the rubáiyát of háfiz - forgotten books
TRANSCRIPT
W ISDOM OF THE EAST
T H E R U BA’
IYAT
O F HAF IZ
TRANSLATED W ITH INTRODUCTION
BY SYED ABDUL MA'ID , LL .D.
RENDERED INTO ENGLISH lVERSE
BY L . CRANMER-BYNG
“By cup is meant the wine of eternity,
And by th isme W e mean s elf-annihilation.
Sim-Ni b“ or Rh u .
NEW YORK
E. P . DUTTON AND COMPANY
CON TEN TS
INTRODUCTION
RU BA IYAT OF HAF IZ
E'PLANATORY NOTES TO RUBA IYAT
AP PENDI' TO INTRODUCTION
EDITOR IAL NOTE
THE object of the Editors Of this serie s is a verydefinite one . They desire above all things that
,
in the ir humble way, these books shall be theambassadors of good-will and understandingbetween East and West—the Old world of
Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour
,and in the ir own sphe re
,they are but
followers of the highest example in the land.
They are confident that a deepe r knowledge of
the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Orientalthoughtmay he lp to a revival of that true spiritof Charitywhich ne ither de spises nor fears thenation of another creed and colour .
L . CRANMER-BYNG .
S . A . KAPADIA .
NORTHBROOK SOCIETY ,
21 CROMW EL L ROAD,
KENSINGTON , S.W.
THE RUBA’
IYAT OF HAFIZ
INTRODUCTION
LIFE OF HAFIZ
KHW A'ASHAMSUDDIN MOHAMMAD , better knownby his takha lltls (nom-de-plume) Hafiz , the mostnational and the most popular Of the Persianpoets , was born in Shiraz in the early part of thefourteenth century . The exact date of his birthhas been a fruitful source Of discussion amonghis biographe rs and is still a matter Of doubt .Little is known Of his family beyond this
,that it
was good . Like many men Of genius,both in
Europe and Asia ,he did not claim a wealthy
parentage . He was educated in the commonschoo l Of poverty , and went through the samediscipline as othe rmen of genius . In his youthhe became a disciple Of She ikh Mohammad Attar
,
a learned sufiistic teache r in Shiraz . Unlikeothermystics Of the time , Attar did not give himself completely up to a life of asceticism . He
8 INTRODUCTION
had truly grasped the philosophy of life byneglecting neither the body nor the mind . The
physical world and the world Of intellect wereOf equal importance to him . His disciple , theyouthful Hafiz , was not slow to learn this usefullesson ,
which enabled him to steer through manydifficulties . Wise and wholesome as the teachingwas , it did not fail to bring the wrath Of otherSufis down upon them . Some Of these Sufis
clothed themselves in blue garments in imitationof the colour of the sky , while , like the sky , theyclaimed to possess within themselves heavenlydesires . Like Omar , Hafiz found it difficult tokeep silent on what appeared to him only a
cloak of hypocrisy . Referring to them in one
of his poems , he says I amthe servant Of allwho scatter dregs of the cup and are clothed inone colour 't.e. in sincerity', but not Of thosewhose bodies are clad in blue while black is thecolour of the ir hearts .
Hafiz neve r submitted to any strict monasticrule ,
and when he assumed the dervish habit hetook care to temper his orthodoxy with the freedoctrines learnt from his teacher .
About four miles from Shiraz there is a placecalled Pir-e-Sabz , Green Pir , situated on a hillcalled Baba Kohi . It was said that if any one
passed forty nights in that place without sleephe woul d achieve the gift Of composing poems .Hafiz determined to go through the discipline .
LIFE OF HAFEZ 9
He used to pass nights there , while at daytimehe used to take rest . About the same time hefell vio lently in lovewith a damsel named Shakh-eNabat (Branch Of Candy ) , who paid little heedto the suit of Hafiz ; but on the fortieth dayshe called himin and said that she preferred a
man Of genius to a prince . Like the enchantressin the Isle Of Bliss , she would have kept himfromcompleting the course ; but Hafiz remembered his vow and returned to Pir-e-Sabz . Atthe dawn Of the day he fell into a trance , whereinhe saw Khwaj a Khizar , the most learned of the
Prophets , revealing himself to him . He blessedhim wi th the gift Of eloquence and poetry . On
recovering his consciousness he greeted hisbeloved with enchanting eloquence and verses .Thus
,it is said , Hafiz became a poet .
The great poetical gifts of Hafiz were revealedby an accident
,which so Often accounts for the
origin Of wonde rful things in this world . Hisuncle , named Sadi , who used to dabble in poetry ,
had found his power to compose beyond the
first verse Of a poemunavailing,and had given
it up in despa ir . While he was away Hafiz notonly completed the verse , but afterwards completed the-whole poem. As uncles proverbiallydo ,
he grew jealous Of the young poet and cursedhimand his works . It is still believed that thecurse hangs over his Diwcin, and that he whomakes a special study Of that beautiful collection
10 INTRODUCTION
of poems is bound to become afflicted in reason .
It is true enough for the poems are so fine thatone cannot help having his senses charmed awaywhile studying them .
There are various periods in the life of Hafizshowing how he passed his days under the
patronage of various people . His first patronwas Shah Ishak , Governor Of Shiraz ; but hewas taken prisoner by Mobarezuddin MohammadMozaffar and executed outside the Persepolis .This happened in 1357 . Mozafiar suffered forhis wicked deed at the hands of his own son ,
Shah Shuja , who caused his eyes to be put out .
He extended his patronage to Hafiz but,being
only a minor poet , was very jealous of his greaterrival . He lost no opportunity of criticising Hafizand his poems . On one occasion , defeated in thetrial Of wits , he said to Hafiz , In one and
the same you write of wine , of Sfifiism, and Ofthe Objects Of your affections . NOW this is contrary to the practice Of the eloquent .”Hafiz , in reply , is reported to have said , That
which your majesty has deigned to speak is theessence Of the truth ; yet the poems Of Hafizenjoy a W lde celebrity , whereas those Of someother writers have not passed beyond the gatesOf Shiraz .
” Beyond such occasional differencein literary matters , Shah Shuj a treated the poetwell—a fact which Hafiz fully appreciated .
