Ghazal 177 of Hafez (10 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
نه هر که چهره برافروخت دلبری داندنه هر که آینه سازد سِکندری داند
na har ke chehre barafrukht delbari dânad / na har ke âyene sâzad sekandari dânad
Not everyone who makes their face glow knows the art of winning hearts; not everyone who makes a mirror knows how to be Alexander.
COUPLET 2
نه هر که طَرْفِ کُلَه کج نهاد و تُند نشستکلاه‌داری و آیینِ سروری داند
na har ke tarf-e kolah kaj nahâd o tond neshast / kolah-dâri o âyin-e sarvari dânad
Not everyone who tilts his cap and sits haughtily knows how to wear a crown or the ways of leadership.
COUPLET 3
تو بندگی چو گدایان به شرطِ مزد مکنکه دوست، خود روشِ بنده‌پروری داند
to bandegi cho gedâyân be shart-e mozd makon / ke dust khod ravesh-e bande-parvari dânad
Do not serve like beggars, on condition of wages: the Friend knows well how to care for those who serve.
COUPLET 4
غلامِ همّتِ آن رندِ عافیت‌سوزمکه در گداصفتی کیمیاگری داند
gholâm-e hemmat-e ân rend-e âfiyat-suzam / ke dar gedâ-sefati kimiyâgari dânad
I am the servant of the spirit of that free soul who burns up his own comfort, who looks like a beggar but knows alchemy.
COUPLET 5
وفا و عهد نکو باشد ار بیاموزیوگر نه هر که تو بینی ستمگری داند
vafâ o ahd neku bâshad ar biyâmuzi / vagar na har ke to bini setamgari dânad
Loyalty and keeping promises are good, if you learn them; otherwise, anyone you see knows how to be cruel.
COUPLET 6
بباختم دلِ دیوانه و ندانستمکه آدمی‌بچه‌ای، شیوهٔ پری داند
bebâkhtam del-e divâne o nadânestam / ke âdami-bache'i shive-ye pari dânad
I gambled away my mad heart and did not know that a child of Adam could know the ways of a fairy.
COUPLET 7
هزار نکتهٔ باریک‌تر ز مو این جاستنه هر که سر بتراشد قلندری داند
hezâr nokte-ye bârik-tar ze mu injâst / na har ke sar betarâshad ghalandari dânad
There are a thousand points here finer than a hair; not everyone who shaves his head knows how to be a qalandar.
COUPLET 8
مدارِ نقطهٔ بینش ز خالِ توست مراکه قدرِ گوهرِ یک‌دانه جوهری داند
madâr-e noghte-ye binesh ze khâl-e to-st marâ / ke ghadr-e gowhar-e yekdâne jowhari dânad
The point on which my sight turns is your beauty spot, for only a jeweler knows the worth of a matchless pearl.
COUPLET 9
به قَدّ و چهره هر آن کس که شاهِ خوبان شدجهان بگیرد اگر دادگستری داند
be ghadd o chehre har ân kas ke shâh-e khubân shod / jahân begirad agar dâdgostari dânad
Whoever becomes king of the beautiful by stature and face will win the world, if he also knows how to do justice.
COUPLET 10
ز شعرِ دلکَشِ حافظ کسی بُوَد آگاهکه لطفِ طبع و سخن گفتنِ دَری داند
ze she'r-e delkash-e Hâfez kasi bovad âgâh / ke lotf-e tab' o sokhan goftan-e dari dânad
Only someone with a refined nature, who knows how to speak fine Persian, can truly understand Hafez's charming poetry.
What this fâl tells you
Appearances are not the real thing: not every glowing face, tilted cap or shaved head carries the skill behind it. Tradition reads this fal as advice to look for true worth, in others and in yourself, and to serve without bargaining for reward. The one you serve already knows how to repay you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dânad ("knows"). qâfiye: -ari (delbari, sekandari, sarvari, parvari, kimiyâgari, setamgari, pari, ghalandari, jowhari, dâdgostari, dari).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چهره | chehre | face dictionary |
| barafrukht | made glow, lit up dictionary | |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| âyene | mirror (آیینه) | |
| sâzad | makes dictionary | |
| کله | kolah | cap, hat; tarf-e kolah = the cap's edge (کلاه) |
| کج | kaj | tilted, crooked dictionary |
| نهاد | nahâd | placed, set dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| tond | sharply, haughtily dictionary | |
| نشست | neshast | sat dictionary |
| âyin | custom, way dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| گدایان | gedâyân | beggars dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| shart | condition dictionary | |
| مزد | mozd | wage, pay dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| khod | himself, surely dictionary | |
| ravesh | way, method dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| kimiyâgari | alchemy dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| ahd | promise dictionary | |
| نکو | neku | good (نیکو) |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| biyâmuzi | you learn dictionary | |
| وگر | va gar | or if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| bini | you see dictionary | |
| setamgari | cruelty dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| divâne | madman dictionary | |
| ندانستم | nadânestam | I did not know dictionary |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| نکتهٔ | nokte | subtle point dictionary |
| bârik-tar | finer, thinner dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مو | mu | hair dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| jâst | is (in this place); injâst = is here dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| betarâshad | shaves dictionary | |
| مدار | madâr | axis, pivot dictionary |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| قدر | ghadr | worth, value dictionary |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| jowhari | jeweler dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| begirad | takes, conquers dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| dâdgostari | doing justice dictionary | |
| she'r | poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| bovad | is dictionary | |
| âgâh | aware, understanding dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| tab' | nature; poetic talent dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| گفتن | goftan | saying, speaking dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 177. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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