Where is the path of righteousness and where am I: Ghazal 2 by Hafez
Where is the path of righteousness and where am I: Ghazal 2 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
صلاحِ کار کجا و منِ خراب کجا؟
ببین تفاوتِ رَه کز کجاست تا به کجا
***
دلم ز صومعه بگرفت و خِرقِهٔ سالوس
کجاست دیرِ مُغان و شرابِ ناب کجا؟
***
چه نسبت است به رندی صَلاح و تقوا را؟
سماعِ وَعظ کجا نغمهٔ رَباب کجا؟
***
ز رویِ دوست دلِ دشمنان چه دریابد؟
چراغِ مُرده کجا شمعِ آفتاب کجا؟
***
چو کُحلِ بینشِ ما خاکِ آستانِ شماست
کجا رویم؟ بفرما ازین جناب کجا؟
***
مَبین به سیبِ زَنَخدان که چاه در راه است
کجا همی رَوی ای دل بدین شتاب کجا؟
***
بِشُد! که یادِ خوشش باد روزگارِ وصال
خود آن کِرِشمه کجا رفت و آن عِتاب کجا؟
***
قرار و خواب ز حافظ طمع مدار ای دوست
قرار چیست؟ صبوری کدام و خواب کجا؟
***
Description:
English translation:
Where is the path of righteousness and where am I, so lost and astray?
See the vast difference between the wrong path and the right way.
My heart grew weary of the monastery and the hypocrite's patched robe,
Where is the tavern of the mystics and the pure wine, where?
What connection is there between piety and the ways of a carefree soul?
Where is the sermon and where is the melody of the lute?
How can the heart of the enemy understand the face of the beloved?
Where is the dead lamp and where is the candle of the sun?
Since the kohl for our eyes is the dust of your threshold,
Where should we go? Command us, from this lowly place, where?
Do not look at the beauty of the beloved's dimples and forget the pitfall ahead,
Where are you rushing, O heart, where?It is over!
May the memory of that beautiful time of union be blessed,
Where is that coquetry now, and where is that reproach?
Do not expect peace and sleep from Hafez, my friend,
What is peace? Where is patience and neglect it.
A Brief Explanation of the Translation
Sufi Undertones: This ghazal is deeply rooted in Sufi mysticism. The "monastery" and "tavern" are often symbolic of different paths to spiritual enlightenment, with the tavern representing a more direct and passionate approach.
Love and Longing: The poet expresses a longing for divine love and the beloved, often symbolized by a beautiful person.
The Path of the Heart: Hafez often contrasts the rigid paths of religious orthodoxy with the more intuitive and heartfelt path of the mystic.
Ephemeral Nature of Life: The poet reflects on the transitory nature of earthly pleasures and the elusive nature of true peace.
Key Themes:
Spiritual Quest: The search for the divine and the meaning of life.
Contrast Between Worlds: The juxtaposition of the spiritual and the material, the sacred and the profane.
The Beloved: A symbol of divine beauty and perfection, often used interchangeably with God.