What would you be if your heart, O moon, had been kind? Ghazal 441 by Hafez

By hamed @hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi | 13 1

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Description:

In this ghazāl, Hafez expresses a deep longing for his beloved and laments the harshness of fate. He uses vivid imagery and metaphors to convey his emotions.

Key Themes:

Love and longing: The poet expresses a deep longing for his beloved and the pain of separation.
Fate and destiny: The poem explores the role of fate and destiny in human affairs.
Spiritual journey: The poem suggests a journey towards spiritual enlightenment and union with the divine.


English Translation for Ghazal

What would you be if your heart, O moon, had been kind?
Our state would not be like this if it had been so


I would say how precious is the breeze of your beloved's hair
If for every hair, there were a thousand lives

O Lord, what would be lacking from our happiness?
If you had been a sign of safety from the evil time

If fortune had exalted you and made you precious
The dust of your threshold would have been my throne of honor

If only you had come out from behind the curtain like a drop of tear
Which would have been the ruling decree upon our two eyes

If the circle of love had not blocked the way
Like a lost dot, Hafez would have been in the middle

متن غزل

چه بودی ار دل آن ماه، مهربان بودی

که حال ما نه چنین بودی ار چنان بودی

 

بگفتمی که چه ارزد نسیم طره دوست

گرم به هر سر مویی هزار جان بودی

 

برات خوشدلی ما چه کم شدی یا رب

گرش نشان امان از بد زمان بودی

 

گرم زمانه سرافراز داشتی و عزیز

سریر عزتم آن خاک آستان بودی

 

ز پرده کاش برون آمدی چو قطره اشک

که بر دو دیده ما حکم او روان بودی

 

اگر نه دایره عشق راه بربستی

چو نقطه حافظ سرگشته در میان بودی


hamed
@hamed Oct. 12, 2024, 8:13 a.m.

Key Persian terms and nuances:

ماه: moon (often used as a metaphor for the beloved)
یوسف مصری: Joseph from the Quranic story, often used as a symbol of beauty and divine favor

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 concepts: The poem is rich in Sufi symbolism and concepts, which can be challenging to convey in a different cultural context.