Beauty of the rose you eclipse,
How can the rose compete with you?Rose shines in moonlight, moon in your grips.
Shams Al Din Hafiz Shirazi
FROM the garden of Heaven a western breeze
With a love like a huri I’ld take mine ease,And wine! bring me wine, the giver of mirth!To-day the beggar may boast him a king,His banqueting-hall is the ripening field,And his tent the shadow that soft clouds fling.A tale of April the meadows unfold–Ah, foolish for future credit to slave,And to leave the cash of…
The bird of gardens sang unto the rose,
As fair as thou within this garden close,Many have bloomed and died.’ She laughed and said‘That I am born to fade grieves not my heartBut never was it a true lover’s partTo vex with bitter words his love’s repose.’The tavern step shall be thy hostelry,For Love’s diviner breath comes but to thoseThat suppliant on the…
Come so the rose we may spread, and, let wine into the goblet flow.
If an army, the shedder of lovers’ blood, raise sorrowThe Saki and I may join and its foundation pull thorough.The rose water we pour into the goblet of ruddy wine:Into the censer of the wind, the sugar and perfume, we cast in twine.Minstrel! In thy hand resteth a merry instrument, a sweet melody play:So we…
You can buy everyone with gold;
Even the narcissus, pride of the world,Sold itself, why, its crown of gold behold.
If like me, you too fall in this trap,
We are the lovers, burning our tracks,Join us, if you can put up with the crap.
THE nightingale with drops of his heart’s blood
And catching at the boughs in envious mood,A hundred thorns about his heart entwined.Like to the parrot crunching sugar, goodSeemed the world to me who could not stayThe wind of Death that swept my hopes away.Light of mine eyes and harvest of my heart,And mine at least in changeless memory!Ah, when he found it easy…
The only vision I have is your sight
Everyone finds his repose in sleep,Sleep from my eyes has taken flight.
Jealousy
Are from believingYou know better than God.Of course,Such a special brand of arrogance as thatAlways proves disastrous,And will rip the seamsIn your caravan tent,Then cordially invite in many speciesOf mean biting flies andStrange thoughts-That willBeat youUp.
THE days of Spring are here! the eglantine,
And thou, why liest thou beneath the dust?Like the full clouds of Spring, these eyes of mineShall scatter tears upon the grave thy prison,Till thou too from the earth thine head shalt thrust.Translated by: Gertrude Bell