HAFIZ
                                                                                  The Voice of God
                                                                                    A Hundred Odes


                                                                    Translated By Khalid Hameed Shaida








                                                                                            TO
                                                                                        My Wife
                                                                                      MARJORIE




                                                                     










PREFACE


And HAFIZ has also left the shrine
I bet he’s coming to have some wine

Hafiz was born as Shamsuddin Mohamed in 1320 AD, in Shiraz, Persia,
the modern Iran. He lost his father when relatively young and had to
do unskilled work as a child to help support his family. He memorized
the Koran at an early age and was, therefore, called Hafiz, a title he later
adopted as his pen name. He taught himself and became a scholar, a mystic,
and a poet par excellence. He also became a favorite of kings, princes, and
ministers, and spent the rest of his life in relative affluence. He married
and had at least one son, but his wife and son died in his lifetime. He died
in 1381 AD in Shiraz, and was buried there.

Though HAFIZ is poor and odd and flawed
He has the treasure of the love of God

Undoubtedly, Hafiz is one of the greatest poets this world has seen. Much
of his poetry has been lost over the centuries. Only about six hundred
poems, mainly odes, have survived, and these are revered by many. He
has been translated in many, many languages, including English, many,
many times.
Translation, by its very nature, cannot capture the taste and flavor of
the original, and this is especially true of the translations of Hafiz. It is
impossible to translate the music, the beat, the rhythm, and the flow of
his poetry.

The heavens are empty, and the world is naught
It’s an illusion, in which we are caught

Hafiz is a lover with a capital L. He loves music, dance, wine, and women,
and indeed all the good things in life, but above all, he is a lover of love
and beauty. He coins exquisite words and phrases and combines them to
produce exceedingly beautiful musical sounds. He does not distinguish
appearance from reality, and neither can we when we read him. In human
beauty he sees the glory and majesty of God. For him, the bar is a place
of worship, the bar keeper is a teacher, and the wine is the spirit of Divine
knowledge. And the barmaid, yes the barmaid, is a houri straight from
paradise, so beautiful, so obliging. He is a mystic and a man of God but,
above all, he is human and humane, and in that lies his greatness. No
wonder people call him the voice of God.

The realm of nothingness did I finally reach
And the limits of being, I managed to breach
Open not the mouth, and blink not the eye
For allowed you aren’t to speak or pry
There’s nothing to ask, and none to inform
No life, no body, no shape, no form

Khalid Hameed Shaida, MD
Email: khalmeed@aol.com




1  Ila ya ayyohas saaqi ader kaasan wa naawilha


Come, fill the cup and ease my pain
This pain is driving me insane

The scent of her hair is beyond compare
And tangled am I in her curly hair

Love mystic knows, be it divine
Endure he cannot without the wine

So go with the flow, and do your best
For on your way there is no rest

Storms there are awful to face
Of which on shore there is no trace

And do evil not for it will show
And God and man will come to know

And a mystic, Hafiz, is bound to be fake
If pleasures of life he doesn’t forsake
 



2  Aey faroagh e maah e husn az roo e rakhshaan e shuma


Your face is reflected in the beauty of moon
So when you’re away, the moon is in ruin

My love, I’m dying to see your face
So whether I live, depends on your grace

Oh, how I remember your curly hair
Covering your face when flying in the air

Your eyes so full of magic and charm
Enchanting us all, but causing no harm

Your face with radiance, charm, and glow
It makes life happy and fortunes grow

The scent that surrounds your body entire
Envies the incense, but the roses admire

When I think of it, my heart does leap
I feel so happy, I can’t go to sleep

When during the night to the bar I go
The ladies of night, they all tell me – no!

It seems that people who live in this town
Are not very kind, for always they frown

But there is our king who is honest and fair
Whose virtue and justice I praise everywhere

So daring, so valiant, so mighty, so high
That him do we worship; for him do we die

His kingdom so big, and his castle so high
That slave unto him is the mighty sky

And now with HAFIZ let’s go and pray
May your lips get sweeter day after day

 


3  Ager aan turk e sheeraazi ba dast aarad dil e ma ra


O Turko girl, you come to me and in my arms retire
And I’ll give your beauty spot ol’ Tamerlane’s empire

Oh, come to me and fill the cup and leave the razz-ma-tazz
For find you will in Heaven too no garden of Shiraz

Look, as soon as they come in town, the beauties there and then
Like Golden Horde, they plunder all the hearts and souls of men

Those lovely girls are proud and rude and full of subterfuge
And need these dolls for lips and cheeks no lipstick and no rouge

The day I saw your lovely face, my heart, my soul, my life!
Yes, instantly I understood the case of Potiphar’s wife

Come, drink and dance and be merry; enjoy your every breath
For solve he can’t, the wise man, the puzzle of life and death

Look, young you are, and strong, and well, but there’s a lot to know
So reject you not the counsel of an old and wise pro

But worry you not that the bitter words aren’t so proper and hip
Like gems and pearls, they drop from your that lovely ruby lip

And listen to HAFIZ his verses are the strings of gems and pearls
And even the sky, on hearing him, its starry garland hurls




4  Ba mulaazimaan e sultaan keh rasaanad ein dua ra


To the palace guard can someone go and very humbly say
That the needy ones who come to you, O turn them not away

A stony heart in a bosom soft, and a fair and lovely face
Uncommon it is a conjunction and very rare a case

My rivals are a crafty lot, my foes so vile and vicious
So help, O Lord, a hapless me, for You are so kind and gracious

When rouge you put on your rosy cheek, on fire you set my heart
But when I put my lips on it, O why do you act so tart?

When on your eyes, those shiny blue, you put a little mascara
With just a look you instantly do kill me, O my Farah

I wait and wait all night long, but come you don’t, my dear
And when I ask the reason why, a lame excuse I hear

When you’re gone, my lonely heart O how it aches and aches
And when you don’t come back to me, it cracks, it rends, it breaks

And when someday you braid your hair and make a lovely chain
On seeing it, my crazy heart goes only more insane

The magic in those eyes of yours, oh, how it rends my heart
And the charming look from you, my love, does hit me like a dart

And when I say I love your lips, do not you please disdain
For what I need is a tiny kiss to cure me of my pain

And if you send, with the morning breeze, the scent of your curly hair
I’ll be cured of all my ills, inhaling the fragrant air

And if you bring the ruby wine and give him a sip of it
Pray for you your HAFIZ will, and never complain a bit




5  Taa kay ba dard e hijr kuni naatawaan mara


How long, how long your absence and pain
It makes no sense; it’s so insane?

Tormenting, I know, you love so much
How long this agony will you maintain?

I have no one but you, my love
How can then I from love refrain?

How can a life without you I live
When a moment of sleep I can’t obtain?

Surrounded am I with pain and sorrow
To whom, my dear, do I complain?

It was so nice you came for a while
But now I am back to crying again

And HAFIZ says I am going to die
I can‘t survive this emotional drain
 



6  Doosh az masjid soo e maikhaana aamad peer e ma


Look, O mystic, the master is at the tavern’s door tonight
So we should also follow him, for it should be all right

And when he sees us with cups in hand, he’ll surely give us a nod
Because it is our destiny, and it’s the will of God

With the master himself getting high, enjoying a merry song
Who then, O mystic friends, can say that we are in the wrong?

When the wise see our ecstasy in the chains of braided hair
They would also like to be in a lovely, curly snare

And the holy men, when they find us necking and kissing the lips
O they will never use their whips, and from us will take their tips

The stony hearts will melt away and lose their ugly tiff
And all our sighs, and moans, and groans will pay off in a jiff

And happy so we all will be in the bonds of curly hair
That when the curls do fly in the air, our bonds will never tear

And cover the moon, like clouds they, when the curls do fly apart
The darkness will be the source of light and delight the lonely heart

And even though our sighs are like arrows flying all over
They hit no one; they hurt no one; they only like to hover

Be not surprised, O mystic friends, to see him in the fore
When HAFIZ sees the master too is at the tavern’s door




7  Saaqi ba noor e baada berafrooz jaam e ma


Come, light up the cup with sparkling wine
For life is lovely, and everything is fine

In the wine reflected when I see your face
I feel exalted by the Divine Grace

Like cypress tree, when you swing and sway
The beauties you throw in disarray

The one who loves can never die
For love is eternal, no one can deny

From love, when drunk, you do not shrink
So happy are those with whom you drink

Don’t listen to the preacher who talks of sin
On the Judgment Day, our wine will win

O breeze of spring, to my darling tell
You touch her often; you know her well

“I still remember the day we met
Though you’ve forgotten, I cannot forget

“My fate it was, and I bore the cost
Regret I not having loved and lost

“If you don’t believe, and think I am a sham
Come talk to my patron, the generous Quam

“And think of your HAFIZ, and don’t say no
Come back to him, for he loves you so”




8  Saaqi bagzaar az kuff e khud ratl e garaan ra


Come, my love, and fill the cup, and fill it to the brim
So life becomes more livable and not so dim and grim

And listen you not to the holy man; he is always finding fault
But expect you what from a petty man, worth who is not his salt?

