Ghazal 133 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
صوفی نَهاد دام و سَرِ حُقِّه، باز کَرْدبُنْیادِ مَکْر با فَلَکِ حُقِّه‌باز کَرْد
sufi nahâd dâm o sar-e hogghe bâz kard / bonyâd-e makr bâ falak-e hogghe-bâz kard
The Sufi set his trap and opened the lid of his trick box; he started a game of deceit with the trickster sky.
COUPLET 2
بازیِّ چَرْخ بِشْکَنَدَش بِیْضِه دَر کُلاهزیرا که عَرْضِ شُعْبَدِه با اَهْلِ راز کَرْد
bâzi-ye charkh beshkanadash beyze dar kolâh / zirâ ke arz-e sho'bade bâ ahl-e râz kard
The turning sky's game will break the egg in his hat, because he showed off his conjuring to those who know the secret.
COUPLET 3
ساقی! بیا! که شاهِدِ رَعْنایِ صوفیاندیگَر به جِلْوِه آمد و آغازِ ناز کَرْد
sâghi biyâ ke shâhed-e ra'nâ-ye sufiyân / digar be jelve âmad o âghâz-e nâz kard
Cupbearer, come! The lovely darling of the Sufis has come out on show again and begun to play coy.
COUPLET 4
این مُطْرِب اَز کُجاست که سازِ عِراق ساخت؟وآهَنْگِ بازْگَشْت به راهِ حِجاز کَرْد؟
in motreb az kojâ-st ke sâz-e erâgh sâkht / v-âhang-e bâzgasht be râh-e hejâz kard
Where is this minstrel from, who played in the Eraq mode and then turned back to the Hejaz mode?
COUPLET 5
ای دِل! بیا! که ما بِه پَناهِ خُدا رَویمزآنْچ آسْتینِ کوتَه و دَسْتِ دِراز کَرْد
ey del biyâ ke mâ be panâh-e khodâ ravim / z-ânch âstin-e kutah o dast-e derâz kard
Come, heart, let us take refuge in God from what the short sleeve and the long hand have done.
COUPLET 6
صَنْعَت مَکُن که هَرکِه مُحَبَّت، نَه راسْت باخْتعِشْقَش به رویِ دِل، دَرِ مَعْنی، فَراز کَرْد
san'at makon ke har ke mohabbat na râst bâkht / eshghash be ru-ye del dar-e ma'ni farâz kard
Do not use tricks: whoever does not play love honestly, love shuts the door of meaning in his heart's face.
COUPLET 7
فَرْدا که پیشگاهِ حَقیقَت شَوَد پَدیدشَرْمَنْدِه رَهْرُوی کِه عَمَل بَر مَجاز کَرْد
fardâ ke pishgâh-e haghighat shavad padid / sharmande rahrovi ke amal bar majâz kard
Tomorrow, when the court of Truth appears, the traveler who built his deeds on illusion will be ashamed.
COUPLET 8
اِی کَبْکِ خوش‌خُرام! کُجا می‌رَوی؟ بِایست!غَرِّه مَشو! که گُرْبِهٔ زاهِد، نَماز کَرْد
ey kabk-e khosh-khorâm kojâ miravi beist / gharre masho ke gorbe-ye zâhed namâz kard
O graceful strutting partridge, where are you going? Stop! Do not be fooled because the ascetic's cat is saying its prayers.
COUPLET 9
«حافِظ»! مَکُن مَلامَتِ رِنْدان! که دَر اَزَلما را خُدا زِ زُهْدِ ریا، بی‌نیاز کَرْد
Hâfez makon malâmat-e rendân ke dar azal / mâ râ khodâ ze zohd-e riyâ biniyâz kard
Hafez, do not blame the rends: in eternity before time, God made us free of any need for hypocritical piety.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal warns against tricks and false piety, including your own. Tradition reads this fal as advice to play straight in love and work, since honest dealing opens doors that cleverness closes. Be careful of anyone whose sudden show of goodness seems too convenient.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: kard ("did"). qâfiye: -âz (bâz, hogghe-bâz, râz, nâz, hejâz, derâz, farâz, majâz, namâz, biniyâz). Beyt 4 puns on the musical modes Eraq and Hejaz, which are also place names.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| نهاد | nahâd | nature, disposition dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| hogghe | box (a conjurer's trick box) dictionary | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| مکر | makr | deceit, trickery dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| hogghe-bâz kard | (with the) trickster (sky) ... made (= hogghe-bâz + kard) dictionary | |
| bâzi | game; trick dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| beshkanadash | will break his dictionary | |
| beyze | egg (a conjurer hides one in his hat) (تخم‌مرغ) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| zirâ | because dictionary | |
| arz | showing, presenting dictionary | |
| sho'bade | conjuring trick dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| sâkht | make (khâham sâkht = I will make) dictionary | |
| وآهنگ | v-âhang | and the intention, and the tune dictionary |
| bâzgasht | return; a turn in music dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| پناه | panâh | refuge; din-panâh = protector of the faith dictionary |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| ravim | (we) go (برویم) dictionary | |
| z-ânch | from what (= az ân che) (از آنچه) | |
| âstin | sleeve; jân dar âstin = ready to give one's life dictionary | |
| کوته | kutah | short (کوتاه) |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| san'at | art, craft dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| محبت | mohabbat | love, affection dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| râ-st | is for, belongs to (= râ ast) dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| ma'ni | meaning, inner reality dictionary | |
| فراز | farâz-e | top of, above (بالای) |
| فردا | fardâ | tomorrow dictionary |
| haghighat | truth dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| rahrovi | a traveller on the path dictionary | |
| amal | action, practice dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| miravi | you go dictionary | |
| beist | stop!, stand! dictionary | |
| gharre | deceived, overconfident dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| گربهٔ | gorbe-ye | the cat of dictionary |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| نماز | namâz | ritual prayer dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| riyâ | hypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary | |
| biniyâz | free of need dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 133. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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