Ghazal 182 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
حَسْبِ حالی نَنِوِشتی و شد ایّامی چندمَحرمی کو که فرستم به تو پیغامی چند؟
hasb-e hâli naneveshti o shod ayyâmi chand / mahrami ku ke ferestam be to peyghâmi chand
You have not written a word about how you are, and several days have passed. Where is a trusted friend by whom I could send you a few messages?
COUPLET 2
ما بدان مقصدِ عالی نتوانیم رسیدهم مگر پیش نَهَد لطفِ شما گامی چند
mâ bedân maghsad-e âli natavânim resid / ham magar pish nahad lotf-e shomâ gâmi chand
We cannot reach that lofty goal on our own, unless your kindness comes a few steps forward.
COUPLET 3
چون مِی از خُم به سبو رفت و گُل افکند نقابفرصتِ عیش نگه دار و بزن جامی چند
chon mey az khom be sabu raft o gol afkand neghâb / forsat-e eysh negah dâr o bezan jâmi chand
Now that the wine has gone from the vat into the jug and the rose has thrown off her veil, hold on to this chance for pleasure and drink a few cups.
COUPLET 4
قندِ آمیخته با گُل نه علاجِ دلِ ماستبوسه‌ای چند برآمیز به دشنامی چند
ghand-e âmikhte bâ gol na alâj-e del-e mâst / buse'i chand barâmiz be doshnâmi chand
Sugar mixed with rose petals is no cure for our heart: mix a few kisses in with a few insults.
COUPLET 5
زاهد از کوچهٔ رندان به سلامت بگذرتا خرابت نکند صحبتِ بدنامی چند
zâhed az kuche-ye rendân be salâmat bogzar / tâ kharâbat nakonad sohbat-e badnâmi chand
Ascetic, pass safely by the street of the free spirits, so that the company of a few disreputable people does not ruin you.
COUPLET 6
عیبِ مِی جمله چو گفتی، هنرش نیز بگونفیِ حکمت مکن از بهرِ دلِ عامی چند
eyb-e mey jomle cho gofti, honarash niz begu / nafy-e hekmat makon az bahr-e del-e âmi chand
Since you have listed all the faults of wine, tell its virtues too: do not deny wisdom just to please a few common people.
COUPLET 7
ای گدایانِ خرابات خدا یارِ شماستچشمِ اِنعام مدارید ز اَنعامی چند
ey gedâyân-e kharâbât khodâ yâr-e shomâst / cheshm-e en'âm madârid z-an'âmi chand
O beggars of the tavern, God is your friend: do not expect favors from a few cattle.
COUPLET 8
پیرِ میخانه چه خوش گفت به دُردی‌کشِ خویشکه مگو حالِ دلِ سوخته با خامی چند
pir-e meykhâne che khosh goft be dordi-kesh-e khish / ke magu hâl-e del-e sukhte bâ khâmi chand
How well the old tavern master spoke to his dreg-drinking disciple: "Do not tell the state of a burned heart to people who are still raw."
COUPLET 9
حافظ از شوقِ رخِ مِهر‌فروغِ تو بسوختکامگارا نظری کن سویِ ناکامی چند
Hâfez az showgh-e rokh-e mehr-forugh-e to besukht / kâmgârâ nazari kon su-ye nâkâmi chand
Hafez burned with longing for your sun-bright face. O fortunate one, cast a glance toward a few who are unfortunate.
What this fâl tells you
Silence has gone on long enough: send the message, or ask for news of the one you miss. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that you cannot reach your goal alone, but a kind hand will meet you halfway. Share your heart only with those who understand it, and expect help from God, not from the unkind.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: chand ("a few"), with the indefinite -i before it. qâfiye: -âm (ayyâm, peyghâm, gâm, jâm, doshnâm, badnâm, âm, an'âm, khâm, nâkâm). Beyt 7 puns on en'âm "favors" and an'âm "cattle".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| hâli | state, condition dictionary | |
| naneveshti | you did not write dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| shod | passed (of time); became dictionary | |
| ayyâmi | some days dictionary | |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| فرستم | ferestam | I may send dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| peyghâmi | a message dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| مقصد | maghsad | destination dictionary |
| âli | lofty, high dictionary | |
| نتوانیم | natavânim | we cannot dictionary |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| پیش | pish | forward dictionary |
| نهد | nahad | lays, puts dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| shomâ | you (polite) dictionary | |
| gâmi | a step dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| sabu | jug, pitcher dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| afkand | threw down, struck down dictionary | |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| فرصت | forsat | chance, opportunity dictionary |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| bezan | play! strike! dictionary | |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary | |
| âmikhte | mixed dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| alâj | cure, treatment dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| buse'i | a kiss dictionary | |
| barâmiz | mix in! dictionary | |
| doshnâmi | an insult, a curse dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| کوچهٔ | kuche | lane, street dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| bogzar | pass by! dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| kharâbat | ruin you (kharâb + -at) dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| badnâmi | a disreputable person dictionary | |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| jomle | all (همه) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| gofti | you said; you composed dictionary | |
| هنرش | honarash | its virtue dictionary |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| نفی | nafy | denial dictionary |
| hekmat | wisdom, philosophy dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| bahr | sake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای) | |
| âmi | a common, ignorant person dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| گدایان | gedâyân | beggars dictionary |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| مدارید | madârid | do not have (expectation)! (نداشته باشید) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| an'âmi | a few cattle (brutish people); pun on en'âm "favors" dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| sukhte | burnt; heartbroken dictionary | |
| khâmi | a raw, inexperienced person dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| besukht | burned (سوخت) dictionary | |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| su-ye | toward dictionary | |
| nâkâmi | an unfortunate one dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 182. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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