Hafiz: Ghazal 328 "Prayer of Love and Death" (From Persian)

Ghazal 328: Prayer of Love and Death
By Hafiz
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click to hear me recite the original in Persian

Send news we'll meet. From this life to You there I will arise!
   I'm heaven's bird, and from the world's cruel snare I will arise.
I swear it by Your love! If You but call me as Your slave,

   From sovereignty of time and space, I swear I will arise.
Send down, O Lord, the rainfall from Your guiding cloud before,
   Like the wind-scattered dust blown everywhere, I will arise.
Come sit beside my dust with wine and music. Dancing up
   From my grave's prison, drawn by scents You bear, I will arise.
Arise, my love. Regale me with Your stature and Your grace. 

   Capering from the world and life I wear, I will arise.
Although I'm old, if You hold me tight in your arms all night,
    Then from Your side, young in the dawning air, I will arise.
The day I die grant but a breath of time to see Your face.
   As Hafiz then, from this world's when and where, I will arise.



The Original:

مژده وصل تو کو کز سر جان برخيزم
طاير قدسم و از دام جهان برخيزم
به ولای تو که گر بنده خويشم خوانی
از سر خواجگی کون و مکان برخيزم
يا رب از ابر هدايت برسان بارانی
پيشتر زان که چو گردی ز ميان برخيزم
بر سر تربت من با می و مطرب بنشين
تا به بويت ز لحد رقص کنان برخيزم
خيز و بالا بنما ای بت شيرين حرکات
کز سر جان و جهان دست فشان برخيزم
گر چه پيرم تو شبی تنگ در آغوشم کش
تا سحرگه ز کنار تو جوان برخيزم
روز مرگم نفسی مهلت ديدار بده
تا چو حافظ ز سر كون و مكان برخيزم

Tajik Cyrillic: 

Муждаи васли ту кӯ, к-аз сари ҷон бархезам? 
Тоири қудсаму аз доми ҷаҳон бархезам. 
Ба валои ту, ки гар бандаи хешам хонӣ, 
Аз сари хоҷагии кавну макон бархезам. 
Ё раб, аз абри ҳидоят бирасон бороне, 
Пештар з-он, ки чу гарде зи миён бархезам. 
Бар сари турбати ман бо маю мутриб бинишин, 
То ба бӯят зи лаҳад рақскунон бархезам. 
Хезу боло бинамо, эй бути ширннҳаракот, 
К-аз сари ҷону ҷаҳон дастфишон бархезам. 
Гарчи пирам, ту шабе, танг дар оғӯшам каш, 
То саҳаргаҳ зи канори ту ҷавон бархезам. 
Рӯзи маргам нафасе мӯҳлати дидор бидеҳ, 
То чу Ҳофиз зи сари ҷону ҷаҳон бархезам.  

Romanization: 


Mužda-i wasl-i tu kō kaz sar-i jān barxēzam?
Tāyir-i qudsam u az dām-i jahān barxēzam.
Ba walā-i tu, ki gar banda-i xwēšam xwānī,
Az sar-i xwājagī-i kawn u makān barxēzam.
Yā rab az abr-i hidāyat birasān bārānē,
Pēštar zān ki ču gardē zi miyān barxēzam.
Bar sar-i turbat-i man bā may u mutrib binišīn
Tā ba bōyat zi lahad raqskunān barxēzam.
Xēz u bālā binamā ay but-i šīrīnharakāt,
Kaz sar-i jān u jahān dastfišān barxēzam.
Garči pīram, tu šabē tang dar āɣōšam kaš,
Tā sahargah zi kanār-i tu jawān barxēzam.
Rōz-i margam nafasē muhlat-i dīdār bidih,
Tā ču Hāfiz zi sar-i jān u jahān barxēzam.

1 comment:

  1. It sings, though it could sing more: There's a hint of meter and rhyme in the English, but it limps a bit, even if the images are beautiful. For instance, I might have tried to "mark the beats" more by translating this line:

    With a boy for song and a bowl for wine come sit by my earthen tomb.

    Then out of the grave adance at the scent of Your hair I will arise.
    something more like:

    With a boy for song and a bowl for wine come sit by my earthen tomb.
    --      -- ^    --   ^        --    --   ^    --     ^      --       ^   --   --   ^     --      --
    At the scent of your hair from my grave adance, O yes!, I will arise.
    --    --    ^      --   --     ^      --     --      ^     --   ^      --    ^    --  ^  --  ^


    Or something to that effect (I know, it's not great, but I think I make my point).

    There are a couple of words that sound either like audacious inventions or misspellings/typos: "adance" (is that like "being awash" or in general, one of those emphatic "a-" constructions in English? or is it a typo for "advance"); and "dawstruck" (is that meant to be "dawnstruck"?)

    There are several more examples.

    In general, I give it a good/good+

    For giving us Hijaz in English, a excellent+

    Alex

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