Your musk-scented tresses emit the fragrance of violets, Ghazal 411 by Hafez

Your musk-scented tresses emit the fragrance of violets, Ghazal 411 by Hafez

By @hamed on October 10, 2024

Your musk-scented tresses emit the fragrance of violets, Ghazal 411 by Hafez

By hamed @hamed | poet: Hafez Shirazi

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Description:

In this ghazāl, Hafez expresses deep love and devotion to his beloved. He uses vivid imagery from nature to describe her beauty and the impact she has on his heart.

Key Themes:

Love and devotion: The poet expresses an intense longing for his beloved and the joy of her companionship.
The beauty of the beloved: Hafez extols the beauty of his beloved, comparing her to natural wonders like roses and violets.
Spiritual connection: The poet suggests a deep spiritual connection to his beloved, elevating her to a divine status.


English Translation for Ghazal

Your musk-scented tresses emit the fragrance of violets
Your delightful laughter tears the curtain of the rosebud


O my sweet-smelling rose, don’t burn your nightingale
For out of sincerity, it prays for you all night long

I who grew weary of the breath of angels
Am reciting the discourse of the world for your sake

See the fortune of love, how from poverty and pride
Your beggar breaks a corner of the crown of kingship

The robe of asceticism and the cup of wine, though incompatible
I draw all these images for your sake

The intoxication of your love will take my breath away
So that this head, full of desire, may become dust in your abode

The throne of my eye is the resting place of your imagination
It is a prayer that my king, you may never be absent from your place

Your face is a beautiful meadow, especially in the spring of beauty
Hafez, the eloquent, has become the singing bird of your speech.

Ghazal in Persian

تاب بنفشه می‌دهد طرّهٔ مشک‌سای تو

پردهٔ غنچه می‌درد خندهٔ دلگشای تو

 

ای گل خوش‌نسیمِ من بلبلِ خویش را مسوز

کز سر صدق می‌کند شب همه شب دعای تو

 

من که ملول گشتمی از نفس فرشتگان

قال و مقال عالَمی می‌کشم از برای تو

 

دولت عشق بین که چون از سر فقر و افتخار

گوشهٔ تاج سلطنت می‌شکند گدای تو

 

خرقهٔ زهد و جام مِی گرچه نه درخور همند

این همه نقش می‌زنم از جهت رضای تو

 

شور شراب عشق تو آن نفسم رود ز سر

کاین سر پُر هوس شود خاک در سرای تو

 

شاه‌نشین چشم من تکیه‌گه خیال توست

جای دعاست شاه من بی‌تو مباد جای تو

 

خوش چمنیست عارضت خاصه که در بهار حسن

حافظ ِخوش‌کلام شد مرغِ سخن‌سرایِ تو


hamed
@hamed Oct. 10, 2024, 5:24 p.m.

Key Persian terms and nuances:

بنفشه: violet
غنچه: rosebud
بلبل: nightingale
قال و مقال: discourse

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.