Niknaaz

Niknaaz

*For my dear sister Niknaaz*

Ay, Niknaaz!

O smoldering heart of mine
Here I am in every dreamer's world

O this intoxicating stillness that falls upon me
Here I am before the spring sunshine of every Majnun's seasons

O Elysian Beauty of my sight
Here I am at every lover's delight

Beloved, O how true this Ishq is
When you are the Image of the Mashuq
And when I am the eye of every Ashiq's eye

Sweetness, you are a winged dream
And I am your dreamer

O you who rise with the morning sun to catch my quiet
Could you be all that my Beloved has taught me?

O glowing Moon of Fars
The forbidden wine is spilt over
When I see Love enthroned upon your crimson shyness

O honey, sugar, and cream in every lover's cup
Let me drown in these ancient feelings fashioned of fire and mist

O you who melt the silence of my internal constellations
You are the dream in every wayfarer's sleep, the lingering pain in his homesickness, and the secret wine in his longing

O Beloved of my Beloved
If this is naught but a vision in my slumber
Then mine is indeed a drunken sleep in which a thousand and one veils are lifted

O wound-healing ecstasy of mine
Pour more and more wine into my cup until all else in existence sinks in animosity

O you whose beauty fills the crystal air
Let every little fluttering bird of the sky be slain by the breeze of your beauty
Let every stranger lose himself to the Truth of Intimacy
Let every whisper be replaced by a heartbeat

To your beautiful heart
Which mirrors all of sincerity's true colors

To your enchanting youth
Which is full of morning bright

To your innocent sweetness
Which sings my secret dewsong

To you, sweet Niknaaz of Allaah
I shall return Love for Love

~Dani