For knows he not, when you look for God, you find him everywhere
Be it the temple, mosque, or pub, or be it here or there

And the wise men, the wine of love, they never, ever touch
They think they know what’s there to know; in fact they know not much

Though a learned man is HAFIZ not, he does know what he wants
He takes his women, and wine, and whatever else God grants




9  Saaqia barkhaiz o dardeh jaam ra


O Come, my love, and fill the cup, for it’s for me a must
And let’s bury my sorrow and pain forever in the dust

With ruby wine in my hand, I’ll be the talk of the town
And there will be no need for me to wear my mystic’s gown

Though people say that a wise man should try to make a name
But I am not a wise man; I’ve nothing to do with fame

The ethics of sensuality let us all bury in the dust
For we are not for casual love; we have no use for lust

Burning we are in the flame of love; our hearts are full of fire
So let us hope that the fire in us will someday others inspire

And let’s be proud of what we are; love as much as we want
Let people say whatever they want; we are above their cant

Believe it or not but true it is, we’ve lost our ease and rest
For the love of one, who is famous for her most comforting breast

To anyone who has seen my girl, so tall, so slim, so trim
In the park, the pines and conifers will look so very dim

So cheer you up, and the happiness do not you ever shun
And eat, and drink, and be merry; have lots and lots of fun

And be patient, O HAFIZ dear, and don’t torment your soul
For one day she will come to you, and you will reach your goal




10  Soofi bia keh aaina saaf ast jaam ra


O mystic, look in my clear wine
In it you’ll see the image Divine

The lovers all know the mystery of being
Which the learned can’t, without them seeing

For seeing the truth, one needs a vision
So chase not pray an empty illusion

And learn to love, for love is divine
Its limits and bounds you can’t define

And pray to the Lord for mercy and grace
And hope someday you’ll see His face

Better be happy with what you get
And for the rest, oh, do not fret

And when in a pub, take a drink or two
For more than that is not for you

And having lost the fancy of youth
In the ripe old age, you seek the truth

So, HAFIZ, seek to the maximum
For you’re a follower of Solomon and Jum



11  Salaah e kaar kuja o mun e kharaab kuja


Between proud and pious, and a humble sinner
It is hard to say who’ll be the winner

For one is a lover, and the other is holy
And one is stern; the other is jolly

I want no mosque, no mystic’s gown
Give me some wine for my sorrow to drown

Your company is all for which I hunger
I crave your mercy; I love your anger

My rival does not see your charm
His feelings are cold; his heart not warm

But my heart is crazy, pure and simple!
It loves your cheek, your mole, your dimple

Without you, darling, it misses a beat
And if you’d allow, it’ll live in your street

Ask HAFIZ, if me you do not believe
For a lover like me there is no reprieve




12  Saba ba lutf bagoo aan ghizaal e raana ra


O breeze, you go to my little doe, and very humbly say
“Looking for you in the wilderness, I have totally lost my way

“O beauty queen of the universe, O fairest of the fair
What happens to me, the hapless one, you have to also care

“O sugary one, your juicy lips with the vintage ruby wine
Resist I can’t the urge to kiss; to me they are divine

“O you’re like a budding flower, so young, so full of pride
Like nightingale, I sing to you; me don’t you please deride

“And all you need is kindness and a lock of curly hair
To catch a really wise one, you do not need a snare

“And when you sit with your chosen one and drink in the moonlit night
Do think of me who loves you so, and who isn’t so very bright”

But those who like them tall and fair, with beautiful brown eyes
They should expect no loyalty from them if they are wise

If there is a flaw in a perfect beauty, it’s not conceit or pride
Fidelity is what she sadly lacks; it cannot be denied

A loser you are in love, HAFIZ, but your verses have a ring
On hearing them, does Jupiter dance and Venus begins to sing




13  Hangaam e naubahaar gul az boostaan juda


Oh, pluck not a flower from the garden in spring
Just think of the sorrow such parting will bring

The trees in grief, their leaves will shed
The birds will weep and refuse to sing

And taking the flowers to the florist’s shop
Is like the death doing its thing

It’s like a groom dying in the wedding
And the anxious bride not getting her ring

Look, so many beauties are sleeping in dust
And under your feet is a mighty king

So tread you gently, when you walk on ground
Lest hurt you those who’ve lost everything

And forget not, HAFIZ, when you go to God
What here you forsake, there you’ll bring




14  Aafaab az roo e o shud dar hijaab


O hides the sun from my brilliant moon
Like the shadow does from the sun at noon

My heartless moon, when she drops her veil
The stars and planets look dim and pale

And I am so awed by her beauty and grace
That her in my dream, I’m afraid to embrace

Oh, what a lovely beauty and her ugly veil
And what a hapless lover and his dreadful wail

So when I drink the ruby wine
I drink not wine but the tears of mine

But there is no liquor in this dreadful city
They say it’s forbidden; oh, what a pity

If only he could see a heart on fire
The censor will soften and surely retire

For the fire of love, after years and years
You can’t put out by shedding tears

And don’t say, HAFIZ, that love is bad
It’s simply divine, but yes, it’s sad




15  Zay baagh e wasl e to yaabad riyaaz e Rizwaan aab


Your presence makes Eden a true paradise
And in your absence, it’s a devil’s device

From the fountain of Heaven has come your youth
In your magical eyes, there is the ultimate truth

Your cheeks make roses of Heaven look silly
You’re slimmer and taller than the Forbidden Tree

Your beauty is reflected in the youth of spring
And the praise of your grace the birds all sing

All nectar comes from your lips and mouth
Without them, surely, there will be a drought

If only you’ll give me a little attention
Between you and me, there’ll be no tension

And if you think I’m a greedy fool
Just look, for you how the pious drool

Oh, how I love your luscious red lips
From which the honey constantly drips

But HAFIZ tells me it’s idle talk
And the door won’t open until I knock
 



16  Subh e doulat meedamad koo jaam humchoo aaftaab


The glorious morning is here again; the sun is finally up
Come, O my love, and bring the jug, and fill my morning cup

Come, bring your harp, and sit by me, and play a happy tune
Let’s enjoy our lovely youth; let’s eat, and drink, and croon

And let us hold each other’s hands; let’s hop, and turn, and dance
And let’s not waste the happy days, and let’s not lose this chance

It seems to me that you and me, we make a lovely team
Which makes me wonder, is it true, or is it just a dream?

Oh, when I see your cheeks and lips, I think they are divine
It seems the one, who made them so, drank lots of rosy wine

And putting together your charming eyes with magical, mystic gaze
It is a feat that must require not six but sixty days

It cannot be an accident; it is surely by design
The union of my golden cup with the vintage ruby wine

And Hafiz has a store of words, that his verses when she hears
Picks Venus all these gems and pearls, and puts them around her ears




17  Aan siyehchirdeh keh sheereeni e aalam baa oost


She is darkest, and loveliest, and sweetest of all
So charming, so happy, so fair, and so tall

Her mouth is sweet, and her lips are red
She has magic in eyes, and wisdom in head

A model of virtue, with an angel’s face
Paradigm of beauty, elegance, and grace

On her golden face, a mole so cute
As tempting and luring as the Forbidden Fruit

When pert and saucy, she wounds the heart
Then practice she does, her healing art

With her stony heart, she can kill and heist
And amazingly, also, she has the breath of Christ

And tells me HAFIZ I shouldn’t be distressed
For being her lover, I’m truly blessed
 



18  Aan paik e naamwar keh raseed az dayaar e dost


Bless you, O courier, my greetings to you
An amulet for me is her message new

Splendor it shows, and her grandeur anew
An honor and trust that belong to few

I have surrendered for her my all
But a sacrifice this I wouldn’t call

Her beauty rules the earth and the sky
And all in there, whether low or high

A queen she is; unique is her throne
She stands above, and she stands alone

And though she is beyond my reach
I wait and wait, and beg and beseech

When passes she by, she never says hi
Though dirt of her feet, I rub in my eye

I sit at her gate in the hope someday
“Hello! My dear,” she will stop and say

There’s nothing like love, whatever the cost
And her HAFIZ is proud, though he has loved and lost




19  Agarcheh baada farahbakhsh o baad gulbaiz ast


Though air is fragrant and the wine delicious
It’s now forbidden, and the censor is vicious

And when she comes with a flask of wine
You can be sure it’s a good sign

But hide, O mystic, the cup in your gown
The liquor is forbidden by order of crown

The stain of wine you wash with tears
And do it quietly, lest someone hears

And expect not luck from the horrible fate
Be merry today; for tomorrow not wait

This fate is destructive; it does its thing
Distinguish it doesn’t a beggar from king

Early in the morning, you wake up and pray
And God will grant you whatever you say

And a lot, O HAFIZ, your verses are worth
You’ve become famous around the earth
 



20  Aey naseem e sahar aaraamgeh e yaar kujaast


O morning breeze, you tell me please where is my girl’s abode?
The pretty one, and the charming one, with a lovely graceful mode

Drifted have I in wilderness, in order to see her face
I’ve even seen the Burning Bush, but her I could not trace

And all of us, who abide the earth, are imperfect at best
So do not think that the people in pub are not like the rest

Blessed is one who reads a book but reads it between the print
Not the rest of us who see the clues, but never take a hint

And happy is one who loves and loves and does not ever despair
But a wise man, who knows not love, he does not really care

So come to me, and be with me, and put out the flaming fire
The fire of love that is consuming my body and soul entire

