Ghazal 161 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
کِی شعر تر انگیزد خاطر که حزین باشدیک نکته از این معنی گفتیم و همین باشد
key she'r-e tar angizad khâter ke hazin bâshad / yek nokte az in ma'ni goftim o hamin bâshad
How could a sorrowful mind produce fresh poetry? We have stated one fine point on this matter, and that is all.
COUPLET 2
از لعلِ تو گر یابم انگشتریِ زنهارصد مُلکِ سلیمانم در زیرِ نگین باشد
az la'l-e to gar yâbam angoshtari-ye zenhâr / sad molk-e soleymânam dar zir-e negin bâshad
If I receive from your ruby lips a ring of safe-conduct, a hundred kingdoms like Solomon's will be under my seal.
COUPLET 3
غمناک نباید بود از طعنِ حسود ای دلشاید که چو وابینی خیرِ تو در این باشد
ghamnâk nabâyad bud az ta'n-e hasud ey del / shâyad ke cho vâbini kheyr-e to dar in bâshad
Heart, do not be downcast by the taunts of the envious; when you look again, perhaps your good lies in this very thing.
COUPLET 4
هر کو نَکُنَد فهمی زین کِلکِ خیال‌انگیزنقشش به حرام اَر خود صورتگر چین باشد
har k-u nakonad fahmi z-in kelk-e khiyâl-angiz / naghshash be harâm ar khod surat-gar-e chin bâshad
Whoever cannot grasp anything from this imaginative pen, may his art count for nothing, even if he is a master painter of China.
COUPLET 5
جامِ میْ و خونِ دل هر یک به کسی دادنددر دایرهٔ قسمت اوضاع چنین باشد
jâm-e mey o khun-e del har yek be kasi dâdand / dar dâyere-ye ghesmat owzâ' chonin bâshad
The cup of wine and the blood of the heart were each given to someone; in the circle of destiny, that is how things are.
COUPLET 6
در کارِ گلاب و گل حکمِ ازلی این بودکاین شاهدِ بازاری وآن پرده‌نشین باشد
dar kâr-e golâb o gol hokm-e azali in bud / k-in shâhed-e bâzâri v-ân parde-neshin bâshad
Concerning rosewater and the rose, the eternal decree was this: that one should be a beauty of the marketplace, and the other should stay behind the curtain.
COUPLET 7
آن نیست که حافظ را رِندی بِشُد از خاطرکه‌این سابقهٔ پیشین تا روزِ پَسین باشد
ân nist ke Hâfez râ rendi beshod az khâter / k-in sâbeghe-ye pishin tâ ruz-e pasin bâshad
It is not that free-spiritedness has slipped from Hafez's mind: this old habit will last until the final day.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal says: do not be saddened by the taunts of others, for your good may lie in the very thing that hurts. Tradition reads it as a sign that each person receives a different share, and that yours has its own hidden blessing. Keep your heart light so that your best work can flow again.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bâshad. qâfiye: -in (hazin, hamin, negin, in, chin, chonin, neshin, pasin).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| she'r | poetry dictionary | |
| tar | fresh, moist dictionary | |
| angizad | raises, stirs up dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| hazin | sad, sorrowful (غمگین) | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| نکته | nokte | fine point dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| ma'ni | meaning; subject dictionary | |
| گفتیم | goftim | we said dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| یابم | yâbam | I find, receive dictionary |
| zenhâr | be sure! take care! dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| ghamnâk | sad dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| hasud | envious (person) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| shâyad | perhaps dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| kheyr-e | the good of dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کو | k-u | who (= ke u) (که او) dictionary |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| fahmi | any understanding dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in) (از این) | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| نقشش | naghshash | his painting dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| harâm | forbidden dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| چین | chin | China; also a curl, fold (pun) dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| dâdand | (they) gave dictionary | |
| dâyere-ye | circle of dictionary | |
| قسمت | ghesmat | fate, share dictionary |
| owzâ' | state of things, situations dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| گلاب | golâb | rose water dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| hokm | command, control dictionary | |
| azali | eternal, from before time dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| وآن | v-ân | and that (= va ân) (و آن) |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| beshod | went, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary | |
| که‌این | k-in | for this (= ke in) (که این) |
| sâbeghe | precedent, what came before dictionary | |
| پیشین | pishin | former, of old dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| پسین | pasin | last, final dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 161. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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