Venice masks

Tuesday 30 June 2015

The Poems: XXXVI - Hafez

"Thy mouth and thy lip", I asked her, "Me blest when will they make? "
 " Thy bidding in all", she answered, "Shift to fulfil they make. "

" Thy lips for a kiss the tribute of  Egypt seek", said I.
 Quoth she, "At that rate who purchase,  No bargain ill they make."

"To the point of thy mouth who findeth the way? " quoth I; and she,
 " That known to the subtlety-kenners, not those lack-skill, they make. "

Quoth I, "Be no server of idols; abide thou with God", and she,
  "Their wont this and that in Love 's quarter, the good and the ill, they make. "

Quoth I, " Lo, the air of the winehouse doth grief from the heart away;"
 And she, "Happy folk, if one bosom with gladness to thrill they make! "

Quoth I, " Wine and patchcoat the canon allows not "; and she, "In the sect
  of the Magians, of one and the other their habitude still they make. "

Quoth I, "From the sweet-lipped ones ruby what profit the old? " And she,
 " The old young again with the sugar their kisses distil they make."

Quoth I, "To the nuptial chamber when cometh the lord? " And she,
 " Twill not be, the Moon in conjunction with Jupiter till they make. "

Hafiz or Hafez [Xāwje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī] (1350 - 1390) Persia (modern Iran)
Translated by John Payne, 1901
Source: Poetica Erotica: A Collection of Rare and Curious Amatory Verse, ed. by Thomas Robert Smith. Boni and Liveright, 1921–22

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please keep your comments relevant and free from abusive language. Thank you. Note that comments are moderated so it may be a day or two before your comment is posted - irrelevant or abusive comments will not be published.