Poems & Poets

This poem is authored by Jalal-od-Din Mohammad Balkhi (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد بلخى‎; 30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), also known as Mawlavi, Mawlana and Rumi. Mawlavi was a 13th-century Persian poet, faqih, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Khorasan in Greater Iran (present-day Afghanistan). His works focus on “the roots of the roots of the roots of the religion”, in that they address the heart and soul of the Qurʾanic message and the Prophetic legacy. He is arguably the most well-known of all Persian poets and mystics.

This ghazal is a love-poem dedicated to a beloved. Here, Mawlana speaks about the reality that his beloved, from whom he is separated, is distant but close, far but near, hidden but present. As Mawlana ruminates, he remembers the words of the beloved, which reminded him that he is capable of endowing clarity and light, but in the next moment leaving one in a state of confusion and obscurity. This poem is a delicate expression of love and reverence for one's beloved.

Reference: Mawlavi – Divan-e-Shams – Ghazal 1377