I am the one known throughout the city for my love-making, Ghazal 393 by Hafez

I am the one known throughout the city for my love-making, Ghazal 393 by Hafez

By @hamed on October 10, 2024

I am the one known throughout the city for my love-making, Ghazal 393 by Hafez

By hamed @hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi

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Description:

In this ghazāl, Hafez celebrates love, wine, and the carefree pursuit of pleasure. He criticizes hypocrisy and superficial piety, advocating for a more authentic and joyful approach to life.

Key Themes:

Love and passion: The poet celebrates the power of love and passion, emphasizing the importance of following one's heart.
Criticism of hypocrisy: Hafez criticizes those who preach morality but do not practice it themselves.
The joy of life: The poet encourages the reader to enjoy life's pleasures and not be burdened by guilt or regret.


English Translation for Ghazal

I am the one known throughout the city for my love-making
I am the one whose sight is unsullied by evil


Let us be faithful and endure reproach and be happy
For in our path, to be distressed is infidelity

I asked the old man of the tavern what is the path of salvation?
He asked for a cup of wine and said, "To cover faults"

What is the desire of the heart from gazing upon the garden of the world?
To pluck a rose from your face with the hands of people

I threw my own image into the water in wine-worship
So that I could destroy the worship of my own self

I am confident in the mercy of your curly locks, otherwise
If there were no attraction from that side, what use is striving?

We will turn the reins towards the tavern from this assembly
For the sermons of the idle are not worth hearing

Learn love from your beloved's beautiful face
For it is pleasant to be covered in the dust of the beautiful

Kiss only the lips of the wine-server and the cup of wine, O Hafiz
For to kiss the hands of the pious pretenders is a mistake

Ghazal in Persian

منم که شهره شهرم به عشق ورزیدن

منم که دیده نیالوده‌ام به بد دیدن

 

وفا کنیم و ملامت کشیم و خوش باشیم

که در طریقتِ ما کافریست رنجیدن

 

به پیرِ میکده گفتم که چیست راه نجات ؟

بخواست جامِ می و گفت عیب پوشیدن

 

مرادِ دل ز تماشای باغِ عالم چیست ؟

به دستِ مردمِ چشم از رخِ تو گل چیدن

 

به می‌پرستی از آن نقشِ خود زدم بر آب

که تا خراب کنم نقشِ خود پرستیدن

 

به رحمتِ سرِ زلفِ تو واثقم ور نه

کشش چو نبود از آن سو چه سود کوشیدن ؟

 

عنان به میکده خواهیم تافت زین مجلس

که وعظ بی‌عملان واجب است نشنیدن

 

ز خطّ یار بیاموز مِهر با رخِ خوب

که گرد عارضِ خوبان خوش است گردیدن

 

مبوس جز لبِ ساقی و جامِ می حافظ

که دستِ زهدفروشان خطاست بوسیدن


hamed
@hamed Oct. 10, 2024, 6:46 a.m.

Key Persian terms and nuances:

شهره: famous
طریقت: path, way
میکده: tavern
عاشق: lover
زلف: locks of hair
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.