Does It Make A Sound?

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

I began writing a tale, but then pressed backspace. 

The tale was rich. It steamed with emotions. But it had to ferment. Words, uttered before time, give off the steam and the essence stays back. The saline element of the moisture that floats in the eyes, and cuts through the heart, needs a little simmering to enrich the soul.

Why not hide it away in some forlorn nook of the heart, and let it stay there: unheard, unspoken of... never even whispered of! 

Let that tale's symphony keep on meddling with the rhythm of the heart. Always.

Hafiz says:

Don't surrender your loneliness
So quickly.
Let it cut more deep.

Let it ferment and season you
As few human
Or even divine ingredients can.

Something missing in my heart tonight
Has made my eyes so soft,
My voice
So tender,

My need of You
Absolutely
Clear.

- Hafiz Shirazi

PS: 

If no one is around to hear it, who knows if the tree ever fell or not?

PPS:

And oh yes, by the way, steam contained within, could drive locomotives!

Mirage Does Not Quench Thirst

There Is Nothing in This Well but Wind 

I'm drunk again on the wine of lover "Winebringer, bring more wine!
And fill up my cup, for without wine this party will be no fun. 

My love won't even penetrate that veil covering the Beloved's face;
So Minstrel, give us a melody, and Winebringer, bring us some more wine! "

To get in this place, I bent my body into the shape of a doorknocker, so
That the doorman wouldn't send me away to another door.
 
Together, all of us here are hoping to see His face;
Together, all of us are waiting with our vain hopes, our vain fancies, and

our vain dreams.
Drunk from Your gaze, I lust for Your ruby lips.
I have been reduced to less than a question, which in the end is less than

my vain dreams.
Because no one can look directly at the sun, 
I have asked the eye of my heart: what is the use of all this worrying?

So don't waste your time trying to fill your cup with water 
When you know that there is nothing in this well but wind.
 
O Hafiz, in this desert, you have fallen victim to your own illusions. 
When was a pilgrim's thirst ever quenched by a mirage?

Hafiz Shirazi

Yak Qatra e Khoon Ast o Hazaar Andaisha!

اول بـه وفا می وصالـم درداد 

چون مست شدم جام جـفا را سرداد 

پر آب دو دیده و پر از آتـش دل 

خاک ره او شدم بـه بادم برداد

First enticed me to take the cup,

When I got drunk, told me to stop.

My eyes watery, my heart on fire,

I became dust and your wind picked me up.

Hafiz Shirazi

Post Courtesy: Shahriar Shahriari

Candle's Story How Can I Tell?

Candle’s story how can I tell?

Of the broken heart’s living hell?

My sorrow is in how I can find

Another who knows these sorrows well.

Let not your thoughts constantly be fought,

Let thoughts in patience and joy be caught.

What patience? Cause what they call the heart

Is a drop of blood, and a thousand thought.

Don’t let go of the cup’s lips
Till you receive your worldly tips.
Bittersweet is the world’s cup
From lover’s lips and the cup sips.

If like me, you too fall in this trap,
Hold the wine and cup upon your lap.
We are the lovers, burning our tracks,
Join us, if you can put up with the crap.

