Ghazal 196

Those who turn lead into gold
Will they ever our sight behold?

I hide my ills from false physicians
May my cure come from the invisible fold.

When beloved reveals a glimpse
Many tales by many are told.

Salvation is not in piety,
The deed for its own sake should unfold.

Be fair with my increasing love
Let not others mock me and scold.

Behind the veil, many schemes remain,
After unveiling, how will they be sold?

Heartwarming tales of lovers in this world
Warm even the hearts that may be ice cold.

Drinking the forbidden wine with sincerity
Surpass the moral rules we pretend to uphold.

The shirt that carried Joseph’s scent,
His brothers would gladly have sold.

Come, show yourself in the tavern
To the servants whom your passage extolled.

Keep jealous eyes away, because the good
For God’s sake, choose the good and bold.

Hafiz, sustained union cannot be cajoled;
Kings in the marketplace rarely strolled.