Since the time ,
” said Hafiz , that the W ine
LIFE OF HA’
FIz 1 1
cup received honour fromShah Shuja , Fortunehas put the goblet Of joy into the hands Of allwine -drinkers .
”
Aga in ,in praise of the Shah , he said , May
the ball Of the heavens be for ever in the crock Ofthy polo -stick , and the whole world be a playingground unto thee . The fame Of thy goodnesshas attained to the four quarters Of the earth ;may it be for all time a guardian unto theeIn order to draw the ire Of the theologians OfShiraz , the Shah accused Hafiz Of having writtenlines which occur in Ghaza l , NO . 528 (last two lines ) ,expressing that the faith Of Hafiz was uno rthodox .
Fortunately for the poe t , he came to know Of itbefore they sat in judgment ove r his lines and hisfate . He at once added a line putting it into themouth Of a Christian , there being no harmin a
Christian calling in question the faith Of Hafiz .
The decision was a foregone conclusion . Hafizwas acquitted and the Shah censured for hisgroundless accusation .
Kawamuddin (d . the vizier , was hispatron too . He founded a college for Hafiz inShiraz . Hafiz there gave lectures on the Ouoranand read out his own verses . Riza Kuli says thathe wrote a valuable commentary on the Quoran .
His fame as a teacher spread far and wide and
drew hosts of seeke rs after knowledge from all
parts Of the world to Shiraz .
Hafiz seems to have entertained a very high
12 INTRODUCTION
appreciation Of the liberality Of the vizier . Itis apparent from Kitd (NO . where he asksthe chamberlain to remind him Of the allowancedue to the poet , or from Kitd (NO . wherehe mourns his loss and practically says thatliberality has come to an end after him . Again ,
in Ghazal (NO . 412) he speaks Of him in the
highest terms Of praise . He reserves to himselfthe gift Of sweet song and eloquence and extendsto the vizier the gift Of generosity , spreading ,like the light ; over a ll the world .
Hafiz was induced to pay a visit to ShahYehya Of Yezd ; but was unfortunate ly treatedwith coldness . In Ghazal (NO . 47 7 ) he saysShah Hormuz did me many acts Of kindness
without seeing me and without myself praisinghim
,while the Shah Of Yezd saw me—and I
sang his pra ises—and gave me nothing . 0
Hafiz DO not be put out , as such are the waysOf kings . It was such treatment which madehim home-sick and made him exclaim Whyshould I not return to mine own home ' Whyshould I not lay my dust in the street Of mineown beloved ' My bosom cannot endure the
sorrows Of exile ; let me return to mine owncity
,letme be master Of my heart ’s desire .
”
Sultan Owais Of Bagdad (d . 1374) seems at
first to have extended kindness to the poet , butto have cooled down afterwards . The lines OfGhazal (NO . 204) bear this out , and Hafiz re
LIFE OF HAFIZ
proachful ly says that the fault does not lie at
his doo r .
Quite in contrast with the behaviour Of SultanOwais stands that Of Sultan Ahmed-i-Ilkhani(d . 14 10) Of Bagdad . He made libe ral Ofiers to thepoet , only to be refused . Hafiz , however , speaksvery highly of him in Ghaza l (NO . and callshimthe Khan , son of Khan ,
” “ Empe ror Ofimperial descent , ” the soul of the world , ” as
libe ral as a Khakan and as energetic as Changiz .
”
The fame of Hafiz spread even to the heartOf the distant kingdoms Of Bengal and the
Deccan . About the year 1 369 he was invited byGhyasuddin Purbi , King Of Bengal . NO inducement was strong enough for Hafiz to make himleave Shiraz , with its charming surroundings andenchanting society . He wrote an apology for
not be ing able to attend the court of Bengal inGhaza l (NO . and was handsomely rewarded .
Having heard Of the esteem in which he wasregarded at the court of Sul tan Mohammad ShahBahmani , King of the Deccan ,
l Hafiz desired topay a visit to it but was unable to defray theexpenses of travelling . This reached the earsOf Mir Fazlul lah Anjoo , the vizier Of the Sultan,
who at onée sent him the necessary amount .Having pa id part Of it to his credito rs and hisrelations , he proceeded as far as Lahfir . Highwayrobbe ry was very frequent in those days , and so
1 Farishta , the historian, narratw this.
14 INTRODUCTION
the poet deemed it more prudent to lend theremainder to a friend . Thus becoming oncemore penniless , he returned to Hurmuz with twoPersian merchants . There he embarked on the
ship sent by the Sultan to convey him to India ;but a storm arose . The sight of a boundless seafrightened himout Of his wits . His heart sank ,and the next moment found him on the shoresinging the praises Of God and Of the beauties OfShiraz . TO the kind vizier he wrote the fo llowinglines , which I take from the admirable translationof Colonel Clarke
TO pass life a singlemoment in grief , a world altogetheris not worth .
For wine , se ll our rugged religious garment ; formorethan this it is not worth.
At first , in hOpe Of profit , easy appeared the to il of thesea ;
Amistake Imade for a hundred jewels this great deluge(ocean) is not worth
The pomp of the imperial crown—whose grandeur is fearof life
Is vainly a heart-alluring crown but the abandoning of
one’
s life is not worth .
Time passes on until we come to the year 1392,when Timur ( 1336 fresh from his victoriesin Fars and against Shah Mansfir Of Irak , orderedHafiz to be brought before him . In Ghaza l (No .
the poet says that if his beloved would captivatehis heart
,he would give away Samarcand and
LIFE OF HAFIZ 15
Bokhara for her black mole . Having heardthis
,Timur
, who did not appreciate this liberalitywith the place of his birth , called for an answerfrom the poet . Hafiz was frightened , but hiswit saved him . He sa id
O Sultan Of the world ' Had it not beenfor this way of giving away , I would not havefallen to thisTimur felt flattered , and rewarded the poet .Turning to the home-life Of Hafiz , we find himmarried and father Of a son . He was passionatelyattached to his wife , and worshipped h is son .
He survived themboth and lamented their lossin several exquis ite poems .One can get an idea Of the attachment Hafiz
bore to his wife from the poemwritten when ,in
a moment Of displeasure , she left for her father ’splace , or the one written to bewail her death .
