Ghazal 128 of Hafez (10 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
نیست دَر شهر نگاری که دلِ ما بِبَرَدبختم اَر یار شَوَد رَختَم از این جا بِبَرَد
nist dar shahr negâri ke del-e mâ bebarad / bakhtam ar yâr shavad rakhtam az injâ bebarad
There is no beauty in this city who can steal my heart; if luck is my friend, it will carry my belongings away from here.
COUPLET 2
کو حریفی کَشِ سَرمَست که پیشِ کَرَمَشعاشقِ سوخته‌دل، نامِ تَمَنا بِبَرَد
ku harifi kesh-e sarmast ke pish-e karamash / âsheq-e sukhte-del nâm-e tamannâ bebarad
Where is a graceful, drunken companion in front of whose generosity a burnt-hearted lover could dare to name a wish?
COUPLET 3
باغبانا زِ خَزان، بی‌خَبَرَت می‌بینمآه از آن روز که بادَت گُلِ رَعنا بِبَرَد
bâghbânâ ze khazân bikhabarat mibinam / âh az ân ruz ke bâdat gol-e ra'nâ bebarad
Gardener, I see you know nothing of autumn. Alas for the day the wind carries off your lovely rose.
COUPLET 4
رَهزنِ دَهر نَخفته‌ست، مَشو ایمن از اواگر امروز نَبُرده‌ست که فردا بِبَرَد
rahzan-e dahr nakhofte-st masho imen az u / agar emruz naborde-st ke fardâ bebarad
The highway robber of time is not asleep; do not feel safe from him. If he has not robbed you today, he may tomorrow.
COUPLET 5
در خیال، این هَمه لُعبَت به هَوَس می‌بازَمبو که صاحب‌نَظَری نامِ تماشا بِبَرَد
dar khiyâl in hame lo'bat be havas mibâzam / bu ke sâheb-nazari nâm-e tamâshâ bebarad
In my imagination I play out all these puppet scenes for my pleasure, hoping someone with insight will call them worth watching.
COUPLET 6
عِلم و فَضلی که به چِل سال دلَم جمع آوردتَرسَم آن نَرگسِ مَستانه به یَغما بِبَرَد
elm o fazli ke be chel sâl delam jam' âvard / tarsam ân narges-e mastâne be yaghmâ bebarad
The knowledge and learning my heart gathered over forty years, I fear that drunken narcissus eye will carry off as plunder.
COUPLET 7
بانگِ گاوی، چه صدا باز دَهَد؟ عِشوه مَخَرسامری کیست که دَست از یَدِ بیضا بِبَرَد؟
bâng-e gâvi che sedâ bâz dahad eshve makhar / sâmeri kist ke dast az yad-e beyzâ bebarad
What echo can the lowing of a calf give back? Do not be fooled. Who is the Samaritan, to outdo the shining hand of Moses?
COUPLET 8
جامِ میناییِ مِی، سَدِ رَهِ تَنگ‌دِلی‌ستمَنِه از دَست که سیلِ غَمَت از جا بِبَرَد
jâm-e minâyi-ye mey sadd-e rah-e tangdeli-st / manah az dast ke seyl-e ghamat az jâ bebarad
The glass cup of wine is a dam against heartache; do not let it go, or the flood of sorrow will sweep you away.
COUPLET 9
راهِ عشق اَر چه کمینگاهِ کَمانداران اَستهر که دانسته رَوَد صَرفه زِ اعدا بِبَرَد
râh-e eshgh ar che kamingâh-e kamândârân ast / har ke dânaste ravad sarfe ze a'dâ bebarad
Though the road of love is an ambush full of archers, whoever walks it knowingly will get the better of his enemies.
COUPLET 10
حافظ! اَر جان طَلَبَد غَمزهٔ مَستانهٔ یارخانه از غیر بِپَرداز و بِهِل تا بِبَرَد
Hâfez ar jân talabad ghamze-ye mastâne-ye yâr / khâne az gheyr bepardâz o behel tâ bebarad
Hafez, if the beloved's drunken glance asks for your life, empty the house of everyone else and let it take it.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal warns that time is a thief that does not sleep, so enjoy the rose while it blooms and do not count on tomorrow. Tradition reads this fal as advice to walk your road with your eyes open: the one who goes knowingly wins out over troubles. Do not be fooled by loud imitations of the real thing.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bebarad ("carries away"). qâfiye: -â (injâ, tamannâ, ra'nâ, fardâ, tamâshâ, yaghmâ, beyzâ, jâ, a'dâ, tâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bebord | took away; az yâd bordan = to forget (برد) dictionary | |
| bakhtam | my fortune dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| rakhtam | my belongings, my baggage dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| jâ bebarad | from here carries away; az jâ bebarad = sweeps away dictionary | |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| harifi | a companion dictionary | |
| sarmast | drunk, intoxicated dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| کرمش | karamash | His generosity dictionary |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| tamannâ bebarad | names a wish (nâm-e tamannâ bordan) dictionary | |
| bâghbânâ | O gardener! dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khazân | autumn (پاییز) dictionary | |
| bikhabarat | you ... unaware dictionary | |
| می‌بینم | mibinam | I see dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| bâdat | may it be for you dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| ra'nâ bebarad | carries off the lovely (rose) dictionary | |
| dahr | time, the world, fate dictionary | |
| نخفته‌ست | nakhofte-st | is not asleep (= nakhofte ast) dictionary |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| نبرده‌ست | naborde-st | has not taken (= naborde ast) dictionary |
| فردا ببرد | fardâ bebarad | takes tomorrow dictionary |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هوس | havas | longing, desire dictionary |
| bu | scent dictionary | |
| tamâshâ | watching, looking dictionary | |
| elm | knowledge dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| چل | chel | forty (چهل) |
| sâl | year dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| jam' | gathering dictionary | |
| âvarad | brings (present tense) dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| یغما ببرد | yaghmâ bebarad | carries off as plunder dictionary |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| gâvi | a calf, a cow (the Samaritan's golden calf) dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| sedâ | sound dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| eshve | flirting, coaxing; eshve dâdan = to deceive with charm; eshve kharidan = to be taken in dictionary | |
| مخر | makhar | do not buy!; eshve makhar = do not be fooled (نخر) dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ید | yad | hand (Arabic); yad-e beyzâ = the shining white hand of Moses (دست) |
| beyzâ bebarad | outdoes the shining (hand) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| منه | maneh | do not put down (نگذار) dictionary |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| کمانداران | kamândârân | archers dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| dânaste | knowingly dictionary | |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| sarfe | advantage, profit dictionary | |
| a'dâ bebarad | wins over enemies (sarfe bordan az) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| talabad | asks for dictionary | |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| bepardâz | empty!, clear! dictionary | |
| behel | let, allow! (بگذار) | |
| tâ bebarad | so that it takes dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 128. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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