Ghazal 145 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.
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COUPLET 1
چه مستی است ندانم که رو به ما آوردکه بود ساقی و این باده از کجا آورد
che masti-st nadânam ke ru be mâ âvard / ke bud sâghi o in bâde az kojâ âvard
I do not know what drunkenness this is that has come our way. Who was the cupbearer, and where did he bring this wine from?
COUPLET 2
چه راه می‌زند این مطربِ مقام شناسکه در میان غزل قول آشنا آورد
che râh mizanad in motreb-e maghâm-shenâs / ke dar miyân-e ghazal ghowl-e âshnâ âvard
What tune is this minstrel playing, who knows the modes so well, that in the middle of the song he brought in a familiar air?
COUPLET 3
تو نیز باده به چنگ آر و راهِ صحرا گیرکه مرغ نغمه‌سُرا سازِ خوش‌نوا آورد
to niz bâde be chang âr o râh-e sahrâ gir / ke morgh-e naghme-sorâ sâz-e khosh-navâ âvard
You too, take wine in hand and head for the open fields, for the singing bird has brought its sweet-toned instrument.
COUPLET 4
دلا چو غُنچه شکایت ز کارِ بسته مکنکه بادِ صبح، نسیمِ گره‌گُشا آورد
delâ cho ghonche shekâyat ze kâr-e baste makon / ke bâd-e sobh nasim-e gereh-goshâ âvard
Heart, do not complain like a closed bud about your knotted affairs, for the morning wind has brought a breeze that loosens knots.
COUPLET 5
رسیدن گل نسرین به خیر و خوبی بادبنفشه شاد و کَش آمد، سمن صفا آورد
residan-e gol-e nasrin be kheyr o khubi bâd / banafshe shâd o kash âmad, saman safâ âvard
May the coming of the wild rose be blessed and good; the violet arrived glad and graceful, the jasmine brought freshness.
COUPLET 6
صبا به خوش‌خبری هُدهُدِ سلیمان استکه مژدهٔ طرب از گلشنِ سبا آورد
sabâ be khosh-khabari hodhod-e soleymân ast / ke mozhde-ye tarab az golshan-e sabâ âvard
In bringing good news the breeze is Solomon's hoopoe: it has brought tidings of joy from the rose garden of Sheba.
COUPLET 7
علاج ضعف دل ما کرشمهٔ ساقیستبرآر سر که طبیب آمد و دوا آورد
alâj-e za'f-e del-e mâ kereshme-ye sâghi-st / bar âr sar ke tabib âmad o davâ âvard
The cure for our weak heart is the cupbearer's glance; lift your head, for the doctor has come and brought the medicine.
COUPLET 8
مریدِ پیرِ مُغانم ز من مرنج ای شیخچرا که وعده تو کردیّ و او به جا آورد
morid-e pir-e moghânam, ze man maranj ey sheykh / cherâ ke va'de to kardi o u be jâ âvard
I am a disciple of the Magian elder; do not take offense, sheikh: you made the promise, but he kept it.
COUPLET 9
به تنگ‌چشمیِ آن تُرکِ لشکری نازمکه حمله بر منِ درویشِ یک قبا آورد
be tang-cheshmi-ye ân tork-e lashkari nâzam / ke hamle bar man-e darvish-e yek-ghabâ âvard
I delight in the narrow eyes and greed of that Turkish soldier, who attacked me, a dervish with only one robe.
COUPLET 10
فلک غلامی حافظ کنون به طوع کُنَدکه اِلتِجا به درِ دولت شما آورد
falak gholâmi-ye Hâfez konun be tow' konad / ke eltejâ be dar-e dowlat-e shomâ âvard
Now heaven gladly serves Hafez, since he has taken refuge at the door of your fortune.
What this fâl tells you
A very happy fal: the doctor has come with the medicine, and the morning wind loosens knots. Tradition reads it as news of joy arriving, like the hoopoe's message to Solomon. Stop complaining about what is stuck; go out, enjoy the season, and trust the one who keeps promises.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: âvard. qâfiye: -â (mâ, kojâ, âshnâ, navâ, goshâ, safâ, sabâ, davâ, jâ, ghabâ, shomâ). tang-cheshmi means both narrow-eyed (a Turkish beauty) and stingy.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| âvarad | brings (present tense) dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| می‌زند | mizanad | strikes dictionary |
| مقام | maghâm | place, station dictionary |
| shenâs | knower; maghâm-shenâs = expert in musical modes dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| قول | ghowl | a song form; a tune dictionary |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| چنگ | chang | harp; hand, grasp; be chang âvardan = take in hand dictionary |
| âr | bring! dar amal âr = put into practice (بیاور) dictionary | |
| sahrâ | open country, fields dictionary | |
| گیر | gir | take! yâd gir = learn! (بگیر) dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ghonche | bud dictionary | |
| shekâyat | complaint dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| baste | closed, knotted; kâr-e baste = a stuck affair dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| residan | arrival dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| kheyr | good, blessing dictionary | |
| khubi | goodness dictionary | |
| shâd | glad dictionary | |
| کش | kash | graceful, charming (خوش) |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| safâ | freshness, purity dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| tarab | joy dictionary | |
| alâj | cure dictionary | |
| za'f | weakness dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| sâghi-st | is the cupbearer's (= sâghi ast) dictionary | |
| bar âr | raise! (بلند کن) | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| tabib | doctor (پزشک) dictionary | |
| davâ | medicine dictionary | |
| مرید | morid | disciple dictionary |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| مرنج | maranj | do not be offended dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| وعده | va'de | promise dictionary |
| کردی | kardi | you did dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| hamle | attack dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| قبا | ghabâ | robe dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| کنون | konun | now (اکنون) |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| shomâ | you (formal) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 145. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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