The reader will be able to judge from the followingextracts how fine the originals are
O holy be loved ' W ho will unve il thee 1And 0 Bird Of Paradise ' Who wi ll give corn and water
to theeSleep has departed frommy eye , in this liver-consumingthought ,
That who has embraced thee , in what place and dwellinghast slept thou
Suddenly thou departed fromthe embrace ofme , heartscorched .
Alas what place has rece ived the luxury of thy s leep 7Thou didst not hear the plaint and the wail that Imade .
16 INTRODUCTION
It is evident, O ido l ' that thy place is high too highformy vo ice to reach thee ) .
Thou dost not ask the beggar ( 13.e.me ) , and I amafraid thatThe thought Of forgiveness and the desire Of merit (in
consequence ) are not in thee .
O palace , heart-kindling ' The resting-place for affectionthat thou art
O God the calamity Of timemay not ruin it 'Beware in this desert the founta in-head is far away,
SO that the ghou l of the desertmay not dece ive thee withmirage (or false images ) .The arrowwhich thou shot with thy glance ,missed .
What nowwi ll thy good judgment think0 heart ' on what principle wi lt thou travel on the pathOf Old age
(If) all at once the time of thy youth is spent in a e ngway
That intoxicated eye struck the path to the heart Oflovers
It ismanifest fromthis way that thy wine is intoxicated .
Hafiz is no t the kind Of slave who wi ll fly fromhismaster .
Be kind , and come back , -for I amconsumedwith thywrath.
This was written to his wife . Her heart wastouched she thought bette r Of her decision and
returned , to his great deligh t .The few lines Of the other poemfind himbewailing the loss Of the one whose temporaryabsence made his heart ache .
That be loved on account Of whommy house the abode OfPari ( fairy) was ,
Fromhead to foot like a Pari , free fromdefect was .
My heart said, I will sojourn in this citywhich is perfumedby her scent .
18 INTRODUCTION
The ease of the eye ofmine , that fruit ofmy heart, everbe hismemory
That went hintiself an easy journey andmademy journey( through life ) hard.
Gha zal , 117.
Hafiz died towards the end Of the fourteenthcentury . The exact date of his demise cannotbe ascertained . According to the slab on histomb it happened in 1388 ; but according toother evidences it is put down to have happenedin 1389
,1391
, or 1394 .
He rests in the garden of Mosalla , about twomil es north-east Of Shiraz on the bank Of theriver Ruknabad , Of which he sang pra ises inGkaza l (NO . Like the historic mulberry-tree inChrist College , Cambridge , planted by Milton , or
the tree planted by Bacon in Gray’s Inn , therewas a famous cypress-tree planted by Hafizwhichcast its shadow o
’
er the dust Of his desire .
”
In 1452Sultan Abul Kasim Baber took Shiraz .
His vizier , Moul ama Mohammad Muammai, agreat admirer Of Hafiz , erected a monument toadorn the site , called Hafiziana, and to shelterthe grave of Hafiz . About the year 1 81 1 VakilKasim Khan Zand placed over the tomb a slabof alabaster . On the face of the slab is inscribed
0 ThouWho endurest,
althoughall things pass away'
LIFE OF HAFIZ 19
Below are inscribed the lines Of Ghazal (NO .
It may not be out of place to give their renderIngs .
Where is the tidings of union with Thee , that with mysoul Imay rise 1
Bird of righteousness amI , and fromthe snare of the
world I riseIn love for Thee who callethme , Thy slave ,Fromthemastery of existence and dwe lling I rise.
0 God out of the cloud of guidance send a showerBefore (the time ) when like dust fromamidst (things ) I rise.
Onmy grave without wine andminstrel do not sit ,So that with Thy perfume fromthe grave , dancing , I rise .
Although I amOld , ho ldme close to Thy bosomfor a night ,So that in themorning fromThy embrace young I rise .
Get up and show your stature , O ido l ' with grace fulmovement ,
SO that , like Hafiz , fromthe desire of life and the world Iuse.
HAFIz AS A POET
There are two aspects in which we must regardHafiz—as a poet and as a philosopher . In the
former capacity he was undoubtedly Of the
first rank . FitzGe rald, speaking of him,says
Hafiz is the most Persian Of the Persians . He
is the best' representative Of their character ,whether his Saki and wine be real or mystical .The ir (other Persian poets
’
) re ligion and philosophy is soon seen through , and always seems tome cuckowd over like a borrowed thing which
20 INTRODUCTION
people once having got , do not know how to
parade enough . TO be ‘ sure , their roses and
nightingales are repeated Often enough . ButHafiz and Old Omar Khayyam ring like truemetal .”Again , Dawlat Shah says ' Hafiz , the king
Of the learned ones and the cream Of the wiseones , was the wonder of the time . His speechis such that it cometh not into the creating powerofman . Verily , it hath the desire for the Hidden ,
and the taste Of the order Of falcr, and they callhim Lisan-ul-ghaib (Tongue Of theSudi , the Bosnian , who wrote a great oommen
tary on Hafiz’
s works towards the seventeenthcentury , was simply carried away by the enchanting beauty of Hafiz
’
s verses . He exclaimed thatthey were divine , and derived their innategrace from having been bathed in the water oflife , and that in beauty they equalled the darkeyed Houris Of Paradise .
He is original throughout and acknowledgesno authority but nature . He scorns to use anyart but art to conceal art . If there are anydefects , they are his own ; if there are beauties ,he himself is the painter . SO rare a genius fewcountries have ever produced .
Rich in fancy , powerful in imagination are
his verses . They are original and full Of grandeur ,glowing and without restraint , gay and grave .
They speak of the divine emotion of love and Of
HAFIZ AS A POET 1
the pleasure derived from celestial or terrestrialwine . He draws beautiful pictures of his unrequited love ,
and describes in glowing terms thebeauties of flowers and the sweet melodies of
singing birds during the spring . Beauty in everyform does not escape his maste rly touch . He
deals with the world’s vanities , instability of life ,
the evanescence of joys , and sings the praises ofthe Creator and those Of the prophet Mohammad .
