By Yunus Emre

You, go on saying I’m a dervish, in me is what of
dervishness?

Summer is true land of dervishes, in winter I do
less!

I took name of ‘dervish’, in its our forms was clothed:
but when I saw the Path ahead what I did was
shameless!

I, proud of dervish cloak and cap, saw it was wrong:
a thousand lies each bit of me and more, not
less!

On Path they ask me to guide and they believe me:
I’ve a pure heart they think but I’m burdened to
excess!

If you look into me, to see is not worth half a coin…
self’s confusions and arguments a world would
compress!

Yunus speaks out: “Lovers of Truth, O real saints;
all I can do now is on the Path to God place me,
hopeless!”

Translation by Paul Smith