6 
Introduction 
It would be impertinent and useless for me to 
enumerate the various metres in which these 
Ghazals are written ;  but concerning the Ghazal 
itself, the remarks of Dr. Forbes (Persian Gram-
mar, p. 144, par. 148.) are so luminous and con-
cise that I cannot refrain from giving my readers 
the pleasure of their perusal. 
“ This kind of composition corresponds, upon the 
whole, with the Ode of the Greeks and Romans, or 
the Sonetta of the Italians.  The most common sub-
jects of which it treats are, the beauty of a mi-
stress, and the sufferings of the despairing lover 
from her absence or indifference.  Frequently it 
treats of other matters, such as the delights of the 
season of Spring, the beauties of the flowers of the 
garden, and the tuneful notes of the nightingales 
as they warble their melodies among the rose 
bushes ;  the joys resulting from wine and hilarity, 
are 
most 
particularly 
noticed 
at 
the 
same 
time ;  the whole interspersed with an occasional 
pithy allusion to the brevity of human life, and the 
vanity of sublunary matters in general.  The more 
orthodox among the Musulman are rather scanda-
lized at the eulogies bestowed upon the “ juice of 
the grape ” by their best poets, such as Hafiz for 
example ;  and they endeavour to make out that 
the text is to be taken in a mystic or spiritual 
sense, such as we apply to the “ song of Solo-
mon.”  It appears to me, however, that Hafiz writes 
upon this favourite theme just as naturally, and 
with as much gusto, as either Anacreon or Horace, 
who in this respect may be safely acquitted of the 
sins of mysticism.  The first couplet of the Ghazal 
is called the Matla’, or “ the place of rising ” (of a 
heavenly body), which we may translate the 
“ Opening.”  It is a standard rule that both hemis-
tichs of this couplet should have the same metre 
and rhyme.  The remaining couplets must have the 
same metre, and the second hemistich of each (but