Poem #1
English Translation
Persian
O Cupbearer! Pass the bowl and let it flow
for Love seemed easy once, but now the problems grow.
اَلا یا اَیُّهَا السّاقی اَدِرْ کَأسَاً و ناوِلْها
که عشق آسان نمود اوّل ولی افتاد مشکل‌ها
In hope of musk that the breeze might unbind from that tress
what blood has filled our hearts from those curls' dark distress!
به بویِ نافه‌ای کآخِر صبا زان طُرّه بُگشاید
ز تابِ جَعدِ مشکینش چه خون افتاد در دل‌ها
What peace is there for me in the Beloved's place?
When the bell cries every moment: 'Depart! Begin the race!'
مرا در منزلِ جانان چه امنِ عیش، چون هر دَم
جَرَس فریاد می‌دارد که بَربندید مَحمِل‌ها
Dye your prayer-rug with wine if the Old Magian says so
for the traveler knows the path and where the wayfarers go.
به مِی سجّاده رنگین کُن گَرَت پیرِ مُغان گوید
که سالِک بی‌خبر نَبْوَد ز راه و رسمِ منزل‌ها
The dark night, the fear of waves, the whirlpool so deep
how can the safe ones on the shore know the vigil we keep?
شبِ تاریک و بیمِ موج و گِردابی چنین هایل
کجا دانند حالِ ما سبک‌بارانِ ساحل‌ها؟
My self-will has led me to a name of disgrace
how can the secret be hidden that is spoken in every place?
همهْ کارم ز خودکامی به بدنامی کشید آخر
نهان کِی مانَد آن رازی کَزو سازند مَحفل‌ها؟
If you seek His presence, Hafez, do not stray or depart
when you meet the One you love, let the world leave your heart.
حضوری گر همی خواهی از او غایب مشو حافظ
مَتیٰ ما تَلْقَ مَنْ تَهْویٰ دَعِ الدُّنْیا وَ اَهْمِلْها
Cultural Context
This is Hafez's most famous ghazal, opening his Divan. It sets the stage for his entire philosophy: the difficulty of love, the spiritual journey, and the tension between orthodoxy (prayer mat) and mystical intoxication (wine). The first hemistich is actually in Arabic, borrowed from Yazid I, which was controversial. The imagery of the sea storm and the safety of the shore is a classic metaphor for the spiritual path vs. worldly life. 'Musk' refers to the scent of the beloved, but obtaining it requires enduring the 'blood' or pain of the heart.
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