Never would I have guessed

Never would I have guessed, this adventure could intoxicate me so,

making hell of my heart and turning my eyes into rivers so,

never could I have guessed, that a flood would wipe me away,

casting me mercilessly upon the blood-filled ocean so,

bringing a thunderous wave upon that ship that tore it board by board

that in this relentless whirling, every board would be undone so,

that a giant whale would rise from deep and drink the ocean

never would I have thought an ocean could be swallowed dry like so, 

thereafter the desert would swallow the ocean-devouring whale so,

and as with Heron, the desert too, shall be swallowed by wrath divine, like so,

neither desert nor ocean remain, when succeeding transformations whirl so,

What became of Being when it drowned in Nonbeing, I really do not know, 

There are many things we know, but I no longer know --

swimming for my life, I must have swallowed foam, the opium of the seas like so.

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چه دانستم که این سودا مرا زین سان کند مجنون

Never would I  have guessed that this adventure would intoxicate me so

دلم را دوزخی سازد دو چشمم را کند جیحون

Making hell of my heart and turning my eyes into rivers so

چه دانستم که سیلابی مرا ناگاه برباید

Never would I've guessed that a flood would steal me away so

چو کشتی ام دراندازد میان قلزم پرخون

 cast me mercilessly upon the blood-filled ocean so

زند موجی بر آن کشتی که تخته تخته بشکافد

Bring a thunderous wave upon that ship that tore it apart board by board

که هر تخته فروریزد ز گردشهای گوناگون

That from the relentless whirling every board would come undone as so

نهنگی هم برآرد سر خورد آن آب دریا را

And a giant whale would rise from the deep and drink the ocean so

چنان دریای بیپایان شود بیآب چون هامون

Never would I have thought that an ocean could be swallows dry like so 

شکافد نیز آن هامون نهنگ بحرفرسا را

the desert too will swallow the ocean devouring whale like so

کشد در قعر ناگاهان به دست قهر چون قارون

As with Heron, the desert itself shall be swallowed by divine wrath like so

چو این تبدیلها آمد نه هامون ماند و نه دریا

Neither desert nor ocean will remain

When these transformations come so

چه دانم من دگر چون شد که چون غرق است در بیچون

being is drowned by Nonbeing

what become of that state i don't really know 

چه دانمهای بسیار است لیکن من نمیدانم

There are many things we know 

but I don't any longer know

که خوردم از دهان بندی در آن دریا کفی افیون

For, while cast in that ocean 

I must have swallowed intoxicating seafoam