Ghazal 121 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.
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COUPLET 1
هر آن کاو خاطِرِ مَجموع و یارِ نازنین داردسَعادَت، همدم او گشت و دولت، هم‌نشین دارد
har ân k-u khâter-e majmu' o yâr-e nâzanin dârad / sa'âdat hamdam-e u gasht o dowlat hamneshin dârad
Whoever has a peaceful mind and a sweet beloved has happiness as a close friend and good fortune as a companion.
COUPLET 2
حَریمِ عشق را دَرْگَه، بسی بالاتر از عَقْل استکسی آن آسْتان بوسد، که جان در آستین دارد
harim-e eshgh râ dargah basi bâlâtar az aghl ast / kasi ân âstân busad ke jân dar âstin dârad
The gate of love's sanctuary is far higher than reason; only one who carries his life in his sleeve, ready to give it, may kiss that threshold.
COUPLET 3
دهانِ تَنْگِ شیرینش، مگر مُلْکِ سلیمان استکه نَقْشِ خاتَمِ لَعْلَش، جهان، زیرِ نگین دارد؟
dahân-e tang-e shirinash magar molk-e soleymân ast / ke naghsh-e khâtam-e la'lash jahân zir-e negin dârad
Is that small sweet mouth the kingdom of Solomon, that the seal of its ruby holds the whole world under its signet?
COUPLET 4
لَبِ لَعْل و خَطِ مُشکین، چو آنش هست و اینش هستبنازم دِلْبَرِ خود را، که حُسْنَش، آن و این دارد
lab-e la'l o khat-e moshkin cho ânash hast o inash hast / benâzam delbar-e khod râ ke hosnash ân o in dârad
Ruby lips and musky down: the beloved has that, and this too. How proud I am of my love, whose beauty has both.
COUPLET 5
به خواری مَنْگَر ای مُنْعِم، ضَعیفان و نَحیفان راکه صَدْرِ مَجْلِسِ عِشْرَت، گدایِ ره‌نشین دارد
be khâri mangar ey mon'em za'ifân o nahifân râ / ke sadr-e majles-e eshrat gedâ-ye rahneshin dârad
O rich man, do not look down on the weak and the thin, for the seat of honor at the feast of joy belongs to the beggar by the roadside.
COUPLET 6
چو بر رویِ زَمین باشی، توانایی، غَنیمت دانکه دوران، ناتوانی‌ها، بسی زیرِ زَمین دارد
cho bar ru-ye zamin bâshi tavânâyi ghanimat dân / ke dowrân nâtavâni-hâ basi zir-e zamin dârad
While you are on the face of the earth, treasure your strength, for time keeps much helplessness under the earth.
COUPLET 7
بَلاگردانِ جان و تن، دعایِ مُسْتْمَنْدان استکه بیند خِیْر از آن خَرْمَن که نَنْگ از خوشه‌چین دارد؟
balâgardân-e jân o tan doâ-ye mostmandân ast / ke binad kheyr az ân kharman ke nang az khushe-chin dârad
The prayer of the poor is what turns misfortune away from body and soul. Who sees any good from a harvest that is ashamed of the gleaners?
COUPLET 8
صَبا از عِشقِ من، رَمزی بگو با آن شَهِ خوبانکه صد جَمشید و کِیخُسرو، غُلامِ کم‌ترین دارد
sabâ az eshgh-e man ramzi begu bâ ân shah-e khubân / ke sad jamshid o keykhosrow gholâm-e kamtarin dârad
Breeze, tell a hint of my love to that king of beauties, who has a hundred Jamshids and Kay Khosrows as lowliest servants.
COUPLET 9
وگر گوید نمی‌خواهم، چو «حافِظ»، عاشِقِ مُفْلِسبگوییدش که سلطانی، گدایی هم‌نشین دارد
v-agar guyad nemikhâham cho Hâfez âsheq-e mofles / beguyidash ke soltâni gedâyi hamneshin dârad
And if the beloved says, "I do not want a penniless lover like Hafez," tell the beloved: "Kings do keep beggars as companions."
What this fâl tells you
A calm mind and a dear companion are named here as the true wealth. Tradition reads this fal as a reminder to use your strength while you have it, and to be kind to people with less: their good wishes protect you. Fortune is close to you if your heart is at peace.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dârad ("has"). qâfiye: -in (nâzanin, hamneshin, âstin, negin, in, rahneshin, zamin, khushe-chin, kamtarin).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کاو | k-u | who (= ke u) (که او) |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| مجموع | majmu' | gathered, composed (of the mind) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| نازنین | nâzanin | dear, sweet, delicate dictionary |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| sa'âdat | happiness, good fortune dictionary | |
| همدم | hamdam | close friend, companion dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| harim | private precinct dictionary | |
| dargah | gate, threshold (درگاه) | |
| bâlâtar | higher dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| busad | kisses dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| âstin | sleeve; jân dar âstin = ready to give one's life dictionary | |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| khâtam | seal ring dictionary | |
| لعلش | la'lash | his/her ruby (lips) dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| لعل و | la'l o | ruby and (lips) dictionary |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ânash | that ... he/she has (= ân u râ) dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| inash | this (is) its dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| hosnash | his/her beauty dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| khâri | humiliation, being despised dictionary | |
| منگر | mangar | do not look! (نگاه نکن) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| منعم | mon'em | rich man, benefactor (ثروتمند) |
| za'ifân | the weak dictionary | |
| نحیفان | nahifân | the thin, the frail dictionary |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| گدای | gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| zamin | earth, ground dictionary | |
| bâshi | you are dictionary | |
| tavânâyi | strength, ability dictionary | |
| ghanimat | godsend; ghanimat dânestan = to treasure dictionary | |
| dân | know! consider! (بدان) dictionary | |
| ناتوانی‌ها | nâtavâni-hâ | helplessness, weaknesses dictionary |
| tan | body dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| مستمندان | mostmandân | the needy, the poor dictionary |
| binad | sees dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| kharman | harvest, threshing heap dictionary | |
| ننگ | nang | shame, disgrace; nang o nâm = reputation dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ramzi | a hint, a secret sign dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| shah | king (شاه) | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| کم‌ترین | kamtarin | lowest dictionary |
| وگر | va gar | or if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| گوید | guyad | says, tells dictionary |
| نمی‌خواهم | nemikhâham | I do not want dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| beguyidash | tell him/her! dictionary | |
| soltâni | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| gedâyi | a beggar dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 121. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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