Wise ones!
You who can heed the signs!
Between sun and oryx
I anguish.

He who fails to heed Suha
is not heedless.
But he who fails to heed the sun,
really!

Let him lead himself
in his herd to his heart,
Gifts open people’s throats
in praise!

She is a young woman
of the Arabs
but a Persian original,
she is.

Beauty composed a string
of pearls
for her, teeth as white and pure
as crystal.

When she lowered her veil
I was stricken with fear
and disarrayed
in the radiance of her beauty

I am the one
with two deaths to die
the two deaths recounted
in this Qur’an.

I said: what,
frightened by the lowering of a veil?
The battlefield
is the rising sun.

I said: In such a case
I claim sacred refuge
in a night black curtain.
Let it fall.

Our verses here
are without rhyme.
My only intent
is the letter “ha.”

My purport is the expression “ha”
that refers to her.
Without ha and ha,
no deal!

5/25/05 roughest draft posted

42 Raml

Wise ones! You who can heed the signs!
Between sun and oryx I anguish.

He who fails to heed Suha is not heedless.
But he who fails to heed the sun, really!

Let him lead himself in his herd to his heart,
Gifts open people’s throats in praise!

She is a young woman of the Arabs
but a Persian original, she is.

For her, beauty laced a string of pearls,
teeth as white and pure as crystal.

When she lowered her veil I was stricken with fear
and disarrayed in her radiant beauty.

I am the one with two deaths to die
the two deaths recounted in this very Qur’an.

I said: what, frightened by the lowering of a veil?
The battlefield is the rising sun.

I said: In such a case I claim sacred refuge
in a night black curtain. Let it fall.

Our verses here are without rhyme.
My only intent is the letter “ha.”

My purport is the expression “ha”
that refers to her. Without ha and ha, no deal!

5/25/05 roughest draft posted