Friends, while the rose blooms, let us strive for pleasure, Ghazal 376 by Hafez

By hamed @hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi

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Description:

This ghazāl by Hafez is a celebration of love, wine, and the carefree life. The poet invites his friends to embrace the present moment and enjoy the pleasures of life.

Key Themes:

Carpe diem: The poet emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and enjoying life.
Love and devotion: The poet expresses a deep and unwavering devotion to his beloved.
Rejection of worldly concerns: The poet rejects the constraints of conventional society and embraces a life of pleasure.
The tavern as a symbol: The tavern is often used as a metaphor for a place of spiritual enlightenment and escape from the mundane world.


English Translation for Ghazal

Friends, while the rose blooms, let us strive for pleasure
This is the word of the people of the heart, and let us take it to heart.


There is no kindness in anyone, and the time of joy passes
The solution is to sell our prayer rugs for wine.

Send a beautiful, joyful breeze, O God
A darling upon whose face we may drink rose-colored wine.

The celestial organ is the highwayman of the people of art
Why should we not lament this sorrow and why should we not cry out?

The rose has blossomed, and we have not given it water from wine
Therefore, we boil with the fire of deprivation and desire.

We drink an imaginary wine from a tulip-shaped goblet
May the evil eye be far, for we are intoxicated without music or wine.

Hafez, to whom can one tell this strange state, that we
Are nightingales who are silent in the season of the rose?

Ghazal in Persian

دوستان وقت گل آن به که به عشرت کوشیم

سخن اهل دل است این و به جان بنیوشیم

 

نیست در کس کرم و وقت طرب می‌گذرد

چاره آن است که سجاده به مِی بفروشیم

 

خوش هوایی‌ست فرح‌بخش خدایا بفرست

نازنینی که به رویش مِی گل‌گون نوشیم

 

ارغنون ساز فلک ره‌زن اهل هنر است

چون از این غصه ننالیم و چرا نخروشیم؟

 

گل به جوش آمد و از مِی نزدیمش آبی

لاجرم زآتش حرمان و هوس می‌جوشیم

 

می‌کشیم از قدح لاله شرابی موهوم

چشم بد دور که بی‌مطرب و مِی مدهوشیم

 

حافظ این حال عجب با که توان گفت که ما

بلبلانیم که در مُوسم گل خاموشیم


hamed
@hamed Oct. 9, 2024, 12:39 p.m.

Key Persian terms and nuances:

سجاده: prayer rug
ارغنون: a type of musical instrument
بلبل: nightingale
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.