Charity uncircumscribed by any limit , and a
spirit Of to leration pe rmeate his writings . LibertyOf conscience rece ives full recognition , while frequent sarcastic remarks upon the so-called re
ligiousmen are met with .
His style is flawless—concise but expressive ,
dazzlingly bright and finished . Not a singleword is superfluous ; every word has its ownplace , the loss Of which is the loss Of a beauty .
It is unaffected and clear . There is no straining Ofthe natural mirth , or loss Of harmony in hissonorous cadences .The powerful eloquence , the music of his
songs,the delicate rhythms , the beat of the
refrain , and the captivating imagery, alwaysenthrall the readers Of his poems . The spirit Ofyouth and love and joy,
together with a noblerhumanity which cries out across the ages , characterise them . When he says , My beloved isgone , and I had not even hidden him farewell 'the words are as touching now as they were
22 INTRODUCTION
several centuries ago . Equally simple andpathetic Is his mourning for his son .
“He
self went an easy way, but made mine hard .
”
And for his wife ' Then said my heart , I willso journ myse lf in this city which is perfumed byher scent ; her feet were bent upon a longerjourney , but I , helpless , knew it not .
” A morepassionate image of love you would not find
even in the sweet songs of the Swan of the Avonthan ' Openmy grave when I am dead , andthou shalt see a cloud Of smoke rising from out
of it ; then shalt thou know that the fire stillburns in my dead heart—yea , it has set my verywinding-sheet alight .” Or ' If the scent of
her hair were to blow across my dust when Ihave been dead a hundred years , my moul deringbones would rise and come dancing out of the
tomb .
” Speak ing Of love he says ' “ I haveestimated the influence of Reason upon Love ,and found that it is like that of a raindrop uponthe ocean , which makes One little mark upon thewater’s face and disappears . These are immortal utterances , which time cannot dim or
rust ,” and truly interpret the language of the
heart .The Diwcin, or the collection of poems by Hafiz ,deserves a mention . Sudi , the great Turkisheditor Of Hafiz , says that during his lifetimeHafiz was too busy teaching and composingphilosophical treatises to collect together his
HAFIZ AS A POET 23
poems ; that he used to recite them in thecollege founded especially for himby Kawamuddin , express ing a wish that these pearlsmight be strung together for the adornmentof his age . It was left for his pupil , SyedKasim-al-Anwar , to collect them together.This makes up the famous Diwan Of Hafiz .
The language Of the Diwcin, as understood bythe outward form , gave rise to the difficul tywhether it was orthodox enough to be read bythe public . The matte r was referred to the
Sufi Abu Sucud , who decided in favour Of theDiwcin . But for his decis ion the beautiful collection would have remained confined to Oblivion,
much to the loss of Persian literature . Fractically giving it ecclesiastical imprimatur he sa id“ that every one was at liberty to use his ownjudgment in the manner of the meaning to beass igned to the poems Of Hafiz .
”
From one end Of the world to the other theDiwcin is well known ,
and its poems are repeatedand sung by all those who take any interest inPersian literature . There are some admirabletranslations Of HafizThere are also vanous commentaries On Hafiz ,
but unfortunately there is none except that of
Sudi which exactly expresses his true meaning .
Each has its own pe culiar charms , but all sufferfrom the same attempt on the part of scholarsas characterised the philosophers of the Middle
24 INTRODUCTION
Ages , who endeavoured to read somethinginto religion which , instead Of simplifying it ,made it more elaborate and diffit to understand .
Yet another feature Of the Diwa'
fn deservesmention . Like the Aeneid, the Diwan
'
is con
sulted as a guide to future actions .In the memo irs Of Sher Khan Lodi it is related
that the enemies Of Hafiz had gone so far as to
accuse him Of heresy , and so there was a questionas to whether he should rece ive the Moslem ritesOf burial . After some debate they consulted hispoems in haphazard manner , and found thefo llowing verse , which settled all their doubtsrespecting his faith . DO not keep back yoursteps from saying funeral prayers (for the soul ) OfHafiz for, although he is immersed in sin , he isgoing to heaven .
” It is also said that severalmen of action were in the habit of having recourse to these Sortes Hafizianaon questions thatthey could not solve . Aurungzeb , the great MogulEmperor , was one . Indeed Nadir Shah neverundertook an expedition without consulting it .While meditating an expedition against Taurus ,says Mirza Mehdi Khan
,he Opened the Diwan
at the following verses
Irak and Fars thou hast conquered with thy sweet versesO Hafiz
Come ' (now) is the turn of Bagdad and (the appo intedhour) of Tabriz.
26 INTRODUCTION
doctrine of Occasionalism for Descartes ’ pinealgland .
1
There is yet another side to Sufiism. A Sufidraws no di stinction between himself and otherselves . The true good , for him , is the realisationof se lf which pre-supposes the consideration of
others . He says God manifests Himself in us .We are , in our very essential nature , the eternalconsciousness , reproduced under the limitationof time and organism , but retaining the essentialcharacter of being out of time as regards our
knowledge—as regards that in virtue of whichwe are . The world , as a whole , only potentiallyis . The potential contents of our consciousness—knowledge - eternally exist as ideas which we
are labouring to attain unto And as potentialcontents are more andmore attained to , we real isethat others are inseparable from us . Thusthe distinction between the pleasure of selfand the pleasure of not-self disappears. Thisbrings us face to face with the ethical doctrinesof Sidgwick and Green , and even offers a mediumof reconciliation between the materialistic con
ception of the Cambridge philosopher and thespiritualistic view of the Oxford thinker .There has been a controversy over Hafiz’s
being a Sufi . Those who take his verses in the irliteral sense come to a very unfavourable con
clusion about the poet ; but there is another1 See Appendix to Introduction, p. 59.
HAFIZ AS A PHILOSOPHER 27
side to the shield . Before ente ring into thequestion whether Hafiz was a Sufi it will bebetter to mention in brief what Sl
'
lfiismis .The word Sufi has been variously derived
whichmeanswoo l.woo llen.
purity.
a statue new Mecca.