And though I have whatever I want and whatever I do desire
But in your absence, I am sick and tired, and my condition is dire

With you not there, I have lost my all, my soul, my faith, my reason
And crying and crying, all day, all night, I have lost my eyes, my vision

I cannot bear the sight of sheik; he does no one inspire
He says I love an infidel, something I don’t admire

So let me find my rest and peace in the shade of your curly hair
I do not care for the freedom here; I’d rather be a captive there

And HAFIZ says I shouldn’t despair; the winter is part of life
And to have a rose without a thorn is life without strife




21  Imrooz shaah e anjuman e dilbaraan yakiest


Oh, she is the queen of beauty, so fair, so bright, so sunny
And she’s my one and only; oh, she is my honey bunny

And to her I must surrender my life, my faith, my reason
She’s all I have, O preacher, and this is beyond revision

And when you are a lover, you give, and give, and give
You do not think of profit, and that’s the way you live

In the thinking of a lover, there are no twists, no kinks
He always does whatever he says; he says whatever he thinks

And whatever she asks, O HAFIZ dear, you give, you do, you render
You cannot be a lover if your will you don’t surrender




22  Bia keh qasr e amal sakht sust bunyaad ast


Desire is a castle built in the air
A heartbreak house, a place of despair

O preacher, you think, it cannot be
But a captive of love is truly free

Listen to the old when they give advice
To ignore their counsel is not very nice

Don’t be allured by the worldly pleasure
This world is unfaithful, by any measure

One night in the bar, when I was drunk
An angel came and said, “You punk!

“What are you doing, in this dusty place?
You are an eagle, it’s a disgrace

“Everyone in Heaven, is looking for you
What are you doing, trapped in this zoo?

“But don’t you worry, and don’t despair
Listen to the mystic, for he’s aware

“You have no choice; listen, you clod!
Surrender your will to the will of God

“Look, in this garden, time goes fast
The smiling flowers of spring don’t last”

In verse, O HAFIZ, you have the throne
You stand above, and you stand alone




23  Banaal bulbul agar baa munat sar e yaariest


O singing bird, you’re my kind of guy
We are lovers both, and we can only cry

Wherever the air does her tresses kiss
There is no need for the ambergris

Come, fill the cup, and let me get drunk
My arrogance and pride have made me a skunk

So let us drink and not be so dense
The spring is no time for penitence

You can meet your love, though it’ll be fake
Dreaming is better than being awake

The snare of her hair is not for the straight
Only a devious lover does bite the bait

There’s more to love than passion and sighs
The beauty is more than the charming eyes

It is just not lips that we lovers admire
There’re many more things that ignite desire

To be her slave is no ordinary thing
I’d rather be her vassal than be a king

Money sans talent is nothing to admire
No mystic would want the kingly attire

It hurts us, HAFIZ, whenever you cry
And hurting others, one should not try




24  Baroo ba kaar e khud aye waaiz ein cheh feryaad ast


Leave me, O preacher, and let it all be
The problem is mine, so leave it to me

The cure of my pain is there in her lips
The counsel of yours is no good to me

From naught to naught, it has come to be
Her waist is so narrow, no one can see

A slave of her beauty cares not for Eden
Her captive of love is truly free

My life is empty without her grace
Wherever I look, there always is she

If cruel she is, cry not, O heart
Surrender your will; it’s God’s decree

Don’t be deceived; this world is a witch
She is a siren of the deep blue sea

Scorn not, O preacher, our drunken ways
It’s the will of God, beyond you and me

And don’t give us, HAFIZ, your wild talk
Your stories drive us all up the tree
 



25  Bai mehr e rukhat rooz e mara noor na maandaast


With your sunshine gone, day looks like a night
And night looks darker, which gives me a fright

Ever since you left, I’ve cried and cried
So much so that I’ve lost my sight

Even if you came, it is no use now
From body my life is taking its flight

So dark it is that the image stored
Of you in my eye is not in sight

I’m so far from you that contain they can’t
My awful rivals, their sheer delight

Your absence, though it’s due to my fate
I am very, very angry and very uptight

When you were here, my death was at bay
But the outlook now is not very bright

They say that patience is my only hope
But patience in me is less than slight

Although no water is left in my eyes
There’s plenty of blood, both red and bright

So cry not, says HAFIZ; resign to fate
It’s all written there in black and white




26  Juz aastaan e to am dar jahaan panaahay neest


In you, my love, is my only refuge
Only you can save me from deluge

Exposed, I am, to my rival’s dart
My body is weak, and frail is my heart

My day and night, I spend in the bar
My only friend is the wine jar

And I don’t care what happens to me
I’m between the devil and deep blue sea

But I am a slave of your charming eyes
Although I know it is not very wise

Be kind to all, whether stranger or kin
To hurt someone is a terrible sin

O beauty queen, don’t be so proud
We all need you, the entire crowd

The evil and malice are all over city
Nobody has heard of mercy and pity

The traps are there, and their number huge
In you, my love, is my only refuge

Be careful, says HAFIZ, of her locks and mole
The blacks are lovely, but they take their toll
 



27  Haasil e kaargeh e kon o makaan ein hama neest


The heavens are empty, and the world is naught
It’s an illusion in which we are caught

Her company I cherish with all my soul
The pain of her absence is beyond control

In heaven and earth, unique is she
And like my cypress, no cypress can be

O preacher, rewards of the afterlife
They aren’t worth the pain and strife

So let’s be happy with what we get
And about the strife, let’s not fret

We are at the precipice of the void at best
In the time we have, let’s drink with zest

O preacher, be proud not so of your creed
The pub isn’t far from the mosque, indeed

With grief and pain, my heart is in shock
So weak it is, it can’t even talk

So worry you not; make the best of it
Your pain is bound to one day remit

And though, HAFIZ, I am both famous and rich
I can kick it all without a hitch




28  Khushtar zay aish e sohbat o baagh o bahaar cheest


How pretty is the garden; how nice the spring
So come, my love, some wine you bring

And without wine and women in the paradise
There’ll be nothing, O preacher, to advertise

So let’s be happy, and have no strife
For after this life there may be no life

I love the chain of her braided hair
And the pangs of bondage I love to bear

The mystery of being only topers know
And the pious men only put up a show

The mystics and topers indeed are one
For the choice, being lovers, they have none

This world of ours is full of conceit
And wherever you look, there is deceit

Now the preacher is pious, and Hafiz a sinner
Let’s see in Heaven who’ll be the winner? 
29  Dil saraparda e mohabbat e oost


My heart is a place for her to repose
So wherever she is, it stays very close

With his love for her even the mightiest king
To her two little feet does he want to cling

A beggar, a lover, a preacher, a king
According to his measure does everything

If Romeo is dead, the lovers are not
And love from their hearts you cannot blot

Oh, God may be hidden, but He is also bare
You also can see Him, if you only care

The treasure of love and the kingdom of bliss
Given us He has, whether that or this

And whether we live or whether we die
Destruction and death He’ll always defy

And whether on earth or up in the sky
He never is hidden from His lover’s eye

O there is no doubt that I am a sinner
But having His grace, I can be a winner

And every new flower that graces the spring
It has been ordered by the Heavenly king

And though HAFIZ is poor, and odd, and flawed
He has in his heart the love of God




30  Deedi keh yaar juz ser e joer o sitam nadaasht


With a stony heart and the cruel eyes
Oh, how her lovers she crucifies

She has no pity for the wounded heart
It cries and cries until it dies

And when I protest, the penance I get
By blaming it on fate she justifies

Notorious so have I now become
Not even a drunkard on me relies

So much respect have I lost that to me
A drink on credit the barman denies

A mystic who pays not homage to her
For going to Mecca he not qualifies

And blessed is lover who suffers and suffers
And the comforts of life to himself denies

And the way you say it, your rival, O HAFIZ
Can’t possibly say, although he tries
 



31  Roosa e khuld e bareen khilwat e durwaishaanast


Retreat of the mystics is a heavenly haunt
To be in their service who wouldn’t want?

