Hafez · Ghazal 158 · I, deny wine?
من و انکار شراب! این چه حکایت باشد؟غالبا این قدرم عقل و کفایت باشد
تا به غایت ره میخانه نمی‌دانستمور نه مستوری ما تا به چه غایت باشد
زاهد و عجب و نماز و من و مستی و نیازتا تو را خود ز میان با که عنایت باشد
زاهد ار راه به رندی نبرد معذور استعشق کاری‌ست که موقوف هدایت باشد
من که شب‌ها ره تقوا زده‌ام با دف و چنگاین زمان سر به ره آرم؟ چه حکایت باشد!
بنده پیر مغانم که ز جهلم برهاندپیر ما هر چه کند عین عنایت باشد
دوش از این غصه نخفتم که رفیقی می‌گفت«حافظ ار مست بود جای شکایت باشد»
Hafez meets his critics with humour: some paths are simply ours, and he will not pretend otherwise. Yet he is generous too: if others cannot see what he sees, they are excused, for love depends on guidance, not on argument. Trust the guide who frees you from narrowness, and let the question of who is favoured be settled by grace rather than by show. Be at ease with who you are, and do not let one friend's remark keep you awake.
I, deny wine? What kind of story is that?
Surely I have this much sense and judgement.
I simply did not know the way to the tavern;
otherwise, how long would our abstinence have lasted?
The zahid with his vanity and prayers, and I with my drunkenness and need:
let us see which of us You will favour.
If the zahid cannot find his way to rendi, he is excused:
love is a matter that depends on guidance.
I, who for nights have waylaid the road of piety with tambourine and harp,
am I now to bring my head back to the road? What a story that would be!
I am the servant of the Magian elder, who frees me from ignorance;
whatever our elder does is pure grace.
Last night I could not sleep for vexation, because a friend was saying,
"If Hafez is drunk, that is a cause for complaint."