English Translations of Hafiz

English Translations of Hafiz continued ... (page 4 of 4)

During the same year (1921) Robert Obbard translated a selection of Hafiz’s poems and followed it in 1922 by publishing a further translation which again I haven’t seen. In the same year R.A. Nicholson, a pupil of E.G. Browne, and the great translator of Rumi into English at the time (although today some fundamental criticism of his work on Rumi’s Masnavi have been rightly expressed) published some of his versions of Hafiz’s poems.

1922. R.A. Nicholson. Translations of Eastern Poetry and Prose. Ghazal 1 couplet 1. Poetic translation.

Saki, pass the cup arid pour,
Pour me out the balmy drink!
Love, who seemed too light of yore,
Underneath this load I sink.

Nicholson was not always successful in translating Hafiz, and it is possible to see why in the couplet quoted above. The rhyme-structure is wrong and reminds me of the attempts of Nott, Richardson and others in the 18th century. The poem lacks power and depth. The choice of words seems strange: ‘balmy’ and ‘yore’ belong to the previous century or the one before that. In other translations of Hafiz the same faults show and I can only suppose that he wasn’t really interested in Hafiz, preferring Rumi and others, and this shows in his translations. Nicholson even takes couplets from various poems and makes another poem out of them, which is a practice that showed lack of respect for the poet and was unworthy of this great translator and scholar. On the positive side they are simple and have a bouncy quality to them.

A translation followed in 1923, by R. Levy in rhyming couplets in his volume on Persian literature. In 1928 C.K. Streit changed some of the couplets from Hafiz’s gazals into ruba’i form because of the popularity of FitzGerald’s translation.

1928. C.K. Streit. Hafiz, The Tongue of the Hidden. Ghazal 8 couplet 1. Poetic translation:

Belle of Shiraz, grant me but love’s demand,
And for your mole - that clinging grain of sand
Upon a cheek of pearl - Hafiz would give
All of Boukhara, all of Samarkand.

Again the Beloved is female, a ‘belle;’ and the form is incorrect (why change ghazals when Hafiz wrote in the ruba’i form anyway?) There are em-bellishments, but the poem still has a certain charm.

Another Indian, K.M. Maitra, translated Hafiz in 1933 (which I haven’t seen) and in 1934 the first Persian I have been able to find translated seven ghazals of Hafiz into English. This was Masud Farzaad the great Hafiz scholar who would go on to spend the remainder of his life authenticating the complete text of Hafiz. A literal English version of his edition has not yet appeared. In a later work Farzaad gives his literal versions of a number of poems and I will quote one when I arrive at the year in which it was published. B.A.A. Memon of Karachi published fifty ghazals in prose in 1936 and in 1937 P.L. Stallard published thirty-three poems.

1937. P.L. Stallard. Renderings from the Dewan of Khwaja Shamsu’ddin Muhammed Hafiz Shirazi. Ghazal 8 couplet 1. Poetic translation.

Should that little chit of Shiraz
Bear my heart within her hand
For her cheek’s swart mole I’d barter
Bukhara and Samarcand!

Stallard’s translation has nothing to recommend it, except that it’s a translation of Hafiz. It is vulgar and lacking in almost everything.

1939. Dr. A.G. Munsiff. Meher Baba Through Hafiz. Ghazal 218 couplet 1. Literal translation.

Overnight towards morning, they freed me forever from pain and grief;

In the darkness of night I was made to drink the elixir of life (when all knowledge was revealed to him).

Dr. Munsiff’s literal translations are clear and powerful and show that he had a good understanding of the spiritual nature of Hafiz’s poems. In the same year (1939) Henry B. Lister published a selection of translations which I haven’t seen and two years later another Indian H.P. Shastri translated some of Hafiz’s ghazals.

1941. H.P. Shastri. Indian Mystic Verse. Ghazal 313 couplet 1. Literal translation.

What pain have I suffered from love? Do not ask.
What poison has been my fare in the course of separation from Him?
Do not ask.

Shastri’s translations are clear and simple and he designates the Beloved as ‘Him’ with a capital ‘H,’ as do most of the Eastern translators, being respectful of Hafiz’s own words that the Beloved, the Friend, the Winebringer are names for God. Most of the Western translators of Hafiz felt no such respect for Hafiz’s own words and wishes and throughout the centuries continued to translate the Beloved how they wanted, usually as a ‘wanton,’ teasing, coy, a woman who is not a symbol of the Divinity. This was a reflection of their consciousness (or lack of it), for they interpreted Hafiz’s poems through their own desires and not through his. But, there were of course exceptions to this.

