Peace, one and all…
‘We are not slaves of Suleyman, nor the captives
of Selim
No one knows us, we are slaves of the shah
of generosity.
One who is the servant of love has never bowed
to the nobles of the world
We are the Sultans of another world -
Hey look, whose slaves are we?
Don’t think we thirst for the sweet water
of the rivers of Paradise
We eat sorrow and gulp blood continuously
at our places of suffering
Oh my sultan of love, don’t think we kneel
to the new beauty of youth
We are slaves of the ancient allure of your
radiant face
Oh Hayreti, we gave up the silken cloak,
we quit the dervish cap
We are only slaves of the coarse robes
of this world’
(Hayreti, d. 1535)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
