Ghazal 151 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
دَمی با غم به سر بردن، جهان یک سر نمی‌ارزدبه می بفروش دلقِ ما، کز این بهتر نمی‌ارزد
dami bâ gham be sar bordan jahân yeksar nemiarzad / be mey beforush dalgh-e mâ k-az in behtar nemiarzad
The whole world is not worth spending one moment in sorrow; sell our patched cloak for wine, for it is worth no more than that.
COUPLET 2
به کویِ می فروشانش، به جامی بر نمی‌گیرندزهی سجادهٔ تقوا که یک ساغر نمی‌ارزد
be kuy-e meyforushânash be jâmi bar nemigirand / zehi sajjâde-ye taghvâ ke yek sâghar nemiarzad
In the wine sellers' street they will not take it even for one cup: what a fine prayer rug of piety, not worth a single glass!
COUPLET 3
رقیبم سرزنش‌ها کرد کز این باب رُخ برتابچه افتاد این سر ما را که خاکِ در نمی‌ارزد؟
raghibam sarzanesh-hâ kard k-az in bâb rokh bartâb / che oftâd in sar-e mâ râ ke khâk-e dar nemiarzad
My rival scolded me: "Turn your face away from this door." What has happened to this head of mine, that it is not worth the dust of the doorway?
COUPLET 4
شکوهِ تاجِ سلطانی که بیمِ جان در او دَرج استکلاهی دلکش است اما به تَرکِ سر نمی‌ارزد
shokuh-e tâj-e soltâni ke bim-e jân dar u darj ast / kolâhi delkash ast ammâ be tark-e sar nemiarzad
The splendor of a royal crown, with fear for one's life folded inside it, is a charming cap, but not worth losing your head for.
COUPLET 5
چه آسان می‌نمود اول غمِ دریا به بوی سودغلط کردم که این طوفان به صد گوهر نمی‌ارزد
che âsân minemud avval gham-e daryâ be bu-ye sud / ghalat kardam ke in tufân be sad gowhar nemiarzad
How easy the troubles of the sea seemed at first, in hope of profit! I was wrong: this storm is not worth a hundred pearls.
COUPLET 6
تو را آن بِهْ که رویِ خود ز مشتاقان بپوشانیکه شادیِّ جهانگیری، غمِ لشکر نمی‌ارزد
to râ ân beh ke ru-ye khod ze moshtâghân bepushâni / ke shâdi-ye jahângiri gham-e lashkar nemiarzad
Better for you to hide your face from those who long for you, for the joy of conquering the world is not worth the grief of the army.
COUPLET 7
چو حافظ در قناعت کوش و از دنیایِ دون بگذرکه یک جو مِنَّتِ دونان دو صد من زر نمی‌ارزد
cho Hâfez dar ghanâ'at kush o az donyâ-ye dun bogzar / ke yek jow mennat-e dunân do sad man zar nemiarzad
Like Hafez, strive for contentment and let go of this lowly world, for two hundred measures of gold are not worth one grain of obligation to mean people.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal weighs things and finds that many glittering prizes are not worth their price. Tradition reads it as advice to choose contentment and peace of mind over a gain that comes with fear or with owing favors to unworthy people. Do not spend your days in sorrow; what you already have may be enough.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nemiarzad. qâfiye: -ar (yeksar, behtar, sâghar, dar, sar, gowhar, lashkar, zar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| bordan | to carry; be sar bordan = to spend (time) dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| beforush | sell! dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| فروشانش | forushânash | (wine) sellers ... it dictionary |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| نمی‌گیرند | nemigirand | they do not take, do not accept dictionary |
| taghvâ | piety dictionary | |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| raghibam | my rival dictionary | |
| sarzanesh-hâ | reproaches, scolding dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| bâb | door; matter dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| oftâd | fell; happened, arose (پیش آمد) dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| shokuh-e | splendor of dictionary | |
| tâj-e | crown of dictionary | |
| bim | fear dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| darj | folded inside, contained dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| kolâhi | a cap dictionary | |
| ammâ | but dictionary | |
| می‌نمود | minemud | seemed dictionary |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| sud | profit dictionary | |
| ghalat | wrong, mistaken dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did; ghalat kardam = I was wrong dictionary |
| tufân | flood, storm dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مشتاقان | moshtâghân | those who long for you dictionary |
| bepushâni | you cover, hide dictionary | |
| shâdi-ye | the joy of dictionary | |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| کوش | kush | strive! try! (بکوش) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| donyâ-ye | the world of dictionary | |
| dun | low, base dictionary | |
| bogzar | pass by, give up! dictionary | |
| ju | seek! (= bejuy) (بجوی) dictionary | |
| dunân | base, mean people dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 151. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.