The Cunning Idol
They say that love is stripped of truth, but vain,
A tale retold, a sorrow’s old refrain.
Yet thou alone my heart in bondage keep,
Thy form in every realm my soul doth steep.
To snare the cunning idol few are fain,
For she is not a toy for market’s gain.
Thy street proclaims my name, yet none bestow
Thy union sweet, though dreams within me grow.
The portion giv’n me by the lowly sphere
Is nights of wakefulness and grief severe.
Each heart that keeps a breath of loyal flame
Must walk through thorns and bear the exile’s shame.
O heart, rejoice in absence, taste thy smart,
For ease of flesh brings sorrow to the heart.
Explanatory Footnotes:
lowly sphere – A poetic metaphor for the heavens or fate, often viewed as unjust or lowly despite its power.
cunning idol – The beloved, imagined as an idol both enchanting and sly, not easily captured or possessed.
union – Mystical or romantic union with the beloved; a central theme in Persian Sufi-inspired poetry.
absence – The state of separation from the beloved, a source of both pain and spiritual growth.
smart – Here used in its older sense, meaning pain or suffering.
Copyright © Saeed Koushan | Year Posted 2025
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