Hafiz - Ali Salami

Hafiz: Ghazal 14 [Beds of Thorns]

To my dear heart I thus did say, “O queen of radiant mien, Extend, I pray, thy grace to me, a soul by fortune seen.” But she, in tones both clear and keen, did thus to me relay, “He wanders lost, who obeys heart’s whims, and from wisdom does stray.” “Stay thee a moment, […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 10 [Ecstasy of Soul]

Last eve, our spiritual Pir did voyage from sacred mosque to worldly tavern. Brethren, what course now shall we chart? What action shall we take? We, the acolytes, find our Pir straying to the tavern; how then shall we turn our gaze towards the sacred direction in prayer? Let us then claim sanctuary amidst the […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 8 [Saki, Arise]

Saki, arise… fill the goblet, present it. Bury the sorrows of the world beneath the earth! Hand me the wine cup so I might cast off this sky-colored cloak upon me. To the wise, drunkenness may bear ill repute, but we yearn not for fame or renown. Serve the wine, how long shall this wind […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 3 [Speak Now of Music]

Should Shiraz’s fair, our humble love requite, And in her grace, our hearts’ affections light, For but the mole upon her cheek so bright, We’d yield Samarkand and Bukhara outright. Saki, pour forth the remnants of our wine, For in heaven’s realm, these joys shan’t intertwine. No Ruknabad’s stream, nor Musalla’s shade, Will grace […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 89 [The Darkest Kohl]

O Sovereign, forge a divine intercession that my heart’s companion may return unharmed, liberating me from this grievous plight. Impart unto me the dust from the trail of my beloved’s passage, that I might adorn my worldly eyes with it as if it were the darkest kohl. Mourn, for yon visage, those tresses, that countenance, […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 91 [O Fickle Healer of Hearts]

O Beloved, shrouded from our mortal gaze, I commend thy essence to the Almighty’s keeping. Thou hast kindled in my breast a flame so fierce, yet my affection knows no bounds, engulfing both my heart and very soul in its consuming fervor. I shall cling unto the hem of thy garment, unwavering, till the very […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 14 {Pillow of Stone]

To my beloved I said: “O empress of splendor, grant this unfortunate one your mercy,” to which she replied: “Abandoned and destitute, he who gives in to the whims of his heart goes astray.” “Stop for a moment, do not go away,” I asked her. “How can someone who has grown up in your house […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 10 [A Verse of Beauty]

Hafiz: Ghazal 6 [A Sip of Wine]

Who shall carry this petition to the court of the sovereign of all graces? Let not the monarch in his splendor neglect the humble, whose gratitude elevates the throne. I mourn and implore my Creator to overcome the diabolical rival, hoping for heavenly favor, that the shooting star may help. My beloved, when your sable […]

Hafiz: Ghazal 4 [Moon-faced Beauties]

O gentle breath of dawn, whisper in the ear of the graceful hind: It is you who have led us into the wilderness and into the open country to wander! Oh, old craftsman of delights, why do you not seek the lips sweetened by sugary food? A wonder, indeed! O blossom, does vanity born of […]

Hafiz’s Ghazal 5: The Love of Fortune

Hafiz’s Ghazal 5: The Love of Fortune The heart slips away from me, O guardians of souls, for the love of God, lend your helping hand. Alas, the hidden ailment shall reveal itself! Our ship is stranded, motionless. O favorable wind, arise! Blow! Perhaps we shall glimpse the familiar face of the Beloved once more. […]

The Collected Poems of Hafiz

Hafiz, also spelled Ḥafez (born 1325/26, Shīrāz, Iran—died 1389/90, Shīrāz), was one of the finest lyric poets of Persia. Hafiz received a classical religious education, lectured on Qurʾānic and other theological subjects (“Hafiz” designates one who has learned the Qurʾān by heart), and wrote commentaries on religious classics. As a court poet, he enjoyed the patronage of several rulers of Shīrāz. Hafiz […]