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Hafiz
Why You Should Be Alone
"I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself with me that I can no longer call myself a man, a woman, an angel, or even a pure Soul. Love has befriended me so completely it has turned to ash and freed me of every concept and image my mind has ever known." ~ Hafiz
A New World
Let's offer flowers, pour a cup of libation,
split open the skies and start anew on creation.
If the forces of grief invade our lovers' veins,
cupbearer and I will wash away this temptation.
With rose water we'll mellow crimson wine's bitter cup;
we'll sugar the fire to sweeten smoke's emanation.
Take this fine lyre, musician, strike up a love song;
let's dance, sing all night, go wild in celebration.
As dust, O West Wind, let us rise to the Heavens,
floating free in Creator's glow of elation.
If mind desires to return while heart cries to stay,
here's a quarrel for love's deliberation.
Alas, these words and songs go for naught in this land;
come, Hafez, let's create a new generation.
"I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being." ~ Hafiz
Absolutely Clear
Don't surrender your loneliness
so quickly.
Let it cut more deep.
Let it ferment and season you
as few human
or even divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
has made my eyes so soft,
my voice
so tender,
My need of God
absolutely
clear.
"Even After All this time The Sun never says to the Earth, 'You owe me.' Look What happens With a love like that, It lights the whole sky." ~ Hafiz
Cupbearer, It Is Morning
Cupbearer, it is morning, fill my cup with wine.
Make haste, the heavenly sphere knows no delay.
Before this transient world is ruined and destroyed,
ruin me with a beaker of rose-tinted wine.
The sun of the wine dawns in the east of the goblet.
Pursue life's pleasure, abandon dreams,
and the day when the wheel makes pitchers of my clay,
take care to fill my skull with wine!
We are not men for piety, penance and preaching
but rather give us a sermon in praise of a cup of clear wine.
Wine-worship is a noble task, O Hafiz;
rise and advance firmly to your noble task.
No Matter How Old, Ruined, and Weak I Became
هر چند پیر و خسته دل و ناتوان شدم
هر گه که یاد روی تو کردم جوان شدم
شکر خدا که هر چه طلب کردم از خدا
بر منتهای همت خود کامران شدم
ای گلبن جوان بر دولت بخور که من
در سایه تو بلبل باغ جهان شدم
اول ز تحت و فوق وجودم خبر نبود
در مکتب غم تو چنین نکته دان شدم
قسمت حوالتم به خرابات می‌کند
هر چند کاین چنین شدم و آن چنان شدم
آن روز بر دلم در معنی گشوده شد
کز ساکنان درگه پیر مغان شدم
در شاهراه دولت سرمد به تخت بخت
با جام می به کام دل دوستان شدم
از آن زمان که فتنه چشمت به من رسید
ایمن ز شر فتنه آخرزمان شدم
من پیر سال و ماه نیم یار بی‌وفاست
بر من چو عمر می‌گذرد پیر از آن شدم
دوشم نوید داد عنایت که حافظا
بازآ که من به عفو گناهت ضمان شدم
No matter how old, ruined, and weak I became,
whenever I remembered Your face, I became young again.
Thank God; because for every request I asked of Him,
He has helped me achieve my highest ambitions.
O youthful rose! Grab hold of this great treasure.
In the shadows of the world's garden, this nightingale sings with pleasure.
At first, I was not aware of anything under sky or above earth,
But in your school of sorrow, I learned I was just a speck of dirt.
Fate has always led me to Love's tavern,
No matter which other path I took, such was the pattern.
On that blessed day, this meaning became clear to me,
where from the dwelling of the Magis, I became truly free.
In the eternal road of life's treasure, waste no time to start.
I became the Beloved's friend with a full wine cup and heart.
Since that time that your ensnaring eyes reached me,
Safe from the evils of end-times was I guaranteed.
Old I've become and foolish to befriend the disloyal moon.
Because life passed by so quickly, my last breath will be here soon.
Thank God, for last night he sent good news saying, "O Hafiz!
Come here again, because I have forgiven you of all your sins."
---
Original translation by Najim Mostamand
"The place you are right now God circled on a map for you." ~ Hafiz
The Garden
The garden is breathing out the air of Paradise today,
Toward me, a friend with a sweet nature, and this wine.
It's all right for the beggar to brag that he is a King today.
His royal tent is a shadow thrown by a cloud; his throne room is a sown field.
This meadow is composing a tale of a spring day in May;
The serious man lets the future go and accepts the cash now.
Do you really believe your enemy will be faithful to you?
The candle the hermit lights goes out in the worldly church.
Make your soul strong then by feeding it the secret wine.
When we have turned to dust, this rotten world will press our dust into bricks.
My life is a black book. But don't rebuke me too much.
No person can ever read the words written on his own forehead.
When Hafez's coffin comes by, it'll be all right to follow behind.
Although he is a captive of sin, he is on his way to the Garden.
"Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions." ~ Hafiz
The Pearl on the Ocean Floor
We have turned the face of our dawn studies toward the drunkard's road.
The harvest of our prayers we've turned toward the granary of the ecstatic soul.
The fire toward which we have turned our face is so intense
It would set fire to the straw harvest of a hundred reasonable men.
The Sultan of Pre-Eternity gave us the casket of love's grief as a gift;
Therefore we have turned our sorrow toward this dilapidated traveller's cabin that we call "the world."
From now on I will leave no doors in my heart open for love of beautiful creatures; I have turned and set the seal of divine lips on the door of this house.
It's time to turn away from make-believe under our robes patched so many times. The foundation for our work is an intelligence that sees through all these games.
We have turned our face to the pearl lying on the ocean floor.
So why then should we worry if this wobbly old boat keeps going or not?
We turn to the intellectuals and call them parasites of reason;
Thank God they are like true lovers faithless and without heart.
The Sufis have settled for a fantasy, and Hafiz is no different.
How far out of reach our goals, and how weak our wills are!
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