Their site of worship is a place of wonder
Where day and night miracles they render

Embark when they do on the mystical way
Heaven is something they see every day

Close to the mystics, you’ve Midas’ touch
Becomes it gold whatever you clutch

The sun and the moon come down to earth
To worship the mystics at the time of birth

The wealth of mystics is beyond compare
It is not something that one can pare

And even a king, almighty and brave
He bows to them and becomes their slave

In the world of ours, all beauty and grace
Reflections they are of a mystic’s face

The high, the mighty, the giants, the kings
They gain their stature, under mystics’ wings

When sees Croesus the mystics’ wealth
Out of shame, he resorts to stealth

A slave am I to the grand vizier
With a mystic‘s nature, he has no peer

And if you’re looking for the spring of youth
Find it you will in the mystic’s booth

If tyranny and evil spring from the palace
In the shack of a mystic, there is no malice

O HAFIZ, be courteous in the mystics’ abode
Even a king comes there in a beggar’s mode




32  Roozgaareest keh soda e butaan deen e mun ast


The love of beauties has become my creed
And having the pangs is a joy indeed

Crying in her absence, I’ve become blind
And her without sight, I cannot find

But it has also made me fluent and witty
And famous I am throughout the city

The wine of love is a wonderful brew
For it has made me a mystic too

So rich has become my poor little heart
Tell it you can’t from a king apart

Killing her lovers is her favorite sport
The dark little girl we all love to court

When she is not there, I cry and cry
My tears keep falling like stars from sky

When in her street, I seek my abode
Like flowers become the thistles on road

For the world of ours, it is a boon
My tears like stars, her face like moon

O praise not, HAFIZ, the mighty kings
You come and admire the beautiful things
 



33  Roo e to kas nadeed o hazaarat raqeeb hast


A darling unseen, with lovers in herds
A budding flower, with scores of birds

Not only am I, who is so poor
Lovers has God, both cultured and boor

I have a feeling, it may be bizarre
My union with Him is not very far

A temple, a mosque, pagoda, or church
Him you’ll find wherever you search

An organ, a bell, a song, or a gong
In the business of worship, they all belong

The love of God is an ailment severe
There are no patients though Doctor is there

Your way of crying, O HAFIZ of mine
It rends my heart, but it’s so divine
 



34  Riwaaq e manzar e chashm e mun aashiaana e tust


Oh, make my eyes your only home
In my park of love do come and roam

Your beauty spot has stolen the heart
Of a mystic like me from the very start

You are the rose, I nightingale
To sing to you, I’ll never fail

The nature of ailment may be obscure
But in your lips, you have my cure

Though in your service I couldn’t enroll
In the dust of your feet are my heart and soul

Of making a promise you aren’t shy
But no one lies the way you lie

Oh, how I love you, I wish you knew
My heart belongs to none but you

But I’m not the only for you who craves
The stars and the moon are all your slaves

And your HAFIZ whenever his verses recites
The angels and houris he greatly delights
 



35  Raseeda am ba muqaamay keh laamakaan aanjaast


The realm of nothingness did I finally reach
And the limits of being I managed to breach

Open not the mouth, and blink not the eye
For allowed you aren’t to speak or pry

There’s nothing to ask, and none to inform
No life, no body, no shape, no form

O nightingale, go there to sing
Where neither is autumn nor the spring

And where there’re no heaves, no sighs
No Juliet betrayed, no Romeo cries

And after his union, no matter how odd
No mystic’s allowed to say he is God

Go there not, HAFIZ, and make no mistake
Even at night, her guardian’s awake
 



36  Zaahid e zaahirparast az haal e ma aagaah neest


The preacher, he knows not me at all
Blame him you cannot, his mind is small

Though a mystic has hurdles many to cross
By the grace of God, he isn’t at loss

The game of life is a game of chess
For a clod like me it is simply a mess

What sort of justice is it and why
I’m not allowed even to sigh?

And what is real, and what is not?
No one, we know, knows what is what

The final reality is only God
His august realm no one can trod

The wine of love is for the sincere
Of pangs and pains, they have no fear

O I am the slave of the abbot of pub
Me the preachers always wrongly rub

Of sin and virtue, they keep an account
But redemption and mercy they tend to discount

And they are so lost in the nitty and gritty
Unable are they to see God’s pity

If HAFIZ is honored, it is for his vision
Of money and power, he has no provision
 



37  Zay girya mardum e chashmam nashista dar khoonast


Your lovers are pouring their blood in tears
Their lives are full of pangs and fears

And think when I do of your lips and eyes
I drink my blood in wine’s disguise

If only I could get a glimpse of you
The joys of life I could renew

Your lips and eyes do me entice
Your snare of hair is my paradise

Graceful you are, like a cypress tree
Your words are sweet as sweet can be

Come, fill the cup, and soothe my pain
My peace of mind O let me regain

Your absence, my love, I cannot bear
Tears I shed of blood in despair

Maybe someday, I’ll again be glad
But as of now, my life is sad

But come, says HAFIZ, don’t be a loon
Crying for her is crying for the moon



 
38  Zaan yaar e dilnawaazam shukreest baa shikaayat


To her I’m grateful, but then I’m not
She once made a promise, and then she forgot

Oh, how much I served her without reward
How thankless a mistress she is, O Lord

Not a drop of wine to a thirsty toper
No love, no mercy, no pity for a pauper

Beware, O heart, of the snare of her locks
Innocents she catches in flocks and flocks

The traps are there on the way everywhere
The journey is endless; beware, beware!

The arrow of her gaze can kill in a wink
You fall on the ground before you can blink

For my queen of beauty, my heart is on fire
With yearning, and longing, and burning desire

In the dark of night, I’ve gone astray
O my guiding star, do show me the way

Oh, I am dishonored; I am disgraced
To be a lover is to be debased

A lover’s journey is full of agony
Wherever you look you see only misery

If her, says HAFIZ, you want to embrace
Just learn to recite the Quran with grace




39  Sehn e bustaan zoaqbakhsh o sohbat e yaaraan khushast


Surrounded by flowers, with a lovely friend
Drinking and dancing it does recommend

The morning breeze brings the scent
To make the heart and soul content

O nightingale, do come and sing
The spring will soon be on the wing

And God loves those who’re up all night
Who seek His mercy and are contrite

The life is short, and its joys few
So the way of life of a toper pursue

One night, I heard a voice, which said
“Do not forget you’ll soon be dead

“With God, O HAFIZ, try to connect
And the worldly joys you must reject”




40  Saba agar guzaray uftadat ba kishwar e dost


Go to her place, O morning air
Bring the scent of her curly hair

I’ll give my life if you do confer
And bring a hopeful sign from her

Whatever you do, bring you must
From her door a handful of dust

Even in dreams, I see no sign
That in reality she’ll ever be mine

Like a cypress tree, she’s tall and slim
But I’ve no reach; my chances are dim

And values she little a lover like me
But to me she is precious as precious can be

Even her dog I must gratify
For a dog to her is dearer than I

Says HAFIZ, “Establish a little dialogue
And try to become a friend of her dog”




41  Soofi az purtoo e mai raaz e nihaani daanist


In wine, O mystic, is the secret of being
This image is real; O it’s worth seeing

The flowers and colors know the singing birds
For the meaning’s vital, and not the words

And love knows only the heart of man
Experience this feeling no creature can

The wine in secret I try to drink
Unknown to the censor and to his fink

And if she is callous, it’s by design
Indeed her malice is very benign

Look, how she turns into pearl and gem
The dirt and stones by looking at them

With reason to fathom love is lunatic
So don’t even try, for it’s all magic

With pride a flower does never glow
If ravage of winter it happens to know

What makes you, HAFIZ, without a peer
Is the company you enjoy of the grand vizier




42  Subh e doulat tuloe e talaat e oost


Her glowing face makes the morning bright
Her raven hair gives darkness to night

Seeing her face, sun sets at noon
And bows to her, the crescent moon

Facing her, cypress stands not tall
Seeing her face, feels the tulip small

The scent in flowers is from her hair
And sing her praise the birds everywhere

And iris, the talker, she has a fit
Whenever she sees her grace and wit

Though poverty is very hard to bear
When you’re with her, you do not care

Go not to the doctor when you’re ill
Just go to her, and cure you she will

O mystic, the hurdles you’ve in the way
Ordained are they; they are okay

The hearts of all men she has won
O HAFIZ, I’m not the only one




43  Kunoon keh dar kaff e gul jaam e baada e saafast


With flowers holding the cups of wine
The birds are happy, and the bees are fine

Let’s go to the park with a book of verse
Let the thinkers alone, and let them converse

For the ruler of the city has just announced
That dancing and drinking can’t be denounced

Whatever is given, you take and keep
And drink the wine, expensive or cheap

With struggle and strife, you make a truce
Renounce the world and be a recluse

And don’t you worry about friends and foes
Just say good-bye to the world of woes

And though it’s true, for the sake of God
Say not, O HAFIZ, our sheik is a fraud




44  Laal e sairaab  bakhoon tishna lab e yaar e mun ast


So thirsty for blood is her ruby lip
It’ll take your heart and tear and rip

With lashes so long, and eyes so black
Of lovers for her there is no lack

O guide, please don’t leave me here
Go farther a little; her place is near

With such a dearth of faith and trust
Lucky am I that love her I must

The smell of flowers, and the scent in the air
It is all because of her curly hair

Nothing would grow in the garden for years
If it were not for the flood of my tears

A kiss of her lips, says it I need
Her eye, my doctor, so aptly indeed

Your verses, O HAFIZ, wouldn’t be so neat
If her lips and mouth weren’t so sweet




45  Merhaba aey paik e mushtaaqaan badeh paeghaam e dost


Bless you, O courier; do not demur
Give me the message you brought from her

Whenever I think of her lips and eyes
My passion for them, I cannot disguise

Her locks are a snare, her mole a bait
To fall in the trap, I can hardly wait

Whoever does sip the wine of her lip
On wit and wisdom he loses the grip

Although I write her sheets and sheets
Seriously my letters she never greets

And though she knows I love her a lot
Oh, what’s the use; she loves me not

So day and night, I sit in her street
Hoping to catch the dirt of her feet

But, HAFIZ, my pain I must endure
For the ailment of love there is no cure




46  Namidaanam dil e bulbul zay ishq roo e gul choon ast


When flirting with them the flower curtails
It breaks the hearts of the nightingales

