This is the Night of Power they say the devout ones speak of tonight: Ghazal 31 by Hafez
This is the Night of Power they say the devout ones speak of tonight: Ghazal 31 by Hafez
By
@admin | poet: Hafez Shirazi
آن شبِ قدری که گویند اهلِ خلوت امشب است
یا رب این تأثیرِ دولت در کدامین کوکب است؟
***
تا به گیسویِ تو دستِ ناسزایان کم رسد
هر دلی از حلقه‌ای در ذکرِ یارب یارب است
***
کشته چاه زنخدان توام کز هر طرف
صد هزارش گردنِ جان زیرِ طوقِ غَبغَب است
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شهسوارِ من که مه آیینه دارِ روی اوست
تاجِ خورشیدِ بلندش خاکِ نعلِ مَرکَب است
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عکسِ خِوی بر عارضَش بین کآفتابِ گرم رو
در هوایِ آن عَرَق تا هست هر روزش تب است
***
من نخواهم کرد تَرکِ لعلِ یار و جام می
زاهدان معذور داریدم که اینَم مذهب است
***
اندر آن ساعت که بر پشتِ صبا بندند زین
با سلیمان چون برانم من که مورم مرکب است
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آن که ناوَک بر دلِ من زیرِ چشمی می‌زند
قوتِ جانِ حافظش در خندهٔ زیر لب است
***
آبِ حیوانش ز منقارِ بلاغت می‌چکد
زاغِ کِلکِ من به نام ایزد چه عالی مشرب است
***
Description:
English Translation
This is the Night of Power they say the devout ones speak of tonight,
O Lord, in which celestial sphere does this influence reside?
So that the unworthy hands may reach less to your hair,
Every heart is engaged in the remembrance of God.
I am killed by the well of your dimples, from every side
A hundred thousand necks of my life are beneath the collar of your necklace.
My king, whose face is the mirror of the moon,
The dust of the steed's hoof is the crown of the exalted sun.
See the effect of temperament on his cheek, for the hot sun
Has a fever every day as long as that sweat is there.
I will not abandon my beloved's ruby lips and the cup of wine,
Exempt the ascetics, for this is my religion.
At the moment when they saddle the wind,
Like Solomon, I will ride it, though I am a mere ant as a mount.
He who shoots an arrow into my heart with a glance,
The strength of Hafez's life is in his under-lip smile.
The water of life drips from the beak of his eloquence,
The crow of my pen, in the name of God, has a noble disposition.
A Brief Explanation of the Translation
Divine Love and Beauty: The poem is a passionate expression of love and devotion to a beloved, often seen as a symbol of divine beauty.
The Night of Power: A reference to Laylat al-Qadr, a night in the Islamic calendar considered to be more auspicious than a thousand months.
Sufi Imagery: The poem employs Sufi imagery, such as the "well of dimples" and the "necklace," to describe the beloved's captivating beauty.
Key Themes:
Love and Devotion: The poet expresses deep devotion to his beloved.
Beauty and Allure: The beloved is described as possessing unparalleled beauty.
Spiritual Ecstasy: The poem hints at the ecstatic experiences associated with divine love.
Some key Persian words and their nuances that are difficult to fully capture in English:
شب قدر: The Night of Power.
زنخدان: Dimples.
غَبغَب: A type of necklace.
سلیمان: Solomon, a prophet in both Islamic and Jewish traditions.
بلاغت: Eloquence.