Hafez

This is the first rubâ’i, quatrain,
of the Divân of Hâfez and in Persian it sounds thus

Joz naqsh-e-to dar nazar nayâmad mâra.
Joz kuy-e-to rahgozar nayâmad mâra.
Khvâb âr che khosh âmad hameh ra dar ‘uhdat
Haqqâ ke be chesham dar nayâmad mâra.

Nothing comes in our eyes except Your face.
Except Your lane we have no other path to trace.
If it is so that as a duty sleep comes joyfully to everyone,
But, in truth, our eyes it does not grace.

~

Here are some of his other quatrains.
The transcription of the Persian text has been followed by its English translation.

Bar gir sharaab tarab angiz o biyaa
Penhaan ze raqib-e sefle be-sitez o biyaa
Ma-shnav sokhan-e khasm keh be-neshin o ma-rav
Be-shnav ze man in nokte keh barkhiz o biyaa

Take wine, be joyful and come!
Unknown to your mean guardian, persist and come!
Don’t listen to the words of the enemy saying: ‘Sit down and don’t go!’
Listen to my subtle saying: ‘Arise and come!

Mâhi ke qaddesh besarv mimânad râst
Âine bedasto ruye khod miârâst
Dastâr che pishkashesh kardam koft
Waslam talabi ze hai khiâli ke turâst

A moon whose stature was straight like a cypress,
Held a mirror in her hand and adorned her face.
When I presented her a handkerchief she then said:
‘You seek union with me? You have quite some imagination!’

To badrî-o khurshîd tora bande shodast
Tâ bandeye to shodast tâ bande shodast
Ze ân ruî ke az shu’â’-e nur-e rokh-e to
Khurshîd-e monîr-o mâh tâ bande shodast

You are the full moon and the sun has become Your slave,
By serving has become Your slave.
For this reason – that from the splendour of the light of Your face,
The illuminating sun and the moon have become Your slave.

Gar hamchu man oftâdeh-e în dâm shavî
Ay bas keh kharâb bâdeh-o jâm shavî
Mâ ‘âsheq-o rend-o mast-o ‘âlam suzîm
Bâ mâ maneshîn agar na bad nâm shavî

If you are entrapped in this snare like me,
O, often ruined by wine and cup you’ll be.
We the lovers, the rogues, the intoxicated will burn the world:
Do not sit with us or ill of name you’ll be.

Har ruz dilam zîr-e bârî degarast
Dar dîdeye man ze hajr khârî degarast
Man jahd hamîkonam qazâ mîguyad
Bîrun ze kefâyat-e to kârî degarast

Every day my heart carries another burden;
Because of separation, in my eye there is another thorn.
I kept on striving, but fate kept on saying:
‘Beyond what is enough for you, there is another task’.

Mâham keh rokhash rawshanîye khur begereft
Gard-e-khatt-e u cheshmeye kawsar begereft
Delha hameh dar châh-e zanakhdân andâkht-o
Ângah sar-châh-ra be-‘ambar begereft

My moon whose visage the brightness of the sun took,
Turning around His down, the fountain of Kawsar took;
She threw all the hearts into the dimple of that chin
And the mouth of that well with amber took.

Ni qesseh-ye ân shama`-e chegel be-tavân goft
Ni hâl-e del-e sukhteh del be-tavân goft
Ghamm dar del-e tang-e man az ânast keh nist
Yek dust keh bâ u ghamm-e del be-tavân goft

Neither the tale of that candle of Chegel one can tell,
Nor about the state of the burnt heart one can tell.
There is grief in my distressed heart because there is
Not one friend to whom the grief in one’s heart one can tell.

Nai dawlat-e donya besetam mîarzad
Nai lazzat-e hastîyash-e alam mîarzad
Na haft hezâr sâleh shâdîye jahân
În mehnat-e haft ruz-e gham mîarzad

During tyranny the treasures of the world have no value;
During grief the delights of existence have no value;
The seven thousand years of joy of the world
Compared to the sorrow of seven days of adversity have no value.

Chun ghonchaye gol qarâbaye pardâz shavad
Narges behavâye maî qadah-e sâz shavad
Fârigh-e del ânkasî keh mânand habâb
Ham dar sar-e maîkhana sar-andâz shavad

When the rosebud an emptier of flagons becomes,
The narcissus in desire of wine a maker of goblets becomes.
Independent of heart is that one who like the bubble,
Even at the gate of the tavern intrepid becomes.

În gol ze bar hamnafsî mîâyad
Shâdî bedelam azu basî mîâyad
Paîwasta az ân ruî konam hamdamîash
Kaz rang-e dîm buye kasî mîâyad

This rose, which from the Friend may come,
Produces a joy that often from Him in my heart may come.
Ever and anon, therefore, I consider it as a companion of Him,
So that from the colour of its appearance the scent of Someone may come.

Ayyâm-e shabâbast sharâb aulîtar
Bâ sabz-khattân bâda-e nâb aulîtar
‘Âlam hama sar besar rebâtîst-e kharâb
Dar jâye kharâb ham kharâb aulîtar

It is the time of youth, wine is better,
For one with a youthful beard, pure wine is better.
The world is from end to end a ruined inn:
In a ruined place to be ruined as well is better.

Sailâb gereft gerd-e vîrânaye ‘omr
Va aghâz porî nihâd paimânaye ‘omr
Bîdâr shou ay khwâja keh khush khush bekashad
Hammâl-e zamâna rakht az khânaye ‘omr

The torrent surrounded the circle of this ruined life
And established the beginning of the fullness of the cup of life.
Awake, o master, so that the porter of time
Will happily and merrily carry your goods from your house of life.

Tâ hokm-e-qazâî âsmânî bâshad
Kâr-e-to hamîsha kâmrânî bâshad
Gar jâm-e-may ze dast-e-to nosh konam
Sarmâya-ye-‘aysh jâwadânî bâshad.

As long as the decree of heavenly fate shall be,
Your work always one of happiness shall be.
If I may drink from the wine-cup of your hand,
Then the source of eternal life it shall be.

Goftam keh labat goft labam aab-e-hayaat
Goftam dahanat goft ze hay hobb-e nabaat
Goftam sokhan-e to goft Haafez goftaa
Shaadiye hame latifeye guyaan-e salavaat

I said that your lip said: ‘My lip is the water of life’.
I said that your mouth said: ‘Careful, it is love’s sugarcandy’
I said that your speech said: Hafez has said:
‘It is the joy of all those who with subtlety say their prayers’.