The peace and patience of lovers decrease
As charm and grace of the beauties increase

With beautiful girls, so saucy and vain
No wonder the lovers go all insane

And beauties, whenever they drop their veils
Among the lovers, how madness prevails

When flowers are holding the cups of wine
Whatever you do in the garden is fine

At a time like this, when all is well
It’s such a pity if you don’t revel

Be happy O HAFIZ, and thank your star
The life is short; let’s go to the bar




47  Al Ghayaas aey maaya e jaan al Ghayaas


The only one I have is she, O God
And look what she did to me, O God

The spring of life she has in her lips
And I am so very thirsty, O God

And in her absence, I cannot survive
But her I cannot even see, O God

Here I’m drowning in tears of blood
And hide she cannot her glee, O God

And dying I am of the wounds of her darts
Inflicted she has such injury, O God

Her glances are arrows; her lashes darts
An expert she is in archery, O God

A victim I am of my cruel fate
There’s nothing but misery and agony, O God

My ailments all are because of her
And only she has the remedy, O God

My fate is brutal, callous, and vicious
And victim am I of its cruelty O God

Entangled so very, I’m in her curls
Increased it has complexity, O God

Trapped in the well of her silver chin
HAFIZ can never be free, O God




48  Baazam hawa e aan gul e raanast al Ghayaas


I am in love again, O Lord
Passion I cannot contain, O Lord

My heart that sought and found peace
Is again in constant pain, O Lord

A mystic drunk with Divine spirit
From wine he cannot abstain, O Lord

Esteemed he was, but now his fame
Acquired it has a stain, O Lord

And HAFIZ now, as the rest of lovers
Become he has insane, O Lord




49  Dard e ma ra neest darmaan al Ghayaas


Our sorrow has no cure, O God
How long can we endure, O God

The lovely ones are robbers all
Pillage and death they ensure, O God

Our life they take when a kiss they give
Oh, how we lovers they lure, O God

We must give up for them our creed
The infidels all make sure, O God

For a moment of joy of being with them
A life apart we endure, O God

We know rejection will follow soon
Whenever they make an overture, O God

Why HAFIZ is happy whenever he cries?
This whole thing is very obscure, O God




50  Aatish ander aab afsurdast ya mai dar zujaaj


Is the wine red or is it on fire
Or is it a reflection of my burning desire?

A pleasure it is for lovers to drink
For care they not what preachers think

These hapless lovers the wine consoles
It sooths their hearts and warms their souls

They come in drunk, and drunk they leave
And being not sober, they do not grieve

Come, O my love, and show your face
Let everyone see your beauty and grace

Do help those please who are in need
And needy and broke are lovers indeed

But though your lovers are poor and needy
Unlike the rich, they are not at all greedy

And in life, says HAFIZ, you play your part
And do something good, and then depart




51  Sazad keh az hama e dilbaraan sitaani baaj


No wonder the beauties pay tribute to her
Their queen she is; to her they defer

Her eyes have conquered Khata and Khutan
Her locks are the rulers of Hindustan

Her face is brighter than the sun at noon
Her curls like clouds do cover her moon

Her mouth is the source of life’s spring
Her waist is as thin as a musical string

The nature of your pain is very obscure
Which if she cannot, no one can cure

So packed with sugar are her ruby lips
That from them, when she talks, the honey drips

But she can also be very, very tart
And break into pieces your dear little heart

For her, O HAFIZ, that you rave and crave
You are no more to her than a lowly slave




52  Az mun e soekhta aan yaar nameepusad heetch


Burnt up am I; cares she not
For my low and high; cares she not

She is my doctor, and patient I
I live or die; cares she not

When people see my sorry state
They wonder why cares she not?

Her absence makes me sick to death
And if I die, cares she not

Only in dreams, she’s good to me
When wake up I, cares she not

Her HAFIZ is dying, O God, O God
Ask her why cares she not?




53  Aan keest kaz roo e karam baa mun wafadaari kunad


Would she be ever faithful to me
And as good to me as she can be?

Would she write when she’s away
And pour me a drink and not say nay?

Oh, true it is that she can be tart
But she can also be a sweetheart

Her curly locks have a lock on me
They’re pert and saucy of the first degree

Oh, how I wish she’d be my friend
Though beggars and queens do not blend

Her braided hair is like a chain
When bound by it, you do not complain

I wish the preacher, so proper and prim
Would have a drink and not look so grim

Luckily for me, when things are bad
Rescues me always my patron Samad

But HAFIZ, beware of her charming eyes
Bewitch they do and mesmerize




54  Aanaan keh khaak ra ba nazar keemia kunand


One look of His turns lead into gold
I wish me also God would behold

Unless one day He lifts His veil
His image will always be fuzzy and pale

Unseen, He causes so much uproar
What will happen if He comes to fore?

The sinners and pious are children of God
Neither preacher nor toper does He applaud

Love is the currency of kingdom of Heaven
With it you can buy not one but seven

The wine of love whoever drinks
With God Himself, he finds his links

My tale of love when tell them I
Even the stones begin to cry

For an ill like mine, there is no cure
My peace can only my death secure

Unknown to rivals if she comes to me
Oh, she will help me enormously

The beauty of Joseph whenever I see
I think of lust; I see envy

So let us drink, for the hidden sin
Is better than virtue not genuine

To win her, O HAFIZ, don’t even try
For a consort of queen you don’t qualify



55  Aan keh rukhsaar e tura rang e gul o nasreen daad


He, who gave her the rosy cheek
Shouldn’t have made my heart so weak

Her silken tresses cruel He made
But oh, He did not come to my aid

A treasure He gave to the mighty king
And made contentment a beggar’s thing

His heart when Romeo to Juliet gave
I knew this Romeo no one could save

The sensual world is a beautiful bride
But your life in dowry you must provide

And now that spring has finally come
My craving for her I can’t overcome

And, HAFIZ, I am in a terrible jam
Since I’ve parted from Khaja Quam




56  Aan yaar kaz o khaana e ma ja e paari bood


My house enchanted the girl who made
Innocent and pure she was a maid

I left my house and went to her town
But she eloped with a handsome clown

With all my heart, I loved her because
Elegant and polished and cultured she was

To gain her favor I could not wait
But lost her I did because of my fate

About me my gal was not so keen
For I was poor, and she was a queen

A love like ours could never last
Because she came and went too fast

It’s something a nightingale cannot avert
A beautiful flower must always flirt

To make it last I did what I could
And while it lasted, it was very good

Undo you cannot whatever is done
And fate, by nature, is kind to none

And a good life, HAFIZ, if you’ve led
It is because of the prayers you said




57  Bulbulay khoon e jigar khurd o gulay haasil kard


The bird lost all to be with the rose
But the winter came and brought the woes

And when it was singing its happy song
It suddenly heard a deadly gong

The snow was blowing, and the freeze was on
The leaves were falling, and the rose was gone

When stars in heaven it couldn’t trust
My dear little moon did hide under dust

O camel driver, don’t make me mad
Where is, O tell me, my Scheherazade?

Disdain them not, and do not disgrace
My tearful eyes and my dusty face

Playing with fate, I couldn’t finesse
And, HAFIZ, I lost the game of chess




58  Butay daaram keh gird e gul zay sunbul saaibaan daarad


Like hyacinth is your silken hair
Covering your cheeks, so rosy and fair

May God give you immortal grace
Let the haze of time not cover your face

It’s tall and slim, your cypress tree
To give it water, my tears are free

In front of all, you give me hell
And then you expect them not to tell

To everyone yes, and to me it’s nay
To treat your lover, it’s not the way

O you’re the huntress, and I am the prey
So kill me please without delay

Your gaze is an arrow, your brow a bow
So aim the arrow, and let it go

Some wine, my love, on the ground fling
In the name of Jum, the gentle king

Save me the torment of saying good-bye
May God protect you from the evil eye

Don’t fall for the rose, O nightingale
Trust it you cannot; it is so frail

To fall in love with a beautiful girl
Is like drowning looking for a pearl

They may be nameless; they may have fame
In the temple of love, they’re all the same

Says HAFIZ, you can’t be unkind to me
When you’re as sweet as sweet can be




59  Bureed e baad e saba doesham aagaghi aawurd


The air last night brought the news
No longer will I have my cursed blues

The singer I asked to play in the bar
A melody amour on his guitar

The breeze then brought the scent of her hair
My broken heart to mend and repair

And soon an angel, from a heavenly vine
Brought for me the wine divine

This heavenly wine is a wonderful thing
It makes me dance, and sing, and swing

To HAFIZ it gives a mystical ring
And he is revered by even the king




60  Boo e khush e to her keh zay baad e saba shuneed


The fragrance brought by the morning air
A reminder it is of your curly hair

To be so friendly with a worthless toper
For the morning breeze may not be proper

