Ghazal 183

From the Divan of Hafez · 8 couplets

The Oracle Speaks

...

Last night at dawn, they delivered me from grief —

and in that darkness of night, they gave me the Water of Life.

They made me selfless with the radiance of the Essence —

they gave me wine from the Cup of the Attributes' Manifestation.

What a blessed dawn it was, and what a fortunate night —

that Night of Power when they gave me this fresh decree.

From now on: my face and the mirror of beauty's description,

for there they gave me news of the Essence's splendor.

If I became fulfilled and glad of heart, what wonder?

I was deserving — they gave me these as alms.

The unseen voice gave me the glad tidings of this fortune that day

when they gave me patience and constancy under that cruelty and tyranny.

All this honey and sugar that flows from my speech

is the reward of patience they gave me from that sugar-cane branch.

It was the aspiration of Hafez and the prayers of the dawn-risers

that delivered me from the bonds of time's grief.

دوش وقتِ سَحَر، از غُصّه نجاتم دادند

واندر آن ظلمتِ شب، آبِ حیاتم دادند

بی‌خود از شَعْشَعِهٔ پرتوِ ذاتم کردند

باده از جامِ تَجَلّیِّ صفاتم دادند

چه مبارک‌سَحَری بود و چه فرخنده‌شبی

آن شبِ قدر که این تازه‌براتم دادند

بعد از این رویِ من و آینهٔ وصفِ جمال

که در آن جا خبر از جلوهٔ ذاتم دادند

من اگر کامروا گشتم و خوش‌دل چه عجب؟

مستحق بودم و این‌ها به زکاتم دادند

هاتف آن روز به من مژدهٔ این دولت داد

که بِدان جور و جفا صبر و ثباتم دادند

این همه شهد و شِکر کز سخنم می‌ریزد

اَجرِ صبری‌ست کز آن شاخِ نباتم دادند

همّتِ حافظ و انفاسِ سحرخیزان بود

که ز بندِ غمِ ایّام نجاتم دادند

Source: Ganjoor.net

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  • Which line stirred something in you — comfort, longing, or unease?
  • What question were you holding when you arrived at this page?
  • What is this poem asking you to release or embrace?

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