Ghazal 126 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
جان، بی‌جمالِ جانان میلِ جهان نداردهر کس که این ندارد حقّا که آن ندارد
jân bi jamâl-e jânân meyl-e jahân nadârad / har kas ke in nadârad haghghâ ke ân nadârad
Without the beauty of the beloved, the soul has no wish for the world; truly, whoever lacks this lacks that indefinable grace too.
COUPLET 2
با هیچ کس نشانی زان دِلْسِتان ندیدمیا من خبر ندارم یا او نشان ندارد
bâ hich kas neshâni z-ân delsetân nadidam / yâ man khabar nadâram yâ u neshân nadârad
I have found no trace of that heart-stealer with anyone: either I know nothing, or the beloved leaves no trace.
COUPLET 3
هر شبنمی در این ره صد بحرِ آتشین استدردا که این معما شرح و بیان ندارد
har shabnami dar in rah sad bahr-e âtashin ast / dardâ ke in mo'ammâ sharh o bayân nadârad
Every drop of dew on this road is a hundred seas of fire; alas, this riddle cannot be explained or put into words.
COUPLET 4
سرمنزلِ فراغت نَتْوان ز دست دادنای ساروان فروکش کاین ره کران ندارد
sar-manzel-e farâghat natvân ze dast dâdan / ey sârvân forow kesh k-in rah karân nadârad
One must not lose the resting place of peace. Camel driver, stop and unload: this road has no end.
COUPLET 5
چنگِ خمیده‌قامت می‌خوانَدَت به عشرتبشنو که پندِ پیران هیچت زیان ندارد
chang-e khamide-ghâmat mikhânadat be eshrat / beshno ke pand-e pirân hichat ziyân nadârad
The harp, bent like an old man, is calling you to pleasure. Listen: the advice of elders will do you no harm.
COUPLET 6
ای دل طریقِ رندی از محتسب بیاموزمست است و در حقِ او کس این گمان ندارد
ey del tarigh-e rendi az mohtaseb biyâmuz / mast ast o dar hagh-e u kas in gomân nadârad
O heart, learn the art of being a rend from the morals officer: he is drunk, and no one suspects him of it.
COUPLET 7
احوالِ گنجِ قارون کَایّام داد بر باددر گوشِ دل فروخوان تا زر نهان ندارد
ahvâl-e ganj-e ghârun k-ayyâm dâd bar bâd / dar gush-e del forow khân tâ zar nahân nadârad
Recite into the heart's ear the story of Qarun's treasure, which time blew away, so that it will not hide its gold.
COUPLET 8
گر خود رقیب شمع است اسرار از او بپوشانکان شوخِ سربریده بندِ زبان ندارد
gar khod raghib sham' ast asrâr az u bepushân / k-ân shukh-e sar-boride band-e zabân nadârad
Even if the rival is only a candle, hide your secrets from it: that saucy thing with its head cut off cannot hold its tongue.
COUPLET 9
کس در جهان ندارد یک بنده همچو حافظزیرا که چون تو شاهی کس در جهان ندارد
kas dar jahân nadârad yek bande hamcho Hâfez / zirâ ke chon to shâhi kas dar jahân nadârad
No one in the world has a servant like Hafez, because no one in the world has a king like you.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal says the road of love has no end, so find a resting place of peace and do not let it go. Tradition reads this fal as advice to listen to the wise, be generous instead of hoarding, and keep your secrets from people who cannot hold their tongue. What you have, no one else has.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nadârad ("does not have"). qâfiye: -ân (jahân, ân, delsetân, neshân, bayân, karân, ziyân, gomân, nahân, zabân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bi jamâl | without the beauty of dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| میل | meyl | desire, appetite dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| haghghâ | truly, by God (Arabic) (واقعاً) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| neshâni | a sign, a clue; an address dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| ندیدم | nadidam | I did not see, did not find dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| khabar | news dictionary | |
| ندارم | nadâram | I do not have; dast az chizi nadâshtan = not to give something up dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| shabnami | a drop of dew dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| dardâ | alas! (افسوس) | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bayân | description, expression dictionary | |
| فراغت | farâghat | ease, peace, freedom from care dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| dâdan | to give; az dast dâdan = to let go dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sârvân | camel driver, caravan leader (ساربان) | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| می‌خواندت | mikhânadat | calls you dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| beshno | listen! dictionary | |
| پند | pand | advice dictionary |
| پیران | pirân | elders, old men dictionary |
| هیچت | hichat | nothing for you (= hich to râ) dictionary |
| ziyân | loss dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| biyâmuz | learn! dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| گمان | gomân | thought, suspicion; dar gomân andâkht = made me think dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| کایام | k-ayyâm | for the days of (= ke ayyâm) dictionary |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| فروخوان | forow khân | recite! dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| asrâr | secrets dictionary | |
| bepushân | cover! dictionary | |
| کان | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
| shukh | playful, bold dictionary | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zirâ | because dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| to | you dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 126. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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