O please, my queen, do listen to me
Hear my prayer; grant me the plea

Being a queen, you turn me away
And I cannot say what I want to say

I told my secret to the winter wind
It thought I was silly and only grinned

But no one wants to give me the ear
So the tale of mine I’m left to hear

To hear my tale, who would want?
I only wish I had a confidant

I use my gown to hide the wine
My abbot thinks it’s just fine

My soul thrives with the smell of wine
Something the preachers always malign

My love of wine I do not hide
The abuse of preachers I take in stride

But the mysteries known to a mystics few
I was surprised that the barman knew

So listen to a mystic; he really knows
The secret of being only he can disclose

And, HAFIZ, my job is only to pray
And whatever they like, I let them say




61  Peesh az einat beesh az ein ghamkhaari e ushshaaq bood


There was a time when you were kind
Our love was the talk of the humankind

And there were nights when we would talk
Of nothing except your curly lock

And though you robbed us of our creeds
We only talked of your noble deeds

Before this world even came to be
In love with your lips and eyes were we

We also thought, from the first to last
That our love would last and outlast

And that if we were in love with you
For us some feelings you must’ve had too

And if my rosary broke in my hand
I was playing with your finger band

In Ramadan if we sometimes drink
It isn’t wrong to be happy, we think

Though kings provide the poor with food
It’s a gift of God; they shouldn’t be rude

And verses of HAFIZ in paradise
Are considered precious and above any price




62  Tersam keh ashk dar gham e ma perdadar shawad


Alas, my tears my secret betrayed
My weakness for her to all displayed

So slim, and trim, and lovely is she
That within my reach she’ll never be

Oh, when she comes to her balcony
Like the moon in heaven she appears to be

She’s always there, in my head and heart
Her love from me unto death will part

The scent of her hair pervades my heart
With it, O breeze, I’ll never part

Cry as much as you like for her
Her image, O eye, please don’t blur

And in my despair, I pray and pray
Hoping that she will soften one day

O breeze, you go and tell her my woes
But in a way that no one knows

Yellow and pale I am; behold
Whatever she touches turns into gold

Moaning and groaning, to the bar I went
In the hope of easing my great torment

Be patient, O heart, though you’re worn
A night is always followed by morn

My patience can turn into ruby a stone
But bleed I must, and moan, and groan

Besides the beauty that we all admire
There’re other things that lovers desire

And though my rival gives her glee
Honored and trusted he’ll never be

To me at my grave, if she came to greet
I’ll wake up, HAFIZ, and kiss her feet
 



63  Tanat ba naaz e tabeebaan niyaazmand mabaad


May you never need a doctor in life
May you never be a victim of strife

Whenever you’re happy, you make us glad
May you never be sorry; may you never be sad

Exposed to autumn, your flower not be
Ravage of winter may you never see

Unique is your beauty in the earth and sky
May God protect you from the evil eye

You have not only an elegant face
Your heart is pure; your soul has grace

If anyone sees you with an evil eye
May he go blind and instantly die

If an illness one has that’s obscure
In verses of HAFIZ, he’ll find the cure




64  Jaan bay Jamaal e jaanaan mail e jahaan nadaarad


Without her my life has no meaning
Her favoring my rival is so demeaning

Oh, on my rival she can’t rely
He isn’t at all an honorable guy

Of her returning, there is no sign
Whatever I do, she won’t be mine

Journey of love is perilous indeed
Embark so many, but few succeed

Advice, O preacher, we do not need
Without her life is empty indeed

But do not reject the elders’ advice
It’s so precious and above any price

Seek contentment, and in it retire
Pain and torment come from desire

Oh, tell the flower, be proud you not;
When autumn comes, you’ll decay and rot

And don’t disdain the topers’ way
Whatever they like let the censors say

Some people think that writing verse
Is the easiest thing in the universe

Though she is the queen of the humankind
A slave like HAFIZ she also can’t find




65  Jamaalat aaftaab e her nazar baad


May your beauty delight every eye
May beauty itself you glorify

A heart not bound to your curly hair
May it be sorry; may it despair

And the deadly arrow of your charming eye
May it directly to my bosom fly

And the vintage wine of your ruby lip
May I someday leisurely sip

May my love be always renewed
And boost your beauty in magnitude

Someone who hasn’t loved your face
To the humankind, he is a disgrace

May fortune smile on our noble king
May luck take him under its wing

Worships you HAFIZ, and he loves you so
May he become someday your beau




66  Chu baad azm e ser e koo e yaar khaham kard


Wherever she lives, I’ll be there
So I can smell the scent of her hair

And I will put whatever have I
Under her feet when passes she by

My heart, my soul, my life, I swear
Give them I will to the scent of her hair

Without her love, I cannot live
For her there’s nothing that I won’t give

To the magical gaze of her charming eye
Nothing I have that I will deny

Life is lovely with women and wine
A better living no one can design

But this worldly life is not for me
A toper, O HAFIZ, I’d like to be




67  Cheh masti ast nadaanam keh roo ba ma aawurd


Her veil if she dropped, she had to be tight
Does the barman have something special tonight?

O heart, be happy and thank your star
There’s something in air if she went so far

In the garden the flowers are everywhere
It’s cool and pleasant, the fragrant air

The ladies of night are full of allure
The barman, in bottles, has every cure

There’s frolic, and gaiety, and joy everywhere
A message from Sheba must be in the air

The night’s starry, and there’s full moon
And the singers are singing a happy tune

Let’s go to the park with lots of wine
And sing, and dance, and drink, and dine

Your promise, O preacher, has no allure
The barmaid has all what I need and more

And HAFIZ is happy and has everything
Because he is in the court of the king




68  Khush aamad gul waz aan khushtar nabaashad


The spring has come, and the flowers are here
Let’s fill our cups with wine, my dear

And sing and dance, and let’s be merry
For the pleasures of life are so temporary

Let’s all to the garden presently go
Lest the lovely flowers lose their glow

It’s time for love, so let’s not wait
Let’s lose our heads and celebrate

And love is there wherever you look
It isn’t something you find in a book

So listen to me and do not wait
And find a charming, beautiful mate

Of hell and heaven, O sheik, don’t think
Let’s go to the bar, and let’s have a drink

In the tavern, my friend, there’s wine galore
So let’s be generous and give it to the poor

O give me the wine that drowns my sorrow
Without the headache later next morrow

My girl’s so lovely, so pretty, so fair
That with her no idol can you compare

Of Sultan Avees, the mighty, the brave
I wish I could become a humble slave

So bright and shiny are the jewels of his crown
That when it sees it, the sun turns brown

If verses of HAFIZ some people deride
He simply ignores them, and takes it in stride




69  Dilbar baraft o dilshudagaan ra khabar na kard


Unknown to lovers, she left the city
Oh, in her heart she has no pity

And of my love either she knows not
Or me my luck has simply forgot

My life for her I’d like to give
But to make me suffer, she wants me to live

To soften her heart, I cry and cry
But alas, a stone I can’t mollify

But the people cannot see me cry
They wipe and kiss my tearful eye

And I’m surprised that, being so precious
She loves my rival, so mean, so vicious

But me, being foolish and not very smart
I love her still with all my heart

O HAFIZ, her trust I’ll never betray
You can cut my tongue if a word I say




70  Dil az mun burd o roo az mun nihaan kard


She took my heart and hid her face
It seems so very unusual a case

Though the pain of parting is killing me
Out of my heart she’ll never be

Her charming eyes are cruel indeed
They wound my heart, and make it bleed

Though the night of longing is hard to survive
In the morning the breeze does come to revive

But me the one who really can cure
Pain and sorrow she makes me endure

So much sometimes do suffer I
That the harps and violins begin to cry

But how can I tell the people that she
The girl that I cherish, has done it to me

My rivals, O HAFIZ, could never do
What she did to me, and it’s true




71  Dast dar halqa e aan zulf e do ta natwaan kard


With her lovely curls I’d love to play
If the price is life, I’m willing to pay

And if I could only change my fate
I wouldn’t have to wait, and wait, and wait

Some headway if ever I made with her
Me my rival could never deter

I’d like to say that she looks like moon
But then she’ll tell me, I am a loon

If like Venus, she decides to sing
The stars in heaven will begin to swing

Love, they say, is a mysterious thing
It conquers all and everything

So delicate a temperament does have my baby
That she thinks my litany is all very crazy

So innocent, and pure, and clean is she
With an evil eye, her no one can see

Her brow, O HAFIZ, is a perfect niche
Where the preacher can pray without a hitch




72  Doesh deedam keh malaaik dar e maikhaana zadand


Brought angels the wine to the tavern’s door
Of love, to pour in the human core

Seeing wine with them, I got worked up
And begged them to pour it in my cup

And when my baby and I made up
The houris in heaven had cup after cup

The power the rulers in order to chase
Have badly divided the human race

Carry the burden since no one can
Of love; then God has given it to man

As a symbol of love that the mystics seek
Put God the mole on her rosy cheek

On earth we surely can go astray
If Adam in Eden could lose his way

A candle may have the burning desire
But it’s the moth that catches the fire

And look, how HAFIZ, with infinite pride
Adorned has he his poetry’s bride




73  Dil e mun ba dour e rooyat zay chaman faraagh daarad


Whenever I see your beautiful face
The flowers all lose their beauty and grace

On me your curls, when they try to prey
The glow of your face lets them get away

Your raven locks, when my heart they steal
The light of your cheeks they use with zeal

A woman’s beauty they always treasure
Though mystics forsake the worldly pleasure

O bring the wine with a marching band
The tulips are waiting with cup in hand

When a crow replaces a nightingale
With grief my heart begins to fail

Without you, darling, when I feel lovelorn
Like a candle I weep from night to morn

