Return! that to a heart wounded full sore Valiance and strength may enter in; return! And Life shall pause at the deserted door, The cold dead body breathe again and burn. Oh come! and touch mine eyes, of thy sweet grace, For I am blind to all but to thy face. Open the gates and bid me see once more! Like to a cruel Ethiopian band, Sorrow despoiled the kingdom of my heart— Return! glad Lord of Rome, and free the land; Before thine arms the foe shall break and part. See now, I hold a mirror to mine eyes, And nought but thy reflection therein lies; The glass speaks truth to them that understand. Night is with child, hast thou not heard men say? “Night is with child! what will she bring to birth?” I sit and ask the stars when thou’rt away. Oh come! and when the nightingale of mirth Pipes in the Spring-awakened garden ground, In Hafiz’ heart shall ring a sweeter sound, Diviner nightingales attune their lay.

The work and its creator

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Creator: Hafiz
Nationality / cultural background: Iranian · Persian
Work / edition: 1897 translation

Translation: Gertrude Bell · English

Historical public-domain text. Selected passage; line-end whitespace normalised. No generated quotation.

In the source: XV

Selected for the Brief on 3 Oct 2026. This date records our selection, rather than when the work was created.