It is difficul t to decide among the variousderivations . Professor Browne seems to thinkthat it is quite ce rtain that it is derived fromthe word woo l ,” which is confirmed bythe equivalent pashmina-
push , wool-wearers ,applied to these mystics in Persia , and regardsthe derivation given by 'ami in his Bahdristdn
,
from Arabic said,“ purity ,” as fanciful . The
Sfifis themselves regard it as derived from said,
and. ninety-n ine out of every hundred spiritualguides in the East adopt this derivation .
There are four theories as to the origin of
Sfifiism. The first is that it represents the
esoteric Islam . 'alaluddin Rfimi favours thisidea and calls Ali the first Sufi . So do almost allthe sea one comes into contact with in the East .The second theory 3 is that it represents a
1 A Law History of Persia , p. 417.
3 Professor Browne’s A LiteraryHistory ofPersia. p. 419.
28 INTRODUCTION
reaction of the Aryan mind against Islam, 8.
Semitic religion . But Professor Browne has conelusively shown that ne ither the Indian nor thePersian theory of reaction is tenableThe third theory is that it was due to the
Neo-Platonist influence . The chief argument insupport of this theory 1 is that three great Sufis ,Maroof-ui-Karkhi , Abu Sulayman al-Darani
,and
Dhu’l-Nun al-Misri,flourished during the period
of seventy-five years commencing in the year 786and ending in 861 A .D . During this period , itis asserted , many works were translated fromthe Creek which must have influenced them as
well as others . But the term Sufi was alreadyin use a considerable time before the year 786 ,and Sfifiismhad attained to a recognised place .
Hence the theory of Neo-Platonist influencecannot be maintained .
The fourth theory , of independent origin , seemsreasonable in the light of all facts regardingSufiism. It has been supported by eminentauthorities .It will be better to quote from Ibn Khaldun ,
the great historian , who proves beyond doubtthat Sufiismwas of indigenous growth to Islam .
Speak ing of Sufiismin his Muqaddz'ma (vol . iii . ,
p . he saysThis is one of the religious sciences which
1 Mr. A. R . Nicholson’s Literary History of the Arabs ,
p. 388.
HAFIZ AS A PHILOSOPHER 29
were born in Islam . The way of the Sufis wasregarded by the ancient Moslems and the irillustriousmen—the Companions of the Prophet(Al-Sahaba ) , the followers (Al-Tabitha) , and the
generation which came after them—as the wayof truth and salvation . To be painstaking inpiety , to give up everything for the sake of
God,to avo id worldly shows and vanities , to
renounce pleasure , wealth , and power , whichare the general objects of human ambition ,
to
abandon society and to lead in seclusion a lifesolely dedicated to the service of God—thesewere the fundamental principles of Sufiismwhich prevailed among the Companions and
the Moslems who exis ted immediate ly afterMohammad . When , however , in the secondgeneration and afterwards worldly tastes be
came widely spread , and men no longer shrankfrom contamination ,
those whomade piety the iraimwere singled out by the title of Sufi or
Motasawwdf.”
To attain to the sufiistic ends ce rtain practiceshave been prescribed . They consist of fourstages , and until the last stage is passed the
emancipated soul cannot mix with the
glorious essence ,
”nor can it cast off the cor
poreal ve il .” They are
1 . She riyat—which cons ists in strict ob
servance of the teachings of Islam .
2. Tarilcat. This means the following of
30 INTRODUCTION
a spiritual guide who teaches the hiddenpractices .”3 . Mdrefat. —This stage is reached when
the real nature of the teachings of Mohammad is grasped , leading to the effacement inMohammad . And,
4 . Hakikat. —This is the last stage , andconsists in recognition of the divine essenceand merging thereunto .
There are various orders of Sufis . There weretwo original orders , viz . ( 1 ) Haloolia , the inspired , be lieving as they did that God had enteredinto them , and (2) I ttahddid, is . the unionists ,who took God to have jo ined with every en
l ightened be ing . They said that God is the
flame and the soul the charcoal . The soul , byunion with God, becomes God. From these twoare derived the following orders of Sufis(a ) The Waecilz
'
d, the j oined to God.
(6) The Oak-Shcilpici, the lovers of God.
(0) Th e Talkinid, the instructed .
(d) The Zdlcz'
ci,i .e . the penetrated .
(e) The Wdhedm,the solitary .
Without further detaining the reader f
over the
deta ils of Sfifiism,however interesting the subject
may be , we shoul d mention the evidence thatHafiz was a Sufi . In the first place , 'ami , thegreat Sufi and poet , says concerning Hafiz that“from his verses , he should judge him to be aSttfi
‘
of eminence . He calls Hafiz “Liscin ul
HAFIZ As A PHILOSOPHER 31
ghaib The T ongue of the Hidden, and
Tarjzimdn til-Israr, Inte rpreter of Mysteries .In the next place , Dawlat Shah speaks of
Hafiz as a grea t Sufi and considers his verse as
possessing endl ess meanings in truth and divineknowledge . Compared with his station amongthe Sufis , his rank as a poe t is much lower . He
was unequalled in his knowledge of the Ouoran,
and remained unexce lled in the knowledge of
the outward and the inward .
” His re ligioninspired him with pious thoughts , which borefruit in his love for the dervishes and Ariis .Thirdly , there is the testimony of CharlesStewart , who says
“ Hafiz was eminent for his purity ; passedmuch of his time in solitude , devoting himse lf tothe service of God , and to reflecting on His divinenature . By his countrymen he is classed amongthe inspired and holymen ; and his works—he ldas inferior only to the Quoran -are frequentlyconsul ted by divines .
Lastly , the bulk of the Diwcin admits of a farhigher interpretation than any that could be longto our mortal existence . It might have beenattributed to pure accident if a few of his poemshad borne that interpretation but the questionof accident is beyond consideration when the
bulk of the Diwcin can be so explained . It iscommonplace if taken literally ; sublime iftruly interpreted . This shows a design and a
32 INTRODUCTION
certain state of mind . It can only be the
mind of a Sufi from which can emanate suchstrains .For this purpose tavern , etc . ,
must meanplace of worship wine ,
” signifying loveof God ; beloved , ” “
God,
”or Creator and
the oldman of 'the Magians and of the tavern , asthe spiritual guide .
”
What doubt can there be , when Hafiz himselfsays
Themeaning of this cup is the wine of eternityThemeaning of this wine , we understand , is selflessness .
