My breath escapes, yet my desire for you does not fade, Ghazal 237 by Hafez
My breath escapes, yet my desire for you does not fade, Ghazal 237 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
نفس برآمد و کام از تو بر نمی‌آید
فغان که بختِ من از خواب در نمی‌آید
***
صبا به چشمِ من انداخت خاکی از کویش
که آبِ زندگیم در نظر نمی‌آید
***
قدِ بلندِ تو را تا به بَر نمی‌گیرم
درختِ کام و مرادم به بَر نمی‌آید
***
مگر به رویِ دلارایِ یارِ ما ور نی
به هیچ وجه دگر کار بر نمی‌آید
***
مقیمِ زلفِ تو شد دل که خوش سَوادی دید
وز آن غریبِ بلاکش خبر نمی‌آید
***
ز شَستِ صدق گشادم هزار تیرِ دعا
ولی چه سود یکی کارگر نمی‌آید
***
بسم حکایتِ دل هست با نسیمِ سحر
ولی به بختِ من امشب سحر نمی‌آید
***
در این خیال به سر شد زمانِ عمر و هنوز
بلایِ زلفِ سیاهت به سر نمی‌آید
***
ز بس که شد دلِ حافظ رمیده از همه کس
کنون ز حلقهٔ زلفت به در نمی‌آید
***
Description:
English Translation:
My breath escapes, yet my desire for you does not fade,
Alas, my fortune does not awaken from sleep.
The morning breeze has cast dust from your path into my eyes,
So that the water of life does not appear in my sight.
Until I embrace your tall stature,
The tree of my desire and hope will not bear fruit.
Unless I fall at the feet of my beloved, the lovely one,
In no way will any other matter be resolved.
My heart has become a resident of your curl, having seen a happy omen,
And no news comes from that unfortunate stranger.
With the purity of my heart, I have released a thousand arrows of prayer,
But to no avail, not a single one hits the mark.
The beginning of my heart's story is with the morning breeze,
But to my misfortune, dawn does not come tonight.
In this thought, the time of my life has passed, and still,
The calamity of your dark curl does not leave my head.
Because Hafez's heart has become so weary of everyone,
Now it cannot escape from the snare of your locks.
Explanation of the Ghazal
In this ghazal, Hafez expresses a deep and consuming love for his beloved. He uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey his intense feelings of longing and despair.
Key Themes:
Unrequited Love: The poet expresses the pain of unrequited love and the intensity of his desire.
The Power of Love: The poet suggests that the power of love is so great that it can consume him entirely.
The Passage of Time: The poet reflects on the passage of time and the futility of his efforts to win his beloved's heart.
Key Persian terms and nuances:
نفس: Breath
صبا: Morning breeze
قد: Stature
زلف: Curl of hair
سحر: Dawn
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 undertones: Many of Hafez's poems, including this one, contain Sufi undertones and references to mystical experiences.