A.J. Arberry, friend and pupil of H.R. Nicholson had been writing various papers on Hafiz and his translators for some years. He came into print with some of his versions as well as others from the past that he collected, in 1947.

1947. A.J. Arberry. Fifty Poems of Hafiz. Ghazal 1 couplet 1. Verse translation.

Ho, saki, haste, the beaker bring,
Fill up and pass it round the ring,
Love seemed at first an easy thing
But ah! the hard awakening.

Although Arberry never attempted the correct rhyme-structure of the ghazal in any of his translations they all still have the quality of good poetry. Occasionally he uses old fashioned words (even for 1947) such as ‘beaker’ and ‘doth,’ but overall, his versions have strength, dignity and music, especially his translations of ‘The wild Deer’ and ghazal no. 123. with Arberry again the Beloved is usually ‘her,’ a mistake that seems strange for such a gifted linguist and scholar. In 1948 J.C.E. Bowen translated some couplets by Hafiz divorced from the rest of the ghazals and in the following year Masud Farzaad the Persian scholar published three of his literal translations.

1949. Masud Farzaad. Haafez and his Poems. Ghazal 439 couplet 1. Literal translation.

When shall the joyous call for union with Thee come (to me)?
Whereupon I will leave my life.
I am a bird from the holy garden, and will rise,
free, from the snare of the world!

Fazaad’s literal translations, along with those made by Dr. Munsiff, seem to me to be the clearest of all the translations into prose. The Beloved is ‘Thee’ and the spiritual quality is always there. It is a great pity that he did so few.

1952. Peter Avery and John Heath-Stubbs. Hafiz of Shiraz. Ghazal 1 couplet 2. Prose version.

Boy, bring the cup and circulate the wine:
How easy at first love seemed, but now the snags begin.

The version by these two translators is simple and to the point which is a good quality. At times they use ‘slang’ which Hafiz never did, and the Beloved is ‘he’ with a small ‘h,’ and the Winebringer is a ‘boy’ - the opposite of most Western translations. This is a ‘modern’ version and if anything lacks the force of the poetry of the rhyme-structure and it’s a shame that they didn’t attempt it.

1964. R.M. Rehder. Anthology of Islamic Literature. Ghazal 8 couplet 1. Literal translation.

If that Shirazi Turk will take my heart in her hand
I will give up for her Bokhara and Samarqand.

The first couplet rhymes but the others do not. Again the Beloved is female. Rehder’s poems are flat and lack any poetry at all. But they are simple, even though this at times is not a good quality because they leave out words. An example of this is the couplet quoted above in which any reference to the Beloved’s ‘mole’ is omitted. Usually they stick fairly closely to the storyline and for this reason there is an interest in them for anyone wanting to look.

1965. Abbas Aryanpur. Poetical Horoscope or Odes of Hafiz. Ghazal 1 couplets 1 and 2. Verse translation.

Serve the cup around, 0 Saki, for love I say,
Seemed easy first, yet difficult in the end.
Lover’s hearts are bleeding, and sure will rend,
When zephyr spreads scent of her curls away.

In many ways Aryanpur’s translations are more Western than most Western versions. He designates the Beloved as ‘her’ as most Western translators do and uses English in an American fashion, sometimes with American slang. His structure is not strictly the ghazal structure, usually it is rhyming couplets or derivatives of it. But his translations have simplicity and honesty and an occasional brilliance that makes a study of them worthwhile.

During 1966 Hadi Hasan published thirteen literal translations that are certainly worth reading; and the next published book of translations did not appear until seven years later and once again it was a fellow countryman of Hafiz. The wheel had turned full circle for the majority of translations now appearing were by Iranians.

1973. Mehdi Nakosteen. The Ghazaliyyat of Hafiz of Shiraz. Ghazal 8 couplet 1. Prose translation.

I will bestow as token gifts those jeweled towns of East,
That fabled town of Samarkand, that Bukhara of ancient fame,
As humble gifts of love for that black mole, that Hindu mole,
That graces now the beauteous face of that capricious maid,
Of that bewitching maid, that beauty of Shiraz,
If she - our heart would soothe but once.

