trills they burst like flame.
    His look was fixed upon the lustrous Rose,
    In ardent longing soft as a caress.
    Now his love burst in flame like aloe flowers;
    And in his glowing song he uttered sighs.
    Although made happy by his keen delight,
    He still in sighs the longed-for kisses craved.
    With golden draughts the goblet oft was filled,
    But kisses were the sugar in the cup.
    For while the bird began to sip the wine,
    He stole a kiss from the fair Rose’s lips;
    Warmer and warmer with the feast he grew,
    With hearts quite melted went they arm in arm,
    And as the liquor mounted to his brain
    The banqueter lay senseless on the ground.
    And the glass circled round amid the feast,
    Till heaven its circuit had to evening brought.




LVII

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NIGHT AND THE NIGHT-LONG REVEL AMID THE SOUND OF
TRUMPETS AND CASTANETS

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Turkish Literature; Comprising Fables, Belles-lettres, and Sacred Traditions

Turkish Literature; Comprising Fables, Belles-lettres, and Sacred Traditions

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