Beside the water, beneath the willow tree, with poetry and a pleasant companion, Ghazal 288 by Hafez
Beside the water, beneath the willow tree, with poetry and a pleasant companion, Ghazal 288 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
کنارِ آب و پایِ بید و طبعِ شعر و یاری خوش
معاشر دلبری شیرین و ساقی گُلعِذاری خوش
***
الا ای دولتی طالع، که قدرِ وقت می‌دانی
گوارا بادَت این عِشرت که داری روزگاری خوش
***
هر آن کس را که در خاطر ز عشقِ دلبری باریست
سِپندی گو بر آتش نِه، که دارد کار و باری خوش
***
عروسِ طَبع را زیور ز فکرِ بِکر می‌بندم
بُوَد کز دستِ ایّامَم به دست اُفتَد نگاری خوش
***
شبِ صحبت غنیمت دان و دادِ خوشدلی بِسْتان
که مهتابی دل افروز است و طَرْفِ لاله زاری خوش
***
مِیی در کاسهٔ چشم است ساقی را بِنامیزد
که مستی می‌کند با عقل و می‌بخشد خُماری خوش
***
به غفلت عمر شُد حافظ، بیا با ما به میخانه
که شنگولانِ خوش باشت، بیاموزند کاری خوش
***
Description:
English Translation:
Beside the water, beneath the willow tree, with poetry and a pleasant companion,
A circle of sweet lovers and a wine-serving rosebud are delightful.
O fortunate fortune, who knows the value of time,
May you enjoy this pleasure that you have for a lifetime.
Whoever has a heart burdened with love for a beloved,
Do not cast them into the fire like a moth, for they have a good job.
I adorn the bride of poetry with the ornament of virgin thoughts,
Hoping that a beautiful vision will fall into my hands from the hands of time.
Treasure the night of conversation and the gift of the garden's joy,
For the moonlight is heart-enticing and the side of the tulip bed is pleasant.
The wine is in the cup of the eye, call for the wine server,
For it intoxicates the mind and gives a pleasant drunkenness.
Hafez has wasted his life in neglect, come with us to the tavern,
For the happy revelers will teach you a pleasant way.
Explanation of the Ghazal
This ghazal by Hafez is a celebration of love, poetry, and the simple pleasures of life. The poet invites the reader to join him in a moment of carefree enjoyment.
Key Themes:
Celebration of love and poetry: The poet extols the pleasures of love, poetry, and companionship.
The transience of time: The poet emphasizes the importance of enjoying the present moment.
Spiritual longing: The poem hints at a spiritual longing and a search for divine love.
The role of the poet: Hafez positions himself as a lover of beauty and a seeker of truth.
Key Persian terms and nuances:
طبع: Nature, temperament
عِشرت: Pleasure, enjoyment
سِپندی: Moth
بِکر: Virgin
غنیمت دان: Treasure
طَرْف: Side
لَالِه زاری: Tulip bed
خُماری: Drunkenness
Some of the nuances that are difficult to fully capture in translation include:
The intricate use of imagery: Hafez often uses multiple layers of symbolism and metaphor to convey his meaning.
The musicality of the Persian language: The sounds and rhythms of the Persian language contribute significantly to the emotional impact of the poem.
Sufi concepts: The poem is rich in Sufi symbolism and concepts, which can be challenging to convey in a different cultural context.