Whose domes are blue as heaven’s inverted cup,
The consecrated shrine, head of Islam,
Whose heart is at Meccah, the happy spot
Where bloom the gardens of the Heart’s Delight,
Where in the house upon the Shepherd’s Hill
Wise men pursue the pathway of the stars—
I, even Nizami, write this record down
In God’s name, merciful, compassionate,
A proof of his compassion.
When my youth