And Thus To Saadi Said The Muse Poem by Sadiqullah Khan

And thus to Saadi said the Muse:
‘Eat thou the bread which men refuse;
Flee from the goods which from thee flee;
Seek nothing, - Fortune seeketh thee.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Saadi

Flee from the goods which from thee flee,
Flee and find and do not seek
The raven seeketh and finds abhor,
Nightingale seeks not, the rose lifts veil.
To your garden come from paradise, bird,
Sings the Muse's lament, O seeker be not,
Rich in olives, with figs fed -
The orchard yore and yonder bright.
And green in color are leaves in spring,
On your doorstep are the riches of art,
Wise word hangs on your adobed wall
Friends' shadows on your mud floor -
Heed not thou fraudulent times
Seeker those of fame and renown,
Your days are here, on the yellow desert,
Fountains of water, flagons of wine.
Distant drums though hear sweeter
To the seven strings of your heart's lyre,
Whistle the toil on your forehead flow
Whilst they live throes, sift not amongst.
The beauty shones like the morning beam,
Your night at the end is hope to come,
Nor truths reveal, lily's bosom deep red,
Much a seeker's eye spotted blind
In hand is the secret, love entwine.

Sadiqullah Khan
Islamabad
January 22,2016.