From my boyhood I had a liking for Hafiz ,and always entertained a desire to associatemy name with his . I had long contemplatedbringing out a complete translation of the
works of Hafiz ; but they would have beentoo bulky . I have , therefore , adopted the sugges tion of my friends to bring out the worksin several volumes . The Rubd
’
z’
ydt is the firstvolume . I would consider my labours amplyrewarded if this little volume appeals to the
generous British Public , and supplies it withsomething which would far remove it to a
world so unlike its own but in feeling and
thought .A Ruba 1 (pl . Ruba
’iyat ) consists of four
34 INTRODUCTION
Ah happy he who , learns the crimson lore ,And, wine’s own Sufi , liberates his soul.
Although the last two lines do not quite ex
press the outward meaning of the last two linesof the Ruba’i , the inner meaning is the same .
The lines mean that the one who bids farewell tohis hearth and home , becomes a Sufi , is happyand this idea is in effect expressed by the lastlines of the versification.
Again,take th e Ruba’i No . 646 literally
,
which , translated , runs
Thine eye , ofwhich the sorcery of Babil is the teacher,0God that sorc ery may not pass out of its (eye
’
s )memory'And that e ar which put an earring into the ears of beauty
( itself) enslaved it ) ,Its earringmay be fromthe pearl ofHafiz’s poetry I
It corresponds to Ruba 1 No . 15
Those eyes , that Babil’
s sorcery hath taught ,Must al l their sweet enchantment come to noughtAnd that small ear—Nay fromthe fadeless pearlsOfHafiz
’
s song her pendant shal l be wrought.
It is evident t hat the qualifying adjective of
the car as putting “an earring into the ear of
beauty itself , ” that is to say,beautiful , has been
expressed by the word small , ” the Englishidea of a beautiful car being its smallness .
THE RUBA’IYAT IN ENGLISH VERSE 35
Or take again, literally , Ruba’i No . 633
No story of the light (beauty) of Chegil can be to ldNo tale of the burning heart ( lover) can be to ldThen is sorrow inmy little heart , and th e reason is thatthere is not
A friend to whomthe sorrows of the heart can be told.
In the versification it stands as No . 28
W ho can recall the rosebud of ChegilThe story of the burning heart revea lMy heart is deso late , s ince fri ends are none
To whommy tale of sorrows can appeal.
Or take again , the Ruba’i 638
Thine eye , fromwhich sorcery and deceit rain,
Beware Fromit the sword of battle rains .
Very soon thou becamest tired of thy companions ,Alas ' Fromthine heart—stone rains fromit.
Lit. Trans.
This corresponds to No. 29 of the versification
Your eyes , where lies andmagic play their part ,Fromwhose false dusk the swords of battle start,How soon they weary ofmy constant sight 'Stones that were tears now strikeme fromyour heart.
Or take the beautiful Ruba 1 634
The beauties of the world can be taken captivewith goTheir fruit can be happily tasted with gold .
36 INTRODUCTION
Look at Narcissus , which is crown-possessor of the world ;How it too droops its head to gold (narcissus has a go lden
cup over its flower) . Lit. Trans .
This is versified in No . 32
For gold the beauties of the world are wedThe ir charms upon themerchants ’mat they spread.
Even that sultan of the worlds of spring ,The proud Narcissus , droops a golden head.
Or take , once more , the Ruba 1 617
Manliness fromthe plucker of the door of Khaibar ask ,
And the secret of generosity fromKhawja K ambar (Ali’sslave ) ask .
If thirsty of the grace of God in reality, you Hafiz are ,The fountain-head of that (grace) fromthe cup
-bearer ofKausar (Ali ) ask . Lit. Trans.
It is versifled in No . 53
Ask strength of himwho plucked at Khaibar’
s door ;The gift of giving fromhis slave implore .
O Hafiz , if for grace of God thou yearn,
Ask of the fount for wine of K owsar’
s store .
Or take , lastly , the Ruba i 623
S it with the friend and the cup of wine , askA kiss fromthe lips of that cypress rose -bodied, askIf the wounded wishes to be cured of the wound ,Tell himfromthe lancet of a surgeon, ask .
A WORD OR TWO AS TO THE METRE 37
This corresponds to the versification, No . 57
Come , sit with love , and, while the wine -cup flows ,Enfo ld the cypress -form, the heart of roseO wounded lover, seeking to be who le ,Ask Héjjam’
s lancet of the cure it knows .
A WORD or. Two As TO THE METRE
In Persian there is only one prescribed metrefor all Ruba’iyats originally taken from the
Arabic . A great deal of difficulty was experi
enced in fixing upon the metre for the versifica
tion . FitzGerald has adopted the only metrewhich is suitable for quatrains . In this he wasby no means original . Hammer and Bicknellhad tried the metre consisting of ten syllablesin each line before . As Connington has wellsaid , there is a degree of metrical conformitybetween the measure of the original and that ofthe translation,
and though there is no perfectcoincidence in this respect , it at least suggestsit . Alexandrines would have been still better ,and they have been used by Bodenstedt and
other German translators of Omar’s Rubci’iydt ;but , as Mr .
’ E . H . Winfield has po inted out , the
English language does not lend itself to thisharmony . This adoption would have made thelines rather heavy in English . Therefore theyhave been forsaken for their rival .
38 INTRODUCTION
In conclusion , I desire to thank my friend ,Dr . S . A . Kapadia , joint editor of the Wisdomof the East ” Series , for several valuable hintsand suggestions , and various writers on Hafizwhose works I have consul ted .
ABDUL MA'ID .
4 , HARCOURT BU ILDINGS,TEMP LE , E C.
RUBA’IYAT or HAFIZ
When rosebuds into chalices unrollFor love of wine Narcissus bears the bowl .Ah happy he who learns the crimson lore ,And , wine ’s own Sufi , liberates his soul .
Of that old wine some vanished Sul tan grewGiveme , that Imay paint life ’s scenes anew .
Oh makeme heedl ess of the heedless worldThat I may sing the world’s desire to you.
Come , love and wine beside the river’s brinkIn every cup some shallow ca're we ’ll s ink .
