Ghazal 105 of Hafez (8 couplets), in the original Persian as on Ganjoor, with a transliteration, a plain English translation, the meanings of key words and the traditional fâl-e Hâfez reading.
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COUPLET 1
صوفی ار باده به اندازه خورَد نوشش بادور نه اندیشهٔ این کار فراموشش باد
sufi ar bâde be andâze khorad nushash bâd / var na andishe-ye in kâr farâmushash bâd
If the Sufi drinks wine in moderation, may it do him good; if not, may he forget the whole idea.
COUPLET 2
آن که یک جرعه مِی از دست توانَد دادندست با شاهدِ مقصود در آغوشش باد
ân ke yek jor'e mey az dast tavânad dâdan / dast bâ shâhed-e maghsud dar âghushash bâd
Whoever can let a single sip of wine go from his hand, may he hold the beauty he longs for in his arms.
COUPLET 3
پیرِ ما گفت خطا بر قلم صُنع نرفتآفرین بر نظرِ پاکِ خطاپوشَش باد
pir-e mâ goft khatâ bar ghalam-e son' naraft / âfarin bar nazar-e pâk-e khatâpushash bâd
Our elder said, "No error ever ran from the pen of creation." Bravo to his pure, fault-covering eye!
COUPLET 4
شاهِ تُرکان، سخنِ مدعیان می‌شِنَوَدشرمی از مَظلَمِهٔ خونِ سیاوشش باد
shâh-e torkân sokhan-e moddaiyân mishenavad / sharmi az mazleme-ye khun-e siyâvashash bâd
The king of the Turks listens to the words of slanderers; may he feel some shame for the wrong of shedding Siyavash's blood.
COUPLET 5
گر چه از کِبر، سخن با منِ درویش نگفتجان فدایِ شِکَرین‌پستهٔ خاموشش باد
gar che az kebr sokhan bâ man-e darvish naguft / jân fadâ-ye shekarin-peste-ye khâmushash bâd
Though out of pride the beloved said no word to me, a poor dervish, may my soul be the ransom of that silent, sugary pistachio mouth.
COUPLET 6
چشمم از آینه‌دارانِ خط و خالش گشتلبم از بوسه‌رُبایانِ بَر و دوشش باد
cheshmam az âyene-dârân-e khat o khâlash gasht / labam az buse-robâyân-e bar o dushash bâd
My eyes became mirror-holders for the down and mole of that face; may my lips become thieves of kisses from that chest and shoulder.
COUPLET 7
نرگسِ مست نوازش‌کُنِ مردم‌دارَشخونِ عاشق به قدح گر بِخورد نوشش باد
narges-e mast-e navâzesh-kon-e mardom-dârash / khun-e âsheq be ghadah gar bekhorad nushash bâd
That drunken narcissus eye, so caressing and kind to people: if it drinks a lover's blood by the cupful, may it enjoy it.
COUPLET 8
به غلامیِ تو مشهورِ جهان شد حافظحلقهٔ بندگیِ زلفِ تو در گوشش باد
be gholâmi-ye to mashhur-e jahân shod Hâfez / halghe-ye bandegi-ye zolf-e to dar gushash bâd
Hafez has become famous in the world as your servant; may the ring of servitude to your curl stay in his ear.
What this fâl tells you
Moderation and gratitude are the heart of this ghazal: take what is good in the right measure, and do not judge the world too quickly, since "no error ran from the pen of creation." Tradition reads this fal as a sign that if you can let go of a small pleasure, a greater wish may come into your arms. Be patient with someone who is silent toward you for now.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -ash bâd ("may it be his"). qâfiye: -ush (nush, farâmush, âghush, khatâpush, siyâvash, khâmush, dush, gush).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| andâze | measure; be andâze = in moderation dictionary | |
| khorad | drinks dictionary | |
| نوشش | nushash | may it be sweet to him, may it do him good dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| tavânad | can, is able dictionary | |
| dâdan | to give; az dast dâdan = to let go dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| âghushash | his embrace, his arms dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| قلم | ghalam | pen; ghalam zadan bar = to strike out, cancel dictionary |
| نرفت | naraft | did not go dictionary |
| âfarin | bravo, praise dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| پاک | pâk | pure dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| مدعیان | moddaiyân | pretenders, slanderers, rivals dictionary |
| می‌شنود | mishenavad | listens to, hears dictionary |
| sharmi | some shame dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| کبر | kebr | pride, arrogance (تکبر) |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| نگفت | naguft | did not say dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| khâmushash | his silent dictionary | |
| چشمم | cheshmam | my eye dictionary |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khâlash | his mole dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| لبم | labam | my lip dictionary |
| dushash | his shoulder dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| bekhorad | drinks dictionary | |
| gholâmi | servitude, being a servant dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| مشهور | mashhur | famous dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| گوشش | gushash | his ear dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 105. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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