Nakosteen does not attempt the rhyme-structure of the ghazal but allows the way that he feels about the poems to allow the rhymes to come when they happen. Of all the numerous rhyme methods other than the successful attempts by Browne, Bridges and the rhyming couplets of Bicknell, this method is probably the best. In many ways these translations are similar in style and feeling to those by Bell, and work as poems in their own right. On other levels they are not so successful. Some of the couplets are left out and others are expanded to suit the mood and interpretation of the translator. Due to this some liberties are taken that sometimes do more harm than good. The Beloved is usually female and in ghazal no. 1 becomes a ‘girl.’ Some of the couplets are embellished so much that they are stretched into six or more lines and much of the simplicity of Hafiz is lost. But there is still much to discover in these interesting translations if one wishes to look.

1973. Maud Kennedy. The Colours of Love from Ghazals of Hafiz of Shiraz. Ghazal 31 couplet 1. Prose translation.

Wind of the East, if by chance you pass by the country of my love,
Bring a waft of the musk-scented hair of the Friend.

Kennedy has taken the ‘gross’ translations of Payne and has spiritualized them: a remarkable achievement (although Payne probably turned in his grave). The Beloved becomes ‘Him’ not ‘her’ and the poems, although usually having no rhyme-structure, have power and simplicity and because of this there is much that the reader will gain from them. It is obvious that Maud Kennedy has read widely on the spiritual aspect of Persian poetry and throughout her translation the clear light of Hafiz’s meaning shines through.

Many of the couplets that were translated by Meher Baba over a period of fifty years were published together in 1974. In the translations by Meher Baba (Merwan S. Irani) the human and the Divine aspects of Hafiz’s poetry are in perfect balance.

1974. Meher Baba. Translations of Hafiz of Shiraz (Pie Anthology). Ghazal 217 couplet 1. Poetic translation.

Praise be to God, what wealth I possess tonight!
For suddenly my Beloved came to me tonight!

Meher Baba used the poetry of Hafiz when explaining the different aspects of the Spiritual Path. Some translations are literal and others are in verse. The above translation consists of rhyming couplets with the refrain words at the end of the couplet. Baba wrote many of his own ghazals so he was well acquainted with the form. In many ways they are the ideal translations. The Beloved is usually ‘you,’ unless talking about God in the formless state. They blend the spiritual with the human in such a way that it is not noticed. The language and imagery are clear and precise and beautiful and have not dated. The symbols are self explanatory and the tone of the poems is conversational. But most important of all, the meaning comes through loud and clear. Another aspect that Baba has achieved is the ‘feeling’ of Hafiz’s ghazals, that can only be described as a ‘nostalgia for the Divine,’ and in those written after God-realization: ‘Divine Nostalgia.’ This ‘nostalgia’ could be described as a combination of grief and bliss, sorrow and love, agony and ecstasy. Although Meher Baba’s translations are few, they serve as the model for the present and for the future, for they do not date, and always remain fresh in one’s memory. I have found them more useful than any other for gaining insight into the ‘essence’ of Hafiz’s verse and for finding a simple method of using English words that symbolize the different states that Hafiz describes.

1976. Michael C. Hillmann. Unity in the Ghazals of Hafez. Ghazal 8. Literal translation.

If that Turk (ish male/female, beloved) of Shiraz gains
my heart (reciprocates my affection), I’ll
Grant (give up) Samarqand and Bokhara
(in exchange) for his/her Indian mole (beauty mark)

Hillmann’s literal translations are clear and explanative. They are extremely helpful to anyone (such as myself) who is trying to produce a poetic version. Hillmann doesn’t designate the gender of the Beloved as either male or female but uses both (‘his/her’) to signify the Persian word which means ‘the person referred to.’ There is much to gain from his book which contains his analysis of 16 ghazals "to determine the sorts of unity which they embody."

1984. David Cloutier. Hafiz of Shiraz. Ghazal 311. Prose Version.

Don’t ask to what extant
I’ve endured love’s pain or just how
I’ve taken the poison of separation.

David Cloutier’s small selection of sixteen poems are literal and simple but lack power or beauty. He also designates the beloved as a woman.

1988. Michael Boyan. Hafez: Dance of Life. Ghazal 44. Prose translation.

With mussed-up hair and moistened brow
The tempting lips of an intoxicated smile
With open blouse rent to the waist,
Singing a sonnet’s soft strain
Her cup contained a potent brew.