Life ’s span is but the rose ’s , ten dear daysThen chain the ten with laughter’s golden link .
39
40 RUBA’IYAT or HA’
EIZ
O lovers , you whose happy hands enlace ,For whom Time ’s wheel , forgotten , flies apace ,When my time cometh hail the endl ess round ,That other Aprilsmay recall my face .
Come thou , and bring me wine , the source of j oy ;Heed not the wiles that meaner foes employ .
Smooth is the speech of him who bids thee stay ,And sweet are words that Sweeter lips decoy .
If , like us , you Should fall into love’s snare ,
Wine , wine alone can free you from despair .W e are the world-consuming revellersSit not with us , lest none Should speak you fair .
Youth is the tap that draws the wine most Sweet .Unh appy lover , drink and drown defeatCreation rocks to ruin in the end ,
And ruined lords their ruined halls complete.
43 RUBA’IYAT or HAFIZ
12
Around her waist my hand unchided stoleThis much I gained , yet still desired the whole .My armhad circled round the citadel ,And , still unmastered , she defied control .
I said Ah pretty mole of my delightShe answered , O thou fond and foolish W ightN0 mole the mirror of my charm retains ,’Tis thy dark glance upon my beauty bright .
Quoth I , Your lip The fount of.
life 'She cried .
Quoth I , Your mouth ' Tis sugar , coraldyed
Quoth I , Your speech ‘
I Ah , sweetly Hafizsang ;
For each soft word some golden tongue is tied .
15
Those eyes that Babil’s sorceries hath taught ,Must all the ir bright enchantments come to
nought 'And that small ear—Nay ' from the fadeless
arls
OfHafiz ’ song her pendant shall be wrought .
RUBA’IYAT or HAEIZ 43
0 you , to whom the sun and moon have bowedUpon your threshold’s dust the ir foreheads proud ,Bidme not burn in expectation’s fireNor seat me in the shadow of the cloud 1
17
Think not to sco rn the fierceness of a sigh .
From that which kindles flame may flamesnigh .
Oh be not heedless of the tears of night ,Or the dawn’
s grey sighs that ’
neath yourment die .
18
My heart makes room for grief—for grief of you .
By this dear grief my wounds shall heal anew .
The more you heap your vengeance on my heart,
The more tormented , she shall prove more true .
To-night Ihl sleep in blood for allmy painWithout the bed of rest I shall remain .
Sweet , an you doubt me , send your wraith 0’
To watch the night upon my torment wane .
44 RUBA’IYAT or HAEIZ
She told me , I amyours to have and hold .
Take heart let care by patience be controlled .
Ah , what is heart Some greybeard doth reply '
The clot of blood a thousand cares enfold .
”
She gaveme first the loving-cup to bindThe cup of cruelty she then assignedAnd when , with soul and body burned , I fellDust at her feet—she gaveme to the wind .
I was a beggar , of her love bereftSalt rankles in the wound that parting left .My heavy heart one day foretold the end
Then fell the swo rd , and our one life was cleft .
Sweet , you have moulded me to please the foe ;I was like Spring that now like autumn grow .
Once in your quiver still and straight I layTill passion came and bentme like a bew.
RUBA’IYA'
T or HA’
EIZ 45
Return my soul your wandering beauty seeks .Return my heart her desolation speaks .Oh
,golden sunshine of your face reveal ,
And burn the blinding tear-drops from my cheeks I
In crowds I see no image save thine own,
My ways are centred in thy street aloneAnd though thou re ignest , and the world hath
sleep ,
N0 kiss of slumber my tired lids have known .
Alone I weep more tears than candl es shedTears like the twink ling flagon
’
s rosy red ;And , like the wine—cup , since the heart is full ,When the sad harp bewails my tears are bled .
Ah , love , for k isses long withheld I die ;Your absent lips have slainme with a sigh .
A ruthless pen write s Finis to my tale .Return 1 for, while I wait , again I die .
46 RUBA’IYAT or HAEIZ
Who can recall the rosebud of Chegil
The story of the burning heart revealMy heart is desolate , since friends are noneTo whom my tale of sorrows can appeal .
Your eyes , where lies and magic play their part ,From whose false dusk the swords of battle start ,How soon they weary of my constant sightStones that were tears now strike me from your
heart .
30
Each friend who spoke of constancy becameA foe , each lovely face a so iling flame .
They say, The night is great with hidden things .Since none beheld her , who hath shared her
shame
0 time of broken vows that none would mendThe bitter foe was once a faithful friend .
So to the skirts of solitude I cling ,Le st friendship lure me to an evil end .
RUBA’IYAT or HAFIZ 47
For gold the beauties of the world are wed ;Their charms upon the merchants ’ matEven that sultan of the worlds of spring ,The proud Narcissus , droops a go lden head .
How shall this golden tyranny abideThis breaking of a people ’s heart and prideThere is a bloodsta ined swo rd in broken heartsWhom the red stee l doth fo llow woe betide
When tyrants rule can gold redeem the earthWhen sorrow haunts the home can joy have
birthNot all the promised aeons of delightThese seven dull days of mortal care are worth .
35
O son , withdraw your heart from faithless Time .
“
Let Faith , her husband , be your friend sublime .
Be heartless , ere likeme you vainly seekTo hold her mocking beauty with a rhyme .
4s RUBA’IYAT or HAEIZ
Oh would that Fortunemetme by the way ,That changing Time would grant me Slow delay ,And when the reins fell from the hands of youthThat Age might prove the stirrup for my stay .
37
In vain pursuits the random. years have flownWhat gain is mine from summers overthrownThe friends of yore are numbered with my foesThe lilies fall , the roses all are blown .
Each day some greater grief my hart hath borneMin’
e eyes are pierced by separation’s thorn '
;And Destiny to all my plaint replies ,Another load awaits another morn .
Yet what avails to foam with grief like wineW emay not cope with sorrows line on line .
Those young fresh lips divorce not from the cupLips that are young make every draught divine .
so RUBA’IYAT or HA‘
EIZ
Methinks I hear joy beating with his wings ;The perfume of passionate roses roundme clings .The wind has caught a story from hermouth
,
Oh rare and wondrous rs the tale he brings
Return return 'thoumany-vo iced galeWarmwithmy burning , her young heart assail ;Lest she be angered , sing to her alone ;Yet in the midst of maidens tellmy tale .