Courtesy: Hafiz by © Shahriar Shahriari, Los Angeles

Saqi Nameh - Of The Wine Bearer

بیا ساقی آن می کـه حال آورد 

کرامـت فزاید کـمال آورد

بـه مـن ده که بس بی‌دل افتاده‌ام 

وز این هر دو بی‌حاصـل افـتاده‌ام

بیا ساقی آن می که عکسش ز جام 

بـه کیخـسرو و جم فرسـتد پیام

بده تا بـگویم بـه آواز نی 

کـه جمشید کی بود و کاووس کی

بیا ساقی آن کیمیای فـتوح 

کـه با گنـج قارون دهد عـمر نوح

بده تا بـه رویت گـشایند باز 

در کامرانی و عـمر دراز

بده ساقی آن می کز او جام جـم 

زند لاف بینایی اندر عدم

بـه مـن ده که گردم به تایید جام 

چو جـم آگـه از سر عالم تـمام

دم از سیر این دیر دیرینـه زن 

صـلایی بـه شاهان پیشینـه زن

هـمان منزل است این جهان خراب 

کـه دیده‌سـت ایوان افراسیاب

کـجا رای پیران لشـکرکـشـش 

کـجا شیده آن ترک خنجرکشـش

نـه تنـها شد ایوان و قصرش به باد 

کـه کـس دخمه نیزش ندارد به یاد

هـمان مرحله‌سـت این بیابان دور 

کـه گم شد در او لشکر سلم و تور

بده ساقی آن می که عکسش ز جام 

بـه کیخـسرو و جم فرسـتد پیام

چه خوش گفت جمشید با تاج و گنج 

کـه یک جو نیرزد سرای سپـنـج

بیا ساقی آن آتـش تابـناک 

کـه زردشـت می‌جویدش زیر خاک

بـه من ده که در کیش رندان مست 

چـه آتش‌پرسـت و چه دنیاپرست

بیا ساقی آن بکر مستور مـسـت 

کـه اندر خرابات دارد نشـسـت

بـه مـن ده که بدنام خواهم شدن 

خراب می و جام خواهـم شدن

بیا ساقی آن آب اندیشـه‌سوز 

کـه گر شیر نوشد شود بیشه‌سوز

بده تا روم بر فـلـک شیر گیر 

بـه هـم بر زنـم دام این گرگ پیر

بیا ساقی آن می که حور بهشـت 

عـبیر مـلایک در آن می سرشت

بده تا بـخوری در آتـش کـنـم 

مـشام خرد تا ابد خوش کـنـم

بده ساقی آن می کـه شاهی دهد 

بـه پاکی او دل گواهی دهد

می‌ام ده مـگر گردم از عیب پاک 

بر آرم به عشرت سری زین مـغاک

چو شد باغ روحانیان مسـکـنـم 

در اینـجا چرا تختـه‌بـند تـنـم

شرابـم ده و روی دولـت بـبین 

خرابـم کـن و گنج حکمت بـبین

من آنم که چون جام گیرم به دست 

بـبینـم در آن آینه هر چه هست

بـه مـسـتی دم پادشاهی زنم 

دم خـسروی در گدایی زنـم

بـه مسـتی توان در اسرار سفت 

کـه در بیخودی راز نتوان نهـفـت

کـه حافظ چو مستانه سازد سرود 

ز چرخـش دهد زهره آواز رود

مغـنی کـجایی بـه گلبانگ رود 

بـه یاد آور آن خـسروانی سرود

کـه تا وجد را کارسازی کـنـم 

بـه رقـص آیم و خرقه‌بازی کنـم

بـه اقـبال دارای دیهیم و تخـت 

بـهین میوه خـسروانی درخـت

خدیو زمین پادشاه زمان 

مـه برج دولـت شـه کامران

کـه تمکین اورنگ شاهی از اوست 

تـن آسایش مرغ و ماهی از اوست

فروغ دل و دیده مـقـبـلان 

ولی نـعـمـت جان صاحـبدلان

الا ای هـمای هـمایون نـظر 

خجسـتـه سروش مـبارک خبر

فلـک را گهر در صدف چون تو نیست 

فریدون و جم را خلف چون تو نیست

بـه جای سکـندر بـمان سالـها 

بـه دانادلی کشـف کـن حالـها

سر فـتـنـه دارد دگر روزگار 

مـن و مسـتی و فتنه چشـم یار

یکی تیغ داند زدن روز کار 

یکی را قـلـمزن کـند روزگار

مـغـنی بزن آن نوآیین سرود 

بـگو با حریفان بـه آواز رود

مرا با عدو عاقبت فرصـت اسـت 

کـه از آسمان مژده نصرت اسـت

مـغـنی نوای طرب ساز کـن 

بـه قول وغزل قـصـه آغاز کـن

کـه بار غمم بر زمین دوخـت پای 

بـه ضرب اصولـم برآور ز جای

مـغـنی نوایی بـه گلبانـگ رود 

بـگوی و بزن خـسروانی سرود

روان بزرگان ز خود شاد کـن 

ز پرویز و از باربد یاد کـن

مـغـنی از آن پرده نقـشی بیار 

بـبین تا چه گفـت از درون پرده‌دار

چـنان برکـش آواز خـنیاگری 

کـه ناهید چنـگی به رقـص آوری

رهی زن که صوفی بـه حالـت رود 

بـه مسـتی وصلـش حوالت رود

مـغـنی دف و چنـگ را ساز ده 

بـه آیین خوش نـغـمـه آواز ده

فریب جـهان قصـه روشن اسـت 

بـبین تا چه زاید شب آبستن است

مـغـنی مـلولـم دوتایی بزن 

بـه یکـتایی او کـه تایی بزن

هـمی‌بینـم از دور گردون شگفت 

ندانـم کـه را خاک خواهد گرفـت

دگر رند مـغ آتـشی میزند 

ندانـم چراغ کـه بر می‌کـند

در این خونفشان عرصه رسـتـخیز 

تو خون صراحی و ساغر بریز

بـه مسـتان نوید سرودی فرست 

بـه یاران رفـتـه درودی فرسـت

Translation:


