Ghazal 118 of Hafez (9 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
آن کس که به دست جام داردسلطانیِ جَم مُدام دارد
ân kas ke be dast jâm dârad / soltâni-ye jam modâm dârad
Whoever holds a cup in hand holds the kingship of Jamshid forever.
COUPLET 2
آبی که خِضِر حیات از او یافتدر میکده جو که جام دارد
âbi ke khezr hayât az u yâft / dar meykade ju ke jâm dârad
The water from which Khezr found eternal life, look for it in the tavern: the cup has it.
COUPLET 3
سررشتهٔ جان به جام بگذارکاین رشته از او نظام دارد
sar-reshte-ye jân be jâm bogzâr / k-in reshte az u nezâm dârad
Hand the thread of your life over to the cup, for this thread gets its order from it.
COUPLET 4
ما و مِی و زاهدان و تقواتا یار، سرِ کدام دارد
mâ o mey o zâhedân o taghvâ / tâ yâr sar-e kodâm dârad
We have our wine, the ascetics have their piety; let us see which one the beloved favors.
COUPLET 5
بیرون ز لبِ تو ساقیا نیستدر دور، کسی که کام دارد
birun ze lab-e to sâghiyâ nist / dar dowr kasi ke kâm dârad
O cupbearer, apart from your lips, no one in this age has what the heart desires.
COUPLET 6
نرگس، همه شیوه‌های مستیاز چشمِ خوشت به وام دارد
narges hame shive-hâ-ye masti / az cheshm-e khoshat be vâm dârad
The narcissus has borrowed all its drunken ways from your lovely eyes.
COUPLET 7
ذکرِ رخ و زلف تو دلم راوردی‌ست که صبح و شام دارد
zekr-e rokh o zolf-e to delam râ / virdi-st ke sobh o shâm dârad
Remembering your face and curls is a prayer my heart repeats morning and evening.
COUPLET 8
بر سینهٔ ریشِ دردمندانلعلت نمکی تمام دارد
bar sine-ye rish-e dardmandân / la'lat namaki tamâm dârad
On the wounded chests of those in pain, your ruby lips are like salt, full of savor.
COUPLET 9
در چاهِ ذَقَن چو حافظ ای جانحُسنِ تو دو صد غلام دارد
dar châh-e zaghan cho Hâfez ey jân / hosn-e to do sad gholâm dârad
My dear, in the well of your chin your beauty holds two hundred slaves like Hafez.
What this fâl tells you
The cup of Jamshid and the water of life are both close at hand in this ghazal. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that the thing you seek far away is already near, if you know where to look. Let your days have a steady rhythm, morning and evening, around what you truly love.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dârad ("has"). qâfiye: -âm (jâm, modâm, nezâm, kodâm, kâm, vâm, shâm, tamâm, gholâm).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| soltâni | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| مدام | modâm | constant, lasting; also "wine" (pun) dictionary |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| hayât | life; âb-e hayât = water of life (زندگی) dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| ju | seek! (= bejuy) (بجوی) dictionary | |
| sar-reshte-ye | end of the thread of, control of dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bogzâr | leave, hand over! dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| reshte | thread dictionary | |
| نظام | nezâm | order, arrangement dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| zâhedân | ascetics, the outwardly pious dictionary | |
| taghvâ | piety dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کدام | kodâm | which dictionary |
| birun | outside dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| sâghiyâ | O cupbearer (sâghi + vocative -â) dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| shive-hâ-ye | ways of, manners of dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| khoshat | your lovely dictionary | |
| وام | vâm | loan; be vâm dâshtan = to borrow dictionary |
| zekr | mention; zekr-e jamil = a good name dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| وردی‌ست | virdi-st | is a litany, a repeated prayer (= virdi ast) dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| shâm | evening, night (dark curls) dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| rish | wounded (زخمی) dictionary | |
| لعلت | la'lat | your ruby (lips) dictionary |
| tamâm | full, complete; mâh-e tamâm = full moon dictionary | |
| چاه | châh | well, pit dictionary |
| zaghan | chin; châh-e zaghan = chin dimple (چانه) | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 118. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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