Cristina Branco “Vida Triste” Translation: Condemned to live sad Is he who loves much. You, my heart, never withstood The love that the pain inflames. Again my tortured heart Sought shelter in thy breast, uselessly; No one will console the burning thirst Nor is it is satisfied with the delights of passion. And always, for…
Hafez on Laylat al-Qadr
Translation: Last night, at the moment of dawn, they saved me from sorrow And in the darkness of night, they gave me the water of life By the rays of the light of the Essence they made me selfless They gave me wine from the cup of the radiance of the Attributes What a…
Hafez on Ramadan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or3Jxc76wtA Translation: In the month of Sha’aban, do not neglect the glass of wine This sun will disappear untl the ‘Eid of Ramadan Original: ماه شعبان منه از دست قدح کاین خورشید از نظر تا شب عید رمضان خواهد شد Translation: Come…
Hafez: We are Red Lions, Black Cobras
A new favorite from Hafez… Translation: Although we are the king’s slaves We are the sovereigns of the kingdom of the dawn With treasure in our sleeves and holes in our pockets We are the surface of the world-seeing cup and the dust of the road Awake with presence, yet drunk with…
Hafez says, “Shatter”
Translation: Give us love’s flirtatious look and shatter sorcery’s bazaar With but a seductive glance, shatter wealthy Samer’s law Give both the head and turban of the whole world to the wind That is, let your hair down, let the heart-breaking begin Tell the lock of hair to give up its bold arrogance “Shatter…
The certitude of my brightest love
Hafez: I have never seen a more beautiful reminder than the words of love that linger in this turning dome از صدای سخن عشق نديدم خوشتر يادگاری که در اين گنبد دوار بماند Cristina Branco: The certitude of my brightest love The certitude of my brightest…
Love’s Ocean Has No Shore…
Say: Were the ocean ink for the Words of my Lord (to be written out), sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the Words of my Lord, even if We added another ocean like it, for its aid. -Surah Kahf: 109 Sarmad: The ocean of his generosity has no shore. The tongue is…
Hafez’s falcons
From the Nightingale in the garden, ask the news. for I Hear his lament that forth from the cage comes Friends! The true Beloved desires the prey of Hafez’s heart: For the prey of a little fly, a great falcon comes. Translation: H. Wilberforce Clarke Original: خبر بلبل این باغ بپرسید که من…
The Alif
Listen: Hafez ghazal I speak frankly and that makes me happy: I am the slave of love, I am free of both worlds. I am a bird from heaven’s garden. How do I describe that separation, my fall into this snare of accidents? I was an angel and highest paradise was my place. Adam…
Lovers never die
Hafez: هرگز نمیرد آن که دلش زنده شد به عشق ثبت است بر جریده عالم دوام ما He whose heart has been revived by love will never die Our eternity has been written in the record of the world Me: Lips scalded by love’s tongues of…