Ghazal 169 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.
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COUPLET 1
یاری اندر کس نمی‌بینیم، یاران را چه شد؟دوستی کِی آخر آمد؟ دوست‌دار‌ان را چه شد؟
yâri andar kas nemibinim, yârân râ che shod / dusti key âkher âmad, dustdârân râ che shod
We see friendship in no one: what has happened to the friends? When did friendship come to an end? What has become of those who loved?
COUPLET 2
آب حیوان تیره‌گون شد، خضر فرخ‌پِی کجاست؟خون چکید از شاخِ گل، بادِ بهار‌ان را چه شد؟
âb-e heyvân tire-gun shod, khezr-e farrokh-pey kojâst / khun chekid az shâkh-e gol, bâd-e bahârân râ che shod
The water of life has turned murky: where is Khizr of the lucky footsteps? Blood drips from the rose branch: what has happened to the spring breezes?
COUPLET 3
کس نمی‌گوید که «یاری داشت حقِّ دوستی»حق‌شناسان را چه حال افتاد؟ یاران را چه شد؟
kas nemiguyad ke yâri dâsht hagh-e dusti / hagh-shenâsân râ che hâl oftâd, yârân râ che shod
No one says any more, "A friend kept faith with friendship." What has befallen the grateful? What has become of the friends?
COUPLET 4
لعلی از کانِ مُروّت برنیامد سال‌هاستتابش خورشید و سعی باد و باران را چه شد؟
la'li az kân-e morovvat bar-nayâmad sâl-hâst / tâbesh-e khorshid o sa'y-e bâd o bârân râ che shod
For years no ruby has come out of the mine of kindness. What happened to the shining of the sun, and the work of wind and rain?
COUPLET 5
شهرِ یاران بود و خاکِ مهر‌بانان این دیارمهربانی کِی سر آمد؟ شهرِ یاران را چه شد؟
shahr-e yârân bud o khâk-e mehrabânân in diyâr / mehrabâni key sar âmad, shahriyârân râ che shod
This land was a city of friends, the soil of kind people. When did kindness come to an end? What has happened to the princes?
COUPLET 6
گویِ توفیق و کرامت، در میان افکنده‌اندکس به میدان در نمی‌آید، سوار‌ان را چه شد؟
gu-ye towfigh o kerâmat dar miyân afkande-and / kas be meydân dar nemiâyad, savârân râ che shod
The ball of success and nobility has been thrown into the middle of the field, yet no one rides out to play. What has happened to the horsemen?
COUPLET 7
صدهزاران گل شکفت و بانگِ مرغی برنخاستعندلیبان را چه پیش آمد؟ هَزاران را چه شد؟
sad hezârân gol shekoft o bâng-e morghi bar-nakhâst / andalibân râ che pish âmad, hezârân râ che shod
A hundred thousand roses have bloomed, and not one bird has raised its voice. What has befallen the nightingales? What has become of the songbirds?
COUPLET 8
زهره سازی خوش نمی‌سازد، مگر عود‌ش بسوخت؟کس ندارد ذوقِ مستی، مِی‌گسار‌ان را چه شد؟
zohre sâzi khosh nemisâzad, magar udash besukht / kas nadârad zowgh-e masti, meygosârân râ che shod
Venus plays no sweet tune: has her lute burned? No one has a taste for drunkenness: what has happened to the wine-drinkers?
COUPLET 9
حافظ اسرارِ الهی کَس نمی‌داند، خموشاز که می‌پرسی که دورِ روزگار‌ان را چه شد؟
Hâfez asrâr-e elâhi kas nemidânad, khamush / az ke miporsi ke dowr-e ruzgârân râ che shod
Hafez, no one knows the divine secrets: be silent. Whom are you asking what has happened to the turning of the times?
What this fâl tells you
You may feel that loyalty and kindness have grown rare around you. Tradition reads this fal as a call to be yourself the friend and the rider who steps onto the empty field. Do not exhaust yourself asking why the times have changed; the roses are still blooming, and someone must sing.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: râ che shod ("what has happened to"). qâfiye: -ârân / -ân (yârân, dustdârân, bahârân, bârân, shahriyârân, savârân, hezârân, meygosârân, ruzgârân). Beyt 5 puns shahr-e yârân "city of friends" with shahriyârân "princes".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| yâri | friendship; a friend dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نمی‌بینیم | nemibinim | we do not see dictionary |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| dusti | friendship dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| dustdârân | those who love, lovers dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| heyvân | life; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| چکید | chekid | dripped dictionary |
| shâkh | branch; shâkh-e nabât = a stick of rock candy (also the name tradition gives Hafez's beloved) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| bahârân | springs, springtime dictionary | |
| نمی‌گوید | nemiguyad | does not say dictionary |
| dâsht | had dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| oftâd | fell; happened, arose (پیش آمد) dictionary | |
| la'li | a ruby dictionary | |
| کان | kân | mine (for gems) (معدن) |
| مروت | morovvat | generosity, humane kindness dictionary |
| sâl-hâst | it has been years dictionary | |
| tâbesh | shining dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sa'y | effort, work dictionary | |
| bârân | rain dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| مهر‌بانان | mehrabânân | kind people dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| diyâr | land, country dictionary | |
| mehrabâni | kindness dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar âmadan = to come to an end dictionary | |
| کرامت | kerâmat | nobility, generosity dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| afkande-and | they have thrown dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| میدان | meydân | field (for polo) dictionary |
| نمی‌آید | nemiâyad | does not come; dar nemiâyad = does not enter dictionary |
| savârân | horsemen dictionary | |
| shekoft | bloomed dictionary | |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| morghi | a bird dictionary | |
| bar-nakhâst | did not rise dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | front; pish âmadan = to happen dictionary |
| هزاران | hezârân | nightingales (hezâr = nightingale) dictionary |
| zohre | Venus, the planet of music in old astronomy dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| نمی‌سازد | nemisâzad | does not play (a tune) dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| udash | her lute (ud); also aloeswood that is burned dictionary | |
| besukht | burned dictionary | |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| zowgh | taste, relish dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| می‌گسار‌ان | meygosârân | wine-drinkers dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| asrâr | secrets dictionary | |
| elâhi | divine dictionary | |
| نمی‌داند | nemidânad | does not know dictionary |
| khamush | silent; hush! (خاموش) dictionary | |
| miporsi | you ask dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| ruzgârân | times, ages dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 169. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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