Ghazal 164 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
نفسِ بادِ صبا مُشک‌فشان خواهد شدعالَمِ پیر دگرباره جوان خواهد شد
nafas-e bâd-e sabâ moshk-feshân khâhad shod / âlam-e pir degarbâre javân khâhad shod
The breath of the morning breeze will scatter musk; the old world will become young again.
COUPLET 2
ارغوان جامِ عقیقی به سمن خواهد دادچشمِ نرگس به شقایق نگران خواهد شد
arghavân jâm-e aghighi be saman khâhad dâd / cheshm-e narges be shaghâyegh negarân khâhad shod
The redbud will pass an agate-red cup to the jasmine; the narcissus eye will turn to gaze at the anemone.
COUPLET 3
این تَطاول که کشید از غمِ هجران بلبلتا سراپردهٔ گل نعره‌زنان خواهد شد
in tatâvol ke keshid az gham-e hejrân bolbol / tâ sarâparde-ye gol na're-zanân khâhad shod
After the long torment the nightingale has suffered in separation, it will go crying out to the pavilion of the rose.
COUPLET 4
گر ز مسجد به خرابات شدم خرده مگیرمجلس وعظ دراز است و زمان خواهد شد
gar ze masjed be kharâbât shodam khorde magir / majles-e va'z derâz ast o zamân khâhad shod
If I went from the mosque to the tavern, do not find fault: the sermon goes on and on, and time is running out.
COUPLET 5
ای دل ار عشرتِ امروز به فردا فکنیمایهٔ نقدِ بقا را که ضَمان خواهد شد؟
ey del ar eshrat-e emruz be fardâ fekani / mâye-ye naghd-e baghâ râ ke zamân khâhad shod
Heart, if you put off today's joy until tomorrow, who will guarantee you the capital of staying alive?
COUPLET 6
ماه شعبان مَنِه از دست قدح، کاین خورشیداز نظر تا شبِ عیدِ رمضان خواهد شد
mâh-e sha'bân maneh az dast ghadah k-in khorshid / az nazar tâ shab-e eyd-e ramezân khâhad shod
In the month of Sha'ban do not put down the cup, for this sun will disappear from sight until the night of the feast after Ramadan.
COUPLET 7
گل عزیز است غنیمت شِمُریدَش صحبتکه به باغ آمد از این راه و از آن خواهد شد
gol aziz ast, ghanimat shomoridash sohbat / ke be bâgh âmad az in râh o az ân khâhad shod
The rose is precious: treasure its company, for it came into the garden by this road and will leave by that one.
COUPLET 8
مطربا مجلسِ انس است غزل خوان و سرودچند گویی که چنین رفت و چنان خواهد شد؟
motrebâ majles-e ons ast, ghazal khân o sorud / chand guyi ke chonin raft o chonân khâhad shod
Minstrel, this is a gathering of friends: sing a ghazal, sing a song. How long will you keep saying "this happened, and that will happen"?
COUPLET 9
حافظ از بهر تو آمد سویِ اقلیمِ وجودقدمی نِه به وداعش که روان خواهد شد
Hâfez az bahr-e to âmad su-ye eghlim-e vojud / ghadami neh be vedâ'ash ke ravân khâhad shod
Hafez came into the land of existence for your sake; take a step to say goodbye to him, for he will soon be on his way.
What this fâl tells you
Spring is coming and the old world will be young again: this is a fal of renewal. Tradition reads it as a sign that a long separation or hardship is ending, and as advice not to postpone today's joy to tomorrow. Enjoy good company now, and stop worrying about what was and what will be.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: khâhad shod. qâfiye: -ân (feshân, javân, negarân, zanân, zamân "time", zamân "guarantor", ramezân, ân, chonân, ravân). Sha'ban is the month before Ramadan, the month of fasting.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| نفس | nafas-e | breath of dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| degarbâre | once again (دوباره) | |
| javân | young dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| نگران | negarân | gazing, looking dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کشید | keshid | pulled, led (to) dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مسجد | masjed | mosque dictionary |
| shodam | I became dictionary | |
| khorde | fault; khorde gereftan = to find fault dictionary | |
| مگیر | magir | do not take; do not find (fault) (نگیر) dictionary |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| وعظ | va'z | sermon, preaching dictionary |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| فردا | fardâ | tomorrow dictionary |
| fekani | you throw, put off dictionary | |
| مایهٔ | mâye-ye | capital, stock of dictionary |
| baghâ | survival, staying alive dictionary | |
| zamân | guarantor (ضامن) | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| منه | maneh | do not put down (نگذار) dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| eyd-e | feast of dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| ghanimat | godsend; ghanimat dânestan = to treasure dictionary | |
| shomoridash | you counted it (ghanimat shomordan = treasure) (بشمارید) dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| khân | tray of food, feast laid out (سفره) | |
| sorud | song dictionary | |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| guyi | you say dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| su-ye | toward dictionary | |
| eghlim-e | land, realm of dictionary | |
| ghadami | a step dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 164. 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.