O gentle breeze, bring me a scent from the path of my beloved, Ghazal 249 by Hafez
O gentle breeze, bring me a scent from the path of my beloved, Ghazal 249 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
ای صبا نَکهَتی از خاکِ رَهِ یار بیار
بِبَر اندوهِ دل و مژدهٔ دل‌دار بیار
***
نکته‌ای روح‌فَزا از دهنِ دوست بگو
نامه‌ای خوش خبر از عالَمِ اسرار بیار
***
تا مُعَطَّر کُنَم از لطفِ نسیمِ تو مَشام
شَمِّه‌ای از نَفَحاتِ نفسِ یار بیار
***
به وفایِ تو که خاکِ رَهِ آن یارِ عزیز
بی‌غباری که پدید آید از اغیار بیار
***
گَردی از ره‌گذرِ دوست به کوریِ رقیب
بهرِ آسایش این دیدهٔ خون‌بار بیار
***
خامی و ساده‌دلی شیوهٔ جانبازان نیست
خبری از بَرِ آن دل‌بر عیّار بیار
***
شُکر آن را که تو در عِشرتی ای مرغِ چمن
به اسیرانِ قفس مژدهٔ گل‌زار بیار
***
کامِ جان تلخ شد از صبر که کردم بی‌دوست
عشوه‌ای زان لبِ شیرین شِکربار بیار
***
روزگاریست که دل چهرهٔ مقصود ندید
ساقیا آن قدحِ آینه‌کردار بیار
***
دلقِ حافظ به چه ارزد؟ به مِی‌اش رنگین کن
وان گَه‌اش مست و خراب از سَرِ بازار بیار
***
Description:
English Translation:
O gentle breeze, bring me a scent from the path of my beloved,
Carry away my heartache and bring me tidings of my heart’s desire.
Speak a life-giving word from my beloved’s mouth,
Bring a joyous letter from the realm of secrets.
So that I may perfume my nostrils with the grace of your breeze,
Bring me a whiff of my beloved’s breath.
By your loyalty, bring me the dust-free dust of that dear one's path,
Untainted by the dust of strangers.
Bring dust from my beloved’s path to blind my rival,
For the comfort of these bloodshot eyes.
Rawness and simplicity are not the ways of warriors,
Bring news from the cunning brow of that heart-stealer.
Thanks be to Him who has made you a bird of the meadow,
Bring tidings of the flower garden to the caged birds.
My heart’s taste has turned bitter from patience without my beloved,
Bring a coquettish smile from those sweet, sugar-sweet lips.
For days, my heart has not seen the face of my desire,
O wine-server, bring that mirror-like goblet.
What is Hafez's patched robe worth? Color it with wine,
And bring that wine-soaked, disheveled moment from the marketplace.
Explanation of the Ghazal
In this ghazal, Hafez expresses a deep longing for his beloved and seeks solace in their love. He uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey his intense emotions.
Key Themes:
Love and Longing: The poet expresses a deep longing for his beloved and seeks their attention.
The Healing Power of Love: The poet believes that love can heal his wounded heart.
The Passage of Time: The poet reflects on the passage of time and the impermanence of life.
Key Persian terms and nuances:
صبا: Morning breeze
جانان: Beloved
اکسیر: Elixir (a substance believed to turn base metals into gold)
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.
Cultural references: Many of Hafez's poems, including this one, contain allusions to Persian history, literature, and mythology.