Hafez Poem — زلف آشفته و خوی کرده و خندان لب و مست
Hafez, a master of Persian poetry, is renowned for his lyrical explorations of love, ecstasy, and spiritual longing. His poetry often intertwines the sensual with the spiritual, offering deep insights into the human heart and soul.
This poem vividly portrays a scene of intimate companionship and revelry. Hafez describes a beloved with disheveled hair and a tipsy demeanor, capturing a moment of nocturnal joy and seduction. The poem celebrates love and wine, symbolizing the joy of life and the breaking of conventional boundaries, a theme common in Hafez’s poetry.
- Ghazal 26 by Hafez (Hafiz)
- Meaning of the Poem in English
- English Translation of the Poem w/ Transliteration
- Meaning of the Poem in Farsi
- Heritage Web Spotlight
1) Ghazal 26 by Hafez (Hafiz)
You can read Ghazal 26 from Hafez’s divan (دیوان) here.
A divan in the Persian language is a compilation of a poet’s lifetime work. The numbering, non-sequential and not narrative-driven, is one of over 400 in Hafez (Hafiz) collection.
زلف آشفته و خوی کرده و خندان لب و مست
پیرهن چاک و غزل خوان و صراحی در دستنرگسـش عربده جوی و لبش افسوس کنان
نیم شب دوش به بالین من آمد بنشسـتسر فرا گوش مـن آورد بـه آواز حزین
گفـت ای عاشق دیرینه من خوابت هستعاشـقی را کـه چنین باده شبگیر دهـند
کافر عـشـق بود گر نـشود باده پرسـتبرو ای زاهد و بر دردکـشان خرده مـگیر
کـه ندادند جز این تحفه به ما روز السـتآن چـه او ریخت بـه پیمانـه ما نوشیدیم
اگر از خمر بهشت است وگر باده مـسـتخـنده جام می و زلـف گره گیر نـگار
ای بسا توبه که چون توبه حافظ بشکسـت
2) Meaning of Poem in English
In this ghazal, Hafez portrays a scene filled with romantic and hedonistic imagery, symbolizing the intense and often contradictory nature of human emotions and desires. The poem opens with the image of a beloved figure, characterized by disheveled hair and an intoxicating presence, suggesting a blend of earthly allure and spiritual intoxication. Hafez uses this figure to explore the themes of love and devotion, questioning the conventional boundaries between sacred and profane.
The poem also reflects on repentance and the struggle between asceticism and indulgence. Hafez challenges traditional religious dogma, suggesting that divine gifts can be found in earthly pleasures. The “day of Alast” reference alludes to a Quranic moment where souls acknowledge God’s sovereignty before birth, implying that love and wine are predestined gifts.
Hafez’s mention of his broken repentances is a candid acknowledgment of his human frailties and the irresistible allure of love and wine. The poem celebrates the joy and pain of love, the beauty of living fully, and the acceptance of one’s true nature, blending spiritual depth with worldly pleasures.
English Translation of Poem
زلف آشفته و خوی کرده و خندان لب و مست
پیرهن چاک و غزل خوان و صراحی در دست“Disheveled hair, a cheeky demeanor, laughing lips, and intoxicated,
With a torn shirt, singing ghazals, a flask in hand.
English Transliteration
Zolf aashefteh va khoy kardeh va khandan lab va mast
Pirehan chaak va ghazal khaan va saraahi dar dast
نرگسـش عربده جوی و لبش افسوس کنان
نیم شب دوش به بالین من آمد بنشسـتHis eyes seeking trouble, his lips expressing regret,
Came and sat by my pillow in the middle of last night.
English Transliteration
Nargessash arabdeh jooy va labash afsoos konan
Nimeh shab dosh be baaline man aamad benshast
سر فرا گوش مـن آورد بـه آواز حزین
گفـت ای عاشق دیرینه من خوابت هستHe brought his head close to my ear with a sorrowful voice,
Said, ‘O ancient lover, are you asleep?’
English Transliteration
Sar fara goosh man aavard be aavaaz hazineh
Goft ey aashegh dirineh man khaabat hast
عاشـقی را کـه چنین باده شبگیر دهـند
کافر عـشـق بود گر نـشود باده پرسـتIt is blasphemous for a lover to be given such night-consuming wine
And not become a worshipper of wine.
English Transliteration
Aasheghi ra keh cheenin baadeh shabgeer dahand
Kafer eshgh bood gar nashavad baadeh perest
برو ای زاهد و بر دردکـشان خرده مـگیر
کـه ندادند جز این تحفه به ما روز السـتGo away, O ascetic, and do not scorn those who suffer,
For we were given nothing but this gift since the day of Alast.
English Transliteration
Boro ey zaahed va bar dardkashan kherdeh magir
Ke nadadand joz in tohfeh be ma rooz alast
آن چـه او ریخت بـه پیمانـه ما نوشیدیم
اگر از خمر بهشت است وگر باده مـسـتWe drank what he poured into our cup,
Whether it’s the wine of paradise or intoxicating liquor.
English Transliteration
An cheh oo rikht be peymaaneh ma nooshidim
Agar az khamre behesht ast va gar baadeh mast
خـنده جام می و زلـف گره گیر نـگار
ای بسا توبه که چون توبه حافظ بشکسـتThe laughter of the wine cup and the entangling curls of the beloved,
How many repentances, like Hafez’s, have been broken.”
English Transliteration
Khandeh jaame may va zolf gereh gir negaar
Ey basa tobeh keh chon tobeh Hafez beshkast
4) Poem’s Meaning in Farsi
5) Heritage Web Spotlight
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