To Hafiz, revelling, ’tis allowed

To pray to Matter and to Fire.

Bring the wine of Jamschid’s glass,

Which glowed, ere time was, in the Néant;

Bring it me, that through its force

I, as Jamschid, see through worlds.

Wisely said the Kaisar Jamschid,

‘The world’s not worth a barleycorn:’

Let flute and lyre lordly speak;

Lees of wine outvalue crowns.

Bring me, boy, the veiled beauty,

Who in ill-famed houses sits:

Bring her forth; my honest name

Freely barter I for wine.

Bring me, boy, the fire-water; –

Drinks the lion, the woods burn;

Give it me, that I storm heaven,

And tear the net from the archwolf.

Wine wherewith the Houris teach

Souls the ways of paradise!

On the living coals I’ll set it,

And therewith my brain perfume.

Bring me wine, through whose effulgence

Jam and Chosroes yielded light;

Wine, that to the flute I sing

Where is Jam, and where is Kauss.

Bring the blessing of old times, –

Bless the old, departed shahs!

Bring me wine which spendeth lordship,

Wine whose pureness searcheth hearts;

Bring it me, the shah of hearts!

Give me wine to wash me clean

Of the weather-stains of cares,

See the countenance of luck.

Whilst I dwell in spirit-gardens,

Wherefore stand I shackled here?

Lo, this mirror shows me all!

Drunk, I speak of purity,

Beggar, I of lordship speak;

When Hafiz in his revel sings,

Shouteth Sohra in her sphere.

Fear the changes of a day:

Bring wine which increases life.

Since the world is all untrue,

Let the trumpets thee remind

How the crown of Kobad vanished.

Be not certain of the world, –

’Twill not spare to shed thy blood.

Desperate of the world’s affair

Came I running to the wine-house.

Bring me wine which maketh glad,

That I may my steed bestride,

Through the course career with Rustem, –

Gallop to my heart’s content;

That I reason quite expunge,

And plant banners on the worlds.

Let us make our glasses kiss;

Let us quench the sorrow-cinders.

To-day let us drink together;

Now and then will never agree.

Whoso has arranged a banquet

Is with glad mind satisfied,

’Scaping from the snares of Dews.

Woe for youth! ’tis gone in the wind:

Happy he who spent it well!

Bring wine, that I overspring

Both worlds at a single leap.

Stole, at dawn, from glowing spheres

Call of Houris to my sense: –

‘O lovely bird, delicious soul,

Spread thy pinions, break thy cage;

Sit on the roof of seven domes,

Where the spirits take their rest.’

In the time of Bisurdschimihr,

Menutscheher’s beauty shined.

On the beaker of Nushirvan,

Wrote they once in elder times,

‘Hear the counsel; learn from us

Sample of the course of things:

The earth – it is a place of sorrow,

Scanty joys are here below;

Who has nothing has no sorrow.’

Where is Jam, and where his cup?

Solomon and his mirror, where?

Which of the wise masters knows

What time Kauss and Jam existed?