Your image is a constant companion on every path: Ghazal 23 by Hafez
Your image is a constant companion on every path: Ghazal 23 by Hafez
By
@hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi
خیالِ رویِ تو در هر طریق همرهِ ماست
نسیمِ مویِ تو، پیوندِ جانِ آگهِ ماست
***
به رَغمِ مدّعیانی که منعِ عشق کنند
جمالِ چهرهٔ تو، حجّتِ موجّهِ ماست
***
ببین که سیبِ زنخدانِ تو چه می‌گوید
هزار یوسفِ مصری، فتاده در چَهِ ماست
***
اگر به زلفِ درازِ تو، دستِ ما نرسد
گناهِ بختِ پریشان و دستِ کوتهِ ماست
***
به حاجبِ درِ خلوت‌سرایِ خاص بگو
فُلان ز گوشه‌نشینانِ خاکِ درگهِ ماست
***
به صورت از نظر ما اگر چه محجوب است
همیشه در نظرِ خاطرِ مرفّهِ ماست
***
اگر به سالی حافظ دری زَنَد، بگشای
که سال‌هاست که مشتاقِ رویِ چون مهِ ماست
***
Description:
English Translation
Your image is a constant companion on every path,
The breeze of your hair is the bond of our conscious souls.
Despite the naysayers who forbid love,
The beauty of your face is our compelling argument.
See how the dimple on your cheek speaks,
A thousand Josephs of Egypt have fallen into our well.
If my hand cannot reach your long tresses,
It is the fault of my ill-fated destiny and my short hand.
Tell the gatekeeper of the private chamber,
Such and such is one of the recluses of your threshold.
Though your face is hidden from our sight,
You are always present in our comfortable mind.
If Hafez knocks on your door once a year, open it,
For years he has been longing for your moon-like face.
A Brief Explanation of the Translation
Love and Devotion: The poem is a passionate expression of love and devotion to a beloved.
Spiritual Journey: The poem can be interpreted as a spiritual journey, with the beloved symbolizing a higher power or divine love.
Beauty and Desire: The poet describes the beauty of the beloved in vivid imagery.
Key Themes:
Longing and Desire: The poet expresses a deep longing for the beloved.
Beauty and Love: The beloved is portrayed as the embodiment of beauty and love.
Spiritual Connection: The poet seeks a spiritual connection with the beloved.
Some key Persian words and their nuances that are difficult to fully capture in English:
خیال: Image, imagination.
نسیم: Breeze, often used metaphorically to convey a gentle and soothing feeling.
مدّعی: Claimant, one who makes a claim or assertion, often used in a negative sense to refer to a hypocrite or a person who pretends to be something they are not.
حجّت: Argument, proof.
یوسف: Joseph, a biblical figure often used as a symbol of beauty and virtue.
خلوت‌سرا: Private chamber, a place of seclusion and intimacy.