Translation:

Everyone who became an intimate of the heart, remained in my love’s sanctuary

and the one who didn’t understand this remained in denail

 

Don’t fault my heart if it shed its veil.

Thank God it didn’t stay veiled in its imagination

 

The Sufis redeemed all the clothes they pawned for wine

Only our coat remained in the tavern

 

The other Sufis passed by drunk and no one noticed

Only our story remained the talk of every bazaar

 

The ruby wine that we took from that pale hand

Turned to pure regret and remained in our eyes

 

My heart has been his lover from before creation to beyond time

We have heard of no one else who has been eternal in this work

 

I have never seen a more beautiful reminder

than the words of love that linger in this turning dome

 

The narcissus tried to mimic your sultry eyes

Your ways were beyond him, and he lies sick still

 

The robe I wore covered a hundred faults,I pawned it for wine

and what remained was the musician and the infidel’s belt

 

The Chinese painting became so amazed by your beauty
That its speech remained all over the walls

 

One day Hafez’s heart went to gaze at his lovely curls

It meant to return, but remained entangled there forever.

 

 

Modified from Elizabeth Gray’s The Green Sea of Heaven.  White Cloud Press, 1995

Original:

هر که شد محرم دل در حرم يار بماند                  وان که اين کار ندانست در انکار بماند
اگر از پرده برون شد دل من عيب مکن                   شکر ايزد که نه در پرده پندار بماند
صوفيان واستدند از گرو می همه رخت                      دلق ما بود که در خانه خمار بماند
محتسب شيخ شد و فسق خود از ياد ببرد                 قصه ماست که در هر سر بازار بماند
هر می لعل کز آن دست بلورين ستديم                   آب حسرت شد و در چشم گهربار بماند
جز دل من کز ازل تا به ابد عاشق رفت                    جاودان کس نشنيديم که در کار بماند
گشت بيمار که چون چشم تو گردد نرگ                     شيوه تو نشدش حاصل و بيمار بماند
از صدای سخن عشق نديدم خوشتر                            يادگاری که در اين گنبد دوار بماند
داشتم دلقی و صد عيب مرا می‌پوشيد                  خرقه رهن می و مطرب شد و زنار بماند
بر جمال تو چنان صورت چين حيران شد                که حديثش همه جا در در و ديوار بماند
به تماشاگه زلفش دل حافظ روزی                                شد که بازآيد و جاويد گرفتار بماند

They say the world is like that