Ghazal 154 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
راهی بزن که آهی بر سازِ آن توان زدشعری بخوان که با او رَطلِ گران توان زد
râhi bezan ke âhi bar sâz-e ân tavân zad / she'ri bekhân ke bâ u ratl-e gerân tavân zad
Play a tune to which one can sigh along with the instrument; recite a poem with which one can drain a heavy cup.
COUPLET 2
بر آستانِ جانان گر سر توان نهادنگلبانگِ سربلندی بر آسمان توان زد
bar âstân-e jânân gar sar tavân nahâdan / golbâng-e sarbolandi bar âsmân tavân zad
If one can lay one's head on the beloved's threshold, one can send a song of pride up to the sky.
COUPLET 3
قَدِّ خمیدهٔ ما سهلت نماید امابر چشمِ دشمنان تیر، از این کمان توان زد
ghadd-e khamide-ye mâ sahlat namâyad ammâ / bar cheshm-e doshmanân tir az in kamân tavân zad
Our bent figure may look harmless to you, but from this bow one can shoot an arrow into the enemies' eyes.
COUPLET 4
در خانقه نگنجد اسرارِ عشقبازیجامِ میِ مُغانه هم با مُغان توان زد
dar khânaghah nagonjad asrâr-e eshghbâzi / jâm-e mey-e moghâne ham bâ moghân tavân zad
The secrets of love do not fit inside the Sufi lodge; the Magian wine cup can only be drunk with the Magi.
COUPLET 5
درویش را نباشد برگِ سرایِ سلطانماییم و کهنه دلقی کآتش در آن توان زد
darvish râ nabâshad barg-e sarâ-ye soltân / mâyim o kohne dalghi k-âtash dar ân tavân zad
A dervish has no means for a sultan's palace; here we are with an old patched cloak, fit only to be set on fire.
COUPLET 6
اهلِ نظر دو عالم در یک نظر ببازندعشق است و داوِ اول بر نقدِ جان توان زد
ahl-e nazar do âlam dar yek nazar bebâzand / eshgh ast o dâv-e avval bar naghd-e jân tavân zad
People of insight gamble both worlds away in one glance; this is love, and the first stake one can lay is the soul itself.
COUPLET 7
گر دولتِ وصالت خواهد دری گشودنسرها بدین تَخَیُّل بر آستان توان زد
gar dowlat-e vesâlat khâhad dari goshudan / sar-hâ bedin takhayyol bar âstân tavân zad
If the good fortune of union with you is ever going to open a door, in that hope one can beat one's head on the threshold.
COUPLET 8
عشق و شباب و رندی مجموعهٔ مراد استچون جمع شد معانی گویِ بیان توان زد
eshgh o shabâb o rendi majmu'e-ye morâd ast / chon jam' shod ma'âni guy-e bayân tavân zad
Love, youth and free-spiritedness are the sum of all desire; when the meanings come together, one can win the ball of eloquence.
COUPLET 9
شد رهزنِ سلامت زلفِ تو وین عجب نیستگر راهزن تو باشی صد کاروان توان زد
shod rahzan-e salâmat zolf-e to v-in ajab nist / gar râhzan to bâshi sad kârevân tavân zad
Your hair has become the robber of my peace, and no wonder: if you are the highwayman, a hundred caravans can be robbed.
COUPLET 10
حافظ به حَقِّ قرآن کز شِید و زرق بازآیباشد که گویِ عیشی در این جهان توان زد
Hâfez be hagh-e ghor'ân k-az sheyd o zargh bâz ây / bâshad ke guy-e eyshi dar in jahân tavân zad
Hafez, by the truth of the Quran, turn back from fraud and pretense; perhaps one can still win the ball of joy in this world.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal says "one can": with devotion at the right door, even a bent bow can still shoot true. Tradition reads it as encouragement that sincerity and courage will open a door, while pretense will not. Put your whole heart on the table, and joy is still possible in this world.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: tavân zad. qâfiye: -ân (ân, gerân, âsmân, kamân, moghân, jân, âstân, bayân, kârevân, jahân). guy zadan = to strike the ball (polo), i.e. to win.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| râhi | a road dictionary | |
| bezan | play! strike! dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| she'ri | a poem dictionary | |
| bekhân | read! sing! recite! dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| گران | gerân | heavy dictionary |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| نهادن | nahâdan | to lay, place (گذاشتن) dictionary |
| قد | ghadd-e | stature, figure of dictionary |
| khamide-ye | bent dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| sahlat | easy (to you) dictionary | |
| نماید | namâyad | seems dictionary |
| ammâ | but dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| doshmanân | enemies dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khânaghah | Sufi lodge (خانقاه) | |
| asrâr | secrets dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| barg-e | means, provision for dictionary | |
| soltân | sultan dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| کهنه | kohne | old, worn dictionary |
| کآتش | k-âtash | that fire (= ke âtash) (که آتش) |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| وصالت | vesâlat | union with you dictionary |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| dari | a door dictionary | |
| گشودن | goshudan | to open dictionary |
| sar-hâ | heads dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| مجموعهٔ | majmu'e-ye | the sum of dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| jam' | together, gathered dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| ma'âni | meanings dictionary | |
| گوی | guy-e | the ball of dictionary |
| bayân | eloquence, expression dictionary | |
| rahzan-e | robber of dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| râhzan | highwayman dictionary | |
| bâshi | you are dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| قرآن | ghor'ân | the Quran dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| zargh | pretense, hypocrisy (ریا) dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| eyshi | joy, pleasure dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 154. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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