Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Love unexplained is clearer (1)

A true lover is proved such by his pain of heart;
kekasih sejati dibuktikan oleh sakit di hatinya;

No sickness is there like sickness of heart.
tiada kesakitan yang menyerupai sakit di hati.

The lover’s ailment is different from all ailments;
sakit kekasih berbeza daripada semua kesakitan;

Love is the astrolabe (2) of God’s mysteries.
cinta adalah astrolab rahsia-rahsia tuhan.

A lover may hanker after this love or that love,
kekasih boleh mengidamkan cinta ini atau cinta itu,

But at the last he is drawn to the KING of love.
tapi akhirnya dia tertarik kepada raja cinta.

However much we describe and explain love,
betapa banyak pun kita perikan dan huraikan cinta,

When we fall in love we are ashamed of our words.
bila jatuh cinta kita jadi malu dek kata-kata sendiri.

Explaination by the tongue makes most things clear,
huraian dengan lidah jadikan banyak perkara jelas,

But love unexplained is clearer.
tapi cinta tak terhurai adalah lebih jelas.

----------------------------------------
(1) Masnavi-i-Ma’navi, The Spiritual Couplets of Maulana Jalalu-d-din Muhammad 1 Rumi, Book 1, pg 8; translated and abridged by E H Whinfield M.A, Omphaloskepsis.

(2) Early astronomical instrument: an early instrument used to observe the position and determine the altitude of the Sun or other astronomical object. The astrolabe was used for navigation from the Middle Ages until the 18th century when it was replaced by the sextant.
- /alat astronomi awal yang digunakan bagi memerhati kedudukan dan menentukan altitud matahari dan objek-objek astronomi lain. astrolab digunakan untuk panduan arah dari Zaman Pertengahan hingga ke abad ke-18 apabila ia digantikan dengan sekstan.

No comments: