Hafiz: The Prince of Persian Lyric Poets [1 ed.]

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NIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO.

3 1822 00211 1755

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The PpiRee ©f Persiara

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MEW VOnK: Frederick

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'Lagan & Cu.mming, Chromo-Lithographers and Printers, Edinburgh.

GAZEL ON

s?

HIS LOVE.

Than Than

all

Bocara's vaunted

all

the gems of Samarcand.

yon

Boy,

let

And

bid

liquid

ruby flow.

thy pensive heart be glad.

Whatever the frowning Tell them,

A A Oh

gold,

their

zealots

say

:

Eden cannot show

stream so clear as Rocnabad,

bowV

so sweet as

when

!

these

Mosellay.

fair

perfidious

maids,

Whose

eyes our secret haunts

infest.

Their dear destructive charms display,

Each

glance

my

tender

heart

in-

vades.

And As

robs

my wounded

soul of rest,

Tartars seize their destined prey.

In vain with love our

bosoms glow

Can

all

our

all

New

can

tears,

to those

lustre

:

our sighs,

charms impart

?

Can cheeks, where living roses blow, Where Nature spreads her richest dyes, Require the borrowed gloss of

Speak not

of fate

:

—ah

!

art ?

change the

theme.

And

talk of odours,

Talk

the

of

bloom

flow'rs

love

round

'tis

all

a

dream

and joy thy thoughts

Nor hope

to

resistless

for the

;

confine,

pow'r.

ev'n the chaste Egyptian

Sighed

us

pierce the sacred gloom.

Beauty has such

That

that

:

'Tis all a cloud,

To

talk of wine,

blooming

dame

Hebrew boy

:

:

For her how

When

A

fatal

was the hour

to the banks of

Nilus

came

youth so lovely and so coy

But ah

sweet maid,

!

my

!

counsel hear

(Youth should attend when those advise

Whom

long experience renders sage)

While music charms the ravished While

Be

:

ear,

sparkling cups delight our eyes,

gay,

and scorn the frowns

of age.

What cruel answer have heard ? And yet, by Heav'n, love thee still I

I

Can

aught be cruel from thy

Yet

say,

From

how

lips

fell

that bitter

which streams

lips ?

word

of sweetness

fill,

Which

naught

sip ?

but

drops

of

honey

Go

boldly forth,

Whose

my

simple lay,

accents flow with artless ease,

Like orient pearls at random strung

Thy

;

notes are sweet, the damsels say,

But oh

!

far sweeter,

The Nymph sung.

for

whom

if

they please

these notes are

THE FEAST OF

My breast My cup And

by

with

roses,

is

filled

is

crowned with wine,

my

side reposes

The maid The monarch, Is

SPRING.

hail

I

as

mine.

whereso*er he be.

but a slave compared to

me

!

Their glare no torches throwing Shall in our

Her

eyes,

Cast

And

Who

like

scent

moonbeams

enough around

light

well

bower be found

all

odours

I

;

glowing. :

can spare.

the perfume of her hair.

— The

honey -dew

charm

thy

might

borrow,

Thy

When

me

alone to

lip

thou

is

absent,

art

sweet

;

with

faint

sorrow I

me

hide

Why

fame

me

to

talk

What

some lone

in

of

retreat.

power

or

?

are those idle toys to

me

?

Why ask the praises of my name? My joy, my triumph in thee is

How

blest

am

I

!

!

around me, swell-

ing,

The I

melody

arise

;

hold the cup, with juice excelling.

And

O

notes of

gaze upon thy radiant eyes.

Hafiz

!

—

never waste thy hours

!

Without the cup, the For

'tis

And

lute,

and love

the sweetest time of flowers,

none

these

moments

shall

reprove.

The

nightingales around thee sing.

It

the joyous feast of spring.

is

GAZEL ON Sweet

breeze

!

HIS

LOVE

her breath thy murmurs

bear,

The perfume

of her sigh

is

thine

;

But dare not play amidst her hair, For every golden

O

rose

That

Her

in

is

mine

!

what radiant hues hast thou, her face less brightly glow

love

While

O

!

curl

!

is

briars

opening

joy without regret,

and thorns thy bloom

buds

!

—

her

cheeks

fair,

For ever rosy blushing are.

beset.

more

Narcissus

Her I

thee,

More

Is

pale of hue,

art

gently waving pine

graceful

my

To

—thou

eyes that languish, sparkle too

tell

O

!

choose

all

her form than thine.

is

rapt soul

;

!

!

if

thou hadst power

blessings earth

can

give,

there a better, richer dower,

Than

for her tenderness

Come, my

sole love

!

to live ?

from those dear

eyes

Thy Come,

Hafiz

is

too long

away

give his heart the sweet

Though

;

surprise.

'twere but for a single day

!

—

THE SEASON OF THE String

the

lyre

!

— Has

ROSE. Fortune

ever

Given Then,

to

And we

Why

men

since vain

of is

worth all

their

due

scorn her malice too,

we

should

refuse to share

All the joys these hours prepare

Now Now Now

the air

Ere

is

filled

with mirth

? ;

the roses spring from earth

they bloom, but

Fear

not,

?

endeavour,

now

;

alone,

though the wise reprove

their soft

perfume be gone.

Raise the soul to verse and love.

;

— O

Hafiz

—

In

!

—

it

were shame

nightingales

like

to say,

us

'twere

treason,

That we, who make the magic Sang not

in the rose's season.

lay,

—

—

THE OMEN. This morning All

And

I

resolved,

at

last,

thoughts far hence to cast,

idle

repentance steep

in

my

soul,

Forgot the roses and the bowl *

Oh,

And But

some omen be

let I

will

say,

follow

alas

'Twas

!

spring,

vows

it,'

I

my

that

guide,

cried

what could

!

I

:

do

breaker

saw the

I

saw the merry cup go round,

My

saw

rivals

of

all

;

I

I

?

trees their leaves

fresh roses

renew,

on the boughs

with enjoyment crowned

:

I

— — Whilst

a looker-on, must see

I,

All gay and

One

draught

once

ah

But,

!

—

of

hope but me

but one

!

—

!

that drunk,

fly

I

At

full

dangVous company.

this

she

!

came

!

—

as

buds

to

light,

My

heart expanded at her sight,

And

My

every strong resolve gave

my

seat

ril

saw me

rivals

With

blest

way

as they

!

love amidst the bower.

rosy garlands bind her hair

Wreath round

her

arms

the

;

jasmine

flower.

Than and

Away

Am

I

!

those white chains

more sweet

fair.

—

I

was

not born a sage

the censor of the age

?

;

mine a

Is

To

or judge's part,

priest's

chide

mirth

at

and

love

like

this ?

my

Elated, like the rose,

Throws

off

heart

shrouding

its

veil

for

fill

full

bliss.

Why To If

should

her,

censure wine

I

the kind,

but one

kiss

?

the beautiful.

should obtain,

I

Youth and dehght were mine

And

I

another age should

Such power the

Let

all

say

I

my

While harp and measure.

wise, no more.

joy in secret pleasure

behold

;

live.

smiles of beauty give.

Reproach me, then, ye

Nor

again

cup run lute

;

o'er.

keep

joyous

—

MYSTIC ODE. In wide Eternity's vast space,

Where no beginning was, wert Thou The rays of all-pervading grace Beneath Thy veil flamed on Thy :

brow.

Then

Love

and

Nature

sprang

to

birth.

And

Life

Awake,

and Beauty

my

soul

!

filled

pour

the earth.

forth

praise.

To

that great

Being anthems

raise

thy

—

'

That wondrous Architect who *

Be

formed,' and

orb was

great

this

said,

made. Since '

first

given I

heard the

I

To man My

blissful

Spirit's

sound

breath

is

;

knew, with thankfulness profound,

we

His sons

are

—

our

Home

is

heaven.

Oh give me tidings When may hope !

that shall

I

with

tell

thee

to

dwell,

That

Nor

A

I

may

quit

seek to be

this

its

bird of holiness

That from fly;

world of pain,

guest again.

am

I,

the vain world's net

would

Shed,

bounteous

one

Lord,

cheering

shower

From Thy pure

cloud of guiding power

Before, even yet, the hour

When my What

dust

are our deeds ?

—

come,

is

towards

rises

its

home.

worthless,

all

all—

O

bring Devotion's wine,

That

strength

my

upon

From drops Thou

The

world's

soul

may

fall

mad'st divine.

and

fade

possessions

flee,

The

O

only good

happy hour

From

—

!

my

traces of

Thee

loving

when

earth's delusions

Shall find

The

is

1

shall

rise

to the skies,

soul at rest,

my

!

and

greet

loved one's feet

:

Dancing with

joy,

whirled

on

with

speed,

Like

motes

that

gorgeous

sunbeams

feed.

Until

I

reach the fountain bright

Whence yonder

sun derives his

light.

GAZEL TO Haply,

gale,

if

HIS LOVE.

thou shouldst rove,

Wand'ring on thy

trackless

Near the mansion

of

There awhile,

And

I

my

way.

love

;

pr ythee, stay

from her amber

tresses

;

bring

Delicious perfume on thy loaded wing.

But, regardless of

Should, alas

?

my

pain.

the heav'ns decree,

That

my

And

mine eyes no message see

labours must be vain.

Some grains of From my dear away !

dust at least, mistress' door,

I

O

:

pray.

bring

Beggar that

What

I

I

am

!

why

seek

never can possess

proud

'Tis a wish as

as

?

weak,

hope without redress

'Tis a

Except,

when

I

in

!

sleep shall spy

The beauteous form of her for whom I die. Let the scornful

nymph my

flame

Cherish with no kind return Still

my

passion glows the same,

burn

Still

unceasing shall

Nor

shall a world's vast

To buy What

;

one

avails

it

!

wealth

ringlet of that hair it

suffice.

prize.

I

that with glee,

Carolling thy pleasant song, Hafiz, thou from cares are free.

Cares that to the world belong

When,

A

subject to love's

!

proud controul,

tyrant fair enslaves thy captive soul ?

ON The

HIS TRAVELS.

world to

Wherever

me

has been a

knowledge

home

;

be

could

sought,

Through

differing

climes

I

loved

to

roam,

And From

The

And

every shade of feeling caught

minds, whose varied

food of still

my

Have made my From every From

supply

philosophy.

the treasures of

severe

fruits

my

store

wanderings

less

;

spot

some

prize

I

bore,

every harvest gleaned an ear.

But

find

With

And

no land can ever vie

bright Shiraz in purity blest

for ever

Which makes

all

;

be the spot

other climes

forgot

!

NOTE.

Mohammed the

prince

of

the

us

to

Schems-ed-din Hafiz Persian

most

poets

lyric

familiar

of

all

is

the

East with the exception

poets of the of

Omar

at

Shiraz and

He

al-Khayyami. is

known

to

was born have been

a contemporary of Dante. In

Persia

his

odes

are

considered

worthy

of comparison with the

itself.

He

and

to

is

this

Koran

Persia's

immortal

poet,

day the

beautiful

dark-

eyed Shiraz maidens may be seen on their

annual

tomb bearing

pilgrimage their

his

bouquets of

bound round with the silken handkerchiefs,

to

sacred roses

brightly coloured

which they them-

—

These the

have fondly woven.

selves

where they

pilgrims place at his grave

consult

oracular odes

his

tion about their

Many odes of

'

'

informa-

for

future.

are

the

the

Anacreon

told

stories

of

the

of

the

East

having been opened at random to be consulted by kings and leaders. at

death

his

in

Mohammedans according

burial

when some

388,

1

forbad

Shiraz

in

to

Even

their

rites,

his

owing

to his having violated the laws of the

Koran,

his

works are *

O

!

friends

said to

on

have read

turn not your steps

obsequies of Hafiz

For

opening

tho' rise

immersed into

in

paradise.'

his

:

from the

;

sin,

he

will

Notwithstanding

works have been

many

people for

fame,

his

for

his

classics to millions of

he

centuries,

seems

have died a poor man.

to

The are

translations

contained

songs

by

Gazels or love

this

William

little

volume

Jones,

with

to

love,'

by

his

travels,'

by

THE PERSIAN POETS'

SERIES.

Sir

exception of

'

Gazel

John Nott, and Sir

of

in

'

On

his

the

Gore Ouseley.

I.

Rubaiyat

of

Omar Khayyam, Fitzgerald's Translation.

II.

Hafiz:

the Prince of Persian

Lyric Poets.

Others

in

Preparation.