Ghazal 171 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
دوش از جنابِ آصف، پیکِ بشارت آمدکز حضرتِ سلیمان، عشرت اشارت آمد
dush az jenâb-e âsef peyk-e beshârat âmad / k-az hazrat-e soleymân eshrat eshârat âmad
Last night a messenger of good news came from the court of Asaf: from the presence of Solomon, word had come to make merry.
COUPLET 2
خاکِ وجود ما را، از آبِ دیده گِل کنویران‌سرایِ دل را، گاهِ عمارت آمد
khâk-e vojud-e mâ râ az âb-e dide gel kon / virân-sarâ-ye del râ gâh-e emârat âmad
Turn the dust of our being into clay with the water of the eyes: the time has come to rebuild the ruined house of the heart.
COUPLET 3
این شرحِ بی‌نهایت، کز زلفِ یار گفتندحرفی‌ست از هزاران، کاَندر عبارت آمد
in sharh-e bi-nahâyat k-az zolf-e yâr goftand / harfi-st az hezârân k-andar ebârat âmad
This endless description they have given of the beloved's curls is only one letter out of thousands that could be put into words.
COUPLET 4
عیبم بپوش زنهار، ای خرقهٔ مِی‌آلودکآن پاکْ پاک‌دامن، بهرِ زیارت آمد
eybam bepush zenhâr ey kherghe-ye mey-âlud / k-ân pâk-e pâkdâman bahr-e ziyârat âmad
Cover my faults, I beg you, O wine-stained cloak, for that pure one of spotless robe has come to visit.
COUPLET 5
امروز جایِ هر کس، پیدا شود ز خوبانکآن ماهِ مجلس‌افروز، اندر صدارت آمد
emruz jâ-ye har kas peydâ shavad ze khubân / k-ân mâh-e majles-afruz andar sedârat âmad
Today it will be clear where each of the fair ones stands, for that moon who lights up the gathering has taken the seat of honor.
COUPLET 6
بر تختِ جم که تاجش، معراجِ آسمان استهمّت نگر که موری، با آن حقارت آمد
bar takht-e jam ke tâjash me'râj-e âsmân ast / hemmat negar ke muri bâ ân heghârat âmad
See the boldness: to the throne of Jamshid, whose crown is the ladder to heaven, an ant has come, small as it is.
COUPLET 7
از چشمِ شوخش ای دل! ایمانِ خود نگه دارکآن جادویِ کمانکش، بر عزمِ غارت آمد
az cheshm-e shukhash ey del imân-e khod negah dâr / k-ân jâdu-ye kamânkesh bar azm-e ghârat âmad
O heart, guard your faith from those playful eyes: that sorcerer who draws the bow has come to plunder.
COUPLET 8
آلوده‌ای تو حافظ، فیضی ز شاه درخواهکآن عنصرِ سَماحت، بهرِ طهارت آمد
âlude'i to Hâfez, feyzi ze shâh darkhâh / k-ân onsor-e samâhat bahr-e tahârat âmad
You are stained, Hafez: ask the king for a share of grace, for that very essence of generosity has come to make things pure.
COUPLET 9
دریاست مجلسِ او، دَریاب وقت و دُر یابهان ای زیان‌رسیده وقتِ تجارت آمد
daryâst majles-e u, dar yâb vaght o dor yâb / hân ey ziyân-reside vaght-e tejârat âmad
His gathering is a sea: seize the moment and find pearls. Listen, you who have suffered loss: the time for trade has come.
What this fâl tells you
Good news is on its way from a high place, and a door that seemed closed is opening. Tradition reads this fal as a time to rebuild what was ruined and to approach a generous person with an honest request. Whatever you lost before, the market is open again; seize the moment.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: âmad ("came"). qâfiye: -ârat (beshârat, eshârat, emârat, ebârat, ziyârat, sedârat, heghârat, ghârat, tahârat, tejârat). Asaf was Solomon's vizier; here he and Solomon stand for a minister and king of Hafez's day.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| jenâb | threshold, court; presence of a great person (آستانه) dictionary | |
| پیک | peyk | messenger, courier dictionary |
| beshârat | good news (مژده) | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| eshârat | sign, command (اشاره) | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| گل | gel | clay, mud dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| گاه | gâh | time (of) (هنگام) dictionary |
| emârat | rebuilding, restoration dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| sharh | description, account dictionary | |
| bi-nahâyat | endless dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| گفتند | goftand | they said dictionary |
| harfi-st | is (but) one letter, a word dictionary | |
| هزاران | hezârân | thousands dictionary |
| کاندر | k-andar | that into (= ke andar) (که در) |
| ebârat | expression, words dictionary | |
| eybam | my fault dictionary | |
| bepush | cover! hide! dictionary | |
| zenhâr | be sure! take care! dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| کآن | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
| پاک | pâk | pure; pâk-e pâkdâman = the utterly pure, chaste one dictionary |
| پاک‌دامن | pâkdâman | of spotless robe, chaste dictionary |
| bahr-e | for (the sake of) (برای) | |
| ziyârat | visit, pilgrimage dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| پیدا | peydâ | visible; peydâ shod = appeared dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| takht | throne dictionary | |
| tâjash | its crown dictionary | |
| معراج | me'râj | ladder, ascent (to heaven) dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| نگر | negar | look! see! (ببین) dictionary |
| muri | an ant dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| shukhash | his/her playful (eyes) dictionary | |
| imân | faith dictionary | |
| khod | your own dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| ghârat | plunder dictionary | |
| âlude'i | you are stained dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| feyzi | a share of grace, bounty dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| onsor | essence, element dictionary | |
| tahârat | purification dictionary | |
| daryâst | is a sea dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| dar yâb | grasp! seize! (دریاب) dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| یاب | yâb | find! dictionary |
| tejârat | trade, profit-making dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 171. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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