Translation: by Farah Aziz No I am not roaming aimlessly through the alleys and bazaar I am a lover searching for his beloved God have mercy on me I am walking around troubled I have done wrong and sinned and am walking around wounded I have drunk the wine of desire and am walking around lovelorn Though…
Infidel of Love
Shabistari If a Muslim were to know what an idol is He would know that religion is idol-worship And if the associator (mushrik) were to know what an idol is Where would he have gone wrong in his religion? Original: مسلمان گر بدانستی که بت چیست بدانستی که دین در بتپرستی است وگر مشرک ز بت…
Hafez in qawwal
This ghazal, attributed to Hafez, is probably not by him, but is still beautiful nonetheless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=44&v=Iz9hU6JjZXk Translation: I saw Beloved in the Stranger I saw a Flower in the Ash The one the Preacher so tried to hide I saw that Beloved in the square. In every direction, the splendor of Beloved, I see In every…
Your face like the moon
Translation: May your charming face ever shine like the full moon; May you hold eternal sway over the domains of beauty. By your amorous glance you have killed a poor man like me; How magnanimous of you? May God give you a long life. Pray do not be cruel lest you should feel ashamed of…
Favorite Verses of Amir Khusro
Translation: Love of you brings news of a world beyond consciousness and brings the pious to down goblets of wine Your cheek broke the repentant vows of dozens of ascetic devotees and nearly had them wearing black Yearning for you is the sheriff who seizes sultan reason by the hair …
The Wisdom of Khusrau
Translation: Poverty is more pleasant than majesty; depravity, more pleasant than piety. Majesty has its headaches, and when last I looked beggary was more pleasant. Since kings let no one approach them, being indigent among the poor is more pleasant When pride gets into someone’s…
How many nights…
Translation: By God, how many nights I have spent in the sweetness of life, apart from the watchman Drinking my wine with the beloved as my companion as the glasses of love’s joys go ’round I reached by goal, beyond whatever I had hoped Longing, though it be perfect, for this pleasure to stay…
Clouds cry
Transliteration (first lines) Abr mi barad-o man shovm-e az yar-e judaa Choon kunam dil becheneen roz zedildar judaa. Abr baraan wa man-o yar satadah ba-widaa’ Man judaa girya kunaan, abr judaa, yaar judaa Translation: The cloud weeps, and I become separated from my friend – How can I separate my heart from my heart’s friend…
Every night, every day
https://vimeo.com/70399018 Lyrics and Translation Har shab manam futada, Ba girde sarai e tou Har roz ah o nala kunam az barai e tou Every night have I fallen, around the circle of Thy tavern every day, do I wail and cry, in yearning of Thee Jana ba iin shakista dil-bewafa ma shou Umre…
Two Ghazals from Hafez
I’ve quoted from these before, but here are two of my favorite ghazals in their entirety: (If the videos on the other pages on this site don’t appear for you, try emptying your cache and reloading the page) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0CRm37FQr4 Translation: The outward ascetic has no knowledge of our state …