I tried to translate Hafez for you to English. frankly it is so harsh. He chose his words wisely, which makes his every single line of poetry, multidimensional. Every time you read it, with a new perspective, you may find lots of unknown things. From affectionate to platonic love, in any point of view, you can see rich content plus beautiful voice of the combination of the words.

Ever word has its world… maybe every single line of Persian classic poetry has its own universe. Beautifully depicted pictures; detaching you from present, to the utopical planet of the author.

Now, let’s go to the catchy lines of Hafez:

Falsely pious is not aware of our senses

There is no abhorrence if he says any nonsense

 Going to tavern is for those openly men

Swaggers have no place in land of truthfulness.

The Persian script is:

زاهد ظاهرپرست از حال ما آگاه نیست

در حق ما هرچه گوید جای هیچ اکراه نیست

بر در میخانه رفتن کار یکرنگان بود

خودفروشان را به کوی می‌فروشان راه نیست

Get more on this issue:

1. Read: Hafez Poem (in Persian)  [get the text in Persian]
2. Full script of Sonnet 71 + English Translation [Old-fashioned Translations]
3. Listen to: Shajarian’s Moamaye Hasti (Existence Puzzle) [he reads this poem]
4. Panorama of Hafeziye, Hafez Tomb in Shiraz, central Iran
5. @ Amazon
6. Visit Iran: How to Visit Iran as an American  |  How to Visit Iran  |  Irpedia  |  more about Iran

Who reflects me if not you yourself-I see myself so little
Without you I see nothing but an empty space
Between those other times and today
There have been all those deaths that I have crossed on straw
I have not been able to break through the wall of my mirror
I’ve had to learn life word by word
How one forgets

I love you for all the wisdom, which is not mine
For health
I love you against everything which is only illusion
For that immortal heart over which I have no power
You think that you are doubt but you’re just reason
You are the powerful sun that rushes to my head
When I am sure of myself

Paul Eluard

I’m a guy, a stupid idiot, a young lover, here in Iranian capital, Tehran. I do love to love, and to be loved!!

Yeah, you’re right, now you’re faced with a special, maybe, a special boy who loves to be all the time engaged with the platonic wings of LOVE, I mean platonic love only, honey!

I know it’s steep and harsh, but you may know it has some sort of very delicious feeling; kind of purely loving a cute girl. A cute smart lovely bright girl, I mean!

O’ Lord, I can’t help myself to abstinent from this kind of life. Help me, like before and then!!