Ghazal 217: O Muslims, there was a time when I had a heart

مسلمانان مرا وقتی دلی بود
که با وی گفتمی گر مشکلی بود

به گردابی چو می‌افتادم از غم
به تدبیرش امید ساحلی بود

دلی همدرد و یاری مصلحت بین
که استظهار هر اهل دلی بود

ز من ضایع شد اندر کوی جانان
چه دامنگیر یا رب منزلی بود

هنر بی‌عیب حرمان نیست لیکن
ز من محروم‌تر کی سائلی بود؟

بر این جان پریشان رحمت آرید
که وقتی کاردانی کاملی بود

مرا تا عشق تعلیم سخن کرد
حدیثم نکتهٔ هر محفلی بود

مگو دیگر که حافظ نکته‌دان است
که ما دیدیم و محکم جاهلی بود

O Muslims, there was a time when I had a heart
to which I would speak whenever there was a difficulty.

When I was falling into a whirlpool of grief,
through its counsel there was hope of a shore.

A heart that shared my pain, a friend who saw what was best,
the support of every person of heart.

It was lost to me in the street of the beloved;
O Lord, what a place that was for catching one by the skirt!

Talent is never free of the fault of deprivation, but
when was there ever a beggar more deprived than I?

Have mercy on this distracted soul,
which once was a master, skilled and complete.

Ever since love taught me how to speak,
my words were the fine point of every gathering.

Do not say any more that Hafez knows subtleties,
for we have seen him, and he was a thorough ignoramus.