Michael Boyan adds a ‘sonnet’s soft strain’ out of nowhere and again assumes it is a ‘her’. His 12 versions are pedestrian, at times boring (if that’s possible with Hafiz) and printed alongside Clarke’s that are so much more informative one wonders why the publisher bothered.

1995. Elizabeth T. Gray, JR. The Green Sea of Heaven: Fifty Ghazals from the Diwan of Hafiz. Ghazal 1, prose translation.

O Saki, Bring around the cup of wine and then offer it to me,
for love seemed easy at first, but then grew difficult.

Gray’s prose translations of 50 ghazals are clear and informative and helpful. It is a pity she has not done more.

1997. M.G. Gupta. Diwan-I-Hafiz. Ghazal 1. Literal translation.

O cupbearer (beloved living master)! Commence the round of the cup (Divine liquor) and serve me the wine (gnosis); for, the beginning of love looked easy and simple, but all sorts of difficulties (knotty problems) have cropped up, (this passion is not easy, know this much: it’s like a river of fire and one can only traverse through it, submerged into it).

Ghazal 8. Literal translation.

If that Shirazi Turk (beloved master) were to hold my heart, in return for the sight of his facial beauty spot, I would sacrifice the entire Samarkand (symbol of beauty) and Bokhara (symbol of gnosis).

Gupta becomes the fourth person (after myself and Payne and Clarke) to translate the entire Divan of Hafiz into English. His version is even more Sufi-istic and explanative than Clarke’s (if that is possible). Everything seems to be a symbol for a spiritual state or stage and the beloved is nearly always designated as a male or the ‘master’. He in a way by always doing this de-humanizes Hafiz and at times it all gets all too much for the poor reader.

1998. Thomas Rain Crowe. Winesellers Street: Renderings of Hafiz. Ghazal 1. Prose translation.

Wineseller, bring that expensive wine you’ve been saving. for the
President of the world Bank or all the sheikh’s land won’t be found
in Paradise.

Thomas Rain Crowe often modernizes Hafiz’s imagery and more often than not it doesn’t work, it just sticks out like a sore thumb. But, there is a lot of energy in many of his very American versions and the light of Hafiz can still be found.

1998. Haleh Pourafzal and Roger Montgomery. The Spiritual Wisdom of Hafez: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love. Ghazal 1. Correct-rhyme translation.

I need a drink, wine maiden, that cup with grape stain lined,
for love at once seemed pleasing has burdened down my mind.

These are beautiful, clear, correct-rhyming versions that go straight to the heart and reveal Hafiz in all his glory. All we can do is hope for more, and more of the ‘Philosophy of Hafiz’ that pervades their fine book.

2002. Reza Saberi. The Divan of Hafiz. Ghazals 1. Literal translations.

O Saqi, fill the bowl and pass it around.
For love seemed easy at first, but then fell troubles.

Ghazal 8

If that Turk of Shiraz is kind to my heart,
I will bestow Samarqand for her black mole.

Finally, an Iranian, Reza Saberi becomes the fifth person to bring out a complete English translation of the whole of the Divan of Hafiz. Saberi’s literal translations are simple, adequate, but lack beauty or power. Sometimes one gets the feeling that Saberi does not possess good enough English to express what Hafiz is saying properly. Again the beloved is designated mostly as a female, although Hafiz does not do this. Why not use ‘that one’ for ‘her’? It would be more literal, closer to the truth.

2005. Shariar Shahriari. www.hafizonlove.com Ghazal 1. Rhyming translations.

O beautiful wine-bearer bring forth the cup and put it to my lips,
Path of love seemed easy at first, what came was many hardships.

Ghazal 8.

That beautiful Shirazi Turk, took control and my heart stole,
I’ll give Samarkand & Bukhara, for her Hindu Beauty mole.

Shahriari has been publishing his versions of Hafiz’s poems in rhyming couplets on his Hafiz website for about 6 years and seems to have now finished about half of Hafiz’s Divan. Sometimes he achieves the correct rhyme-structure of the ghazal, sometimes he, incredibly, but not to my liking, has every single line rhyming the same, and sometimes he settles for the much easier to achieve, different rhyming couplets. His versions are always close to the essence of Hafiz’s meaning although sometimes a little clumsily worded. He also falls into the trap of designating ‘she’ for the beloved.

click here to return to top of page ...

Home