Welcome, flower, and even better than that, Ghazal 162 by Hafez
Welcome, flower, and even better than that, Ghazal 162 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
خوش آمد گُل وز آن خوشتر نباشد
که در دستت به جز ساغر نباشد
***
زمانِ خوشدلی دریاب و دُر یاب
که دایم در صدف گوهر نباشد
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غنیمت دان و مِی خور در گلستان
که گُل تا هفتهٔ دیگر نباشد
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ایا پُرلعل کرده جامِ زَرّین
ببخشا بر کسی کِش زر نباشد
***
بیا ای شیخ و از خُمخانهٔ ما
شرابی خور که در کوثر نباشد
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بشوی اوراق اگر همدرسِ مایی
که عِلمِ عشق در دفتر نباشد
***
ز من بنیوش و دل در شاهدی بند
که حُسنش بستهٔ زیور نباشد
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شرابی بی خمارم بخش یا رب
که با وی هیچ دردِ سر نباشد
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من از جان بندهٔ سلطان اویسم
اگر چه یادش از چاکر نباشد
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به تاجِ عالم آرایش که خورشید
چنین زیبندهٔ افسر نباشد
***
کسی گیرد خطا بر نظمِ حافظ
که هیچش لطف در گوهر نباشد
***
Description:
English Translation:
Welcome, flower, and even better than that,
If there’s nothing in your hand but a goblet.
Seize this moment of joy and find your pearl,
For a pearl is not always in an oyster shell.
Treasure this moment and drink wine in the rose garden,
For the flower will not be here next week.
O you with ruby lips, who holds a golden cup,
Forgive one who has no gold.
Come, O Sheikh, and from our wine cellar
Drink wine that is not found in the celestial river.
Wash your pages if you are a fellow student of mine,
For the knowledge of love is not in a book.
Drink from me and bind your heart to a witness,
Whose beauty is not adorned with jewelry.
O Lord, give me a wine without a hangover,
With which there is no headache.
I am a servant of that Sultan from my heart,
Even if he does not remember his servant.
The sun adorns the crown of the world,
For nothing is as beautiful as this diadem.
Whoever finds fault with Hafez’s poetry,
Has no grace in their essence.
Explanation of the Ghazal
In this ghazal, Hafez celebrates the joy of life, the beauty of nature, and the spiritual experience of love. He invites his beloved and friends to join him in revelry and to appreciate the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures.
Key Themes:
Carpe Diem: Seize the day and enjoy life's pleasures.
Love and Wine: Wine is used as a metaphor for divine love and spiritual ecstasy.
Beauty of Nature: The beauty of the natural world, particularly flowers, is celebrated.
Criticism of Hypocrisy: Hafez subtly criticizes those who are outwardly pious but lack genuine spirituality.
Key Persian terms and nuances:
ساغر: Goblet
گوهر: Pearl
مِی: Wine
شیخ: Sheikh, often used to refer to a religious scholar or Sufi
This ghazal is a beautiful example of Hafez's poetic mastery, combining deep philosophical reflections with vivid imagery. The poet's use of metaphors and similes creates a vivid and evocative picture of the human experience.