Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?

What it means

Hafez pictures himself in a whirlpool at night while others, travelling light, stand safe on the beach. People who have not been in the storm cannot fully judge it. Be slow to judge those still in the water, and keep swimming if it is you.

The source

"Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?" Hafez said it in Divan, Ghazal 1. Translated from the original Persian by Spartan Surfers.

"شب تاریک و بیم موج و گردابی چنین هایل / کجا دانند حال ما سبکباران ساحلها"

Original Persian, Divan, Ghazal 1. Text read at fa.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Hafez (c. 1315–1390). Poet of Shiraz whose Divan of ghazals is still opened at random in Iran to seek an omen.

Questions

What does "Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?" mean?

Hafez pictures himself in a whirlpool at night while others, travelling light, stand safe on the beach. People who have not been in the storm cannot fully judge it. Be slow to judge those still in the water, and keep swimming if it is you.

Who said "Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?"?

Hafez (c. 1315–1390). Source: Divan, Ghazal 1.

What is the original Persian?

شب تاریک و بیم موج و گردابی چنین هایل / کجا دانند حال ما سبکباران ساحلها. Translated from the original Persian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?" on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 6 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Dark night, high waves. What do they know, the ones safe on shore?" (Hafez, Divan, Ghazal 1, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/dark-night-high-waves-what-do-they-know