Ghazal 170 of Hafez (8 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
زاهدِ خلوت‌نشین، دوش به مِیخانه شداز سرِ پیمان بِرَفت، با سرِ پیمانه شد
zâhed-e khalvat-neshin dush be meykhâne shod / az sar-e peymân beraft, bâ sar-e peymâne shod
Last night the secluded ascetic went to the tavern. He walked away from his vow and went to the brim of the wine cup.
COUPLET 2
صوفیِ مجلس که دی، جام و قدح می‌شکستباز به یک جرعه می، عاقل و فرزانه شد
sufi-ye majles ke di jâm o ghadah mishekast / bâz be yek jor'e mey âgel o farzâne shod
The Sufi of the gathering, who only yesterday was smashing cups and goblets, became wise and sensible with a single sip of wine.
COUPLET 3
شاهدِ عهدِ شباب، آمده بودش به خوابباز به پیرانه‌سر، عاشق و دیوانه شد
shâhed-e ahd-e shabâb âmade budash be khâb / bâz be pirâne-sar âshegh o divâne shod
The beauty of his youth had come to him in a dream, and in old age he became a lover and a madman again.
COUPLET 4
مُغْ‌بَچه‌ای می‌گذشت، راهزنِ دین و دلدر پِیِ آن آشنا، از همه بیگانه شد
moghbache'i migozasht, râhzan-e din o del / dar pey-e ân âshenâ az hame bigâne shod
A young Magian was passing by, a robber of faith and heart; following that friend, he became a stranger to everyone else.
COUPLET 5
آتشِ رخسارِ گُل، خرمنِ بلبل بسوختچهرهٔ خندانِ شمع، آفتِ پروانه شد
âtash-e rokhsâr-e gol kharman-e bolbol besukht / chehre-ye khandân-e sham' âfat-e parvâne shod
The fire of the rose's cheek burned up the nightingale's harvest; the candle's smiling face became the ruin of the moth.
COUPLET 6
گریهٔ شام و سحر، شُکر که ضایع نگشتقطرهٔ بارانِ ما، گوهرِ یک‌دانه شد
gerye-ye shâm o sahar shokr ke zâye' nagasht / ghatre-ye bârân-e mâ gowhar-e yekdâne shod
Thank God the weeping of evening and dawn was not wasted: our raindrop became a peerless pearl.
COUPLET 7
نرگسِ ساقی بِخوانْد، آیتِ افسون‌گریحلقهٔ اورادِ ما، مجلسِ افسانه شد
narges-e sâghi bekhând âyat-e afsungari / halghe-ye owrâd-e mâ majles-e afsâne shod
The cupbearer's narcissus eye recited a verse of enchantment, and our circle of prayers turned into a gathering of stories.
COUPLET 8
منزلِ حافظ کنون، بارگهِ پادشاستدل بَرِ دل‌دار رفت، جان بَرِ جانانه شد
manzel-e Hâfez konun bârgah-e pâdeshâst / del bar-e deldâr raft, jân bar-e jânâne shod
Hafez's lodging is now a king's court: the heart went to the one who holds it, the soul went to the beloved.
What this fâl tells you
A change of heart is coming, and it is a happy one: like the ascetic who found his way to the tavern, you may rediscover a joy you thought you had outgrown. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your tears and patience were not wasted; the raindrop is becoming a pearl. Let yourself be moved.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: shod ("went, became"). qâfiye: -âne (meykhâne, peymâne, farzâne, divâne, bigâne, parvâne, yekdâne, afsâne, jânâne). Beyt 1 plays on peymân "vow" and peymâne "cup".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| shod | went (classical); became (رفت) dictionary | |
| sar | head; az sar-e X raftan = to abandon X; bâ sar-e = to the brim of dictionary | |
| پیمان | peymân | vow, pledge dictionary |
| beraft | went (away) (رفت) dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| پیمانه | peymâne | cup, measure dictionary |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| di | yesterday (دیروز) | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| می‌شکست | mishekast | was breaking dictionary |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| jor'e | sip, gulp dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| فرزانه | farzâne | wise, learned dictionary |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| ahd | time, era dictionary | |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) | |
| âmade | come dictionary | |
| budash | had (come) to him (= bud + -ash) dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| divâne | madman dictionary | |
| می‌گذشت | migozasht | was passing by dictionary |
| râhzan | robber, highwayman dictionary | |
| din | faith, religion dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| پی | pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| bigâne | stranger dictionary | |
| rokhsâr | cheek, face dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| kharman | harvest, threshing heap dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| besukht | burned dictionary | |
| چهرهٔ | chehre | face dictionary |
| khandân | smiling, laughing dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| âfat | bane, ruin dictionary | |
| پروانه | parvâne | moth (drawn to the candle) dictionary |
| گریهٔ | gerye | weeping dictionary |
| shâm | evening dictionary | |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| shokr | thank God; thanks dictionary | |
| zâye' | wasted, lost dictionary | |
| نگشت | nagasht | did not become dictionary |
| bârân | rain dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| bekhând | recited, read dictionary | |
| âyat | verse (as of the Quran); sign dictionary | |
| afsungari | enchantment, sorcery dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| owrâd | litanies, prayers recited by Sufis dictionary | |
| afsâne | tale, legend dictionary | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| کنون | konun | now (اکنون) |
| bârgah | court, royal hall (بارگاه) | |
| پادشاست | pâdeshâst | is a king's (= pâdeshâ + ast) dictionary |
| bar-e | to, into the presence of (نزد) | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 170. 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.