Religion
Thou Perfect Being
Translated by E. J. W. Gibb (1882) · From Ottoman Poems (1882)
Thou Perfect Being, Source whence wisdom's mysteries arise;
Things, the issue of Thine essence, show wherein Thy nature lies.
Manifester of all wisdom, Thou art He whose pen of might
Hath with rays of stars illumined yonder gleaming page, the skies.
That a happy star, indeed, the essence clear of whose bright self
Truly knoweth how the blessings from Thy word that flow to prize.
But a jewel flawed am faulty I: alas, for ever stands
Blank the page of my heart's journal from thought of Thy writing wise.
In the journal of my actions Evil's lines are black indeed;
When I think of Day of Gathering's terrors, blood flows from my eyes.
Gathering of my tears will form a torrent on the Reckoning Day,
If the pearls, my tears, rejecting, He but view them to despise:
Pearls my tears are, O Fuzûlî, from the ocean deep of love;
But they're pearls these, oh! most surely, that the Love of Allah buys!
Codex Note
A prayer to God as the source of all wisdom, in which the poet confesses his sins and asks for mercy, since his tears are pearls of a kind that the love of God alone can buy.
Cite this poem
MLA
Fuzuli. “Thou Perfect Being.” Translated by E. J. W. Gibb. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/fuzuli/1/.
Chicago
Fuzuli. “Thou Perfect Being.” Translated by E. J. W. Gibb. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/fuzuli/1/.
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