Un presagio da Hafez
Ghazal 167
A star flashed forth and rose to be the full moon of our feast;
it turned companion and consoler to our startled, straying heart.
My idol, who set foot in no school and traced no letter's line,
learned by a single glance to school a hundred learned masters.
Caught by her fragrance, the lovers' ailing hearts, like the morning breeze,
spent themselves as ransom for the wild-rose cheek and the narcissus eye.
The Friend now seats me at the head of the wine-bench, high in place;
behold the city's beggar — how he is made the prince of the feast!
He shaped the dream of Khizr's Water and Alexander's cup
from the deep draught poured out by Sultan Abu'l-Fawaris.
The pleasure-house of love shall now stand thronged and richly built,
for the arch of my beloved's brow has risen as its architect.
Wipe clean your lip of the spilled wine's trace, I beg you, for the love of God,
for my thoughts are grown suspect of a thousand secret sins.
Your teasing glance dispensed to lovers such a heady wine
that knowledge dropped down senseless, and reason lost its wits.
My verse is precious as the dearest gold — yes, truly so;
the favour of the fortunate turned alchemist to this base copper.
Friends, turn aside your reins from the road that leads to the tavern,
for Hafez took this road, and by it was left bankrupt and undone.