Tangled in the Love-Web

Heartbroken by an unanswered prayer, the poet grapples with the natural feeling of human envy when another receives divine favor.

Ya Rabb! I cannot
But express my thought,
When in such a web of love
I am caught.

They say everything is fair
In love and war,
Who gets what and where,
This is from justice far.

My dear one has made me
In joy suffer,
Is it called love
When tears roll amidst laughter?

I question not Your Knowledge:
What in dream You divulged,
I doubt not Your Justice,
You granted her sweet wish.

Yet, may I ask You,
Hey my Merciful Rabb,
Like her, do I not have
Any desire for Yathrib?

How many greetings
Have I eagerly sent?
How many sleepless nights
In his desire I spent?

With eyes open and closed-
Plenty his love I aroused,
And yet You showed me
Not even once,
That Full-Moon face
Who makes my soul dance.

Hey my Kind Lord!
I am really sad:
You granted her the prayer
I always had.

Am I not
A human creature?
Is envy not natural
At such a juncture?

And yet I swear, Ya Wadood-
I feel proud
To be held dear
In such a heart.

There is no love or pain
Sans Your Beloved,
Beholding him is a fortune,
Longing for him brings pain.

We ask for nothing more
Than his love,
Nothing else can
Our hearts move.

The world of body
Puts us into sleep,
The devil digs
The system’s hole, deep.

We circle around it
For sake of bread,
Until death, it demands
Our sweat and blood.

How after death
Can we show our faces?
How little have we thanked
For Your blessings?

At least allow us
To endear Your Beloved,
At least then can we hope
Towards paradise led.

April 18th 2004. Edit July 2024