Love

Dead Am I of Grief

by Ishâq Chelebi d. 1537

Translated by E. J. W. Gibb (1882) · From Ottoman Poems (1882)

Love

Dead am I of grief, my Moon no love who shows, ah! where art thou?
Reach the skies, the plaints and wails born of my woes, ah! where art thou?

Save within thy rosy bower rests not the nightingale, the heart;
Figure fair as waving cypress, face as rose, ah! where art thou?

Through thy lips the rose drops sugar at the feast of heart and soul;
Where, my Parrot whose sweet voice doth love disclose, ah! where art thou?

Though with longing dead were Ishâq, live should he, did once she say:
"O my poor one, wildered, weary, torn by woes, ah! where art thou?"

✦ ✦ ✦

Gazel.

MLA

Chelebi, Ishâq. “Dead Am I of Grief.” Translated by E. J. W. Gibb. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/ishaq-chelebi/0/.

Chicago

Chelebi, Ishâq. “Dead Am I of Grief.” Translated by E. J. W. Gibb. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/ishaq-chelebi/0/.

Read this poem with the Codex →