Hafez · Ghazal 393 · Famed in the city for love
منم که شهره شهرم به عشق ورزیدنمنم که دیده نیالوده‌ام به بد دیدن
وفا کنیم و ملامت کشیم و خوش باشیمکه در طریقت ما کافریست رنجیدن
به پیر میکده گفتم که چیست راه نجاتبخواست جام می و گفت عیب پوشیدن
مراد دل ز تماشای باغ عالم چیست؟به دست مردم چشم از رخ تو گل چیدن
به می پرستی از آن نقش خود زدم بر آبکه تا خراب کنم نقش خود پرستیدن
به رحمت سر زلف تو واثقم ورنهکشش چو نبود از آن سو چه سود کوشیدن؟
عنان به میکده خواهیم تافت زین مجلسکه وعظ بی‌عملان واجب است نشنیدن
ز خط یار بیاموز مهر با رخ خوبکه گرد عارض خوبان خوش است گردیدن
مبوس جز لب ساقی و جام می حافظکه دست زهد فروشان خطاست بوسیدن
This ghazal holds one of Hafez's clearest teachings. Asked the way to salvation, the elder of the tavern answers: cover others' faults. Keep faith, bear blame lightly, and do not take offence, for on the path of love, resentment is the real unbelief. Do not stain your eyes by looking for the worst in people. Effort matters, but so does grace; trust that you are being drawn as well as striving. Turn away from sermons without deeds, and let kindness be your practice.
I am the one famed in the city for practising love;
I am the one who has not stained his eyes by seeing ill.
We keep faith, bear blame, and stay content,
for on our path, to take offence is unbelief.
I asked the elder of the tavern what the way to salvation is;
he called for a cup of wine and said: “Covering faults.”
What does the heart want from gazing at the garden of the world?
To pick roses from your face with the hand of the eye's pupil.
In worshipping wine I struck my own image on the water,
so that I might ruin the image of self-worship.
I trust in the mercy of your curl's tip; otherwise,
if there is no pull from that side, what use is striving?
We will turn our reins from this gathering towards the tavern,
for it is a duty not to listen to the sermons of those who do not act.
Learn love for the fair face from the friend's line of down,
for it is sweet to circle round the cheeks of the beautiful.
Kiss nothing but the saqi's lip and the cup of wine, Hafez,
for it is wrong to kiss the hands of those who sell piety.