from the Persian of Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi
They say when the time comes for a swan to die,
it goes where other swans have gone to die.
They say as the last night begins to fall,
it trails behind the setting sun to die.
And it sings ghazals, as though it wished between
the pages of its own diwan to die.
They say a swan loves only once and will
return to where its love was won to die.
Making its deathbed where it first made love,
it can forget it has withdrawn to die.