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The verse of Hafez Shirazi doth make sing and whirl
The Turk in Samarkand and the raven-eyed Kashmiri girl
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ba shayre hafiz shiraz mai raksand o mai naznad
(the verses [of] hafiz shiraz [makes] dance and sing)
siyah cheshman e kashmiri o turkan samarkandi
(black eyed kashmiri and turk [of] samarkand]
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Hafez said this couplet in recognition of the universality of his poetry – how it transcends cultures and borders. It serves wonderfully both as an epigraph and an epitaph to his life’s work.
Incidentally, I can personally bear testimony to this verse, because I am from Kashmir and I know Hafez is revered as a great poet there.
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