Song lyrics

The Unforgettable Silence

📜 Lyrics

There was nothing in me, no memory came to you You forgot me, but I could not forget you If you cannot hear the tale of sorrow, who then will listen? Whose tongue will open if I cannot make you hear? We had come to our senses, we had come alive with passion Yet seeing the gathering's splendor, we could not raise our head There was nothing in me, no memory came to you You forgot me, but I could not forget you We became the gathering's charm, stories lingered on our lips Complaints remained in our heart, yet our lips could not move Here dwells the longing for union, here lies the question on our lips Who has the power here to meet our gaze with theirs? If only there were a messenger who could lend an ear to this matter Who could believe by hearing, who could go and tell them truly There was nothing in me, no memory came to you You forgot me, but I could not forget you My helplessness has only grown, my temper worsened, O friend Now let him heal me, O friend, who can understand my plight There are many who speak eloquently, yet none possess a heart Who but you, Hafiz, can sing the songs of sorrow like this?

💡 Meaning & story

The central idea of this ghazal is the bitterness of love, the complaint of indifference (sorrow at neglect), and the feeling of loneliness. The poet grieves over his beloved's unfaithfulness and coldness, but there is no hatred or anger in this complaint—rather, there is humility, heartache, and regret over his fate. He acknowledges that perhaps there was some deficiency in our own love or personality that prevented us from finding a place in the beloved's heart. Along with this, he also laments the world's heartlessness and the scarcity of those with compassionate hearts. ________________________________________ The meaning and explanation of the verses There was nothing worthy in us, no memory of you remained; you forgot us easily, yet we could not forget you • Meaning: The poet expresses humility and meekness, saying that perhaps there was no charm, attraction, or quality in us that would make you remember us. You forgot us quite easily, but our love was true, so try as we might, we could not erase you from our hearts. ________________________________________ You alone could not hear; if anyone hears the tale of my sorrow, who will listen? Whose lips will open if we ourselves could not tell you • Meaning: Addressing his beloved, he says that only you were worthy of hearing the story of my grief. If you yourself did not listen to me and showed coldness, then who in this world will hear my sorrow? And if we ourselves, out of self-respect or fear of shame, could not reveal the state of our heart to you, then what right does anyone else have to speak on our behalf? ________________________________________ I had come to my senses, I had become overcome with passion; seeing the beauty of the gathering, yet I could not lift my head • Meaning: The poet says that in the assembly I was fully conscious and aware, and a storm of emotion surged within me to step forward and claim my due or express the state of my heart. But when I saw the nature of the gathering, people's behavior, and my beloved's indifference, shame and prudence left me without the courage to lift my head. ________________________________________ I became the adornment of the gathering; stories remained on my lips, complaints remained in my heart, yet my lips could not move • Meaning: To show the world, I remained the ornament of the assembly, outwardly laughing and speaking, telling tales and stories so that no one could know my sorrow. Within my heart were countless grievances and complaints against my beloved, but out of respect for my love, my lips would not let these complaints be heard. ________________________________________ Here dwells the yearning for union; here rest questions upon my lips; who here has the courage to meet my gaze? • Meaning: Here in my heart is an intense longing to be with my beloved, and on my lips rests a plea. Yet such is the honor of my love and the dignity of my passion that no one in this gathering has the audacity or courage to look into my eyes and discern the deep anguish within, or to meet my gaze. ________________________________________ If only there were a messenger who could listen attentively to my words, believe in them upon hearing, and go convey them to her • Meaning: The poet searches for a true and compassionate messenger who would first hear the state of the poet's heart with care and attention, then believe in the hidden pain, and then deliver this message to the beloved with the same sincere longing. ________________________________________ My humility only increased her anger; now, friend, let her find a cure, friend, one whose wisdom can comprehend it • Meaning: The more humility and submission I showed the beloved to win her over, the more her anger and displeasure grew. Now this stubborn and displeased beloved is beyond anyone's remedy; only some wise healer whose understanding can fathom this psychology might find a solution. ________________________________________ Those with eloquent tongues are many; there are few with compassionate hearts. Who besides you, O Hafiz, could sing the songs of true sorrow so beautifully? • Meaning (closing couplet): Hafiz says that the world is full of those who speak eloquently, poets and the silver-tongued, but those who truly feel sorrow and possess compassionate hearts are rare. O Hafiz! Besides you, there is no other who can shape this true anguish of the heart into such beautiful and melodious songs.