When those heroes left this world,

Left they nothing but their names.

Bind thy heart not to the earth;

When thou goest, come not back;

Fools squander on the world their hearts, –

League with it is feud with heaven:

Never gives it what thou wishest.

A cup of wine imparts the sight

Of the five heaven-domes with nine steps:

Whoso can himself renounce

Without support shall walk thereon; –

Who discreet is is not wise.

Give me, boy, the Kaisar cup,

Which rejoices heart and soul.

Under wine and under cup

Signify we purest love.

Youth like lightning disappears;

Life goes by us as the wind.

Leave the dwelling with six doors,

And the serpent with nine heads;

Life and silver spend thou freely

If thou honorest the soul.

Haste into the other life;

All is vain save God alone.

Give me, boy, this toy of Dæmons:

When the cup of Jam was lost,

Him availed the world no more.

Fetch the wineglass made of ice;

Wake the torpid heart with wine.

Every clod of loam beneath us

Is a skull of Alexander;

Oceans are the blood of princes;

Desert sands the dust of beauties.

More than one Darius was there

Who the whole world overcame;

But, since these gave up the ghost,

Thinkest thou they never were?

Boy, go from me to the shah;

Say to him, ‘Shah, crowned as Jam,

Win thou first the poor man’s heart,

Then the glass; so know the world.

Empty sorrows from the earth

Canst thou drive away with wine.

Now in thy throne’s recent beauty,

In the flowing tide of power,

Moon of fortune, mighty king,

Whose tiara sheddeth lustre,

Peace secure to fish and fowl,

Heart and eye-sparkle to saints; –

Shoreless is the sea of praise;

I content me with a prayer: –

From Nisami’s lyric page,

Fairest ornament of speech,

Here a verse will I recite,

Verse more beautiful than pearls:

“More kingdoms wait thy diadem

Than are known to thee by name;

Thee may sovran Destiny

Lead to victory day by day!” ’

GHASELLE
from the Persian of Hafiz

Of Paradise, O hermit wise,

Let us renounce the thought;

Of old therein our names of sin

Allah recorded not.

Who dear to God on earthly sod

No corn-grain plants,

The same is glad that life is had,

Though corn he wants.

O just fakir, with brow austere,

Forbid me not the vine;

On the first day, poor Hafiz’ clay

Was kneaded up with wine.

Thy mind the mosque and cool kiosk,

Spare fast and orisons;

Mine me allows the drinking-house,

And sweet chase of the nuns.

He is no dervise, Heaven slights his service,

Who shall refuse

There in the banquet to pawn his blanket

For Schiraz’ juice.

Who his friend’s skirt or hem of his shirt

Shall spare to pledge,

To him Eden’s bliss and angel’s kiss

Shall want their edge.

Up! Hafiz, grace from high God’s face

Beams on thee pure;

Shy thou not hell, and trust thou well,