O Bearer, bring the wine that brings joy
To increase generosity, & let perfection buoy
Give me some, for I have lost my heart
Both traits from me have kept apart

Bring the wine whose reflection in the cup
Signals to all the kings whose times are up
Give me wine, and with the reed-flute I will sing
When was Jamshid, and when Kavoos was king

Bring me the elixir whose grace and alchemy
Bestows treasures, from bonds of time sets free
Give me so they'll open the doors once again
Of long life and the bliss that will remain

Bearer give the wine that the Holy Grail
Will make claims of sight in the Void and thus fail
Give me so that I, with the help of the Grail
All secrets, like Jamshid, themselves avail
Speak of the tale of the wheel of fate
proclaim to the kings and heroes of late
This broken world is in the same state
As seen by Afrasiab, the mighty, the great
Whence his mobilizing army generals
Whence cunning heroes' war cries and calls
Not only his palace has gone to the dust
Even his tomb is destroyed and long lost
This barren desert is in the same stage
As the armies of Salm & Toor were lost in its rage

Bring the wine whose reflection in the cup
Signals to all the kings whose times are up
Well said Jamshid, the old majestic king
Worthless is this transient stage and ring

Come Bearer, that fire, radiant, bright
Zarathushtra, beneath the earth, seeks so right
Give me wine, in the creed of the drunk
Whether fire-worshipper or worldly monk

Come Bearer, that wholesome drunk
Who is forever in the tavern sunk
Give me, ill repute bring to my name
The cup and the wine I shall only blame

Bring Bearer, the water that burns the mind
If lion drinks, forest will burn and grind
Courageous, I'll go hunting lions of fate
Mess up this old wolf's trap and bait

Bring Bearer, that high heavenly wine
That angels with their scent would entwine
Give me wine, I'll burn it like sweet incense
Its wise aroma I will sense now and hence

Bearer, give me the wine that makes kings
Witnessing its virtues, my heart sings
Give me wine to wash away all my flaws
Joyous rise above this rut's deadly claws
When the spiritual garden is my abode
Why have me bound to a board on this road

Give me wine and then see the Ruler's face
Ruin me & see treasures of wisdom and grace
And when I hold the cup in my hand
In the mirror everything I understand
In my drunken state, kingship proclaim
A monarch, when I am drunken and lame
Drunken, pearls of wisdom unveil
In hiding secrets, the selfless fail
Hafiz, drunken, songs will compose
From its melody Venus' song flows
O singer, with the sound of the stream
Of that majestic song muse and dream
Till I make my work joy and ecstasy
I will dance and play with robe of piety
Given a crown and throne by his fate
The fruit of the kingly tree of this estate
Ruler of the land, and Lord of the time
The grand and fortunate King of the clime
He is the greatness vested in the Throne
comfort of bird and fish from Him alone
For the blessed, he is light of the eyes
Yet he is the gift of the soul of the wise
Behold, O, auspicious bird
The happy inspiration to be heard
The world has no pearls in its shells like Thee
Fereydoon and Jamshid had no heirs like Thee
Instead of Alexander, be here many a year
Know thy heart and discover joy is near
But seditious fate many plans may devise
Me and my drunkenness troubled by Beloved's eyes
One, for his work, may pick up the sword
Another's business only deals with the word

O Player, play the song of the new creed
To music of the stream tell to my rival breed
Finally with my enemy I have a chance
At victory, in the skies I can glance

O Player, play something pleasing to the ear
With a song and a Gahzal begin a story, dear
My sorrows have tied me to the ground
Raise me with my principles that are sound

O singer, with the sound of the stream
Play and sing that majestic song I dream
Make the great souls happy with you
Parviz and Barbad remember too

O Player, paint a picture of the veil
Listen, inside, they tell a tale
Sing a minstrel's song, such
That Venus' harp dances with her touch
Play so the Sufi goes into a trance
Drunken, in Union, leaves his stance

O Player, tambourine and harp play
With a lovely tune, sing and sway
Deceptions of the world make a vivid tale
The night is pregnant, what will it entail

O Player, I'm sad, play one or two
In his Oneness, as long as you can, play too
I am astounded by the revolving fate
I don't know who will next degenerate
And if the Magi set one on fire
Don't know whose light will then expire
In this bloody resurrection field
Let the cup and jug their blood yield

To the drunk, of a good song, give a sign
To friends bygone, a salutation divine




Poet: Hafiz Shirazi

Translation: Shahriar Shahriari