And in your absence when he feels morose
Your HAFIZ cares not for the tulip or rose




74  Dar azal purtoo e husnat zay tajalli dam zad


The beauty came first, and then the desire
And the love then set the whole world on fire

Abode in the angels, when love couldn’t find
It made its home in the humankind

Came soon the hate to stake its claim
But a bolt from Heaven set it aflame

To capture love, then the reason tried
But Heaven its prayer promptly denied

Her chin has a dimple as deep as a well
He never got out, who into it fell

My rivals from fate got joy and bliss
Of sorrow and pain, I got the abyss

In order to see His glory and grace
God made His mirror the human face

But when HAFIZ fell in love with her
The wrath of fate he did incur




75  Doash aagahi zay yaar e safarkarda daad baad


Go find, O breeze, my departed friend
And say a message, O please do send

My heart is a captive of her curly hair
And now for its home, it does not care

When see I flowers, with beauty and grace
Remind me they do of her lovely face

When hyacinth does wave in the air
Reminded am I of her curly hair

Without her oh, how I cry and cry
I moan, and groan, and gasp, and sigh

Though the pain of parting is too much for me
The thought of her coming is a source of glee

And when I think of my friends’ advice
I find it precious and above any price

And when I remember her days with me
My heart does become like a stormy sea

Though pain of parting isn’t easy to bear
I lose not hope and do not despair

Because, by nature, you’re noble and pure
God loves you, HAFIZ, you can be sure




76  Dar aan hawa keh juz burq andar talab nabaashad


You can’t have love without the fire
And body and soul it consumes entire

When you’re in love, you can’t complain
And you have nothing but sorrow and pain

There is no love without rejection
And hate is also a part of affection

You need no power; you need no wealth
Love wants courage, not strength or health

Where the sun seems like a speck of dirt
You be not rude, and don’t be curt

Can make you eternal no earthly wine
What you really need is the spirit divine

But you can’t have, HAFIZ, a paramour
You have no money; you’re too poor



77  Dilam juz mehr e mehrooyaan tareeqay bar namigeerad


Chase not the beauties, O heart of mine
Control your yen and do not pine

I have the need, and you have the pride
So by any measure, the gap is wide

With snares and traps, I like the way
Using your curls, you made me your prey

O queen of mine, do not say no
For I have no other place to go

The liquid fire that’s called the wine
Hidden I carry in the gown of mine

To sell me wine anywhere in town
No barman accepts my mystic’s gown

I should be burning this worthless gown
It makes me feel that I’m a clown

O fill my cup with the ruby wine
To make it tolerable, this life of mine

Rail not, O preacher, against romance
Let’s all go out and sing and dance

O preacher, listen to the sound of music
It cheers the healthy and heals the sick

And like a candle, my tongue has fire
And yet no one can it ever inspire

From love, they say, I should refrain
But I simply think they’re all insane

The ways of topers are not so bizarre
Them God has made the way they are

Your verses, O HAFIZ, we have been told
Are worth as much as the gems and gold




78  Damay baa gham baser burden jahaan yaksar nameearzad


Nothing can make up for a moment’s pain
Let’s sell my gown and buy champagne

But in the pubs, they would not touch
Alas, my gown is not worth much

Oh, full of headache is the royal crown
I’d rather wear the cap of a clown

They would not let me near her gate
I’m not worth the dirt of her estate

When an army of lovers she does regale
To keep them yearning, she wears a veil

The rewards in Heaven indeed are fine
But they cannot equal a cup of wine

In Persia, his life no one spends
If it is not for the love of friends

It looked too easy, but now I can see
Pearls don’t make up for the perils of the sea

And only contentment provides relief
And nothing is worth a moment’s grief

O HAFIZ, yourself do not debase
Gold cannot pay for the loss of face




79  Dostaan dukhtar e raz toba zay mastoori kard


The daughter of wine has dropped her veil
On the censor, it seems, she did prevail

Though keen and eager, I don’t know why
In the company of topers, she’s still very shy?

The people are tipsy, and there’s full moon
And the singers are singing a beautiful tune

I should get married to the daughter of vine
It’s time she leaves the vat’s confine

The preacher’s gown is stained with wine
So the topers now he cannot malign

The rose is flirting with the nightingale
So come, my darling, and bring some ale

Modesty, HAFIZ, is a wonderful thing
And bad is pride even for a king




80  Darakht e dosti banshaan keh kaam e dil ba baar aarad


Love and friendship are things divine
And hate is truly the devil’s design

When in the tavern, be like a toper
And be not loud; it’s not proper

The company of women you ought to keep
For pleasures in it there are to reap

My life is empty, and I’m glum
I pray to God to make you come

O give me a garden with eternal bloom
I’m sick and tired of the winter’s gloom

My wounded heart is in your care
So tell your lips to please repair

It’s also burdened by pain and sorrow
Your lips’ red wine it wants to borrow

Your HAFIZ, though old, is young at heart
So stay with him and don’t ever part




81  Doash az janaab e Aasif paik e bashaarat aamad


Solomon’s courier has finally come
With the blessing of the premier of his kingdom

In my core of being, pour some wine
To mend the wounded heart of mine

Whatever is said in praise of my sweetie
Can’t do justice to her grace and beauty

O cover my flaws with a mystic’s gown
Or she will think that I am a clown

Oh, how she lowers the women’s pride
When over the beauties she does preside

And admire I so much a lowly ant
When a king on throne it tries to supplant

O heart, beware; you’re going to die
When hit by the dart of her saucy eye

The court of the king is like a sea
It’s full of pearls wherever you see

O HAFIZ, your stains you cannot erase
Without the help of the royal grace




82  Dilay keh ghaibnumaist o jaam e Jum daarad


A heart that has the magic bowl
Like Jum, it is in full control

When giving your heart, beware, beware!
Give not to someone who does not care

The ravage of winter, she hasn’t seen
Like cypress, my gal is evergreen

The night is cool, and there’s full moon
Let’s take our money and go to a saloon

Aware of secrets we’ll never be
And life will remain a mystery

Before it saw her, my heart was aloof
But now it says it made a goof

But though she’s lovely, bright, and witty
She is not very kind; she has no pity

A mystic like HAFIZ, it’s hard to believe
That so many idols he keeps up his sleeve




83  Roo bar rahash nihaadam o bar mun guzar nakard


I waited and waited, but she didn’t come
Of me she cared not what will become

My flood of tears was of no avail
On a heart of stone it couldn’t prevail

My cries of pain no one could take
Except for her, they were all awake

When at her feet, I wanted to die
Before I could do so, she said good-bye

O please, dear God, take care of her
In safety she’s just an amateur

To her, there’s nothing one could deny
For her, there’s no one who wouldn’t die

From the eyes of hers, my wounded heart
Is always waiting for another dart

Your story of love, O HAFIZ my dear
Is so exciting; we all love to hear




84  Raseed muzhda keh ayyaam e gham na khaahad maand


Like joy, your pain will also pass
And stay you won’t in this morass

By making me subject to disdain
My rival in respect will not gain

If lovers, you decide to kill them all
There’ll be no one left to call you a doll

O share your wealth with the meek and poor
For one day your money will be no more

Enjoy the company of the moth, O flame
For in the morning it won’t be the same

The angel of God has brought the news
Will get His mercy whoever pursues

And there is something you can’t deny
That good is eternal; it will not die

Endure with patience, and do not complain
Your pain forever will not remain

In the court of Jum, they used to say
His cup will live, but the rest will decay

To the cup of wine you hold on fast
Forever, O HAFIZ, your pain won’t last




85  Rooz e hijaan o shab e furqat e yaar aakhir shud


The pain of parting has come to an end
My star, it seems, has begun to ascend

In the darkness deep I see the dawn
The sun is rising, and the fog is gone

The distress of night and the trouble of heart
It seems they’re all going to depart

May you, O maid, live happy and long
Bring for my headache something strong

Gone is the winter, with its baleful thorn
To allow the flowers of the spring be born

How could the fate, so mean and base
Let the mirth and joy the pain replace?

