our devotion and the friend’s royal threshold-
what crosses over our head is his inclination!
‘though mirrors of sun and moon were placed by his face,
i have not seen equal to the friend’s likeness.
dawn breeze, what news do you give of our constricted heart?
like the rose bud, it is petal upon petal enclosed!
i am not the only drinker in this temple of rend–
many the heads that from dust became the wine jug’s clay!
is it because you have combed your scented hair,
that both wind and earth are filled with your fragrance?
each rose petal upon the grass was shed by your face,
each cypress along stream’s edge bows to your form.
i will have my desire, for you cheek brushed my breast-
just as great fortune follows upon lovely omen!
hafez’s heart is not lit with the fire of longing-
like the wild tulip, it bears the scar of eternity.
clever speech describing our longing becomes dumb.
what chance would the cut reed and burnt words have?
