_Stanza 2._—These lines are exceedingly mysterious, as, indeed, is the
whole poem. I have looked for an explanation of them in other editions
of Hafiz, but have found little more than a bare translation of the
Persian words. For the meaning of this stanza, see Introduction, p. 56.
Sidreh and Tuba are two trees in the Garden of Paradise. The former is
the abode of the angel Gabriel. Concerning the latter Sale says: “They
fable that it stands in the palace of Mahommad, though a branch of it
will reach to the house of every true believer; that it will be laden
with pomegranates, grapes, dates, and other fruits of surprising
bigness, and of tastes unknown to mortals. So that if a man desire to
eat of any particular kind of fruit, it will immediately be presented to
him; or if he choose flesh, birds ready dressed will be set before him,
according to his wish. They add that the boughs of this tree will
spontaneously bend down to the hand of the person who would gather of
its fruits, and that it will supply the blessed not only with food, but
also with silken garments and beasts to ride on, ready saddled and
bridled and adorned with rich trappings, which will burst forth from its
fruits; and that this tree is so large that a person mounted on the
fleetest horse would not be able to gallop from one end of its shade to
the other in a hundred years.”—_Introduction to the Koran._
_Stanza 4._—He means either _facilis descensus Averni_, or, more
probably, that a great number of those upon whom the orthodox look
askance will be found to have equal claim to reward, since the
distinction between Sufi and orthodox is in fact nothing.
_Stanza 5._—“The lovers of wine”—that is to say the Sufis, who will be
equally indifferent whether he comes to them with or without trailing
clouds of human approbation, since they will judge of his worth by a
different standard.