And the morn of hope, so shiny and bright
Has just come out of the veil of night

And whatever troubles I had with fate
Her coming has made them all dissipate

The bitterness soon of the winter wind
The coming of spring will all rescind

Though no one cares what happens to you
With woes, O HAFIZ, I’m glad you’re through
 



86  Zaahid e khilwatnasheen doesh ba maikhaana shud


The preacher last night was in the bar
From mosque to tavern it isn’t too far

And when he saw my infidel
To the piety the preacher said farewell

My beloved of youth when I saw in my dream
With joy this old man began to scream

When day and night, I shed my tears
Like a pearl on my lash, my tear appears

To a nightingale does his flower’s desire
What does to the moth the candle’s fire

Oh, intoxicated become the guys
Whenever they see the barmaid’s eyes

The topers, the preacher, who used to malign
Look, how he himself now drinks the wine

And look how HAFIZ, who drinks the wine
Goes looking for God from shrine to shrine




87  Zahay khajista zamaanay keh yaar baaz aamad


One day I hope you’ll come again
And you’ll choose to ease my pain

I’m waiting and hoping that you’ll one day
Per chance decide to come this way

Ever since my heart is trapped in your hair
It has no peace; it has no prayer

My heart is yearning to be your prey
O huntress, use your eyes to slay

Hope you’ll stop this horsing around
And play with me on a level ground

Suffers the winter a nightingale
For the day, the rose when it’ll hail

I also endure the sorrow and pain
Hoping one day you’ll come again

But it’s too much, says HAFIZ, to ask of fate
That someday you will become my mate




88  Saalha daftar e ma dar gro e sehba bood


For years, our books were pledged to the pub
Of teaching and learning, the pub was the hub

The keeper of the bar was a wise old man
Our capers and pranks he would not ban

And beautiful maids were also there
Of topers like us they took good care

So lovely were lasses who came to saloon
That they made jealous even the moon

Of preachers’ faults, though we knew a lot
Allowed we were to censure them not

We used to wash our books with wine
Their contents, we thought, were all asinine

So sad sometimes was the singer’s tune
That the people cried all over saloon

But came when HAFIZ, with all his money
The barman knew his money was funny




89  Saalha dil talab e jaam e Jum az ma meekard


Oh, my heart was looking for the magic bowl
When it was there, built in his soul

It was like an oyster asking for a pearl
Something it could easily unfurl

Still I went to the keeper of the bar
In solving the riddles, he is a star

Merrily holding he was the cup
Watching the whole world, down and up

When asked, he said he got his bowl
Before the Lord could heavens unroll

He said the reason had a magic show
Could fool it Moses if he didn’t know

The answer you need only mystics know
The wisdom you seek only they can bestow

Or go to Gabriel; he’ll do the feat
The miracles of Jesus only he can repeat

About her curls, when I asked him outright
They’re HAFIZ, he said, like the long dark night




90  Sarv e chama’an e mun chira mail e chaman nameekunad


The spring has come, and the flowers are here
Oh, what a beautiful atmosphere

My heart is tangled in her curly hair
But happy it is, and has no care

A bow is her brow, and gaze an arrow
And the safety margin is very, very narrow

With hyacinths and violets everywhere
I can’t help thinking of her curly hair

Go find, O breeze, my maiden fair
And bring with you the scent of her hair

Complain when I do of her cruel locks
Care she does not, and only mocks

She even says, for her beautiful ears
There won’t be pearls without my tears

The breeze came back without her scent
And told me sorry, she wouldn’t relent

Still my heart does long for her
It has no doubts; it doesn’t demur

But HAFIZ says, since I don’t take advice
He is sure one day I’ll pay the price
 



91  Saharam doulat e baidaar ba baaleen aamad


The lady luck came in the morning and said
“Your love is here; so get out of bed

“Look jolly and fit, and drink some wine
Before you welcome this darling divine

“And thank your star; to make you her beau
From Khutan has comes a musky doe

“Your tears have reddened your pallid cheek
Your moan has helped a lover so meek

“But watch you out, and restrain your love
For she is an eagle, and you’re a dove”

O barmaid dear, let’s all celebrate
My rivals are gone with all their hate

This wine, O maid, give me some more
And heal with it my bleeding sore

In order to mourn the malice of fate
Even clouds are shedding the tears of late

My wounded heart one has to praise
It yearns for the arrows of a charming gaze

Singing your ode is the nightingale
Let’s drink, O HAFIZ, go get some ale




92  Sitaaraay badarakhsheed o maah e majlis bood


A star from Heaven came down to earth
In the Arabian Desert, he took his birth

He couldn’t read, and couldn’t write
But teach he could the brightest of bright

An edifice great he built with skill
And a mission Divine he did fulfill

My love has made me so dignified
That over the topers I now preside

Oh, wipe not wine from your juicy lip
And give my lips a chance to sip

O please, my darling, do not flirt
Lest creed and logic your lovers desert

They’ll eat, and drink, and dance, and sing
And become they’ll the envy of the king

Their lovesick hearts will be ever more sick
They’ll yell, and scream, and howl, and kick

They’ll lose their faith, and belief, and creed
And advice and counsel they’ll not heed

And the troubles you have, O HAFIZ, I think
Are because you chase the girls and drink




93  Saaqi ar baada az ein dast ba jaam andaazad


Oh, the way she pours and serves the wine
In it a mystics can see the Divine

Her mole is a bait and the curl a snare
O wise old man, beware, beware!

When the day does wear the veil of night
For drinking and dancing the time is right

In the day you toil, and work, and think
When the night falls, you drink and drink

So that you know not, when you go to bed
Where is your turban and where is your head

And when your head is on her feet
You become a part of a great elite

If once the preacher drinks the wine
The topers he will never, never malign

But with censor, O HAFIZ, don’t ever drink
For after he drinks, he raises a stink




94  Sahar bulbul hikaayat baa saba kard


Said the singing bird to the morning breeze
That the love of a flower is a terrible disease

I deeply love and admire a beauty
Who does some good as a matter of duty

May God you bless, O morning breeze
You soothe my pain and bring me ease

Complain I do not against my foes
It’s the friends who give me all my woes

And it is the rose that causes the pain
Against the thorn, one cannot complain

So cries and cries the nightingale
And everyone else is hearty and hale

From a beautiful girl expect no favor
Whatever you get you learn to savor

With all her beauty, and charm, and grace
She uses her hair to hide her face

But Kamaal, my patron, is always so kind
A nicer person is difficult to find

So I cares not, HAFIZ, what people think
I’ll defy them all, and openly drink




95  Saaqi andar qadeham baaz mai e gulgoon kard


Tonight she gave me a wonderful wine
And something with it she did combine

Though wine she gave to everyone
With me she tried to have some fun

Nothing it was but a total rout
It took a sip to knock me out

The wine she gave was crimson red
It seems it was from a heart that bled

A wounded heart I haven’t got
It’s all in pieces, and it’s all shot

It isn’t my heart that I cannot find
My love has made me even lose my mind

And in fact, O HAFIZ, you aren’t so wise
You too are a captive of her charming eyes




96  Sapeedadam kah saba boo e dostaan geerad


In the morning breeze, the scent of your hair
It makes the garden with Eden compare

The sound of music when the preachers hear
Of drinking and dancing they lose their fear

From the veil of night, in the heavenly spheres
The sun comes out, and the morning appears

The shining eagle, with its golden rays
On the crow of the night it comes and preys

Let’s go to the park with the wine straight
Where, cups in hand, the tulips wait

Let’s go and see the flowers of spring
And hear the birds as they wing and sing

The sun will set in the garden soon
Let’s sit and drink under the golden moon

And let’s ask HAFIZ his verses to sing
For among the poets, he is the king




97  Shaahidaan ger dilbari zeensaan kunand


The beauties, whenever with preachers flirt
Them faith and creed instantly desert

And when they ever hear them sing
The houris in Heaven swing and swing

Their radiant face, when the lovers see
Contain they cannot their ecstasy

But when they become cruel and severe
The lovers shed blood with every tear

And since they love with heart and soul
On lovers the beauties have full control

And those who shed in tears the blood
They aren’t impressed by the biblical flood

The lovers on their death, when they come to see
Easy they make their mortality

And when they see on the cheek a mole
Gladly the lovers sacrifice the soul

So cheer up, O heart; your pain will pass
You will get out of this morass

A lover, O HAFIZ, shouldn’t complain
For there is no gain without the pain




98  Soofi ar baada ba andaaza khurad nooshash baad


Drink, O mystics, only so much wine
Anything more you must decline

To the mystics wine those who give
May they forever with lovers live

And to her lovers, a girl who’s kind
An eternal bliss may the darling find

The eyes, which lovers with arrows slay
May they forever be happy and gay

My lips, the victims of her prejudice
May her juicy lips some day they kiss

Her lovers, a girl who does disdain
O may she never feel the pain

My faults, the preacher who does so hate
May never he be a victim of fate

Since love, O HAFIZ, has made you renowned
The girl you love deserves to be crowned




99  Saba waqt e sahar booay zay zulf e yaar meeaawurd


When brought the breeze the scent of her hair
My wounded heart it helped repair

In her golden tresses, when the air got caught
It gave up the musk of Tartar it brought

And in the terrace, when it saw her moon
The sun hid behind the clouds at noon

Though she is cruel, heartless, and callous
She can also be kind, sweet, and zealous

For this or that, I do not fret
I take from her whatever I get

Her if I could tear from my heart away
I would be happy, and jolly, and gay

With her charming eyes, needless to say
She’s the huntress, and I’m the prey

With her long and curly braided hair
In chains she drags me everywhere

But when she sings, and gives me a drink
I lose my head and the power to think

When HAFIZ I saw, with a bottle of wine
Since he is a mystic, I thought it was fine




100  Saba ba tehniat e peer e maifaroosh aamad


The morning breeze has brought the news
It’s time to sing, and dance, and booze

Blooming are flowers with fragrance in air
And flying and singing are birds everywhere

The trees are wearing their green attire
And flowers have set the garden on fire

An angel came and said it to me
That jolly and happy it’s time to be

It’s time to love and not to fight
For the devil in us has taken the flight

Look, iris, the talker, who’s such a riot
God only knows why is it so quiet?

And in this lovely atmosphere
I don’t know why is the preacher here?

With us I hope he is in sync
He might have come to have a drink

And HAFIZ has also left the shrine
I bet he’s coming to have some wine
                        ====