Sweet to Die
If in thy love I meet my mortal end, how sweet to die,
Or if thy breath restores my soul, what joy draws nigh.
Thou art an ocean, vast with grace, I but a shell,
If one pure drop I taste of thee, all shall be well.
The morning breaks—if with true wine my cup thou fill,
This aged heart shall find renewal, freshened still.
Last night within thy arms I rested, calm, complete,
Today, though sated with thy loss, the pain is sweet.
I cannot from the corner of thy glance depart,
Yet if I hide from time awhile, it soothes my heart.
Each moment from thy love my thirsty soul is fed,
From such abundant grace I lift no restless head.
O friend! If union’s hand at last should draw me near,
Then exile’s wound was but compulsion I must bear.
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Explanatory Footnotes:
1. Aged heart - Refers to a heart worn by long years of love and longing, not merely old in age.
2. Wine - Symbolizes both earthly drink and mystical ecstasy, representing divine or passionate love.
3. Corner of thy glance - A fleeting, subtle look imbued with allure and deep meaning.
4. Sated with thy loss - The paradox of being overwhelmed by separation yet finding a strange sweetness in it.
5. Union and exile - “Union” refers to the joy of being with the beloved; “exile” conveys the torment of forced separation.
Copyright © Saeed Koushan | Year Posted 2025
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