Show your face and tell me to take my life, Ghazal 257 by Hafez
Show your face and tell me to take my life, Ghazal 257 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
روی بِنْما و مرا گو که ز جان دل برگیر
پیشِ شمع آتشِ پروانه به جان گو درگیر
***
در لبِ تشنهٔ ما بین و مدار آب دریغ
بر سَرِ کُشتهٔ خویش آی و ز خاکَش برگیر
***
تَرکِ درویش مگیر ار نَبُوَد سیم و زَرَش
در غَمَت سیمْ شُمار اشک و رُخَش را زر گیر
***
چنگ بِنْواز و بساز ار نَبُوَد عود چه باک؟
آتشم عشق و دلم عود و تَنَم مِجمَر گیر
***
در سَماع آی و ز سر خرقه برانداز و برقص
ور نه با گوشه رو و خرقهٔ ما در سر گیر
***
صوف بَرکَش ز سر و بادهٔ صافی دَرکَش
سیم در باز و به زر سیمبَری در بر گیر
***
دوست گو یار شو و هر دو جهان دشمن باش
بخت گو پشت مَکُن، رویِ زمین لشکر گیر
***
میل رفتن مَکُن ای دوست دَمی با ما باش
بر لبِ جوی، طرب جوی و به کف ساغر گیر
***
رفته گیر از بَرَم و زآتش و آبِ دل و چشم
گونه‌ام زرد و لبم خشک و کنارم تَر گیر
***
حافظ آراسته کن بزم و بگو واعظ را
که ببین مجلسم و تَرکِ سَرِ منبر گیر
***
Description:
English Translation:
Show your face and tell me to take my life,
Set the moth on fire before the candle's flame.
See my parched lips and do not withhold water,
Come to your slain one and lift him from the dust.
Do not abandon the dervish even if he has no silver or gold,
Count his tears as silver and his face as gold in your sorrow.
Play the lute, even if there's no oud, who cares?
My heart is oud, my body is a censer, and my fire is love.
Come to the dance and throw off your robe and dance,
Or else turn your face away and keep my robe on your head.
Strip off the Sufi robe and drink clear wine,
Open the door to silver and fill your lap with gold.
Be my friend and be the enemy of both worlds,
Tell fortune to turn her back and gather an army on earth.
Don't think of leaving, dear friend, stay with me for a moment,
Beside the stream, seek pleasure and hold a goblet in your hand.
Go away from me, and from the fire and water of my heart and eyes,
My cheeks are pale, my lips are dry, and my side is wet.
Hafez, adorn the gathering and tell the preacher,
"See my gathering and abandon your pulpit."
Explanation of the Ghazal
In this ghazal, Hafez expresses intense longing for his beloved and a desire for union. He uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey his passionate emotions.
Key Themes:
Love and longing: The poet expresses an intense desire for his beloved and is willing to sacrifice everything for their love.
Spiritual ecstasy: The poet uses imagery of wine, dance, and the Sufi tradition to symbolize spiritual ecstasy and union with the divine.
Rejection of worldly constraints: The poet rejects the constraints of worldly life and embraces a life of love and devotion.
Key Persian terms and nuances:
پروانه: Moth (a symbol of a lover consumed by passion)
عود: Oud (a stringed instrument)
مِجمَر: Censer (a container for burning incense)
صوفی: Sufi (a Muslim mystic)
ساغر: Goblet
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.