Ghazal 129 of Hafez (7 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
اگر نه باده غمِ دل ز یادِ ما بِبَرَدنهیبِ حادثه بنیادِ ما ز جا بِبَرَد
agar na bâde gham-e del ze yâd-e mâ bebarad / nahib-e hâdese bonyâd-e mâ ze jâ bebarad
If wine did not carry the heart's grief from our memory, the blow of misfortune would tear our foundations out of the ground.
COUPLET 2
اگر نه عقل به مستی فروکَشَد لنگرچگونه کَشتی از این وَرطِهٔ بلا ببرد
agar na aghl be masti forow keshad langar / chegune kashti az in varte-ye balâ bebarad
If reason did not drop anchor in drunkenness, how could it bring its ship through this whirlpool of disaster?
COUPLET 3
فغان که با همه کس غایبانه باخت فلککه کس نبود که دستی از این دَغا ببرد
faghân ke bâ hame kas ghâyebâne bâkht falak / ke kas nabud ke dasti az in daghâ bebarad
Alas, the sky has played against everyone behind their backs, so that no one could win a single round in this crooked game.
COUPLET 4
گذار بر ظلمات است، خِضْرِ راهی کو؟مباد کآتش محرومی آبِ ما ببرد
gozâr bar zolomât ast khezr-e râhi ku / mabâd k-âtash-e mahrumi âb-e mâ bebarad
Our way passes through the Land of Darkness: where is a Khezr to guide us? May the fire of deprivation not take away our honor.
COUPLET 5
دل ضعیفم از آن می‌کَشَد به طَرْفِ چمنکه جان ز مرگ به بیماریِ صبا ببرد
del-e za'ifam az ân mikeshad be tarf-e chaman / ke jân ze marg be bimâri-ye sabâ bebarad
My weak heart is drawn to the edge of the garden, because there the sick, faint morning breeze may save its life from death.
COUPLET 6
طبیبِ عشق منم باده دِه که این معجونفَراغت آرد و اندیشهٔ خطا ببرد
tabib-e eshgh manam bâde deh ke in ma'jun / farâghat ârad o andishe-ye khatâ bebarad
I am the doctor of love: give wine, for this remedy brings ease and takes away the fear of doing wrong.
COUPLET 7
بسوخت حافظ و کس حالِ او به یار نگفتمگر نسیم پیامی خدای را ببرد
besukht Hâfez o kas hâl-e u be yâr naguft / magar nasim payâmi khodâ râ bebarad
Hafez has burned up, and no one told the beloved of his state. For God's sake, perhaps the breeze will carry a message.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal asks for a guide through a dark stretch of road, and for something to steady the ship in rough water. Tradition reads this fal as reassurance that you can find calm and relief, and that a message you hope will reach someone may be carried there. Ask for help; a Khezr may be closer than you think.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bebarad ("carries away"). qâfiye: -â (mâ, jâ, balâ, daghâ, sabâ, khatâ, khodâ râ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| agar | if dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bebord | took away; az yâd bordan = to forget (برد) dictionary | |
| hâdese | accident, misfortune dictionary | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| چگونه | chegune | how dictionary |
| keshti | ship, ark dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| فغان | faghân | alas! cry of lament dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| dasti | a round, a hand (in a game) dictionary | |
| daghâ | trickery; be daghâ = by fraud, deceitfully (فریب) | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| râhi | a road dictionary | |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| کآتش | k-âtash | for fire (= ke âtash) (که آتش) |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| za'ifam | my weak dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| می‌کشد | mikoshad | kills dictionary |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| مرگ | marg | death dictionary |
| bimâri | sickness; the breeze's languor dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| tabib | doctor (پزشک) dictionary | |
| منم | manam | I am dictionary |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| معجون | ma'jun | remedy, medicinal paste dictionary |
| فراغت | farâghat | ease, peace, freedom from care dictionary |
| ârad | brings; be dast ârad = takes in hand, wins (بیاورد) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| besukht | burned (سوخت) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| نگفت | nagoft | did not say dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| payâmi | a message dictionary | |
| khodây | God (classical form) (خدا) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 129. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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