Whence did the tangleswj your hair ariseAnd the dreams that haunt the Shadows of your
eyesSince none have shaken petals on your pathOh whence the attar that around you lies
The jasmine blooms in the shadow of your hairLips beyond price , Since Aden ’s pearls lie there ,Like you , the soul is ever wine-inspiredThe wine
’s bright soul shines through a form as
fair .
RUBA’IYA’
T or HAEIZ 51
Roselit , my tears like her twin roses Show.
My heart ’s red blood through aching eyes dothflow
She askedme , seeking for a fa ir replyWhy do thine eyes like lakes in twilight glow
O great of soul How gladly would I giveAll that I amto thee by whomI liveIf thou wouldst know the bitte rness of he ll ,Pour friendship ’s wate r through an empty s ieve .
Sweet lips soon break the promise they procla imGod’s lovers never keep themfromthe flameIf the beloved yie ld to your desire ,
Yielding , she writes the record of your fame .
I clung to the be loved’s looks with tearsI said , Be thou physician of my fearsShe answered Takeme let my tresses goCling light to pleasure ,
not to length of years
52 RUBA’
TYA'
T or HAFIZ
Twere folly to thyself to be more kind ,Or fromCreation call thyself tomind .
Learn wisdomfrom the pupil of the eye
That looks on all men yet to self is blind .
Ask strength of him who plucked at Khaibar sdoor
The gift of giving fromhis slave implore .
O Hafiz,if for grace of God thou yearn
,
Ask of the fount for wine of Kowsar’
s store
Then , log as stands the heavenly decree ,
The wind shall te ll the youngest rose of theeThe cup that lights the hand of Taktaml’m7
Drink,and thou shalt be love ’s immortally .
Around Life ’s keep the rodent waters roarThe measure of our years is brimming o
’
er .
Soon ,soon ,
0 friend , the janitor of TimeShall cast Life ’s chattels through the broken door .
RUBA’IYA'
T or HAFIZ 53
W e hope for all things from the sky’s caress ,
Yet tremble *'
as the leaf when days grow less .You said no colour beyond black abidesThen why the snows upon the raven tress
Come , sit with love , and, while the wine-cup flowsEnfold the cypress-form , the heart of roseO wounded lover , seeking to be whole ,
Ask Hajjam’
s lancet of the cure it knows .
That night we wrought love ’smiracle aga inFor one brief gloomone soul was born of twain .
Now death shall weary at the springs of youthBy singing waters that he sealed in vain.
The Sultan ’s friend ,known by the least to fame ,
Giver of golden words that all acclaim,
W ho goes from Shiraz unto SamarcandThat Hadji Hafiz thrills not with his name 1
54 RUBA’
IYAT or HAFIZ
O thou great Almoner of human need,W ho solvest al l , dispensing blame and meed ,Why should I baremy secret heart to thee ,
Since all my hidden secrets thou canst read '
The rosebud hides herself for shame of TheeNor drowsed Narcissus dare to look on TheeHow can the rose her sovere ignty procla im'Her light is of the moon , the moon
’
s from Thee .
Blame not my tears for the secret they confessedDeal gently with a heart
g
that cannot restO Sufi since thou knowest his desire ,
Scorn not the wanderer for the lifelong quest
One that should dwell in squalo r for a spaceOf former pride will not retain a trace ;But some poor stranger in a foreign landSighs and remembers still his native place ,
110131311 35“ or HAFIZ 55
The way to Thee lies over grief and painTh e soul gropes on , the darkness doth remain .
W e only look upon the perfect faceWhen the lamp failing , shows the quest vain .
Till the desire of love be gratified ,Till the body’s kingdomwithout king abide ,My hope is ever of the Court of God ,
That all the gate s of joy be open wide
5s E'PLANATORY NOTES (RUBA’IYAT)
repeated the greatest name of God and at once ascended toheaven, and she is now regarded as Venus . The angelswere condemned , confined in a we ll , chained upside down ,
and
now they pass the ir time in teaching sorcery. It is for thisreason that the wel l of Bébil is noted for its sorcery.
4 Chaqil. ( 1 ) A district in Tartary famous for the beautyof its inhabitants or, (2) a fire templewhere in the attendantsheld “ lamps of Chegil.
5 Unlike English po ets Hafiz personifies Time as feminineand Faith asmascu line .
Khaibar was a stronghold of the 'ews near Medina .
In 630Mohammad took the place , the gates being removedby Ali , the fourth Caliph , and used as shields .
7 Taktamzin was the cup-bearer of Shah Shul a.
Hajjdmmeans a surgeon.
APPENDI' TO INTRODUCTION
The human brain has eve rything duplicateexcepting the pineal gland . This led De scarte sto think that the interchange of ene rgies betweenmind and matter , two hete rogeneous entities ,was poss ible through it .
Malebranche did away with the idea of pinealgland and in its place added that God , on everyoccasion when an inte rchange of energies be tweenthese two entities was required , inte rvened .
This is called the doctrine of Occasionalism.
When the Sufi says that nothing is possible without God this is the underlying philosophicalprinciple . Al-Ghazali had expre ssed the pre
ceding views long before they were thought outin Europe .
Unlike Locke , who reduces everything to
matter , Be rke ley reduce s everything to ideas .
The re are schools of Sfifis who adopt the viewswhich co incide with the doctrines of Locke and
of Berkeley . They are called Ahl-ul-Mojassaimand Ahl-ul Moshabhia respectively .
The theory of Monads of Le ibnitz 18 that69
60 APPENDI' TO INTRODUCTION
everything is like a mirror and reflects the restof the world in the degree of its development .The Sufis adopt this notion when they claim the
knowledge of the whole world at one glance ,
and the knowledge Of the individual Sufi is of thesame stage as he has attained to in the scale of
Sufiism.
Kant says that it is only perceptions which aresupplied by the various organs of the senses butthe form which is the outcome of the combinationof al l these various perceptions is supplied by themind . The Sufi adopts this view when he saysthat everything is pure self ; that is to say, everyform which one perce ives is caused by the mindand therefore from self .
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y,