غزل شماره چهار حافظ
Ghazal nummer fyra av Hafez
att du drivit oss till berg och öknar i vår längtan.
vars liv är långt, sin älskare som smakat socker?
från att fråga efter den förälskade, lidande näktergalen?
men inte med fällor eller bojor fångas den kloka fågeln.
i den långa, svartögda skönheten med månens ansikte.
minns då de törstiga älskare som far med vinden.
är att trofasthet och kärlek saknas i ditt väsen.
om Venus sång får Messias att dansa.
شِکر فُروش که عُمرَش دراز باد چرا
تَفَقُّدی نَکُنَد طوطیِ شِکرخا را؟
غرورِ حُسنت اجازَت مَگَر نداد اِی گُل
که پُرسِشی نکُنی عَندَلیب شیدا را؟
به خُلق و لطف توان کرد صیدِ اهلِ نظر
به بند و دام نگیرند مرغِ دانا را
ندانم از چه سبب رنگِ آشنایی نیست
سَهی‌قَدانِ سیَه‌‌چشمِ ماه‌سیما را
چو با حبیب نِشینی و باده پِیمایی
به یاد دار مُحِبّانِ بادپیما را
جُز این قَدَر نَتوان گفت در جَمالِ تو عیب
که وضع مِهر و وفا نیست رویِ زیبا را
در آسمان نه عجب گَر به گفتهٔ حافظ
سُرودِ زُهره به رقص آورد مسیحا را
که تو ما را به کوه و بیابان کشانده‌ای.
به یاد عاشق شکرخورده‌اش نمی‌افتد؟
که از حال بلبل عاشق و شیدا بپرسی؟
نه با دام و بند که مرغ دانا را نمی‌گیرد.
آن قدبلند سیاه‌چشم با چهره‌ای چون ماه.
محبان تشنه‌لب و سبک‌روح را به یاد آور.
که مهر و وفاداری در آن چهره دل‌فریب نیست.
که آواز زهره، مسیحا را به رقص آورد.
Ghazal number four by Hafez
O gentle breeze, with kindness tell that graceful gazelle
that you’ve led us to mountains and deserts in our longing.
Why does the sweet-talking parrot, blessed with long life,
not think of the lover who’s tasted its sugar?
O flower, has the pride of your beauty kept you
from asking after the lovesick, passionate nightingale?
With kindness and grace, one can capture the wise,
but traps and chains won’t catch a knowing bird.
I don’t know why there’s no trace of familiarity
in that tall, black-eyed beauty with a moonlike face.
When you sit with your beloved and sip wine,
remember the lovers who drift like the wind.
The only flaw in your beauty, o lovely face,
is that loyalty and love are missing from your charm.
In the heavens, it’s no wonder, says Hafez,
if Venus’s song makes even the Messiah dance.
Explanation and Analysis (in English):
Explanation: This ghazal by Hafez is a poetic expression of love, yearning, and a blend of earthly and spiritual devotion. The poet addresses the morning breeze (saba) as a messenger to convey his feelings to the beloved, described as a graceful gazelle, lamenting that love has driven him to wander in desolate places. The beloved, likened to a parrot, a flower, and a moon-faced beauty, is portrayed as stunning yet seemingly indifferent to the lover’s suffering. Hafez questions why she does not inquire about the nightingale (the lover) who sings for her. He emphasizes that wise hearts are won through kindness, not force, and expresses puzzlement at the beloved’s lack of warmth. Imagining the beloved in joyful moments with wine and company, he asks her to remember those who love her from afar. While praising her beauty, he notes its lack of loyalty as its only flaw. The ghazal concludes with a grand image, suggesting that Hafez’s words, like Venus’s song, could move even the Messiah to dance.
Analysis: The ghazal operates on multiple levels. On the surface, it’s a love poem lamenting the beloved’s aloofness, but mystically, the beloved may represent God or divine truth, with the lover as the spiritual seeker. Symbols like the breeze, flower, nightingale, and Venus are staples of Persian poetry, intertwining nature with emotion. The mention of kindness and grace reflects a mystical ethic, suggesting that true connection comes through compassion, not coercion. The final reference to Venus and the Messiah highlights the transcendent power of Hafez’s poetry, which he views as divinely inspired. The subtle critique of beauty without loyalty may urge readers to look beyond superficial allure and seek deeper values. Hafez masterfully weaves love, philosophy, and mysticism, creating a poem that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually profound.