Ghazal 123 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
مطربِ عشق عجب ساز و نوایی داردنقشِ هر نغمه که زد راه به جایی دارد
motreb-e eshgh ajab sâz o navâyi dârad / naghsh-e har naghme ke zad râh be jâyi dârad
Love the minstrel has a wondrous instrument and song; every melody it plays leads somewhere.
COUPLET 2
عالَم از نالهٔ عُشّاق مبادا خالیکه خوش‌آهنگ و فرح‌بخش هوایی دارد
âlam az nâle-ye oshshâgh mabâdâ khâli / ke khosh-âhang o farah-bakhsh havâyi dârad
May the world never be empty of lovers' laments, for they carry a tune that is sweet and full of joy.
COUPLET 3
پیر دُردی‌کَش ما گرچه ندارد زر و زورخوش عطابخش و خطاپوش خدایی دارد
pir-e dordi-kash-e mâ gar che nadârad zar o zur / khosh atâ-bakhsh o khatâ-push khodâyi dârad
Our dreg-drinking elder may have no gold and no power, but he has a God who gives generously and covers faults.
COUPLET 4
محترم دار دلم کاین مگسِ قندپَرستتا هواخواهِ تو شد فَرِّ هُمایی دارد
mohtaram dâr delam k-in magas-e ghand-parast / tâ havâkhâh-e to shod farr-e homâyi dârad
Treat my heart with respect: this sugar-loving fly, since it became your devotee, has the glory of the Homa bird.
COUPLET 5
از عدالت نَبُوَد دور گَرَش پُرسد حالپادشاهی که به همسایه گدایی دارد
az edâlat nabovad dur garash porsad hâl / pâdshâhi ke be hamsâye gedâyi dârad
It would not be far from justice if a king with a beggar for a neighbor asked how he was doing.
COUPLET 6
اشکِ خونین بنمودم به طبیبان گفتنددردِ عشق است و جگرسوز دوایی دارد
ashk-e khunin benamudam be tabibân goftand / dard-e eshgh ast o jegar-suz davâyi dârad
I showed my bloody tears to the doctors. They said, "It is the pain of love, and its cure burns the heart."
COUPLET 7
ستم از غمزه میاموز که در مذهبِ عشقهر عمل اجری و هر کرده جزایی دارد
setam az ghamze mayâmuz ke dar mazhab-e eshgh / har amal ajri o har karde jazâyi dârad
Do not learn cruelty from your glances, for in the religion of love every act has its reward and every deed its punishment.
COUPLET 8
نغز گفت آن بتِ ترسابچهٔ باده‌پرستشادیِ رویِ کسی خور که صفایی دارد
naghz goft ân bot-e tarsâbache-ye bâde-parast / shâdi-ye ru-ye kasi khor ke safâyi dârad
That wine-loving young Christian beauty put it well: "Drink to the joy of a face that has some purity."
COUPLET 9
خسروا حافظ درگاه‌نشین فاتحه خواندوز زبان تو تمنای دعایی دارد
khosrovâ Hâfez-e dargâh-neshin fâtehe khând / v-az zabân-e to tamannâ-ye doâyi dârad
O king, Hafez, who sits at your gate, has recited a prayer for you, and hopes for a blessing from your lips.
What this fâl tells you
Every note that love plays leads somewhere: this ghazal tells you that your longing has meaning. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that someone above you may soon ask after you, and that kindness to those nearby will be repaid, since "every deed has its reward." Choose company with a pure heart.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dârad ("has"). qâfiye: -âyi (navâyi, jâyi, havâyi, khodâyi, homâyi, gedâyi, davâyi, jazâyi, safâyi, doâyi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| navâyi | a melody, a tune dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| نغمه | naghme | melody dictionary |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jâyi | somewhere dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| نالهٔ | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| مبادا | mabâdâ | may it never be! dictionary |
| khâli | empty, free dictionary | |
| فرح‌بخش | farahbakhsh | joy-giving dictionary |
| havâyi | a longing, a desire (also: a breeze) dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| zur | force, strength dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| khodâyi | a God dictionary | |
| محترم | mohtaram | honored dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| هواخواه | havâkhâh | devotee, admirer dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| edâlat | justice dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| گرش | garash | if ... him (= agar u râ) dictionary |
| پرسد | porsad | asks dictionary |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| gedâyi | a beggar dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| khunin | bloody; khunin-del = heartsick, grieving dictionary | |
| benamudam | I showed dictionary | |
| tabibân | doctors (پزشکان) dictionary | |
| گفتند | goftand | they said dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| davâyi | a cure, a medicine dictionary | |
| setam | injustice dictionary | |
| میاموز | mayâmuz | do not learn! (یاد نگیر) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مذهب | mazhab | creed, religion dictionary |
| amal | action, practice dictionary | |
| کرده | karde | deed, what one has done dictionary |
| jazâyi | a punishment, a recompense dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bot | idol; the beautiful beloved dictionary | |
| shâdi | joy dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| khor | drink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary | |
| safâyi | a moment of clarity, purity dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| فاتحه | fâtehe | al-Fatiha, the opening prayer of the Quran dictionary |
| khând | sang, read; called dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| do'â'i | a prayer dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 123. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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