When it comes to reaching the heart of the Beloved,
there is no room for patience.
Don’t talk about patience.
When Love rattles its chain,
the minds of Plato and Abul Hasan* become befuddled.
I swear by the Soul of Love
that no soul can be saved from Love,
even if it hides itself in hundreds of castle towers.
If you become a lion, Love will become a lion hunter.
If you become an elephant,
Love will become an elephant-hunting rhinoceros.
If you go to the bottom of the well in order to hide,
Love will grab you like a bucket,
put His rope around your neck and pull you up.
If you turn into a hair,
Love will split you into forty pieces.
If you become a kebob, Love will become a skewer
put you on it and turn you over the fire
again and again and again.
Love does snatch the minds of men and women.
But, the security of the Universe is also Love.
So is justice and peace.
Be silent.
The country of words is the Damascus of the soul.
If someone is in a country like that, don’t call him a stranger.
*Abdul Hasan A random name.
Divan-i Kebir, Meter 7 (Volunme 5,6,7a), Ghazal 90, verses 1025-1032, pages 260-261.